Did you know that you can rebuild your brain with exercise?
In a previous blog, I wrote about the brain's capacity to rewire itself based on repeated thoughts and experiences. This is called "neuroplasticity". If you are a scripture reader, the apostle Paul points to neuroplasticity when he says, "be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2) The more you do or think something, the more neural pathways you create. Our goal should be to create strong pathways by setting our minds and actions on positive thoughts and habits, reinforcing them daily. Whatever "rut" you think you are stuck in, well, you are not if you don't want to be. We have the ability to change, to transform.
When we exercise, we are also creating new neural pathways. People who exercise have physically different brains.
- The hippocampus, which is key for memory, is stimulated by exercise that increases heart rate. Out of shape people grew new blood vessels in the hippocampus after just 12 weeks of exercise. Aerobic exercise that is good for the heart is good for the brain. Higher levels of aerobic fitness is associated with increased hippocampus volume.
- Exercise has been shown to reverse age-related shrinkage of the brain. Klotho, which is a hormone associated with longevity and protection against cognitive decline, show increased levels after only 20 minutes of intensive aerobic exercise.
Alzheimer's is almost always a diet and lifestyle induced disease, and exercise plays a key role in prevention as well as a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, high in fiber and low in fat. Physical activity
affects the brain’s immune cells, which results in lowered inflammation in the brain.
Microglia are immune cells in the brain which clear away debris and dying cells that result from injury or infection. Microglia also stimulate production of new neurons, which communicate with other cells, a process called neurogenesis that is involved in learning and memory. Microglia shift from a resting state to an activated state in order to do their jobs. When signals from pathogens or damaged cells activate the microglia, they produce pro-inflammatory molecules which are needed to repair damage to resolve infection or injury. The bottom line is that if we eat well for our health, we will be eating well for our brain!
Are you ready to transform your mind? Is it still in a rut? Are you believing the negative spin that you tell yourself? Once you buy into the lies you tell yourself, you risk that it will certainly play itself out.
We remain committed to making learning about health interesting and fun. You CAN take control of your health and make better and more informed decisions about what you eat, how you exercise, and other optimal lifestyle changes.
Liz Fattore
Certified Food Over Medicine Instructor
Diet & Lifestyle Intervention
How often do you hear that someone is "addicted to food"? Did you know that there is no such condition and that there is a downside to calling abnormal eating a "food addiction"?
Humans are hard-wired to experience pleasurable feelings from eating and sex to ensure both personal survival and survival of our species. Food is different from other "addictive substances" – we can give up alcohol and cigarettes without endangering our survival, but we must eat to survive. It’s fair to say that we are all addicted to food for this reason. When we eat, dopamine is released, and we feel good, which is nature’s way of making sure we eat again.
If "addiction" is not driving overeating, what is? Overeating and binge eating are compulsive behaviors that involve food. An important purpose for compulsive behavior is to relieve stress and discomfort. The person who regularly overeats or binges uses food much in the way that some people use alcohol or drugs. But there is a very important difference. A person can abstain from alcohol and drugs for an entire lifetime, but cannot abstain from food.
Research shows that the particular substance that a person uses to reduce pain and discomfort is less important than the reason for use. This is why not all people who use drugs become addicted. During the early 1970s it was common for U.S. soldiers to use heroin while stationed in Vietnam. They often had to be admitted to detox centers to withdraw after returning home. After detox, over 90% of soldiers stopped using heroin and never used it again.
At the same time, heroin use was increasing in the U.S., but the situation concerning discontinuation was quite different. Addicts found it much more difficult to quit, and many were admitted to rehab centers multiple times and never stopped using drugs. What made this situation even more confusing was that the soldiers in Vietnam were using much stronger heroin than the heroin used by drug addicts in the U.S. American soldiers should have had a much more difficult time withdrawing, but they did not. The reason: Why people use heroin is more important than the physical action of the drug.
Soldiers were using heroin to deal with the horrors of war. When they returned home, the threat was gone, so the need for heroin was gone for most of them too. On the other hand, the reasons why many American addicts continued to use heroin remained unresolved, which is one of the reasons they returned to the drug time and time again.[1]
Conventional treatment for "food addiction" usually involves some form of abstinence from certain foods such as sugar, white flour, desserts, or bread. The rationale is that person can’t have any of these foods because eating them will "trigger" a return to abnormal eating patterns.
