I just read a piece of brand-new research that’s going to make you break out in a big, fat grin.

Researchers studied the elasticity and hydration of women’s faces and discovered that those who ate more saturated fat had fewer wrinkles.₁

If you lived in a primitive culture like the ones I’ve seen in Peru, Brazil, and Africa, saturated fat would be a major part of your diet. They eat whatever they can catch. And they prefer the fat – they eat it first. Most dishes are also rich with tropical oils.

They eat saturated fat at every meal and have beautiful skin and shiny hair. Middle-aged women there look like they’re in their 20s.

Contrast that to what you see on the street of any city in the U.S. today. Women here throw away the best part of the steak. They buy fat-free versions of almost everything. They avoid fat like the plague, and it shows. There is no comparison in the quality of skin, hair, or number of wrinkles on their faces.

Now, we have scientific evidence that supports my observation. A native diet gives you more healthy skin and hair.

Saturated fat is natural. It’s what makes everything taste good. It’s the fake stuff, the man-made trans fat, that you have to look out for. Trans fat is what you find in junk food and fast food.

I recommend you look for natural sources of saturated fat and add it to your diet. Here’s a list of where you can find it:

• Eggs: Look for eggs from free-range chickens.
• Meat and Poultry: Make sure you choose grass-fed instead of grain-fed meat. Buy free-range poultry. Stay away from processed meats. Grain-fed and processed meats contain hormones, antibiotics, and chemical additives.
• Butter and Whole Milk Dairy: Choose organic butter and whole milk dairy products from grass-fed cows. By butter, I don’t mean margarine. Margarine is filled with chemicals. You need to avoid it.
• Tropical Oils, Like Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, and Cocoa Butter: Pick up the organic version. You can use these in your cooking and also on your skin. Try coconut oil when you sauté or as a dressing on salads.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

1. Nagata, C., Nakamura, K., et al. “Association of dietary fat, vegetables and antioxidant micronutrients with skin ageing in Japanese women.” British Journal of Nutrition, Published online by Cambridge University Press 20 Jan 2010.

I don’t know about you, but I pluck my eyebrows. I like how nice and clean it makes my eye area look.

A little grooming with a pair of tweezers is one thing. But if the outer third of your eyebrow falls out on its own, that’s a different story.

If this has happened to you, it may mean you’re not producing enough thyroid hormone. And, in that case, having thin eyebrows could be the least of your worries.

If your thyroid goes on the blink, you could get about 200 other problems. You might start to feel chilly all the time. You might notice extra fat around your waist, even though you eat healthy. Maybe you get headaches a lot, your nails break easily, or you get depressed every month.

If you recognize any of these symptoms, you’re not alone. You have a one in five chance of developing hypothyroidism by the time you’re 65 years old.

My aunt was one who did. She was a young adult in the 80s, when eyebrows were “in.” But she noticed her eyebrows were thinning. In fact, they were just about gone. My poor aunt was so unhappy, she went to a permanent makeup clinic and had eyebrows tattooed onto her skin!

It wasn’t long after this that my aunt discovered she had an underactive thyroid. Sure enough, once she was treated, her eyebrows came back, full and lush. My aunt thought it was a miracle!

Many things can affect your thyroid, like eating too many carbs. Or when you starve yourself to lose a pound or two. You need a good diet with protein and healthy fat for your thyroid to function properly.

If you’re on birth control pills, or if you take other medications, it can also interfere. So can toxins that get into your bloodstream, like pesticides, mercury, or the chemicals you find in plastic.

This is not something to take lightly. When your thyroid is underactive, it can lead to hardening of the arteries. You could have a heart attack without warning.1

But don’t rush off to your doctor quite yet. You can test your thyroid at home. You can also increase your thyroid production by increasing your vitamins and minerals.

To see if you might have an underactive thyroid:

1. Buy a glass thermometer instead of digital and keep it next to your bed.
2. As soon as you wake up, tuck the thermometer in your armpit and leave it there for 15 minutes. Any movement will affect the reading, so lie still and relax.
3. Write down the temperature.
4. Do this for three days in a row.
5. After three days, add up the numbers and divide by three. If your number is below 97.2, there’s a good chance you have an underactive thyroid.

Note: If you’re menstruating, avoid taking the test mid-cycle. Hormones may affect your temperature.

If your eyebrows are disappearing, or if you suspect an underactive thyroid, start by taking iodine. Most people in the U. S. are deficient, and your thyroid needs it to function. Take 12.5-25 mg every day.

