I, Joan O’Keefe, hereby admit that I HATE to be cold. I am a California girl and I despise the cold. However, I’ll be the first to tell you that the weather is NO excuse for not exercising.

I’ve said it before – exercise is vital. You must do something every day. The benefits of exercise are only 25 hours long. Of course, exercise will help you lose weight, but the benefits of exercise are more than just the calories burned during your workout. Exercise makes you calmer, lowers stress hormones, it blows out the cobwebs, letting you think more clearly and making you a nicer person – Just ask my husband. There are times when he will get this look on his face and say as kindly as can be, “Joan, maybe you need to go exercise.” I am crabby, grumpy and generally unpleasant to be around if I haven’t exercised. He can tell if I need to lower my stress hormones!

Exercise also improves sleep and builds muscle. Building muscle is huge. If you are not exercising and using your muscles, you lose muscle and if you lose it, you’ll have to eat less because you’re not burning calories. Exercise increases your metabolism for the next 24 hours and you’ll burn more calories all day. Exercise + following the Forever Young Diet and Lifestyle + CardioTea (my personal secret weapon) + portion control all equal weight loss.

So, what’s a girl who hates the cold to do all winter long? Move the workout indoors. You always have a choice. Say you have four kids and you’re stuck indoors in an ice storm with no chance of making it to a gym. What do you do? Run your stairs! Do it for 30 minutes. I’m not talking taking laundry up a couple of times, I want you to put on your sneakers, start in the basement if you have one, and head to the top floor. Go downstairs and repeat – for 30 minutes straight. You’ll know you’ve done something after this.
I also suggest trying new classes. Winter is the perfect time for this. Many gyms run the best promotions of the year in January. Get in there and try a new class – you’re guaranteed to be with other beginners this time of year. Try yoga, pilates, even spinning. Just be sure to shake it up. Do something Tuesday/Thursday and something different the other days. Make it fun. Join an indoor pool. Let the kids play and then swim some laps yourself.

Now, if you don’t mind the cold, options abound for you. My husband, a North Dakota native, loves the cold. He finds early morning frigid temperatures exhilarating. So, if you’re like James and the cold doesn’t bother you, bundle up, get out there and skate, run or walk, or better yet, try interval training. Walk a block, run two, etc.

Please take my advice and don’t let old man winter keep you from exercising and being the best you can be!

It’s back to school time and nothing can ruin teens’ confidence (or adults for that matter) like acne can. We know that your diet affects your complexion. My teenage son is the perfect example. He is so sensitive to the wrong things in his diet that even a piece of bread shows up on his skin. He’s so acutely aware of this that he won’t even go near starches – and he’s a seventeen year old boy!

Believe it or not, the same dietary issues we talk about as the roots of diabetes and heart disease also cause acne in our kids (and adults). When you eat junk, aka pop tarts, soda pop, chips and cookies, sugary cereals, etc. you are eating what dietitians call easily digested carbohydrate (EDC). EDC are such small molecules that when you eat them, they go straight to the stomach and barely any digestion is needed. EDC causes an immediate blood sugar spike. And guess what? That spike feels good. You get a sugar rush and a serotonin release, but then your blood sugar crashes and when you take that turn, you get irritable and crabby and low energy and that makes you want to eat more EDC and spike that sugar again. Spiking and crashing goes on all day from morning until night. Every spike and crash causes inflammation and inflammation leads to disease. In teens and even some adults, that inflammation manifests itself as acne.

When you stop spiking and crashing your sugar, your skin clears. How do you do that? By eating a diet of fruits and vegetables and lean protein. Replace the morning pop tarts with lean protein and two colors from fruits or vegetables. In fact, two colors and a lean protein choice should be the rule morning, noon and night. This keeps your blood sugar nice and even and prevents those inflammation-causing spikes. Remember, nothing tastes that good to be worth having really bad skin. Why resort to potentially dangerous drugs like Accutane and others if you don’t have to?

