Nearly 10 million women in the U.S. have diabetes, a disease that frequently leads to heart disease, stroke, damage to the nervous system, and even amputations. But diabetes doesn't "just happen." It starts out as pre-diabetes.
More than 40 million people in this country alone have blood glucose levels higher than normal, but not high enough to be called diabetes. You may have heard about pre-diabetes under a different name. It's also called insulin resistance, syndrome X, or metabolic syndrome. They all point to an imbalance in blood sugar regulation.
If you think that because you eat a healthy diet low in processed foods and sugars you don't have this problem, I have news for you. Many people I talk to about metabolic syndrome are surprised to find that they have it. Even with a fairly healthy diet, you can still have pre-diabetes. That's the bad news.
The good news is, I've found a simple solution that's stopping metabolic syndrome in its tracks. It takes away sugar cravings, promotes weight loss, lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, lowers blood sugar, and increases energy. I've already tried it on patients and friends and the results have been excellent. It combines modern science with both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. And it's unlike any other formula on the market.
Take my friend, Jessie, for example. She eats a whole food diet with only an occasional sweet. While she craves sugar, she doesn't eat it often. Her energy is constantly dropping and spiking. Although she didn't have all five indications (see below) of metabolic syndrome, I was suspicious that it was at the root of her problem. I gave Jessie this new formula and within a week her sugar craving was gone. She now has even more energy that lasts throughout the day.
Another friend was so addicted to sugar she had no control over her urges. After eating sweets, she crashed. She was caught in a vicious cycle until she took this formula. Now she has no sugar cravings. On those rare occasions when she eats a little sugar or has a glass of wine, she's fine. No low blood-sugar crashes. No low energy.
A different young woman couldn't lose weight. She took two capsules of this formula before meals and noticed decreased appetite with little or no urge to snack. She dropped nine-and-a-half pounds in the first month ... effortlessly.
The five signs of metabolic syndrome
There are five primary indications of metabolic syndrome. If you have two or more of them, you are at risk for diabetes. These symptoms are: fat around your middle, high triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. Insulin resistance causes many of these. In some cases, it can even lead to periodontal disease and memory loss.
Insulin resistance means your body needs more insulin than it can produce. It's "resistant" to making the appropriate amount. This occurs when there's too much insulin in your bloodstream — from genetics or a history of eating foods that turn into sugar quickly.
When your body is working normally and you have excess blood sugar, your pancreas produces insulin to lower your sugar to a manageable amount. Some sugar is stored for later use. But when you're insulin resistant, your body doesn't get the message to store sugar in your muscle and fat cells. The result is high blood sugar.
Nutrients that reverse metabolic syndrome
Whether you have diabetes or metabolic syndrome, the following nutrients can help balance your blood sugar. I've never seen a combination of nutrients from Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, and from Western science, combined in a single product. Nor have I ever seen any supplement work as well or as quickly. This formula is designed to reverse insulin resistance, decrease sugar cravings, and decrease the absorption of both fats and sugars.
Some nutrients have a direct effect on sugar metabolism. They reduce insulin resistance, slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, enhance insulin secretion, and reduce the amount of insulin your body needs for glucose metabolism. These begin with chromium, a mineral I've used for years to regulate blood sugar. Most formulas contain 200 mcg of chromium. I've found that isn't enough and have given patients 500 mcg for decades. That's the amount in this formula.
Gymenema reduces insulin resistance and purifies the blood. Studies show it also slows down the absorption of sugars.
Fenugreek seeds lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and have anti-diabetic effects that erase most symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Holy basil reduces blood sugar and is high in antioxidants. Remember, diabetes is an inflammatory condition, and antioxidants are powerful anti-inflammatory nutrients.
Then there's Cassia, otherwise known as cinnamon. It's a powerful spice that reduces the amount of insulin necessary to metabolize sugars.
