Just like a turkey, you have light and dark muscle. And they’re a lot more different than color. They have different functions and different structures.

Dark, or red, muscle is rich in blood vessels. These muscles get lots of oxygen and have lots of endurance. But they don’t have a lot of power and speed, so they’re called “slow twitch” muscles.

Light, or white, muscle is lighter in color because it isn’t as rich in blood vessels. This type of muscle only has a little endurance, but lots more power and speed then red muscle, so it’s known as “fast twitch” muscle.

Marathoners have lots of slow-twitch red muscle. This aerobic muscle type helps them to run for long distances without tiring. Weight lifters and sprinters, on the other hand, need lots of power. And they have lots more fast-twitch white muscle than marathoners.

People with blood sugar problems also tend to have higher levels of white muscle. And for a long time, doctors thought this was a bad thing. But the new Michigan study seems to say just the opposite.

Here’s why that’s good news if you’re concerned about blood sugar control.

Red muscle gets most of its energy by burning fat. White muscle uses mostly glycogen – a form of sugar your body can store right in the muscle.

Though there’s really never been any proof, doctors always assumed – because people with blood sugar problems develop more white muscle – that white muscle fibers were part of the problem. They believed that white muscle didn’t respond to insulin – the hormone that controls blood sugar – as well as red muscle.

Using mice, the University of Michigan team discovered that exactly the opposite may be true. They identified a protein involved in building white muscle. In their experiments, this protein also improved blood sugar control.

Now, here’s where you may be able to take advantage of their research.

Everyone is born with different levels of red and white muscle. But we influence how much of each we develop through our activities. Charles Atlas proved this more than half a century ago.

Remember those famous “97-pound weakling” ads? Well, Atlas got a lot of those 97-pound weaklings interested in resistance exercise. And they built lots of big, bulging muscles… muscles loaded with white muscle fibers.

If you take up running marathons, you’ll build more red muscle. But become a weight lifter, and your body will respond by building more white muscle. And the Michigan study suggests this may help you naturally control blood sugar levels.

Of course, you don’t have to lift weights to build white muscle. Any form of resistance exercise will do. Pushups, chin-ups and other “old-fashioned” exercises will do the job just as well.

Twenty – 30 minutes of resistance training three times a week should help you build plenty of lean, white muscle. And it comes with a terrific bonus.

Resistance training helps you quickly build a leaner, sexier body. So you’ll look and feel great, too.

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Kenneth Woliner, M.D.

1 Meng, Z.-X., et al, “Baf60c drives glycolytic metabolism in the muscle and improves systemic glucose homeostasis through Deptor-mediated Akt activation,” Nature Medicine .2013; doi:10.1038/nm.3144.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

The post What Your Thanksgiving Turkey Can Teach You About Blood Sugar appeared first on Best Life Herbals.

I don’t know if our first president ever heard the old cliché about an apple a day. But his adventure with the cherry tree could have helped keep the doctor away.

You’ve probably heard it a hundred times…

As a boy, the story goes; Washington chopped down one of his father’s cherry trees. When his father confronted him, Washington supposedly said, “I cannot tell a lie,” and confessed.

Now, this episode never really happened. But it holds an interesting lesson for good health.

Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame recently ran a fascinating experiment. They tested to see how honesty might affect health.

They knew from previous studies that the average American tells about 11 lies a week. Most of them are probably what you’d call “little white lies.”

Maybe you tell your Great Aunt Jane her new hair color looks great… when you really think it’s hideous. Or the furnace guy calls, and you say the checks in the mail… because you’d forgotten to write it out. That sort of thing.

Of course we don’t always “fib” to save someone’s feelings or save face. Sometimes we tell whoppers. “Oh, my goodness, officer. I had no idea I’d let my speed creep up that high!”

Well, the Notre Dame researchers wondered what would happen if people stopped telling lies. And they designed a clever way to find out.

First, they recruited 110 volunteers. Two-thirds were college students, while the rest were adults from the community. Some were as young as 18, while others were as old as 71. Their average age works out to 31.

The scientists split the group in two, keeping a fairly even split by age, sex and other factors. Then they took half of them aside and asked them to stop telling any lies – even little white lies – for ten weeks.

