Lose Weight For Summer: Top Five Supplementation Tips For Optimal Body Composition

By Poliquin Editorial Staff

4/26/2012 1:39:32 PM

Lose fat fast by supplementing with nutrients that will help your body be a fat burning machine. Best body composition results will come if you strength train, are active on a regular basis, and round out smart eating with key supplementation. Although the supplements covered in this article will help anyone and everyone with body composition, you really need to focus fat loss around a training program and clean eating as well.

This article is the last part in a three part series of fat loss tips. Just as I mentioned in the previous articles, it’s very difficult to out-train a poor diet, and it’s impossible to out-supplement a poor diet if you don’t train. 
There is no magic pill that will melt fat from your body without causing serious damage to health, but you will definitely have better fat loss results by supplementing with key nutrients. Yes, there are all kinds of unique nutrients that you may want to cycle into a well-planned diet and strength training program to cut fat, but those are not the point of this article either. This article will give you my top five supplement strategies for optimal body composition and fat loss.

The Run Down on Supplementation for Fat Loss
The point of supplementation is to help you avoid deficiencies that may arise from even the best, well planned diet. Supplementation to support fat loss is based on the desire to assist the body in the following physiological mechanisms:
1)    Help the body use the fat stores you have for fuel
2)    Increase insulin sensitivity and glucose health
3)    Elevate protein synthesis
4)    Detoxify and remove toxins
5)    Support optimal hormone levels for fat loss

Tip #1: Take Omega-3 Fish Oil
If you only take one supplement, it should probably be omega-3 fish oil unless the majority of your dietary fat intake is from  omega-3 fats. Yes, you must supplement with fat to lose fat! There’s evidence that omega-3s are anabolic and will build muscle too. 

Omega-3 fats are so important because all the cells in the body are made up of a double layer of fats, and the fat that makes up those layers dictates how well your metabolism will work. If the cell layers are made up of healthy omega-3 fats, they will be more sensitive to insulin. This allows the cell receptors to bind more easily, which improves energy use and fat burning. If your cells are made up of unhealthy fat, they will not bind with insulin easily, which leads to fat gain and elevated cortisol—the stress hormone.

Studies show that supplementing with omega-3s significantly increases lean mass, while decreasing body fat at the same time. Omega-3 fish oil improves the body’s testosterone-to-cortisol ratio by lowering cortisol and it turns on the fat burning genes, while turning off the lipogenic or fat storing genes. For example, one of the reasons people lose muscle mass and have poorer brain function as they age is that the gene signaling pathways that tell the body to start protein synthesis or make connections in the brain no longer “turn on” unless certain nutrients are present. Two of the most important nutrients are omega-3 fats and high-quality protein.

Research studies into omega-3 intake are few but there is evidence that even a small dose of 1.8 grams of fish oil a day for three months can increase fat burning by 22 percent, which suggests that long-term fat loss would be significant. Other studies have shown 2  to 4 kg drops in body fat from taking 3 grams a day of fish oil for three months, which although not huge, would certainly be more dramatic if paired with exercise and a careful diet.

I typically recommend taking 1 to 1.5 grams of omega-3s per percent of body fat for quick weight loss. This means that if you have 20 percent body fat, you would take at least 20 grams of  omega-3s a day. If you want to take a conservative approach, start with 1 to 2 grams and gradually increase. Let it be said, that I have seen the most dramatic fat loss with larger doses.

Tip #2: Take a Probiotic
Take a probiotic to lose fat fast. Probiotics aid digestion and support gastrointestinal health so that the body detoxifies better. A probiotic will help you lose fat, have more energy and feel better. Probiotics are the tiny bacteria that naturally occur in the gut, but they can be easily overwhelmed by unhealthy bacteria like E. coli, chemical pollution such as heavy metals, oxidative stress, or high cortisol.

It’s very difficult to lose weight if you don’t have a healthy gut for two interrelated reasons. First, more than half of the neurotransmitters that send messages from the brain to cells and hormone receptors throughout the body are made in the gastrointestinal lining. If you have unhealthy bacteria in the gut, it will negatively influence the production of neurotransmitters, leading to poor cognitive function, low mood, and low motivation. Lack of motivation and poor energy will leave you with a lack of drive to exercise and eat well. Low mood and depression can also frustrate your fat loss goals.

The second reason gut health is essential is that it will improve digestion and help you feel better. You will feel more energetic because your neurotransmitters will be firing at optimal levels, and your metabolism will be supported so that nutrients get absorbed and used by the body in an effective manner.

Probiotics are very effective at aiding the body to detoxify because increasing the amount of good microflora in your gut will significantly increase glutathione, which is the number one internal antioxidant in the body. When you have more glutathione you will be healthier, leaner, and much more resistant to chronic disease.

Tip #3: Take BCAAs and Whey Protein
Boost protein intake throughout the day by taking branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and whey protein. Research shows that eating a large dose of high-quality protein multiple times throughout the day is associated with lower body fat percentage. For example, a recent study found that people who reached a high-quality protein “threshold” that was defined as at least 10 grams of essential amino acids (EAAs) more often during the day, had less visceral belly fat and less total fat.

High-quality protein is necessary because you get more bang for your calorie buck by eating this kind of protein since it contains more EAAs per gram of protein. Greater EAA and protein intake helps maximally stimulate protein synthesis, raise metabolic rate, and make the cells more sensitive to insulin.

For the fastest, healthiest fat loss, it’s best to approach protein intake from a number of angles. First, you should eat high-quality animal protein at meals because this will provide omega-3 fats and other nutrients like carnitine, creatine, and carnosine that support body composition and performance. Second, supplement with a protein such as whey after training and if your protein is lacking at meals. Third, take BCAAs during and after training to boost total amino acid intake and lose fat. Research shows that in a large study of 4429 people, those with higher BCAAs in their diets were leaner and had much less chance of being overweight than those with lower BCAA intake.