But this new formula does more than regulate blood sugar. It contains a number of herbs that help with digestion, reduce thirst, and calm the heart and kidneys. Diabetes frequently progresses to heart disease. These herbs regulate the heart.
They include American Ginseng, found in studies to prevent a sharp rise in blood sugar after eating a meal high in sugars.
And Ophiopogon, which regenerates cells in the pancreas. It also treats the fluid imbalance that causes so many diabetics to urinate frequently and be thirsty.
This formula is packed with other nutrients that correct physiological imbalances throughout the body. It includes herbs to support the immune system, medicinal mushrooms, found to support people at high risk for diabetes, and sodium alginate from seaweed to slow the absorption of fats and sugars.
It also contains alpha-lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant that improves insulin sensitivity and reduces the buildup of triglycerides in muscles. This helps lower triglycerides and weight. And L-taurine, a sulphur amino acid that reduces the production of free radicals in blood fats. This translates into lower cholesterol and higher levels of good HDL cholesterol.
Why I like this formula
There are other metabolic-targeted supplements on the market, but this is the only one I know of that actually repairs the body's blood sugar regulation mechanisms and eventually makes itself obsolete. It's called Metabolic Defense Formula. You can get it by calling 800-728-2288. Since there's a money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose but weight and cravings.
Meanwhile, start today by making dietary and lifestyle changes. You can't eliminate pre-diabetes on a junk food diet, or while eating a lot of sugar and processed foods. And you need to exercise. But get the right kind of nutritional support and you can reverse your metabolic syndrome and reduce your risk for diabetes, heart disease, memory problems, and even gum disease.
Challem, J., et al. Syndrome X, John Wiley & Sons, 2000. "Stroke," Circulation, June 2007.
Yaffe, K. "Metabolic syndrome and cognitive disorders: Is the sum greater than its parts?" Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord, April/June 2007.
Warning: These Two Popular Weight-Loss Diets Could Lead to Depression
I recently visited with a friend who has been on a fat-free diet for more than a year. It's helped her lose weight and keep it off. And since she eats healthy organic foods, she sees nothing wrong with it. I was concerned, however.
She had poor muscle tone, looked drawn and dried out, and was depressed. I'm not surprised. Her fat-free diet was extremely low in essential fatty acids (EFAs). "Essential" means just that. Our bodies need them for a healthy brain and heart, and can't manufacture them. We need to get them from our food or supplements.
This friend is a vegetarian, so she doesn't get fish oils from her diet. Nor did she take any fish oil or other fatty acid supplements.
What she didn't realize is that a fat-free or low-fat diet can lead to depression. But this isn't the only diet that causes depression. The popular low-carb, high animal protein diet can have the same effect. Here's why: Both diets are low in essential fatty acids. And a high animal-protein diet leads to a high ratio of animal fats to EFAs, which can lead to depression.
Just think. If you're depressed, you may simply need to increase your good fats.
Two kinds of EFAs
There are two families of EFAs, omega-3 and omega-6. Most Americans eat nearly 20 times as much omega-6 fats as omega-3 fats. This is way too much. For optimal health and brain function, you need to eat only two to four times as much omega-6 as omega-3. Here's why:
Your brain uses more omega-3 fatty acids than any other part of your body. Numerous studies found that depression is more common in people with low levels of these EFAs.
Increasing omega-3 fats makes positive changes in the brain. Researchers found that people with high levels of these essential fats had more gray matter in the parts of their brains that regulate moods and emotions. These same areas of gray matter are low in people who are depressed.
Dr. J. Hibbein, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, found a strong correlation between the rates of depression in various countries and the consumption of fish. In Japan, fish consumption is high and depression is low. New Zealanders have some of the lowest fish consumption in the world and have 50 times more depression than the Japanese.
Fish or fish oils?
