Category Archives: anti-aging

Your Doctor Says No to Supplements, Now What?

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by Dr. Stephen Sinatra

Your Doctor Says No to Supplements, Now What?

Over the years I’ve recommend certain nutritional supplements for heart health. Then, patients ask their other doctors about the supplements and often, receive negative or indifferent answers such as “they may cause harm,” or “there’s no science.”

Such responses are cop outs, to put it mildly. There’s an immense body of powerful research supporting the use and safety of supplements, and any smart doctor should certainly be up on the subject.

What Should You Do If Your Doctor Disapproves of Nutritional Supplements?
  • First off, don’t be intimidated by the messenger. Tell your doctor if you’ve had positive experience with certain supplements—convey your passion—and stick the evidence under his or her nose.
  • Keep in mind that medical doctors get little, if any, nutritional training in medical school and rarely attempt to fill their knowledge gap once in practice. Years ago when I was a hospital medical education director, I had a hard time trying to encourage my physician colleagues to accept nutritional medicine. Most were simply annoyed by my efforts. They demanded to see studies, which I didn’t mind providing, but I had to spoon-feed them to make any progress.
  • Remember a revealing statistic. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports 11 deaths, supposedly, from supplement use during the last 27 years. I say “supposedly” because the circumstances linking the supplements to actual deaths are questionable. This is a tremendous safety record.
  • Also remember how supplements compare to prescription drugs. A 2011 study reveals that each year in this country, adverse effects cause about 4.5 million visits to doctors’ offices and hospitals. In fact, prescription drugs are our fourth leading cause of death, killing more than 27,000 people in 2007—more than heroin and cocaine combined.

Now it’s your turn: Have you had a doctor that said no to nutritional supplements?

Separating Fat from Fiction: 10 Fat Facts You Need to Know

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“Everyone seems to be talking about fat these days. That fat somehow is good now and can help with weight loss and disease prevention.  How can that be true when for decades we all were told that fat was the bad guy?” asks this week’s house call. “What are its benefits? Are there any downsides to eating more fat?”

This question comes at the perfect time.  I have just finished writing my new book Eat Fat, Get Thin, hitting the bookstores on February 23, 2016. I wrote this book because almost everyone I know – doctors and patients and eaters alike are all confused about fat and still hold on to myths and misinformation that prevents them from taking advantage of the latest science to lose weight and get healthy. 

You’re likely familiar with many of them: Fat makes us fat, contributes to heart disease, leads to diabesity; saturated fat is bad; vegetable oils are good…I could go on, but I think you know what I’m talking about.

None of these beliefs about fat are true.  In my latest book, I combined the latest research with my several decades of empirical evidence working with patients to prove what I’ve long discovered: The right fats can help you become lean, healthy, and vibrant.

Fat is one of the body’s most basic building blocks. The average person is made up of between 15 and 30 percent fat! Yet for decades, we’ve unfairly demonized dietary fat, diligently followed a low-fat diet that almost always equates into a high-sugar and high-refined carb diet that contributes to insulin resistance, obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and numerous other problems.

Simply put: Sugar, not fat, is the real villain that steals our health and sabotages our waistlines.

With Eat Fat, Get Thin, I’m determined to separate fat from fiction by giving you the skinny on fats – what to eat and how to use dietary fats to regain your health and ideal body weight. Eating lots of the right fat will make you thin. The right fats increase metabolism, stimulate fat burning, cut hunger, optimize your cholesterol profile, and can reverse type 2 diabetes and reduce your risk for heart disease.

For now, let’s look at 10 take-home fat facts.