Tip #4 Get Enough of the Big Three: Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin D
Get enough zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D—these nutrients are extremely important for fat loss and metabolism. If you are low in any one of these three, which you probably are unless you make an effort to supplement with them, your fat loss attempts will be blunted.

Adequate vitamin D in the body will increase fat burning directly, but it also suppresses the production of enzymes that cause the body to store fat. There’s evidence that higher vitamin D suppresses hunger and increases insulin sensitivity, leading people to eat less. Magnesium also makes the cell receptors more sensitive to insulin, and this mineral has been shown to be inversely linked to body fat—higher magnesium means you’ll be leaner. But the real benefit of raising your magnesium levels is on  physical performance, sleep, and cardiovascular health.

Magnesium calms the nervous system and helps regulate heart function, which is why raising magnesium will help you sleep better. Research shows that raising daily magnesium intake to 500 mg can lead to less anxiety in subjects who suffer from insomnia, thereby allowing them to sleep better. An added benefit of less anxiety and better rest is less of the stress hormone cortisol, which hinders fat loss when elevated.

Zinc also plays a primary role in insulin health by improving the production of enzymes that protect the cells, and it helps detoxify inflammatory biomarkers that get in the way of metabolic function. Low zinc can cause numerous other health problems including poor brain function, cancer, and heart disease.

To ensure you get enough of the Big Three, it’s best to supplement with each nutrient separately for the following reasons:
•    Most people need to take 2,000 to 5,000 IUs of vitamin D a day to ensure their levels are above 30 ng/ml, which is a minimal healthy level. Some people will benefit more from a higher dose taken twice weekly. For best results, get your level tested and supplement accordingly.
•    It’s best to take a blend of different magnesium forms such as magnesium bound with fumarate, glycinate, taurate, and ororate. These forms are better metabolized and more effective in the body than cheaper forms such as magnesium oxide.
•    Depending on how low your zinc level is, you may be able to rely on a multi-vitamin for it, but those with abysmally low levels should supplement with zinc for a few months, and then get their levels tested because this is a nutrient that can build up to toxic levels.

Tip #5: Support Detoxification with B Vitamins and Methylated Folate
Support detoxification and fat burning by ensuring you have adequate B vitamins. Although there are a bunch of fat-burning nutrients I could recommend for the last tip—carnitine, taurine, alpha lipoic acid, green tea, coffee, fenugreek—none of those will be as beneficial if you don’t get enough B vitamins.

B vitamins are necessary to detoxify environmental toxins and excess hormones such as estrogen. People who eat a high protein-diet or take extra BCAAs increase their demand for B vitamins, which takes away from the pool needed for detox and may inhibit weight loss. Vitamin B6 is necessary for proper protein metabolism, the use of muscle glycogen for energy (critical for athletes), and the detoxification of hormones such as cortisol.

Additionally, a majority of the population is genetically predisposed to be unable to process folic acid or B9 effectively. If you have this genetic variation, you will need a methylated form of folic acid that can bypass the problem. Low B9 can lead to poor detoxification and high levels of homocysteine, which put you at risk for cardiovascular disease.

B6, B12, and B9 also promote the removal of estrogen down a pathway that is less likely to cause cancer. Effective removal of estrogen will help with fat loss because higher estrogen levels correlate with higher body fat. Plus, the enzyme aromatase, which turns testosterone to estrogen in the body, is higher if you have more body fat. 

Once you have the B vitamins covered, research shows that other nutrients such as green tea, magnesium, and alpha lipoic acid are that much more effective for fat loss because the building blocks for detox are in place. Start with a B complex that includes a methylated B9 for best results.

References
Loenneke, J., Wilson, J., et al. Quality of Protein Intake is Inversely Related with Abdominal Fat. Nutrition and Metabolism. 2012. 9(5).

Qin, L., Xun, P., Bujnowski, D., Daviglus, M., Van Horn, L., Stamler, J., He, K. Higher Branched-Chain amino Acid Intake is Associated with a Lower Prevalence of Being Overweight or Obese in Middle-Aged East Asian and Western Adults. The Journal of Nutrition. 2010. 141(2), 249-254.

Soares, M., Murhadi, L., et al. Mechanistic Roles of Calcium and Vitamin D in the Regulation of Body Weight. Obesity Review. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.

Prasad, Ananda. Zinc Deficiency. British Medical Journal. 2003. 326, 409-410.

Ortega, R., Rodriguez, E., et al. Poor Zinc Status is Associated with Increased Risk of Insulin Resistance in Spanish Children. British Journal of Nutrition. 2012. 107, 398-404.

Nielsen, F.H. Magnesium, Inflammation, and Obesity in Chronic Disease. Nutrition Review. 2010. 68(6), 333-340.

Andreasen, A., Larsen, N., et al. Effects of Lactobacillus Acidophilus NCFM on Insulin Sensitivity and the Systemic Inflammatory Response in Human Subjects. British Journal of Nutrition. December 2010. 104(12), 1831-1838.

Kadooka, Y., Sato, M., et al. Regulation of Abdominal Adiposity by Probiotics (Lactobacillus Gasseri SBT2055) in Adults with Obese Tendencies in a Randomized Controlled Trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010. 64, 636-643.

Noreen, E., Sass, M., Crowe, M., Pabon, V., Branauer, J., Averill, L. Effects of Supplemental Fish Oil on Resting Metabolic Rate, Body Composition, and Salivary Cortisol in Healthy Adults. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2010. 7(31).

Smith, G., Atherton, P., Reeds, D., Mohammed, B., Rankin, D., Rennie, M., Mittendorfer, B. Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Increases the Rate of Muscle Protein Synthesis in Older Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010. 93(2), 402-412.

