In the health and wellness world, there are certain ingredients in food that when found, cause a sort of record scratch moment of horror. High fructose corn syrup is one example. At this point, it is well-known that this ingredient is detrimental to the health of anyone. However, what exactly is high fructose corn syrup? How does it affect the body? Where does it lurk?

High fructose corn syrup, a common ingredient in processed foods, is a major factor in the current worldwide obesity epidemic of the modern age. When ingested by the body over a certain threshold, high fructose corn syrup is converted into fatty acids and stored in the body as fat. A study of Princeton University finds that the small intestine is usually responsible for processing this fructose, but a high dose results in “fructose spillover” to the liver and colonic microbiota. This means that an overconsumption of high fructose corn syrup can overwhelm the body’s metabolic processing and undermine your health. Beyond this, it can induce insulin resistance which may eventually cause diabetes as well as increases triglycerides in the blood. This worsens atherosclerosis, or the buildup of fats and cholesterol on artery walls and increases the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease. In short, the overconsumption of high fructose corn syrup can be very dangerous for the human body.

Now that the risks have been outlined, how can one go about removing this troublesome ingredient from their diet? The key is to locate the culprit, especially in unassuming places. Certain foods may seem healthy, but they are not always as they appear. Food items such as soda, candy, sweetened yogurt, and store-bought baked goods might be the spot one would expect to find high fructose corn syrup. Yet foods like salad dressings, bread, juice, granola bars, breakfast cereal, and even coffee creamer can contain high fructose corn syrup as a prevalent ingredient. Be sure to read the labels when you purchase items at the grocery store, and seek healthier alternatives.

If you are struggling with how to remove high fructose corn syrup from your diet, or are looking for healthier alternatives, reach out to Pria Wellness today. Our experts can guide your diet in the right direction, and towards a much healthier lifestyle. Reach out over our website or call 410-565-6552 today.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/20-foods-with-high-fructose-corn-syrup#section19https://www.sdxtraining.com/articles/how-the-body-absorbs-sugar-high-fructose-corn-syrup



In taking a holistic approach to one’s health, good quality sleep is a key, if under-appreciated factor. When thinking about achieving a healthier lifestyle and shedding extra pounds, it is instinctual to think of the foods you’re eating and daily exercise. However, the quality of your sleep may be undermining results and ultimately become detrimental, as studies from the University of Chicago, the University of Wisconsin, and published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity present.

The recommended amount of sleep for the average adult is between seven and nine hours a night, as stated by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. In studies, when this average sleep pattern is altered, the effects are startling. For example, sleep-restricted participants in a study consumed 130% of their caloric requirements, doing a large part of this additional eating in the late evening following dinner. The on average 550 additional calories during the night hours resulted in the study’s sleep-restricted group gaining 1 kg (2.205 pounds) after just five nights. On the other side of things, for sleep-deprived obese patients who increased their nightly amount of sleep, effects such as a reduced body mass index, a greater willingness to exercise, and fewer cravings for sweet and salty foods were noted.

A third study conducted in 2016 featured ten overweight nonsmoking adults with an average age of 41. The intervention in this group featured a moderate caloric restriction, typical to most weight loss efforts, but with either 8.5 or 5.5. hours of sleep an evening. The results of this study were indicative: the curtailment of patients’ sleep decreased the proportion of weight lost as fat by 55% in the just 14-day study. The conclusions of the study note that results “shed new light on the paradoxical association of human obesity with loss of the most energy-efficient and sedentary human behavior: sleep.”

The illogical nature aside, the results due not lie. A crucial component to a healthy lifestyle, especially for an individual interested in losing weight in a healthy manner, is to get between the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep. By slipping into bed a few hours earlier or rising a few hours later, you can remarkably impact the present and future of your own health. Used to a nightly four hours and supplementing that with a cup (or four) of coffee? The experts at Pria Wellness can help put you on track. Book an appointment online or call today at 410-565-6552.



During trying times, especially ones framed by a global pandemic, it is only natural to contemplate one’s own personal health and well-being. Perhaps the global and national situation have prompted you to reconsider your own relationship with wellness, especially those who are at home.

Pria Wellness is still open and eager to serve you during this pandemic, whether you are reflecting on new goals, re-evaluating old habits, or anywhere in between. Read on to learn all the different ways Pria Wellness can guide you from home, specifically on our expert weight management and hormone balancing services.

