New England Health Advisory

Do you have a healthy heart?

I ask myself that question all the time because heart attacks have killed the last three generations of men in my family. All died in their mid-50s when you would have thought life was just beginning.

But it’s just not my family, it’s many families. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular disease kills 950,000 Americans every year. Millions more live disabled lifestyles caused by heart conditions—tired, out of breath and fearful of the slightest chest pain.

The question is, what can we do to avoid this fate?

You often hear that you should eat well and get plenty of exercise. But what does that really mean?

What foods should you stay away from and what should you eat? What type of exercise is best for heart health?

Our contributor Dr. Al Sears concisely answers these questions in his book “The Doctor’s Heart Cure.”  He discusses how dietary cholesterol is not our enemy—it’s the starches we eat that hurt us. Dr. Sears also discusses how long, low-intensity “cardio” exercise actually breaks down the reserve strength of our hearts. Instead, Dr. Sears advocates resistance training and interval training.

Dr. Sears describes all this in great detail, including sections on diabetes and on lowering high blood pressure, since those conditions are closely related to heart problems.

Please click here to learn how to build a disease-proof heart WITHOUT drugs, crazy diets or boring gym routines.

Yours for health and wellness,

Andrew Palmer
Publisher
New England Health Advisory

P.S. Personally, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to prevent a heart attack, so I live see my grandkids. How about you? Please click here to put an end to your worry … for good!

Unless you are buying entirely organic, you have consumed a product made with genetically modified ingredients. From veggie burgers to breakfast cereal, from soymilk to sandwich bread, researchers estimate that about 80% of the processed foods on supermarket shelves today have some ingredients from genetically modified (GM or GMO) crops. GM plants grow from seeds that have been modified in some way from how they would occur in nature—often by inserting an artificial gene that will improve resistance to disease and insects or enable it to withstand high doses of herbicides meant to kill weeds in fields.

Most commonly in our diet, we find genetically modified corn, soy, beets and canola: About three-quarters of all those crops are grown from GM seed in the U.S. GM foods may not be restricted to packaged goods for long, either—the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering clearing genetically modified salmon, produced by AquaBounty Technologies, for human consumption. This is the first application for a GM animal for human consumption, and if it is approved, it is likely to bring a number of other GM animals to your supermarket. The GM salmon, which could be on the market in a year and a half if approved, produces growth hormones year round, instead of only in the summer as natural salmon do, meaning it grows twice as fast.

Even if you make a lot of food from scratch, you may still be consuming GM ingredients. I was in the supermarket the other day, shopping for baking powder and trying to decide between two brands, one of which cost about 30 cents more than the other. I looked over the list of ingredients. The more expensive one mentioned that no genetically modified cornstarch was used in their product. I chose that one.

I have been trying to avoid products made with genetically modified ingredients ever since I read a study released about a decade ago that found that pollen from genetically modified corn killed monarch butterfly larvae. In the laboratory tests done by researchers at Cornell University, monarchs fed milkweed leaves dusted with GMO pollen ate less, grew more slowly and nearly half died, while all of the monarch caterpillars fed leaves dusted with non-GMO corn pollen or leaves without corn pollen survived the study.

More recently, a study done jointly by Russia’s Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Association for Gene Security found that hamsters fed a diet of genetically modified corn eventually lost the ability to reproduce. Hamsters were chosen for the study because they reproduce quickly—over the course of two years, scientists were able to observe three generations split into four groups: one was fed no soy, another ate non-GM soy, a third consumed some GM soy, and a fourth consumed higher amounts of GM soy. By the third generation, most of the high-GM soy group could not have pups, and those pups that were born weighed less and were more likely to die young. In another weird result, many of those in the high-GM study grew hair inside their mouths.

Russian biologist Alexey V. Surov, one of the researchers in the study, told The Huffington Post that it is too soon to say that the GM soy alone was the cause of these defects. It could be contaminants in the corn, he said, or higher residues of herbicide like Roundup.

GM crops have been a flashpoint for years. People have been ingesting food with GM ingredients since the mid-1990s, and companies like Monsanto, which invent and sell GM seeds, insist that the food coming from those seeds is essentially the same and doesn’t pose any health risks. These industry representatives argue that GM crops will be critical in the future—that they can offer better nutrition and better yields than conventional crops.

