65 begins at 25.

Naturally, 25–30 years-old don't think much about 30 years into the future. A happy, prosperous retirement, though, needs planning. We plan our 401K's life insurance, and long-care disability. Health planning Is crucial too. Is there such a thing?

Like death and taxes, Aging is unavoidable. It will affect the quality of our "golden years". An active, freedom-filled retirement needs planning or we'll end up with the typical version- landing in lots of doctor’s offices.

Let's start some facts:

• 97% of Americans do not eat right, exercise enough, keep body fat under control, and avoid smoking. All four are indicators of future health.
• 94% of Americans under-consume one or more nutrients. 
• only 12% of 51+ years olds eat the recommended fruits and veggies. It's less for younger adults.
• Genes impact only 25%, at most, of our health. The rest is lifestyle.

Reality check!

• We aren't as healthy as we think we are. 
• We certainly aren't getting all our nutrients, even with a good diet. 
• Nutrient intervention through supplements is a good option. 

If we don’t intake all our essential nutrients, our bodies cannot function to their ideal capacity and efficiency. Keeping reading for what's "enough." Here, though,is one example of how aging accelerates with just one nutritional deficiency. 

Our faulty "early detection system."

Early micro-deficiencies or deficiencies go unnoticed. Young bodies “fudge” a lot without feeling the lack of fundamental nutrition. Hitting the bars? Living on ramen noodles or take-out? Vegetarian and vegan diets? Working their butts off? Smoking and vaping? Too hearty workouts or sports injuries? Binging on social media or binging TV when they finally get downtime? Young bodies get away with a lot before the toll adds up. The complaints starts around age 35.

Can vitamins be a "life hack" to increase our "good" retirement chances? 

I never recommend "living on" supplements! When combined with healthy lifestyle habits, the right supplement support at the right science-based levels appear to be beneficial.

How the right supplement helped reduce future risks.

Multiple studies of people who took a full range of supplements from my go-to brand**, consistently over time, has been shown in multiple published, peer-reviewed papers, to have 

• Longer telomeres: In all age groups, the multiple supplement groups had significantly longer telomere lengths in as little as 5 years of multi-supplement use. Longer telomeres mean healthier chromosomes. Participants in their upper 70's had telomere lengths of 40 year olds.
• Less illness for multiple supplement users verses no supplement users: 66% less diabetes and 43% few incidents of heart attack 
• Healthier blood markers. In 7 markers studied,such as their cholesterol and c-reactive protein (a measure of inflammation), multiple supplement uses had significantly better markers. 
• The cardiovascular benefits were retained a decade later.
• 84% percent rated their health as great. (vs 17.7% of the "normal" population). 

**One reason I trust this brand is that they are the only supplement company in the world who has done these studies.

These folks made a good investment for their long-term health and their investment paid off wonderfully. Can you see any reason not to explore the benefits an ample supply of nutrition so your body never fudges? 

I’m right here for your long-term benefit too. Why not set up a 10-minute chat and see if what I have will serve your health goals? 

Thanks for reading!

Food for thought: Brains are picky FUEL HOGS.

Brains, compared to the rest of the adult body, are small- about 3 pounds. Oh that little organ is a downright fuel hog! Oh Audrey, move over!

Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors

Brains suck up around 20% of the food we digest and the oxygen we breath. What else can we expect from our control center organ that runs the whole show of body and brain mechanics?

I invite you to take a moment and get a grasp of what’s going on and the boat load of chemical reactions necessary to even convert food to body energy. Ukrainian Scientist known on Wikipedia as Zlir’a, illustrated a very cool image representing the core series of chemical reactions required. And, see that little circle in the lower center? That little part alone is this. Just WOW! Our bodies are truly fearfully (as in deserving of awe and respect) and wonderfully made! 

What does this ever-hungry organ really need to remain fully functional for a lifetime? 

I appreciate Dr. Eva Selhub’s Harvard Health blog analogy of food fuel types. A high-performance car can't be fueled with low premium gas then expected to supply top notch performance and longevity, right?. Same for a brain! Here's a refresher on the brain fuel we should be eating. 

What is less known is the impact of low quality fuel on brains. 