Remember,
Fruits and Vegetables
+
Protein
=
Clear Skin.

Next week – My teenage daughter tests our spiking and crashing theory – and the results aren’t pretty!

Be honest. How many times have you or your children had one of these? This slide show may be enough to swear you off any of these so called “drinks” forever. Did you know that one Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water (1 bottle, 20 fl oz) has as much sugar as two Good Humor Chocolate Éclair bars? The word antioxidant in the name can easily trick people into thinking this “water” is healthy. Not so folks.

The simple truth is, your body wants nothing more than just plain water.

Think of a rain forest trying to survive without the rain. It would dry up and turn brown like the desert. And we expect our body’s to survive without the same nourishment. What would happen to your car if you decided to stop feeding it gasoline and went with something cheaper or more convenient instead? You need six to eight glasses of water every day. No exceptions. Coffee and tea are fine as long as you do not add high fat creamers, sugar, or non-nutritive sweeteners (Stevia, NutriSweet, Splenda, and aspartame). Remember no caffeine after noon.

Here are some healthy options: (reposted from my June 8 blog, “Free Soda Pop Today: At Your Child’s School.”

-Water: Learn to drink water again. Everything does not have to be flavored.
-Tea and Coffee (limit caffeine after noon and avoid sweeteners) Be careful! We mean tea bags in water when we say tea; not bottled green teas, etc. Even tea from the soda fountain can be full of sugar. Drink only unsweetened green or black tea.
-Sparkling waters (we like LaCroix, Mendota Springs and Ice Mountain)
-Have access to ice and a water cooler and provide cups – getting water needs to be as convenient as getting a can of soda pop (and providing it free of charge helps).

James and I banter all the time about nutrition and health matters. Most of the time we agree, but not always. For years I’d tell him that I just didn’t like non nutritive sweeteners and he’d say, “let people have something sweet. It’s fine.” I’d say, “No. I know there’s something not right with them. None of my clients lose weight when they’re using these.” And now, research is catching up with my observations. Recent research indicates that the use of non-nutritive (some might call them artificial) sweeteners increases one’s chances of developing the metabolic syndrome by up to 40 percent. Finally, my husband caved. He’ll even admit – I win this one.

I have never liked non-nutritive sweeteners. People call them artificial sweeteners, but that’s a misnomer. I prefer to call them non-nutritive sweeteners. I think there is a whole host of things wrong with them – especially when they’re given to kids. And it’s all of them: stevia, truvia, aspartame, splenda, nutrisweet, etc. It doesn’t matter if they’re “naturally sourced.” Our bodies still react to them.

When you eat non-nutritive sweeteners, your body senses the sweet taste and gears up your metabolism to break it down. However, you’ve just provided your body with no calories and your body is now looking for those calories. When you start your morning with non-nutritive sweetener, say Stevia, in your coffee, you are going to end up hunting for sweets all day. Chances are you’ll also eat more calories in the day. Research shows that those with no non-nutritive sweeteners in their diets eat approximately 1/3 fewer calories per day. You’re also increasing your chances of developing the metabolic syndrome by up to 40%. And guess what folks? When you get the metabolic syndrome, you are knocking on diabetes’ door.

I have heard from many people that have read our book and then shared with me the same testimonial. They all say, “I’m not perfect, but I did cut all non-nutritive sweeteners from my diet and I’ve now lost 40, 50, 60 pounds.” Then they all ask me why no one ever told them to cut non-nutritive sweeteners before.

Many people also want to know what I use for sweetener. I honestly don’t use sweeteners. Naturally sweet (from fruit, etc) is an acquired taste, but you can do it! If you must have a sweetener, try something completely natural, like:
• Honey
• Agave Nectar
Please use only a very small amount of these and then gradually wean yourself away from them. This will help you avoid blood sugar spikes and crashes caused by simple molecules (sugar and easily digested carbohydrate) entering your body. These are the same spikes and crashes that will eventually make you insulin resistant and/or diabetic.