Thus far, however, that has not been the case—yields are proving to be lower from GM acreage, and the vast majority of GM plantings are done in the interests of saving labor and cutting costs for the farmers. In fact, after reviewing the scientific evidence, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has concluded that traditional methods of farming are more effective in increasing crop yields and notes, “Because of the vital importance of commodity food crops to agriculture, the U.S. economy, and our food system, UCS believes that rather than attempting to impose ever more elaborate restrictions on the growing of food crops engineered for pharmaceutical and industrial purposes, it would be better to ban such applications altogether.”

While the crop yields are easily measurable, unfortunately, there haven’t been any studies tracking GMO food’s effects on humans. However, anecdotal evidence, as well as myriad animal studies, point to ill effects. Animals fed a diet rich in GM foods have exhibited everything from the aforementioned infertility to accelerated aging, more food allergies, asthma, problems with diabetes and cholesterol, and changes in liver and gastrointestinal function. Doesn’t that sound like many of the things that are becoming more common in our society overall?

A report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control shows that from 1994—just before GM foods were introduced—to 1999, food-related illnesses increased between two-fold and 10-fold. While no one can prove a direct link between this and the introduction of GMO foods, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) sees more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. “There is causation as defined by Hill’s Criteria in the areas of strength of association, consistency, specificity, biological gradient, and biological plausibility. The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies,” the organization noted in its position paper on GM food consumption.

Because of this, the AAEM recommends seeking out non-GMO foods while more extensive research is done into the effects of GM food on our bodies. Some 30 countries around the world, including all the countries of the E.U., Australia and Japan, have restricted or banned the sale of food with GM ingredients until they can be proven safe.

Avoiding GM ingredients is not easy in the U.S. Currently, manufacturers here are not required to label foods containing GM ingredients. In the E.U., if a product contains more than .9%—nine-tenths of one percent—GM ingredients, manufacturers are required to label it. A new voluntary organization, the Non-GMO Project, is providing independent testing and verification of products in the U.S.—those meeting the European threshold can choose to carry the Non-GMO project logo. Many natural foods companies, as well as Whole Foods markets, are supporting the project and having their products independently certified.

In the meantime, a federal judge recently decided to bar further planting of genetically modified sugar beets, from which roughly half of U.S. sugar is derived, until the U.S. Department of Agriculture fully explores whether the weed killer-tolerant sugar beets might harm the environment. And as the FDA considers GM salmon, it will also consider whether these fish will need to be labeled as genetically modified. Whether time shows that GM foods are safe or not, it would be nice to know when you are consuming them.

Yours in health,

Jeanne Coffey
Contributing Editor
New England Health Advisory

P.S. Click here for a compilation of research on GMOs.

Click here to read the American Academy of Environmental Medicine position paper.

As I wheeled a shopping cart through my local supermarket last week, I rounded the corner and saw a giant display that featured a photograph of crisp, blue ocean waters, clean white beach and palm trees loaded with coconuts. Piled high in the center were small bottles of coconut water and narrow glass containers of coconut oil.

I stopped and looked for a moment. As a health writer, I’m always intrigued by new foods and drinks, and what wellness benefits they may offer. And as a person whose exposure to coconut has been pretty limited, I was quite curious. As a kid, I saw coconuts used in myriad wacky ways on Gilligan’s Island. And I’ve certainly enjoyed shredded coconut on many a cake over the years. But now my interest was piqued: Can coconut contribute to good health? Come along on my coconut caravan as I find out!

Coconut Oil

I started by learning about coconut oil, which comes from the meat of the coconut and contains about 92% saturated fat. This means that when it comes to caloric content, coconut oil is very similar to other fats that people use for cooking; saturated fat-wise, it’s actually close to butter. It’s where the calories come from that may make coconut oil a bit healthier.

The calories in coconut oil are derived from fatty acids called medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs. MCTs are shorter than long-chain triglycerides, or LCTs. MCTs have a shorter chain of molecules, which allows them to be absorbed faster and easier than other fats and metabolized by the digestive system more quickly. MCTs may also have a protective effect on the heart, by raising HDL (sometimes known as “good cholesterol”).

Coconut oil devotees say that the MCTs in coconut oil can help people lose weight and manage many other health conditions and diseases, from heart disease to diabetes.

But what’s the truth?

Unfortunately, right now there isn’t substantial evidence that proves that coconut oil is healthier than other oils. MCTs may have a leg up on LCTs, but there haven’t been any large-scale studies that show that shorter MCTs ultimately lead to weight loss, better heart health or a lower risk of stroke. Some decades-old research on populations whose cuisines feature coconut oil shows low rates of heart disease, but there are too many variables to consider: People of East Asian nations or the Pacific Islands may eat more fruits and vegetables, and fewer donuts, or get more exercise, or have any number of other health behaviors that can skew the results.