  1. Sugar, not fat, makes you fat.  More sugar means your cells become numb to insulin’s “call.” Your body pumps out more and more insulin to pull your blood sugar levels back down. You can’t burn all the sugar you eat. Inevitably, your body stores it as fat, creating insulin resistance and overall metabolic havoc.
  2. Dietary fat is more complex than sugar. There are some 257 names for sugar, but despite very minor variations, they all create the same damage. In other words, sugar is sugar is sugar; it all wreaks havoc on your health. Fat is more complex. We have saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and even trans fats, not to mention subcategories within each group. Some fats are good; others neutral; and yes, a few are bad.
  3. Low-fat diets tend to be heart-unhealthy, high-sugar diets. When people eat less fat, they tend to eat more starch or sugar instead, and this actually increases their levels of the small, dense cholesterol that causes heart attacks. In fact, studies show 75 percent of people who end up in the emergency room with a heart attack have normal overall cholesterol levels. But what they do have is pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.
  4. Saturated fat is not your enemy. A review of all the research on saturated fat published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no correlation between saturated fat and heart disease. As with all fats, quality becomes key here. The fats in a fast-food bacon feedlot cheeseburger will have an entirely different effect than saturated fat in coconut oil. Let’s stop classifying it all as the same.
  5. Some fats are unhealthy. They include trans fat and inflammatory vegetable oils. Unfortunately, these fats have increased in our diet as they make us fatter and contribute to inflammation, which plays a role in nearly every chronic disease on the planet.
  6. Everyone benefits from more omega 3s. About 99 percent of people are deficient in these critical fats. Ideal ways to get them include eating wild or sustainably raised cold-water fish (at least two servings weekly), buying omega-3 rich eggs, and taking an omega-3 supplement twice a day with breakfast and dinner that contains 500 – 1,000 milligrams of omega-3 fats (a ratio of roughly 300 EPA to 200 DHA is ideal).
  7. Eating fat can make you lean. Healthy cell walls made from high-quality fats are better able to metabolize insulin, which keeps blood sugar better regulated. Without proper blood sugar control, the body socks away fat for a rainy day. The right fats also increase fat burning, cut your hunger, and reduce fat storage.  Eating the right fats makes you lose weight, while eating excess sugar and the WRONG types of fat make you fat.
  8. Good fats can heal. I have many diabetic patients whose health improves when I get them on diet that’s higher in fat. I had one patient with high cholesterol who could not lose weight, so I bumped up her healthy fat content to 70 percent. (I don’t recommend this for most patients; hers was an extreme case.) Her cholesterol plummeting from 300 to 190, her triglycerides dropped 200 points, and she lost 20 stubborn pounds that she couldn’t ever lose before!
  9. Your brain is about 60 percent fat. Of that percentage, the biggest portion comes from the omega-3 fat called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Your brain needs DHA to spark communication between cells. Easy access to high-quality fat boosts cognition, happiness, learning, and memory. In contrast, studies link a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
  10. Your body gives you signs whether or not you are getting enough quality fat. The higher-quality the fat, the better your body will function. That’s because the body uses the fat you eat to build cell walls. You have more than 10 trillion cells in your body, and every single one of them needs high-quality fat. How do you know if your cells are getting the fats they need? Your body sends signals when it’s not getting enough good fats. Warning signs include:
  • Dry, itchy, scaling, or flaking skin
  • Soft, cracked, or brittle nails
  • Hard earwax
  • Tiny bumps on the backs of your arms or torso
  • Achy, stiff joints

I eat fat with every meal, and I’ve never felt better. The right fats can improve your mood, skin, hair, and nails, while protecting you against Type 2 diabetes, dementia, cancer, and much more.

Among my favorite sources of fat include:

  • Avocados
  • Nuts—walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, but not peanuts (one study showed a handful of nuts a day reduced death from all causes by 20 percent)
  • Seeds—pumpkin, sesame, chia, hemp
  • Fatty fish, including sardines, mackerel, herring, and wild salmon that are rich in omega-3 fats
  • Extra virgin olive oil (a large study showed that those who consumed 1 liter a week reduced heart attacks by 30 percent)
  • Grass-fed or sustainably raised animal products.
  • Extra virgin coconut butter, which is a great plant-based source of saturated fat that has many benefits.  It fuels your mitochondria, is anti-inflammatory, and  doesn’t cause problems with your cholesterol.  In fact, it may help resolve them.  

Be Informed, Be Healthy.

Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids can help reduce stress

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The most overlooked factor in stress reduction is that it is critical to nourish your body with healing essential fatty acids.

There is a reason why delicious foods like macaroni and cheese, a juicy rib eye steak, and ice cream are called comfort foods. They contain high levels of FAT.

Fat activates the pleasure centers in your brain and creates a surge of dopamine. You can get the same lift in your mood from essential fatty acids found in previously forbidden fats.

Ancient cultures knew fat healed, and science is just now beginning to understand the chemo-protective and cancer preventing effects of essential fatty acids. In fact, one of the last populations on earth had dietary habits that remained unchanged for centuries. The native islanders of Kitava in Papau New Guinea were studied extensively in the 80s and 90s in a study known as the Malinowski study.

Of the 23,000 people, there was not a single instance of cancer, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, dementia, or diabetes. In fact, their diet consisted of 30-60% fat.

Essential fatty acids boosted their immunity and they can do the same for you.