There are several problems with this strategy. The first is that abstention from particular foods rarely works. Sooner or later the person eats bread or cake or a cookie.
Another is that this strategy relies on perfectionism and all-or-nothing thinking, two of the most common cognitive distortions that drive people to seek therapy. Perhaps most important is that the success rate for abstinence programs overall is very low, even with substances for which there is more clear evidence of harm and addiction like drugs and alcohol. And abstention does not address the psychology of use. If it did, there would be no need for abstention.
The reality is that poor habits and carrying excess weight are indications of a bigger problem – life! Most chronically overweight, serial dieters, in addition to an abnormal relationship with food, have other issues and thinking patterns that interfere with success, such as, unrealistic goals and an inability to set boundaries.
The goal should be to help the overweight person change his or her thinking and behavior patterns AND to learn how to have a normal relationship with food. ALL people who want to have a normal relationship with food CAN have a normal relationship with food IF they are willing to change their minds and adopt new thought patterns and behaviors.
Humans are hard-wired to experience pleasurable feelings from eating and sex to ensure both personal survival and survival of our species. Food is different from other "addictive substances" – we can give up alcohol and cigarettes without endangering our survival, but we must eat to survive. It’s fair to say that we are all addicted to food for this reason. When we eat, dopamine is released, and we feel good, which is nature’s way of making sure we eat again.
If "addiction" is not driving overeating, what is? Overeating and binge eating are compulsive behaviors that involve food. An important purpose for compulsive behavior is to relieve stress and discomfort. The person who regularly overeats or binges uses food much in the way that some people use alcohol or drugs. But there is a very important difference. A person can abstain from alcohol and drugs for an entire lifetime, but cannot abstain from food.
Research shows that the particular substance that a person uses to reduce pain and discomfort is less important than the reason for use. This is why not all people who use drugs become addicted. During the early 1970s it was common for U.S. soldiers to use heroin while stationed in Vietnam. They often had to be admitted to detox centers to withdraw after returning home. After detox, over 90% of soldiers stopped using heroin and never used it again.
At the same time, heroin use was increasing in the U.S., but the situation concerning discontinuation was quite different. Addicts found it much more difficult to quit, and many were admitted to rehab centers multiple times and never stopped using drugs. What made this situation even more confusing was that the soldiers in Vietnam were using much stronger heroin than the heroin used by drug addicts in the U.S. American soldiers should have had a much more difficult time withdrawing, but they did not. The reason: Why people use heroin is more important than the physical action of the drug.
Soldiers were using heroin to deal with the horrors of war. When they returned home, the threat was gone, so the need for heroin was gone for most of them too. On the other hand, the reasons why many American addicts continued to use heroin remained unresolved, which is one of the reasons they returned to the drug time and time again.[1]
Conventional treatment for "food addiction" usually involves some form of abstinence from certain foods such as sugar, white flour, desserts, or bread. The rationale is that person can’t have any of these foods because eating them will "trigger" a return to abnormal eating patterns.
There are several problems with this strategy. The first is that abstention from particular foods rarely works. Sooner or later the person eats bread or cake or a cookie.
Another is that this strategy relies on perfectionism and all-or-nothing thinking, two of the most common cognitive distortions that drive people to seek therapy. Perhaps most important is that the success rate for abstinence programs overall is very low, even with substances for which there is more clear evidence of harm and addiction like drugs and alcohol. And abstention does not address the psychology of use. If it did, there would be no need for abstention.
The reality is that poor habits and carrying excess weight are indications of a bigger problem – life! Most chronically overweight, serial dieters, in addition to an abnormal relationship with food, have other issues and thinking patterns that interfere with success, such as, unrealistic goals and an inability to set boundaries.
The goal should be to help the overweight person change his or her thinking and behavior patterns AND to learn how to have a normal relationship with food. ALL people who want to have a normal relationship with food CAN have a normal relationship with food IF they are willing to change their minds and adopt new thought patterns and behaviors.
References:
[1] Lance Dodes MD, Zachary Dodes. The Sober Truth: Debunking the Ba Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry. Beacon Press.