But this doesn’t mean that modern-day researchers aren’t interested in learning more. For example, the August 2009 issue of Diabetes featured an animal study, “Enhancement of muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity and alterations in insulin action are lipid species-dependent: Potent tissue-specific effects of medium chain fatty acids,” which suggests that MCTs can help protect against insulin resistance, a precursor to Type 2 diabetes. In this study, mice were fed diets that contained either MCTs or LCTs; at the end of the five-week period, the mice that received the MCTs weighed less and had better glucose tolerance. The authors concluded that “ … dietary supplementation with MCFA [medium-chain fatty acids] may therefore be beneficial for preventing obesity and peripheral insulin resistance.”

This is promising and offers some proof that MCTs are beneficial and may help promote weight loss because of the way that mammalian bodies metabolize them. But it’s a long way from mice to men, and more research is needed on MCTs, as well as the role they play in foods.

If you want to add coconut oil to your diet, it’s certainly safe and easy enough to do: Simply replace the oils and fats you normally use with virgin coconut oil. Just remember that coconut oil is quite high in saturated fat, so be careful not to take in too many extra calories. At the end of the day, fat is fat. We know that olive, safflower and canola oils are healthier fats, so these are other good options for cutting calories when cooking.

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Coconut Water

Next I turned my attention to the other item in the beach-inspired product display: coconut water. Coconut water comes from young, green coconuts, and it tastes nutty and slightly sweet. It’s currently enjoying its moment in the proverbial sun, as industry giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have recently introduced their own lines of coconut waters.

Nutritionally, coconut water does boast special features and is in some ways deserving of its nickname, “Nature’s Gatorade.” It contains a good deal of potassium: almost 490 milligrams in an 8-ounce serving. (By way of comparison, a medium-sized banana contains about 450 milligrams.) An 8-ounce serving also contains 44 milligrams of sodium (salt), as well as 10 grams of carbohydrates.

When compared ounce-for-ounce to Gatorade (a longtime workout standby), coconut water has virtually the same number of calories and carbohydrates. The main differences are the amounts of potassium and sodium (Gatorade has 30 milligrams and 110 milligrams, respectively). The other big difference is price: You’ll pay roughly $2 for an 8-ounce container of coconut water, and $3 for a 32-ounce bottle of Gatorade.

If you are curious about coconut water and eager to sip a new drink after your next moderate-intensity workout, it may be worth a try. Some people love the taste and say it re-hydrates and rejuvenates them better than other sports drinks. Others say that the potassium boost is just what their muscles need after a run or trip to the gym.

Just be forewarned that if you’ve completed a hard workout that makes you very sweaty, you may need to drink a lot of coconut water to restore your electrolytes. Gatorade or similar sports drinks, with their higher sodium content that is calibrated specifically to replenish the body’s salts and minerals, may be a more effective choice. And for everyday light workouts or walks, don’t forget about plain old water! It’s free, easy to find, and calorie-free—and although it doesn’t have the cachet of coconut, it does the trick when it comes to keeping you hydrated.

Yours in health,

Eugénie Olson
Contributing Editor
New England Health Advisory

You’re going to love this. Our contributor, Dr. Al Sears, just forwarded this email to me:

“I’m 50-years-old and started taking Primal Lean about six months ago. I’ve lost a total of 75 pounds and I’m now a size 2. A SIZE 2!!! I have never been a size 2 ever, probably not even as a child. Thrilled is an understatement. It has brought my marriage back to life. I am noticed everywhere I go. I have so much energy and am so sincerely happy I cannot begin to tell you. The ability to try on anything and be happy with the way it fits and looks is amazing.

“Dr. Sears, you have given me something I could never accomplish on my own. The smallest I could ever get was a size 8, which seems huge compared to the size I am wearing now. THANK YOU!!!!”

It’s from a thank you email sent from T.P., a gym owner and personal trainer in Cortland, New York, who’s been taking Dr. Sear’s fat-burning formula.

He gets emails like this every week. Thousands have already tried it. And once they see results, no one wants to stop.

To learn more about this natural supplement that helps to reset and rebalance key systems in your body, please continuing reading.

