The Holiday Challenge III

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If you do something more than once, it can become a tradition. I decided to do the Holiday Challenge again with a slight twist. If you remember, the challenge last year was to see who could eat the most servings of vegetables and fruit over the 4th of July weekend. I’m still interested in volume: I want more of you to do the challenge, wherever you are in the world. But instead of eating the most number, the goal is to eat at least five servings of fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits every day—Friday through Sunday.

What’s the incentive? Everyone who eats five fruits and veggies per day can participate in the next Insider conference call on July 16th. It’s been a long time since I opened it up to non-Insiders, and you can earn your way to an invitation by reaching the five veggies and fruits per day for the weekend. Just respond to this email saying “I did it!” and I’ll put you on the guest list. If you have trouble figuring out what qualifies, check out last year’s Memo from July 2nd.

One more thing: a cooking tip. If you’re cooking this weekend and you want to enhance the flavor to make it more salty and umami, try fish sauce. It is made by fermenting fish for a couple of years, so if you’re allergic to seafood, don’t use it. But I add it to just about everything I cook as an entrée or sauce, including BBQ sauce; I can’t explain it, but it’s almost magical. I think you’ll find the additional flavor is excellent but watch the amount. A dash will do the trick. If you don’t find it at your regular grocery, you’ll definitely find it at any Asian market.

If you’re traveling by car this holiday weekend, you can binge listen to my podcast Straight Talk on Health that I do for the local public radio station. Click the link or find it on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and other podcast sites.

Have a safe weekend and I’m looking forward to your responses next week.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Just Breathe

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As I was lying there before my colonoscopy, waiting for the drugs to kick in to put me in la-la land during the procedures, I used a form of the technique used in this study of dealing with stress: rhythmic beathing. First, the paper.

Researchers recruited 27 graduate students to participate in a clinical trial to test two types of deep breathing in stressful situations. The only issue they cite was that they had no male volunteers, so the results may apply only to women (but probably not, in my opinion). They tested heart rate via electrocardiogram (EKG), electroencephalogram (EEG), as well as verbal responses. The EEG gave the researchers the chance to see the responses in specific areas of the brain. While complex in interpretation, they were able to identify areas associated with stress and relaxation.

They used two different breathing techniques. The fast response was a quick 1 second in and 1 second out. The slow technique was 3 seconds in and 3 seconds out. The key to both was belly breathing where you expand your belly as you breathe in. The slow technique reduced heart rate more than the quick breath technique.

Why would slow belly breathing impact heart rate and brain activity? It may be the impact on the vagus nerve, which slows down both breathing and heart rate. No matter how, slow rhythmic breathing in stressful situations works.

The specific technique I use is sometimes called box breathing: 4 seconds in, a 4-second hold, 4 seconds out, and another 4-second hold. There are many permutations taught in everything from yoga classes to mental coaching programs; when you’re not in a critical stress situation, it can help you focus your thoughts.

Whichever method you prefer, slow breathing techniques can help relieve stress and anxiety.

One More Thing

It would be irresponsible of me not to tell you about the classic way to deal with the physical and mental response to stress: regular aerobic exercise. Exercise trains the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that controls hormone release as well as resets the tone of the ANS. Briefly, your heart rate is controlled by both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system; the sympathetic wants to speed things up while the parasympathetic says to relax. The balance between them is called tone. Exercise sets the tone lower so when you’re exposed to stress and anxiety, your body can deal with it better. Your body can be trained to deal with stress by moving more—and that’s in addition to all the other benefits.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Nature. Scientific Reports. (2025) 15:841

Living with Stress and Anxiety

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“May you live in interesting times.” —Ancient Chinese Curse

Paula got that message in a fortune cookie many years ago, and she thinks it has proven to be true. Interesting is one thing, but with all that goes on in our lives, it can be downright stressful; I got stressed just trying to find out who actually said that quote. There are several theories, but no one really knows for sure.

I just had an endoscopy/colonoscopy last week. The most difficult part? It wasn’t the prep, which stresses out many people—it was the potential results that stressed me out. I had three polyps last time and was diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus. Were things better or had they progressed? The results turned out fine with a couple of polyps removed, but that didn’t reduce the anxiety of waiting.

We live in stressful times. The price of food—heck, the price of everything. Proposed healthcare cuts: you find out that your healthcare plan just increased your annual contribution before insurance kicks in just when you need a new roof or car repairs. And then there’s the whole issue of politics and most likely hundreds of other scenarios in our lives. You can just feel your heart rate and blood pressure rise. Who knows what else is going on that may be damaging your body, from your brain to your kidneys? We try to shield our kids, but they have their own stressors, as well as picking up on adult anxiety.

A recent study tested a theory of how to deal with this stress and anxiety. I’ll cover that on Saturday. Hang in there until then.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Creatine: Does Size Matter?