The second group didn’t receive these instructions.

Each week, the volunteers came in and filled out a form to report their physical and mental health. Then each one took a polygraph test (a “lie detector”) about the lies they’d told that week.

By the end of the 10 weeks a clear pattern emerged.

The volunteers in the no-lies group had fewer health complaints of any kind. They felt tense or blue less often. And they had fewer problems such as sore throats, colds, etc.

Overall, during the ten weeks, the no-lies group reported four fewer mental health issues and three less physical complaints. On a yearly basis, that would work out to 20 less bouts of tension, anxiety, blues, etc. And 15 fewer headaches, sore throats, etc.

In other words, you could miss out on hundreds of physical and emotional issues over the course of a lifetime just by making an effort to tell the truth.

The researchers say the lower rates of sickness closely matched the number of “big” lies people told. But even telling fewer little fibs made a difference.

Plus, the no-lies group discovered that many of the little white lies they used to tell were completely unnecessary. And to top it off, they reported an improvement in their personal relationships when they told fewer lies.

We often think of some of the untruths we tell a being kind to others. Necessary to spare their feelings. But, as it turns out, when we’re more honest, everybody wins.

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Kenneth Woliner, M.D.

Kelly, A.E. and Wang, L., “A Life Without Lies: How Living Honestly Can Affect Health,” American Psychological Association. Aug 4, 2012.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

The post Use the “George Washington Trick” to Avoid Being Sick appeared first on Best Life Herbals.

Burns regularly floored audiences with quips like, “When I was a boy, the Dead Sea was only sick,” and “If you live to be one hundred, you’ve got it made. Very few people die past that age.”

He should know. Burns was one of those rare birds who did make it to his 100^th birthday. And I do mean rare. Only about 1 of every 5,000 Americans is over 100.

So the question is what can you do to increase your chances of hanging around longer… and enjoying every minute of it?

Of course, you can watch what you eat, exercise, and take vitamins for health. But are there other factors that can give you an edge? I decided to look at what centenarians have to say… and see if there’s science to back them up.

Just a few years ago, Holocaust survivor Alice Herz-Sommer was interviewed by the BBC. At the age of 108, she remained vital and surprisingly active.

Herz-Sommer said she believes her optimism explains her long life. Her twin sister, she said, was a pessimist. She passed away before she was 70.

So, does optimism work? A 2010 European study found it does. Scientists tracked 861 people, aged 65 – 85. They found, over a 15-year period, that the happier people were, the more likely they were to live a long life.²

Nora Hardwick was 102 when she spoke to the BBC reporters. Like Herz-Sommer, she was active and involved. But her take on longevity was a little different. Hardwick, who lived a philanthropic lifestyle, believed caring and giving offers people an edge.

And researchers at Stanford University say she may be right. They followed 7,527 people over 70 for 8 years. Those who volunteered regularly had a much lower risk of dying during the study period.³

In 2006, 100-year-old Mildred Leaver told the Washington Post, “Aging is an attitude, and I don’t feel old.” She – and four 100+ friends – all remained active, and credited their enthusiasm for life for their longevity.

And some studies say that may be an important key.

Researchers in Israel looked at the personalities of 243 centenarians. Almost all of them were positive, friendly and enthusiastic about life. Most were quick to laugh and were more conscientious than average.⁴

In other words, the study found that nice guys do finish last. But in this context, that’s a good thing.

When the BBC interviewed 103-year-old Nina Jackson, she advised people who want to live long to look ahead… to roll with the punches and not dwell on the past.

Or as George Burns so aptly put it, “You can’t help getting older… but you don’t have to get old.”

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Kenneth Woliner, M.D.

1 Koopmans, T.A., et al, “Effects of Happiness on All-Cause Mortality During 15 Years of Follow-Up: The Arnhem Elderly Study,” Journal of Happiness Studies. Mar 2010; 11(1): 113-124.

2 Harris, A.H.S. and Thorensen, C.E., “Volunteering is Associated with Delayed Mortality in Older People: Analysis of the Longitudinal Study of Aging,” J Health Psychol. Dec 2005; 10(6): 739-752.

