Entries by Chet Zelasko

Parachute or Backpack?

You’re sitting on a plane. The person next to you says he’s conducting a study about parachute safety and asks if you would be willing to be randomly assigned to one of two groups: jumping out of the plane with a parachute or with an empty backpack at its current altitude and speed. Yes, this […]

Will Bitter Orange Help You Burn More Fat?

When it comes to weight loss and exercise, we’re always looking for an edge such as burning more fat at rest or during exercise. Bitter orange is an herb that contains p-synephrine, a reputed booster of fat metabolism while you’re at rest. A small study tested p-synephrine, caffeine, and both together to see the effects […]

Will Flaxseeds Help with PCOS?

In this week’s Memos, I’ll review several studies—not large clinical trials, but studies that make you think about possibilities and direction. The first update is a case study on polycystic ovary system (PCOS) and ground flaxseed. A registered nurse attending a conference I addressed last weekend called it to my attention. Ground flaxseed is something […]

My Weight Loss Experience and Goals for 2019

As the author of the Optimal Performance program, I want to tell you about my experience with the Weight Loss Cycle. I had used the Basic Program to train my body to use fat as a fuel. I use the strategy in Energy on Demand when I need to be at my best whether for […]

The Science Behind the Weight Loss Cycle

One of the tenacious problems with weight loss is that people don’t lose all the weight they want to lose and then don’t keep it off. In trying to find out why that happens, I narrowed it to two studies that pointed the way to a solution. The first was a study that attempted to […]

2018’s Worst Most-Read Paper

In March of last year, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a viewpoint written by two experts in public health titled “Vitamin and Mineral Supplements. What Clinicians Need to Know”; it was one of the nutrition papers most read and most shared last year. The only problem is that clinicians really won’t find […]

It’s Time to Take Inventory

The New Year is here. For many businesses, it’s time to take inventory. Companies have to know what products and assets they have in order to plan for the upcoming year. If you’ve started or will begin a health improvement program, it’s a good time to take inventory on yourself. You have to know where […]

Did Probiotics Help Preschoolers with Gastroenteritis?

The use of probiotics to stop diarrhea and vomiting for preschoolers with gastroenteritis (GE) was studied in two major studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the U.S. study, 55 of the 468 subjects who got the probiotics had scores of nine or greater on the scale while 60 of 475 in […]

Preschoolers, Probiotics, and Gastroenteritis

Estimates are that close to two million preschool children will be taken to the emergency room for vomiting and diarrhea every year; the term generally used is gastroenteritis (GE). Two research groups, one from the U.S. and one from Canada, conducted studies to see if probiotics would have any impact on the course of GE […]

Winterize Yourself

The official start to winter is quickly approaching, but for most of us the cold, wet, snowy, rainy weather has already begun. Today’s Memo contains some tips on how to winterize your body by focusing on basic nutritional supplementation. Water: Make sure you increase fluid intake during the winter. The humidity is lower because the […]