Regarding communication with patients, Pria Wellness continues to strive for excellence. Tele visits are offered during regular office hours using HIPAA compliant video conference software. Or, communicate with us through messaging in our electronic medical record patient portal. Both ensure personal, private, and effective consultations.

Despite the current situation, progress and developments in your health goals are still more than possible. A convenient phone application allows patients to monitor their nutrition, weight, blood pressure, sleep, physical activity, water intake, and exercise from their own devices. Most of Pria Wellness’ nutritional products including meal replacements and supplements can be easily ordered online and shipped to your door. Additionally, lab work orders are sent directly to most labs electronically and electronic prescriptions are the norm. All of these combined efforts ensure the efficient and thorough care of your wellness needs.

If anything can be learned from this moment, it is that there is no time like the present to value your own personal health and well-being. Contact Pria Wellness for more information on any of our services or to book an appointment today. Reach our office at (410) 565-6552.



Losing weight is already tough on its own, but some people are making the task harder on themselves with how much sleep they get on a nightly basis.

A new study from Uppsala University found that even just one night of sleep loss can have a significant impact on the tissue that affects the body’s regulation of gene expression and metabolism in humans.

The researchers studied 15 individuals who began the experiment at a healthy weight. They participated in two in-lab sessions where their daily activity and meal patterns were kept uniform. Those researched then alternated between shifts where they slept more than eight hours during one session, and were kept awake the entire night during the other. The following morning, small tissue samples were taken from the participants’ subcutaneous fat and skeletal muscle. These two tissues often exhibit disrupted metabolism in conditions such as obesity and diabetes. At the same time in the morning, blood samples were also taken and were found to comprise of sugar molecules, as well as different fatty and amino acids.

“Our research group were the first to demonstrate that acute sleep loss in and of itself results in epigenetic changes in the so-called clock genes that within each tissue regulate its circadian rhythm. Our new findings indicate that sleep loss causes tissue-specific changes to the degree of DNA methylation in genes spread throughout the human genome. Our parallel analysis of both muscle and adipose tissue further enabled us to reveal that DNA methylation is not regulated similarly in these tissues in response to acute sleep loss,” Jonathan Cedernaes, who led the study, told Science Daily.

Epidemiological studies have shown that those who suffer from chronic sleep loss, or who carry out late-night work shifts, are more likely to be at risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Other studies have found that disrupted sleep and adverse weight gain were directly associated. In those cases, fat accumulation increased at the same time that muscle mass reduced — a mix associated with numerous adverse health consequences. It wasn’t until this study that experts could definitively say whether sleep loss per se can cause molecular changes at the tissue level that can confer an increased risk of adverse weight gain.

Now, we know that not only is a good night’s slumber important for memory retention and focus throughout the day, but it’s also important for maintaining a healthy weight.

“It will be interesting to investigate to what extent one or more nights of recovery sleep can normalize the metabolic changes that we observe at the tissue level as a result of sleep loss. Diet and exercise are factors that can also alter DNA methylation, and these factors can thus possibly be used to counteract adverse metabolic effects of sleep loss,” Cedernaes added.

If you feel like your sleep cycle is getting in the way of your weight loss goals, contact your primary care physician. You can also simply give us a call to schedule a consultation at 410-565-6552!



4 Common Mistakes People Make When Trying to Lose Weight
While you’re on your weight loss journey, be sure to stay up to date on all current research and avoid these common mistakes.

Losing weight often feels like an uphill battle. You do everything you’re supposed to, but you’re still not getting the results you want. You may be hindering your own progress by following misguided or outdated advice. While you’re on your weight loss journey, be sure to stay up to date on all current research and avoid these common mistakes.

Putting too Much Focus on the Scale

You’re sticking to your diet plan religiously, but still feel like you’re not losing weight fast enough. It is important to remember that seeing the number on the scale go down isn’t the only measure of weight change.  Your weight can sometimes fluctuate by up to four pounds over the course of an average day. In women, hormone levels can lead to increased water retention, which can also account for a higher number on the scale. If you’ve been working out as well as dieting, you could be gaining muscle and losing fat. So if there is very little change at the scale, but you notice your clothes fit differently this can be an indicator of weight loss.