Since stress suppresses your immune system, a way to neutralize the surges of cortisol that are running out of control is to combat them with essential fatty acids.

The Job of Essential Fatty Acids

  • Produce healthy cell membranes and regulate genetic function
  • Normalize growth and development
  • Transport and break down cholesterol
  • Enable proper blood clotting
  • Regulate blood pressure as well as contraction and relaxation of arterial walls
  • Balance hormone activity, metabolic processes, and thyroid function
  • Ensure reproductive health
  • Maintain liver and kidney function
  • Control inflammation and the immune response
  • Support brain and central nervous system health
  • Promote hair and skin health
  • Assist in balancing mood and behavior disorders

The Western diet contains an excessively high amount of cancer causing omega-6 fatty acids and a low amount of cancer preventing omega-3 fatty acids.

Essential fatty acids are critical in the prevention of disease. The types of dietary fats you eat are vital for preventing heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes − which are responsible for 80% of all deaths in the United States.

UCLA School of Medicine in California found that anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids prevented the development and progression of prostate cancer.

In Western nations, we eat far too many damaged omega-6’s in the form of processed foods, fast foods, and refined oils that lead to free radical damage. Studies of populations that eat large amounts of fish or consume fish oil have reduced risk of colon, prostate, and breast cancer.

Studies have shown that the average American consumes between 14 to 25 times more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids!

You need both essential fatty acids in the proper ratios. Most non-industrial populations have an ideal range of omega-6 to omega-3 ratios of 4:1 or 1:4.

Best Natural Sources of Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids

  • Fatty fish such as sardines, herring, salmon, shrimp, cod, and tuna
  • Grass fed beef and bison
  • Grass fed butter
  • Krill oil
  • Flaxseeds
  • Walnuts
  • Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, and winter squash
  • Lean beef
  • Spinach, kale, leafy greens, romaine lettuce, and fresh basilev

As Western society struggles under the epidemics of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and dementia, there are places in the world with small pockets of people that experience little to none of these health conditions. Look for ways to reduce your stress and improve your ratios of omega-3 to omega-6 fats in your diet to help prevent cancer and other disease.

Nutrient content of crops has declined

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According to a study published in 2004 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, the nutrient content of crops had declined by as much as 40 percent between 1950 and 2004 when the study was conducted. The declines were related to efforts to create crops that grew faster, yielded more and resisted pests.

“Emerging evidence suggests that when you select for yield, crops grow bigger and faster, but they don’t necessarily have the ability to make or uptake nutrients at the same, faster rate,” said lead researcher Dr. Donald Davis.

Another study published in “Nutrition and Health” found that magnesium levels declined by 24 percent in vegetables, by 17 percent in fruit, by 15 percent in meat and by 26 percent in cheeses over the period from 1940 to 1991.

Low magnesium levels contribute to heart disease and cardiac arrest, depression, kidneys stones, muscle cramps and twitching, nervous system problems, low kidney function, and a host of other problems. In all likelihood, your magnesium levels are dangerously low.

This is why, even if we eat ‘healthy’, even if we eat a varied and inclusive diet, we are unlikely to obtain all the nutrition we need, and judicious supplementation is a must.

Bob Livingston

11 Science-Backed Tips For Your Best Sleep Ever

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Here’s a look at some of the most fascinating sleep studies published this year. Use them to achieve more quality shut-eye in 2016 — and better health overall.

1. Mindfulness meditation promotes better sleep.

Compared to adults who underwent a standardized program designed to teach healthier sleep habits, participants who incorporated simple mindfulness techniques into their routine reported fewer symptoms of insomnia, depression, and fatigue.

2. Interrupted sleep is actually worse than short sleep.

Eight hours of shut-eye might not be all that restorative if you’re constantly being interrupted, suggests recent Johns Hopkins Medicine findings. After just two nights of poor sleep, subjects who were woken up several times throughout the night had worse moods compared to those who slept for less time overall but weren’t interrupted.

“When your sleep is disrupted throughout the night, you don’t have the opportunity to progress through the sleep stages to get the amount of slow-wave sleep that is key to the feeling of restoration,” explains lead study author Patrick Finan, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

3. Problems controlling your emotions could lead to insomnia.

Are certain personality types more prone to insomnia than others? Maybe, according to new Swedish findings. Researchers surveyed more than 2,000 adults about their emotional regulation (like impulse control or emotional awareness) and sleep habits at the start of the study and again 6 to 18 months later.

