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Concussions
Carbs 4
PT Corner
Recipe of the Week
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Chris
Go to www.salisburypediatrics.com,  if you would like to learn about Integrative Medicine or our practice

 

Issue: #4January 16, 2012

Volume 2, Letter 4

 

January 16, 2012 

  

Staying with the Sports related theme, I want to discuss concussions and there impact on our children's development.  As our children get stronger and some get heavier there is a distinct change in momentum forces that are occurring in sports.  

Head trauma is increasing in most sports and the issues with sports related concussion are still not completely understood.  Take for example, Sydney Crosby, a childhood hockey phenom who now plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins and is arguably the best player in the NHL.  Sidney has been out of hockey for greater than 1 year due to concussion related symptoms. This story is becoming all too common in professional sports.  

 

In a new study from this month in Pediatrics by Maugans et al. they evaluated the effects of concussions on the brains of child athletes.  The analysis noted that it took 14 days for these children to return to baseline without any symptoms of headache and neurologic symptoms.  Reaction time did not return to normal until 30 days post concussion.  The Study also showed reduced brain blood flow for up to 30 days.  

What does it all mean?   Do we stop our kids playing sports?  No way!  Should we as parents keep our kids out for a few weeks if they suffer a concussion?  YES!!!!!

 

The evidence is showing us that recurrent head trauma is detrimental to long term mental development and growth.  Back to back concussions within a few weeks is believed to be causative of long term brain dysfunction. 



 

My take home point today:  Concussions are a serious problem and taking simple precautions when an injury occurs just makes sense .

  

 

From a soccer player who has headed many a ball,

  

Dr. Magryta

 
Carbohydrates
 
Episode 4 - the carbohydrate dilemma - when, how much and why?

A study by Greg Haffe in 2000 showed that with weight lifting or resistance training, the carbohydrate that you ingest prior to and during the event has a beneficial effect on muscle glycogen storage but no effect on muscle work output.  In other words it has a good effect on recovery but no effect on the current muscle building.  Protein will the key to muscle building.  This will be discussed in future newsletters.

There is evidence that if you eat carbohydrates within one hour of weight lifting you break down less protein for energy and thereby increase muscle production and mass.  This is a good thing for a trained athlete.  Increased muscle mass is useful for strength during sport activity.  Remember to look at the glycemic index and load for what types of food to eat.*

Carbohydrate is the key for the endurance athlete.  Making sure that our young kids are eating complex carbohydrates during the school day and before workouts will be key.  For example, whole grain granola with some fruit for snacks during the day and then a full lunch.  


Dr. M 

 

 

Physical Therapy Corner with Joel

 

 

What are the best tools for weight control (WC)?   Food, food, food, genetics and exercise.  Although the diet piece of weight control is the most important aspect of a successful plan, choosing the appropriate exercise routine will allow you to progress over time and limit failure. 

 

Forget!! the biggest loser approach. This is unlikely to happen in real life. The types of training programs where the client imposes a much higher demand on their body than what it can handle will soon realize that too much..too soon comes with a price.  Breakdown and failure!  

 

Exercise produces beneficial changes to muscle and bone density.   The elderly are learning that very light resistance training can prevent all types of fractures and muscular dysfunction.  Weight lifting, in fact, has become the cornerstone of wc. Imposing a load on your muscles and joints provides feedback to your brain to trigger lean growth.  Depending on time availability,(for many of us it is limited) a good warm up and a weight training session has become the most effective mode of achieving optimal wc.  1/2 hour every other day is a great start to optimal health.  

 

On the odd days from weight training, cardiovascular training (running, biking or swimming) should also be included and continues to serve a vital role mostly to control the conditioning level but weight lifting (done right!) has proved to facilitate muscle tissue transformation most efficiently.

 

How do you choose a weight lifting program that is appropriate??   This is where it sometimes becomes tricky.  I will provide more information on a weight training plan in a future post.

 

Joel Burgess

Xtra Performance and Physical Therapy

 

 

The newsletter archive in the links section is officially working.  New readers can now go back in time to learn about the future!

 

Recipe of the Week
 
A good post workout meal.

