“The luxury of good health is the greatest gift.”

Welcome to our reality podcast, with Eric O’Grey in Spokane, Washington coaching Shmulik Shwartz in Lehavim, Israel to lose 140 pounds in 10 months so the two can run the Jerusalem marathon together in March 2017!

Today we’re checking in with Shmulik to see how things are going. Shmulik has now lost 77 pounds since late May! So let’s catch up with all the detail of Shmulik’s week!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Shmulik visited an orthopedist about his ankle pain, but more tests are needed to determine the extent of his injury.
• Shmulik’s doctor approved his exercise program of walking and swimming, but not running at this point.
• Shmulik was disappointed with his weight loss last week, which was almost 3 pounds – but Eric is still pleased with the progress.
• Shmulik expresses his gratitude for his progress toward good health.
• Shmulik’s Israeli TV show appearance is expected to air in November.
• Shmulik’s training program is still on track for the marathon in March.
• Shmulik explains his current work with his dogs!
• Eric and Shmulik discuss possible future guests for the podcast: someone to highlight the vegan restaurant scene in Israel and someone to explain the history, buildings, and architecture of Jerusalem.
• Shmulik explains his plans for the week, which include holiday celebrations of Yom Kippur and Sukkot, a 10-day holiday in which people work half days and live in tents to commemorate the children of Israel fleeing the land of Egypt under Moses.
• Eric warns Shmulik about the use of tahini in recipes because of its high calorie content: CORRECTION FROM PODCAST:  1 tbsp of Tahini = approximately 100 calories = approximately 1 pound of incremental weight gain per month.

“We might not be able to change things suddenly, but addressing the underlying causes will help.”

Today’s show is a bonus edition with Dr. Preeti Kulkarni. She’s the naturopathic doctor from Cupertino, CA, to whom I credit my weight loss and healthy transformation. We’ve heard from Dr. Preeti before about diet and exercise, which are regular elements of the podcast, but today’s episode focuses on hormonal imbalances. Join us for this informative and practical conversation!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Dr. Preeti says that the place to begin is to screen for diabetes AND pre-diabetes.
• What is pre-diabetes and its risk?
• Dr. Preeti explains the difference in approach of traditional end-point medicine and functional medicine.
• In 2018, naturopathic doctors will be included under Medicare coverage, specifically to target diabetes prevention.
• From the CDC: 70% of Americans are overweight or obese.
• About 86 million Americans have pre-diabetes symptoms now!
• How to make hormones work correctly:
  • Minimize blood sugar fluctuations
  • Exercise during the first half of the day
  • Eat a good, protein-rich breakfast
• What are endocrine hormones, and how are they tested?
• The importance of healthy snacks and meals.
• How animal proteins relate to insulin-resistance.
• Animal products—inflammation—diabetes.
• Many health issues arise from inflammation.
• A plant-based diet floods the body with nutrients and antioxidants.
• Dysglycemia: What is it?
• Lifestyle changes to correct hormonal imbalance.
• Small steps to make changes.
• The connection between arthritis, inflammation, and diet.
• The body’s inflammatory process: the positive and the negative.
• Benefits of turmeric in fighting inflammation.
• Thyroid issues, adrenals, and steroid hormones.
• Hypothyroid and hyperthyroid.
• Melatonin: the benefits of supplements to get the body back to normal.
• A new favorite area of study for Dr. Preeti: the gut microbiome and its relation to autoimmune diseases.

Dr. Preeti practices in Cupertino, California.  Her website:  www.coreintegrative.com

To request a consultation with Dr. Preeti, please call and leave a voicemail at 408-724-1486.

