Health Topics - Page 3 of 7

The Diabetes Myth

Diabetes can be a scary diagnosis. For many, it comes out of nowhere and there is not a lot of information given on what you can proactively do. One thing is for sure. Diabetes is absolutely reversible. Yes it is. So if you take away anything in this article, know that you have the chance to come out of it. If someone you know is struggling with diabetes, then offer them some hope. You don’t have to be stuck with the fear and despair that can come with this health challenge. There is a way out. So how do you do it? There is a systematic way of building back your health. I am going to show you what is typically in the research and what we know works. So let’s jump right in. The most important step is to understand that
takes time. Diabetes didn’t happen overnight. It takes time to beat this health challenge. The great news is that if you can lifestyle your way into a health challenge, then many times you can lifestyle your way out.

1.You Must Be Consistent
Your daily habits are the key to your success. Decide that you want to beat this condition and it is amazing what the body can do. Make your daily routines and habits stick, even when you don’t FEEL like it. It is essential for empowering your health.

2.Keep Blood Sugar Stabilized With Food
Poor food choices got you into diabetes, and the great news is that better food choices can get you out. Focus on the right combinations of protein, fats, and carbohydrates to keep everything in balance. The best pace is eating between 5-6 small meals per day.

3.Eat Before Bed
Stop worrying about getting fat. One of the worst things you can do with blood sugar issues is go all night without food. That’s when blood sugar goes haywire. When do most doctors tell you to take insulin? Exactly…So like my anti-inflammatory diet says, start by eating a protein, like eggs or meat and some nuts or some fat like avocado or handful of nuts is a great way to provide a slow release of stabilization of blood sugar throughout the night. And when blood sugar is stable, you sleep better.

4.Exercise Is A Must
This is not an option. You must move between 5-6 days per week if you are going to support healthy blood sugar levels. It doesn’t matter what you do for exercise, just do something for at least 20-40 minutes. Make it happen. Research has proven that blood sugar will stabilize.

5.Remove The Emotional Stress
This one is the one no one is talking about. Just ask me.We can say fluffy things like sprinkle cinnamon on your meals and drink more water, but no one is talking about how to get rid of the emotional toxicity out of your life. It has been stated that 85% of most of our health challenges come from environmental toxicity and emotional toxicity. If there is drama in your life, it may well be the root cause of what is going on with diabetes. The body can only take so much stress before it breaks down.

Can You Naturally Increase Your Testosterone

When it comes to Men’s health there are a variety of areas that can be addressed. The number one concern that I get on my radio and television broadcasts for men is about testosterone levels. Guys are concerned about why their levels are dropping and what it takes to bring the levels back up. Testosterone is not that difficult to manage if you understand how the body works. Sure we produce less as we age, however, there are ways to slow that process down and maximize your body’s potential. First you must realize that your testosterone levels are dependent on several factors. The first is that you daily lifestyle choices will directly determine your results. Let’s look at the steps to make sure your testosterone levels stay at their peak.

1.Exercise with Resistance
This is a must. I prefer free weights, however, bands and bodyweight will work as well. Aim for 5 days a week for the best results.

2.Get Your Sleep
Sleep is vital to get your testosterone levels to their peak. The typical goal is between 6-8 hours per night of quality sleep. Research shows that getting enough sleep can increase testosterone levels up to 20 percent. We did a show recently on the Dr Asa Network.

3.Eat Plenty of Healthy Fat
Low fat eating is a myth. Its old school and it will wreak havoc on your hormones. Aim for the healthy fats including fish oil, nuts and seeds, and avocados. Oh, and don’t forget the egg yolks. I eat 6 per day.

4.Get Your Minerals
The two most vital for your testosterone levels re zinc and magnesium. Men are heavily deficient in both. They are your secret weapons for bringing back your levels. Magnesium comes in many forms. Make sure to look for the aspartate, threonate, or glycinate versions for empowering your health.

5.Get Your Protein
Study after study shows how vital protein is in us building a lean body. The reason that is important is the lower your body fat, the higher your testosterone levels will be. It all starts with protein. The goals of your protein intake should be in the range of about 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.