Or, you can take a thyroid support supplement. It should contain vitamins A, B’s, C, and D, along with minerals like iodine, magnesium, selenium, and L-tyrosine (an important amino acid).

Best Wishes for Health and Beauty,

Tara Smith, ARNP, NP-C

[Ed. Note: Tara Smith, ARNP NP-C, is a board-certified nurse practitioner for Dr. Sears’ Center for Health & Wellness in Royal Palm Beach, FL. Her medical concentration is on aesthetics, teaching, and family practice. Tara is conducting research trials into novel ways of naturally boosting HGH and working on a new book, on anti-aging for women.]

1. Hak AE, “Subclinical hypothyroidism is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction in elderly women: the Rotterdam Study.” Ann Intern Med. 2000 Feb 15;132(4):270-8.

It’s a well-known fact that mercury is toxic. It’s also a fact that “silver” amalgam fillings in your teeth contain mercury.

When the mercury escapes from your fillings and into your bloodstream, a lot of serious health problems can result. Sleep disturbances, memory loss, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, and swelling… just to name a few.

But here’s something you probably would never realize…

Mercury toxicity can also give you skin rashes, discolored fingernails, and make your hair fall out.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of mercury in a single, typical “silver” filling placed in a 10-acre lake would be enough for them to classify the entire lake as toxic.

Yet, the American Dental Association (ADA) insists that mercury fillings are safe. They claim mercury amalgams are a problem only for those sensitive to mercury. Their “proof” is that these fillings have been used for 150 years.

The problem is that chewing releases trace amounts of mercury from fillings into your mouth – with every bite. So can grinding your teeth and drinking hot liquids. And old fillings are prone to corrosion by acidic foods or saliva.

That kind of constant, low-level exposure builds up over time. Many adults have fillings from childhood that fit this risk profile.

So, should you have your mercury fillings removed? You should probably consider replacement if:

You have any of the above symptoms that have not responded to treatment.

• You have many old silver fillings.
• You grind your teeth.
• You drink hot coffee or tea.

If you do decide to have your silver fillings removed, limiting the amount of mercury vapor emitted during removal is key. Be sure to choose a dentist who is practiced specifically in mercury amalgam removal. Someone who is well-informed about the toxicity danger and who will take the necessary precautions during your office visit. Make sure you ask about these procedures before you begin.

And don’t rush it. Too many removed at one time can also expose you to excess levels of mercury. This is exactly what you don’t want. Remove your fillings judiciously – a few at a time. Space your appointments several weeks apart.

For any new fillings, you should insist on one of the non-mercury alternatives. There are new materials available that are safe. The best are bonded resin ceramics.

Mercury proponents insist that their bonding ability is much lower than that of traditional silver amalgams. But what you trade off in bonding ability, you make up for in biocompatibility. They are tooth colored, so your smile will look better too.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

References:

1. Hahn, LJ; Kloiber, R; Viny, MJ;Takahashi, Y; Lorscheider, FL. “Dental ‘silver’ fillings a source of mercury exposure revealed by whole-body image scan and tissue analysis.” FASEB J. 3:2641-6. Dec 1989.
2. Danscher G; Hersted-Bindley; and Rungby J. “Traces of mercury in organs from primates with amalgam fillings.” Exp Molecular Path 52:291-299, 1990.
3. Viny, MJ;Takahashi, Y; Lorscheider, FI. “Maternal-fetal distribution of mercury (203Hg) released from dental amalgam fillings.” Amer J Physiol. 258:R939-45. April 1990.
4. Lutz, E; et al. “Concentrations of mercury, cadmium and lead in brain and kidney of second trimester fetuses and infants.” J Trace Elem Med Biol., 10(2):61-67, 1996.
5. Westrup D; Ehmann WD; “Trace elements imbalances in isolated subcellular fractions of Alzheimer’s disease brains.” Brain Research, 533:125-131, 1990.
6. Richardson, GM. “An assessment of adult exposure and risks from components and degradation products of composite resin dental materials.” Human Ecology Risk Assessment, 3(4):683-697, 1997.
7. Ziff,S; Ziff, MF DDS. Dentistry Without Mercury, p. 58, 2000.

Coach Yari

Eat small, protein-rich meals every 2½ to 3½ hours.

When you eat small, frequent meals it allows your body to become a metabolic machine.