Unfortunately, it's no longer safe to eat fish every day. They contain mercury, dioxins, and other contaminants — especially the larger fish. That's why I suggest you take fish oil or other essential fatty acid supplements. Many fish oil supplements, including those in Vitality Plus, ProThera, Nordic Naturals, and Carlson's have been purified to remove any of these toxins. Make sure any fish oils you take are guaranteed to be free from contaminants.
Can fish oil supplements prevent depression? Numerous studies say they do. So do the thousands of people who are now less depressed after using them. But fish oils, by themselves, are not enough. A sugar-free, low-alcohol diet, B vitamins, and herbs such as St. John's wort all help reduce depression. I put omega-3 supplements high on any plan to counteract depression.
What we know about depression and fats:
• A fat-free diet is low in omega-3 fats.
• People who are depressed tend to have low levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
• A diet high in animal protein is high in omega-6 fats.
• High levels of arachidonic acid (from animal products) and low levels of omega-3 fats (fish oil, nuts, seeds, etc.) can lead to depression.
• People who eat little or no fish are more likely to be depressed than people who eat fish, or who take fish oil supplements, daily.
• EFAs alone may not be enough to fight depression.
• EFAs are safe to take, either with, or without medications — except when taking blood thinners.
Simple ways to increase your omega-3s
Begin by adjusting your dietary fats and increasing omega-3 fatty acids. Studies that compared 1, 2, and 4 grams of omega-3 fats a day found that all the participants needed to take was one gram a day.
Here's an easy way to increase your essential fats. Eat crackers made with flax seeds. Last year, I talked about Mary's Gone Crackers — one of my very favorite crackers of all time (available at many health food stores). Now there's another one that's even more delicious: FlaxSnackers. My friend, nutritionist and author Ann-Louise Gittleman developed it. Right now they're only available directly from Ann-Louise Foods (866-637-1330, www.annlouisefoods.com). Both cost about the same and will increase your essential fatty acid intake.
Simopoulos, A.P. "The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids," Biomed Pharmacotherapy, October 2002.
Tiemeier, H., et al. "Plasma fatty acid composition and depression are associated in the elderly, the Rotterdam Study," Am J Clin, Nutr, 2003.
Timonen, M., et al. "Fish consumption and depression: the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort study." J Affect Disord, 2004 November 1;82(3):447-52.
Vanderhaeghe, L.R., BSc and K. Karst, BSc, RD. Health Fats for Life, Quarry Health Books, 2003.
Forget the Pill — Use This Program and Lose Weight
Weight loss is a billion-dollar-a-year business, and GlaxoSmithKline, one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, knows it. This company recently launched a huge campaign around the first FDA-approved weight loss medication. But the drug has more problems than assets. In fact, it can be both disgusting and downright dangerous.
As if this wasn't enough, GlaxoSmithKline admits the pill doesn't work — at least not by itself. They tell you that you also have to follow their weight loss plan if you want to lose weight. But anyone can lose weight on the plan without ever buying a single pill. If you're serious about losing weight, forget the $50-$60 a month tab for this new pill, alli. Just follow their program and watch the pounds drop off.
What is alli?
In case you've missed the hype, here's the skinny on alli. It isn't new. It's the reduced-strength form of the prescription drug Orlistat. And Orlistat is the generic name for Xenical. Xenical/Orlistat comes in 120 mg doses; alli has half that amount. All three block the absorption of around 25% of the fats you ingest, whether they're in your foods or supplements.
Now, here's the disgusting part. The fats that aren't absorbed are eliminated in your solid wastes. This causes side effects, such as gas with oily spotting, loose stools, and diarrhea. If you decide to try alli, you'd better stay at home for the first few days so you can be near a bathroom. Most people are going to need it when these side effects suddenly kick in. By the way, the folks at GlaxoSmithKline call these side effects "treatment effects." Clever, aren't they? But don't be fooled — these side effects can be miserable!
There's also a clever marketing twist. They say that these side effects are beneficial because they help you become more aware that you're eating too much fat. But there are much better — and more pleasant — ways to figure that out. All you have to do is read labels, which I'd rather do any day than suffer through these side effects.