3 Kato, K., et al, “Positive attitude towards life and emotional expression as personality phenotypes for centenarians,” Aging. May 2012; 4(5): 359-367.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

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Talk to many diet experts, and they’ll tell you to avoid fats like the plague. Fats are high in calories. So to stay trim, they tell you, stay away from all fats.

But, as you probably know, not all fats are bad. In fact, some are essential for your good health. The problem is, there’s so much “noise” out there, it can get confusing.

So, what’s wrong with fat, anyway? What are the myths about fat? And which fats should you choose?

The answer to the first question may be in the “friendly” bacteria in your gut. These tiny creatures manufacture vitamins your body needs, help you digest your food and strengthen your immune system.

Researchers at the University of New Mexico (UNM) have found evidence that some fats may promote growth of unhealthy bacteria. Because this throws off the balance in your gut, your body may respond almost as if the fat were an invading germ.¹

The resulting system-wide irritation, over the long term, may lead to heart trouble, joint pain and many other common health issues.

On the other hand, the UNM team also found that healthy fats have the opposite effect… encouraging lower levels of system-wide irritation. And that, in turn may lower your risk for a host of health problems.

That’s what’s wrong with some fats… and right with others. But “avoid fat” is just one of many myths about fats. Here are three more you should be aware of:

1. “All plant fats – in liquid form – are healthy.” Not so! Some of these fats are loaded with Omega-6 fatty acids. Your body only needs a small amount of Omega-6′s… and getting extra promotes systemic irritation. That’s why soybean, corn and safflower oils aren’t a good choice.
2. “Tropical oils are unhealthy.” Wrong again. Palm and coconut oils are saturated fats. But they’re not like most saturated fats, which come from animals. Tropical oils are medium-chain triglycerides, and your body reacts differently to them. In fact, studies show that coconut oil has many health benefits.
3. “It doesn’t matter how much fat you eat, as long as it’s unsaturated.” Sorry, but even healthy fats are high in calories. You should only eat modest amounts of even the healthiest fats.

So, which fats should you eat?

First, don’t eat a lot of animal fats. Our ancient ancestors ate a lot of meat… but it was game. And wild game is lean. The leaner the meat, the better.

Don’t eat too many foods high in Omega-6 fatty acids, either. It’s okay to have an ounce or so of tree nuts regularly, even though they’re high in Omega-6′s. Nuts are loaded with protein and other nutrients. Walnuts are your best choice, since they’re also high in Omega-3′s.

Many nuts are also high in healthy monounsaturated fats. As are avocados and avocado oil, olive oil and sunflower oil. Again, these are great, but only in limited quantities.

Flaxseed is a good plant source of Omega-3′s. But not flaxseed oil. It spoils too quickly. You should also know that flaxseed doesn’t contain EPA or DHA – the two heart-healthiest Omega-3′s found in fish.

Salmon, sardines, halibut and trout are great sources of these healthy fats. And so is grass-fed beef. A German study found that grass-fed beef is a full one-third higher in

Omega-3′s than grain-fed.²

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Kenneth Woliner, M.D.

1 Alcock, J., et al, “Nutrient signaling: evolutionary origins of the immune-modulating effects of dietary fat,” Q Rev Biol. Sep 2012; 87(3): 187-223.

2 Nuernberg, K., et al, “Effect of a grass-based and a concentrate feeding system on meat quality characteristics and fatty acid composition of longissimus muscle in different cattle breeds,” Livestock Production Science. Jun 2005; 94(1-2): 137–147.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

The post Busting The Fat Myths Once And For All appeared first on Best Life Herbals.

This “Hidden Epidemic” May Be the Reason

It’s funny how something can be good for you one day… but bad for you the next. Take smoking, for example.

Nowadays, we all know that cigarettes wreck your health. But when my parents were young, that wasn’t the case. Back then, magazine ads featured doctors recommending smoking as a healthy way to calm jittery nerves.

Salt has had a similar “hero to villain” transformation.

Salt was once highly valued as a preservative. And it enhances flavor. So we put salt into practically everything. Then we discovered that too much salt leads to circulation problems and heat trouble. And doctors advised everyone to cut down on salt.

Lately, we’ve seen more and more studies showing the dangers of salt, and the “no salt” message has gotten louder.

