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!

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.

Here’s a question I want you to answer. And be honest.  How often do you exercise? I don’t mean regularly getting off the couch to manually change the channel on the TV or hoisting a quarter pounder to your mouth. I mean, physical activity that makes you huff and puff and break out in a sweat.

Like most people, you probably don’t get enough exercise. And you—like everyone else—are paying for it big time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 68% of American adults—or 72% of men and 64% of women—are overweight or obese and 26 million have heart disease. The American Heart Association estimates that 74.5 million of Americans—or one in three—have high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease. And the National Institute of Health reports that 23.6 million of us have Type 2 diabetes.

What’s wrong with this picture? Many of these problems could be prevented—or our risk for them reduced—if we exercised regularly.

Exercise lowers blood pressure and our risk for heart disease and diabetes as well as colon, breast and other cancers. It helps us lose, and maintain, weight. It keeps our minds sharp and improves mood. It keeps joints and muscles flexible and strong. It may even add years to our lives.  And I mean quality years.

Skeptical?  Stanford University researchers started following runners and non-runners when they were in their 50s and older.  About two decades later, runners were less likely than non-runners to have problems doing everyday tasks like walking, dressing, getting out of a chair and grasping objects. Runners who did have difficulty developed problems about 16 years later than non-runners. Runners were also less likely to die. At the 19-year mark only 15% of runners had died compared to 34% of non-runners. The runners averaged about four hours of running each week at the start of the study; two decades later they were logging about 76 minutes per week, but they were still reaping benefits. That sounds pretty good to me.

Exercise has so much going for it that the government’s new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend being physically active most days of the week.  The guidelines recommend two-and-one-half hours of moderately intense exercise or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity per week. To get major health benefits from exercise, we should do five hours of moderate activity or two-and-one-half hours of vigorous activity weekly.

Moderate activity includes brisk walking, gardening or water aerobics. Vigorous activity includes jogging, swimming laps, jumping rope or hiking up a hill while wearing a heavy backpack.  You can spread physical activity over the course of the day, but for best results, you should exercise at least 10 minutes at a time.

Everyone should also do strengthening exercises, such as strength training, toting heavy loads, push-ups and sit-ups, at least twice per week. Weight-bearing exercise keeps bones and muscles strong. Strong bones lower our risk for osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease. And strong muscles mean we are less likely to fall or become frail.

All of this exercise may seem like a big time commitment, but think of it this way: Heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer and other health problems take time, too. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather work out than while away the hours visiting doctors; having diagnostic tests; monitoring my blood sugar; or recovering from a heart attack.  I would rather run or walk a few hours a week now than not be able to walk at all when I’m 80.

That’s why I make physical activity a priority. I have run three New York City Marathons. I have taken classes in step aerobics and spinning. I have worked with a personal trainer. These days I walk briskly for two or three miles nearly every weekday and cycle on weekends. (If it’s rainy or frigid, I walk instead.)  If we have a blizzard, I cross-country ski in the neighborhood. And because I live in New York City, I do lots of incidental walking every day—to the grocery store, the dry cleaner, the subway station (where I also climb stairs) or the post office.

Sure, there are times when I’ve skipped my workout. And I have been sidelined by a broken ankle, a torn meniscus, a herniated disc and lousy weather. But as soon as my injuries mended and the weather cleared, I got back on track. And I am better off for it.

Now it’s your turn.  It takes three to six months for something to become a habit. I promise you once exercise becomes just that, you’ll wonder how you managed without it. Ready to begin? These tips will get you started. The rest is up to you.

Get your doctor’s OK. If you are out of shape, are overweight or obese or have health issues, have your doctor sign off on your regimen and tell you what you can or can’t do.

Choose an activity you’ll enjoy. If you like it, you’re more likely to continue it.

Get the right gear. I’m not saying you should spend a fortune. But having the right shoes matters. If you don’t, your feet will hurt and you’re more likely to call it quits. Clothing that breathes and doesn’t irritate your skin will make your workout more enjoyable. If you cycle, buy bicycle shorts with cushioning. If Lycra isn’t your thing, get a cushioned liner to wear under shorts or sweats.