It gets worse
In addition to these so-called "beneficial" side effects, alli has another side effect that is never beneficial. It also blocks the absorption of good fats. This applies to fish oil supplements and vitamins A, D, and E, as well as the fats you get from fish, nuts, and seeds.
The problem is, if you take a fat blocker like alli, you could become deficient in good fats. And in addition to their many health benefits, these good fats actually promote weight loss!
Now, tell me, what would happen if a nutritional supplement came on the market that caused dirty panties and robbed the body of essential vitamins? It would be yanked off the market in a heartbeat! Not so with drugs. Even those that don't work. There's too much money behind them.
Use the "My alli plan" info
GlaxoSmithKline knows that alli won't work on its own. Like I said, they've even admitted it. That's why they give pointers on how to make their weight loss plan work. You have to incorporate various lifestyle changes.
If that's the case, there's no reason to buy their product. Use their best tips – which I've detailed below — instead of wasting your money. They'll help you lose weight without costly pills or awful side effects.
Eat a low-calorie diet with no more than 15 grams of fat per meal. Stop eating fried food, reduce animal fats, then look at other foods and choose those lower in fats. For instance, a low-fat vinaigrette salad dressing will have about 3-5 grams of fat per teaspoon instead of 25-30 in regular dressings. You can look up the fat content of meats, cheeses, and other fatty foods in the Nutrition Almanac (Kirschmann and Kirschmann, McGraw-Hill, 1996), my favorite reference book.
Eat smaller portions. Learn how much you need to eat to take away your hunger. Eat half the food on your plate and then take a 20-minute break. If you're still hungry, eat a little more. Most times you won't be hungry because it takes 15-20 minutes for your stomach to send a signal to your brain that it's full. Once you understand how little food you need to feel satisfied, you can use smaller plates and eat less.
Be more active. You know that exercise burns calories, which helps you lose weight. If you can't walk, run, or take an aerobics class, sit in your chair holding a can of beans in each hand and do some arm exercises. Every bit of movement helps.
Write a letter to yourself about your commitment to lose weight. Or tell your friends and family what you intend to do. When you say something out loud, it becomes even more real than when you write it down. This tip has helped me get to the gym on days when I'd rather read.
What to do if this isn't enough
The folks at alli say you should lose 5-10 pounds in six months. That's nothing. I say if you use just the alli suggestions, you should easily lose one to two pounds per week! If you don't, I have two other suggestions: a starch blocker and an unusual and effective digestive aid. They work, cost less than alli, and leave no residues behind.
Phase 2 (known also as Phaseolamin) is a starch blocker made from white kidney beans. Instead of preventing the absorption of some fats and getting oily stools or diarrhea, this supplement blocks the absorption of starches. It has a much more pleasant side effect: larger, more comfortable stools. In a number of clinical trials, people ate potatoes, popcorn, bread, and pasta, and took two capsules of Phase 2 before meals. They lost nearly four pounds in two months. If you can't find Phase 2 at your health food store, contact ProThera (888-488-2488) and get their TheraSlim. It contains Phase 2 with fennel seed.
Integrative Digestive Formula (IDF) warms your digestion and helps you digest your food better. It also moves wastes out of your body gently and effectively. This is my favorite digestive formula of all time. And believe me, I've tried dozens. Now that I take IDF, I can eat just about anything without getting gas, bloating, or having food sit in my stomach. One side effect I've noticed is that I eat less because I get more nutrients out of my foods. I take one capsule before each meal and enjoy a flatter stomach (800-728-2288).
Unless you like nasty, and potentially dangerous side effects, stay away from alli. But feel free to use the program, along with my specific recommendations, and you'll lose even more weight than they promise with alli.
Udani, J., MD. "Blocking carbohydrate absorption and weight loss. A clinical trial using Phase 2 brand proprietary fractionated white bean extract," Alternative Medicine Review, March 2004.
