Vanquishing Fat Improves Weight Loss

12428062215_8a3fa42d45_zI dreampt I was lying on a comfortable table in a private office, with a machine sending warm Infra-Red rays into my abdomen, melting away my belly fat. I was dozing, and imagining the fat cells bursting and my body’s lymphatic system scooping them up and leaving me with a trimmer waistline as I  thought about my life for 45 minutes…. Oh Wait! That wasn’t a Dream! That is the Vanquish machine!

It must be the 21st century because medicine has finally found a way to literally melt off fat in targeted areas like the belly, hips and thighs. This revolutionary selective radiofrequency technology is non-invasive, safe and effective. Heat penetrates deeply into the body targeting adipose tissue (fat cells) while protecting other neighboring organs and skin layers with cooling air flow.

The Vanquish experience is relaxing, pain free and requires no medication or recovery time. It requires lying still for about 45 minutes. Best results are obtained when repeated twice per week for at least 3 weeks (six sessions). Clinical results are visible within 3-4 weeks after your last session – do not expect immediate results! Physiologically, your fat cells are melted and slowly die, spilling their contents into local tissue to be cleaned up by the lymphatic, immune and circulatory systems. This process takes a few weeks, which is why results are not immediate.

A little science on fat cell physiology. It is now recognized that a fat cell is not just a glob of fat. Adipose tissue is a metabolically active, highly functioning part of the endocrine (hormone) system.

When your energy in (food & alcohol) is greater than your energy out (activity, intellectual work and exercise) insulin directs the body to store fat. The capacity to store fat is seemingly endless,  as individual cells can grow quite large while chemically signalling neighboring undifferentiated cells to turn into new fat cells. Energy deficit (energy out greater than energy in) stimulates the adipose tissue to release free fatty acids and become smaller fat cells, or the cells can die through apoptosis.

Centrally located adipose tissue is used as a storage area for many fat soluble hormones and chemicals like estrogen, pesticides and THC. When fat cells spill their contents, these are also spilled. Adipose tissue also independently synthesizes chemicals like adipsin that activate the inflammatory cascade. (This is why heavier people can have more inflammatory disorders than thin people.) As the Vanquish machine melts away the fat cells, stimulating apoptosis (cell death) your body will have to clean up these excess chemicals and inflammatory mediators as well as the free fatty acids released. Fortunately, a healthy body is designed to effectively remove cellular debris like this through the lymphatic and circulatory systems.

Drinking extra water is essential during this process. We also recommend using herbal teas like the Traditional Medicinal Daily Detox Tea, nettle tea and organic green tea for free radical/antioxidant protection. Taking a good quality multivitamin provides minerals and B vitamins to support liver detoxification while daily exercise will also stimulate fat burning metabolism and support free fat elimination. Nutritionally, a meal plan focused on weight reduction principles will enhance the slimming effects of Vanquish. I suggest small amounts of whole fiber rich grains a few times a week, daily leafy greens and raw vegetables, low sugar fruits like apples and blueberries, lowered carbohydrate intake, no processed foods, and grass-fed meats, vegetarian proteins and fish.

Some individuals with compromised health or congested lympathic or liver systems may benefit from additional Integrative Medicine alongside Vanquish treatment plans to optimize results. Integrative Medicine combines the best of botanical medicine, clinical nutrition and evidence-based nutraceuticals with modern diagnostic, laboratory and pharmaceutical expertise. This style of medicine is patient-centered; no two patients will get exactly the same protocol with our highly individualized care. Targeted therapies could include reducing systemic inflammation, improving detoxification pathways, clearing lymphatic channels, or tailoring nutrition to promote fat elimination.

Dr. Wright will be offered a group metabolic detoxification program at Cosmetic Enhancement Center in January 2015 and again in March 2015. This 7 day detoxification program is the perfect complement to a Vanquish Fat treatment plan. Ask Dr. Wright or Dr. Atkins for more information about the Vanquish Fat treatment plan, Integrative Medicine, or our upcoming Metabolic Detoxification program.

References:

Integrative physiology of human adipose tissue. K N Frayn, F Karpe, B A Fielding I A Macdonald and S W CoppackInternational Journal of Obesity (2003) 27, 875–888.

Adipsin and an endogenous pathway of complement from adipose cells. Choy LN1, Rosen BS, Spiegelman BM.J Biol Chem. 1992 Jun 25;267(18):12736-41. http://www.jbc.org/content/267/18/12736.long  Accessed 24/10/2014

Adipose cell apoptosis: death in the energy depot. A Sorisky,  R Magun and AM Gagnon. Department of Medicine and Biochemistry, Microbiology and International Journal of Obesity (2000) 24, Suppl 4, S3±S7 http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v24/n4s/pdf/0801491a.pdf  Accessed 10/22/2014

 

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Counter-Response to the Multivitamin Controversy

This post was originally written for Apothecary By Design in December 2013 http://www.apothecarybydesign.com/blog/

Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements! 5 medical doctors cried out in an editorial piece first released in the Annals of Internal Medicine, and then circulated through all major newspapers and social media outlets early this week.  The articles released in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, and countless other newspapers pointed out that multivitamins have failed to show benefit in several large scale studies; however, the evidence reviewed was not as clear as we were led to believe. As with every evidence based study, it is important to look at the information behind the research, the studies cited, and the actual information the studies gathered.