Omega-3 fatty acid may slow tumors

UC DAVIS (US) — New research with mice uncovers a possible anti-cancer property of metabolized omega-3 fatty acids, which come from fish oil and breast milk.
Scientists found that a product resulting from a metabolized omega-3 fatty acid helps combat cancer by cutting off the supply of oxygen and nutrients that fuel tumor growth.
The metabolite is epoxy docosapentaenoic acid (EDP), an endogenous compound produced by the human body from the omega-3 fatty acid named docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is found in fish oil and breast milk.
In animal studies, the scientists found that EDP inhibits angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels in the body.
Tumors grow and spread by hijacking the normal biological process of angiogenesis, which plays a role in wound repair as well in growth and development. The researchers determined that by inhibiting angiogenesis, EDP reduces the growth and spread (metastasis) of tumors in mice. The research provides the first scientific evidence about EDP’s potent anti-cancer, anti-metastatic effects.
EDP works by a different mechanism than many current anti-cancer drugs that block angiogenesis.
“Our investigation opens up a new understanding of the pathways by which omega-3 fatty acids exert their biologic effects,” says Guodong Zhang, the lead author of the article and a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Bruce Hammock in the Department of Entomology and the University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The researchers say that future studies hopefully will determine that stabilized EDP can be safely and effectively combined with other current anti-angiogenesis drugs in the treatment of cancer.
“As far as we know, EDPs are the first signaling lipids that have been discovered to have such potent anti-cancer effects. Researchers may be able to use EDPs as structural targets to develop stable analogs as anti-cancer agents,” Zhang says.
“The study by Zhang and colleagues has uncovered a previously unrecognized anti-cancer effect of omega-3 fatty acids, which are an important lipid component of diets that have been developed to prevent heart disease and cancer,” says Jonathan R. Lindner, professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Sciences University.
“The authors have demonstrated that metabolites of these lipids can act to suppress the growth of new blood vessels that are necessary to feed tumor growth,” adds Lindner, who was not involved in the study.
“By shutting off a tumor’s blood supply, these compounds can act to dramatically slow tumor growth and prevent spread. The results from this study suggest that new drug strategies for fighting cancer could emerge from knowledge of how the body uses nutrition to promote health.”
The EDPs are broken down in the body by the enzyme soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). In previous research, Hammock’s lab showed that inhibitors of the sEHI enzyme (sEHIs) help to normalize physiological activity.
In the current study, the researchers determined that the addition of sEHI stabilized EDP in circulating blood thereby producing EDPs’ anti-tumor effects. The FDA-approved anti-cancer drugs sorafenib and regorafenib are also potent sEHIs.
“It may be possible to improve the efficacy of these anti-cancer drugs by combining them with a diet high in omega-3 and low in omega-6 fatty acids,” Hammock says.
The researchers also found that a metabolite of arachidonic acid (ARA), an omega-6 fatty acid, has the opposite effect of EDP. The ARA metabolite, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), slightly increases angiogenesis and tumor progression in mice.
“There is no free lunch,” says Katherine W. Ferrara, professor in the UC Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering. “The EETs encourage wound healing, while the EDPs block the growth and metastasis of solid tumors.
“Our results designate EDPs and EETs as unique mediators of an angiogenic switch to regulate tumorigenesis,” Ferrara says. “They also implicate a novel mechanistic linkage between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and cancers.”
Scientists determined that EDP starves tumors by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2)-induced angiogenesis in mice. In laboratory cultures, EDP also suppresses the endothelial cell migration needed for new blood vessels.
Thus, EDP-based angiogenesis inhibitors offer an advantage over angiogenesis inhibitors that target the VEGF-VEGFR2 pathway. The drugs that target the VEGF-VEFGFR2 pathway increase patients’ risk for high blood pressure.
Because EDPs widen the blood vessels, a medication based on the researchers’ discovery should not increase the patient’s risk for high blood pressure.
Harvard University researchers Mark Kieran and Dipak Panigrahy conducted the metastasis studies. The in vivo imaging work that allowed the scientists to monitor tumors in living mice was done in Ferrara’s lab at UC Davis.
Additional researchers from UC Davis and the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center in Sacramento, California, also contributed to the research.
Source: University of California, Davis

Is Estrogen Dominance Making You Fat?

by Poliquin™ Editorial Staff

11/28/2012 2:12:48 PM

Estrogen dominance occurs when you have too much estrogen in the body or an imbalance between estrogen and other hormones. Estrogen dominance is a much greater problem than most people realize: It negatively affects men, women, and children, and it could be that one thing that is keeping you from losing weight or getting all that you could out or your workouts!

Beyond our vanity, estrogen dominance significantly increases cancer risk, alters brain transmitters, causes infertility, and can affect mood, making you depressed or irritable. That’s not to say that some estrogen isn’t necessary for both genders—it is!

The right amount of estrogen at the right time is of course responsible for proper female reproduction and is necessary for a healthy pregnancy. In women, it also regulates mood and arterial function, is necessary for bone building, and is even thought to enable women to recover faster from intense exercise.

In men, some estrogen is necessary for optimal sperm health, however, too much compromises male fertility, which is the main point. Also, optimal memory in males is dependent to some basic level of estrogens.

Too much estrogen—Very Bad! Optimal estrogen in balance with the entire hormonal cascade—Perfect!

There are two simple ways to think about estrogen dominance:

1)    Chemical estrogens, called xenoestrogens, are EVERYWHERE and contribute to estrogen dominance. They mimic estrogen, binding to hormone receptors when they enter the body. It is nearly impossible to avoid them, and they are a principal cause of estrogen dominance in men, women, and children.

The most ever-present xenoestrogens include BPA, phthalates, and parabens. Phthalates are found in chemical fragrances such as perfume, air sprays, and candles, whereas parabens are in personal care products like lotion. BPA is found in everything from aluminum cans to new furniture. All three of these chemicals act like estrogen in the body and have caused cancer in animals. In humans, ill health effects of high chemical estrogen levels include heart problems, behavioral issues, and obesity.

For example, a series of studies have linked urinary BPA levels to body fat in all ages—the more BPA people had in their bodies, the fatter they were. People with the most BPA in their urine had a 34 percent chance of being obese compared to only a 23 percent chance in people who had the least urinary BPA. And it’s easy to ingest BPA—simply eating canned soup for dinner for five days was shown to increase BPA levels by 1,223 percent!