Pam Popper, Wellness Forum Health President
Americans have become the unhealthiest people in the world. They are taking more drugs than ever before, more are obese, and lifespans are shortening. In 1900, the average life expectancy for Americans was 47 years, and by 2019 it reached 79 years. But in 2020, U.S. life expectancy dropped to 77 years and in 2021, further dropped to 76.4 years, according to the CDC. (Murphy SL, Kochanek KD, Xu J, Arias E. Mortality in the United States) In fact, life expectancy in countries like Columbia is higher than in the U.S. (Lauren Irwin. US trailed dozens of developed nations for average life expectancy: research. The Hill November 7 2023 https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4298072-us-trails-developed-nations-average-life-expectancy/#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20ranked%20in%20the,around%20the%20world%20fell%20by%20 )
One of the major contributors to this downhill trend is the abandonment of personal responsibility for health, and the search for quick fixes like drugs and supplements and diets that lead to fast weight loss. Here’s what the quick fixes have in common: They don’t work, and they often make things worse. Take GLP-1 inhibitors for weight loss, for example. Wellness Forum Health has advised against these drugs since they were first approved in 2014, stating that they would lead to worsened health and even increased obesity in the long term. They were right. Recent evidence shows that while short-term weight loss is significant, changes in body composition while taking the drugs lowers metabolism and leads to other concerning health issues.
You might have seen Sharon Osborne in the news lately, sharing about her health situation due to taking this drug for weight loss. She knew nothing, nor was informed of, the terrible risks and side effects. Ozempic is a Type 2 diabetes drug, not to be used for weight loss.
According to trial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine, about 40% of the weight lost while taking GLP-1 inhibitors is muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat – 14 calories per pound per day vs 3 calories per pound respectively. (Zurlo F, Larson K, Bogardus C, Ravussin E. "Skeletal muscle metabolism is a major determinant of resting energy expenditure." J Clin Invest 1990 Nov;86(5):1423-1427)
Loss of muscle mass can lead to physical instability and weakness, which can lead to disability and an inability to live independently. Frailty is one of the most common reasons for ending up in nursing homes. No one aspires to spend their final years in one of these places, but if you are not physically capable of living on your own, this is where you will end up.
When patients stop taking GLP-1 inhibitors, either due to economic factors, side effects or both – the rebound weight gain is fast and significant, and the person is even worse off than before taking the drug.
Maintaining a lean body is advantageous for health for several reasons, including:
People who have muscular bodies have a higher basal metabolic rate, which results in higher calorie burn, as mentioned before.
Muscles use glucose for energy, which helps with glucose control, which is particularly important since most obese people are diabetic or on their way to becoming diabetic.
Skeletal muscle serves as an endocrine organ, regulating hormones including those that enhance energy expenditure.
When patients stop taking GLP-1 inhibitors, either due to economic factors, side effects or both – the rebound weight gain is fast and significant, and the person is even worse off than before taking the drug.
Maintaining a lean body is advantageous for health for several reasons, including:
People who have muscular bodies have a higher basal metabolic rate, which results in higher calorie burn, as mentioned before.
Muscles use glucose for energy, which helps with glucose control, which is particularly important since most obese people are diabetic or on their way to becoming diabetic.
Skeletal muscle serves as an endocrine organ, regulating hormones including those that enhance energy expenditure.
The bottom line is that we can expect that the new weight loss drugs are going to create to a bigger problem than the mess created by opiates. Millions of people are taking them, and their weight loss is temporary at best. At some point, both the cost and the side effects will result in discontinuation for many, if not most. Companies with self-funded health plans are already starting to exclude coverage for them due to the expense. And multiple lawsuits have already been filed for injuries and deaths related to the drugs. In the future, doctors and medical centers may refuse to prescribe them due to liability concerns. What will happen to people who opted for this quick fix? They won’t just be back to where they started from, but worse off – because it will be even harder for them to lose the excess weight they’ve carried for a very long time.
The quick fix is never a real fix. It just postpones doing the things that have been proven to improve health – changing thinking patterns, adopting new diet and lifestyle habits, and taking responsibility for self. (Pam Popper, Wellness Forum Health)
According to a systematic review and meta-analysis that included 42 studies and almost 47,000 patients, cancer patients with high levels of muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) had a lower risk from death from any cause. This relationship held true even for patients with advanced-stage cancers. All-cause mortality decreased by as much as 46% for patients who were fit, when compared with patients who were weaker and had lower CRF.
The authors wrote: "Assessing physical fitness, particularly muscle strength and CRF, is crucial for predicting mortality in cancer patients. Implementing tailored exercise prescriptions to enhance these physical fitness components throughout the cancer continuum may contribute to reducing cancer-related mortality."[1]
An even larger systematic review and meta-analysis included 12 studies with 1.3 million cancer patients and examined the relationship between muscle strength, CRF and cancer mortality. This review showed that muscle strengthening activities were associated with a 13% lower risk of mortality, and that mortality was even lower - 28% - when aerobic activity was included.
The authors wrote that this was likely based on several mechanisms:
Changes in body composition which lowered body fat. Excessive body fat is a risk factor for cancer.
Higher body fat also contributes to insulin resistance, which in turn leads to higher levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Insulin and IGF-1 can increase cell proliferation and reduce cellular apoptosis.
Weight loss: obesity is correlated with negative changes to the intestinal microbiome, which results in increased production of pro-inflammatory molecules and hormones including estrogen.
Strength training increases muscle mass, which improves glucose control and improves immune function.
Physical activity improves circulation which reduces hypoxic environments in which tumors can thrive.[2]
A large body of evidence from many sources supports exercise as an integral part of a strategy for surviving cancer. Kelly Turner is the author of Radical Remission : Surviving Cancer Against All Odds. The book resulted from her interviews with almost one thousand patients with advanced cancer who survived. While they collectively used dozens of strategies, they all used nine, which were described in detail in the book. She subsequently started the Radical Remission Project to train coaches, conduct research, and gather even more survival stories. After she and her team worked with cancer patients for a few years, she added exercise and movement as the tenth important strategy that increases survival.
Many cancer patients are unhealthy and lack fitness at the time of diagnosis. Instead of encouraging them to improve their health and become fit, oncologists often insist that diet has nothing to do with cancer risk or survival, and many discourage physical activity, instead advising patients to rest. Friends and family often agree.
This was the case for Ruth Heidrich, one of the reality patients who appeared in the hit film Forks Over Knives. Ruth was diagnosed with metastasized breast cancer in her 40s. She not only survived, but thrived thanks to adopting a plant-based diet as recommended by Dr. John McDougall, and vigorous exercise. She said in the film that her friends were telling her, "Ruth, you’re a cancer patient, you should be resting." She responded, "I just knew that if I built a strong body, I could beat this." And she did, going on to compete in triathlons and run marathons well into her 80s.
Pam Popper, President
Wellness Forum Health
[1] Bettariga F, Galvao D, Taaffe D et al. "Association of muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness with all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in patients diagnosed with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis." Br J Sports Med 2025 Jan; published online ahead of print
[2] Nascimento W, Ferrari G, Martins CB et al. "Muscle-strengthening activities and cancer incidence and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies." Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2021 May;18:69
An article posted on Medscape compared the results of plant-based eating, bariatric surgery, and drugs like GLP-1 inhibitors for weight loss to determine which option led to the most long-lasting results. The clear winner: plant-based eating.[1] The article included data from several studies to support this conclusion. A systematic review and meta-analysis showed that 49% of patients who underwent bariatric surgery regained at least some of the weight they lost, and many patients regained a significant amount of weight. Those who were the worst off had Roux-en-Y bypass surgery, with 64% of those patients regaining weight.[2] I’ve written before about the dismal results for GLP-1 inhibitors, and the author of the Medscape article shares my concerns. One trial showed that patients taking the drugs lost weight, but one year after discontinuation, participants regained 2/3 of their weight back.[3] This is not surprising. Permanent weight loss can only take place when people commit to changing their habits, when they learn to make time for self-maintenance, and when they develop a normal relationship with food. Obviously, drugs cannot and do not result in these types of changes. Additionally, the side effects are heinous. Side effects include low blood sugar, nausea, heartburn, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, sore throat, symptoms of stomach flu, dizziness, thoughts about self-harm, signs of thyroid tumor-like swelling or lump in the neck or trouble swallowing, symptoms of pancreatitis, gall bladder disease, kidney disease, and stomach paralysis.[4] The meds increase the risk for vision loss, which is not usually regained after discontinuation.[5] All of this sounds dismal, but there is a much better way to lose weight – plant-based eating, as the Medscape author concludes. A five-year study led by Dean Ornish, and published in 1998 compared a group of patients who consumed a plant-based diet, engaged in aerobic exercise, received training in stress management, and who had group support with a usual-care control group. The plant-based group lost almost 24 pounds at the end of one year and kept over half of it off 5 years after the intervention. The control group experienced worsening health with continued progression of coronary atherosclerosis.