Shrimp and grits

Ingredients:

1 cup grits
3-4 cups of almond or soy milk (or skim milk for dairy lovers)
1 pound peeled wild Carolina medium or large shrimp (1 extra pound won't hurt)
1/2 cup of grated pecorino-romano cheese
1 cup low fat grated manchego cheese (of course - hormone and antibiotic free and preferably local)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup of chopped scallions
2 diced shallots
small palmfull of diced parsley
3 minced medium fresh garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
salt and pepper to taste 
pinch of cayenne pepper if you want a hit
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Cook:

In a pot cook the grits according to package directions in the milk.  Put on the side.  In a skillet over medium heat, put olive oil and shallots together.  Saute until soft and brown.  Add garlic, spices and shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice, cheese, grits.  Stir until cheese is dissolved.  Add scallions and then put in serving bowls. Garnish the edge of the grits with parsley.  

This is a dish worthy of a final meal! For those worried about cholesterol in the shrimp, fear not.  The biggest issue with abnormal lipids and cholesterol is related to refined grains.  I have had issues with cholesterol all of my life and the number one predictor of abnormal cholesterol for me is refined grains and processed food.  I agree with the motto of a saturated fat budget.  Keep your saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your dietary intake.  

Enjoy and FEEL GREAT today!!!!!


Glycemic Index/Load

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

  

Glycemic Index

  

In the past, carbohydrates were classified as simple or complex based on the number of simple sugars in the molecule. Carbohydrates composed of one or two simple sugars like fructose or sucrose (table sugar; a disaccharide composed of one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose) were labeled simple, while starchy foods were labeled complex because starch is composed of long chains of the simple sugar, glucose. Advice to eat less simple and more complex carbohydrates (i.e., polysaccharides) was based on the assumption that consuming starchy foods would lead to smaller increases in blood glucose than sugary foods (1). This assumption turned out to be too simplistic since the blood glucose (glycemic) response to "complex" carbohydrates has been found to vary considerably. A more accurate indicator of the relative glycemic response to dietary carbohydrates should be glycemic load, which incorporates the relative quality and quantity of carbohydrates in the diet.

  

Measuring the Glycemic Index of Foods

  

To determine the glycemic index of a food, volunteers are typically given a test food that provides 50 grams of carbohydrate and a control food (white bread or pure glucose) that provides the same amount of carbohydrate on different days(2). Blood samples for the determination of glucose are taken prior to eating and at regular intervals after eating over the next several hours. The changes in blood glucose over time are plotted as a curve. The glycemic index is calculated as the area under the glucose curve after the test food is eaten, divided by the corresponding area after the control food is eaten. The value is multiplied by 100 to represent a percentage of the control food. For example, a baked potato has a glycemic index of 76 relative to glucose and 108 relative to white bread, which means that the blood glucose response to the carbohydrate in a baked potato is 76% of the blood glucose response to the same amount of carbohydrate in pure glucose and 108% of the blood glucose response to the same amount of carbohydrate in white bread (3). In contrast, cooked brown rice has a glycemic index of 55 relative to glucose and 79 relative to white bread (4). In the traditional system of classifying carbohydrates, both brown rice and potato would be classified as complex carbohydrates despite the difference in their effects on blood glucose levels.

  

Physiological Responses to High- versus Low-Glycemic Index Foods

  

By definition, the consumption of high-glycemic index foods results in higher and more rapid increases in blood glucose levels than the consumption of low-glycemic index foods. Rapid increases in blood glucose are potent signals to the beta-cells of the pancreas to increase insulin secretion (2). Over the next few hours, the high insulin levels induced by consumption of high-glycemic index foods may cause a sharp decrease in blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia). In contrast, the consumption of low-glycemic index foods results in lower but more sustained increases in blood glucose and lower insulin demands on pancreatic beta-cells (5).

  

Glycemic Load

  

The glycemic index compares the potential of foods containing the same amount of carbohydrate to raise blood glucose. However, the amount of carbohydrate consumed also affects blood glucose levels and insulin responses. The glycemic load of a food is calculated by multiplying the glycemic index by the amount of carbohydrate in grams provided by a food and dividing the total by 100 (1). Dietary glycemic load is the sum of the glycemic loads for all foods consumed in the diet. The concept of glycemic load was developed by scientists to simultaneously describe the quality (glycemic index) and quantity of carbohydrate in a meal or diet.

 

From the Linus Pauling Institute at: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/grains/gigl.html

 

Copyright � 2010-2012 Christopher J. Magryta, MD. Readers, please note: The information provided in this newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for advice and treatment provided by your physician or other healthcare professional and is not to be used to diagnose or treat a health issue.


 


Chris Magryta
Salisbury Pediatric Associates
Touchstone Pediatrics