Eating the Wrong Amount of Calories

In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. For many years, it was believed that a decrease of 3,500 calories per week would result in 1 lb. of fat loss. More recently, research points to that number varying from person to person.  No two weight loss journeys are exactly the same. Even if you feel like you’re not eating many calories, you may be. Some healthy foods are still high in calories. The key to this is monitoring portion size.

Not Getting Enough Exercise, or Getting Too Much

If you don’t exercise at all while you’re dieting, you’re far more likely to lose muscle mass. When you’re getting enough exercise, it helps to increase your muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the easier it is for you to lose weight keep it off.

Over-exercising can also cause problems.  For most people, too much exercise is not sustainable in the long term and can lead to stress. Forcing your body to burn more calories by exercising too much is neither effective, nor healthy.

Eating Low-Fat or “Diet” Foods

Processed low-fat or “diet” foods are supposed to be good choices for losing weight, but they usually actually have the opposite effect. Most of these products are loaded with sugar to make them taste better. Low-fat products don’t keep you full, they actually make you hungrier. Instead of choosing processed foods, find less-processed alternatives.  Less processing is far healthier!

Contact Pria Wellness Center for Lasting Weight Loss Results

For a weight loss solution with real, long-lasting results, contact Pria Wellness Center. We will comprehensively assess your current physical condition and make recommendations based on your body’s unique needs. Dr. Fernandez is board certified in obesity medicine and weight management, so you can trust that you are being taken care of by a qualified specialist. And we take a holistic approach to weight loss, working with dietitians, psychologists, personal trainers, and physicians to ensure that all of your needs are met and you keep the weight off for good. What do you have to lose except extra weight? Schedule a consultation online by clicking here, or contact the office at (410) 565-6552.



Water and Weight Loss
Water can play a pivot role in your weight loss efforts. Learn more about it below!

Whether or not you realize it, water is one of the most important elements involved in any successful weight loss program. Water not only is zero calories (and zero everything else), it’s also been shown to be effective at helping dieters lose even more weight in the same amount of time. Why does water play such a critical role in weight loss and how can you incorporate water into your weight loss regimen?



Exercising
Exercising can be more than just hitting the gym. Here are some ways to make exercising more fun!

Exercising can do more for you than just help you lose weight – studies have shown that regular exercise helps you boost energy levels, improve your mood and sleep patterns, and reduce stress and anxiety. Making a regular exercising routine a habit, however, is one of the most difficult things for many people to achieve. A great way to get yourself exercising regularly is to make it fun! Here are some tips to get you to rethink exercising and make it work for you.



Lose Weight
When you successfully lose weight, nothing feels better!

Last week we talked about five signs that you should look out for which will tell you that you need to lose weight. Whether it’s your doctor, your friends, your body, or just that voice in the back of your head, heeding the call to get healthy is a smart move that will pay off massively in the long run. We have five more signs to look for if you’re thinking you need to lose some weight.



It can be easy to neglect our physical health in the modern world. Between taking the kids to soccer practice and band practice, running errands, and getting work done at your job, it can be really tough to remember to take care of yourself. But there will be times that you begin to question whether you should consider losing weight. In the first part of our two-part blog series, we will consider five of the ten common signs that should show you that you need to get serious about losing weight by joining a weight loss and wellness program.



Weight Loss Center
A great weight loss and wellness center comes up with a personalized, complete plan.

There have been many approaches to weight loss over the last several decades. Some of them have proven themselves to be simply fads, while others have been demonstrated to work a lot better. But there does seem to be one thing that many of these programs have in common. The weight may come off for a time, but then it invariably comes back. Surgical interventions also exist which seem to be a more permanent fix, but these come with significant risks. There’s a chance of post-operative complications, including death, that could result from having surgery. Operations are also expensive to have performed and will cost you time away from work to recover.

It’s a safe bet that we all know someone – a loved one, a friend, or even yourself – who has tried to lose weight and keep it off. It can be really difficult to accomplish unless you are surrounded by a team of professionals.

Here at Pria Wellness Center, we have designed a new concept for weight loss and wellness, based on established science, that is guaranteed to work. Our team of professionals will personally supervise a program that is designed with the unique needs of your body in mind to help you lose the weight and keep it off for good! Your goals are our number one priority and your program will be continually tailored according to your needs. Here’s how Pria Wellness Center can change your life and help you achieve your weight loss goals.


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