They found that survey-takers who had gotten worse at regulating their emotions over time were 11 percent more likely to develop insomnia compared to people whose emotion regulation had stayed the same.

The takeaway? “These findings … suggest that teaching people strategies for regulating their emotions might help prevent new cases of insomnia to occur and decrease the risk of persistent insomnia,” explains lead researcher Markus Jansson-Fröjmark.

4. Nature could be the key to better sleep.

Whether it’s a tree-lined park or a serene beach, the great outdoors can help some people avoid counting sheep. In a large-scale survey of more than 255,000 people, researchers found those who reported the most nights of poor sleep were less likely to have access to natural spaces. The link was particularly strong for men and adults over 65.

People who lived near green spaces tended to be more active, and it’s well-known that exercising regularly can help you sleep better. “If there is a way for persons over 65 to spend time in nature, it would improve the quality of their sleep — and their quality of life — if they did so,” says study author Diana Grigsby-Toussaint, a University of Illinois professor of kinesiology and community health, as well as a faculty member in the University of Illinois’s Division of Nutritional Sciences.

5. You probably need fewer sleep meds.

Sometimes, your doctor might decide that taking sleep meds is the right strategy for temporarily treating your insomnia.

But new research shows you might need less medication than you think. A sleep medicine study involving 74 participants found that taking half of the standard amount of Ambien (5 mg instead of 10 mg) is effective as a maintenance dose.

“The full dose may or may not be required to get the initial effect, but certainly maintaining the effect can be done with less medication,” said the study’s senior author Michael Perlis, Ph.D., an associate professor in Penn’s department of psychiatry and director of the Penn Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program. Still, always talk to your doctor before making any changes to your medication regimen.

6. Kids sleep better with a nighttime routine.

If bedtime has turned into a battle with your little one, you might want to think about instituting a nightly routine, according to recent research from the American Academy of Sleep medicine.

In a study of more than 10,000 children under age 6, experts found that having a regular bedtime helped kids fall asleep faster, wake up less throughout the night, and sleep longer. And those who also had a consistent bedtime routine — like a bath or a story before bed — slept an hour longer each night and had fewer behavior problems during the day.

7. Napping can help you think more clearly.

A full night’s sleep isn’t the only thing that can boost your brainpower. According to a recent University of Michigan study, taking a 60-minute nap can make it easier to solve difficult, frustrating problems and make you less impulsive.

The findings, researchers say, could be especially important for people who need to recharge while working long shifts, like health care workers. Fortunately, we know that shorter naps can help those with standard 9-to-5 jobs work smarter, too.

8. Eating less at night can help you deal with sleep deprivation.

Whether your obstacle to sleep is a new baby, a tight project deadline, or a pet that wants to play all night, there will be nights when eight hours of quality sleep just isn’t achievable. In those cases, limiting the nighttime snacks can help minimize the unpleasant consequences.

Recent University of Pennsylvania research found that eating lighter at night helps stave off the lack of alertness and difficulty concentrating that tends to accompany a night of fragmented sleep.

Researchers still aren’t sure how eating less minimizes the effects of fragmented sleep. But if you know you won’t be getting much sleep, consider eating lighter fare like soup or salad for dinner.

9. Experiencing insomnia? You should address it ASAP.

Taking steps to address insomnia as soon as it starts is more effective than waiting until it turns into a chronic problem, says a recent study published in the journal Sleep. The fix is actually easier than you would expect.

When adults who had been suffering from insomnia for less than three months underwent an hour of cognitive behavioral therapy, 60 percent reported improvements within one month, and 73 percent reported improvements within three months.

10. Sleeping too much is really unhealthy.

You know that logging eight hours of snooze time is essential for your health and well-being. But sleeping for longer than that appears to increase the risk for stroke by as much as 46 percent, found a University of Cambridge study of more than 10,000 people.

“We need to understand the reasons behind the link between sleep and stroke risk. What is happening in the body that causes this link? With further research, we may find that excessive sleep proves to be an early indicator of increased stroke risk, particularly among older people,” says lead study author Kay-Tee Shaw.

If you’re consistently sleeping for more than eight hours a night, it might be worth setting an alarm to prevent oversleeping.

11. Melatonin helps you sleep better in a noisy environment.

Whether you live in a bustling city or have roommates who love staying up late, taking melatonin can help.

When Chinese researchers studied the sleep quality of 40 healthy adults who were forced to snooze while listening to recordings of loud noises, those who took melatonin supplements slept better compared to those who used earplugs or eye masks. They felt less anxious in the morning, too.

Be Healthy.