Getting your hormones tested is also a great practice so you know where your numbers are. You can check with your doctor to have this done. However, if your levels are low, you might not have to run to the hormone clinic just yet. There are some great lifestyle methods to implement first.

Is There Actual Nutrition for Memory?

Our memory is something that we take for granted when we are younger and later we realize how important it is. It seems that we are experiencing a greater surge in memory-related health challenges like Alzheimer’s and dementia. So what can we do? Brain health has always fascinated me. The neurological system is in control of so much of how we function every day. Many times if you can correct the basic nutritional deficiencies, then you can generally support better brain and memory function. So what is the best nutrition for the brain? It starts with the basics. So let’s take a look below on what it takes to reach your potential with overall brain health.

1.Eat Healthy Fats
Like I say on my radio show, the king of fats are the omega 3 fatty acids. You must get these from specific sources like fish and even certain vegetables like squash. The omega 3 fats help set the stage for a great functioning memory and overall brain cognitive capacity. People like to take fish oil supplements. That is great, just make sure you understand the quality.

2.L-Theanine
Found abundantly in green tea. L-Theanine is a powerful amino acid that helps in memory, focus, and concentration. The typical dosage in the research is around 200mg per day. Several cups a day of green tea will usually yield this.

3.Caffeine
Yes , the doctor said it. Caffeine actually has amazing, restorative benefits for the brain. I prefer the natural kind found in green tea. You can also get it in a great tasting supplement powder we have called Shred Stix. But don’t be scared of the occasional cup of organic , low acid coffee to get your brain going and enjoy its protective effects.

4.Huperzine – A
Used in Europe for years as a brain protector by prescription only, Huperzine A is known to restore brain health and preserve function very well. You can easily find it in certain natural based supplements like Think Balance.

5.Exercise
I know. You didn’t want me to say it. That means you actually have to sweat. Research has proven time and time again that exercise will improve our memory and up entire function for our memory for empowering your health.

I truly believe that we can beat our brains deteriorating. If you have ever walked through a neurological deteriorating health challenge like Alzheimer’s, it will break your heart to watch and see your loved one fade away. Do what it takes now to take care of your brain, so fear and a diagnosis doesn’t have to be the catalyst.

Is 70 The New 40?

Can we really turn back the clock? After watching medical science for over two decades now I am certain about many facts. One is that we are aging much slower than our parents did. Today, just look at someone that got into fitness in their twenties, when it just became popular around 1985. Now that person is in their fifties. How do they look? How is their energy? Amazing right? Do you think they will retire at 65? No way. There is a way to turn back the clock if you understand some basic principles about our health. Lets look at what it takes to make 70 the new 40. I am convinced that 70 can be the new 40 if we follow some basic principles that we have learned throughout medical science.

1.You Are What You Eat
Your body is a direct reflection of what you put inside it. If you do the basics, actually eat 9 servings of greens per day, 1-2 pieces of fruit, ample protein, eat healthy fats, and limit processed foods, you will win for empowering your health.

2.Drink Tons Of Water
You must do this to win. The old adage is ½ your bodyweight in ounces. We are beginning to think now that is closer to your entire weight in ounces of water. Drink up.

3.Exercise
Like I say on my radio show, you must move every day. The old walk 3 day per week will not work. I’m so serious. You have to get moving at least 20 minutes of relative activity each day. Push yourself.

4.Get Your Head Right
This is what makes people more sick and age faster than anything. You have to have a great mental game. You must forgive, forget, love unconditionally, and move on toward your goals. Do this, and you will master the aging process.

5.Sleep
The older I get at this, the more I realize how important recovering the body is. Research still says 7-9 hours of sleep. However I spoke to many researchers in my network on sleep that have said that if it’s high quality sleep, then we can make it with 6-7 hours. Regardless, the body must recover for you to slow the aging process.

These are some of the basics. I have more of these principles and teaching in my Health University system. Follow these principles consistently and make your 70 your new 40.

Is It Possible To Rebuild Your Joints?