You see, when you don’t feed your body often enough – or feed it the wrong kinds of foods – it starts thinking it’s going to starve, so it goes into what I call “defense mode.” And that’s bad news. Because when this defense mechanism kicks in, your body begins storing FAT – the last thing you want it to do!

Now, I’m not telling you to fill up on pasta, french fries, and hot dogs every couple of hours. That’s not the way to go.

Instead, to ramp up your fat-burning capacity, you need to eat foods that can be digested and absorbed properly. That includes lean proteins, vegetables, salads, and complex carbs – foods that are in a form closest to what nature intended.

The best thing about it: There is absolutely no sacrifice involved. You’ll just get to eat a lot more of plenty of foods you like.

Lean Protein: There’s no need to stay away from protein. In fact, it’s the one food that’s really going to kick your metabolism into overdrive. When you get enough of it on a regular basis, your body has no reason to store fat. Try fish, poultry, lean steaks, eggs… and yes, you can eat the yolk too.

Veggies and Salad: Eat as many vegetables as you like… the greener the better, but all colors are good. They may not have as much nutrition in them as they used to, but they’re still a good way to get the antioxidants and nutrients your body needs to feel satisfied and healthy.

Complex Carbs: Instead of getting your carbs from processed sugars and refined wheat products that pack on the weight, get as close to nature as you can. Stick with foods that are low on the glycemic index, like brown rice, sweet potatoes, millet quinoa, sprouted grains, and beans.

Here’s an example of my daily eating plan…

Your Health and Fitness Specialist,

Coach Yari

[Ed. Note: Yarixa Ferrao, A.K.A, Coach Yari is a Certified Personal Trainer (NASM) and an expert in functional training, fat loss, sports performance, and cellulite. Coach Yari is the founder of Get Fit in 6, a 6-week life transformation program for both men and women in Delray Beach, Florida. You can visit her at: www.getfitin6.com.]

The national campaign to keep us out of the sun has finally caught up with us. The result?

A study from the prestigious Archives of Internal Medicine found that an astounding three out of four Americans don’t get enough vitamin D.

Here’s why you should care:

Low vitamin D levels don’t just cause rickets in children and weaken bones in adults. They are strongly linked to cancer, heart disease, and many other serious health problems.

The study shows that vitamin D levels dropped 20% from 1994 to 2004 on average. The number of people who have a clinical deficiency of vitamin D tripled, and those who are below the healthy level of vitamin D jumped by almost 50%.₁

Given our obsession with staying out of the sun – nature’s way of creating vitamin D in our bodies – and the dramatic drop in vitamin D nutrients in our foods, it’s no wonder that this has become a national epidemic.

Plus, the government has kept its recommended levels for vitamin D supplements way too low for far too long. Its current recommendation is to take:

• 200 IU per day from birth to 50 years old
• 400 IU per day for aged adults 51 to 70
• And 600 IU per day for those 71 and older

The study’s authors recommend taking 1,000 IU or more a day of vitamin D supplements on top of increasing your exposure to the sun. The government, however, is dragging its feet and says it may take up to a year to recommend new guidelines.

Don’t wait. This report will show you how to safely increase your vitamin D levels and avoid the risks of vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D: Don’t Fear the Sun – It’s Nature’s Cancer Fighter

Your body needs exposure to the sun to produce vitamin D. An Anticancer Research study found that just by getting a little sunlight every day – about 20 minutes for fair-skinned people and two to four times that much for those with dark skin – could reduce the risk of 16 types of cancer.₂

Numerous studies prove the cancer-destroying properties of vitamin D. In fact, it causes melanoma cells to self-destruct.₃

One group of scientists at the University of New Mexico found that exposure to the sun helped cancer patients to recover from already established melanoma. So much so, their rate of survival doubled!₄

But with their stern warnings and dire predictions, you won’t hear many dermatologists – or the $6 billion sunscreen industry – voicing this evidence. Just like the great “cholesterol con” that tricked so many into fearing cholesterol and swallowing toxic “statin” drugs – their “fear of the sun” campaign is just as ridiculous.

The real research suggests that the best way to avoid deadly melanoma is to spend more time in the sun. For instance, dozens of studies show that people who work inside – like office workers – have a much higher risk of melanoma than those who work outside – like construction workers and lifeguards.₅

To underscore this point, melanoma commonly occurs in areas that don’t receive any sunlight at all – like the palms of your hands, the soles of your feet, under your arms, beneath your fingernails – even inside your nose.

