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Listen up! If you want healthy, radiant skin, there’s more to it than just great skincare. The truth is the health of your skin has so many connections to what you eat and how you live your life. There’s no way around it. Especially as you age. Because your body can only take so much abuse. Eventually, it all catches up with you. And often chronic skin conditions are a manifestation of something nasty brewing on the inside. In this recent article (link to post), I discussed in depth the connection between your gut, especially your microbiome, and your skin. And in this article, I’d like to explore the link between insulin and specific skin conditions. To give you one more reason to ditch the junk loaded with sugar and processed carbs. What is Insulin? Insulin is a hormone naturally produced by your pancreas to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It helps usher glucose into your cells where it can be used to make energy. And any excess it helps get stored as fat. That’s why it’s often referred to as your fat storing hormone. However, when the body is constantly bombarded with sugar and processed carbs, eventually the system breaks down. Insulin is no longer effective. So blood sugar levels remain high. The pancreas produces even more insulin. This cycle eventually leads to a condition known as insulin resistance (IR). And if left untreated, insulin resistance leads to type 2 diabetes. Sadly, this is all too common. It is estimated that 70 - 80% of obese people and almost 100% of people with type 2 diabetes suffer from insulin resistance. And at the rate we’re going, researchers project one third of the population will suffer from type 2 diabetes by 2050. This is bad news. Because insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are associated with an increased risk of: heart disease; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; some forms of cancer; and skin conditions. Insulin Resistance & Your Skin The link between insulin resistance and your skin is so strong that researchers suggest certain skin conditions (in combination with other well-known symptoms) can be used to help clinicians diagnose insulin resistance. These include: Skin tags (a.k.a. acrochordons), which generally appear on the neck, armpits, and/or groin. They can be skin colored or slightly pigmented. Acanthosis nigricans, which produce dark patches of thick skin also generally on the neck, armpits, and/or groin. Male or female-pattern hair loss (a.k.a. androgenic alopecia), which causes the hairline to recede in men and overall hair thinning in women. Hirsutism, which is a symptom associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) that causes thick, dark hair to grow on women in unwanted places such as the face, chest, and back. Acne, which in the case of insulin resistance, is likely associated with worsening symptoms of PCOS. In fact, 70% of women with PCOS suffer from acne. Psoriasis, which is characterized by scaly patches of skin most commonly found on the elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back. Scientists have found several mechanisms that help explain these associations. Specifically, chronically high levels of insulin have been found to: stimulate receptors of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) which can directly and indirectly trigger the rapid growth of skin tags and acanthosis nigricans; stimulate the production of sex hormones; and stimulate the ovaries to produce more testosterone than normal. When it comes to psoriasis, there are several other possible mechanisms involved. For instance, being overweight or obese is highly associated with insulin resistance. And these conditions can also increase your risk of developing psoriasis as well as worsen symptoms. You see, your fat tissue (a.k.a. adipose tissue) is now known to be a component of your immune system and psoriasis is now believed to be a systemic immune mediated disease. And we now know that adipose tissue secretes compounds (i.e., leptin and adiponectin) that regulate insulin sensitivity. Plus, these compounds have been found to be deregulated in those with insulin resistance and psoriasis in similar ways. It’s worth mentioning that while the evidence isn’t as solid as the conditions mentioned above, there are some anecdotal links between insulin resistance and vitiligo (a.k.a. white spots disease) and alopecia areata, a form of hair loss in which the body attacks its own hair follicles. Insulin Resistance is Preventable While insulin resistance is bad news, the good news is that insulin resistance as well as type 2 diabetes are both preventable. That’s right! The choice is YOURS. It all goes back to what you eat and how you choose to live your life. Just like everything else! Two of the most important diet related factors when it comes to insulin resistance is sugar and processed carbs. While I don’t like to use scare tactics, this is serious stuff. Eating too much sugar is a killer. Inside and out. The problem is sugar is EVERYWHERE. In fact, we’re consuming a THOUSAND percent more sugar than we did 200 years ago. Because sugar is now added to bread, condiments, sauces, you name it! And sugar-sweetened beverages cost less than a bottle of water. So what about white flour? It’s also everywhere. But it’s technically not sugar. However, it’s quickly absorbed and turned into glucose. Which means it essentially has the same effect as sugar when it comes to your blood glucose and insulin levels. So in my book, it’s just as bad. The Bottom Line Keeping your insulin in check and working efficiently is essential to optimal health as well as healthy skin. So skip the sugar-laden junk food. And stick to the real stuff that doesn’t come in a bag or box. Stuff loaded with nutrients that not only keeps you disease free, but also makes you look and feel your best. And if you’re looking for guidance, I’ve got your covered. Both my 10-Day Belly Slimdown and 21-Day Bone Broth Diet plans will help prevent and even reverse insulin resistance for good health and radiant skin. I also created a protocol specifically designed to help you heal psoriasis and eczema solely by making dietary modifications. Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

What if I told you it’s possible to slow down the aging process? Well, it is! Because how fast or slow you age has almost everything to do with what you eat and how you choose to live your life. The truth is your genetic code plays a very small part in whether you live a long, healthy life or not. YOU have the power to turn your disease genes off or your longevity genes on. Which means the choice is YOURS! So if you choose to age slowly while looking and feeling your best, consuming an abundance of antioxidants is a great place to start. Let me explain… Antioxidants Many experts would agree that aging is essentially caused by processes that lead to cellular damage and ultimately dysfunction. As this occurs, the visual signs of aging appear and age-related diseases develop that make us feel crappy and eventually shorten our lives. Thankfully, there are certain phytonutrients (plant nutrients), vitamins, and minerals that act as antioxidants. Molecules that protect your cells and DNA from damage. And since your cells are always at risk from toxins in our environment as well as natural biochemical reactions, you need a constant stream of antioxidants to keep your cells youthful and functioning at top speed. Antioxidant Superfoods I’ve written an entire article on antioxidants and specific antioxidant here. However, there are a few antioxidant superfoods you should know about when it comes to anti aging. Baobab Fruit Baobab fruit is native to the savannas of Africa. It has a tart, citrusy flavor. It grows in pods and dries naturally from the heat of the sun. When the pods are harvested and opened, the dried pulp is scooped out and ground into a powder. The fruit powder is especially rich in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant. In fact, one teaspoon offers over 100% of the daily recommended intake for adults. Baobab fruit also contains a high concentration of antioxidant phytonutrients known as polyphenols. Research has shown that polyphenols help maintain healthy blood glucose levels and a healthy insulin response. And this study found that the polyphenols specifically in baobab fruit can significantly slow the digestion of starch in white bread. Essentially, participants didn’t experience a spike in blood sugar or insulin when they consumed white bread baked with baobab fruit powder. This is important because chronically high levels of blood sugar and insulin ultimately leads to cellular damage, dysfunction, disease, and death. And the benefits don’t stop there! One teaspoon of baobab fruit powder offers 2 grams of fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut. And I can’t express this enough...a healthy gut is essential to optimal health. There’s just no way around it! Baobab fruit powder is often sold in health food stores. You can also purchase it online on websites such as Amazon, Thrive Market, and Lucky Vitamin to name a few. I recommend adding a teaspoon or more to your shakes or smoothies for an antioxidant boost. Camu Camu Like baobab, camu camu is a fruit packed with vitamin C as well as polyphenols. And this combination has been shown to have more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power than supplementing with vitamin C alone. I also recommend adding camu camu powder to your shakes or smoothies. It may be easier to find in stores than baobab, but can also easily be found online on the websites I mentioned above. Look for organic and “raw” varieties, which means the fruits were grown without pesticides and were minimally processed. This helps maintain the integrity of the nutrients. Other fruit powders that can be used in the same way and offer high levels of antioxidant activity include Indian gooseberries (amla berries), and acai berries. Dried Spices All spices, dry and fresh, are high in antioxidants. But interestingly enough, certain dried spices have higher antioxidant activity than their fresh counterparts. In fact, cloves, oregano, rosemary, peppermint, and thyme are above baobab fruit. Cinnamon and turmeric are slightly below baobab, but higher than acai berries and camu camu. Thus, I always recommend adding herbs and spices to all your dishes. Even if the recipe doesn’t call for it. They add flavor as well as anti aging super powers. In addition to containing antioxidant compounds, herbs and spices are often anti-inflammatory. Especially turmeric. And this is important because we now know that chronic inflammation is the precursor to many age-related diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Cinnamon is one of my favorites for anti aging. Research suggests cinnamon contains compounds that work against type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease as well as neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. To boost your cinnamon intake, try my cinnamon coffee cake collage fat bombs or my sweet cinnamon dolce latte. Additional Anti Aging Superfoods In addition to foods with high levels of antioxidant activity, some foods contain other anti aging nutrients that work in different ways. Chicken Liver Chicken liver is extremely nutrient dense. When it comes to aging, it’s an excellent source of antioxidant nutrients, including vitamins A and C as well as zinc and selenium. It’s also a great source of B vitamins, which help your keep your energy levels up. And speaking of energy, CoQ10 is another nutrient found in chicken liver that is essential for energy production. While your body is capable of making CoQ10, production naturally decreases as you age. And many conditions, such as heart disease, fatigue, and oxidative stress have been linked to a CoQ10 deficiency. Chicken liver has more CoQ10 than other most other organ meats. Plus, ground chicken liver can easily be incorporated into chili, meatballs, and hamburgers without even noticing it’s there. However, I only recommend consuming liver from humanely treated, pastured raised birds. Broccoli Sprouts Broccoli sprouts are exactly what they sound like. The young sprouts of broccoli plants. And they are an excellent source of a compound commonly known as sulforaphane. Much higher than their adult counterpart. So what makes sulforaphane so special? Well, it has been studied extensively. And research has shown sulforaphane: Has antioxidant activity Helps fight bacterial and fungal infections Protects against cancer Reduces inflammation Protects the brain from neurological disease Help maintain healthy blood sugar and insulin levels Reduces skin aging by protecting it from UV light damage A pretty impressive list of benefits when it comes to anti aging! Wouldn’t you agree? Due to these revelations, broccoli sprouts are becoming easier to find in markets. They are also super simple to grow in your kitchen. All you need is a baking dish, some organic soil, broccoli sprouting seeds, filtered water, and some sun. Broccoli sprouts can be used as a nutritious garnish on almost anything, such as salads, soups, and eggs to name a few. Rose Hips Your body makes an enzyme known as AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase). It plays a huge role in energy production. And it’s often referred to as the anti aging enzyme. Because high AMPK activity is associated with health and longevity, while low AMPK activity is associated with disease. AMPK activity helps prevent the formation of body fat and promotes fat burning to help you lose weight. It also regulates a very important anti aging process known as autophagy. Essentially, autophagy destroys unnecessary or damaged cellular components and reuses them to build new, healthy cells. Without this process, our bodies would age quickly. And the benefits don’t stop there! AMPK regulates your body’s internal antioxidant genes. This means that AMPK activity stimulates the synthesis of internal antioxidants that are extremely potent. Overeating (especially processed carbs and sugar) and nutrient deficiencies can reduce your AMPK activity. Over time, you’ll gain weight, feel sluggish, increase your chances of disease, and ultimately decrease your lifespan. So why are rose hips on my list? They don’t contain AMPK, but they have been shown to help activate AMPK. And it’s important to give your body any boost it can get. Because as with CoQ10, AMPK activity naturally decreases as you age. Rose hips are the fruit of the rose plant. You don’t want to eat them. Instead, use them to make a rose hip tea. You can either buy rose hips in bulk online from reputable sources, such as Mountain Rose Herbs. Or, you can try the Rose Hips with Hibiscus Tea from Traditional Medicinals. Research also suggests that certain polyphenols, such as resveratrol, quercetin, epigallocatechin gallate in green tea, and curcumin in turmeric also help activate AMPK. Mulberries Mulberries are one of the richest sources of resveratrol. You know the compound found in red wine. Well, the truth is, you’d have to drink a lot more than a healthy serving to get a good dose of resveratrol. Which isn’t recommended, especially when it comes to optimal health and anti aging. So what’s so special about resveratrol? Well, it’s a potent antioxidant. And I’ve already mentioned that it helps activate AMPK. But research also suggests that it helps activate another enzyme known as SIRT1, which is believed to slow down the clock when it comes to cellular aging. You can usually find dried mulberries in health food stores as well as online. And they can be added to a homemade trail mix with nuts and seeds. Lingonberries are next on the list, which are usually found as a dried powder and can be added to smoothies and shakes. Red currants are also a good source of resveratrol and are great for topping salads. In Conclusion… Adding the foods I discussed above to your diet can give your body the extra support it needs to age gracefully and in good health. However, while your diet is one of the most important factors when it comes to aging, food alone won’t cut it. In this article, I share additional ways to slow down the aging process. Because your age should just be a number. Not a disease. Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