And remember, sugar and non-nutritive sweeteners come in all shapes and forms. Watch for it in:
• Drinks
• Packaged foods
• Diet or fat-free jellos and puddings
• Yogurts
• Lite or fat-free packaged foods

Osteoporosis is a condition of decreased bone mass. You may have had a bone density screening in the past to test for signs of osteoporosis. Normal bones have small holes throughout, but an osteoporotic bone has large holes or appears “porous.” These large holes or pores are caused by insufficient amounts of calcium in the bones and many factors contribute to this. Inadequate calcium intake is one factor, but other lifestyle habits can be leeching calcium from your bones as well. Even if you already have osteoporosis or are at risk for the condition, there are lifestyle changes that you can make now that will help make your bones stronger and help you prevent the bone fractures all too common with osteoporosis.

8 Simple Lifestyle Steps for Preventing Osteoporosis

1. Adequate Calcium Intake – You’ve heard it time and time again and this one is never going to change. You’ve got to get enough calcium folks! Calcium in milk has a greater bioavailability than calcium in supplements, but if you can’t do milk products, supplements will suffice. If you simply don’t prefer milk products, please at least split the difference. I recommend taking your calcium plus vitamin D supplement with milk. This is a simple way to try to fool the body into thinking that the calcium supplement is as bioavailable as the calcium in milk.

2. Vitamin D – Calcium is not absorbed as well without vitamin D available in the system. Those with low Vitamin D levels do not absorb calcium well. Make sure you get your vitamin D levels checked and keep them up. Make sure you take your calcium with vitamin D.

3. Watch Your Sodium Intake.  Sodium will leech calcium from your bones. Keep your sodium intake to less than 1500 mg per day. The salt shaker is completely off limits, folks. Strictly limit processed foods and limit eating out – both are terrific sources of sodium. Sodium does occur naturally in milk and meats; however, you need these in your diet (see #1). Meats are complete protein sources and they are necessary to build and rebuild muscle mass broken down with exercise. Try whey protein isolate (I like CardioWhey ). Whey protein is not only a complete protein with every amino acid, but is a terrific way to build muscle and contains very little to no fat and sodium.

4. Alcohol.  Limit your alcohol consumption to one drink per day at the most. Consuming more than one drink per day is a risk factor for bone loss.

5. Pump Some Iron.  Weight lifting is very important for preventing osteoporosis, but why? When you work your upper body and build a strong core, you are building a strong, stable body. The more muscle you have, the more your bones have to carry around all day – and this is a good thing! More muscles lead to stronger bones.

6. Skip the Elliptical and Stair Climbing Machine.  Instead, run walk or jump. Good “pounding” exercises like these will strengthen your bones while whittling your weight. Jumping is the most effective bone building cardiovascular exercise that we know. Jump rope, do jumping jacks, jump on the kids’ trampoline, anything will work.

7. Follow exercise with whey protein.  Use whey within one hour of your workout (before or after). Working out breaks down muscles and whey protein gives the body the tools it needs to rebuild those muscles.

8. Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables.  Fruits and veggies are incredibly important as they help to prevent the leeching of calcium from your bones. Fruits and vegetables help balance the acid: base ratio in your body. Junk foods like cookies, donuts and potato chips make your body more acidic and this promotes calcium leeching from the bones. Excess sodium, junk food, and even meats will increase the acidity of your body’s fluids, but colorful fruits and vegetables will help to balance it and in turn help keep calcium in your bones where it belongs.

For more information about osteoporosis click here.

Q. Do you have any thoughts on the validity of the benefits of kombucha?

A. We thought this was such a good question that we want to share the answer with all of you. First and foremost, realize that we are evidence-based practitioners. There are supplements that we recommend, but all of them have significant science backing their use. If we’re going to recommend something, you’d better show us the science!