Enjoy the Sun and Protect Yourself Naturally

First, some common sense: Avoid sunburn. It hurts and damages your skin. Second, stop using chemical-based sunscreens – like the ones you get at the drugstore. The chemicals can actually be carcinogenic. If you like, you can find sunscreens available on the internet that are natural and chemical-free.

Most importantly, it’s critical that you boost your body’s natural defenses. Our change in diet has left us defenseless against the sun’s normally health-enhancing rays. Thanks to commercial farming and processing, the nutrients we need to prevent skin cancer are increasingly absent from our food. That’s why we require supplements to get the nutrients we need.

Here are my favorite supplements to help:

Cod Liver Oil - The lack of healthy omega-3 fatty acids in our diet is one of the primary factors contributing to the rise of skin cancer. Grains, sugars, and processed foods – even commercial beef – are full of omega-6 fatty acids. Not only are these inflammatory, but they prevent your skin from fighting the sun’s UV rays.

A tablespoon of cod liver oil a day will replenish your omega-3 levels and keep your skin looking young and fresh. It will also give you a boost of vitamin D in its most natural form.

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid found in shrimp, lobsters, salmon, trout, and algae. It gives them their red/pinkish color. (Carotenoids are nutrients that protect plants and animals from UV radiation.)

Astaxanthin is hundreds of times more powerful than most carotenoids and multiplies the effects of vitamin C and E, increasing their antioxidant activity.₆ This is one of the best supplements to prevent skin cancer. During periods of prolonged exposure, you can’t beat it. It’s available as a capsule. I recommend 2 mg a day with meals.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid - ALA is a powerful antioxidant that works at all levels – including your skin. Not only does it protect skin cells from free radicals, it protects their mitochondria (the power plant of every cell) and pumps up your cancer defense mechanisms.

It also preserves collagen and prevents the damage associated with aging skin making your skin more youthful and vibrant. I recommend 200 mg to 400 mg daily.

Vitamin C – A lack of vitamin C makes your skin vulnerable to damage from the sun’s rays. And we have recently started getting far less vitamin C in our diets.

I recommend 3,000 mg per day if you’re currently in good health. This will give you enough to produce the collagen required for strong blood vessels and heart disease prevention.

Pregnant women should get at least 6,000 mg per day – and in times of stress or sickness, you can take up to 20,000 mg. A powdered form may be more convenient for larger doses.

Vitamin D – Finally, take a good vitamin D supplement. I recommend 1,000 to 2,000 IU daily, particularly during the winter or if you live in cold, damp climates with little sunlight.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

1. Ginde, A. Archives of Internal Medicine, March 23, 2009; vol 169: 626-632.
2. Grant WB et al, “The association of solar ultraviolet B (UVB) with reducing risk of cancer: multifactorial ecologic analysis of geographic variation in age-adjusted cancer mortality rates,” Anticancer Research, 2006; 26:2687-2700.
3. Danielsson C, et al. (1998). Differential apoptotic response of human melanoma cells to 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its analogues. Cell Death Differ. 5:946.
4. Berwick M, Armstrong BK, Ben-Porat L, Fine J, Kricker A, Eberle C, Barnhill R. Sun exposure and mortality from melanoma. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 Feb 2;97(3):195-9.
5. Elwood JM, et al. Cutaneous Melanoma in Relation to Intermittent and Constant Sun Exposure – The Western Canada Melanoma Study. Int J Cancer 1985;35:427
6. www.astaxanthin.org/benefits.htm

Coach Yari

Not so!  You can simply and effectively get rid of your cellulite. There’s one, single cause, and your doctor or trainer probably never told you about it. Although cellulite is often associated with being overweight, it affects women of all sizes and shapes while men usually get off scot-free.

There’s a reason: Estrogen.

That’s right ladies. Cellulite is frequently a direct result of excess estrogen build up that weakens your connective tissue. That weak tissue allows fat cells to float to the surface, creating all those lumps and bumps that make you crazy.

But I have good news, I spoke with Tara Smith, ARNP, NP-C at Dr. Sears’ office…

She told me about a safe, natural compound that breaks down excess estrogen and flushes it right out of your body. It’s called DIM (Diindolymethane).

If you’ve tried everything else, and haven’t been able to get rid of those demon dimples, getting more DIM in your diet may be exactly what you need. And it’s super easy to add to your diet, because it’s found in most cruciferous vegetables.

