Blog

To stay young, you need to protect your DNA. Luckily, you can! Here’s a look at how science may someday make your DNA immortal – along with some tips for slowing down aging in the meantime. We all want to stay young forever, right? So we keep searching for that magic anti-aging pill, potion, or serum. We’ll try anything, from drinking urine to injecting ourselves with sheep placenta. But what if I told you that you don’t need to keep searching for a miracle—because the biggest secret to staying young is already inside you? Today, I want to share the latest scientific discoveries about the changes that happen in our cells as we age—as well as the growing evidence that we can slow the aging of our cells, adding years to our life. It all comes down to telomeres. What are telomeres? Your cells contain your genes in the form of chromosomes, which contain your DNA. This DNA consists of units called bases. At the end of each chromosome is a cap called a telomere. To understand the job of telomeres, think of the plastic caps on the ends of shoelaces. Without those caps, your shoelaces would unravel—and without telomeres, that’s essentially what happens to your DNA. So if you have telomeres to protect your DNA, what’s the problem? Well, like all good things, telomeres don’t last. The somatic cells that make up your organs, skin, bones, blood, and connective tissue divide—a lot. Typically, they do this 50 to 70 times per cell. And with each division, the telomere shortens, until eventually the cell dies. Here’s a snapshot of what happens over time. The telomeres in the white blood cells of newborn babies contain 8,000 base pairs. In adults, that number drops to about 3,000—and in seniors it can get down to just 1,500. And at some point, if nothing else gets to us first, our telomeres shorten to the point where we die of old age. Now, here’s where the story gets interesting… so stay with me. Studies show that telomere length varies from person to person, and people with longer telomeres live an average of five years longer than those with shorter ones. They also have lower rates of age-related illnesses including, strokes, dementia, heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. Why is this fabulous news? Because scientists are closing in on ways to prevent telomere shortening. And in the meantime, there are concrete steps you can take right now to protect these life-saving DNA caps. Better yet, these are the same steps that will keep you feeling energetic, sexy, and strong for your entire life. How do telomeres reverse the aging process? Scientists know that reproductive cells (sperm and eggs) don’t age and experience telomere shortening. That’s because these cells have a protective enzyme called telomerase. Somatic cells have the gene to produce this enzyme too, but they don’t do it. However, researchers are exploring whether it’s possible to get somatic genes to produce telomerase and thus stop the shortening of telomeres. In effect, this might make cells immortal and end the aging process. Wow. Of course, there may be a catch. In theory, this could create other problems such as the risk of immortalizing cancer cells. But so far, researchers have successfully used telomerase to get human cells to divide way beyond the usual limit, and to do it without becoming cancerous. So it looks like science is on to something, and effective anti-aging drugs might become a reality within the next decade or two. Don’t wait until it’s too late to take care of your telomeres If you’re like me, you don’t want to look and feel two decades older by the time there’s a miraculous treatment for aging. And we’ve all heard about future miracles that never arrived. After all, we were supposed to have flying cars by now, right? I hear you. And luckily, there’s no reason to wait! That’s because research is beginning to show that we actually have the power to lengthen our telomeres. How to keep the length of your telomeres for anti-aging? Eat whole foods to fight aging with your telomeres.  The best foods for telomeres include foods with nutrients like turmeric and fish oil, which have telomere-protecting properties. Anti aging telomeres are extended with exercise. Engage in exercise every day and avoid sitting as much as possible. Keep your heart rate up to keep the length of your telomeres. Manage stress to gain the anti aging benefits of your telomeres. Everyone manages stress different but I find the best stress relief to come through yoga-based stretching or meditation. A strong network lessens the aging of telomeres. Having a group of people who care about us is essential for reducing the stress that may cause telomeres to shrink. What is the science behind lengthening telomeres? Now, let this sink in for a minute: Science is actually proving that simply eating well, exercising, dialing down stress, and hanging out with supportive “peeps” can make us younger on a cellular level. How cool is that? And here’s the flip side of the story. We already know that oxidative stress—damage to our DNA that contributes to shortening our lives—can stem from obesity, not getting enough exercise, stress, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol. These things accelerate telomere shortening. So it just makes sense to let go of what we know contributes to aging and illness and embrace what cutting-edge science shows will keep us young. Don’t you love it when age-old wisdom turns out to be miraculous? And if you read my columns regularly, you know that the steps for protecting your telomeres are exactly the same steps that empower you to feel young and energetic—and look “hot”—every day of your life. So take good care of those telomeres. If you do, you won’t just live longer; you’ll have a blast during those extra years. Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