Yours for health and wellness,

Andrew Palmer
Publisher
New England Health Advisory

P.S. Weight gain doesn’t happen overnight. It comes bit by bit based on a series of decisions: Eating an extra serving of food at dinner, stopping at a fast food restaurant, taking the elevator instead of the stairs. That said, you’re not going to lose that extra weight overnight either. The secret is to make small changes to your diet while increasing your exercise to slowly and safely lose those extra pounds. And while you’re making better nutrition and fitness decisions, Dr. Sear’s fat-burning formula could help accelerate your drop of unwanted fat.

Please click here to discover how this new safe and effective natural remedy ramps up your body’s ability to burn fat … and may just change your life.

As the incidence of Type 2 diabetes increases, more people are interested in learning about controlling blood sugar levels by changing their eating habits. To share an in-depth look at how blood sugar is affected by food, I first want to provide some background science on diabetes and blood sugar.

Diabetes 101: The Basics

The normal range for blood sugar is between 90 and 110. A person with a blood sugar reading of over 126 is said to be diabetic.

The key hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels in the body is insulin. Insulin is secreted in response to an influx of glucose into the blood stream following a meal. Type 2 diabetes develops when too much insulin is secreted because the glucose metabolism is not functioning optimally.

Insulin resistance occurs when the pancreas is required to produce more insulin to metabolize the same amount of glucose and keep the blood sugar level constant. The body’s cells are no longer able to utilize the glucose present because they are full, leading to excessive insulin and glucose in the blood stream and raising the blood sugar level.

One of the reasons diabetes is such a serious disease is the lack of early detection of insulin resistance. By the time the body has become insulin resistant and the blood sugar levels are elevated, the disease has already progressed. The blood sugar level of 126 is an arbitrary number assigned by conventional medicine to diagnose diabetes. The reality is that while blood sugar is climbing to that level, there are other warning signs that the glucose metabolism is not functioning properly and a person is on the way to becoming insulin resistant and diabetic.

These factors include: increased belly fat, sugar cravings, high triglyceride levels, low LDL levels, high blood pressure and increased inflammation. Conventional medicine using newer medication to treat diabetes now favors making the cells more insulin sensitive instead of adding insulin. Increased insulin causes you to have a raging appetite and to crave sugar. More insulin is needed to metabolize the same amount of glucose because your body is becoming insulin resistant.

The good news is that you can take charge of your health and regulate your blood sugar levels through a healthy diet and lifestyle by following the simple guidelines below. Insulin resistance can be prevented, and in some cases completely reversed, by making changes in diet and lifestyle. This is by no means a license to stop taking any of your prescribed medications, but rather to enhance your diabetes treatment and share the results of your lifestyle changes with your health care provider to see if the changes are significant enough to warrant a change in medication.

Regulating Blood Sugar Levels

The question I want to answer today is, “How does what I eat affect my blood sugar level?” Keeping a constant blood sugar level is important for everyone—people with diabetes and for those without. The more your blood sugar rises and falls, the harder your body has to work to maintain a balance. The consensus prescription for maintaining a constant blood sugar level includes regular exercise, eating small amounts of saturated fats and trans fats, and eating a high fiber diet to reduce the glycemic load on the body. So what does your body need? The three macronutrient groups the body needs to function properly are protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Protein and high-fat foods do not cause a rise in blood sugar; whereas carbohydrates do.

In order to understand the differences between carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables versus those from processed foods, it is helpful to know a little background science on carbohydrates. When consumed, carbohydrates are ultimately broken down into glucose to be used as energy for your cells and for all of the biochemical processes in your body. As you’ve probably figured out by now, not all energy is created equally.

Carbohydrates are divided into monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides are the simplest sugars. They cannot be broken down further. They include glucose and fructose. The disaccharides are carbohydrates composed of two sugars that can be broken down into their individual components, including sucrose, lactose and maltose.

The polysaccharides are long chains of monosaccharides held together with glycosidic bonds. They include cellulose and starches found in potatoes, bread, legumes and whole grains. In order for your body to break a polysaccharide down into glucose, all of the glycosidic bonds need to be broken. The longer the chain, the more bonds need to be broken and the longer it takes for the glucose to enter into the blood stream and cause a rise in blood sugar levels. The body does not digest cellulose, the fiber in a food, and it simply passes through the digestive system.

The Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

In order to identify how the body uses carbohydrates for energy, I want to introduce the concepts of the glycemic index and the glycemic load. The glycemic index was developed to show the effects of a particular food on blood sugar levels. Each food in the glycemic index (GI) is given a score from 1 to 100, with 100 being the value assigned to pure glucose. Foods are considered to be low GI if they are under 55, medium GI between 56 and 69, and high GI over 70. It’s important to keep in mind that the values assigned are laboratory-derived values and that each person’s unique genetic makeup will allow for variations in metabolism for the same foods.