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The researchers in Tuesday’s study demonstrated that the use of creatine did not increase muscle size after considering the increase in fluid levels. The major problem is the limited scope of the study: looking only at changes in lean body mass. While the researchers should be given credit for the approach using DEXA, there are several issues with the study.

Age: The researchers used both men and women in the study—no problem if you have enough of each gender. The problem was that they included subjects between 18 and 50 years old; research has shown that muscle loss due to age can begin as early as 40. With only 63 subjects, ideally it would mean 15 men and 15 women in each group. Dividing those few subjects into under 40 and over 40 means as few as six or seven subjects in each group. That’s just not enough subjects to prove their point; it’s sufficient for a pilot study, but not enough to determine health recommendations.

SEM: SEM stands for Standard Error of Measurement. The DEXA scan has limitations in determining the lean body mass with precision. The differences in lean body mass fell within the standard error of the measurement; the measuring tool wasn’t precise enough to measure actual differences.

Strength: Where was the strength data comparing differences in gains between the creatine and experimental group? Looking at lean body mass is looking at a combination of factors, but strength is strength: the amount of weight can you lift in several lifts like the dead lift, the squat, and the bench press. You can’t do such an intensive study and not measure the simplest variable. I’ve emailed the corresponding author, but he’s on a break in Australia. If I get a response, I’ll share it with you.

The Bottom Line

Creatine is a natural substance that may be beneficial for a variety of issues besides muscle growth. I use it every day because I lift to increase strength, but also because it benefits energy levels, skin, muscles, and other organs as well. I think everyone over 40 can probably benefit from taking five grams of creatine monohydrate every day.

Check with your doctor to find out your limitations on exercise intensity and get after it. Weight training should be a part of your regular routine, and creatine is a natural way of making more energy to increase muscular strength.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference:  https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17061081

Does Creatine Help Build Muscle?

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Creatine is a naturally occurring chemical your body makes by combining glycine, arginine, and methionine. It’s primarily used in energy production as a precursor in the manufacture of ATP in your body. Creatine is often used to help increase muscle mass in people who train with weights and that’s the focus of the paper I’m going to review.

Researchers in Australia recruited male and female subjects who had been sedentary and had not done any form of resistance training or creatine supplementation in the past year. They collected data on 33 controls and 30 experimental subjects for a 13-week creatine supplementation and resistance training study. The objective was to see if there were actual changes in muscle mass and lean body mass within the resistance training and supplementation program. Prior research had shown that creatine may change only water levels—creatine is known to increase fluid levels in muscle.

The tool they used to assess fluid levels was DEXA to scan for lean body mass before the study began, after the 7-day wash-in period with creatine, and after the 13-week resistance training program. They found that lean body mass increased during the wash-in period in the supplementation group before the resistance training program began, and the difference in lean body mass was maintained throughout the resistance training program. In response to the resistance training program, both groups increased lean body mass by 4.4 pounds after accounting for the initial difference in weight. Therefore, they concluded that creatine may not contribute to increases in lean body mass when used in a resistance training program because of the lack of difference between the supplement and the placebo group once the initial lean body mass was accounted for. But did they ask the correct question? We’ll find out on Saturday.

Tomorrow night is the Insider Conference Call. If you want to get your questions answered, become an Insider before 8 p.m. tomorrow night to join in.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference:  https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17061081

More About Fats and Oils

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In my research on fats and oils, I found out a few things I didn’t know and discovered some more research about seed oils. The issues raised about seed oils have always been related to how unhealthy seed oils are rather than the overconsumption of seed oils. But are they as hazardous as they’re made out to be?

I Bet You Didn’t Know…

Did you know that lard comes from rendering—melting down—pig fat?

Did you know that tallow comes from rendering beef fat?

The fatty acid arachidonic acid is used to make prostaglandins, hormone-like fatty acids that can impact inflammation. The highest amounts are found in animal fats, not seed oils. The gurus’ claim that all seed oils cause inflammation isn’t true; it’s the amount consumed that matters.

The deadliest fatty acids are trans-fatty acids (TFAs). They can be made from seed oils that have been hydrogenated or saturated fats that are kept at high frying temperatures for long periods of time.

Research Update on Oils

Researchers collected data on the production of trans-fatty acids from cooking with seed oils, including those that contain hydrogenated oils, which are man-made by heating oils at high temperature. They found that as long as seed oils didn’t contain hydrogenated oils, keeping the frying temperature below 400° didn’t produce appreciable TFAs in any seed oils tested.  

The Bottom Line

When cooking with animal- or plant-based fats and oils, it’s important to keep the cooking temperature below the smoke point to limit the production of TFAs, which are associated with heart disease. Also, choose oils without hydrogenated fats in them.