I load up on avocados every time I hit the grocery store. That’s because I can’t wait to turn them into luscious guacamole, fresh avocado mayo, creamy shakes, and wicked-good avocado fat bombs. In fact, here’s a confession: I love avocados so much that I’d eat them all the time even if they weren’t nutritional powerhouses. Luckily for me, they are! In fact, they’re absolutely packed with fat-burning, skin-smoothing, anti-aging power. Today, I want to share some of the amazing things that avocados—and the avocado oil that’s made from them—can do for you. Here are eight of the nutritional super-powers of this awesome fruit. Avocados help fight cancer. Avocados are rich in chemicals called carotenoids, and research shows that these chemicals can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer and lower breast cancer risk. Additionally, the oleic acid in avocados reduces inflammation, helping to protect you from cancer as well as other diseases of aging. By the way, cancer-fighting drugs made from avocados may someday be saving lives. In a preliminary 2015 study, researchers found that avocatin B—a lipid isolated from the seed of the avocado—can attack leukemia stem cells directly, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Avocados are good for your heart and blood vessels. Are you worried about your cholesterol? Researchers at Penn State recently reported that adding an avocado to your daily menu can lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Avocados are also rich in potassium, which lowers your blood pressure—and that can help reduce your risk for heart attacks and stroke. Avocados can help you lose weight. One trick I teach dieters is that eating a few bites of avocado can ease cravings. And science backs me up: One study found that people who included half an avocado in their lunches reduced their desire to eat by 40 percent over the next three hours. That may be one reason why people who eat avocados tend to be less prone to metabolic syndrome than people who avoid this fruit. They also weigh less, have a lower body mass index, and have less belly fat. Avocados boost the effects of other nutrients. Avocados are nutritional dynamite, providing you with nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients and a dose of healthy fat. But that’s not all; they also make other good foods work harder for you! Research shows that adding either avocado or avocado oil to a salad increases your absorption of carotenoids 5- to 15-fold. Avocados and avocado oil promote young, beautiful skin. Once you reach your 20s, you lose about 1 percent of your collagen each year—and that translates into saggy, baggy, wrinkly skin. Adding avocado oil to your diet can help you fight this aging process by increasing your skin’s soluble collagen content. Want still more beautifying and healing power? Avocado oil makes a great (and inexpensive) topical skin cream. In addition, topical avocado oil is good for healing wounds. And you can make a smoothing, refreshing face mask by adding a little honey to half a mashed avocado and putting the mixture on your face for 20 minutes. Avocados help keep your eyes healthy. Avocados are loaded with the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which help to protect against sun-related eye damage. In addition, they help to keep the macula of the eye healthy. Avocados are good for your brain. A recent study tested the effects of avocado on cognition in older men and women. Researchers gave participants either one avocado, one potato, or one cup of chickpeas every day for six months as part of their diets, and found that only the avocado group showed improvements in sustained attention. They conclude that “dietary recommendations including avocados may be an effective strategy for cognitive health.” Avocado oil is awesome for your hair. The nutrients in avocado oil moisturize your hair, making it shiny and helping to prevent breakage. Simply massage a little warm avocado oil into your hair and leave it on for a few minutes before shampooing—or apply a small amount with your fingers after you wash and towel-dry your hair, and then rinse. — Clearly, if you want to look and feel great, avocados and avocado oil should be part of your health and beauty regimen. Fortunately, the avocado habit is an easy one to get into—and it’s not just healthy, it’s delicious as well. And speaking of delicious, right now I’m off to make a yummy, avocado-rich Cobb Salad for lunch. Here’s the recipe from my new book, The 10-Day Belly Slimdown—give it a try, and I think you’ll love it. It’s a great way to kick off your avocado habit!   COBB SALAD Prep time: 5 minutes • Makes 1 serving 2 to 3 cups torn lettuce (any type) 2 to 3 ounces cooked chicken (you can substitute sugar-, nitrate-, and nitrite-free deli turkey breast) 1 medium tomato, diced ½ cucumber, diced 1 hard-boiled egg, diced ¼ to ½ avocado, cubed Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons) Celtic or pink Himalayan salt Freshly ground black pepper Place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss. The egg yolk combined with avocado and lemon juice will create a creamy, flavorful dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Note: Although Cobb Salad ingredients are usually arranged on a plate, tossing everything together creates the dressing for this salad. Easy! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