2)    Endogenous estrogen is the kind produced within the body. Hormonal balance is a complicated process, but you may have too much internally produced estrogen for a number of reasons including the following:

•    You are overweight. Regardless of gender, fat tissue increases levels of an enzyme called aromatase that turns testosterone to estrogen.

•    You are deficient in certain nutrients (magnesium, vitamin D, selenium, zinc). Nutrient deficiencies elevate aromatase significantly. For example, men with vitamin D deficiency have low testosterone and elevated estrogen due to increased aromatization.

•    You drink alcohol regularly. Alcohol, especially beer, increases aromatase and it’s been repeatedly linked to low testosterone and high estrogen in men.

•    You take birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. Both can elevate estrogen or cause an imbalance between estrogen and other hormones.

•    Your body isn’t metabolizing estrogen effectively due to poor gastrointestinal health, lack of certain nutrients, or low fiber intake. Inability to eliminate estrogen quickly will dramatically increase breast and prostate cancer risk.

To treat estrogen dominance you need to focus on two key areas:

1)    Avoid exposure to chemical estrogens.

Even though chemical estrogens are everywhere, you do have some control over your exposure. Now is the time to use that control. Start by only using natural products in the following areas: personal care products like lotion, sunscreen, hair products, soap, cosmetics, perfume; cleaning products (all); air fragrances, including candles, sprays, plug-ins, incense; house paint (stains, solvents, carpet cleaner). Go to the Environmental Working Group web site for information on safe products.

Opt for glass or stainless steel to carry food or water—don’t use plastic unless it’s BPA free. Never heat plastic even if it is BPA free because there are additional hormone-disrupting compounds in plastic other than BPA, that leach out under high temperatures.

Stop buying aluminum cans unless you know they are BPA free. It’s true that eliminating canned goods makes food preparation take longer but it’s worth it to avoid getting fat or having cancer. Cook dried beans, make your own soup (Campbell’s uses BPA-free cans), use frozen (or fresh!) for veggies and fruits, and stew your own tomato sauce (or buy in glass). Some more forward thinking countries like Canada and Norway are presently developing federal laws to ban BPA completely from their canning industries.

Use cloth bags when shopping. Avoid taking receipts and be aware the most recycled paper contains BPA.

Eat organic produce, meats, and dairy to avoid ingesting estrogenic pesticides and growth hormones.

Be aware that most new products (cars, furniture, exercise equipment, yoga mats) contain BPA and other estrogen mimickers. This is harder to avoid, but consider buying antique wood furniture, and air out new cars as much as possible. Here your best bet is to focus on estrogen elimination…

2)    Support the elimination of estrogen (both endogenous and chemical) with diet and supplementation.

Estrogen elimination is a complicated process but a highly simplified version is as follows: Estrogen is first metabolized by the liver. Then it’s sent down one of three pathways, one of which is favorable, one is unfavorable, and one is highly toxic and can cause cancer. Then, if you have a healthy gut and adequate fiber, it will be eliminated. The best way to support the elimination process is with the right diet and supplementation:

Eat a low-carb, high-protein diet because excess insulin in the blood stream results in the elevation of free estrogen levels. Managing insulin with a low-carb, high-protein diet will also support body composition. Protein also provides amino acids that support liver function and detoxification.

Eat lots of healthy omega-3 fats. The omega-3 fats EPA and DHA that are found in wild or organic meat, dairy, and fish promote estrogen metabolism down the most favorable of the three pathways (called the 2-hydroxyestrone pathway). Flaxseeds, which are high in the omega-3 fat ALA, block aromatase and provide fiber that helps keep estrogen bound and unreactive on its way out of the body.

Eat certain nutrients that promote the favorable elimination, including kudzu, alfalfa, leafy greens, clover, licorice, legumes, sesame seeds, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower).

Supplement with selenium, melatonin, zinc, green tea, citrus flavonones (called limonene and found in citrus rinds), folic acid, and B6 and B12.

Perhaps the most beneficial supplement is TNT which is a high fibre supplement that contains a balance of 18 different sources of fibre plus an array of 12 vitamins, 11 minerals and antioxidants in a great tasting orange flavoured drink mix.  Also available in money saving Four Packs.

TNT can be taken alone or alongside other estrogen detox products.
Another excellent supplement choice would be Defence Maintenance.  This is the Key System product for the immune system, and this unique formula provides generous levels of antioxidant  vitamins A, C and E along with Zinc, Selenium, many antioxidants, beneficial cruciferous vegetable powders and extra vitamins and minerals, including turmeric root which contains the super antioxidant curcumin, which is also highly beneficial for health and decreasing inflammation.

Avoid soy, which can mimic estrogen in the body as well. Eating large amounts of processed or non-organic, genetically modified soy has been linked to increased cancer risk.

Get AT LEAST 25 grams of fiber a day. Get MORE if you eat a high-protein diet. Consider taking a high-quality fiber blend (like TNT or LOCLO) and rotating the form of fiber you take because the body will quickly adapt to fiber, making it less effective.


Take magnesium and vitamin D. These are mentioned separately from the other suggested supplements because they are SO IMPORTANT and deficiency in them is so widespread. Consider taking 5,000 IUs of vitamin D daily and 500 mg of magnesium.