I agree completely you should avoid excess salt. But dumping the salt may be creating a new health problem. One that some researchers are saying may become an epidemic.

You see, salt is the major source of iodine in the developed world.

Only about 100 years ago, millions of people suffered from a lack of iodine. Your body needs it to make thyroid hormones. And thyroid hormones control your metabolism. So lots of people had no energy… had trouble staying warm… and suffered from stubborn weight gain.

The simple answer was to add a little iodine to table salt. Everybody use salt, and your body can easily separate out the iodine. Pretty soon, in countries like the U.S. and Canada, thyroid problems began to disappear.

Then we began to understand the problem with too much salt. So doctors began telling people to cut down. And cut down they did… in the only place they could control: at home.

Now here’s the catch. Even if you never use a single grain of added salt at home, chances are you still get a lot of it. Because it’s added to almost every food product you buy – even frozen vegetables! Most restaurant meals are also high in salt.

But almost none of the salt used by big companies and restaurants has iodine. It’s only added to the table salt you buy for your home. So many people have done away with their main source of iodine.

From the mid-1970′s to the mid-1990′s – when salt was getting it’s bad reputation – Americans cut their iodine levels by 50%.¹ And the number of Americans short on iodine went from 1 in 40 to 1 in 9.²

Now there’s a new push on to “cut the salt,” and some are warning it will lead to an epidemic of thyroid trouble.

But I’m not saying you should salt your food. Instead, be aware that cutting the salt – at home, at least – means you have to make up for the missing iodine.

The good news is that you don’t need much iodine. Only about 150 micrograms (mcg) per day. That’s 150 millionths of a gram. But even that small amount can be hard to get.

Seaweed is by far the richest natural source. One-quarter ounce contains up to 30 times your daily requirement.

Other good sources of iodine include some fish. A serving of cod, for example, delivers two-thirds of your daily requirement. Shrimp and turkey breast each contain about 20% of your daily need. A medium baked potato (skin on) has about 40%.

Women are more likely than men to be short on iodine. So for women especially, a nutritional supplement containing iodine makes sense. Look for the word “chelate” or “amino acid chelate” on the label. These forms tend to be easier to absorb.

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Kenneth Woliner, M.D.

1 Hollowell, J.G. et al, “Iodine nutrition in the United States. Trends and public health implications: iodine excretion data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys I and III (1971-1974 and 1988-1994),” J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Oct 1998; 83(10): 3401-3408.

2 Hoption Cann, S.A., “Hypothesis: dietary iodine intake in the etiology of cardiovascular disease,” J Am Coll Nutr. Feb 2006; 25(1): 1-11.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

The post Hidden reason you’re cold, tired or overweight appeared first on Best Life Herbals.

I’ve written to you about antioxidants before. These powerful molecules act like an army of defenders against damage to cells, cell walls, and even your DNA .

But one overlooked antioxidant may be an army all by itself. In fact, recent research makes this powerful free radical -fighter look a lot like a magic bullet…

It’s called Qn, and it’s a flavonoid – a type of chemical that gives plants color.

Qn (Qn) has been around for a long time. But scientists didn’t understand the potential health benefits of plant pigments until fairly recently. Even then, Qn has been studied far less than some other flavonoids.

But science is finally taking a closer look at this powerful antioxidant… and discovering some amazing properties. It turns out Qn is much more than just an antioxidant. And it may offer many important benefits – all across your body…

Eyes – In test-tube studies, English scientists confirmed that Qn acts as a powerful antioxidant in lens cells from the eye. They also discovered it may discourage cloudiness in the lens – thus promoting clearer vision.¹

Ears – Your hearing depends on “hair cells” deep inside your ears. These tiny cells are very delicate and damage easily. Using test tube and animal models, a Chinese team showed that Qn supports the health of these tiny cells – even against chemical damage.²

Lungs – More and more people today are having bad reactions to environmental pollutants. For many, the reaction involves closing up of the tiny airways in their lungs. Recent animal studies in Slovakia suggest Qn may inhibit this reaction.³