Protein is an essential macronutrient. This means we need it in relatively large quantities (grams as opposed to micrograms) and we must obtain it from food. In this article, I’m going to dive in and explain why we need protein. And I’m also going to discuss how much protein you should be eating as well as the best sources. What is Protein? Proteins are large molecules found in humans and animals as well as plants. They are made up of chains of small molecules known as amino acids. When you consume large protein molecules, stomach acid along with digestive enzymes in your gut break them down into smaller chains (peptides) and eventually into individual amino acids–assuming everything is working properly. The digested proteins are then utilized by your gut bacteria and also absorbed through the lining of your small intestine into your bloodstream. From there the amino acids are shuttled throughout the body to create new proteins. You probably already know the amino acids are used to build and strengthen your muscles. But, that’s certainly not all! Proteins are what allow you to move. Proteins provide structural support within your cells. Proteins are responsible for transporting molecules within the cell as well as throughout the body. Proteins act as messengers, such as certain hormones, and send important signals to other cells and tissues. Proteins act as antibodies, which are a big part of your immune system. Essentially, they’re responsible for attacking and neutralizing foreign invaders. Proteins act as enzymes, which are the catalysts for the thousands of biochemical reactions that take place within your cells. This includes energy production. So as you can see, proteins play a HUGE role in your body. Without them, things would start to go downhill. And as I mentioned earlier, consuming dietary protein is the only way for your body to make the proteins it needs. Thus, a lack of protein in your diet can lead to numerous problems, including loss of muscle, fatigue, stunted growth, and weakened immunity among MANY other things. How much protein to eat for weight loss? As I just mentioned, consuming adequate amount of protein is necessary to build new muscle. And the more muscle you have, the more fat you’ll burn. Because muscle tissue is very active and requires more energy than less active tissues, such as your skin. However, when you’re losing weight by creating an energy deficit and moving your body more, you also have the potential to burn muscle tissue. Which is not good! Thus, eating enough protein, especially during weight loss, is essential to maintaining your lean muscle mass. Three other very important ways in which eating protein can support your weight loss efforts, include: Protein requires more energy to digest than carbohydrates and fat. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). This means you’ll burn more calories (15 - 20% more) by eating a serving (4 oz) of chicken versus a helping of pasta. Protein doesn’t cause sharp spikes in your blood sugar and insulin. And maintaining optimal levels of blood sugar and insulin is an important component of weight loss, weight management, and type 2 diabetes prevention. Protein is satisfying and keeps you feeling full long after your meal. Thus, you’re less likely to overeat or snack between meals. Several studies have actually shown that when dietary protein levels are increased, fewer calories are consumed. In this study, participants quickly experienced an increase in fullness and a decrease in calorie intake after their protein intake was raised by 15% of their current diet. For the first part of the study, participants were required to eat their entire provided meals. Their protein intake was set at 30% of total calories. All participants maintained their weight during this phase of the study. Next, the study group was presented with the same meals, but they were told to only eat until they were full. And guess what? They ended up naturally eating over 400 calories less per day without being restricted. That’s huge! By the end of the study, there was a mean weight loss of approximately 10 lbs. And over 8 lbs of this loss was from fat specifically. Again, all from just increasing their protein intake by 15%. And this isn’t the only study of it’s kind. In this study, a higher protein diet led to an increase in fullness during the day. It also reduced late-night cravings as well as helped keep the participants’ minds off of food. And this was despite how many meals the participants ate per day. Another ding against the 6 meal a day myth! So hopefully now it’s clear, that when it comes to weight loss, protein is your friend. Recommended amount of daily protein for weight loss? The goal is to eat enough protein to build muscle, prevent muscle loss, and ensure your body has enough left over to perform all the other functions mentioned above. And how much that is varies from person to person. And it really depends on several factors, including your activity level, health goals, and age. However, in general, 90 grams to 120 grams of protein per day will cover most people. Or 30% of your total daily intake. Here are some reference points: 4 oz chicken breast = 35 grams of protein 4 oz salmon fillet = 23 grams of protein 1 cup of beef bone broth = 10 grams of protein Now, there’s debate about how much protein your body can absorb and utilize at once. However, this really only applies to body building. Studies have found that the muscle boosting effects of consuming protein after a workout maxes out at about 30 grams. This means a protein shake with 50 grams isn’t doing anything more for your muscles than a 30 gram shake. But, whatever isn’t used for building muscle can be used for all the other functions discussed earlier. Excess can also be converted into glucose and used to make energy in a process known as gluconeogenesis. However, on the flip side, if your body doesn’t quickly burn the glucose created, it can then be converted into fat. Because, unfortunately, it doesn’t get converted back into protein. Thus, I recommend spacing out your protein in even proportions the best you can. To keep your metabolism running high, to keep your blood sugar balanced, and to keep you full and satisfied. How does protein help your health? How protein helps with gut health?  The health of your gut plays such an important role in how well your body is able to digest and absorb nutrients. When it comes to protein, your body needs an adequate supply of stomach acid as well as several other digestive enzymes and a healthy population of gut bacteria to effectively and efficiently break proteins down into amino acids. Otherwise, protein remains undigested in the gut. This can cause digestive distress and damage to the lining of your digestive tract. When this happens, large particles of protein can “leak” your bloodstream, which then triggers inflammation. This is one of the reasons why I love bone broth and hydrolyzed collagen so much. They are both great sources of highly digestible and easily absorbable protein. But they’re also a great source of glycine and proline (amino acids) that help repair the lining of your digestive tract. Slowing down to eat and thoroughly chewing your food can also go a long way. Chewing not only breaks the protein down into smaller pieces, but it also acts a signal to get your digestive juices flowing. How does protein affect aging? As you age, the ability for your body to process protein naturally declines. In addition, without proper nutrition and movement, your body naturally begins to lose skeletal muscle. This is known as sarcopenia. And it’s one of the leading causes of immobility among seniors. Thus, as you age, your protein needs may increase. Is there such a thing as too much protein? Yes, protein is essential. Yes, we need to eat adequate amount of protein. But, we also need room for lots of colorful veggies and healthy fats in our diet. So it’s essential not to crowd out these other important food groups by eating too much protein. While going over occasionally is not harmful, eating too much protein can become a problem for those with poor kidney function. Or, when you eat WAY too much protein on a regular basis. You see, protein digestion creates nitrogen waste products, which must be filtered out of the blood by your kidneys. Thus, when you eat a lot more protein than your body needs, it can put unhealthy levels of stress on your kidneys. In addition, your body requires water to digest protein. Which means eating too much protein without increasing your intake of fluids could lead to dehydration. And with dehydration comes a whole host of other problems. Protein quality matters for weight loss. Eating meat from unhealthy, factory-farmed animals is not doing your body any good. These meats are inflammatory and could possibly contain growth hormones, antibiotics, and other harmful additives. Thus, it’s important to eat meat from healthy, pasture-raised animals. Meaning animals free to roam outdoors with lots of space and fed a natural diet free from pesticides. This is true for fish as well. You’ll get the biggest bang for your buck with wild cold-water fish, such as Alaskan salmon. In Conclusion, how does protein help weight loss? I’ve covered quite a bit of information this is article. So let me summarize the key points: Protein is an essential macronutrient that we must obtain from food. Eating adequate amounts is important to maintain good health as well as lose weight. How much protein your body needs depends on several factors, including your activity level, health goals, and age. The best sources of protein come from healthy, pasture-raised animals and wild fish. So please be sure to include high quality sources of protein in your diet. But there’s no need to overdo it. Three to four ounces of chicken, steak, or fish is typically all you need at any given time. And your meals should most often include a combination of protein, fruits and veggies, and healthy fats for optimal health and a slim waistline. Keep Thinking Big and Living Bold!  

It’s time we start rethinking the concept of aging. Because the truth is, aging is optional. Sure, we all keep getting older each year. But that doesn’t mean we should all expect to experience joint pain, saggy skin, weight gain, memory loss, and fatigue JUST because we’re over 40. Thankfully, that’s not how it works! More accurately, the food you eat and the lifestyle you lead plays a significant role in the aging process. This means that YOU have the power to either speed it up or slow it down. And I choose to slow it down. How about you? Stick to Nutrient Dense Whole Foods Sadly, Americans are eating way too many heavily refined and processed foods. These foods not only lack the nutrients our bodies need to thrive, but they’re also packed with sugar, rancid oils, and many other nasty chemicals (i.e., flavors, emulsifiers, colors, preservatives, pesticides, etc.) that negatively contribute to the aging process. You see, when you eat these foods, you’re giving your body an unnecessary dose of free radicals. And an excess of free radicals leads to cellular damage - skin cell damage, brain cell damage, connective tissue damage, and so on. If left unchecked, free radical damage leads to inflammation and oxidative stress, which are often at the root of almost every modern disease. Diseases that not only shorten your life, but also significantly reduce your quality of life. In addition, free radicals also reduce the length of your telomeres–the tips of your DNA. And the faster your telomeres shorten, the faster you age at the cellular level. Therefore, we must minimize our exposure to these free radicals in processed foods. And eat nutrient dense foods packed with antioxidants. This includes: Lots and lots of colorful vegetables Clean sources of protein (i.e., grass-fed and pasture-raised meats and poultry) Healthy fats (i.e., olive oil, avocado, coconut, nuts, and seeds) Collagen is also a great anti-aging food. Because collagen is what gives your skin its elasticity. It also gives your hair, nails, joints, and bones strength. Thus, it fights wrinkles and allows you to move freely (without pain). My two favorite sources of collagen are bone broth and collagen protein powder (a.k.a. hydrolyzed collagen). Move Your Body When it comes to aging, you either use it or lose it. Specifically, the process of building new muscle and bones only occurs if you use them regularly. Therefore, if you live a sedentary lifestyle, your muscles and bones will waste away much quicker than if you stay active. In addition, exercise has been shown to reduce inflammation associated with aging. Thus, it reduces your risk of developing a variety of serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. This doesn’t mean you need to spend hours in the gym each day. In fact, high intensity interval training (HIIT) is a form of exercise that requires as little as 10 minutes a day to build muscle, strengthen your bones, burn excess fat, and get a cardiovascular workout. In addition to HIIT, I recommend moving your body outdoors as much as possible. Take a walk, tend to your garden, or go for a bike ride. Essentially, do whatever gets YOU going! Spending time outdoors is also great because boosts your body’s production of vitamin D. As a result, you may heal faster and be less prone to anxiety and depression. Minimize Toxic Exposures In addition to the toxins in our food I’ve already discussed, there are also toxins in our environment and personal and home care products that we must avoid as much as possible for the same reason (free radicals). Here are a variety of ways to reduce your exposure to toxins and support your body’s detoxification pathways: Quit smoking. Period. Minimize your use of plastics. Especially plastic water bottles. Stick to filtered tap water in glass or stainless steel reusable water bottles instead. Replace personal care and home products that contain sulfates, phthalates, and any sort of fragrance. If you crave a scent, seek out products scented solely with pure essential oils. Avoid using aluminum foil and cookware as well as drinking out of aluminum cans. Because aluminum has been linked to degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. Opt for stainless steel, glass, and cast iron instead. Avoid processed foods packed with sugar, heavily processed “vegetable” oils, and many other artificial ingredients. These things just bog down the system and make it less efficient among other things. Limit your alcohol consumption. Stick to one glass and avoid sugary mixers to reduce the burden on your liver. Eat lots of cruciferous vegetables (i.e., kale, broccoli, and cabbage). These veggies specifically are an excellent source of sulforaphane. A compound that gives these veggies their pungent flavor, but also that acts as potent antioxidant. Sulforaphane also promotes the activity of glutathione, another powerful antioxidant AND detoxifying agent. Stay hydrated. An adequate supply of fluids is necessary to remove toxins from your cells as well as your body. I recommend filtered water, bone and vegetable broths, and coffee and tea made with filtered water. Heal your gut. Because a sick gut allows pathogens and large food molecules to “leak” directly into your bloodstream. Some my favorite gut healing foods are bone broth, collagen protein powders, and fermented vegetables (i.e., sauerkraut and kimchi). Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut and helps with elimination. Practice mini-fasting (a.k.a. intermittent fasting). When you fast, your body efficiently gets rid of waste and generates new healthy cells. This process speeds up your metabolism and reduces your risk of disease. Minimize Stress Stress is a killer. Literally. Stress causes a chain of physiological reactions in the body that ultimately leads to inflammation, oxidative stress, and short telomeres. As if that isn’t bad enough, stress also prevents us from sleeping and eating well, which makes matters even worse. Therefore, if you want to slow down the aging process, you need to address your stress. Start by getting rid of the stress you can. For example, learn to say “no” and stop biting off more than you chew. And for all other sources of stress, find better ways to cope. Meditation, yoga, journaling, reading, spending time in nature, deep breathing, and socializing with TRUE friends are all great outlets. And sometimes all you need is a shift in your mindset. I’m all about positive thinking, mindfulness, and gratitude. If you fill your head with good thoughts, there’s little room for anything else. Make Sleep a Priority Sleep is not just for resting. It’s when your body repairs damage and rebuilds–two essential anti-aging processes. The good news is, eating more nutrient dense foods, exercising, and reducing stress will all help to improve your sleep quality among other things. If you’re still having trouble, I recommend creating a bedtime routine. Pick a bedtime that will allow you to get at least 8 hours of sleep. Turn off your screens at least one hour before your bedtime. And consider taking a relaxing epsom salt bath. The Bottom Line Your daily diet and lifestyle directly affects the speed at which you age. When you eat like crap, don’t move, and stress out, you’re putting yourself on the fast track. However, when you eat a nutrient dense diet, exercise regularly, and manage your stress, you’re giving yourself the gift of aging gracefully. And by that I’m talking about staying lean, sharp, strong, disease free, and radiant well into your golden years. The choice is yours! Which road do you choose? Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