To reduce inflammation, it doesn’t really matter whether you use seed oils or lard or tallow—it’s the amount you consume that’s going to make the difference. Eat less. Eat better. Move more.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Nutrients 2022, 14, 1489. https://doi.org/10.3390/ nu14071489

Cooking with Fat

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Paula and I watch a lot of cooking shows, which led me to wonder: what are the best types of fat to use while cooking? In addition to oils and seed oils, the question would include animal and vegetable sources. I’ll leave taste off the table (or cooktop) because everyone has an opinion. Cooking would include a quick fry in a pan like eggs, sautéing vegetables, cooking meats, and deep-fat frying.

The key to choosing which fat to use is the temperature where the oil starts burning, referred to as the smoke point. Here are the ones I think are most applicable to everyday cooking:

You may wonder why olive oil is listed three times; unless it says “extra virgin,” it will contain some other vegetable oils as well.

Most cooktops generate an average temperature of about 350°, so using oils and fats with smoke points above that temperature is a good idea, depending on the type of cooking you’re doing. But questions remain about seed oils and animal fats. I’ll answer those on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Maltodextrin in Moderation

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Now that we know a little about maltodextrin (MAL), let’s get into the details. I think there are two issues behind the concern about maltodextrin. The first is that MAL increases the glycemic index (GI). The GI of MAL is nearly as high as glucose, coming in at 95. That’s why it’s found in some products geared toward exercise—it becomes available quickly for energy. Energy gels for long-distance athletes contain MAL as their source of sugar. On the other hand, the resistant maltodextrin (RMAL) comes in at a paltry 5, which means it won’t impact blood sugar at all.

The second issue may be the source of the maltodextrins. The starches to make RMAL and MAL generally come from potatoes, wheat, corn, rice, and cassava. That presents issues for people who are allergic to wheat and corn. The primary source for MAL in the U.S. is corn, while wheat is the primary source in Europe; obviously, wheat is a problem for those who are allergic to wheat. Corn also gets a bad rap because almost all corn grown in the U.S. is GMO. There’s no evidence GMO foods are harmful, but many people want to stay away from bioengineered foods.

Is MAL safe to use in our food supply? Yes. Is RMAL also safe, and beneficial in our food? Yes. But it all comes down to this: how much are you going to consume? If it’s used as a stabilizer in complementary foods, manufacturers have most likely used RMAL; it wouldn’t impact blood sugar in a negative way and also gives you the benefit of fiber. But if it is MAL and you consume too much of it, it could have a negative impact on your health over time. And that’s the real story behind maltodextrin.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: National Institutes of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

What Is Resistant Maltodextrin?

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I received a question from a long-time reader last week concerning maltodextrin and why it might be bad enough to end up on some health experts’ do-not-eat list. I’ve never written about it before, so let’s take a look.

Let’s start with this: there are two forms of maltodextrin. One is known as maltodextrin (MAL) and the other is called resistant maltodextrin (RMAL). What’s the difference?

Dextrins are the indigestible component of starch; starchy foods include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, and cereals. Using heat and enzymes, they’re turned into indigestible dextrins called RMAL. Resistant to what? Digestive enzymes. In simpler terms, it’s a fermentable fiber that’s been researched for its potential to lower the risk of hypoglycemia, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. What makes it special is that it can serve as a prebiotic as well as fiber.

If the RMAL is further broken down, it results in MAL; it’s used in many foods, but the difference is that it’s broken down into simple sugar molecules, which we absorb quickly. Like almost every food I talk about, a little is good but too much may be harmful. I’ll cover why on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: National Institutes of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Choosing to Live Longer

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The researchers from the study I reviewed in Tuesday’s Memo had their thoughts on why the U.S. may experience excess deaths compared to other high-income countries. They also suggested that our healthcare system isn’t serving the American people as well as it might. That may be part of the answer. Let me give you my thoughts, before the anti-seed oil gurus and vaccination opponents get started.

Healthcare Systems

Every other country in the comparison had some form of universal healthcare or a combination of public and private healthcare plans—think Medicare with more coverage for an additional purchase. While we’ve all heard stories about hip replacements taking a year to get scheduled, they provide care to everyone without considering payment first. I’m not suggesting I have any answers to the healthcare dilemma, but it’s a part of the problem.

Vaccinations

I decided to look at the vaccination rates during the COVID epidemic because the U.S. mortality rate really skyrocketed during those couple of years, far above what happened in other high-income countries. When compared to other countries’ vaccination rates, we were near the bottom of the list. I know, and hear every day, about many people who are concerned about vaccinations being problematic, but the COVID vaccine may have contributed to the lower mortality rates in other countries.

The Bottom Line

Remember the final reasons that the researchers speculated about—cardiometabolic disease? Heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes are the top killers in the U.S. along with cancer. We could dramatically reduce mortality and morbidity if we took better care of our bodies. That’s where we fail: we eat too much and we move too little. If we could change those, I’m convinced the death rates would start to tumble.

Eat less. Eat better. Move more. Today.

So, what are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: JAMA Health Forum. 2025;6(5):doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.1118