Testosterone – This hormone isn’t a body part… but it plays a critical role in many male functions. An enzyme – called UGT2B17 – naturally breaks testosterone down. If your supply of this hormone is falling – as it usually does with age – this can be a double whammy. An English team found Qn blocks the action of this enzyme in vitro.⁴

Blood Vessels – You depend on blood to deliver oxygen, nutrients and repair materials throughout your body. Release of a gas – nitric oxide (NO) – in the walls of your blood vessels opens them side for healthier blood flow. In animal studies, Mexican scientists have shown that Qn encourages production of NO within blood vessel walls.⁵

Heart – A review of studies published in Molecular Aspects of Medicine underlines Qn’s promise as a heart-health booster. According to the authors, it promotes clear arteries, healthy blood pressure, lower levels of dangerous oxidized cholesterol and normal blood flow within the heart.⁶

That’s quite a list for a tiny molecule! And now that we’re studying Qn in earnest, who knows what other health benefits we may discover?

Apples, onions, citrus fruits and tea are good sources of Qn. So are grapes, red wine, dark-colored berries and a few herbs such as Ginkgo biloba, parsley and sage.

You can also buy Qn as a nutritional supplement. It’s available alone or in some advanced health formulas.

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Kenneth Woliner, M.D.

1 Cornish, K.M., et al, “Qn metabolism in the lens: role in inhibition of hydrogen peroxide induced cataract,” Free Radical Biology and Medicine. Jul 1, 2002; 33(1): 63-70.

2 Yang, T.H., et al, “EGb 761 (Ginkgo biloba) protects cochlear hair cells against ototoxicity induced by gentamicin via reducing reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide-related apoptosis,” The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. Sep 2011; 22(9): 886–894.

3 Joskova, M., et al, “Acute bronchodilator effect of Qn in experimental allergic asthma,” Bratisl Lek Listy. 2011; 112(1): 9-12.

4 Jenkinson, C., et al, “Red wine and component flavonoids inhibit UGT2B17 in vitro,” Nutr J. Sep 7 2012; 11: 67.

5 Alarcón-Alonso, J., et al, “Pharmacological characterization of the diuretic effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn (Malvaceae) extract,”  J Ethnopharmacol. Feb 15, 2012; 139(3): 751-756

6 Perez-Vizcainoa, F. and Duarteb, J., “Flavonols and cardiovascular disease,” Molecular Aspects of Medicine. Dec, 2010; 31(6): 478–494.

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It’s the old lottery winner story… Someone wins a big jackpot. Suddenly, everyone they ever knew declares himself a long-lost friend. But they just use the winner as a stepping-stone to the money.

I’ve just seen something like that happen with a nutritional supplement I’ve been recommending to you for years.

Two breakthroughs now prove that resveratrol – a plant compound found in grape skins, red wine, peanuts and berries – is an anti-aging powerhouse. In fact, these studies are so convincing that the race is now on to develop artificial compounds that act just like resveratrol.

Wait. Let’s back up for a second. We’re so sure we’ve confirmed the Holy Grail of anti-aging… we’re dumping it by the side of the road?

That’s right. The cash is in marketing drugs, not a natural compound. So the drug companies are now in an “arms race” to develop things that aren’t resveratrol, but act just like it.

You probably won’t hear the good news from them. So here’s what these breakthroughs mean to health-conscious folks like you.

It hasn’t been tested extensively in humans, but resveratrol has had remarkable results in animal studies. It’s a potent antioxidant. But it also powers up cells’ ability to generate energy. This – in turn – seems to lead to significant health gains:

• Give it to bees, mice and flies, and they all live longer.
• Mice taking resveratrol double their physical stamina.
• On resveratrol, mice seem almost immune to the effects of age and obesity.

But there have been problems. Scientists haven’t been sure exactly how resveratrol worked. So they couldn’t be 100% confident it responsible for these effects. The bets have been that it interacts with a protein called SIRT1 – an enzyme that’s known to affect longevity. But there hasn’t been absolute proof.

Until May of last year, that is. That’s when Harvard researchers announced they’d bred a mouse with an engineered “off switch” for SIRT1.