When most people get diagnosed with arthritis they feel as if their mobility is gone forever. I have often said on my radio and television shows that if the body can get sick, then it can also get well. That statement is proven time and time again by medical science. Yes, the joints can break down in the form of arthritis and degenerative joint disease. However, the body can also regenerate and rebuild these areas as well. Whether it is your knees, hips, shoulders, or even your feet, the achy joints can come back to life again. But how? There are some proven principles that have been shown in numerous studies that our joints can rebuild. The first key is to make sure you keep some form of exercise routine on a consistent basis. That has been a proven theme in the research. There are several keys to follow to get your joint health going on the right track.

1.Exercise with Resistance
I prefer weights, but the bands and bodyweight will work. Researchers found that when you exercise with a repetition range of 15-20 reps, it actually triggers the DNA to activate the joints to regenerate and rebuild. Yes, that’s right. So if you have knee pain and a degenerative knee, you can do certain exercises with resistance that will help to trigger the knee joint to begin healing.

2.Exercise Daily
We have to move daily. Performing exercise 3 days a week is old school and it just won’t cut it. You have to get moving daily. It is essential for our joint health.

3. Reduce Inflammation
Your eating habits will set the stage for a great growth environment or a destructive one. Follow the anti-inflammatory diet and it will give you your best chance of winning the battle of healing the joints for empowering your health.

4.Stem Cell Therapy
This is a long topic. I would look into stem cell therapy. It is now cleared by the FDA and physicians are getting amazing results. There are two different kinds of stem cells. Embryonic, Mesenchymal, and Amniotic. The mesenchymal and amniotic stem cells are the ones to look for to help repair and regenerate the cells and tissue. Clinics are getting amazing results from knees to the spine to even conditions like diabetes and COPD.

5.Omega 3 Fats
I get asked about these often. These are vital to understand. Make sure you have a blood test done to assess what your omega 3 fatty acids are. The higher the level, the greater the capacity for your joints to heal. Keeping your omega 3 fatty acids elevated will help ensure the best environment for the joints. You can easily get your omega 3 fats from fish, nuts, and even vegetables like squash.

The Power of Why

Ultimately when I talk with people, I consistently hear how they want to be at the top level possible for their lives. It doesn’t matter what that might be, a great parent, better at work, a better athlete. Whatever that might be, we all want to be at our best. I have come to learn that our bodies breaking down are a direct result of our mind breaking down first. The way we think directly determines the way that we live. It all begins with knowing why we are here. It begins with knowing who we are. And it begins with the power of knowing your “why”. Many of the disease and health challenges that we face today are diet and lifestyle related. That lifestyle component is the essential to making the largest impact. It’s about our choices. The way we think and the actions that we take each day will determine our health and vitality. When you know yourself and you know your why, then life changes for you. You have to believe that you are designed for more. Every one of us has amazing gifts, talents, and abilities that can impact our families and this generation. However, to make this happen, we must know our why. Here are the basics to figure out your why.

1.What Are You Great At
Look back at your life. What have you been really great at doing? What were you knowingly not that great at doing? Your Why will always be found in your strengths.

2. What Gives You Energy
When you do certain activities or jobs have you ever noticed that it didn’t feel like work? And other jobs felt like you were about to fall over from exhaustion? Find what gives you energy and make it happen.

3.What Do Others Notice
Have you ever listened to those around you? What are they telling you that they notice that you are great at. Pay attention to what even strangers say. Many times they will tell you what you are best at from a very different perspective.

4.What Makes You Snap Out Of Bed
Do you lay around to hit the snooze button, or are you ready to leap out of bed and take on the day. If you are in your Why, then you can’t wait to get up and get after it. If you are struggling to get up and go, it might be time to reconsider your current path.

5.What Fulfills You
Listen, yes we all have to earn money at what we do. However, there is a direct correlation to our health and our happiness. Happiness is usually found at its highest level in our fulfillment. Our health will be at its highest level when we are in a place where we can contribute.

Losing Weight Made Easy

Is losing weight really easy? You bet it is. I know you are thinking how is that possible with so many weight loss plans and programs claiming to help you lose the weight. The truth is that most all of them work. There are some basic principles that you need to understand to help the process. Our bodies are amazing creations. As quickly as we can gain weight and get out of shape quickly, we can also lose the weight and get back where we need to be. I am going to show you some of the essentials for losing the weight that you want. The first principle is that you must make a decision that you want to lose the weight. Why? Because 20% of the weight loss game is the latest guru’s diet plan, and the other 80% is the psychology. That is what makes me tick. Just like on my radio show, I am intrigued with the field of psychology. It was my major in college, along with pre-med, and I have always enjoyed learning human behavior and why we do what we do.