Go slowly. Getting out of shape takes time; so does shaping up. Each day, go a little further; each week, push a little harder. The government recommends that once you can comfortably walk 30 minutes three times a week, bump up the time you spend walking to 50 minutes. If you cycle three days a week for 25 minutes, gradually work up to six days. And stick to a schedule. Write the day and time of your workout in a calendar. If something comes up, reschedule.

Hire a personal trainer for a while. He or she can devise a training schedule for you; show you proper form—say, for strength training; and keep you on track as you build fitness.

Set goals. They’ll keep you motivated and challenged.  If you walk or jog, sign up for a race. If you bicycle, take a weekend jaunt with a local cycling group. When I was a runner, I used to run in weekend races. As a cyclist, I have taken eight bicycle trips through the French countryside.

Rethink your views about exercise. I have always thought of my walk, jog, exercise class or bicycle ride as recess for grown-ups. It’s fun and the one time I can get away from work and family pressures. It clears my mind and helps me unwind. And knowing that it may lower my risk for lots of diseases and add years to my life are big pluses.

Yours in health,

Catherine Winters
Contributing Editor
New England Health Advisory

After I lost my mother to heart failure, I was really worried about losing my dad, who was in his 80s. Except for a stint in the Philippines during World War II, a handful of overnight business trips, and trips to the hospital to have four kids, my parents had never spent any significant time apart since they were married more than 60 years ago.

What was he going to do? How was he going to cope without his lifetime companion and best friend?

I was worried because I knew the odds—most widowers die within three years of their spouse’s passing.

When a family member dies, you are at the center of a whirlwind of activity that keeps you from truly feeling the death of your loved one right away. There are so many family and friends visiting and calling.

And then you’re alone with your memories and your loss.

But a little four-legged member of the family, Max, held the secret to helping my dad cope. Dad wasn’t alone in that big house because he had Max, his miniature Schnauzer. And I am absolutely certain that Max understood what my dad was going through; Max missed my mother, too, and he waited for her return for the rest of his life.

Of course, my dad’s grieving didn’t end just because he had a dog, and to this day, he misses my mother, but Max helped my dad through this transition by giving him a reason to get up every the morning. Max had to be fed and walked, and he had to visit the groomer and see the vet.

Studies have shown that interactions between people and pets can reduce anxiety, depression and loneliness, and enhance a person’s general sense of wellbeing.

Max got my father out of the house, and every time they went outside, a neighbor stopped to talk to my dad, providing him with social interactions that he might have otherwise missed if Max weren’t there.

One study done by researchers at the University of California Davis, showed that owning a bird helped increase morale and alleviate depression and loneliness of seniors living in a skilled rehabilitation facility.

Pets are always glad to see you, even if you screwed up at work or had a bad day, and they don’t care if you are tall or short or fat or thin or smart or stupid. A pet’s love, loyalty and companionship are unconditional, so it’s pretty easy to see how they can help your emotional health.

But pets can help your physical health, too. Just petting a dog reduces your blood pressure. In addition, owning a pet lowers your cholesterol and triglyercide levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Studies show that pet owners are healthier than people who never owned a pet or people who no longer own a pet.

Some pets, like dogs, need to be walked, so that increases your opportunity to get outside and exercise. (Just take a dog for a walk repeatedly at the same time each day, and you have a fitness partner for life—neither rain, nor snow, nor dead of night will keep a dog from his expected walk.)

Several studies have shown that dog owners walk more than non-dog owners.

Because they are so darn cute, pets increase your opportunity for socialization. Everyone wants to pet the cute puppy or look at the pretty cat. Fellow pet owners, who number over 71.4 million in the United States, just love to talk about their beloved companions.

The bottom line is that pet ownership is good for you, regardless of your age.

“As research has developed from small, descriptive reports to more systemic study, there is steadily increasing evidence that companion animals provide many important physiological, psychological and relational benefits,” Dr. Froma Walsh wrote in a perceptive review in the journal Family Process (Human-Animal Bonds 1: The relational significance of companion animals).

“Companion animals, although not for everyone, can meet many core psychosocial needs and enrich our lives,” Walsh wrote. “They provide pleasure and relaxation; deep affection and steadfast loyalty; and security and consistency in our changing lives. These attachments bring joy and comfort to children and adults and contribute to healthier, happier, and even longer lives. Bonds with companion animals may not be our whole lives, but they can make our lives whole.”

It’s been four years since my mother’s death, and my dad is still going strong, taking care of himself and living his life.

Unfortunately, Max died of heart failure two years after my mother. My dad was sad to see him go and grieved his loss, but he realized that he didn’t want to wander around that big empty house by himself, so he went to a shelter and adopted a new dog he named Buddy.

Yours in Health,

Marie Rosenthal
Contributing Editor
New England Health Advisory

Most of us have struggled with trying to lose weight at one time or another. We’ve gone on fad diets and started crazy exercise programs only to give up.

The sad truth is that 90% or more of those people who lose weight when they diet or follow a weight loss plan will regain it all–and in some cases, even more–within five years.

Americans spend $37 billion a year on weight loss products. Yet, 64.5% of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese.

But there is another way. With seven simple steps, you can get set on a path to lose weight. Here’s what you’ll learn in Dr. Sears’ High-Speed Fat Loss in 7 Easy Steps program:

Step #1: Power up Your Metabolism with This Vital Nutrient … eating this one food throws a “metabolic switch” that ignites high-speed fat loss—burning your food for calories instead of storing it as body fat.

Step #2: Purge Empty “Energy Robbers” from Your Diet … foods containing these compounds increase your glycemic load, undermining your fat loss goals.

Step #3: Eat Fats Your Body Can Burn … eliminate from your diet those fats your body stores, and eat more of the fats that your body oxidizes, keeping you lean.

Step #4: Ingest Fat-Burning “Catalysts” … these are nature’s fat-loss nutrients—specific minerals that help your body metabolize fat more rapidly.

Step #5: Teach Your Body Not to Store Fat … a unique exercise program that stops your body from storing fat, helps you lose weight quickly. It doesn’t require endless hours in the gym. And anyone can do it!

Step #6: Adjust Your Metabolism to Get Lean and Mean … control your metabolism so you attain—and maintain—your ideal weight and body fat levels.

Step #7: Eat Like a King or Queen and Still Lose Weight … delicious fat-loss foods that let you lose weight while walking away from every meal satisfied and satiated.

Those are the broad strokes: The key concepts behind the seven-step weight loss system that’s been helping Dr. Sears’ patients lose fat for years.

Patients like Bill D., who says, “I have lost 13 pounds. But what’s more amazing is that I am leaner than I have been in years. My body fat went from 35% to 16%.”

And Sandy T., who tells us, “These treatments have allowed me to lose body fat and gain lean muscle mass. I now have incredible energy and a sense of well-being that I have not experienced for years.”

When your copy of Dr. Sears’ High-Speed Fat Loss in 7 Easy Steps arrives, examine it carefully. Study the workbook. Start following the food guidelines and doing the easy exercises. Keep a log of your daily activities by completing the worksheets.

If you have not lost all the pounds you wanted to shed … if you are not leaner, trimmer, and more energetic …

Or if you are not 100% satisfied with Dr. Sears’ High-Speed Fat Loss in 7 Easy Steps for any reason … or for no reason at all … 

Just return the workbook and any other materials received within 60 days for a full and prompt refund.

Get started today!

Yours for Health and Wellness,

Andrew Palmer
Publisher
New England Health Advisory

P.S. If you order now, you’ll not only receive Dr. Sears’ High-Speed Fat Loss in 7 Easy Steps, you’ll also get a Caliper set, Myotape measure, an Audio download: How to Beat Diabetes, two FREE bonus reports and worksheets for tracking weight, body fat, lean body mass, waistline, hip measurements and daily exercises.

Order now!

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.

Please click here to empower yourself against the lightning fast and deadly strike of a heart attack or stroke.

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!

By Inger Pols

In last Thursday’s issue, I discussed the importance of sleep to our health and wellness. Whether you are concerned about heart health, diabetes or healthy blood sugar levels, weight gain, healthy brain function or overall quality of life, getting a good night’s sleep is an important part of being healthy.