The glycemic index also takes into account the amounts of fat, fiber, total carbohydrates in a food and method of food preparation. Raw carrots have a lower GI value than cooked carrots because the cooked version has less fiber. (Fiber is broken down by cooking.) Most fresh green vegetables have a very low GI value due to the high amount of fiber they contain. Fruits also fall under the low GI category even though they contain fructose mainly due to the amount of fiber contained in the specific fruits.

Whole-wheat foods and sweet potatoes fall under the medium GI group and sugary cereals, white bread and white potatoes fall under the high GI group. Just because a food has a higher GI value does not mean that it is off limits for diabetics or anyone looking to stabilize blood sugar levels. It does however mean that you will need to balance the food with lower GI choices and monitor portion sizes.

The foods with the highest GI values are the ones that will produce the greatest increase in blood sugar levels. The foods with lower GI values will have less of an effect on blood sugar levels because glucose enters the blood stream more gradually, thus allowing the body to secrete smaller amounts of insulin slowly over time and the cells to absorb what they need without becoming overloaded.

The other concept to become familiar with is the glycemic load (GL). The glycemic load takes into account not only the GI value of the food, but also the portion size of the food. As you increase the portion size the GI value of the food stays the same, however, the GL value increases. To calculate the GL value of a food you would multiple the GI value by the amount of carbohydrates in your serving and divide by 100.

You’re probably starting to think that you need to get out a calculator just to eat. I’m certainly not suggesting that, as it would surely take the pleasure out of eating. However, if you are diabetic and you have to be conscious of the total number of carbohydrates you consume, then you are probably already counting carbs in your meals. Using the GI and the GL values as a guide will allow you to estimate the fluctuations in blood sugar that a particular food will cause.

Many readers are likely looking for a definitive answer to the question of, “If I eat chocolate cake with frosting is my blood sugar going to go up to 400?” But the answer really depends on your unique reaction to each food and the combination of other foods eaten at the same time. The glycemic index and glycemic load can be useful tools to help with meal planning, but the actual change in blood sugar in response to a specific food is unique to the person. The more insulin resistant you are the more your blood sugar will fluctuate when you stray to sweets, sugary soft drinks or other refined carbohydrate foods.

The most important rule to remember when eating is to keep your blood sugar balanced. Studies have shown a greater incidence of heart attacks when blood sugar drops suddenly from high to low than when it was stabilized. Testing and trial and error will determine what works best for you because each person is unique in their ability to metabolize glucose and in their level of insulin resistance.

How to Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels

I know that this information may sound overwhelming, but it really is crucial to preventing a host of downstream problems that stem from insulin resistance and diabetes, including heart disease, chronic inflammation, kidney disease and even some cancers. You can allow your cells to recover from insulin resistance, and become more insulin sensitive, but it won’t happen overnight.

In order to keep your blood sugar at an optimal stable level:

• Eat lean protein at each meal to help control appetite and stabilize blood sugar.
• Eat a meal or snack every four hours so that your blood sugar levels don’t drop too much and cause your body to become ravenous.
• Finish eating two to three hours before bed to allow for complete digestion so that your body can dedicate sleep time to rejuvenation and repair instead of digestion.
• Don’t eat a high glycemic index food alone. Consume it with a balanced meal to balance out the overall glycemic load. You can have dessert, but do so only after eating a protein and vegetable meal.
• Control your overall glycemic load by choosing lower GI food and watching portion sizes and total carbohydrates per serving. This will allow your blood sugar to stay more stable.
• Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal. They are low GI and full of fiber and antioxidants and vitamins to help you feel full and stay healthy.
• Aim to increase your fiber intake especially in the form of soluble fiber from beans, whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies, and nuts and seeds.
• The fiber will slow the absorption of sugar into the blood stream

Whether or not you are diabetic, keeping your blood sugar level in the healthy range is important for optimal health. By incorporating these simple suggestions for low GI value foods into your diet, you can be on your way to taking control of your blood sugar levels. Think about enjoying the high GI value foods as an addition to your meal, not as the main course and you will always be able to incorporate your favorite foods into each meal.

Yours in health,

Juliette Shimkets
Contributing Editor
New England Health Advisory

You can drop weight and reduce fat without ever counting a calorie or stepping on a treadmill.

It starts with what you eat first thing in the morning.