Health Detective
Iodine Update
Just as we were getting ready to ship this issue to the printer, I received a phone call from pharmacist Charles Hakala. He's the person who developed Iodoral, the tablet form of iodine that's turning around the health of hundreds of people with thyroid problems. If you haven't read about iodine, check the articles on my website or look in my latest book, The Health Detective's 456 Most Powerful Healing Secrets (800-728-2288). This information is vital to your health. Iodine is protective against breast cancer and is the ultimate adaptogen — helping to regulate many body functions.
Most of us are low in iodine. And you can easily test for iodine insufficiency using a 24-hour urine test. Now Hakala Research is offering this test, along with FFP Laboratory and Doctor's Data. What's the difference? Service and price. Charles will run your test the day he receives it, instead of making you wait a week or two (like many labs). He is also charging $50 for the test instead of $80.
But wait. There's more. If your test shows you need an iodine supplement, Charles will make it simple and cost-effective. Instead of having to buy it through your health care provider, he'll send it to you. And instead of buying the low-dose Iodoral and taking four tablets a day, he'll send you the 50 mg tablets so you need only one a day. He's also dropping the price from $29 per bottle to $24.95. This means your daily cost is 83 cents instead of 96 cents. Please give him a call at 877-238-1779. These offers are only available to Women's Health Letter subscribers, so be sure to identify yourself as one when you call.
Ask Dr. Nan
Q: I'm nearly 70 and have no health problems. I'm taking a lot of supplements and they seem to be keeping me healthy. But I'd like to cut back on the number of pills I'm taking, especially those that support my immune system. I think that's the key to my good health. Do you have any suggestions? — F.N.K., e-mail
A: Yes, I do. A strong immune system helps fight chronic diseases, slows aging, gives us energy, and improves the quality of our lives. The supplement that I've found works best to protect me and my patients is MycoPhyto Complex — medicinal mushrooms grown on immune-supporting herbs. I haven't been sick since I started taking it years ago.
One reason I like it so much is that it's enhanced with beta glucans. Beta glucans are molecules that activate a strong response to the immune system. Many medicinal mushrooms contain some beta glucans. But not this much.
When you increase beta glucans, you significantly enhance your immunity. Especially when you take them regularly.
I take a lot of mushroom supplements daily, not just before winter colds and flu. To avoid taking a handful of pills and capsules, I add half a teaspoon of mushroom powder to my breakfast cereal or smoothie.
If I think I'm starting to get a cold, I take this much three or more times a day for a short period of time.
There are lots of good mushroom formulas around. And for those of you who don't want to take another pill, MycoPhyto is now available in powder form (800-728-2288). Many nutrients need to be encapsulated or put into pills so they don't open until they get to specific parts of the digestive tract. Not mushrooms.
As I find more nutrients that work well in powder or liquid form, I'll let you know.
Q: Have you researched any information on glyconutrients and the benefits they have on the body? — A.D., e-mail
A: Yes, I have. Unfortunately, I came up empty. You see, glyconutrients is a made-up name for a group of eight particular sugars that we already get in sufficient amounts in our diets. There's no evidence that any of us are deficient in them.
The clever marketers at Mannatech, a multi-level marketing (MLM) company, who came up with the name keep making unfounded claims about its benefits. Mannatech's glyconutrient product is called Ambrotose.
Not surprisingly, other supplement manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon and are pushing glyconutrients.
There are no sound scientific studies conducted on humans to show that glyconutrients support the immune system, prevent diseases, or are effective in treating any illness.
Glycoproteins, on the other hand, are sugar molecules attached to protein molecules. They have a place in our health. Glycoproteins help cells talk with one another. But they're not the same as glyconutrients.
In 2005, a lawsuit was filed against Mannatech saying that they were misrepresenting the effectiveness of their products. The lawsuit is still pending.
www.wikipedia.com