A Doctor's Perspective

[katwoman]

My original post had to do with my wondering how physicians like B. can remain cheerful, upbeat and happy without becoming depressed due to the many sick people he deals with.).

They distance themselves. And when they start caring and can't help the patient they recommend the bigger University Hospital downtown. And when that doctor starts caring and can't help the patient he recommends the even nerdier University Hospital in the area.

Do I sound bitter? I should. I've been down this road with neurologists and neurosurgeons. In fact I was so disgusted that I enrolled in classes and probably will become a nurse just to get an ANSWER I can sink my teeth into!

I've done more to help my mother just from listening to my Pathophysiology teacher's lectures than any doctor we've seen. The more I learn the less the docs want to discuss. It really is amazing to me that someone can become an expert and then fall back on "well, the brain is the least understood organ in the human body".

[Scanner]

I do spend a lot of time counseling patients about diet, nutrition and exercise. And I give out a lot of reading material. Unfortunately, very few patients actually take any of that advice.

Speaking as the resident alternative doctor here, I have found half the problem in the past has been diet couseling based on the traditional food pyramid.

I know I am biased being an Atkin's Lifestyle person but mainstream medicine really missed the mark on this one and I think exacerbated the problem by making carbohydrates the centerpiece of a diet. Even the Zone or South Beach Diet are better than the FDA Food Pyramid.

Luckily, Dr. Atkins opened America's eyes to good carbs and bad carbs and I think we finally have ways to counsel patients on diet/lifestyle. I'm sure you are giving appropriate advice. . .the problem is these kind of population problems take decades to reverse.

Unfortunately, most people won't bother to read the book and listen to Dr. Atkins and what he had to say. They just skip right to the diet part (mistake!!!). Until you control the appetite with ketosis (and adopting a philosophy of eating nutrient dense foods), you won't make progress. That's why Atkin's works.

I have had diabetic patient's blood glucose drop from 175 to 105 on Atkins and my own triglycerides went from 1050 to 97. I had bought into the traditional carb. diet prior to Atkins and it really wrecked my health and confidence.

I think Dr. Atkin's was also right on another point - we have all become hypercholesterolemia neurotic as a nation but that's another subject.

[tinapbeana]

here here scanner!

most folks 'browse' atkins and take away carbs are bad protein is good and fat is OK. waaaaaay to simplistic, and it's the concept of nutritionally dense food that escapes so many (not here, speaking in general terms folks!).

i know i talk about this site a lot but really it is top notch. World's Healthiest Foods has a great definition of 'nutritionally dense' foods. BTW, it's also where i put together the example of a 1200 calorie day on the "let's loose a person" thread

The term nutrient density refers the concept of getting the most nutritionally for the least caloric expenditure. In other words, nutrient dense foods give you the "biggest bang for the buck." You get lots of nutrients, and it doesn't cost you much in terms of calories.
...
To more clearly illustrate nutrient density, let's use an example. Let's say you're low on vitamin E, and decide to eat a food that is not nutrient dense, such as white bread. This slice of run-of-the-mill white bread will give you about 1/10th of a milligram of vitamin E and will cost you about 200 calories (the number of calories in a slice of many white breads). Now let's compare these values to those in a slice of 100% whole wheat bread.

Whole grain products, like most whole foods, are nutrient dense. A slice of 100% whole wheat bread will usually cost you slightly less in calories (perhaps 175 instead of 200); the reason for this is that many manufacturers will assume that consumers buying 100% whole wheat products will also want fewer additives, sweeteners, or added fat in their foods; this often translates into a food with fewer calories.

Now even if the calories were the same in both types of bread, the nutrient density of the two foods would still greatly differ because their vitamin E content is dramatically different. Unlike white bread where you only get 1/10th of a milligram of vitamin E in exchange for your 175-200 calories, with 100% whole grain bread, you get over 1.16 milligrams - over ten times as much. To look at this example another way, you would have to eat more than ten slices of run-of-the-mill white bread to get the same amount of vitamin E as is found in one slice of 100% whole wheat bread. The extra 9 slices will cost you about 1,800 calories.

It is clear from this one example how getting your nutrients from nutrient dense foods is clearly the way to go when it comes to losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight. Why? Because in this example, eating nutrient dense foods like the World's Healthiest Foods saves you about 1,800 calories! 1,800 calories is about one whole day's worth of food.

[disneysteve]

My original post had to do with my wondering how physicians like B. can remain cheerful, upbeat and happy without becoming depressed due to the many sick people he deals with.

Sorry if I've helped steer us off course.

How do I stay upbeat when dealing with illness and disablity and death? That's a tough one. I think it has a lot to do with being very accepting of the fact that those things are all a natural part of life. So many people have a huge problem dealing with illness and death. Maybe it makes them think about their own mortality. Or maybe they just aren't sure how to help or what to say. Unfortunately, as a result, people often withdraw when their loved ones need them the most. As a medical professional, I think it's my job to be there for people who need help and support. That's part of why I became a doctor. So knowing that I'm helping whether it's by answering questions they have or actually treating their illness or relieving their pain or just holding their hand or giving a hug is what keeps me going.