It’s fun to fit into sexy jeans or a little black dress. But here’s the biggest reason to slim your waistline: It can help you live longer. Admit it, ladies. We all want to whittle our waists so we can totally rock a little black dress. We want the other women in yoga class to hate us for flaunting sexy abs. And we want to slide into our jeans instead of lying on the floor gasping for breath as we battle that zipper. (Yeah, I’ve been there.) But now there’s an even more important reason for you to make a slim waist a top priority: It can save your life. This week, a shocking finding by British researchers made headlines around the world. The researchers studied nearly 93,000 women, using a simple metric: skirt size. Here’s what they found. Women who gain a skirt size every decade between their 20s and 60s have a 33% greater risk of developing breast cancer after menopause. Women who gain two skirt sizes every ten years have a 77% greater risk. And breast cancer isn’t the only disease linked to a thickening waist. It also puts you at higher risk for pancreatic, ovarian, and endometrial cancer. Scary? Yes. But don’t be scared. Instead, take action. If you’re fighting the battle against belly fat right now, here’s a simple strategy for victory: Cut sugar, flour, and grains out of your life. And that includes so-called “healthy” grains. These foods make your insulin levels skyrocket, and insulin promotes fat—especially belly fat. Ditch your low-fat diet and instead eat a smart-fat diet rich in foods like avocados, salmon, pastured beef, and coconut oil. Studies show, over and over again, that people lose more weight on a low-carb diet than on a low-fat diet. Center your diet around high-quality proteins and nutrient-dense veggies. These foods encourage your body to form lean muscle mass and burn off fat. Do strength training. Unlike cardio, strength training can sculpt your stomach muscles and turn ”jelly” into lean muscle. An optimal vitamin D level is critically important in minimizing your cancer risk; a study of post-menopausal women showed that maintaining vitamin D serum levels of 40ng/ml cut overall cancer risk by 77 percent. Just by following these simple steps, hundreds of my female patients are transforming their bodies. Within weeks, they lose inches off their bellies. Within months, many go from “apple” to “hourglass” figures. So if you’re on the verge of surrendering to a bigger skirt size, just say no. Better yet, say, “Hell, no.” Instead, commit to following my belly-fat-blasting battle plan for two months. I’m betting you’ll lose a skirt size instead of gaining one. So what have you got to lose? A skirt size. What have you got to gain? A longer life. Oh, yeah. And you can totally rock that little black dress. Keep thinking big and living bold! -Dr.Kellyann  

Gelatin heals the gut wall immensely. It also improves digestion since it naturally binds to water and helps food move more easily. It supports skin, hair and nail growth. It’s healthy for your joints. It can help decrease cellulite. It’s a fantastic source of dietary collagen. (Side note: Collagen is too large to be absorbed by the skin, so those skin creams are a close second to what gelatin can do to re-boost collagen in the skin.) Cheers to Frank — this Sweet Black Cherry Gelatin recipe is for you! Gelatin up, Frank! The world needs your magical personality and genius touch. Love ya! By the way, did you see my Facebook post with one of my favorite quotes? Check it out here.  Keep thinking big and living bold! -Dr. Kellyann

A radio host shared with me recently that I have a unique approach to healing and nutrition. He wanted to know where this came from. So I told him about my “Swiss experience” and how it has changed my life and made a difference in the way I see patients and the world. I am one of a handful of doctors in the U.S. trained and certified in Biological Medicine by one of the world’s leading experts and physicians, Dr Thomas Rau, of the Paracelsus Clinic in Switzerland.  I studied under his tutelage for about two years. People come from all over the world to this clinic to find out about the Swiss secret to optimal health. Its methods arise from the distinct medical traditions of Switzerland and Southern Germany, which, in the 500 years since the experiments of the original Paracelsus, have evolved into a more holistic and natural science of health. Biological Medicine focuses on the body as a whole, instead of just treating symptoms, to determine the true reasons why people are ill and provide an overall wellness solution. This experience has changed my life. I have seen the body heal in unbelievable ways. I have seen people go from the depths of hopelessness to leading fulfilling lives. I have seen how things I never thought affected our health absolutely do. I have seen patients who simply did not want to get well, but chose to die. I have learned the will to live can go both ways — you can will yourself to die the same way you can will yourself to live.     When I completed my program there, I left with several takeaways. Among them, one was piercing: “Paradigm is everything.” Let me explain. Here’s what I discovered from my Swiss experience and how it can help you: I remember the first time I visited Switzerland. I couldn’t believe how clean the air felt as it bathed my body. My lungs felt like they were expanding more with every breath of the country’s ultra-pristine air. I didn’t have a long flight, since I was living in London at the time, but I remember feeling a jolt of energy when I landed, like the “plane icky-ness” was exhaled out of my body in a breath or two. I’d felt this sensation one other time. It was in North Dakota the day after a blizzard. North Dakota is without bright lights or big cities, so the air is pretty clean, but the post-blizzard air had a sensational clean-crispness about it. There was something extraordinarily different about the air in Switzerland, though, compared to any of my experiences, as if it had been filtered in some way.  