For a much more in depth look at how to treat estrogen dominance, read Ten Ways To Lower Estrogen Toxic Load

Two "Forbidden Foods" That Can Give You Instant Energy

By Dr. Mercola

Does your health food repertoire consist of salads, baked chicken and broccoli? Are you looking for a way to add some excitement to your meals while maximizing their nutritional punch?
There's absolutely no need to be bored when eating healthy, but many believe this to be the case because they are missing out on some of the tastiest and healthiest options of all.
I encourage you to peruse the list below to take advantage of some of the healthiest foods on earth. Before we can talk about the best foods, we need to perform some nutrition "mythbusting" and address two major dietary myths that have permeated Western culture for decades:

1. Fat is bad for you—especially saturated fat
2. All microorganisms are dangerous

Myth #1: Fat is BAD for You

Conventional medical "wisdom" continues barking that consumption of saturated animal fats is bad for you and causes heart disease. Most medical "experts" believes this to be true. But a hundred years ago, fewer than one in one hundred Americans were obese, and coronary heart disease was unknown and we had FAR more fat intake then we do today.
The demonization of saturated fat began in 1953, when Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper comparing saturated fat intake and heart disease mortality. His theory turned out to be flimsy, to say the least, but the misguided ousting of saturated fat has continued ever since. Fortunately, the truth is finally starting to come out, as medical scientists have finally begun to question Keys' findings. The truth is, it's the trans fat found in margarine, vegetable shortening, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils that is the true villain, causing a multitude of health problems.
Coconut oil also fell into the "bad for your heart health" as a result of the saturated fat disparagement. This is most unfortunate as it is one of the healthiest fats on the planet. It is mostly medium chain triglycerides with over half of those belonging to lauric acid, which is an essential fat to regulate your immune system, and is also very prevalent in breast milk. It can curb hunger and help provide lasting energy.
I personally consume about one quart of coconut oil a week. It is the ideal fat to use when you are using intermittent fasting and seeking to replace calories from grains and sugar, and excessive protein. 

Myth #2: When It Comes to Bacteria, Be Afraid... Be Very Afraid

We have become one of the most germophobic cultures in the world, attempting to sterilize ourselves into a bubble—and our children as well. We haven't done ourselves any favors here. We live in a world of microorganisms... bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and our lives depend on living with them, rather than avoiding them. Literally.
Microorganisms are everywhere. You swallow them, breathe them, and they form invisible colonies on your skin. Your gut is home to approximately 100 trillion bacteria, both good and bad. These bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by about 10 to one, and maintaining the ideal balance of healthy and disease causing microflora forms the foundation for your health—physical, mental and emotional.

In fact, this microscopic zoo in your gut is the first-line defense of your immune system. While a few of these microorganisms can wreak havoc with your system, most of these little "bugs" are good, helping you digest your food, stay protected from infections, and even helping to prevent autoimmune diseases like asthma, allergies, and diabetes. An imbalance in your gut flora can be a major contributor to many serious illnesses, including autism, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
Your body's microbial community is so crucial to your health that researchers have compared it to "a newly recognized organ" whose function is so important that you simply cannot be optimally healthy without it. In addition to avoiding unnecessary antibiotics and antibacterial soaps, balancing your gut flora may be one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health. This requires "reseeding" your gut with naturally fermented foods and probiotics.

Are You Eating These 10 Healthiest Foods?

So, having dispelled two pervasive food myths, let me now focus on ten of the most healthful foods you could be consuming. Remember these are general recommendations. Not everyone will do well with these foods, but the vast majority will have health improvement by regularly consuming them. As always, it is important to listen to your body and let it guide you in making that determination. With some foods though, like fermented vegetables, you will need to start with very small amounts and work your way up to a healthy dose over a few months.
1. Fermented Vegetables
Fermented, or cultured, vegetables are teeming with essential enzymes and good bacteria needed for optimal digestion and they are easier to digest than raw or cooked vegetables. When you eat raw cultured vegetables loaded with enzymes, you give your body an opportunity to use its bodily stores of enzymes to rejuvenate itself instead of exhausting them trying to digest overly processed and otherwise dead food. Cultured foods also offer a multitude of medicinal rewards by:

• Alleviating digestive disorders - the flora in living cultured foods form a "living shield" that covers your small intestine's inner lining and resists pathogenic organisms like Escherichia coli, Salmonella and an unhealthy overgrowth of yeast
• Strengthening immunity with increased antibodies that fight off infectious disease
• Helping pregnant and nursing mothers transfer beneficial bacteria to their infants
• Effectively impacting the behavior of children with autism,ADD/ and ADHD
• Regulating weight and appetite by reducing cravings for sugar, soft drinks, bread and pasta -- all foods I strongly advise against

Fermented foods are also among some of the best chelators available. The beneficial bacteria in these foods are very potent detoxifiers, capable of drawing out a wide range of environmental toxins, including pesticides and and heavy metals. And you don't need to consume huge amounts either. Caroline Barringer recommends eating about a quarter to a half a cup of fermented vegetables, or cultured food such as raw yoghurt, per day. In the following video, she discusses the process of fermenting your own vegetables in some detail, so for more information, please listen to that interview.

Download Interview Transcript
2. Kale
Kale contains fiber and antioxidants, and is one of the best sources of vitamin A, which promotes eye and skin health and may help strengthen your immune system. A one-cup serving has almost as much vitamin C as an orange and as much calcium as a cup of milk. It's simply an excellent source of multiple vitamins and other nutrients, including:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Lutein (helps protect against macular degeneration)
• Zeaxanthin (helps protect against macular degeneration)
• Indole-3-carbinol (may protect against colon cancer)
• Iron
• Chlorophyll

Carotenoid Blend contains 80% of the E.C. RDA of vitamin A as beta-carotene (4,000 IU), as well as other carotenoids including lutein, and zeaxanthin, as well as lycopene, cryptoxanthin, phytoene, phytofluene and astaxanthin.

