Yes, But Not Now

/in /by

As Paula and I were discussing something we should do the other day, I said, “Yes, but not now.” That wasn’t meaningful in the moment, but a little while later, Paula commented that she knew she should cut back on sugar, but not now.

Bam. How many times have you said that? Not something you know you will do later but something related to your health: beginning to exercise, beginning to track your foods, beginning to organize your supplements to ensure you take them on a regular basis, and so on. Pick any lifestyle change you want to make; have you ever said, “but not now”? Look, there’s always something in our lives that makes it challenging to change our lifestyle–I’ll begin after my birthday, or after vacation, or some other event that makes it inconvenient to begin right now.

You know you should do it. You fully intend to do it. There’s no reason you can’t, and still, you tell yourself “but not now.” Procrastination at its finest!

There will always be something that we feel we should finish first. Once you actually begin, that will shift to something that interferes with your plan every day.

If you can’t deal with beginning now, what makes you think it will be any easier later? Maybe getting the right mindset could help. I’ll give you an idea about that on Saturday.

The comments I’ve gotten on the video update to Protecting Your Brain have been great. When there’s something that can benefit your brain, I’ll send out another update to everyone who has purchased the webinar. Have you?

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

“Watching” Your Diet and Workouts

/in /by

While the strategy for eating less I described on Tuesday used no type of tracking, this story is going to be the opposite. I ran into another person who has spent a couple of years focused on getting to a normal body weight. A couple of injuries playing sports set him back a little, but as we talked and I relayed the story from the day before, he said he was just the opposite: he tracks everything on his watch.

He records every meal—including the fast food breakfast sandwich he was eating; a client had brought it in and he felt he needed to explain his food choice to me. Remember, every food is acceptable as long as you track the frequency and amount. He continued that he tracks every workout—two days running, two days swimming, a spinning class, and he tries to run over the weekend. He can chart just about everything to monitor progress. He’s reached his weight-for-height goal and intends to keep up the lifestyle, because now, it’s his lifestyle.

Two different people, two different approaches—both worked. I’ll bet you have a story yourself. If not, you can write yours now, this year in 2025, so you can share it. It may inspire others. If you have one that’s worked for you, let me know how you did if you want me to share it with our group. Science takes you only so far; it’s how you make science work for you that’s important. Eat better. Eat less. Move more. And do it your way.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

“I’ll Have What She’s Having”

/in /by

My philosophy of getting to a normal weight and staying there is to find out what works best for you by trial and error. When you find something that works, stick with it. This week, I’m going to relay the conversations I had with two people within 24 hours and how they approached weight reduction.

I recently saw a physician I hadn’t seen in three or four months, and I noticed he appeared to have lost some weight. I commented that he looked leaner than the last time I saw him. Many people ask how a person lost the weight, but I think that’s a personal thing; if someone wants to share it, great. Evidently he decided he’d share it.

He knew that he was way over his weight for height based on BMI; he also relayed the fact that he didn’t want to track his calories. What he decided to do was to eat the way his wife ate. She’s about 5’ 1” tall and weighs 110 pounds; she’s always maintained that weight with no effort. He decided to eat the food that she ate in the serving size that she ate. I’d never heard that from anyone before, and I thought it was brilliant. The result of following that pattern over a number of months was that he had lost 45 pounds and still had about 15 pounds to go to get to his normal weight for height.

When a couple do things together, it can make things so much easier, but it doesn’t have to be a couple. If you can observe people who appear to be lean and a normal body weight, just watch the amount of food they eat as well as the types of food they eat. It always comes down to eat less, eat better, move more. As I said when I started, we just have to figure out how to do that for ourselves to find out what works best. Next story on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Shield Your Brain!

/in /by

For everyone who has purchased Protecting Your Brain, the first update will be on the way soon. As I stated in the webinar, when there is something important related to your brain I’ll send up an update, and a recent study is worth a follow up: researchers demonstrated that the microbiome in your mouth is beneficial to reducing the risk of mild cognitive impairment.

