A personal, reflective, and “optional” philosophical note from Dr. Tague
Humans are complex beings. And that is an understatement! What is it that makes us who we are? Are we just a bag of skin containing chemicals and chemical reactions? Or, is there an immaterial, “can’t touch it” aspect to man that makes us unique as individuals? And could the immaterial part of man influence our health and sense of well-being?
Has your scale steadily increased since COVID-19? You’re not alone. Gaining weight this past year has been epidemic, causing major setbacks to health and happiness. Many dine-in restaurants closing, gyms shutting down, and unprecedented stress has resulted in a lot of stress eating and comfort foods! Consequences were inevitable.
If you are like me, you’ve never been more interested in your immune system and its ability to fight off infections. COVID-19 has gotten our attention! How peculiar that the same virus can cause an infection with few or no symptoms in some, but result in multi-organ failure and death in others! It’s the same virus, in the same species, but the hosts of that virus are NOT the same.
The question we are all asking is if we are in the group with a killer immune system that can knock out coronavirus as if it were a common cold, or are we more vulnerable to life-threatening complications from COVID-19. The answer to that question applies to other viral respiratory infections, including influenza. Let me explain.
Are you frustrated with trying to lose weight with hunger-producing diets and sore muscles from the gym? Are you tired of jumping from one failed fad diet to another, each time with increasing confusion and disappointment? Let’s face it, if those strategies worked, our overweight problem in America would be solved!
Most of my patients have “been there, done that” and now know that when their weight increased by 20, 40, 60 lbs or more, it became a true medical problem, requiring medical solutions for true success.
When people contact us for the first time, usually referred by a successful friend, they typically have heard about patient successes. But you may still have questions about going to Dr. Tague’s Center for Nutrition to finally get in control of your weight. Let’s look at some facts, including the use of medications as one of many tools that can be help you lose weight.
Our bodies are made of cells. Muscle cells make up muscles, brain cells make up our brain, and fat cells (known as adipocytes) make up fat. And the fact is, without ABNORMAL fat cells, unwanted weight gain cannot occur! Let me explain….
Imagine if something triggered your muscle cells to enlarge and multiply to the point that your muscles doubled, tripled, and then quadrupled in size! The added bulk would be a major bother. What if our skin cells started enlarging and multiplying to the point that our skin became baggy and was dragging around on the floor while walking? How bizarre!
I overheard a revealing father to son comment while eating out on vacation. The family of 3 was seated at the table right next to me. Sadly, both parents were overweight by 40+ pounds, as was the 20 year old son. The father, speaking wisdom, commented, “Son, be very careful to protect your health, or you will end up with problems. Just look at me…”
Their family weight problem was apparent, as was the complete absence of an effective plan.
Everyone knows that losing weight and keeping it off can be difficult. But gaining weight is easy! Consider these 3 weight gain facts in America:
The holidays keep rolling around year after year! What a great season! We each have much to be thankful for, and it is always a blessing to give gifts and host friends and family members for memorable and fun feasts and gatherings.
Unfortunately, the holidays typically involve less than ideal foods. If not careful, we can easily gain 5-10 pounds of unwanted weight gain between October 31st and January 1st! In fact, for some, the only weight gain they have during the entire year is during those few weeks. It is simply a difficult time to control food choices and portion sizes. It seems everyone is feasting, and they want us to join them! The temptation can be hard to resist.