3. Kefir and Other Fermented Beverages
Kefir is a fermented milk beverage that contains beneficial probiotics that may help give your immune system a boost, among other health benefits. One of the best and least expensive ways to get healthy bacteria through your diet is actually to obtain raw milk and convert it to kefir yourself. All you need is one-half packet of kefir starter granules in a quart of raw milk, which you leave at room temperature overnight. By the time you wake up in the morning you will likely have kefir. If it hasn't obtained the consistency of yogurt you might want to set it out a bit longer and then store it in the fridge.
A quart of kefir has far more active bacteria than you can possibly purchase in any probiotic supplement, and it is very economical as you can reuse the kefir from the original quart of milk about 10 times before you need to start a new culture pack. Just one starter package of kefir granules can convert about 50 gallons of milk to kefir. This is also a far healthier, and far more economical, way to nourish your body with probiotics than buying any of the commercial probiotic beverages on the market, as these typically contain added sugars and are made using pasteurized milk, which I don't recommend drinking.
Kombucha, a fermented drink, is another great addition to your diet. The key is variety. The greater the variety of fermented and cultured foods you include in your diet, the better, as each food will inoculate your gut with a variety of different beneficial microorganisms.
4. Sardines
These tiny fish are packed with omega-3 fats, which are excellent for your heart, brain, mood and more, and vitamin D. And, because of their lower position on the food chain, they don't accumulate as many toxins, such as mercury, PCBs and dioxin, as larger fish do, making them among the safest fish you can eat.
Super Omega-3 is one of the most well-known supplements. Our pharmaceutical grade manufacturing process guarantees that only the finest, purest oils, sourced from the flesh of cold-water fish, are used in Super Omega-3


5. Whey Protein Concentrate
Whey protein, a by-product of cheese production, was promoted for its health benefits as early as 420 B.C. As you age, your body gradually loses its ability to produce critical amino acids -- the essential proteins you need for energy production, immune actions and protein buildup in your muscle. Therefore, the need to supplement with these amino acids increases with age, and increases even more in times of high physical stress, like after a workout, or when recovering from injury or illness.
Whey protein concentrate (not to be confused with the far inferior whey protein isolate) is an ideal choice as it's a rich source of highly bioavailable amino acids that many are unaware of. Whey protein has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including:
Helping your insulin work more effectively, which helps maintain your blood sugar level after a meal -- This is important as research suggests lowering your blood sugar levels after meals may be more beneficial for your health than lowering fasting blood sugars.Promoting healthy insulin secretion, which is essential for optimal health. This is one of the foremost reasons for avoiding sugars and grains, as their overconsumption has a negative impact on both, and is a prime factor in developing type 2 diabetes.Helping to promote your optimal intake of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals needed for your overall wellness.Helping you preserve lean body tissue (particularly during exercise) as it delivers bioavailable amino acids and cysteine.Supporting your immune system, as it contains immunoglobulins.Maintaining blood pressure levels that are already within the normal range.
6. Organic Pastured Eggs (Raw)
While many people do eat eggs, many neglect to eat them raw, which is the healthiest way. Raw free-range or "pastured" eggs are an excellent source of high-quality nutrients that many people are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat.
A single egg contains:

• Nine essential amino acids
• One of the highest quality proteins you can find. Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of your body tissues such as your skin, internal organs and muscles. They are also the major components of your immune system and hormones
• Lutein and zeaxanthin (for your eyes)
• Choline for your brain, nervous- and cardiovascular systems
• Naturally occurring B12

Why is raw better? Heating the egg protein actually changes its natural biochemical shape, and this distortion can easily lead to allergies. If you consume your eggs in their raw state, the incidence of egg allergy virtually disappears. Eating eggs raw also helps preserve many of the highly perishable nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which are powerful prevention elements for age-related macular degeneration, which is the most common cause of blindness.
Fresh raw egg yolk actually tastes like vanilla, in my opinion. The egg white is usually what most people object to when they say they don't like the texture of raw egg. If this is an issue, consider blending the whole raw egg into a shake or smoothie.
Beware of consuming raw egg whites without the yolks as raw egg whites contain avidin, which can bind to biotin. If you cook the egg white the avidin is not an issue. Likewise, if you consume the whole raw egg (both yolk and egg white) there is more than enough biotin in the yolk to compensate for the avidin binding.
If you choose not to eat your eggs raw, soft-boiled would be your next best option. Scrambling your eggs is one of the worst ways to eat eggs as it actually oxidizes the cholesterol in the egg yolk. If you have high cholesterol this may actually be a problem for you as the oxidized cholesterol may cause some damage in your body.
7. Organic Coconut Oil
Often shunned for its high saturated fat content, the naturally occurring saturated fat found in coconut oil has some spectacular health benefits such as promoting heart health, weight loss, immune system health, thyroid function and more. Half of the fat content in coconut oil is lauric acid—a fat rarely found in nature—that could easily qualify as a "miracle" ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.
And, because your body sends medium-chain fatty acids like those in coconut oil directly to your liver to use as energy, this makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates.
Coconut oil is also the ideal choice for all types of cooking. In fact, it's the only oil stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage. So, whenever you need an oil to cook or bake with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes.Even though I don't fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil -- it's your smartest choice.
8. Avocado
Also shunned by many due to their fat content, avocados are actually incredibly healthy for this very reason. Healthy raw fat is a nutrient many are severely deficient in. I eat a whole avocado nearly every day. Avocados also provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including:

• Fiber
• Potassium (more than twice the amount found in a banana)
• Vitamin E
• B-vitamins
• Folic acid

