By Dr. Stephen Rath
Originally published on Ruidoso News
Pounds & Sense; More Than “Meats” the Eye
Fusion Medical Spa & Wellness was established in 2010, and the picture attached to my last article was taken at that time. The updated picture shows how I have aged since then. While there have been significant advances in medicine from 2010 to now, very few interventions have yet been proven in changing genetics inherently programmed into our bodies (refer to my genetically induced hair loss). While gene therapy for conditions such as androgenic alopecia are likely ten years into the future, we can still make effective, targeted and personalized interventions now. Since 2010, my body fat percentage has decreased, my muscle mass has increased, and my energy level has increased due to specific, personalized interventions aimed at targeting and improving my overall wellness and longevity. Let us do the same for you!
Thanks to our readers for the positive feedback as well as the questions from the article discussing the GLP-1 medications semaglutide and tirzepatide. One of the more common questions relates to the continued availability of compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide. While both of these medications have been removed from the FDA’s shortage list and can no longer be mass produced by 503b compounding pharmacies, these medications can still be produced by 503a patient-specific pharmacies if the medication is changed to reduce the side effect profile. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide will continue to be available for our patients.
Another frequently asked question was along the lines of “These GLP-1 medications sound like magic. Can I continue to eat whatever I want and still lose weight?” This answer is a bit more nuanced, and we need to think about both the short and long-term effects before giving a firm “maybe”. Since GLP-1 peptides work by slowing down gastric emptying and increasing pancreatic insulin release, if the dose has been personalized for the patient’s individual metabolism – then yes, you can eat what you want and still lose weight in the short-term. Side effects like muscle loss are far more prevalent if protein intake isn’t sufficient, so prescribing the medication dose as well as specifying adequate daily protein intake is vital.
While anyone should be able to lose weight initially after starting a GLP-1 medication; long- term success is optimized by using a multi-modal approach to ensure lifestyle changes are made permanent. Fusion has recently added a nutritionist, Dominique Roberts, to our personalized weight loss program, but you don’t necessarily need to be actively seeking to lose weight to benefit from a consultation. Dominique can sit down with you, review your goals, and make suggestions regarding dietary options and supplements to optimize both general health and sports-specific performance. We are also looking forward to holding cooking classes when we get moved into our new building.
Making long-term, sustainable lifestyle changes can be quite overwhelming, from the conflicting information found on the internet, to managing all of the changes involved in establishing a healthier lifestyle, especially regarding exercise and the type of exercises needed to optimize health. Aerobic exercise targeting heart health should be part of the long-term plan with significant benefits obtained from a brisk walk that works up a sweat and increases the respiratory rate for as few as ten minutes. Anaerobic exercise such as resistance training and weightlifting is especially beneficial for reducing the risk of muscle loss and contributes to gaining strength as well as bone density. Even five minutes of lifting weights provides significant benefits. We can come up with a plan to help you achieve your goals that are attainable for the short and long term. A personalized and comprehensive approach to weight loss also utilizes technology to ensure optimized results. After all, you can’t measure progress if you don’t have a baseline of comparison. Want to ensure you aren’t losing muscle mass along with fat? A Styku body scan can be completed in less than 1 minute and provides accurate body measurements, progress tracking, body composition analysis, health risk tracking, and metric-specific goal setting capabilities. These scans are provided free of charge to our weight loss membership patients.
Want to see what your blood sugar does after eating a donut? Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) provide a real-time, second-to-second indication of how your body responds to things you eat and drink. While CGMs are now available without a prescription, I prefer the Abbott Freestyle Libre 3 Plus. For $38, you get 15 days of data that can be examined by a physician or nutritionist via Abbott’s online portal. Personally, I discovered that if I frontload with 30 to 40 grams of protein, an occasional sweet treat doesn’t have the same sugar spike as starting the day with sugar. While sugar is the body’s primary source of energy, excess blood sugar is toxic to end organs – the bits and pieces we care about. The heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, pancreas, fingers, toes, and sex organs are all negatively affected by excess sugar. The height of the sugar spike and the length of elevated blood sugar are directly correlated to health risk as well as conversion of sugar into fat. An approach to weight loss and wellness using a CGM personalizes the plan to each person’s unique background and genetics.
Most people can lose a few pounds with effort, but not taking advantage of the tools that are available will not yield the best results. At Fusion, we believe a personalized approach can transform a weight loss journey into an activity that is far from dietary torture tactics, and is sustainable, both in the short-term and long-term.
Dr Stephen Rath, MD, FASA is a board-certified anesthesiologist, Air Force flight surgeon, paramedic,and pilot as well as the owner and medical director of Fusion Medical Spa located in Ruidoso, NM. He believes in using the tricks and tips learned from his own lifelong struggle with weight when helping patients. Comments or questions? His email address is: DrRath@FusionMedicalSpa.net.