It turns out that coffee beans contain the perfect combination of skin boosting nutrients (i.e., caffeine and polyphenols) that help fight against the hallmark signs of aging. Recent research has shown that regular coffee intake can offer a significant improvement in your skin when it comes to fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation as well as its overall appearance. This is great news! Not only does your daily cup help start the day on the right foot, but it can also reverse the visual signs of aging that we work hardest to avoid and invest most in trying to camouflage. But wait! This isn’t all coffee can do. For those who spend the summer months soaking up the rays and enjoying the great outdoors, we are no doubt aware of the negative effect those hours in the sun can have on our skin. Though dermatologists everywhere agree that staying out of the sun is the best way to protect your skin from harmful rays, it turns out that caffeine has the ability to protect your cells from UV radiation as well as photo aging. In addition, research has shown that the polyphenols (potent antioxidants) in coffee have the potential to significantly improve the barrier function and hydration of your skin. This means even if wrinkle-reduction or UV protection aren’t concerns for your skin at this particular moment, coffee still offers benefits anyone can appreciate. Because who doesn’t want to improve and protect the overall health of their skin? And if that’s not enough, there is evidence suggesting that coffee can even protect against non melanoma skin cancer. Cancer fighting cups of coffee? Yes, please! Drink Responsibly I’ve just shared some pretty significant benefits for a simple beverage you may already be consuming daily. But, it’s important  to learn the perks as well as the possible downsides. Your daily cup of joe, when enjoyed without food can bring about a spike in blood sugar, which has the potential to wear on your cellular health over time. Additionally, caffeine digests rather quickly, which can result in a caffeine spike followed by the begrudged afternoon slump so many of us know and dread. As a result of these arguable drawbacks, high-fat, a.k.a keto coffee, coffee arrived on the scene in recent years and stole the caffeine-consumption spotlight. Keto coffee is made by blending your usual cup of coffee with a tablespoon of grass-fed butter or coconut oil. Not only does this make for a wonderfully frothy and creamy-tasting beverage (without using any dairy if you go the coconut oil route), but it also slows down the rate at which caffeine is digested. This sustains your energy throughout the day, effectively avoiding both the blood sugar spike and the possibility of an afternoon caffeine crash. And though this was (and still is) pretty great, I started to wonder what would happen if I combined two of my favorite things–coffee and collagen. What a powerhouse combination! Collagen: It’s What Your Skin is Made Of But before we delve into the dynamic duo of coffee and collagen, it is important to first understand what exactly collagen is and why it is so important. Collagen is the most common protein in the human body. It accounts for approximately one third of the protein in your body, and comprises roughly 75% of your skin. It’s key role is to help maintain its elasticity. As we age, our collagen breaks down and our collagen production naturally decreases. This leads to the fine lines, wrinkles, and saggy skin we all dread so much. So what are we to do? How do we get our bodies to synthesize more collagen to heal our skin from the inside out? We consume collagen rich foods and supplements, of course! And these include bone broth, gelatin, and hydrolyzed collagen protein powders. While bone broth (a.k.a. liquid gold) is still nearest and dearest to my heart, collagen protein powders provide the same benefits for your skin as well as your overall health. However, they easily dissolve in both hold AND cold water. And they have zero taste or smell. Thus, there’s no need to add a bunch of ingredients to mask the taste. Which makes collagen powders extremely convenient and easy to enjoy, especially on-the-go. And numerous experimental studies have shown that hydrolyzed collagen (another name for collagen protein powder) is readily absorbed by the body and efficiently transported to the deepest layers of your skin. What Happens When Coffee and Collagen Combine Your daily cup of joe is not only an energy-boosting pleasure, but the science world has recently shown that it also has some serious benefits for your skin. And the addition of collagen not only provides sustained energy, but it’s what your skin needs to fight the signs of aging. This is one of the reasons why I created my new SLIM Collagen Coffee. It has the aroma, taste, and super powers you expect from coffee with even more skin healing properties from collagen. This dynamic duo rapidly moves collagen boosting nutrients and potent antioxidants through the digestive system to the deepest layer of your skin where they work wonders. Which is why I believe collagen coffee is truly the perfect combination for healthy, radiant skin. Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

If you’re over thirty, it takes hard work to keep looking and feeling young. That’s because Mother Nature plays some dirty tricks on you as you leave your twenties behind—and one of them, which I want to talk about today, is about age-related muscle loss known as aging sarcopenia. Aging sarcopenia refers to muscle loss that starts to occur in your 30s or early 40s. If you don’t take action, you can lose three to five percent of your muscle tissue each decade. Translation: weaker muscles, saggy skin, and eventually frailty and an increased risk for dangerous falls. Sarcopenia also packs extra pounds on you, because muscle burns fat—so the less muscle you have, the more fat you store. How can you fight age-related muscle loss? With the right exercise and the right diet. Here’s a look at what you need to do—starting now. Step 1: Do resistance training and HIIT training. All exercise is good. But to fight sarcopenia, you need the right kind of exercise—and the best type is resistance training, also called strength training. (This means lifting weights, using exercise bands, or doing exercises like planks and pushups that use your body weight as resistance.) Resistance training strengthens your muscles and optimizes the hormones you need to maintain lean muscle mass. For the maximum muscle-building benefits, I recommend doing resistance workouts at least twice a week (and preferably three times). Make sure you do a good overall workout that includes arm, leg, and core exercises. Allow one day in between each workout to give your muscles time to recover. Also, if you’re new to resistance exercises, take it slowly at first. Start with light weights and do only as many repetitions as you can complete with good form. When your exercises start getting easy, switch to heavier weights and increase your reps. By the way, one complaint I sometimes hear is that resistance training makes people too sore. If this is a problem for you, here are some tips for minimizing those aches and pains: Indulge in an Epsom salt bath at nighttime if you did an intense workout during the day. The magnesium in the Epsom salt will relax your muscles.  Eat plenty of protein (more on this below).  Stay hydrated. Your muscles need plenty of water to recover after a workout.  Try beetroot. One study found that drinking beetroot juice after a workout significantly reduced post-exercise pain.  Drink coffee before your workouts. As I mentioned in an earlier post, a pre-workout cup of coffee will enhance your performance and reduce post-exercise pain.  Don’t waste time doing “static stretches” like toe touches before or after a workout, because research shows that these won’t lower your risk of muscle pain the next day. Instead, do some dynamic stretches that activate the muscles you’ll be using in your routine—for instance, easy squats and kicks.   Roll away post-workout aches and pains with a tennis ball or a foam roller. Along with doing resistance workouts, consider adding high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to your regimen. New research indicates that HIIT also is a powerful weapon against sarcopenia. Step 2: Eat right. In addition to building lean muscle mass through resistance training and HIIT training, you can fight sarcopenia by giving your muscles the nutrients they need. Here are the biggest keys: Get plenty of protein in your diet from grass-fed meat, free-range chicken and eggs, and wild-caught fish. This is especially important after you work out. When you exercise, you actually create tiny tears in your muscles—and it’s the repair of those tears that makes your muscles stronger. Your body needs the amino acids from proteins to make those repairs and to ease exercise-linked aches and pains.  Load up on anti-inflammatory foods such as leafy greens and berries. There’s a strong link between inflammation and sarcopenia.  Get plenty of Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Research shows that a deficiency of vitamin D, or a deficiency of omega-3s in comparison to omega-6s, can up your risk for sarcopenia. So get some sunlight every day, take a vitamin D supplement, and eat plenty of fatty fish (or take an omega-3 supplement). Step 3 Mini-Fast Exercising in a fasted state can help you build and tone your muscles while burning more fat than in a non-fasted state. Studies show mini-fasting and interval training workouts increase Hormone Growth Hormone (HGH) by 1300% in women! This is important because HGH is essential to sculpting lean muscle. And the more muscle you have, the more fat you’ll burn. Bottom Line: Mini-fasting is great for your waistline. But exercising while fasting will speed up your fat loss as well as boost your body's muscle building power. — No matter how old you are, it’s never too early—or too late—to prevent or even reverse muscle loss due to aging. Remember: You can choose to age… or you can refuse to age. If you need inspiration, watch this video of 91-year-old Sy Perlis lifting 187 pounds to break a world record in his age group—or this video I’ve shared before of 80-year-old Ernestine Shepherd, who started weight training at 71 and has a body most twenty-year-olds would envy. If they can say NO to sarcopenia, so can you! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