So after you have a made up mind, then here are the keys.

1.Get Committed
You have to be committed. No excuses. Starting Monday or in the summer, or when you are back from vacation. Listen, it will never happen. Why? Because it hasn’t been happening! So start now. Right now. Like go eat a healthy meal now and go walk for 30 minutes today. Even with your busy schedule. If your doctor told you that you had stage 4 cancer – I bet you would panic and start now.

2.Exercise 6 Days Per Week
It doesn’t matter what you do, but do something. Get out and get moving. You have to. Your body was designed to move and if you continue to sit all day long, research shows that we will be heavier and shorten our lifespan.

3.Focus On Eating Healthy 5-6 Meals Per Day
There is much debate about this. Fad diets are everywhere. Fasting is hot. Ketogenic is a trend. I have had raging success with people, including myself, at eating 6 small meals per day. There is a system for it, and it has to be customized for you. The anti-inflammatory diet is a key example.

4.Drink A LOT of Water
Hydration is the key. It is proven that when we drink plenty of water, our body increases its ability to burn fat. We also massively increase our health. If you like drinking tea, you can count it as your water intake, just don’t add any sugar or artificial sweeteners for empowering your health.

5.Naturally Supplement Your Diet
I believe that nutritional deficiencies are some of the greatest challenges that we face with our health. Studies have shown that much of our soil is depleted of essential minerals. A good 90 plus nutrients are needed to essentially give us all that we need each day. Our food is great buy we must use something to fill in the gaps with our health. You always want to start with a good whole food based multi-vitamin like Multi-Balance.

5 Reasons Why You Can Reach Your Potential

Have you ever stopped to think about what your potential is? I asked someone very close to me once about what they believed their reason for living and what their greatest gift and talent was. They couldn’t even answer the question and they were almost 50 years of age! That has been the question that I ask people when I am on the radio, tv, or speaking at live events. Who are you? Why are you here? What talent were you given? Are you using that talent to it’s fullest? Or another way of saying this is…Are you reaching your potential? Many people have never stopped to think about that very question. When it comes to your health nothing is more important than the mental aspect. The CDC says that 85% of the root cause of most health challenges has to do with emotional toxicity and environmental toxicity. Much of what holds us back is in our minds. I have discovered that a large part of this is found in a person not really knowing who they are and why they are here. We hear of the term grief when we think about mourning a loss of a loved one, or something devastating. However, many people live with grief each day and regret because they could have been more in their life. The one thing you can never get back is time. So how do we reach our potential? You have to do several action steps to make it happen.

Listen, I can talk on my radio show about how to lower your blood pressure, lower blood sugar, lose weight, balance hormones, have more energy, and get your physical health on track. That’s the easy part. For the most part, your health is where it is right now because of your emotional state. Let’s get to work on that.

1.Define What You Are Good At
We are all great at something. Think for a moment at what comes the easiest to you. For example, I had to study extra hard in school to attain 3 doctorates. It wasn’t easy, but quite painful actually. However, the day I stood up in front of 10,000 people and delivered a message, it was the easiest and most natural thing I had ever done. And I never took a class for it, never studied for it. I was naturally talented at it. You have to find your strength and work it for empowering your health.

2.Work At It
You have to work at what you are great at and get even better. Your gift will carry you, but you must stay at it and develop it.

3.Train Your Thinking
We become what we think about all day long. To reach your potential you must control how you think. Your thoughts will determine your overall success. And this is especially true with your health.

4.Take Care Of Your Body
This is where your health comes in. Many people lose their health in life because they don’t have a strong enough of a “Why”. What is your WHY? Find it. You have to. Because when you have a strong enough of a WHY, like your family, or your kids, then lowering blood pressure with better lifestyle choices becomes easy. Get it?

5.Be Consistent
Who won the race? The tortoise or the hare? If you don’t remember, go read it again. Life is a marathon and not a sprint, although you need to sprint each day to win. The marathon is staying with your main gift and talent. Never stop using it to serve others. The sprint is going at it hard every day and never letting up.

