Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Why You Should Go Grain-free Part 1

Why You Should Go Grain-free Part 1

1. If you can get it from grain, you can get it elsewhere.
The big heroes of most grains’ nutrient profile are dietary fiber and B vitamins.   Take heed, every grain is different and different grains offer different nutrient profiles.   Yet, one thing remains constant: if you can find the nutrient in grain, you can find the nutrient in better quantities in other foods. For example, 100 grams of whole wheat flour contains 44 mcg of folate; however, a 100-gram portion of lamb liver will give you 400 mcg of folate and a 100-gram portion of yardlong beans will give you a whopping 658 mcg per 100-gram portion.   Similarly with the B Vitamins niacin and thiamin, while a 100-gram whole wheat flour contains 30% of the RDA for niacin and 32% of the RDA for thiamin, you can find these nutrients in higher quantities in other foods – namely flaxseeds and sesame seeds.   Whole grains are often touted as health foods for their fiber content, but you can find dietary fiber in better quantities in other, more nutrient-dense foods.   For example: 100 grams of cooked brown rice offers up 1.8 grams of dietary fiber; by contrast, a 100-gram serving of cooked collard greens offers 2.8 grams; 100 grams of raw fireweed contains a whopping 11 grams of dietary fiber and even green peas contain about 5 grams of fiber per serving.

2. Grains aren’t good for your gut.
Intestinal health is critical to your overall health.   If you’re gut isn’t healthy, you can’t absorb nutrients from the foods you eat.   If you can’t absorb nutrients from the foods you eat, your body is malnourished and is more prone to disease.   Grains are associated with a condition called leaky gut syndrome.   Tiny particles of grains, when ingested, can slip through the intestinal walls causing an immune response.   With your immune system excessively taxed by constantly attacking these out-of-place particles of grain, it cannot effectively fight against true threats like pathogens.

3. You’re probably gluten-intolerant.
If you’re white, there’s a good chance that you’re gluten-intolerant to some degree.   Current research estimates that about 1% of the population suffers from celiac disease, an auto-immune condition related to the ingestion of gluten-containing grains like wheat and barley; however, some researchers on celiac disease and gluten intolerance estimate that 30% to 40% of people of European descent are gluten-intolerant to some degree.   That’s a lot of people who are regularly consuming a food that makes them sick.

4. Grains cause inflammation.
Due to a high starch content, grains are inflammatory foods.   The more refined the grain, the more inflammatory it is.   For example, unbleached white flour is more inflammatory than whole grain flour; however, whole grains are still moderately inflammatory foods and certainly more inflammatory than other foods like fresh vegetables and wholesome fats.   Chronic inflammation is linked to a myriad of degenerative, modern diseases including arthritis, allergies, asthma, cardiovascular disease, bone loss, emotional imbalance and even cancer.   Unbleached white flour earns an inflammation factor of -421 or strongly inflammatory on NutritionData.com while whole wheat flour earns an inflammation factor of -247 or moderately inflammatory.   Similarly, whole cooked millet earns an inflammation factor of -150 and cooked brown rice earns an inflammation factor of -143 – also moderately inflammatory.

5. Grains are fairly new on the scene.

While still a traditional food, grains are, nonetheless, the new kids on the block.   Prior to the advent of agriculture, humans relied on hunting and gathering for their foods.   They foraged for wild greens, berries, fruits and other plants.   They hunted wild animals.   They fished for wild fish.   They didn’t plant a garden, or grow any amber waves of grain or, for that matter, drink dairy from domesticated animals since there simply wasn’t any domesticated animals.   Humans survived like this from the development of the appearance of the first homo sapiens sapiens about 47,000 years ago to the advent of agriculture some 10 – 12,000 years ago. So, for the better part of human existence grains did not comprise any notable portion of the human diet. In essence, what has become the bulk of our modern diet was missing from the diet of our prehistoric ancestors.

Monday, June 29, 2015

New PIP Law

In early 2012, Florida Legislature made sweeping changes to the Florida’s no-fault automobile insurance law at the urging of Governor Rick Scott.  Most significant were changes to the personal injury protection (PIP) component of your coverage that protects you should you be the victim of an auto accident.  While all Florida drivers will still be required to carry PIP coverage, the new law signifacantly alter how you will be able to seek and obtain medical care for your injuries following an accident. 

New Time Limit
Unlike the current law which allows a patient to seek treatment for injuries following an accident with no time frame,  the new law only gives a patient 14 days to file a claim to use their PIP coverage.  If you do not file a claim within this time frame you loose your right to use PIP coverage to cover your health care.

Changes in Coverage and Treatment
While you will continue to be required to carry and pay for insurance premiums for a full $10,000 of PIP coverage, in certain situations you may only be entitled to up to a $2,500 reduced benefit.  The new law requires you have a determination of an “emergency medical condition” to gain access to the previously normal $10,000 in PIP coverage.  This could cause problems as a normal hospital visit can run through your benefits quickly if there in only $2,500 in benefits now available.  You still have direct access to a chiropractor however PIP coverage no longer covers massage therapy and accupuncture.  This also could be an issue as alternative medicine is no longer redaly available to auto accident victims.  This could unfortunetly lead to more people seeking drugs and pain management first.

Impact to Your Insurance Premiums
While the Legislature’s stated goal of these benefit reductions is to attack fraud and reduce costs, there is no requirement within the new law that inusurance companises reduce costs for these newly reduced benefits.  Carriers were asked to consider a 10% reduction in premiums by their rate fillings in October 2012 however, the majority chose not to comply.  You may want to monitor your renewal premiums closely this year, as we have heard from several patients their rates actually have increased despite the insurance companies not having to pay for the same coverage.

When The New Law is to Take Effect
The major changes take effect January 1, 2013.  You can expect a lot of controversy over the interpretation of this new law because of its vagueness and because it has potential to decrease your PIP coverage by 75%.