Everyone knows about the power of antioxidants like the vitamin C in berries and the lycopene in tomatoes. But are you in the know about the most crucial antioxidant of all? What is Glutathione? If you’re big on eating right, you load your diet with antioxidants—from the vitamin C in your blueberries to the resveratrol in your glass of Cabernet. That’s because you know these nutrients help to keep rogue molecules called free radicals from damaging your cells. But are you up to speed on glutathione—what my friend Mark Hyman, M.D., calls “the mother of all antioxidants”? If not, you may be shorting your body of this crucial molecule—and that could make you old and sick. Glutathione is so important that every cell in your body contains it. In addition to neutralizing free radicals, it recycles other antioxidants. (That’s why it’s considered the most important antioxidant of all.) It also grabs on to toxins, letting your body eliminate them safely. In addition, it keeps your immune system strong and even helps your body build muscle instead of creating fat. Your body makes glutathione on its own from cysteine, glycine, and glutamine. Unfortunately, it can’t always make enough of it. You produce less glutathione as you age, and many people don’t have adequate levels to begin with because of their genetic makeup. Think about it: Our genes come from our ancestors, who lived in a clean world—not the polluted world we live in now. As a result, many of our bodies simply aren’t genetically wired to do the heavy-duty “housekeeping” we need today. When your body can’t make enough glutathione to fight free radicals and cart off toxins, the results can be devastating. You’ll age faster, your DNA will take more “hits,” and you’ll be at higher risk for illnesses including cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. Twelve ways to raise your glutathione levels There’s evidence that taking an oral glutathione supplement can be helpful, although much of the glutathione gets broken down in the digestive tract.  Scientists are still sorting out this issue—but luckily, in the meantime, there are other powerful ways to boost your glutathione levels. Drink coffee to raise your glutathione levels. In one trial, researchers asked volunteers to drink five cups of coffee per day for a week. Compared to controls, the coffee drinkers increased their plasma glutathione by 16%. A separate group of researchers analyzed data from 26 studies and concluded that “coffee consumption can increase glutathione levels and improve protection against DNA damage.” To raise your glutathione levels, eat sulfur-rich foods. Sulfur plays a critical role in keeping your glutathione levels optimal. Sulfur-rich foods include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, arugula, and bok choy. Working out regularly can raise your glutathione levels.  While exercise temporarily increases the production of free radicals, regular workouts ramp up glutathione levels. Research shows that both aerobic exercise and weight training can be beneficial. Clean the toxins from your body to raise your glutathione levels.  Toxins deplete your supply of glutathione. To reduce your exposure to these toxins, swap out factory foods for natural foods, filter your water, and trade toxic cleaners and personal care products for “green” varieties. Raise your glutathione levels by taking milk thistle.  Milk thistle contains silymarin, which can promote glutathione synthesis. Try raising your glutathione by taking n-acetylcysteine (NAC).  This amino acid-derived compound can help your body replenish its glutathione stores. Get plenty of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin) to raise glutathione levels.  These nutrients play a key role in methylation (a process in which one molecule passes a methyl group—a carbon atom linked to three hydrogen atoms—to another molecule). If you’re not into chemistry, all you need to know is that proper methylation is absolutely crucial when it comes to keeping your glutathione levels high. Taking alpha-lipoic acid can help raise your glutathione levels.  Research shows that this substance can help reverse age-related declines in glutathione. Taking a good multivitamin/multimineral supplement should help raise your glutathione levels.  This will supply you with nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium, which help you recycle glutathione. Drinking bone broth is my favorite way to begin raising your glutathione levels.  It’s rich in glycine, one of the building blocks of glutathione. It’s important to get enough sleep if you want to raise your glutathione levels.  Sleep deprivation can lower your glutathione levels drastically. De-stress to raise your glutathione levels with yoga.  Stress depletes glutathione, while there’s evidence that yoga can increase glutathione levels. Together, these tricks can boost your glutathione levels so your stores don’t run low as you age. So if you’re serious about staying young and dodging diseases like cancer and diabetes, add many or all of these strategies to your bag of anti-aging tricks—starting today! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

Today’s post is just for you ladies (sorry, guys!). That’s because I want to talk about a problem that affects millions of women, and may be making your own life miserable. Let me start by asking you some questions. Here they are: Are you feeling old and washed-out? Are you gaining weight, even though you’re exercising and watching what you eat? Do you have trouble sleeping? Are you sad, anxious, or moody? Are you constantly tired? Is sex becoming a chore? Do you suffer from “brain fog”? If so, you’re not alone… and today, I want to tell you about a common culprit that may underlie all of your problems. It’s hormones—and you know what? That’s good news! (I’ll tell you why shortly.) No… You’re Not too Young to Have Hormone Problems These days, most of us know that menopause can be a challenging time for women, both physically and emotionally. But fewer of us—and far too few doctors—understand perimenopause. Generally, if a woman is younger than 45, perimenopause is a diagnosis doctors are unlikely to even consider. But it’s not uncommon for perimenopausal symptoms to begin when a woman hits her mid-30s. And though it’s rare, these symptoms can even begin as early as 25. Perimenopause is a time of fluctuating hormones that can wreak havoc on women both physically and emotionally. Some women even say it feels like going through the craziness of adolescence again. So why is this good news? Because doctors can often treat diminishing hormones and hormone imbalances in a way that involves few risks and leaves you feeling great. The Secret: Bio-Identical Hormones I know that the idea of hormone therapy scares many women. If you’re one of them, here’s some important information I want to share. In 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) released major findings about links between the use of synthetic hormones and increases in heart disease, strokes, a variety of cancers, and other diseases. And that truly is scary. However, bio-identical hormones are not like synthetic ones. Synthetic hormones, such as Premarin® and Provera®, are made of things like chemicals and horse urine. And it probably wouldn’t surprise you to hear that a horse’s hormone structure isn’t identical to yours. In contrast, bio-identical hormones are typically derived from a plant product with the same structure as the hormones humans produce. Because they have the same structure, there are very few negative side effects associated with bio-identical hormones. In fact, studies show that replacing deficient estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone with bio-identical hormones actually offers protection against some cancers, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and declines in cognitive and sexual functioning. These results have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine. Of course, hormone replacement therapy isn’t for everyone. Women who have had breast or endometrial cancer, strokes, or blood clots generally should not take hormones, even if they are bio-identical. But if you don’t have these or other risk factors, the dangers associated with synthetic hormones generally don’t apply to bio-identical ones. So don’t be afraid to seek answers. If you’re suffering, and this post makes you wonder if hormones are the issue, find a doctor who understands bio-identical hormone therapy. Get your hormones tested. Then work with your doctor to come up with an individualized treatment plan that leaves you feeling your best. More Ways to Optimize Your Hormones In addition to exploring bio-identical hormones, there are other steps you can take if your hormones are wonky. Here are some of the most important ones: Eat healthy fats. Your body needs these fats to make hormones. In particular, eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fatty fish. Cut down on carbs. A diet high in carbs causes you to put on belly fat, which messes big-time with your hormone balance. Go dairy-free. The hormones that occur naturally in milk can throw your own hormones out of balance. Get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D isn’t just a vitamin—it’s also a hormone, and it plays a big role in keeping your other hormones balanced. Get your stress under control. Did you know that your adrenal glands help to manufacture your sex hormones? If these glands get burned out due to chronic stress (a condition called adrenal fatigue, which I talk about here), then they can’t do this job right. So take control over your stress with the strategies I share here. Drink bone broth. Bone broth gives you a rich dose of conditional amino acids—glycine, proline, arginine, and glutamine—that your adrenal glands need to heal themselves if they’re burned out. These are amino acids that your body can’t supply in adequate quantities if it’s run-down. Go green. Many chemicals are hormone disruptors, so lower your body burden of chemicals by switching to organic cleaning and personal care products. Exercise. Vigorous exercise can help balance your hormones, and may reduce your risk for breast cancer by lowering excess levels of estrogen. All of these strategies will help you optimize your hormone levels—and best of all, they’re safe, simple, and natural. Bottom Line: Take Action If you think you have a hormone problem, don’t wait to start making lifestyle changes—and don’t put off seeing a doctor and getting your hormones checked. The sooner you detect a problem and take steps to correct it, the faster you’ll get relief… and the sooner you’ll get back to being young, slim, and energetic again! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

No doubt about it—summer can be cruel to your skin. You’re probably defending yourself already, with floppy hats and sunscreen. But did you know that... INFRARED LIGHT THERAPY can also help keep your skin smooth and beautiful? Here’s what the research shows: A study in the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy reported significant improvements in skin appearance after just 12 weeks of sauna skin therapy using LED near infrared technology. Benefits included reduced wrinkles and crow’s feet and better overall skin tone, including enhanced softness, smoothness, elasticity, clarity, and firmness. Researchers and physicians from NASA and the Medical College of Wisconsin investigated the effects of near infrared (NIR) LED light on wound healing. They found that NIR LED light promotes faster cell regeneration, wound healing, and human tissue growth. Studies show that LEDs (like those found in Sunlighten’s mPulse saunas) stimulate white blood cell production and collagen growth by increasing energy at the cellular level. Used as part of a sauna skin therapy program, Sunlighten infrared saunas can help you fight back against skin aging.  Sunlighten’s Solocarbon 3-in-1® is the only infrared sauna heater on the market with LED near infrared light therapy. It even comes with an anti-aging program based on scientific research. Here’s what an infrared sauna can do to rejuvenate and purify your skin: Acne Infrared saunas can improve the appearance of acne scarring and may actually help reduce acne in the first place. Acne typically results from a build-up of oil on the skin, and if you produce lots of oil, that can lead to constant breakouts. Infrared saunas cause you to sweat from infrared heat—not actual heat—which can help clean out those clogged pores. When your sauna session is complete, a quick face wash ensures that your pores don’t clog up again. Skin Detoxification Infrared saunas are clinically proven to reach deeper into your skin, effectively removing toxins including heavy metals. Solocarbon technology heats your body to the core, pulling out toxins that can lead to a host of health issues. Learn more about infrared saunas and skin detoxification now. Tone and Texture In a study done in 2006, doctors looked at the impact of infrared on collagen and elastin, two of the most important components of healthy skin. They found that both collagen and elastin increased after exposure to infrared, and all patients included in the study reported enhanced skin texture, less roughness, and improvement in color. If you’re serious about having beautiful skin, it’s time to fight back against age, acne, toxins, and sun damage. Visit Sunlighten today, and discover how you can make this cutting-edge technology a powerful part of your personal skincare regimen! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

