Omega-3 fats nourish the cells of the skin, hair, nerves, brain, heart, and virtually all of the tissues and organs. You are what you eat. This overused cliché is literally true when we are talking about the type of fats we consume. The membranes of the cells throughout your body are mostly composed of lipids (fats).

Omega-3 fats were plentiful in our natural food chain. Countless generations before us ate a high omega-3 diet of wild game, leafy greens, nuts, and especially fish. Unfortunately modern food manufacturers have squeezed the omega-3s out of our diet and replaced them with harmful saturated and trans fats.

Salmon swimming in the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean are perfectly soft and supple even though their body temperature is just a few degrees above freezing because the lipids in their cell membranes are mostly omega-3 fats. These fats remain liquid even down to temperatures below the freezing point of water (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Imagine you raised these fish in a warm farm pond in Florida and fed them nothing but French fries, stick margarine, doughnuts, and other foods high in trans fats. If you then transported them to the Arctic, upon release they would be transformed to the rigid consistency of a stick of margarine floating in ice water.

The melting point of trans fats and saturated fats are much higher and thus they are solid at room temperature. When you eat a diet high in these lipids your cell membranes become stiff and dysfunctional. You may not notice the hardening as dramatically as the salmon in our story because you have the advantage of being warm-blooded. But the type of fat incorporated into your cell membranes profoundly affects your tissues, especially the electrically sensitive ones like your brain, eyes, and heart. To support healthy tissues, provide them with the preferred fats to incorporate into their cell membranes.

In Good Health,

Dr. James O’Keefe

It appears that the human genome contains only 25,000 genes, or about one third more than the lowly roundworm. Geneticists were initially surprised that something as complex as a human being could be built from such a limited blueprint. However, it is also becoming increasingly clear that gene regulation is far more important than simply the number of genes. Each gene can function in a variety of different ways depending upon how it is regulated. Perhaps the single most powerful way to regulate your genetic expression is with regular exercise.

Over half of all of your genes are modified by regular physical activity. This means when you exercise regularly you literally change your genetic makeup and favorably alter almost every aspect of your being, including your appearance, body composition, mood, memory, sleep, blood pressure, hormones, and longevity. Exercise changes your genetic function, which in turn sends chemical signals that remake you into the lean, powerful, energetic, and optimistic person you were designed to be.

Many of the cardio health problems blamed on aging are actually symptoms of deteriorating fitness and waning strength caused by idleness and apathy. Fortunately, getting back to a very physically active lifestyle will send growth and repair signals throughout your body and brain, allowing you to grow younger.

Even those of us who study physical fitness professionally have been surprised at the power of daily exercise. The fact is, it may be the single best “drug” for many health problems. It will improve cholesterol profiles by lowering the bad fats and raising the protective HDL (good cholesterol) level. Exercise will lower blood pressure and is the most effective weapon against obesity. Studies show that permanent weight loss is almost impossible without regular exercise.

With an appropriate regimen of physical activity and diet some patients with high blood pressure are able to discontinue their medications. Recent studies showed that an aerobic and strength-training exercise program, coupled with a healthy Mediterranean diet, was effective in preventing two out of three cases of diabetes.

Regular physical activity not only improves your physical strength and appearance, it also makes you feel good. A recent study tracked 174 previously sedentary men and women between the ages of sixty and seventy-five who participated in a supervised walking and stretching program. After exercising at least three times a week for six months, the participants showed significant improvements in self-esteem and reduced rates of depression. Six months after completing the program, participants who went back to a sedentary lifestyle showed deterioration in self-esteem and mood.

In Good Health,

Dr. James O’Keefe

Whey protein is a source of pure, natural dairy amino acids that make up about 20 percent of the protein in milk and is one of the highest quality proteins you can consume. It is found in the whitish translucent liquid that is separated from milk during the cheese-making process. If you use a clean and pure whey protein product, you will get the benefits of a high-quality protein rich in branched chain amino acids that will help you support a healthy body weight, promote a healthy immune system as well as keep you filled up.

Whey protein confers 7 distinct benefits that will support you in accomplishing your health goals.

1. Whey contains a high level of cysteine, an essential amino acid that stimulates the body’s antioxidant production and thus supports a healthy immune system.

2. Whey is an excellent source to help build muscle protein because it is uniquely rich in all the essential amino acids.

3. Whey increases satiety, thereby lowering your daily intake of calories and supporting a healthy life expectancy as well as promoting a healthy loss of weight.

4. When substituted for other protein sources, whey reduces the load of toxic pro-aging and potentially carcinogenic substances found in meat, fish, and poultry.

5. Whey protein may help with emotional stress because it is high in tryptophan—an amino acid that supports a healthy mood and sleep quality in some individuals.

6. Whey protein, when added to a high-carbohydrate meal, supports healthy blood sugar levels, as reported in the July 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

7. The amino acids in whey protein are the building blocks your body needs, promoting skin, hair and nail health.

In Good Health,

Dr. James O’Keefe

I have several clients that let excess weight define and limit them. One client spent her days in misery because she couldn’t do the things she’d like to do because of her weight. On a recent vacation, her family and friends golfed and walked on the beach while she sat watching. Excess weight was killing her spirit. She’s now 18 pounds down and gets a little of her life back every day. Imagine the joyous days she has ahead of her as she continues to shed 180 more pounds of extra weight.

In addition to my usual advice (pick two colors and a protein morning, noon and night), here are some tips for weight loss. Losing weight is more than just “diet.” Follow these tips and you’ll be feeling great in no time!

1. Put simply, go to bed! That’s right. You need to sleep at least 7.5 hours a night. When you get at least 7.5 hours of quality sleep every night, you reduce your cortisol levels (stress hormones), which in turn decreases hunger and cravings, making it easier to stick to your plan.
2. Cut the sugar substitutes. This means NutraSweet, Sweet and Lo and Splenda. Artificial sweeteners do nothing for you but burn on your sugar cravings, increasing your chances of metabolic syndrome, addiction and weight gain. I have one client who lost 45 pounds simply by eliminating all artificial sweeteners from her diet.
3. Use Metamucil. Regularity is fabulous, but there are even more benefits to psyllium fiber. This is a terrific weight loss tip. Before dinner, be it when you get home from work or late afternoon, stir one rounded tablespoon of Metamucil in at least 16-20 ounces of water and drink immediately. Not only is this terrific for your colon health and regularity, it will fill you up so you’ll eat less for dinner. It will also help lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.

Your life can change today. I’m excited for you and for the joy that losing weight is going to bring to your life.

In Good Health,

Joan O’Keefe, RD

For information on health supplements, see cardiotabs.com.