References for Hormonal Imbalances  and weight loss:

1. Metabolism. 2016 May;65(5):757-63. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2016.02.010. Epub 2016 Feb 24. Impaired insulin action in the liver, but not in adipose tissue or muscle, is a distinct metabolic feature of impaired fasting glucose in obese humans.Ter Horst KW¹, Gilijamse PW¹, Ackermans MT², Soeters MR¹, Nieuwdorp M³, Romijn JA⁴, Serlie MJ⁵. PMID:27085782
2. Nature. 2016 Jul 21;535(7612):376-81. Human gut microbes impact host serum metabolome and insulin sensitivity.Pedersen HK, Gudmundsdottir V, Nielsen HB, Hyotylainen T, Nielsen T, Jensen BA, Forslund K, Hildebrand F, Prifti E, Falony G, Le Chatelier E, Levenez F,Doré J, Mattila I, Plichta DR, Pöhö P, Hellgren LI, Arumugam M, Sunagawa S, Vieira-Silva S, Jørgensen T, Holm JB, Trošt K; MetaHIT Consortium, Kristiansen K, Brix S, Raes J, Wang J, Hansen T, Bork P, Brunak S, Oresic M, Ehrlich SD, Pedersen O.
3. Circulation. 2016 Jan 12;133(2):187-225. Dietary and Policy Priorities for Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Obesity: A Comprehensive Review. Mozaffarian D¹. PMID:  26746178
4. J American Coll of Nutrition NHANES 1999-2004 2011 Dec 30(6):502-10 People who nuts have a lower risk of diabetes and hypertension – upto 39% lower risk of mortality, 45% especially walnuts. 1 serving of nuts=28g, >3 servings per week had lower risk of CVD 55% and cancer by 40%.
5. Eur J Clin Invest. 2015 May;45(5):494-503. doi: 10.1111/eci.12423. Epub 2015 Mar 9.Low-normal thyroid function and the pathogenesis of common cardio-metabolic disorders. van Tienhoven-Wind LJ¹, Dullaart RP. PMID:25690560
6. Intern Med. 2014;53(3):183-8.History of stress-related health changes: a cue to pursue a diagnosis of latent primary adrenal insufficiency.Yamamoto T¹. PMID:24492685
7. Clin Endocrinol. 2016;84(1):107-114. Effects of Intermission and Resumption of Long-term Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Body Weight and Metabolic Parameters in Hypogonadal in Middle-aged and Elderly Men Aksam Yassin; Yousef Almehmadi; Farid Saad; Gheorghe Doros; Louis Gooren

Shmulik After Losing 75 Pounds in 10 Weeks!

“My doctor smiles a lot about my blood pressure now!”

Shmulik has now lost almost 75 pounds since late May! This may be our most inspirational episode yet.  Let’s catch up with what’s going on in Israel and in Shmulik’s life today.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Shmulik explains the Holy Days in Israel, full of several days of celebrations, feasts, and family gatherings.
• Shmulik’s mental state is down as he experiences testing and tribulation on this long journey.
• Eric’s advice:
  • Keep your eyes on the end goal and visualize the thin person you want to be.
  • Think about how many people you can influence to lead healthier lives!
  • Channel the good wishes from all the people following your progress to get through the struggles!
• Eric shared the same ups and downs on his own weight loss journey.
• Practice Dr. Preeti’s philosophy: “The student becomes the teacher.”
• Why this plan CAN work for ANYONE!
• The key is learning to cook and eat whole plants with no added sugar or oils.
• Surrender to healthy living and do life the right way.
• Eric explains how 2x/day exercise even in small amounts helps suppress appetite.
• The important goal for Shmulik is to minimize the risk of injury during training.
• Eric gives advice on dealing with family holiday feasts.
• Shmulik gives an update on his ankle injury: he’s walking again but not pushing too hard.
• Shmulik uses a stationary bike daily and hopes to begin swimming very soon.
• Most holiday events include foods that Shmulik CAN eat, like rice, beans, potatoes, vegetables, salads, lentils, and hummus.
• Shmulik’s recipe for homemade hummus: cook chickpeas until soft; blend with a little water in a food processor, and then add a little tahini and a lot of garlic.
• Shmulik reports on his improved blood pressure numbers, his reduced coffee intake, and the condition of his dogs.
• Through Eric’s encouragement, Shmulik’s mental state is much improved by the end of this episode!

“People aren’t so skeptical of my plan to do the Jerusalem marathon now.”

It’s time for another check-in with Shmulik. He has now lost 72 since we began our podcast! This is a very sober but also uplifting episode. We’ll discuss what’s going in in Israel and in Shmulik’s life this week. Also, Shmulik gets personal about his family connection to the Holocaust and his son traveling to visit the Holocaust sites.  Hear everything from his perspective! Join us!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Shmulik shares why it’s a sad time in Israel right now, as the nation mourns the death of a true statesman, Shimon Peres, at age 93.
• Shmulik gives an update on his ankle pain and blood pressure.
• Coffee–Shmulik has eliminated it from his diet!
• Eric still urges Shmulik to try green tea until his BP comes way down, and then add a small amount of coffee if he wishes.
• Favorite foods for Shmulik: Garlic, lentils and rice in many forms, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and fresh vegetables.
• Shmulik asks about polenta, but Eric advises to stay away from processed corn products and grain products and use the whole, fresh corn instead.
• Shmulik gives an update on his upcoming TV appearance!
• You’ll hear why Shmulik tries to be BORING in the kitchen!
• Eric’s advice is to “keep doing what you’re doing, and you should be 180-190 lbs. by the end of this year.
• Shmulik tells about people’s attitudes toward him and his progress.
• Shmulik will keep using the stationary bike and swim to ease strain on his ankle.
• There’s a new running group in Israel, formed by Shmulik and his sons–stay tuned for more details about how to join!
• Shmulik’s running group plans to run a 5K in a month or so.
• Shmulik gives an update on his current dog therapy work with autistic kids who have almost no communication skills.
• Eric advises Shmulik to take the time to allow complete healing of the ankle.
• Hear about some Jewish holiday customs from Shmulik.
• Find out why Shmulik’s son is traveling soon to Poland to visit some WWII concentration camp sites.
• Shmulik discloses his family connection to the Holocaust.

“I think we should make a very big thing about the Eric and Peety way of living”

Welcome to today’s show! Shmulik’s weight is now down to 267.6 pounds, and his weight loss is averaging about 3 pounds per week. He is inching ever closer to 70 pounds lost since our journey began in the last week of May.  Let’s listen and catch up with Shmulik today!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Bad news: Shmulik has ankle pain and swelling, has seen an orthopedic doctor, and is awaiting the results of an x-ray.
• Good news: Shmulik will continue his exercise program with swimming several times each week and a rowing machine.
• Injuries are common, and they happen; the key is to allow injuries to fully recover.
• Eric’s advice is 100% rest for the ankle until the pain and discomfort is completely eliminated.
• Shmulik has signed up for a 5K race in a month or so, and hopes to be fully recovered and able to participate
• Shmulik explains the delay in filming the second part of the TV show about weight loss that he’s been a part of
• Under “stupid things I’ve done,” Shmulik explains how he stopped taking his blood pressure medication, against his doctor’s advice.
• Eric tells Shmulik to follow his doctor’s advice.
• Eric recommends, based on what works for him, to lower blood pressure before Shmulik’s next blood pressure test: do the check later in the day, have a short sitting rest before testing, and reduce coffee and salt intake.
• Shmulik admits to drinking 5-10 cups of coffee each day.  Eric tells him to get off coffee for the next month and then reintroduce it later with no more than 1-2 cups per day.
• How to reduce coffee intake: cut intake in half, and then in half again the next day, then reduce to one cup, then switch to green tea
• Eric recommends his favorite tea: “Gunpowder Green Organic,” which has among the highest caffeine content of all green teas, but is has only a fraction of the caffeine in coffee.
• Green tea will eliminate caffeine withdrawal symptoms, will not raise BP, and has many health benefits.
• Salt is another culprit that raises blood pressure, and for now, Eric advises Shmulik to eliminate all added salt in his diet.
• Shmulik discusses his last doctor visit, opening a Facebook group for runners, plans for a new “Eric and Peety” film about Shmulik, and plans for Eric’s visit to Israel next March.
• Eric gives advice about Shmulik’s running goals as he prepares for his first 5K.