Is someone you love suffering from Alzheimer’s disease? If so, you know how devastating this tragic disease is—not only for the people who suffer from it, but for their friends and families as well. That’s why we fear it even more than cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, or stroke. But here’s something you might not know. Increasingly, scientists are calling Alzheimer’s disease by another name: Type 3 diabetes. The scientist who coined this term—Suzanne de la Monte, a neuropathologist at Brown University—discovered that rats with insulin resistance (the forerunner of diabetes) “developed an Alzheimer-like disease pattern, including neurodegeneration.” Dr. de la Monte says that Alzheimer's has "virtually all of the features of diabetes, but is largely confined to the brain." Dr. de la Monte’s findings are consistent with the fact that diabetics have a much higher rate of Alzheimer’s disease than non-diabetics.  They’re also in line with research showing that people with high blood glucose levels are at elevated risk for dementia even if they don’t have diabetes. Recent studies are shedding still more light on the connection between Alzheimer’s and insulin resistance or diabetes. For example: A 2017 study found that the fluctuations in fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c (a long-term blood glucose measurement) that are common in diabetics are independently associated with a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. A 2016 study of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) concluded that Type 2 diabetes “may accelerate cognition deterioration in patients with MCI by affecting glucose metabolism and brain volume.” Another 2016 study found that “glucose levels in the diabetic range are associated with reduced cortical thickness [ a sign of brain atrophy] in Alzheimer’s disease-vulnerable regions as early as middle age.” Given the link between blood sugar problems and Alzheimer’s, it’s no surprise that along with a skyrocketing rate of diabetes, we’re seeing more and more cases of Alzheimer’s disease. With as many as one in three Americans predicted to have diabetes by 2050, we may be facing a massive epidemic of Alzheimer’s in a few decades. The good news: Type 3 diabetes is PREVENTABLE Is there any good news hiding amongst all this bad news? Luckily, the answer is a resounding YES. Just as you can slash your risk of diabetes by changing your lifestyle, you can cut your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by making healthy choices. While certain genes can raise your risk for Alzheimer’s disease (especially the early-onset type), environment is a stronger factor for the majority of people—and that’s something you can change. What’s more, the lifestyle changes that help prevent Type 2 and Type 3 diabetes will lower your risk for other age-related diseases as well—from cancer to stroke to high blood pressure. So it’s a big win all around. Here are my top ten suggestions for warding off both Type 2 and Type 3 diabetes: 1. Cut the carbs. This is absolutely crucial. A high-carb diet spikes your blood sugar all day long, leading to insulin resistance—so reduce or eliminate grains and sugar, and eat healthier carbs like sweet potatoes and beets only in moderation. Instead, center your diet around lean proteins, loads of non-starchy veggies, healthy fats (more on this in a minute), and small amounts of fruit, and you’ll get the nutrients you need while keeping your blood sugar low. 2. Lose the belly. You already know that a spare tire puts you at risk for diabetes—but it also doubles your risk of developing elevated levels of amyloid, a  sticky protein that forms the plaques seen in Alzheimer’s. To take those extra pounds off fast, try my Bone Broth Diet. 3. Move, move, move. Exercise lowers your insulin levels and keeps your blood vessels in good shape—a must for a healthy brain and body. 4. Avoid nitrites and nitrates. Dr. de la Monte believes that these are major players in Type 3 diabetes. Luckily, it’s easy to find nitrite- and nitrate-free bacon and lunch meats these days (my favorite brand is Applegate). 5. Supplement wisely.  Getting adequate amounts of nutrients ranging from magnesium to vitamin D can help protect you against diabetes. Even if you eat a good diet, a multivitamin and multi-mineral supplement can offer extra protection. Also, take a good probiotic/prebiotic supplement to keep your gut healthy—because a healthy gut translates into lower inflammation, and a lower risk for both Type 2 and Type 3 diabetes. 6. Spice up your life. Many herbs and spices have powerful anti-inflammatory effects—and some, like turmeric, can lower your blood sugar as well. 7. Eat good fats in moderation. Eat healthy fats like avocado oil, olive oil, pastured butter, and coconut oil every day, because your brain needs these good fats to function. However, don’t overdo even these healthy fats—a few tablespoons a day will do the job. 8. Sleep tight. Getting a good night’s sleep helps keep your metabolism humming and your blood glucose levels low. Also, if sleep apnea is a problem for you, get it addressed because it’s a risk factor for both diabetes and Alzheimer’s. 9. Stub out that smoking habit and limit alcohol. Both of these go without saying, right? 10. Rein in your stress. Chronic stress can play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, and it can also throw your blood sugar way out of whack. Read my tips on cutting that stress down to size. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have an excellent chance of making it into your 70s, 80s, and even 90s with a sharp brain and a good memory. In addition, you’ll cut your risk of Type 2 diabetes to nearly zero. How awesome is that? Is dementia reversible? It’s exciting to know that you can take active steps to help prevent both diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease—and that’s not the end of the good news. A few years ago, researchers at UCLA reported something even more astonishing: Following a healthy, low-carb lifestyle may sometimes partially or fully reverse “irreversible” dementia. The researchers enrolled ten patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s in a program based on eliminating simple carbohydrates and gluten (and, for some patients, all grains) and focusing on nutrient-rich foods like fish, vegetables, fruits, and coconut oil (supplemented with nutrients including B12, CoQ10, vitamin D, and DHA). Participants also took probiotics to optimize their gut health, underwent fasts to normalize their insulin levels, practiced meditation and yoga to reduce stress, exercised, and slept for eight hours a night. In short, they basically made the same lifestyle changes I just outlined. The result: Within just a few months, nine of the ten patients reported that their memory was far better or even completely normal. This was a small study that needs to be replicated, but the initial findings are nothing short of amazing. — I’m always preaching about how good food and a healthy lifestyle are the best medicine, and there are no clearer examples than Type 2 and Type 3 diabetes. The best way to dodge these bullets is to take control of your health—and the sooner you start, the better off you AND your brain will be. Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

For this post I'm turning over my blog over to Dr. Anna Cabeca, Emory University trained gynecologist and obstetrician and menopause and sexual health expert, so she can let you know more about keeping your "lady parts" healthy. Here's Dr. Cabeca... You can see the health of your face; the wrinkles, the dryness or irritation (such as breakouts from pH imbalances, toxins and stress), sunburns and more. The same thing can be said about your “lady parts”! Yes, it’s true! A doctor can look and easily see if your skin “down there” is dry and irritated. Is it a healthy color, is it a healthy pH? Is there discharge or a brewing infection? How is the vaginal musculature? But shouldn’t YOU know what’s going on “down there”? After all, it’s YOUR body! And the health of your feminine parts is so important to your overall health and happiness! I can’t tell you how many patients and clients come to me saying they can’t even go jogging, or enjoy a favorite sport, as they are in pain or need to wear a pad due to urinary leakage. As we age our hormones naturally decline and this has a direct impact on our lady parts. As a gynecologist, I always tell my female clients – even those who are not having sex – that they need to know what’s going on in their vagina and vulva, especially relating to their overall pelvic health. The reason? If your vagina and pelvic floor muscles are not continually cared for, you are likely to experience resultant symptoms. And those are going to get worse over time. That tiny leak of pee that occurs every time you laugh can turn into the need for surgery down the road! And increasing dryness and discomfort can make you shy away from things that have always brought you great happiness and pleasure. So grab a mirror and let’s check out those lady bits! You should assess your vulva and vaginal area just like you would check out those breakouts on your face. Learn what’s normal for you. Know when you need to ask your doctor questions!  Evaluate if what you are doing to care for your feminine parts is adequate. Know what causes irritations or other problems (is it that new bubble bath or fancy soap?). Are your folds red or burning? Wait? What’s a fold…? Well, maybe you need to know where to find things first. Where the heck is your vulva? The parts of your vulva can be depicted with an orchid You can view my short video to learn where your vulva is as well as learn a bit about the different aspects of your vulva. I like to use the analogy of an orchid when talking about the vulva as it is so appropriate! Just like with orchids, vulvas come in many variations, shapes and sizes; all completely normal. Know that “normal” is what is normal for YOU. Don’t get caught up in media depictions of “perfect” vulvas! So many women run to get their vulva “fixed” with surgery. I say, “Don’t do it!” The video also mentions a few things you should do to keep things healthy “down there.”   One important aspect of keeping your lady bits in top shape is exercise. But do you know which kind? Why a healthy hammock is so important Along with checking your vulva and understanding what’s normal for you, you need to focus on the musculature beneath this area. The muscles here will determine whether you experience urinary leakage when you laugh or cough. I refer to these muscles as a “hammock” as it a great visual similar to my use of “orchid” to depict your vulva… Your pelvic floor muscles are very much like a hammock, see the picture… and they very much hold everything up! Your pelvic floor and vaginal musculature needs to be strong or you are likely to experience incontinence as well as pelvic prolapse issues (as organs fall downward) Over time, natural hormone declines as well as “life” can weaken these muscles. Pregnancies, being overweight, improperly done exercises, squats or pilates for instance, as well as being sedentary affect our pelvic floor muscles. Darn! The best thing you can do to maintain these all-important muscles is to exercise them. And the best way to do that is through Kegel exercises. How to do the perfect Kegel (and keep that hammock strong!) A lot of women don’t do Kegels on a regular basis. And many women do Kegel exercises incorrectly! Do you? (and how can you know?) To be sure ask your gynecologist during your annual exam! This is the type of discussion you should already be having with your doctor! A self-test you can do is to try and stop your urine midstream when you are peeing. If you can’t stop your urine stream, your pelvic floor muscles are likely not as strong as they should be. Note that this isn’t a test you should repeat too often (and definitely don’t do this as an exercise routine!) as it can work against your muscle control. Just do it to initially self-test yourself…and maybe repeat in a month if you implement Kegels. And then test yourself infrequently after that. Again, doing Kegels is important so that, You won’t have urinary leakages when you cough, sneeze and laugh! Your pelvic muscles keep providing optimum support to your bladder, vagina and uterus. You will have more pleasure, intense orgasms. You can stay more active. You have increased healthy blood vessels and blood flow and nerve supply to your vital pelvic tissues. You have increased confidence and self-esteem to live your life fully. Here’s how to do the perfect Kegels Envision your perineal body, which is the general region between the vagina and anus. Pull up on an exhale and really feel those pelvic floor muscles come up and contract together. Initially, hold for a count of three. Eventually you'll get up to a count of six or a count of eight. Then relax. While you're holding your pelvic muscles up, I want you to practice continuing to breathe normally and relax—so you don't create counterproductive abdominal pressure that will work against your efforts. Repeat three sets of eight lifts, three to five times per week. I also created a helpful video that will give you a more in-depth explanation!   How to test that you're doing your Kegels correctly. An easy way to check is to put your fingers on the perineal body and as you contract your pelvic floor, pulling it up, you should feel it rise. Ideally, you should first do it lying down on your side, where you're not putting any abdominal pressure on your pelvic floor so you can relax and focus on the muscles. Remember my visuals for your feminine health! Orchids come in all variations, but all are beautiful and all need nurturing to thrive. One great way to nourish this area is with my beautiful new Julva® restorative feminine cream. Julva addresses so many issues women face as their hormones naturally decline, including vaginal dryness and discomfort (which can often be a problem for younger women, too). Hammocks are needed for strength (and to defy gravity!)! So when was the last time you did a Kegel? And as an added benefit, my Julva feminine cream contains DHEA which research has shown improves the musculature of all three layers - the deeper layers - of the vagina. This increases the density of collagen fibers in the vaginal wall and stimulates the muscle layer. So take care of the beautiful feminine you so that you can live a long, happy life without giving in to embarrassing and uncomfortable symptoms.   Dr. Anna Cabeca Bio: Dr. Anna Cabeca is an Emory University trained gynecologist and obstetrician, a menopause and sexual health expert and international speaker and educator. She created the top selling products Julva - an anti-aging feminine cream for women and online programs Magic Menopause, Women’s Restorative Health and SexualCPR. You can read more on her blog at DrAnnaCabeca.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter. 