When you eat a high-fat breakfast, it turns on your fat-burning metabolism. You’ll drop fat off your body and use up the calories you eat for the rest of the day.

But if you eat a low-fat, high-carb breakfast, your body will hold onto fat, and your appetite will increase.

Your bad cholesterol goes up, along with your triglycerides and blood sugar … which sets you up for diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

And this metabolic maladjustment occurs independent of how many calories you eat or how much you exercise.

The key is to eat your high-fat meal at breakfast, and to have a low-fat meal for dinner.

I’ve been following this research in the International Journal of Obesity. Before now, no one has looked at the timing of your meals and how it affects your weight and your health.

It’s something we should know instinctively. Nature didn’t intend for you to eat breakfast out of a cereal box.

Your ancestors thrived on foods like eggs, meat and fish. This is what gave them power, strength and vitality.

I remember staying at my grandparents’ place when I was a kid. I’d wake up to the smell of steak and eggs and race down the stairs to get my place at the table.

Your grandparents ate this way, too. It’s much better for you than what the media wants you to believe.

Today, you’re brainwashed by commercials for low-fat granola, Cheerios and Special K. You think you’re eating healthy products because they tell you it’s “high-fiber, whole oat and whole grain wheat.”

But all those low-fat carbs throw your metabolism out of whack. And eventually, your health will suffer.

To help avoid that, I recommend you eat a solid, high-fat breakfast. You’ll feel good all day with no mid-morning and mid-afternoon crash. You’ll think clearly and have plenty of energy. You won’t be as hungry, and cravings will seem to vanish. You’ll notice it’s easier to drop weight, and you’ll feel like exercising again.

Then, when it comes to dinner, take it easy. Keep your fat consumption down, and watch your total calories as well.

Give this a try for the next few weeks. See how much better you feel and how your health improves.

To get you started, here are two of my favorite breakfasts you might enjoy:

1. Fried eggs with a side of steak: Look for cage-free eggs at the grocery store. They come from antibiotic-free chickens raised in a natural, healthy environment. Fry them in organic butter.

Make sure to buy grass-fed beef. Animal fat is good for you, as long as it’s from disease-free livestock that haven’t been injected with hormones or fed antibiotics. Stores like Whole Foods carry it.

If you gravitate toward bacon, remember this is a highly processed food. So look for grass-fed and a brand that doesn’t contain nitrates. They cause cancer and changes to your DNA.

2. Cheese omelet with salmon: Look for 100% organic cheese. Get it from grass-fed cows if you can. You get none of the hormones and antibiotics and far more nutrients. Buy wild salmon instead of farm-raised. It has no dyes, less toxins like PCBs and higher levels of omega-3.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD
Contributing Editor
New England Health Advisory

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M S Bray, J-Y Tsai et al. “Time-of-day-dependent dietary fat consumption influences multiple cardiometabolic syndrome parameters in mice,” International Journal of Obesity 2010 Mar; doi:10.1038/ijo.2010.63 Original Article.

Do you find yourself exercising but not seeing results?

According to our contributor Dr. Al Sears, the type of exercise you’re doing helps determine your weight loss.

Conventional exercise, like aerobics, jogging and running, is not the best choice for weight loss. That type of exertion actually trains your body to make and store more fat.

When you exercise for long periods at a time, like most people do when they go to the gym, you push your body into its “fat burning zone.” Most fitness gurus tell you to get into your fat burning zone and stay there for as long as you can take it … but that’s a problem. You don’t want to burn fat during exercise.

Burning fat during exercise tells your body it needed the fat. This trains your body to make more fat for the next time you exercise.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t use exercise to lose fat. In fact, exercise is one of the most effective tools you can use to hit and maintain your ideal weight. Dr. Sears uses it and he recommends it to his patients.

However, if you want to burn fat and keep it off, you should exercise in short bursts of high intensity. This is the basis of Dr Sears’ PACE program.

How does it work?

It has to do with what your body uses for fuel during exercise. For the first two or three minutes of a workout you burn ATP, your body’s cellular energy source. Then you start burning carbs from muscle tissue. After about 20 minutes you switch to burning fat.

Exercising for short periods will use these carbs during exercise. Then you start to burn fat after your workout—while you replenish the carbs.

To learn more about this “after burn” please continuing reading.

Yours for health and wellness,

Andrew Palmer
Publisher
New England Health Advisory

P.S. If you are looking to lose weight, boost your lungpower and transform your body please read on to learn more about Dr. Sears’ revolutionary PACE Program.