9. Raw Grass-Fed Butter
Another type of healthy fat that many people do not eat is butter made from raw organic grass-fed milk. I typically eat about a half-pound to a pound of raw organic grass-fed butter per week, as it's an excellent source of high-quality nutrients, including:
Vitamins, such as vitamin A, needed for a wide range of functions, from maintaining good vision to keeping the endocrine system in top shape, and all the other fat-soluble vitamins (D, E and K2), which are often lacking in the modern industrial diet. Trace minerals, including manganese, chromium, zinc, copper and selenium (a powerful antioxidant). Butter provides more selenium per gram than wheat germ or herring. It's also an excellent source of iodine. Healthful fats, including short- and medium-chain fats, which support immune function, boost metabolism and have anti-microbial properties, as well as the perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, and arachidonic acid, which is important for brain function, skin health and prostaglandin balance. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a compound that gives excellent protection against cancer and also helps your body build muscle rather than store fat. Glycospingolipids, a special category of fatty acids that protect against gastrointestinal infections, especially in the very young and the elderly. Wulzen Factor, a hormone-like substance that prevents arthritis and joint stiffness, ensuring that calcium in your body is put into your bones rather than your joints and other tissues. The Wulzen factor is present only in raw butter and cream; it is destroyed by pasteurization.
10. Pomegranate
The primary source of this fruit's benefits is its antioxidant content, particularly ellagitannin compounds like punicalagins and punicalins, which account for about half of the pomegranate's antioxidant ability. The juice and pulp of pomegranates have previously been studied for their potential heart- and joint health benefits.
Aim to incorporate as many of these foods into your diet on a daily or weekly basis as you can, and you'll be off to a great nutritional start. For even more advice on how to eat right by focusing your diet on whole, unprocessed "superfoods," see my nutrition plan.
Zambroza is a unique and powerful blend of juices that are naturally rich in vitamin C - a powerful antioxidant.  Not only will you feel revitalised but these antioxidants have a powerful effect on the health of the skin helping you to look great too. This is Nature’s Sunshine’s top selling product worldwide – a great tasting, synergistic blend of that helps to increase vital energy and replenish the body.
Nature’s Sunshine has harvested the most healthful fruits and natural extracts from around the world and combined them into this unique delicious, nutritious juice that has been specially formulated to neutralise excess free radicals.
This unique juice blend not only tastes great but gives your body what it needs to enjoy maximum health and long lasting vitality - not only will you feel revitalised but these antioxidants have a powerful effect on the health of the skin helping you to look great too.
Potency of antioxidants is measured by their ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity), which indicates their ability to neutralise and scavenge free radicals.  When tested by Brunswick Laboratories the results were astounding with Zambroza’s scoring more than twice that of the nearest competitor, demonstrating its superior protective properties.
Rich in Polyphenols and Flavonoids Zambroza is proven to give unparalleled antioxidant protection.

Omega-3s may help prevent the number of people with Alzheimer increasing by three time by 2050

The number of people with Alzheimer's disease dementia will increase dramatically in the next 40 years unless preventive measures are developed, a recent study published in Neurology, the official Journal of the American Academy of Neurology, has predicted.

Based on a census taken in 2010, Rush University Medical Center estimated that in 2010, there were 4.7 million individuals aged 65 years or older with Alzheimer's, with the greatest proportion of these being 75 and 84 years olds.  Given the increase life expectancy of people with on-going medical advances, it is projected that the total number of people with Alzheimer's dementia in 2050 will be 13.8 million, with 7.0 million aged 85 years or older, and with it a massive increase in the huge burden it places on people
with the disease, their caregivers, and society.

As I have discussed previously, an earlier study in the same journal found that there is a close relationship between Omega-3fats, blood saturation levels of amyloid proteins and risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers studied 1,219 people that were over the age of 65 and free of dementia. The participants provided information regarding their diet for an average of 1.2 years before their blood was tested for beta-amyloid. The scientists specifically monitored ten nutrients including saturated fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, mono-unsaturated fatty acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin B12, folate, and vitamin D.

The study determined that higher levels of omega-3 fats consumed by eating fish, chicken, nuts, and seeds directly correlated to lower blood beta-amyloid levels. Researchers found that consuming one gram of omega-3 per day (equal to approximately half a fillet of salmon per week) was associated with 20 to 30 percent lower blood beta-amyloid levels. Researchers found that most people do not eat enough omega-3 enriched foods to adequately raise blood levels of the essential fat.

The lead study author, Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas concluded "The more omega-3s one eats, the less the beta amyloid levels are... we were able to relate something that we eat with a very specific mechanism in the body that is very strongly related to Alzheimer's."  This study did not account for intake of the pre-formed omega-3 fats supplied through fish oil supplements, known to dramatically boost blood saturation of the long-chain fats. Nutrition experts suggest several servings of fish, chicken, nuts, and seeds each week (or supplementing with 1,200 to 2,400 mg EPA/DHA daily) to significantly lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.


Nature’s Sunshine’s Quality Assurance team extensively test all raw materials that go into making its supplements, so you can be sure you’re getting the purest source of Omega-3 available.
Nature’s Sunshine will not compromise on the quality of products, which is why Nature’s Sunshine’s Omega 3 EPA supplement is high in essential fatty acids and guaranteed to be pure.


References:

Hebert et al, Alzheimer disease in the United States (2010–2050) estimated using the 2010 census. Neurology. Published ahead of Print, February 6, 2013. http://www.neurology.org/content/early/2013/02/06/WNL.0b013e31828726f5

Y. Gu, N. Schupf, S.A. Cosentino, J.A. Luchsinger, and N. Scarmeas. Nutrient intake and plasma β-amyloid. Neurology, 2012 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318258f7c2

Omega-3 fats from diet lowers risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, http://swfitness.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/omega-3-fats-from-diet-lowers-risk-of.html

Fat Loss Supplement Guide

by John Berardi, Ph.D.

Choosing nutritional supplements can be tough. There’s so much information available, and much of it is published by people who are biased in one direction or another. That’s why we have 3 PhDs on staff — to make sense of the mountains of supplement information available, legitimate or otherwise.

We translate high quality research into simple recommendations our clients can use to lose body fat. So when it comes to supplements, we’ve reduced years of research into 4 simple supplement recommendations that you can use right away.
The following 4 supplements are the ones we recommend specifically to our fat loss clients.
These products can reliably help in a fat loss program, while still being safe to use regularly.

1. Fish Oil

You may have heard a lot about Omega-3’s. And fish oil is the key source. There’s a ton of very positive research on fish oil supplementation, it’s been shown to be great for fat loss, and it’s your fish oil.