You know what I always say: What goes on your skin also goes THROUGH your skin and into your bloodstream. That’s a little scary, isn’t it? And it means that in addition to thinking about what’s in your food, you need to think about what’s in those skin care products you slather on so liberally. Today, in particular, I want to talk about soaps and creams. Most people simply grab common brands of these at the grocery store, but that’s not a good idea because there are nasty things hiding in many of them. For instance, grocery-store soaps and creams frequently contain: Parabens. These are estrogen mimics that mess with your hormones and may increase your risk of breast cancer. Phthalates. These chemicals are endocrine disruptors that can throw your hormones out of whack. Sodium lauryl sulfate. This additive can irritate your skin, eyes, and lungs. Worse yet, it can bond with other common soap ingredients to become nitrosamine, a carcinogen. Diethanolamine (DEA): This foaming agent bonds with other chemicals in soaps to create a powerful carcinogen called NDEA. Synthetic fragrances. “Fragrance” is an innocent-sounding word, but the aromas in soaps and creams are often created by adding very toxic chemicals. And as for those unnatural blues, greens, and purples—if you don’t trust artificial colors in your food, don’t trust them in your soaps and cream, either. The great news is that today, you have choices—and you can choose not to buy soaps and creams that contain toxins like these. In fact, stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts, and online marketers like Amazon, now carry dozens and dozens of brands billed as toxin-free. However… it’s one thing to say that your products are non-toxic, and another thing to prove it. And when it comes to calling soaps and skin creams safe, not everyone is telling the truth. That’s why you need to do your homework. Luckily, thanks to the Skin Deep database created by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), this is easy to do. In addition to rating skin care products from best to worst, the EWG now offers a “verified” designation to manufacturers who go above and beyond to create products are safe for you to use. In the soaps and creams categories, here’s a sampling of the EWG-verified winners: Attitude Natural Body Wash. This apple-scented soap is hypoallergenic as well as toxin-free. Be Green Bath and Body Gel. This gel comes in three versions: calming lavender, uplifting orange, and unscented. Makes 3 Bar Soaps. These are made from organic oils, and come in scents including lavender vanilla, orange blossom, and coriander ginger. There’s also an unscented version. Sally B’s Skin Yummies Foaming Hand Soap. These come in lemongrass, lavender, citrus vanilla, and peppermint, and you can get unscented as well. Opas Bar Soaps. These are available in scents ranging from classic chamomile and French lavender to frankincense, holiday spice, and (really!) beer. Desert Farms Camel Milk Soaps. Luckily, these soaps don’t smell like camels at all. Instead, they come in citrus, lavender, and peppermint scents. Cocoon Apothecary’s Rosey Cheeks Facial Cream. This anti-aging cream is loaded with natural ingredients including rosehip oil, avocado oil, and shea butter. Sonage Soufflé Cream. This fluffy skin cream is packed with natural antioxidants. Be Natural Sea Kelp Daily Moisturizer. In addition to kelp, this moisturizer contains ingredients including red raspberry seed oil, aloe vera, and anti-inflammatory aspen bark extract. Finally Pure Hand and Body Lotion. Rich in jojoba oil, avocado oil, and other nutrients, this lotion comes in a range of scents including pink grapefruit, almond vanilla, and rosemary mint. There’s an unscented version as well. Each time you say no to toxic soaps and creams and choose clean versions like these instead, you’ll lower your body burden of harmful chemicals. This is even more crucial if you’re pregnant, because a number of chemicals in soaps are especially dangerous to unborn children. By the way, if you’re currently using products labeled as safe and non-toxic, check them out anyway. I was surprised to discover that a few popular brands got poor ratings. How to get quality on a budget Now, I’ll be totally up-front with you: None of these soaps and creams are as cheap as the stuff you can get on sale at the grocery store. But getting sick isn’t cheap either, right? So if you ask me, toxin-free products are a wise investment. Besides, even if your budget is really tight, there are still ways you can afford quality. Here are a few tips: Buy a high-quality liquid soap and dilute it with water so it goes further. Use bar soaps rather than bottled soaps, because they last longer. Shop the sales. If you’re willing to explore a variety of brands, you’re likely to find some deep discounts. Go back to basics and use coconut oil or olive oil. Coconut oil is an awesome skin cream, loaded with skin-nourishing lauric acid and other nutrients. Olive oil also is a good choice; it works best if your skin is slightly damp when you apply it. Oh, and here’s one more tip for getting the good stuff without shelling out lots of money: Go the “gift” route.  Put natural creams and soaps on your birthday and holiday wish lists, and get your friends and family to buy them for you. It’ll make shopping easy for them… and you’ll get the gift of smooth, clean, toxin-free skin! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

Has this ever happened to you? About two weeks into a diet, you look in the mirror and say, “OMG. What’s happened to my face?” Suddenly, your skin looks saggy, dull, dry… and old. Some weight-loss professionals will tell you that it’s inevitable for your skin to take a hit when you diet. But you know what? It’s not. When you diet the right way, your skin will actually start to look smoother, brighter, and younger. What’s the secret? Do the right things, and avoid doing the wrong things. It’s as simple as that. Here are nine ways to get beautiful skin as you shed those extra pounds. 1. Drink plenty of bone broth. Yeah, you knew this would top my list! And it deserves the #1 spot, because bone broth is loaded with collagen building blocks that smooth and nourish your skin. As I like to say, it’s like mainlining collagen to your skin. 2. Don’t skimp on the fat. Coconut oil, avocado oil, nuts, and fatty fish like salmon are loaded with fats that smooth and plump up your skin. And remember: Eating fat helps you burn fat. So in addition to doing your skin a favor, you’ll lose weight faster if you add some healthy fat to each meal. 3. Drink plenty of water—and green tea, too. Your skin craves moisture, so drink at least eight glasses of water each day. Add some green tea as well, because it’s rich in polyphenols that protect against aging. 4. Eat berries. Blueberries, in particular, are loaded with antioxidants that protect your skin. They’re also packed with vitamin C, which your body uses to help form collagen. 5. Reach for tomatoes. The lycopene in tomatoes offers powerful protection for your skin’s mitochondrial DNA, keeping it young and healthy. 6. Enjoy grass-fed beef. Pastured beef is high in skin-smoothing omega-3 fatty acids, as well as high-quality protein that builds strong skin. 7. Skip the grains. As you probably know, grains are taboo on my Bone Broth Diet. That’s because they pack pounds on you—and in addition, they’re murder on your skin. Grains are pro-inflammatory, so they make your skin look rough, old, and blotchy. The carbs in grains are also linked to acne. 8. Use the right salt. Regular table salt draws water out of your cells, making them saggy and creating bags under your eyes. Mineral salts, on the other hand, draw water into your cells, making them bouncy. 9. Get your circulation going. Exercise revs up your circulation, pulling nutrients into your skin cells and cleaning out debris that makes your skin look dull and old—so move for at least an hour every day. Also, try this great tip from my good friend Kathy Smith, the world-famous fitness expert. Each day, spend a few minutes on your bed with your head hanging over the edge—or get down on the floor and stand on your head if you can. This will bathe your skin in healing nutrients. When you baby your skin in these ways during your diet, you’ll look in the mirror and say, “Hey—I look awesome.” People may even ask you if you’ve had work done. And when you lose your extra weight, you won’t just want to show off your new, slim body; you’ll want to show off your spectacular skin as well! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