Dr. Selhub writes: 

“Diets high in refined sugars**, for example, are harmful to the brain.” All that refined sugar requires more Insulin into the brain to digest those sugars. The chronic presence of too much sugar leads to Insulin resistance that “may damage the cognitive system and lead to dementia states.”­

 

**refined sugars include all “white foods” - breads, bakery, pastas, rice, potatoes, etc. Dementia, in some circles is called Diabetes Type III.

If we want to have brains that function well all our lives, it's not about our genes, it's about our lifestyle. We need to take responsibility and feed the brain premium fuel. Yes, that means squelching impulses and excuses with self-control and reality. At the most basic level, brains want:

1. Loads of nutrients - beaucoup vegetables, high quality proteins and fiber rich meals.  
2. Exercise 
3. Stimulation
4. And a modest, yet full range of supplements that reduce the risk of disease, especially diabetes and heart disease.

I welcome you to schedule a 10 minute chat to explore targeted brain support programs and what that may look like for you.

 

Are Your Cleaning Products Affecting Your Mood?

You're not going to see the same old info about cleaning products in this blog. 

There's already a lot written on the health impacts of household chemicals, cancer, asthma, and more. But how do they relate to our moods and mental health?

In this blog, you'll find"

• Household chemical use and some concerns with mood and mental health
• Some challenges in looking at household chemicals
• Already using "green"? You may be "green washed"! It's worth a deeper look.

Household chemicals and mood

A single blog can not embrace all the ways chemicals may or may not affect body and brain health. That's why taking a look at what's under my client's kitchen sink is part of my consultation process. (Click here to learn about consultations). Today, I'll consider three categories of household products that related to mood and mental health. 

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s).  If the product smells, it has VOC’s, meaning it releases smelly molecules into the air that we can breath in. Examples of VOC containing products are air fresheners, dryer sheets, laundry products, scented candles, "fresh lemon scent", bleach, ammonia, vinegar, etc. Not all are harmful obviously but some are a big problem.

Researchers found air fresheners were associated with postpartum depression and the infants suffered significantly more diarrhea and earaches. If sprays were used, the babies vomited more often. HOW AWFUL!  I won't even get started on dryer sheets but to say, except for a very few brands, get them OUT of your house! 

Another VOC, bleach, is a chemical that I would not open anywhere near a child with ADD/ADHD or skin issues.

Flame retardants used in foam furniture, foamy baby and pet toys, baby clothes, electronics, TV’s, and more, were linked by scientists to anxiety and antisocial behavior in animals. That research is fairly new (2019) and human studies are rare. We do know human skin cells accumulate and breakdown these chemicals and can theorize more anxiety and antisocial behavior may occur in humans too.

Chemicals with lots of carbons and fluorine:– PFAS, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PTFE, PFTO, PFBS. These chemicals are everywhere and have been readily found in humans. Yes, you too. The chemicals are used to resist greasy absorption in microwave popcorn bags, food wrappers, stain resistant coatings on furniture and carpeting, cleaning products, cosmetics and skin care, paints varnishes, and more. Prenatal exposure to these chemicals have been linked to hyperactivity and focus and obesity. 

What to do? 

Take a look under your kitchen sink and start reading labels! 

• If any ingredients start with polyfluro (or PF..) – STOP! This site has a list of polyfluoro compounds.
• Use fragrance free products.
• Rid the house of most air commerical fresheners, candles, and dryer sheets.
• Eat less processed food so you are exposed to less food packaging.
• Let professionals handle pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Look for pest control operators who are using the most non-toxic pest control.

What about switching to "green" cleaners?
The label on your household products may say or look “green.” Are they truly better for you and for the environment? A deeper look entails these questions:

• How can you tell? I'll explain the four standards I use in just a bit.
• Why do many brands price their products high and embrace an elitist tilt?
• Why do green brands ship water all over the country and waste all those plastic bottles just to make us re-purchase them often? 
• Why do brands offer so many products? Do we really need a special cleaning for every task?

Here is what I found - my favorite green cleaners. 

I started using Get Clean when my baby started crawling on the floor. I knew she would be exposed cleaning product residues and had to do something! I love that these cleaners fit my four true green qualifications, meaning they are  non-toxic AND biodegradable AND multi-tasking, AND safely concentrated. They are also made Shaklee, totally carbon neutral since Y2K.