We all need a good night’s sleep, but it’s not uncommon to struggle with getting one. It’s estimated that one in three people will suffer from insomnia at some point in their lives. Most of us will experience short-term insomnia, which is caused by stress or a short-term disruption in sleep patterns, like travel, a sick child, noisy neighbors or excitement about an upcoming event. Long-term insomnia, which is defined as continuously broken sleep patterns lasting more than four weeks, can be a sign of clinical depression or another serious medical condition that you should discuss with your doctor.

Insomnia can manifest either through an inability to fall asleep or the inability to stay sleep through the night. Either way, normal healthy sleep patterns are altered and this has a measurable effect on health. It’s important to correct any short-term sleep disruptions as soon as possible to prevent permanent sleep pattern alterations or long-term deterioration of health.

Today I’ll look at what you can do to ensure you get the sleep your body needs to heal, repair, restore and grow.

Environment and Routine

Get in a routine. Just as bedtime routines are important for children, research shows that establishing a consistent bedtime routine can also help adults transition to sleep more smoothly. Going to bed at the same time every night and doing something relaxing before bed to help you release stress can help your body prepare for sleep.

Create a comfy space. Keep your bed and your bedroom for activities that belong there: sex and sleeping. Don’t watch TV or eat snacks in bed. Create a comfortable, soothing bedroom escape with cozy blankets, soft sheets and a comfortable mattress. If your mattress is lacking, consider a memory foam mattress topper. It’s an inexpensive way to make a less than top-notch mattress incredibly comfortable and inviting.

No TV or work. Don’t watch TV, especially violent TV crime shows or the news, before you go to sleep (in bed or anywhere else). Doing this will put your mind into an agitated state and disrupt the pineal gland, which will make it harder to fall asleep. Also put away any work at least an hour or two before bed so your mind is not still thinking about work-related challenges or trying to solve problems as you head into bed.

Listen and read. Listening to relaxing music such as nature sounds, new age or soft classical music can help, as can reading something spiritual or an uncomplicated book. (My mom is an avid reader and often tackles challenging reads, but keeps a few light romance novels by her bed and reads a chapter or two of those before sleeping because they don’t stimulate her as she is trying to wind down.)

Release stress. Journal, meditate or do deep breathing before bed; if you are holding onto any tense or anxious thoughts, sleep will be difficult. Some people also find progressive muscle relaxation therapy to be helpful. (This involves lying down and tensing each muscle group for eight seconds as you inhale and then slowly relaxing the same muscle group for eight seconds as you exhale slowly and release all tightness and tension. You can hit every muscle head to toe, or pick four major areas of face, neck/shoulder/arms, abdomen and chest, and finally buttocks, legs and feet.) Some readers have told me that they struggle with meditation because they fall asleep, but this is the perfect opportunity to use your meditation techniques to help bring about sleep.

Take a bath. Build a warm bath with Epsom salts, sea salts and/or baking soda into your routine. If you dislike baths, take a hot shower or a sauna instead. When you are wound up or stressed, get a professional massage or ask your partner to give you one to relax. Use essential oils (many have medicinal purposes and some even target insomnia) or other fragrances that calm you.

Cool down and warm up. Pay attention to room temperatures and keep yours below 70 degrees. In cooler months, consider wearing socks to bed. Feet have the poorest circulation and will feel the cold first. One study showed wearing socks to bed can reduce waking at night.

Block out light. Sleep in complete darkness and/or wear an eye mask. Sleeping in as close to total darkness as possible is important because darkness increases the production of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates the body’s sleep cycle. It’s believed to help people fall asleep more quickly and to sleep more soundly. Studies show that if you are exposed to light while sleeping, your melatonin level will not rise high enough to do its necessary work. Even a night-light can cause disruption.

No more liquids. If you wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and you struggle to return to sleep afterward, be sure to empty your bladder before bedtime and avoid liquids for 90 minutes before bedtime to reduce the likelihood of waking to urinate.

Don’t just lie there. And lastly, if you’re tried these techniques and you still struggle with falling asleep, don’t stare at the clock and stress about what time it is! Get up and out of bed and do something to relax you: read, listen to music, clean something, tackle a project and go back to bed when you feel more relaxed, tired and ready try again.