Choose the right product

Not all omega 3-rich foods are created equal. So, even though flax seeds and flax seed oils are high in omega 3 fats, you can’t substitute these foods in place of fish oils. Further, not all fish oils are the same.
For example, liver oils (like cod liver oil) aren’t the kind you should be using. No, to get the benefits we discuss above, you’ll want to choose omega 3 rich fish oils from the brands recommended below.

Choose the right dose

Our clients start out by using 1 gram of fish oil per percent body fat they have. So, if they’re 10% body fat, they use 10 grams of fish oil. If they’re 20% body fat, they use 20 grams of fish oil.
And so on, up to a maximum dose of 30 grams per day. We follow this protocol for 14 days.
Then, we cut the dose in half. So, if a client starts out taking 10 grams for 2 weeks, they cut the dose down to 5 grams after that. If they start out taking 20 grams for 2 weeks, they cut the dose down to 10 grams after that. This latter dose (1/2 gram per percent body fat) can be followed indefinitely.

2. Multivitamins

As you’ve probably heard, the modern diet often leads to small deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals. These deficiencies can slow your metabolism and impair your ability to burn fat – among other things. And a good multivitamin can help fix that. Here are a few tips for choosing a good one for you.

Choose the right product

Like with most supplements on the market, choosing a multi-vitamin can be confusing. So many companies, so many products; it can be overwhelming. So, to keep it simple, here’s our advice.

Choose the right dose

It’s important not to overdose on vitamins as some of them (particularly the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K) can build up to toxic levels. That’s why you should stick with the recommendations on the label of the brand you choose.

3. Protein Powder

Protein powder’s not entirely necessary if you get enough protein from the foods you eat, like lean meats, chicken and fish. But since most people are crunched for time, they find themselves eating too little protein. That’s why adding some quick high-quality protein can be really, really helpful. So here are some tips for getting the most out of your protein supplementation.

Choose the right product

Protein powder has come a long way since the early days of chalky whey protein. Nowadays, protein powders are extracted from all types of food sources – dairy, eggs, soy, and a host of plant sources like hemp, pea kernels, certain seeds and more. Plus, many of these options actually taste good. So, whether you’re lactose intolerant, allergic to milk, or choose to follow a plant-based diet, you can pick the right product for your unique needs. The key, however, is to choose simple products, without too many additional ingredients.

Choose the right dose

As mentioned above, protein powders aren’t necessary as we can meet our daily protein powders from whole food sources. However, for those of us crunched for time, protein supplements cam come in handy.

The key is to not replace too much of those whole food sources with powders. That’s why we ask our clients to limit their protein powder to a maximum of 4 scoops (about 80 grams) per day.

4. Greens

If you get enough veggies, a greens supplement might not be entirely necessary. But most people simply don’t eat enough vegetables, and are missing out on the micronutrients they contain — many of which help you lose fat either directly or indirectly. And a greens supplement can come in handy here.

Choose the right product

Greens has been shown (in a handful of studies) to increase the antioxidant status of the body, improve pH, lower stress hormones, and more. We’ll, be honest. When we see that a product has been tested repeatedly in a research environment, we get excited. So we’re definitely excited about greens+ and its potential impact on fat loss as well as overall healthy.
So there you have it, our 4 supplements for long-term, sustainable fat loss. A lot of thought and lot of research have gone into these recommendations. These supplements are what I use personally. And they’re also what I have our clients use. Nothing more.So if you have a question about a supplement that we didn’t talk about in this guide, just know that we’ve been doing this a long time and have seen it all. If it’s not one of those 4 — fish oil, multivitamin, protein powder, greens supplement — then I don’t use it regularly, and neither do our clients. And we produce more dramatic fat loss stories than probably anyone else, anywhere else.

Source: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Supplements-For-Men.pdf

Want to Make Your Kids Smarter? Give ‘Em Fish Oil!

Source: http://www.multivitaminguide.org/blog/make-kids-smarter-fish-oil/

Want to Make Your Kids Smarter? Give ‘Em Fish Oil!

By: Olivia Reinard | Category: Omega-3 Benefits

According to a meta-analysis published in “Perspectives on Psychological Science,” parents can improve their young children’s IQ levels by supplementing their diet with fish oils that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids¹. A meta-analysis is a method of research that combines the results from different studies with the aim of identifying patterns in the common results. These authors uncovered four separate meta-analyses with similar recommendations. Among these recommendations was supplementing infants with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, or omega-3s.
The omega-3 fatty acids are also known as essential fatty acids (EFAs). This means that they are essential for metabolic processes but, because they are not able to be synthesized in the body, they must be ingested as part of the diet or come from supplements. The richest dietary sources of EFAs come from oily fish that live in cold waters. These include salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and anchovies. Oils from these fish have around seven times as much omega-3 fatty acids as they do omega-6 fatty acids. Modern diets include a lot of omega-6 and little omega-3. This imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 intake can increase your risk of heart disease.
The results of this meta-analysis are supported by recommendations from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), one of the specific omega-3 EFAs found in seafood, is essential for proper brain development of the fetus and in early childhood. The UNFAO recommends that pregnant women, nursing mothers and children through the age of two should consume a minimum of 200 mg of DHA per day.
According to a Harvard Medical School Special Health Report, we should all try to obtain our omega-3s from our diet². For those who do not like fish and seafood or those who have very high levels of triglycerides (a type of fat that increases the risk of heart disease), there is no risk in taking a fish oil supplement. Typical supplements contain between 200 and 400 mg of two omega-3s, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA.
Every parent wants to give their children the best start in life. Improving your child’s IQ by giving fish oil is one way of doing this. To torture a phrase, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; give your baby fish oil, make him smart for life.”
References
¹Protzko J, Aronson J and Blair C. How to Make a Young Child Smarter – Evidence from the Database of Raising Intelligence. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 2013.
²Mozaffarian D. The Truth About Vitamins and Minerals – Choosing the Nutrients You Need To Stay Healthy. Harvard Medical School Special Health Report 2012. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/special_health_reports/vitamins-and-minerals-choosing-the-nutrients-you-need-to-stay-healthy.