Kombucha is a combination of bacteria and yeast that is added to black tea and sugar and allowed to ferment. There are no human scientific studies supporting the use of this concoction. Most of the reported benefits are simply from people’s stories and are heresy, not science. There are some animal studies, but kombucha there is no scientific evidence of benefits in humans.

The thing that really worries us about kombucha is that there are risks involved. Risks include allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, and contamination. There have even been reports of metabolic acidosis with kombucha. With a concoction like this it is really the nature of the beast that contamination may often exist.
We cannot recommend kombucha. Right now, as far as the science is concerned, the risks definitely outweigh the benefits.

Good Things are In-Season Now.

If you haven’t been through the produce section of your local supermarket lately, now is your time to get there!  Move away from the frozen fruits and vegetables and check out what’s fresh.  I try to buy organic whenever possible, but realistically, this is still expensive to do.  Even more important than organic on my list: buying local.  

Locally grown produce is available at your neighborhood supermarket or farmers’ market.  The benefits of buying local are many fold.

• Buying locally grown produce helps your local economy.
• When grown locally, transportation time is null.  Your fruits and veggies get from the farm to your plate in a much shorter time than if they’re grown somewhere in South America.  Travel time is huge for retaining nutrients.  The lesser the time in transit, the more nutrient dense your produce will be.  (Less time in transit also equals less gas used – you’re benefitting the environment!)

The most important thing when buying produce is to buy a variety of colors as every color is associated with a different type of antioxidant behavior.  Again, I buy organic when possible, but ultimately, it’s the look and firmness of the fruit or vegetable that sells me.  Just always make sure to wash your fresh produce thoroughly.

Springtime Fresh Fruits and Veggies You’ve Got to Try:

Have you noticed the strawberries this spring?  They’ve been gorgeous this year.  It’s only Tuesday and our family is on our second case this week!  We cut them up and serve with dinner – a giant bowl is gone in minutes at our house.  They taste great and are loaded with antioxidants.  They’re a power food!

Clementine oranges are affordable by the case right now.  They’re easy to peel and you can eat two or three at a pop.  A plus – kids love them!

Asparagus is everywhere this month.  We brush it with olive oil and a little Mrs. Dash or other salt-free seasoning and grill it on foil outside.  Grill it just enough so that it’s a little soft outside and crunchy on the inside.  This is another kid favorite and is high in vitamin C, and has a ton of antioxidant behavior. 

Artichokes are another seasonal veggie that are often overlooked.  They’ve looked great lately, too.  We simply steam them, pull off the leaves and eat the bottoms.  Then be sure to pull the ends of the leaves and eat the heart.  At dinner, we make two artichokes and everyone shares (except the heart – there is always a fight for that at our house)!

The weather is wonderful and the sidewalks are full of folks walking, jogging and playing outdoors. If you want to feel your best and look terrific, get out there and join them!

You are only as good as what you did yesterday. When clients tell me they were track stars in college or played competitive tennis into their thirties, I say great, but what have you done for me lately?

The benefits of exercise are only 24 hours old. You must do something every day to thrive. Daily exercise will not only make you look your best, but will truly alter the way you feel and the time you spend exercising, you’ll make it back during the day. You’ll literally be able to get done in eight hours what it takes couch potatoes nine hours to do. I should know; as the mother of four, I need every extra minute I can get.

Get your exercise today and reap these benefits and more tomorrow:

You’ll burn more calories. Exercise boosts your metabolism and that boost will last for a full 24 hours, making you a calorie burning machine.

As we age, we naturally lose muscle. Exercise helps you keep that muscle and the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn.

Exercise makes your brain run more efficiently. It boosts your mood. Whenever I’m short with my family or grumpy in the evening, James will say very kindly, “Joan, did you exercise today?” He knows I’m nicer, gentler and kinder when I exercise. He knows me too well and usually, he’s right. Daily exercise is the key to my mood.