The quality of multivitamins IS a true concern for consumers. The studies supporting multivitamins have been mixed, and we acknowledge this. If you are going to take a multivitamin it is not an effective use of money to buy a low quality product (like the one illustrated below) that is not well absorbed and/or is coated in toxic chemicals and fillers. A very good diet may reduce or eliminate the need for a daily dose of essential nutrients. Some multivitamins may be a waste of money, not because studies illustrate a lack of benefit, but because of the abysmal quality of the product itself. Choosing an appropriate multivitamin is another question – one that Apothecary by Design’s wellness specialists welcome.

The following studies were used to support the evidence that multivitamins are not worth taking:

fmgt4Yi09-XGE8j8WdSI0z2key4wGe5glRyJ-QC8wH2_S3x8dxi0mHnxUERU0zmV047v=s1001.     Multivitamins and cognitive decline in men 65 or older

For example, in the first study on cognition, the multivitamin assessed was a well-known  common multivitamin that provides low level nutrients in the cheapest, least bioavailable forms. These poor quality minerals generally include  oxides and sulphates. For example, magnesium sulfate is epsom salt, like you would use in a bath. Magnesium citrate is a better quality, more absorbable mineral. (See label) Check out the “other ingredients” as well – 3 artificial colors including the noxious FD&C Red #40.

Regardless of the supplement quality, cognition issues are not primarily related to vitamin/ mineral deficiencies, but are a long term response to heavy metal toxicity, poor cerebral perfusion (not enough blood to the brain), omega 3 deficiency, hormone deficiency, environmental contamination, stress and elevated cortisol levels, head trauma, prescription medication side effects and many more individual variants.

For example, how many of the physicians studied were also taking statin drugs? These ubiquitous prescription medications are known to have memory impairment, loss of memory and amnesia as potential side effects.

When presenting strong statements like multivitamins are a waste of money, it is responsible to use evidence that considers a straighter line between cause and effect.

2.     Multivitamins failed to reduce cardiovascular events in men and women with previous myocardial infarction

The second study cited as proof that multivitamins are a waste of money was a 2012 study evaluating the effects of chelation therapy on men and women over 65 with history of a heart attack.

This study had significant setbacks.  Chief among them were the high drop-out rates due to the strenuous protocol of 30 weekly chemical chelation infusions followed by 10 maintenance infusions two to eight weeks apart.

It is difficult to assess the effect of a multivitamin on long term health with such invasive chemical and vitamin therapies being administered at the same time, and it certainly clouds what is presented as a black and white result.

Antioxidants, nutritional counseling and botanical therapies are also first line treatments in the Integrative health world to repair myocardial function. Once again, the true nature of the study being cited is obscured by the dramatic headlines.

2.     Multivitamins did not prevent the development of chronic disease or death.

If only a simple, cheap, low dose, poor quality multivitamins could save the world from chronic disease….

Quality matters in the food we eat, the medications we take and the supplements we buy. Chronic disease is a complex, multifactorial health concern whose cure cannot be reduced to oversimplified statements like these.

Finally – the original article states “….beta carotene, vitamin E and possible high dose vitamin A supplements increase mortality.” What they leave out, is that high dose beta-carotene increases risk of … lung cancer in smokers (only.) And alpha-tocopherol vitamin E increases the risk of heart disease …but full spectrum vitamin E with both tocopherols and tocotrienols reduce the risk.  Limiting the information sensationalizes the story, obscures the evidence and limits its relevance.

The great thing about this editorial is that it exposes the poor quality multivitamins out there for what they can be: a sense of false security. No one can eat fast food regularly, take a poor quality low dose multivitamin, not practice any preventative measures, and not develop chronic disease eventually. That much IS true.

A multivitamin needs to be able to be absorbed, with high quality minerals and therapeutic dosages of vitamins at the very least to offer prevention and protection. These remain a worthwhile investment for people wanting to maximize their nutritional value. Furthermore, high quality children’s multivitamins remain a good nutritional adjunct for picky eaters and kids with behavioral or health issues. Multivitamins are not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle with good quality food choices, exercise, and stress reduction.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/medicalprofs/trial-to-assess-chelation-therapy-cvuv10n4.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10359235

http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/501471

http://www.nleducation.co.uk/resources/reviews/the-next-generation-vitamin-e-how-tocotrienols-benefit-the-heart-brain-and-liver/

Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements. Annals of Internal Medicine. Eliseo Guallar, MD, DrPH; Saverio Stranges, MD, PhD; Cynthia Mulrow, MD, MSc, Senior Deputy Editor; Lawrence J. Appel, MD, MPH; and Edgar R. Miller III, MD, Phd p. 850

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