Diet, Supplements and Exercise

Try magnesium. When I experienced sleep disruptions from hormonal imbalances many years ago, I read about magnesium as a potential solution. Magnesium and calcium need to be eaten/taken together in balance and many of us are calcium heavy and magnesium deficient, which can disrupt sleep.

I bought magnesium and found it let me sleep continuously through the night. I have since recommended it to many people who have reported great success. At the time, I bought whatever I could find at the store. Now more research has been done and one doctor has achieved amazing results using a specific form of magnesium known as magnesium chloride.

Dr. W. Davis, an author and cardiologist practicing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reported that “sleep was induced rapidly, was uninterrupted, and that waking tiredness disappeared in 99% of the patients. In addition, anxiety and tension diminished during the day” after supplementation with magnesium chloride.

Identify food sensitivities. As we noted in the previous article, food additives, chemicals, artificial dyes and flavorings can affect sleep patterns. Many people have food sensitivities or allergies they are unaware of. Poor digestion, impaired liver detoxification and food sensitivities can keep you from a good night’s rest by causing gas, gastrointestinal distress, excess congestion, apnea, and other symptoms.

Eliminate food sensitivities. The most common food sensitivities that affect sleep are corn, wheat, dairy, caffeinated products and sugar. If you have never tried an elimination diet, you might consider one. These diets involve removing a questionable food from your diet for a week or two and then introducing it back in and seeing how your body reacts. Another option is to have a food allergy test. While you may not be allergic to a food, many of us are sensitive to it and never know it. If you are sensitive to corn or gluten or dairy, for example, eliminating or reducing these foods will help you sleep better; if you can’t eliminate them, try taking a digestive enzyme before meals.

Eat sleep-inducing foods. Eating a balanced diet with healthy fats, protein and fiber will help keep your digestive system balanced. Chlorophyll-rich foods like leafy greens and microalgaes like chollera and spirulina are not only healthy, they are sleep inducing. Sugars, spices and stimulants will have the opposite effect.

Don’t eat before bed. Avoid eating immediately before bed, especially grains or sugars, as they raise blood sugar, and later when it crashes, you may wake up and find it difficult to return to sleep. Because digestion takes a lot of effort, avoid eating any big heavy meals later in the evening as well. Leave at least a couple hours between your last meal and bedtime.

Avoid caffeine after noontime. Caffeine isn’t metabolized well and even an afternoon cup of coffee, tea or some chocolate can disrupt nighttime sleep patterns if you are sensitive. Alcohol can also disrupt sleep patterns as we mentioned in the prior newsletter; while it helps you relax and fall asleep, it often results in nocturnal awakenings that disrupt deep sleep cycles where healing occurs.

Avoid prescription medications where possible. Many have side effects that can disrupt sleep. Rather than treating the symptom, work with your doctor on changing the diet and lifestyle habits that can help get at the underlying cause.

Get an adrenal function test. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published a study connecting insomnia to adrenal stress. Your doctor should test your adrenal function if sleep is an unresolved concern. Similarly, hormonal balance can disrupt sleep patterns, so women in perimenopause or around menopause should get a hormone panel done to rule out imbalances as causes of sleep disruptors.

Try melatonin. I mentioned melatonin earlier as controlling sleep schedules. Melatonin, or its precursors L-trytophan or 5-htp, may be helpful as a supplement if other underlying causes are ruled out. (Tryptophan has to be combined with carbohydrates in order to reach the brain but can be consumed through things like turkey or received as a prescription from your doctor. 5-htp seems to be more effective in those who have underlying depression as well as a sleep concern.)

Get some exercise. Exercise has been shown to be one of the most effective means of combating insomnia, so if you struggle to sleep at night, be sure you get out and get active for at least 30 minutes during the day. A Stanford University study showed that after 16 weeks of moderate exercise, participants fell asleep 15 minutes earlier and slept 45 minutes longer than they had before.

I hope there are some easy changes on this list that you can make to help bring about sleep with greater ease. If you suffer from bigger sleep troubles, work with your doctor to discover the cause and the best relief. Whatever you do, don’t ignore your sleep troubles, as sleep deprivation over time will prevent your body from performing its necessary healing functions and will subtract years and quality from your life.

To your health!

Inger Pols
Editor of New England Health Advisory