In ordinary mice – and engineered mice with the switch on – resveratrol switches on their cellular “generators.” But flip the switch off, and mice get no benefits from taking resveratrol.¹

Now, a second Harvard-led study has filled in the one remaining puzzle piece. We now know how resveratrol interacts with SIRT1.²

The study is so convincing, it’s being reported as “conclusive evidence.” All that’s missing now are the human trials.

And there’s the problem. Drug companies won’t run these trials. Because resveratrol is natural, they can’t patent it. If they can’t patent it, they can’t make much money from it. So the race is on to create artificial compounds that work like resveratrol… which they can patent.

And we’re left with another orphan. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of resveratrol’s potential.

The few human trials to date are promising. For example, a team in Hungary discovered in 2011 that resveratrol promotes healthy insulin sensitivity.³ This shows it may support healthy blood sugar levels – a major health issue for millions.

And it’s already a proven antioxidant. Plus, we know it’s safe, and free of side effects. And it may also be behind “the French Paradox.”

The French eat a diet high in saturated fats. They also regularly drink red wine – a rich natural source of resveratrol – in moderate amounts. The French also have a remarkably low rate of serious health problems.

This is the French Paradox, and it appears to be something in the wine – resveratrol – that may be responsible.

So there are already plenty of good reasons to include resveratrol in your diet. There’s just one small problem.

A glass of red wine only contains about a half-milligram of resveratrol. It would take a lot of wine to get even close to the amounts used in studies. About 40 – 400 glasses a day… or more.

Fortunately, resveratrol is also available as a nutritional supplement. And considering its proven benefits, there’s really no reason to wait for more anti-aging studies to come in.

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Kenneth Woliner, M.D.

1 Price, N.L., “SIRT1 is required for AMPK activation and the beneficial effects of resveratrol on mitochondrial function,” Cell Metab. May 2, 2012; 15(5): 675-690.

2 Hubbard, B.P., et al, “Evidence for a Common Mechanism of SIRT1 Regulation by Allosteric Activators,” Science. Mar 8, 2013; 339(6124): 1216-1219.

3 Brasnyó, P., et al, “Resveratrol improves insulin sensitivity, reduces oxidative stress and activates the Akt pathway in type 2 diabetic patients,” Br J Nutr. Aug 2011; 106(3): 383-389.

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The Japanese “salary man” is legendary. Devoted to his employer, he works long hours, often sacrificing his outside social life for company functions – both formal and informal.

But there’s one country where the people work even longer hours, take less vacation time and retire later. Yes… it’s right here in the USA. Overall, Americans work longer, with less time off, and stay at their jobs years beyond workers in any other industrialized nation.

And a new study shows it may be taking a frightening toll on your health.

We’ve known for years that job stress has an impact on health. A 2006 British study painted a vivid picture.

Researchers at London’s University College followed more than 10,000 civil service workers for 14 years. Those with high-stress jobs were far more likely to develop…

• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar
• Dangerously large waistlines
• High triglycerides
• Low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol

In fact, having a high-stress job more than doubled the chances workers would develop at least three of these problems.¹ And that was after adjusting for variables such as age and health at the start of the study.

But a new study from Israel takes job stress a frightening step further. According to this study, if you suffer job burnout, your chances of serious heart trouble go up by more than 40%. And the risk among the study’s volunteers with the highest stress levels shot up by a whopping 79%!²

In other words, working long hours and skipping vacations may boost job security… but it also boosts the chances you won’t be able to enjoy your retirement. When you finally get there.

The Tel Aviv University study looked at 8,838 healthy workers, aged 19 to 67. The follow-up period was fairly short – only about 3-1/2 years on average.

But even in that time, a clear pattern emerged. The greater the “burnout” effect, the higher the risk of heart trouble.

So how do you know if you’re getting burned out? And – more importantly – what can you do about it?

Job burnout often involves a lack of energy and productivity, plus…

• Developing a negative attitude towards your work
• Dissatisfaction or disillusionment
• Being unmotivated to go to work or to get started on the job
• Impatience and bad temper – especially on the job

These signs may also affect your life outside of work… along with inexplicable aches and pains, changes in your appetite and sleeping patterns and even turning to food or alcohol as an escape.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can fight back.

Getting enough sleep is a good place to start. (You’ll find several helpful articles in the Journal of Healthy Living archives.) Nutritional supplements that help fight stress – such as Siberian ginseng and lavender – can also help.