[6] Another study compared outcomes for patients who were obese or overweight with at least one comorbidity. One group consumed a low-fat whole food plant-based diet while the other received standard care. At 6 months, BMI reduction for the plant-based group was 4.4 vs 0.4 for the standard care group.[7] Other studies have shown similar results,[8] [9] and many report not only weight loss, but lower plasma cholesterol, lower blood pressure, reduced fasting glucose levels and other improvements in markers of health. These studies are over 20 years old, and none of them included portion control, which people do not like and almost never maintain. We don’t need more research; rather we just need to pay more attention to the existing body of evidence for guidance on how to help patients lose weight and improve their health. A major impediment is that there is so much less money to be made teaching people how to eat plants than there is in making, distributing and prescribing drugs. This can be changed, however, by forcing medical institutions and health professionals to follow informed consent laws. There are two ways to accomplish this; one is to teach patients to demand objective information from their providers BEFORE making any health-related decisions in non-emergency situations. We teach our members to do this on their own since real INFORMED discussions rarely take place in medical offices. The other option is lawsuits against health professionals and institutions that do not do this. If failure to make informed consent an integral part of medical care becomes expensive enough, providers and institutions likely will change. In the meantime, here is what a doctor SHOULD tell an overweight or obese patient about his/her situation and choices. "I’m concerned about your weight, because it places you at significantly higher risk of coronary artery disease, cancer, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, and premature death. I strongly encourage you to do something about this before it gets worse. There are three options. I’ll tell you about each and then send you home with some written material to study. #1: Bariatric surgery. There are significant side effects, and you will likely gain back some or all of the weight you lose. You will suffer from severe nutritional deficiencies that cannot be resolved with supplements. You will eat tiny amounts of food for the rest of your life and if you revert to eating larger portions you will feel sick for a while, stretch out the stomach again, and end up back where you started from. #2 Weight loss drugs, like GLP-1 inhibitors. Side effects include low blood sugar, nausea, heartburn, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, sore throat, symptoms of stomach flu, dizziness, thoughts about self-harm, signs of thyroid tumor-like swelling or lump in the neck or trouble swallowing, symptoms of pancreatitis, gall bladder disease, kidney disease, and stomach paralysis. If you stop taking the drugs, you’ll likely regain most if not all of the weight you lost, and the side effects may not go away. #3 I can teach you how to eat delicious, low-fat plant food 3-6 times per day – as much as you want of it. You’ll need to invest some time in learning how to do it right, and how to shop and cook. You’ll have to change your mindset about food, and perhaps address psychological issues that cause you to overeat. But if you do this and stick with it, you’ll achieve normal weight, and if you are taking drugs for conditions like blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, you will probably be able to discontinue them. Which would you like to do?" I think most people would choose option three. From Pam Popper, President Wellness Forum Health [1] Betya Swift Yasgur. Nutrition, Drugs, or Bariatric Surgery: What’s the Best Approach for Sustained Weight Loss? Medscape Jan 10 2025 https://www.medscape.com/ [2] Reis MG, Guimaraes LF, Moreira G et al. "Weight regain after bariatric surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies." Obesity Med 2024 Jan;45:100528 [3] Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Davies M et al. "Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutude." Diab, Obes, Metab 2022 Apr;24(8):1553-1564 [4] https://www.drugs.com/ozempic. [5] Hathaway JT, Shah MP, Hathaway DB. Et al. "Risk of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy in Patients Prescribed Semaglitude." JAMA Ophthalmol 2024 Jul;142(8):732-739 [6] Ornish D, Scherwitz LW, Billings JH et al. "Intensive Lifestyle Changes for Reversal of Coronary Heart Disease." JAMA 1998;280(23):2001-2007 [7] Wright N, Wilson L, Smith M, Duncan B, McHugh P. "The BROAD study: A randomised controlled trial using a whole food plant-based diet in the community for obesity, ischaemic heart disease or diabetes." Nutr Diabetes 2017 Mar;7(3):e256 [8] Barnard N, Scialli A, Turner-McGrievy G, Lanou A, Glass J. "The effects of a low-fat, plant-based dietary intervention on body weight, metabolism and insulin sensitivity." Am J Med Sept 2005;118(9):991-997 [9] Barnard N, Scialli A, Turner-McGrievy G, Lanou A, Glass J. "The effects of a low-fat, plant-based dietary intervention on body weight, metabolism and insulin sensitivity." Am J Med Sept 2005;118(9):991-997 |