Outside of many of the genetic diseases, health is typically easy to attain and maintain if you have the right foundation. To reach your potential it starts with knowing who you are and why you are here. Everything else will fall into place from there.

Stopping The Aches and Pains

Do you really believe that as you get older you thighs should just hurt? That’s what we are told by many articles and medical science. And for many people that can be the case. However, it is possible to live a life free of pain and have great mobility. It really comes down to the lifestyle choices that we make every single day. Our choices determine our overall health. Many times we are not getting the essential nutrients that we need to really thrive. When it comes to arthritis, joint health, and if we hurt or not, there are some basic tools that we need to follow each day. The first is to realize that the structure of our body with our bones, muscles, and nerves are essential to our quality of life. Arthritis and the degeneration of the specific tissues are partially due to some wear and tear, however, that tends to be overused in my opinion. We are in charge of our health more than anything else. Let’s look at the best ways to manage our body to avoid the typical aches and pains for empowering your health.

1.Get Moving
I get asked often, what if I hurt? Even if you hurt. Find an exercise that works. If your hip hurts, then swim. If your knee hurts, then swim. If your back hurts, ride a stationary bike. If you can lift weights, then do that. You have to find an activity that you can handle. Research tells us its all about how we move every day.

2.Get More Minerals
We are heavily mineral deficient. It’s just the truth. We are not getting enough of what we need every day. Get checked for what you are deficient in and get the best nutrition to support it. A good multi-mineral is good for helping in this area.

3.Increase Healthy Fats
Fats are not the enemy. As a matter of fact, many people that struggle with aches and pains are really dealing with excess inflammation. Omega 3 fatty acids found in foods such as fish, are vital in this area.

4.Got Greens?
Thought I was going to say milk? Not so fast. We are green vegetable deficient. Actually 1 cup of spinach or kale has as much calcium as a glass of milk. We need our greens for all of the rich mineral content they contain. If you struggle with getting your greens, there is an organic greens supplement that I use that tastes amazing.

5. Get Better Sleep

Did you know that there is actually a arthritis condition due to lack of sleep? When we don’t sleep there are factors in the body that can cause us to ache more, even if we don’t have any form of arthritis! Make sure to follow a great plan for better sleep.

Maintaining Your Memory

If you haven’t noticed lately, the rise of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia is in full swing. We have seen a marked increase in the last decade. There are some very specific reasons that we are seeing this in many over the age of 65. Memory and healthy cognition are the essentials that we need to stay sharp and stay on top of our game. Our body is what carries us, but our mind is what establishes us. There are some key factors into keeping your brain healthy and strong for years to come. The first to know is to make sure you have an amazing lifestyle plan. In my television show recently I talked about how our brain health is determined by what we do every single day. As I learn more and think about the bigger picture, I realize how every aspect of how we live makes the ultimate difference. The stress that we learn to manage, our daily nutrition, and daily habits are what will impact our brain health the most. So here are some of the basics that we know can help.

1.Eat More Fat
Omega 3 fatty acids are the shield for your brain. We have been so scared of fats for so long. The omega 3 fats will help support overall brain health and keep your memory and cognition very high. I take at least 15 grams every day. ( that’s about 15 capsules or 1 tablespoon!)

2.Read More
We have to read. It exercises our brain and keeps it pumped like a muscle. We are slowly turning into a video society with the digital era. Make sure to read at least 30 minutes a day. Billionaire Warren Buffet reads 4-6 hours per day. What does that tell you?

3.Exercise
You have to get moving. Any form of consistent exercise over about a 15-30 minute interval can make the greatest impact over 5-6 days per week.

4.Consider Natural Supplements – Nootropics
This is the new buzz. Smart drugs as they are called. There are natural versions of herbals that can help improve memory, increase cognition, and in some university studies, have shown to reduce and even potentially reverse the symptoms in Alzheimers.

5.Drink More Water
In a recent show, I mentioned that just a 17 oz loss of water is enough to cause a marked rise in cortisol, a stress hormone, and reduce brain cognition. Keep your water intake up and keep your brain working at peak capacity.

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