Dr. Kantor and Dana Yarn (RDLD Registered and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor ), recently answered questions from Natural Practitioner Magazine about natural approaches to weight management.
Please provide your best estimate of the number of Americans wrestling with weight management issues?
Dr. Kantor- According to the research done by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) approximately 70% of the Americans over the age of 20 years old have been classified as overweight, approximately 35% of those individuals are classified as obese.
How has this number changed recently, say in the past five or 10 years?
Dr. Kantor- Yes, this number has continued to increase over the years at an alarming rate. It is unfortunate these statistics are also affecting our young children, classifying them as obese and overweight at younger ages each year.
Please cite specific sources for the statistics you provide.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm
National Center for Health Statistics
What are some of the major causes for weight management issues?
Dr. Kantor – Americans are moving less and consuming excessive amounts of low quality processed food. They may exercise regularly but during the other 23 hours of the day they are sedentary, resulting in poor insulin control and excess weight gain. A nutrient rich diet free of preservatives and movement in addition to exercise is very important.
Dana Yarn – Americans eat too many processed foods and do not consume enough high quality fruits, vegetables, proteins or essential fatty acids. Our guts have become compromised and our metabolism has become disrupted by all of the preservatives, dyes, and genetically modified ingredients making our bodies more toxic, resulting in a reduced ability to manage weight.
Dana Yarn – The stress levels of Americans are also at an all-time high, we are not getting adequate sleep resulting in hormone imbalances, inflammation, poor immune function and weight gain.
What natural approaches do you employ to combat these negative influences, and how do they compare to more conventional treatments?
Dr. Kantor – Green Box Foods does not promote any pharmaceutical medications, we focus on extensive assessments and a holistic approach to preventative care and disease management. Our patients/clients are provided with all natural nutrition plans specific to their goals and chronic disease. The plans are not solely based on calorie control, rather lifestyle changes and long term results. In effort to maintain a holistic approach to patient/client treatment plans they are also provided with a customized nutritional supplement, hydration and exercise regimen based off of their assessments and lab results.
Dana Yarn – Conventional treatments typically have a “one size fits all approach” providing the patient with a calorie controlled diet that does not address any metabolism issues they may be suffering with. These plans have been shown to only yield short term results in weight management and sometimes can do further metabolic damage over time. Natural treatment options yield long term results both in health and weight management. Education and behavioral change are the root of our treatment methods, empowering patients to live a healthy lifestyle forever.
Please discuss the different types of alternative medicine techniques and products you use to achieve healthy weight management. Include brand names, product names, typical dosing, the goals you seek, the results you achieve, etc. Identify the key benefits of these techniques and products.
Dr. Kantor – We do not promote medications of any kind, but start out by providing the patient with a high quality all natural nutrition plan composed of Green Box Foods vegetables, some fruits, high quality fats and proteins. High quality supplements are also recommended in addition to, not in place of high quality food plan.
Also, indicate which lifestyle factors you discuss with your patients, and the typical outcome of these conversations.
Dr. Kantor – We promote a family friendly nutrition plan. Children and parents both benefit from eating a diet of whole all natural foods, and this makes it more easy to follow when the entire family is on board. Just this year we published a children’s book offering education, recipes, exercises and entertaining educational short stories about nutrition and food. The book is titled, The Green Box League of Nutrition Justice.
Dana Yarn – We recommend a balanced exercise regimen centered on functional training like yoga and Pilates. We have worked closely with fitness professionals to ensure our patients receive one on one attention and customized programs based off of their assessments and health needs and issues. Lifemoves Studio- www.lifemovesstudio.com has been a tremendous influence on the activity and fitness portion of our practice.
Please briefly describe current or recent weight management health studies conducted with natural products/dietary supplements. Do you discuss such studies with your patients? If not, why not?
Dr. Kantor and Dana Yarn – often use the below study to educate clients about natural supplement remedies for stress, as a healthy alternative to anti-depressant medications. Due to the alarming effects of stress hormones on weight management, we promote natural herbal supplements such as Relora ® to offset the negative effects of excessive cortisol production. Subjects who supplemented with Relora ® in the below study showed a reduction in harmful cortisol levels, reduced fatigue, increased recovery and overall improvement in mood resulting in less stress eating.
Effect of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense (Relora®) on cortisol and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects. http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/37 & https://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/sports-nutrition.html
How do you suggest practitioners incorporate natural products/dietary supplements into their weight management practice?
Dr. Kantor – First the practitioner should explain what is causing the weight management problem, show clients/patients that the all-natural approach is the only long term results method that works. Provide supplement recommendations in addition to not in place of high quality nutrition.
What are the differences, say, between a naturopath, chiropractor and herbalist utilizing such products?
Dr. Kantor – This depends on each practitioner’s beliefs, background and passion. Obviously their individual trainings and education will influence the type of treatment they offer but all practitioners are unique in their methods of treatment.
How can different practitioners come together to provide patients with the best path to better weight management? Which therapies, e.g. nutrition, herbalism, acupuncture, etc. mesh well and allow for a team of practitioners to work together?
Dana Yarn and Dr. Kantor – Communication is key, cross referencing lab results, assessments and homeopathic and nutritional supplement reviews are essential in giving a patient/client the best treatment possible. If the patient feels like they have a team of health professionals who are communicating and “on the same page” they will be confident in all modes of treatment therefore yielding the best results for both the patient/client and health professional team. We actually use this type of team in our office at Wellness Centers Of America, in Alpharetta, Georgia.
This is a preview to an article that will be featured in Natural Practitioner Magazine. Check back for the full article.
Dr. Kantor’s greatly anticipated new children’s book, The Green Box League of Nutritious Justice, is now available. Be sure to order this highly reviewed book, filled with healthy living tips for the whole family. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Children’s Miracle Network.