I hit all the questions above in one swoop - most of my cleaning is done with one product, Basic H2. I add the water at my own sink for three different dilutions. I have reused the same three spray bottles for years and I save a boat load of money. Paying 30 cents a gallon for countertop cleaner vs. $4 a 32 oz bottle for the fancy green brands is a game-changer! And the Fresh Laundry? It says 32 loads, but I get more like 45 and don't need an extra rinse.

I hope you'll enjoy saving that much too!

Thanks for reading!

Brain to Heart: It's not Heads or Tails

A healthy brain has a healthy heart to thank. Anything that diminishes the heart also diminishes the brain, with less oxygen and fewer vital nutrients getting to that great, grey-mattered energy hog.

 

Americans truly play heads or tails with heart health. Nearly half of Americans will have some sort of cardiovascular disease. HALF is a lot of Americans “losing”. 

 

In this blog, you'll see some examples of common laboratory tests your doctor likely uses to assess your heart health and help you win your health health bet.

 

Knowing your numbers and 

what they mean 

gives you great advantage 

for better heart health. 

 

This blog will help you understand 

your numbers.

 

In my next blog, I’ll share some natural solutions for better heart health numbers. Subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of my website or follow me on LinkedIn, FaceBook, or Instagram to know when I've posted.

What are some lab clues doctors use to assess heart health? 

• C-reactive Protein 
• HDL / LDL Ratio 
• Homocysteine
  
• Fibrinogen
• Sometimes electrolytes
  

C-reactive Protein is a measure of inflammation. 

When “bad” cholesterol (LDL or Low Density Lipids) stick on an artery wall, the artery becomes irritated. The immune system wakes up to battle the irritants. The "battle" process causes inflammation. Several chemical and biological reactions later, special garbage collecting cells (macrophages) are sent to encase, devour, and remove the "neutralized" LDL. But LDL is sticky! Instead of removing the waste, everything stays stuck. A plaque starts building on the artery walls causing them to "harden" (arteriosclerosis). As long as more sticky LDL particles keep coming, there's more inflammation, more macrophages, more plaque and higher C-reactive protein.

LDL / HDL ratio.  

HDL cholesterol or high density lipids are a denser, smaller type of cholesterol. HDL is “good” because it scrubs off that fatty, sticky, LDL cholesterol from arterial walls, carrying them away to the liver for removal or recycling. A lot of HDL is good! If you want to know your ratio, divide the LDL number in your lab results by the HDL number. Your lab results may already include the ratio. Look for rations under 3.6 for men and 3.1 for women.

 

Homocysteine:  

We mostly get homocysteine from the animal proteins we eat. We need this chemical to make other chemicals that help, for instance, the immune system and liver. Too much is a problem. Low B vitamins levels and excess alcohol also interfere with the breakdown of homocysteine. 

 

High levels of homocysteine (>10 mcmol/liter) indicate that we not breaking homocysteine down into the other chemicals. High levels are associated with arteriosclerosis, reduced blood flow, blood clots, stroke, dementia... not good. High levels occur most in people who eat a lot of animal meat, few fruits and vegetables, and have low nutrient levels. Homocysteine levels may not be very useful for people who already have arteriosclerosis.

Fibrinogen: Fibrinogen is produced to stop a bleeding wound. It makes the blood thicker and stickier. Click here for a Reader’s Digest article that nicely explains fibrinogen. Fibrinogen assays indicate inflammation and how likely clots might form in arteries. Levels greater then 3.43 g/L (343 mg/dl) indicate a significantly higher risk of heart disease.  

 

Electrolytes: A careful balance of ion-forming metal salts of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium are key nutrients for creating a regular heart beat. Many people have very high sodium levels. Potassium though, is a common deficiency. Balance is key. Aim for the middle of the ranges. Click here to get the full story.

 

Keep your own eye on your numbers.

When your doctor orders blood tests, compare your past blood tests with your newest numbers. Look for changes. You could have “normal” numbers now, but which way are they going?

 

Ask your doctor if they have any concerns about your heart health both for now and in the future based on the trends?

When the numbers are going in a downhill trend, gear up for a call to action! My next blog will help you raise your odds for natural support for better heart health.