So all you need to do is eat more broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts. It’s that easy! Cruciferous veggies are packed with DIM.

But to really bust the cellulite, Tara recommends trying DIM in a supplement.  She said you can find it at your local health food store or vitamin shop. Follow the directions on the label, but you should get at least 100mg a day.  Start off easy and if you need more you can double the dose.

Best wishes for beauty and fitness,

Coach Yari

[Ed. Note: Yarixa Ferrao, A.K.A, Coach Yari is a Certified Personal Trainer (NASM) and an expert in functional training, fat loss, sports performance, and cellulite. Coach Yari is the founder of Get Fit in 6, a 6-week life transformation program for both men and women in Delray Beach, Fla. You can visit her at: www.getfitin6.com.]

In my own practice, hundreds of teenagers – and many adults too – have come to me for answers after seeing every dermatologist in town. My solution? A better diet.

If you could only see the look on parents’ faces when I suggest that diet will cure their child’s acne… They act as if I should have my medical license revoked. But when they see the results months later, they practically fall over themselves with gratitude.

Today, I’ll share new evidence that diet has an undeniable link to acne. My friend and colleague, Dr. Loren Cordain, just released The Dietary Cure for Acne. This remarkable program is getting rave reviews and producing reliable results for those suffering from acne.

If you’re a long-term reader, you’ll remember my articles about the “caveman diet.” Dr. Cordain was one of the first to show that our ancient ancestors ate more fat and protein – and fewer carbs – than we do today.

After researching the connection between diet and acne, Dr. Cordain discovered that anyone – including you – can eliminate acne by avoiding processed and refined foods and eating more lean meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables.

Dr. Cordain found new evidence in the last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes. Living in far-flung locales like Paraguay and Papua New Guinea, these cultures still follow their traditional diets, which haven’t changed for centuries.

In 2002, Dr. Cordain’s team of researchers studied the Kitavan people who live on remote islands off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Their sample included 300 teenagers and young adults between the ages of 15 and 25.

Their findings were startling. Not a single case of acne! Later, his colleagues examined 115 hunter-gatherers living in a remote jungle in Paraguay. This time, they followed their subjects for 2 years, periodically checking for signs of acne. Not a single case!

Compare that to American teenagers: 79 to 95 percent of US teens between the ages of 16 and 18 have acne.

Coincidence? Not by a long shot… This is not the first time researchers have seen the effect of diet and acne on native populations. From the late 1940s through the early 1970s, Dr. Otto Schaefer was a frontier physician. He treated the Inuit (Eskimo) people in some of the most remote villages and outposts on Earth.

When he started his practice, the Inuit were still following their native diets. This consisted of wild animals obtained from hunting and fishing, along with a few wild plants gathered during the summer.

But as the Western diet encroached upon their old traditions, their health began to decline. In 1971, Dr. Schaefer noted that the locals were starting to talk about the changes they noticed in the complexions of the teenage Inuit. Acne was everywhere. Yet the medical establishment still maintained that diet had nothing to do with these dramatic changes.

So what are Americans eating that causes such trouble? As Dr. Cordain points out, over 70 percent of the energy we get in our diets comes from refined sugars, grains, vegetable oils and dairy. And that’s downright dangerous…

The same foods causing acne are the same ones that promote obesity, heart disease and cancer. Sound familiar?

Landmark Study Supports – and Proves – the Dietary Acne Cure

In November of 2005, Dr. Cordain met with Dr. Neil Mann from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia. Two years earlier, Dr. Mann had launched his own study based on Dr. Cordain’s work. Now Dr. Mann was ready to share the results.

Dr. Mann worked with 43 acne patients for 2 years. Using diet alone, he was able to improve and in many cases, reverse the acne of his patients.

A high protein, low glycemic load diet was the key. Glycemic load is the number of grams of carbs you’ll find in a serving of a particular food. (Glycemic index is how quickly the food will spike your blood sugar.)

To give you a better idea of how this works, let’s look at watermelon. It has a relatively high glycemic index, meaning that it breaks down into sugars rather quickly. But its glycemic load is very low. So the total number of carbs it has will not have an impact on your insulin levels. (Keeping insulin low is one of the keys of weight loss and a long life.)

Low glycemic foods prevent acne. But they also prevent chronic disease. So even if you don’t have acne, Dr. Cordain’s diet is perfect for weight loss and disease prevention. Use it for a lifestyle that’s full of energy and free of disease.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD