Junk Plant-based Diets and What PTs Need to Know

By Dr. Sean M. Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, CNPT, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Cert-DN

Over the last several years we have seen the literature explode in regards to the health benefits of eating a predominantly plant-based diet. From lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancers, it would seem that plant-based diets can really make a significant impact in our physical therapy patients. Unfortunately, big agriculture and corporations have seen this growth as a potential new market for them to gain more money. As such, many major food producers are now producing many of the common unhealthy foods in their own plant-based type variety.

For example, it has been long known that sausage and hamburger meat can promote atherosclerosis and possibly even gastrointestinal cancers. Much of this has to do with the fact that they are loaded in saturated fats, contain minimal fiber and other phytonutrients, and may contain carcinogens. Despite this,...

By Dr. Sean M. Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, CNPT, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Cert-DN

Peripheral nerve injuries are coming conditions that doctors of physical therapy (PTs) treat.  Some common peripheral nerve injuries include sciatic nerve damage, Saturday Night Palsy, drop foot, carpal tunnel, and cervical radiculopathy. Typical physical therapy treatments include nerve mobilizations, electrical stimulation, dry needling, and therapeutic exercise. What if we as PTs could include diet to help accelerate the healing and restore function sooner?

A recent Nature publication examines the use of intermittent fasting specific for sciatic nerve injury in mice. Intermittent fasting is a unique dietary intervention that focuses on a period of fasting with a period of eating as much food as you would like. The researchers took the mice and induced physical trauma to the sciatic nerve. Half of the mice underwent intermittent fasting (by eating as much as they liked followed by not...

Changing Diet Extends Lifespan

By Dr. Sean M. Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, CNPT, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Cert-DN

One of the biggest topics of last year in the dietary world was intermittent fasting, most commonly seen as time restricted feeding by many. A lot of research has poured into this area with a big focus on longevity. I myself have published a couple trials using intermittent fasting, so I'm very familiar with the process and some of the mechanisms. But what if the explanations would focus on what our clients eat instead of how much or when? This is much of what Dr Katz has been analyzing with the True Health Initiative. Let's take a look at some of the most recent data and see what happens to people's lifespan when they change their diet.

It's well understood that the Western diet, particularly a diet high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar, has been shown to promote disease and reduce lifespan. Copious studies and systematic reviews have shown that reducing highly processed food...

By Dr. Sean M. Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CNPT, Cert-DN

Diet crazes come and go in the hopes to correct health issues and for weight loss. Many diets are merely fads, not backed by evidence, and/or offer only short-term solutions. One dietary pattern that stands out from the pack is calorie restriction (CR), especially in regards to data on longevity. I have 2 peer-review publications in the area of CR and intermittent fasting, so I can share both the data and experiences of this diet. Let's take a quick look at calorie restriction and what physical therapists (PTs) need to know!

Calorie restriction is a dietary regimen where a person consumes typically 25-40% less calories than usual. In order to accomplish this calorie deficit a person must know their total daily caloric needs over several days. Calculating 25-40% of this total calorie needs a client can then reduce their calorie content of each meal in order to hit their calorie deficit. Usually there is not...

By Dr. Sean M Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC, CSCS, CNPT, NSCA-CPT, Cert-DN

Can you recall a recent treatment session or patient case where you connected with another fellow physical therapist (PT), occupational therapist (OT), or speech therapist (ST)? Overall the treatment session or case probably went well, right? Both you and the other provider worked together, solved several problems, and/or potentially identified major issues that changed the course of rehabilitation. 

In this example it is easy for us in rehabilitation to see how easy it is to collaborate with other rehab professionals -- but what about dieticians? My team and I have long argued that PTs ought to work more collaboratively with these healthcare providers. Let me delve into several reasons why and examples of how nutrition collaboration benefits all.

Dietitians' Education

Dietitians are educated and clinically trained to work with many challenging populations. Their 4 year college education and clinical training...

Fasting, or intentional restriction of food intake, has been around for thousand of years. Much of the roots of fasting comes from religious or spiritual ceremonies; today, fasting is often done for the aspects of improving health and longevity, with some still continuing the religious or spiritual purpose. The data on fasting is robust and doctors of physical therapy (DPTs) need to be aware of the benefits, risks, and the how-to of fasting. Let's get started!

Many various forms of fasting exists. Strict or pure fasting includes the abstinence of food altogether. Time restricted fasting or feeding is where a person restricts feeding to a certain number of daytime hours and uses sleep to help create a partial fast. In other words, a person may eat only from 11am to 7pm, while fasting from 7pm to 11am. Some might consider this a form of intermittent fasting, but the true definition of intermittent fasting is where person will consume food ad libitum one day while restricting food...