Maybe it’s the Swiss Alps that run across the country, or all of the beautiful lakes, or maybe it’s the climate, which never seems to be too hot, too cold, or too humid. Whatever it is, there’s certainly magic in the air. This got me curious. I began observing and interviewing the people around Zurich. I asked questions in shops, eateries, local markets, and health food stores. I would sit at a café and journal at the end of my day while overlooking the most incredible mountainous views. I noticed five facts immediately: The Swiss have stunning skin. The Swiss have insanely bright clear eyes. The Swiss are not overweight. The Swiss did not start telling me about their laundry list of doctors or illnesses, even when I provoked, and as I “instigated,” they just smiled. They didn’t get annoyed, which was interesting to me. The Swiss did not (and I have rarely seen this) look or sound stressed-out whatsoever. I wanted in on this. The fresh air was definitely a catalyst of these physical “tells,” but that Nancy Drew affliction I have (if you have seen me speak anywhere, you know what I’m talking about) led me to believe there was more to the story. I discovered that the Swiss have a very different thought process when it comes to modern medicine. We can all learn something from this. In fact, I believe this is the biggest health secret… that shouldn’t be a secret! When it comes to looking and feeling good, there’s more than meets the eye. When it comes to humans, what you see is not what you get. Humans may look like walking skeletons that can talk, but we are much more. Those who are brimming with health (such as the Swiss) innately understand this important concept: We are not just physical bodies, but also energetic ones. This is critical to understand. You must start looking at your body in terms of atoms and molecules… not just skin and bones.   Think of your body as an enormous ball of energy — so vast it could light up an entire city. Whatever you do in life that fuels the energy you have within makes you healthy and gorgeous. Hair shines, eyes glimmer, skin glows, weight shifts. You have vitality. This is the true gauge of health. Have you ever known someone who makes you think, “Hmm, they have great energy”? The source of this energy is their inner vitality. When you start thinking about that, paying attention to it, you will notice you do make different choices. In Switzerland, for instance, I found it fascinating that most everyone has a homeopathic doctor. They go to emergent care doctors when needed, of course. But they do what they can to heal themselves in the least invasive way possible, because they understand this energy cycle. They don’t want to disrupt the natural energy flowing through their bodies, so they aren’t quick to just dump anything in. Here’s a snapshot of two different thought processes. Of course I had to name them after two of my fave movies. Ask yourself, where do you fall? Terminator View: We are made like a “Terminator,” a biological entity of skin and parts that eventually wear out. The body’s consciousness stems solely from the electrical reactions in the brain. Illness just happens to a person because of bad genes or unfortunate exposure to viruses or bacteria, and drugs and surgery are how we return the body to balance. Matrix View: Our body has an energy matrix. We are electrical beings, not just structural ones. We think atoms and molecules, not just skin and bones. We know our body has an innate consciousness that helps direct us. We believe that genes express themselves according to our lifestyle. The way we eat, live, and move has an enormous impact on our health. We know that being unhealthy can be a result of constant dysfunctional energy patterns played out in our lives. Most importantly, we understand that we are in control. Health is a byproduct of choices. It really comes down to building a better body, cell by cell. Everything rises and falls on the health of your cells. By using practices that I learned from my Swiss doctors—like cleansing and detoxifying your body, regulating pH balance through diet, and eating to strengthen your immune system and maintain optimal health and energy—you will get what you want. Whether it’s to look better, feel better, heal better, get glowing skin, or have a youthful body and mind for years to come, you can obtain it. Think of your body like any other ecosystem. It really is self-healing and self-regulating. When you dump anything into your body that doesn’t belong, there is a ripple. There is an effect. Only provide your body what it needs, because otherwise natural production will go down. When you give your body anything it doesn't need, the consequences can be disastrous. Address stressors, deficiencies, and toxicities beyond food as well. Supply your body with the right resources and remove interferences, such as bad food and negative relationships and thoughts that don’t serve you. When you start changing your paradigm and looking at your body as an ecosystem, you will lean into a stronger, healthier, and younger body and mind. Or maybe, just maybe, since the Swiss people consume the most chocolate per capita, it's just the chocolate that's got everybody glowing ... wink!  Keep thinking big and living bold!