There are lots of ways to damage your skin. You can barbecue it for hours in the sun. You can dry it out by washing it with harsh soaps. You can clog your pores by sleeping with your makeup on. However, one of the fastest ways to irritate your skin isn’t from the outside, but from the inside. Eating the wrong foods can wreck your skin—here are the worst culprits: 1. Sugary, high-carb foods. Why are carbs bad for your skin? Because carbs turn into sugar in your body. Sugar, in turn, ramps up your production of AGEs, which stands for advanced glycation end products. These “stiffen” collagen and elastin, damaging your skin and making it harder to repair. The result: You look years older than you are. What’s more, carbs don’t just age you quickly. In addition, they’re a big contributor to acne. That last claim may surprise you, because many doctors will tell you that the food-acne connection is a myth. However, several years ago, researchers conducted an extensive literature review and determined that high-carb foods do indeed contribute to acne. They appear to do this by promoting the production of sebum—the oily secretion that fosters acne. Here’s what Jennifer Burris, the lead author of the study, had to say: “High glycemic index foods, like white flour, sugary sweetened beverages, and sugar, increase blood glucose more, compared to low glycemic load foods. High glycemic load foods trigger an increase in blood glucose and insulin as well as an increase in insulin-like growth factor-1. These hormones and hyperinsulinemia in turn increase sebum production. It’s like a domino effect.” So if you want clearer, younger-looking skin, avoid loading your diet with bread, pasta, rice, and other carb bombs. Your skin will thank you—and, as a bonus, you’ll lose extra pounds. 2. Dairy foods. Burris and her team also uncovered another big culprit in acne: dairy. This doesn’t surprise me at all, because for years I’ve been telling my patients with acne to eliminate dairy products—and frequently, the results are amazing. Interestingly, a new study indicates that consumption of low-fat or skim milk, but not full-fat milk, is associated with acne in teens. This, too, is in line with the advice I give my clients: If you’re going to include dairy in your diet, go for full-fat rather than reduced-fat or fat-free products. 3. Seed oils. Seed oils are high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and low in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. (For instance, safflower oil contains no omega-3 at all.) As a result, they contribute to chronic inflammation—and that inflammation translates into blotchy, sick-looking skin. Moreover, when you use seed oils, you’re skimping on healthy fats that feed your skin cells and make them “bouncy”—for instance, avocado and coconut oil. And finally, seed oils are over-processed and they’re usually going rancid by the time they reach the grocery store. And needless to say, a rancid food isn’t going to make your skin glow. — Bottom line? Don’t torture your skin with a high-carb diet, acne-promoting dairy, or inflammatory seed oils. Instead, eat lean proteins, healthy fats, and loads of veggies. Mainline the building blocks of collagen to your skin by drinking bone broth every day. And load up on berries, which are incredibly anti-aging. Show your skin some love, and it’ll love you back by looking younger, clearer, and more radiant. Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

If you’re over 30, looking young takes work. And believe me—the older you get, the more work it takes! However, here’s good news--often, you can take years off your age simply by correcting a few flaws in your beauty routine. Here are nine of the biggest mistakes that you might be making right now: Brushing your hair wrong. Don’t brush your hair when it’s wet. This stretches it, making it weaker and more prone to breaking. Also, if your hair is tangled, don’t brush it from the roots to the tip, which can cause breakage. Instead, work from the bottom up, untangling small areas. Leaving your makeup on when you go to bed. Together, makeup and unwashed skin create a breeding ground for bacteria. (Eeeuuuw.) Even worse, that trapped gunk can cause oxidative damage, aging your skin and making it wrinkle. It only takes a couple of minutes to give your face a quick scrub before you hit the sack, so don’t skip this ritual. Showering for too long. This dries out your skin—especially in the winter. So hop in, scrub up, and hop out—and then moisturize your body with coconut oil or a nice natural moisturizer. (Check out the Environmental Working Group’s recommendations for moisturizers.) Wearing too much makeup. Unless it’s Halloween or you’re into the Goth look, less is more. Remember: Excess makeup ages you. Also, tone down the colors; nobody over the age of 15 can really pull off electric blue eyeshadow, and dark red lipstick can be extremely aging. Finally, go easy on the eyeliner and mascara, because raccoon eyes went out in the Sixties. Sticking with an aging hairstyle. Still wearing the same “do” you had in high school or college? An outdated style can add years to your age—so splurge and make an appointment with a high-end stylist who can recommend a new look. Rubbing your eyes. It’s tempting to rub itchy eyes, but this damages the delicate skin around them, promoting wrinkles and bags. Instead, put a wet washcloth or some cucumber slices over your eyes for a few minutes. This will hydrate your skin, rather than hurting it. Also, when you clean around your eyes, pat gently—don’t scrub. Drinking too little water. Hydrated skin is happy skin! So moisturize from the inside out, by drinking lots and lots of water all day long. Adding a little shot of lemon juice to your water will give you a hit of vitamin C, which also is a great skin renewer. Eating too little healthy fat. Good fats like omega-3 fatty acids, coconut oil, and avocados make your skin cells smooth and beautiful. A low-fat diet, in contrast, will dry it out and make it wrinkle more easily. Starving your body of collagen. As you age, your skin loses collagen—and as a result, it starts sagging and wrinkling. A daily fix of bone broth or high-quality collagen powder can give you the quick collagen boost you need to keep your skin young. Correct these nine beauty oopsies, and you’ll see a difference right away in the form of healthier hair, better skin, and a younger, more flattering look. But you’re not quite done… because for serious anti-aging power, you also need to eat a natural, low-carb diet, de-stress your life with meditation or yoga, and exercise every day. Yeah… that’s the “hard work” I talked about earlier! Keep thinking Big and Living BOLD!

As an anti-aging expert, I thought I’d heard it all when it comes to beauty treatments. Bee venom facials. Fish pedicures. Urine therapy. Swallowing tapeworms. (Yuck.). But I have to say, two new beauty trends took me totally by surprise. So I talked to some friends who are up on all the latest fads, and here’s what I learned about each one. 1. Snail facials. Yep, you read that right! People are spending $250 a pop to let snails slither all over their faces, all in the name of beauty. (If it makes you feel better, “snail facialists” are on hand to make sure the snails don’t crawl over clients’ eyes and mouths.) Why snails? Supposedly, the slimy goo they secrete is rich in proteins, antioxidants, and skin-smoothing hyaluronic acid. But I have to ask: No matter how gorgeous your skin looks after a snail facial, who’s going to want to kiss it? Besides, there are easier ways to get skin-smoothing hyaluronic acid. You’ll get a big dose of it from bone broth (along with antioxidants and other skin-healing nutrients), and many high-end wrinkle creams contain it. So unless you really, really love snails, I suggest voting “no” on this one. 2. Drinking vinegar. When I visualize a fun Saturday night out with the girls, vinegar isn’t the first thing that comes to my mind. However, trendy New Yorkers are guzzling flavored vinegar drinks like crazy—and even adding vinegar to cocktails—in an attempt to lose weight. You can get vinegar drinks in flavors ranging from beet and carrot to pineapple and fennel. I’m less skeptical about this trend than I am about the snails, because people have used vinegar since the dawn of time as a weight loss tool. What’s more, some scientific research supports this practice. For instance, one study involving people with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes found that a dose of vinegar before a high-carb meal increased insulin sensitivity afterward. In fact, the researchers concluded, “Vinegar may possess physiological effects similar to acarbose or metformin.” Since anything that increases insulin sensitivity helps to burn off fat, that’s a point in vinegar’s favor. Another study conducted in Japan found that obese adults who consumed one or two tablespoons of vinegar every day in beverages lost two to four pounds after 12 weeks, while participants drinking beverages without vinegar didn’t lose weight. This suggests that vinegar could play at least a small role in melting off extra pounds. So it looks like flavored vinegar drinks earn a thumbs-up—with a few cautions. First, people who have problems with histamines or tyramines can react badly to vinegar. Also, drinking vinegar can cause acid reflux, burping, and gas. So start out slow, and see if it works for you. — Bottom line for me: I’m passing on the snails, since I can get the same benefits from bone broth without the slime and the $250 price tag. However, I definitely could be talked into trying a vinegar-and-vodka cocktail at least once. How about you? Keep thinking Big and Living BOLD!       P.S. My Cocktail Recipes Booklet contains 7 fun cocktail recipes that use SLIM Collagen Broth for a nutritional "power up".

I have a big bag of tricks for staying young. The first is to eat a diet that’s high in quality proteins, vegetables, and fats, and free of inflammatory grains and sugar. Here are some other strategies I recommend.

Hate looking in the mirror and seeing that roll of fat on your neck? Then fight back!

Do you think a midlife “muffin top” is inevitable—especially if you’re a woman? Then I have good news for you! Remember my official proclamation last week? This is Dr. Kellyann’s Weight Loss Month—so between now and May, I’m going to load you up with tips and advice to help you take those extra pounds off fast. And here’s something else I want to give you: Inspiration! I want you to know that no matter where you are on your life journey, transformation is possible. Are you skeptical? Then let’s talk about one of the biggest weight-loss challenges there is: taking off pounds during perimenopause and menopause. This is when that extra weight really starts piling on, especially around your waist, and nothing—diet, exercise, even prayer!—seems to make a dent. There are some good reasons for this weight gain. For instance, research indicates that reduced levels of estrogen can lower your metabolic rate, make you hungrier, and make fat accumulate around your waistline.  In addition, you lose muscle mass as you age, decreasing the rate at which your body burns calories. The mid-life years are often filled with stress as well—especially if you’re in that “sandwich” zone with both kids and parents relying on you for help—and this stress can make you gain weight more easily. So it sounds like the cards are totally stacked against you, right? Wrong. Every week in my clinical practice, I guide successful transformations involving women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. So I know it’s possible (and, in fact, not all that hard) to lose weight if you’re a woman who’s nearing, in, or past menopause. And a new study backs me up.  In this study, researchers asked 35 obese postmenopausal women to eat a diet very similar to the one I prescribe. It focused on lean meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado—and it cut out dairy products, cereals, refined fats, and sugar. So what happened? Over the two years of the study, the women eating this diet lost weight, improved their cholesterol profile, and lowered their risk of diabetes and heart disease. And they did it without having to count calories. So if you’re thinking that it’s too late for your transformation, think again! I don’t care if you’re in your 40s, 50s, or 60s—or even older. You can lose weight, feel younger, and dramatically reduce your risk of diseases of aging. And it all starts with those two little words: I can. That said—why wait until you’re another day older to start changing your life? Celebrate Dr. Kellyann’s Weight Loss Month by starting the Bone Broth Diet now, and you’ll love what you see in the mirror in May! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!