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Making the most of male libido…naturally.

It seems like every time I turn on the radio or watch TV, I’m bombarded with commercials about “Low T” and erectile dysfunction, but if you consider the statistics, it’s no surprise – it’s estimated that more than 30 million men in the US experience sexual dysfunction.

With an aging population, the number of low testosterone diagnoses has skyrocketed in recent years. This is partly due to improved testing, and fewer stigmas associated with the issue (in thanks partially to all those ads.)

Of course, a gradual decline in testosterone production is a normal part of the male aging process starting at around age 30. While it’s not uncommon for men to notice a natural decrease in sex drive as they age, a complete lack of interest should raise a red flag. Many men often overlook a serious testosterone deficiency that they mistakenly believe is just part of getting older. Continue reading →

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New research finds limiting salt intake can be dangerous.

As a whole, Americans consume far too much salt – on average 3,400 mg sodium or more daily (or about 1.5 teaspoons of salt). Our processed “fast food” diet is a major contributor – a bacon cheeseburger and large fry from McDonald’s clocks in at a whopping 1,790 mg of sodium.

But, how much is enough?

I’ve long advised my clients to limit salt intake – and for good reason. For starters, salty processed foods can pack on “false fat” or water weight, and too much sodium is especially harmful for those at risk of heart disease and stroke.

The current U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that people 14 to 50 limit salt intake to 2,300 mg daily, and for people 51 and over, African Americans, and those with hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease—1,500 mg daily. And for years, the American Heart Association has recommended that everyone stay below 1,500 mg per day to avoid heart disease and stroke risk, regardless of age or ethnicity.

Recently, a big story hit the news warning that lowering daily sodium intake below the nationally recommended 2,300 mg may do more harm than good. Continue reading →

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The real skinny on the “skinny fat” that blasts belly fat.

If you’ve read my Fat Flush books, you know I’m a big believer in the power of “good fats” for weight loss! And when it comes to losing stubborn stored fat, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a critical fatty acid from the omega-6 family, has proven to do just that.

In fact, the latest study, published in the journal Nutrition in 2012 found that among 80 overweight and obese Chinese subjects, two daily doses of CLA (1700 mg each) for 12 weeks reduced body fat by 2%.

Other landmark research in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that CLA improves muscle to fat ratio. Not only that! Study volunteers also lost an average of six pounds of fat.

“Due to its beneficial effect on body composition and inflammatory processes,” CLA “reduces body fat content, improves plasma lipid profile, [and] maintains insulin sensitivity,” which helps balance blood sugar, explain Spanish scientists.

Another recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that supplementing with CLA reduces both “total and trunk adipose mass,” contributing to weight loss and glycemic control in obese postmenopausal women with Type 2 diabetes. And Danish researchers report similar waist-trimming and body fat reduction in healthy older women. Continue reading →

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Find your motivation with five stories of losing weight and regaining health.

Throughout my 35-year nutrition career, I’ve found the most gratification in seeing my clients and readers improve their health—and consequently their lives—with positive diet and lifestyle changes.

Nearly 75% of Americans are now classified as overweight or obese. It’s a very real epidemic that has me concerned, and one of the reasons I’ve focused much of my research and writing over the last 10 years on weight loss and detox, most recently with Fat Flush for Life.

Of course, the Standard American Diet (SAD) of highly processed “fast” food is a huge part of the problem. But, in this toxic day and age, I’ve found that weight loss doesn’t just come down to “eating right” – there are a whole plethora of other issues that can be involved.

The ever-increasing presence of GMOs, pesticides, hormones, parasites, bacteria, antibiotics and chemicals in our food, water and air has resulted in a frightening rise in weight-related issues including hypothyroidism, estrogen dominance, diabetes, GI and digestive distress and food sensitivities. All of my diet programs (Fat Flush, Gut Flush, Fast Track Detox) incorporate detoxification to help reverse these hidden weight gain factors. Continue reading →

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More than 50% of us have a lack of this fat metabolizer.

It takes the right acid to create systemic alkalinity—the key to health, longevity, and weight loss.

Yes, you heard that right. I’m talking about HCl here, the only acid your body actually produces on its own that is not a byproduct of metabolic waste. It may sound counterintuitive, but although HCl is an acid, it’s the key to the proper alkaline/acid balance—which is seriously deficient in anyone beyond the age of 35. A lack of iodine, salt, B vitamins, potassium, and/or too much stress are common culprits of inadequate HCl production.

But, acid into alkaline—how could that be?