Daily exercise is the number one thing you can easily do to fight off dementia.

What kind of exercise is best? The kind you enjoy. Whether it’s walking or jumping or dancing, do something you enjoy. Just make sure you mix it up. If you do the same thing day in and day out, your body will adapt so change your routine by increasing workout time and/or intensity. Do a variety of activities in the same week. Make sure you include some light weight training (keeps your bones healthy) and stretching along with your cardiovascular routine. Try walking, jogging, bike riding, yoga stretching and light weight lifting. Your mind and body will thank you.

What you are about to read is not exact science. It’s an observation, but a scary one. It’s an area that I think we need to start researching. In my practice I have seen a lot of kidney failure recently. It’s been mainly men around 50-70 years old. The thing they all have in common though is that they come to me taking huge amounts of supplements, sometimes 35, 45, even 50 pills a day thinking that this will make them healthy. They’re taking so many things and it can be a little bit of a whole lot of different supplements or a lot of just a few kinds, but I’m seeing them in kidney failure.
This same age group is also taking a lot of prescription medications. When they add ridiculous numbers of supplements on top of their prescriptions, plus what normal aging does on its own, their kidneys are just shutting down. I’ve seen this eight different times in the last six months and it scares me. Where there is smoke there is fire. I’m not sure what the connection is between large doses of supplements (unnecessary supplements) and renal failure, but it sure looks like there is one.
One gentleman’s labs showed renal problems and it turned out he was taking 50 supplement pills a day. A lot of you are probably asking why. As you know, misinformation abounds. He had been advised at a health food store to take various things and he was self-medicating with things he’d read about online and seen on the news. He thought these were all good for him and was taking them in addition to his prescription medications. This relates to renal failure because your kidneys have to process everything you take in, the supplements, the prescriptions, everything and they just shut down.
Again, these are just observations, but they are affecting my practice. I’m now asking people for any additional supplements they’re taking in addition to what they’re naming and I’m looking at their renal function.

By Joan O’Keefe

Thanksgiving at the O’Keefe house is festive and fun, yet healthy. Sure, we splurge a little, but our menu is still colorful and fresh. Below is the O’Keefe Thanksgiving meal plan:

Turkey
You can’t go wrong with this healthy source of lean protein.

Mixed Green Salad
I like to mix baby greens, spinach, hearts of palm, cucumbers, tomatoes, anything to add color into a salad. Drizzle the salad with light vinaigrette (olive oil and balsalmic vinegar), sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese and garnish with pimento.

Fruit Salad
Another easy way to add color, not calories to your meal. Slice fresh, colorful fruits like strawberries, blueberries, grapes, pineapples, cantaloupe, even apples and bananas (the more color the better) and serve chilled.

Green Beans Almondine
Again, simplicity is key. I simply use chicken broth in the steamer instead of water and steam green beans as usual, when done toss with Benacol and sliced almonds.

Sweet Potatoes
My kids have never been fans of sweet potato casseroles, but baked sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon is a healthy option.

Pumpkin Soup
A simple recipe, as delicious as it is nutritious. See the recipe in the section below.

Cranberries
While festive, most cranberry sauces have far too much sugar. I recommend making your own, but only using 1/3 the sugar from the recipe on fresh cranberry packages – try adding some sliced apple to tame the tart.

Whole Grain Rolls
We serve these warm, on the side, and not before the meal!

Pumpkin Pie
We do serve the traditional pumpkin pie, but I do use only nonfat condensed milk and a lowfat pie crust. Just remember – portion control!

Red Wine
For the adults, of course. One drink per day will reduce abdominal fat and help your HDL, but anything more than two drinks daily accumulates in and around your belly.

Thanksgiving and the holiday season is a time to celebrate and food is a big part of the celebrations. If you choose to indulge, follow my three bite rule (see it below) and our holiday party survival tips.