Perhaps you’ve noticed: Many people in their 70s, 60s, 50s, even 40s are showing up with knee problems that require surgery. Here’s a chart for illustration: 
One of the main reasons for the huge increase in these surgeries is the increasing weight of the US population. Hoping NOT to become a statistic? The US Dept. of Health and Human Services says that losing weight will help. Just ONE pound of lost body weight reduces the stress on your knees by FOUR pounds. This same one pound equals a reduction of 4800 pounds for each mile that you walk! Word to the wise – Weight loss in ANY amount is hugely beneficial to the long term health of your knees. Make an appointment with a Registered Dietitian and Clinical Nutrition Center today and your knees will thank you.
By Suzanne Boos, RD
Do you have high liver enzymes? These are the ALT, AST, GGTP ALK and PHOS tests toward the bottom of your blood-work results. What do the elevation of these funny acronyms mean? Abnormal values may indicate problems with your liver, bile duct or other bodily systems. Your liver is a key metabolic organ. It performs many vitally important functions, filtering out toxins and waste products It effectively cleans your blood. Enzyme levels are often elevated when the liver has to deal with higher levels of drugs (even those over the counter) or alcohol.
Nonalcoholic Liver Disease (NALD) can occur when weight gain causes excess fat to be stored in the liver. Untreated, it can lead to cirrhosis, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Gradual and sustained weight loss is the most effective treatment. Reduced caloric intake and regular physical activity are the keys to successfully remedying this medical condition. A diet low in carbohydrate and saturated fat, and abundant in omega 3-containing foods is the long-term treatment. At Clinical Nutrition Center, we can help you to design and implement the program you need. It is interesting to note that the same diet that is used to treat and prevent liver disease is also used to prevent or ameliorate heart disease, diabetes, stroke risk and even Alzheimer’s !
By Suzanne Boos, RD