The right amount of HCl in the stomach triggers the pancreas to produce large amounts of alkalinizing bicarbonates that signal pancreatic enzymes, which can only activate in an alkaline medium. It is also absolutely necessary for the production of the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK), which helps the gallbladder to release bile for fat emulsification. Without sufficient HCl, bile production can be hampered from doing its job because if there is not enough bile produced, fat cannot be broken down. It’s as simple as that. Continue reading →

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Too much or too little can be harmful to your health.

Iron is one heavy-duty mineral.

As many of you know, iron is used to make red blood cells—the oxygen transport system of the body. Once iron is absorbed into the bloodstream, it is stored in the ferritin molecule. Unless the iron is eliminated through blood loss as in the case of menstruation, child birth, physical injury or blood donation, most of it remains in the body where it is stored.

Iron stores are known to rise with age and, for many years, were considered harmless. But a landmark study in Finland published in the journal Circulation suggested that excessive iron stores rank right behind smoking as the most prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Elevated ferritin levels may contribute to heart damage—even after a heart attack—by producing free radicals which attack cellular integrity. It now appears that menstruating women are protected from heart disease from the loss of iron-rich blood during the menses. Continue reading →

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Why 7 out of 10 women fail their diets.

It’s strange but true. Seven out of ten women fail their diets not because of a lack of willpower but because of a lack of support.

A caring support system empowers all of us to cope with the emotional, social and spiritual issues associated with foods. You see this everyday on the Biggest Loser television show.

Throughout my 35 years of research and professional observation, I have seen the power of support in action. On my own online forum (www.annlouiseforum.com), which has been in existence for almost a decade, this point was really driven home when one of my online members posted, “I would have never in my wildest imagination conceived that I could be so fed, so fortified, so supported, so connected to an online community.”

It seems that women, in particular, benefit from the support of others in achieving not only their weight loss goals but in being able to handle all aspects of life. Continue reading →

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Can a diet, detox & nutritional makeover make the case for total recovery?

From the experience I’ve gained over the last 30 years of research and writing about health and healing, I truly believe that there is an answer to every disease — we simply have to look in the right place. The body is an incredible system with an infinite capacity to heal, provided that we lessen our toxic load and provide the right nourishment and environment for regeneration to occur.

A progressively crippling autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) afflicts about 500,000 people in the U.S. and three million worldwide with rates continuing to rise.  It is an inflammatory condition that destroys the myelin, white fatty tissue that insulates the nerves, and prevents the conduction of nerve impulses. While many believe MS is unbeatable, there are inspiring stories of triumph like that of my colleague Ann Boroch, author of Healing Multiple Sclerosis, whose four-year journey of reversing MS taught her firsthand to examine the layers that the body and mind take on to create disease.

I find Ann’s experience and knowledge so compelling that I asked her to share it with all of you here on my blog–here’s what Ann has to say about healing MS and the steps you can take to turn this condition around:

Continue reading →

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The epidemic that can trigger weight gain, hinder digestion and zap energy.

Over 20 years ago, the Chief of Pathobiology at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Peter Weina, PhD, FACP, told me, “we have a tremendous parasite problem right here in the United States—it’s just not being identified.”

And that assertion couldn’t be truer today. A focus of my work since my book Guess What Came to Dinner? Parasites and Your Health came out in 1991, most people still dismiss parasites as a third-world concern. But, a study in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene found that 32% of a nationally representative sample of 2,896 people tested positive for parasitic infections, and at least 48 states have fought measurable outbreaks.

It’s time that this epidemic finally be brought into focus. Increased international travel and immigration, polluted soil and water, exotic foods from all over the world, inadequate hygiene (particularly in daycare and senior centers), as well as far-flung deployments for our armed forces all contribute to the spread of parasites. And this increased exposure just may be making us fat. Continue reading →

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I couldn’t have made it through perimenopause without natural progesterone.

If there was ever such a thing as a single natural remedy for the widest number of conditions, natural progesterone would lead the pack.  It is by far the most deficient hormone found in salivary hormone testing—whether the issue is PMS or postpartum depression—or perimenopause, menopause or beyond.

I have always wondered why progesterone levels seem to be so universally low. As I discovered in Before the Change, progesterone – not estrogen – is the first hormone to decline during the perimenopausal years (often beginning at 38 years of age and lasting until 50 in some women).  Perhaps it is the lack of precursors like zinc in the diet or not enough B-6 or too many antidepressants—all of which take their toll on healthy progesterone levels.

But whatever the reason, the signs of progesterone deficiency can’t be ignored. They include:

• The inability to lose weight
• Pain Continue reading →

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