Moving more is another sure-fire way to lower your stress levels. Yoga and Tai Chi are excellent ways to boost both your emotional and physical health. But any physical activity you enjoy is good.

Finally, address the problems at work. Take your lunch breaks – away from your work area. Outside the building is even better, if it’s possible. Limit your overtime. And take the vacation days you’re due… without your cell phone and laptop.

You may even be able to work with your supervisor or human resources department to ease work conditions that cause stress. Most companies realize healthy employees are more productive. And far better for the bottom line.

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Kenneth Woliner, M.D.

1 Chandola,T., et al, “Chronic stress at work and the metabolic syndrome: prospective study,” BMJ. Mar 4, 2006; 332(7540): 521-525.

2 Toker, S., et al, “Burnout and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Prospective Study of 8838 Employees,” Psychosomatic Medicine. Oct 2012; 74(8): 840-847.

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You probably know that over-exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays is a major cause of older-looking skin. UV light damages your skin by creating free radicals.

To fight this damage, your skin needs lots of antioxidant support. Twenty years ago Tufts University researchers found an antioxidant that works far better than even Beta-carotene.¹ And one of the best sources of this nutrient is a favorite dessert.

The nutrient is lycopene. It’s what gives tomatoes their red color. But ounce for ounce, you’ll get 40% more of it from… watermelon.

That’s right. The sweet treat your parents probably wrote off as “nothing but sugar and water” is actually a rich source of vitamins A, C, B-6, and thiamin… and the antioxidant lycopene.

Helping your skin fight a major cause of wrinkles is just a start. Lycopene does a lot more to help fight the effects of aging, too.

Take your arteries, for example. Clear, flexible arteries are critical for keeping your blood flowing smoothly. When arteries become stiff and clogged, you’re heading for serious heart trouble.

A European team tested several tested several antioxidants and lycopene stood out. It was the only substance they tested that had a clear link to clean arteries. The more lycopene people had in their blood, the less their risk of clogged arteries.²

Three years later, a team in Finland looked just at lycopene. In their study, men with the highest levels of lycopene had the least thickening in their blood vessel walls.³ Which is a fancy way to say their arteries essentially appeared younger.

A recent review of studies by Italian scientists may help explain how lycopene works. They found that most human studies show that lycopene supports lower levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.⁴ And cholesterol deposits lead to clogged arteries.

Here’s another of lycopene’s anti-aging tricks. A Finnish study from the journal Neurology found it may promote blood vessel health in your brain.

Men with high levels of lycopene had less than half the chance of dangerous blood vessel damage in their brain than men with low levels.⁵ And if a healthy brain doesn’t help keep you feeling younger, I don’t know what will.

Prostate problems are a serious issue for you men as you get older. In fact, there’s a good chance you’ve started to develop prostate trouble by the time you’re 40… even if you won’t notice it for a few more years.

An enlarged prostate can make urination painful or difficult. It can make it hard to empty your bladder, so you have to go more often. And, it can mean a lot of trips to the bathroom during the night… wrecking your sleep.

Lycopene can help. A 2008 German study looked at a group of men with expanding prostate glands. Half the men were given lycopene, while the other half took a placebo. After 6 months, prostate growth had stopped in the lycopene group… but not in the placebo group.⁶

Tomatoes are the most common source of lycopene. Watermelon is a far better source than raw tomatoes. Pink grapefruit and guava also contain a fair amount.

But most of us probably don’t eat these foods every day. To ensure you get plenty of lycopene, you can use a nutritional supplement. Lycopene is available alone, or as part of many nutritional formulas.

There are no government guidelines for lycopene. But lycopene is thought to be generally safe. Up to 10 – 15 mg a day appears to be safe for long-term use.

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Kenneth Woliner, M.D.

1 Ribaya-Mercado, J.D., et al, “Skin lycopene is destroyed preferentially over beta-carotene during ultraviolet irradiation in humans,” J Nutr. Jul 1995; 125(7): 1854-1859.

2 Klipstein-Grobusch, K., et al, “Serum carotenoids and atherosclerosis: The Rotterdam Study,” Atherosclerosis. Jan 2000: 148(1): 49–56.

3 Rissanen, T.H., et al, “Serum lycopene concentrations and carotid atherosclerosis: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study,” Am J Clin Nutr. Jan 2003; 77(1): 133-138.

4 Palozza, P., “Effect of lycopene and tomato products on cholesterol metabolism,” Ann Nutr Metab. 2012; 61(2): 126-134.

5 Karppi, J., et al, “Serum lycopene decreases the risk of stroke in men: A population-based follow-up study,” Neurology. Oct 9, 2012; 79(15): 1540-1547.

6 Schwarz, S., et al, “Lycopene inhibits disease progression in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia,” J Nutr. Jan 2008; 138(1): 49-53.

The post Surprising Source Packs Huge Anti-aging Power appeared first on Best Life Herbals.

Americans spend more than twice as much, per person, on healthcare than any other developed nation. Yet Americans don’t live longer. According to government figures, Americans rank 51^st in lifespan… behind countries such as Greece, Jordan and Bosnia.

Different groups have done a lot of arguing about the cause of this “lifespan gap.” But a recent study shed some real light on the problem. Today, let’s look at that study… and at three easy ways you can narrow the gap for yourself.

As you probably know, a country’s “average” lifespan includes everyone who’s born and dies there. So, where infant mortality is high, the average lifespan is low… even if everyone who survives childhood lives to 100.

A clever researcher at the University of Pennsylvania used this fact to break down data from the US. And she discovered that deaths before the age of 50 made up two-thirds of the difference between the lifespan here and in longer-lived countries.¹

In other words, if you make it past 50, your chances of a long life get a whole lot better.

But the researcher went further and looked at the causes of death. And discovered that many of the most common factors in deaths under 50 are entirely preventable.

Three brand-new studies have brought some of these preventable causes to light. Here’s what they are… and how you can cut your risk.

When it comes to killers, this one’s everywhere. And, according to research presented to a recent American Heart Association (AHA) symposium, it contributed to 2.3 million deaths in 2010.²

It’s salt… and it an analysis of 20 years of health data shows it plays a big part in deaths from heart trouble. In the U.S., it was linked to 10% of all heart-related deaths in 2010. But you can avoid it pretty easily.

Avoid most packaged foods and restaurant meals, both of which are high in sodium. Prepare most of your meals at home, from fresh ingredients. Not only will your food taste better, your heart will be healthier for it, too.

The second culprit is even easier to avoid.

A second analysis from the AHA gathering pointed its finger at another favorite: sugary drinks. Based on the available data, a Harvard University researcher calculates sugary sodas and fruit juice drinks accounted for 184,000 deaths in 2010 alone.³

If you drink sugar-sweetened beverages at all, chances are you drink too much. The AHA recommends getting no more than 450 calories a week from these drinks. That’s just three 12-ounce cans of soda per week.

But it’s easy to replace sugary drinks. Try decaffeinated iced green tea… or even plain water with a twist of lemon or lime for flavor.

Our third culprit is a growing – and dangerous trend. Energy drinks. Most are loaded with both caffeine and sugar. And jumbo-sized cans are the order of the day.

Researchers have recently linked energy drinks to higher blood pressure and potentially fatal irregular heartbeats. And even just one can could lead to problems with your heart’s rhythm.⁴

When it comes to your lifespan, there’s a lot you can’t control. But these are three risk factors you can. Avoid them, and your chances of living a longer, healthier life go up.

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Kenneth Woliner, M.D.

1 Ho, J.Y., “Mortality Under Age 50 Accounts For Much Of The Fact That US Life Expectancy Lags That Of Other High-Income Countries,” Health Aff. Mar 2013; 32(3): 459-467.

2 “Eating Too Much Salt Led to 2.3 Million Heart-Related Deaths Worldwide in 2010,” Science Daily. Mar 21, 2013.

3 “Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Linked to About 180,000 Deaths Annually,” Scitechdaily.com. Mar 25, 2013.

4 “Energy drinks may increase blood pressure, disturb heart rhythm,” American Heart Association. Mar 21, 2013 .

The post How to Narrow Your “Lifespan Gap” appeared first on Best Life Herbals.