For the rest of you, don’t miss an opportunity to literally protect your brain and to help retain your memories and skills as well as the ability to learn new skills regardless of age. Isn’t that what’s it all about? Protecting Your Brain is my webinar that provides you with state-of-the-research ways to be able to do that. This webinar will teach you how brains get damaged, what’s normal and what’s not, and which activities, foods, and supplements will help protect it.

This webinar is available for download in my store right now for only $14.95 (Member and Insider discounts apply; be sure to log in first). You’ll learn how to protect your brain whether you’re 25 or 75.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

How Can You Safeguard Your Brainpower?

/in /by

If there’s one thing we all would like, it would be to retain as many of our memories as we can as well as all of the things we’ve learned over our lifetime. We’d also like the ability to learn new things, like how to make a doll house for our granddaughter or how to bake our favorite dessert. In order to do that, we have to do whatever we can to keep our brain functioning properly.

Protecting Your Brain is my webinar that provides you with state-of-the-research ways to be able to do that. This webinar will teach you:

  • The factors that can impact and damage your brain
  • What is normal brain function and what is not
  • What can you do to protect your brain in spite of prior damage?
    • Continual Learning
    • Fitness – functional and body health
    • The best diet to protect your brain
    • Supplementation that supports the brain

This webinar is available for download in my store right now, and includes the questions about brain health I asked for weeks ago with answers based on the most current research.

The cost of the webinar is just $14.95 (Member and Insider discounts apply), but it contains priceless things you can do to protect your brain whether you’re 25 or 75. This webinar is for you. Don’t wait to get your copy. Do it now—you might forget it later!

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

What Is Scienceploitation?

/in /by

I recently learned a fascinating new word: scienceploitation. As it has been defined in various journals and articles by scientists and lawyers, scienceploitation uses new ideas and research to develop products that will “solve” whatever issue you have; examples are stem cells, microbiome, and lately mitochondrial dysfunction. Wellness gurus and social media influencers take advantage of the hype to get consumers to buy such products and services.

The problem is that test-tube, animal, or small human trials aren’t enough to suggest the product or service is safe or effective. The hype websites and social media are always filled with testimonials but not with substantial research. We’ve all bought something that sounded too good to be true—and it was. We just have to be wise consumers.

On the Insider Conference Call tomorrow night, I’m going to give a detailed example of scienceploitation that’s related to mitochondria, mostly because of the increase in products that claim to “fix” them. I’ll also answer Insider questions. Become an Insider by 8 p.m. and you can be on the call, and of course, the replay will be available.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: BMJ Open, 8(2), 1-22

Is Flatulence Good for You?

/in /by

In another off-beat recent study, researchers examined if hydrogen sulfide (H2S) could increase the longevity and vitality of C. elegans worms. (Personally, I don’t see what’s elegant about this nematode, but scientists seem to love it; it was the first multicellular organism to have its whole genome sequenced and has been the subject of four Nobel prize winners.)

Two questions right off the bat. Are we talking about the hydrogen sulfide produced by probiotics in flatulence that can clear a room because of the smell? Yes. And worms are living healthier lives while living longer? Yes, but who cares? Allow me to continue.

There are similarities between some functions found in worms and in humans. Because their lifespan is much shorter, scientists can find out whether what they think will work as a treatment in theory will actually work in the worms. They exposed specific regions of the worms to hydrogen sulfide. The objective, based on prior research, was to examine whether the hydrogen sulfide would impact the mitochondria in those regions. Turns out the hydrogen sulfide did exactly that; while the worms lived a little longer, they were more vigorous up to the time they died.  The researchers are proceeding with research to see if this could be duplicated in humans.

The issue would be how to deliver the hydrogen sulfide to the correct place, and that appears to be the mitochondria. It may not prove to be practical, but I can think of a way to increase hydrogen sulfide in the body naturally: Eat foods with sulforaphanes and other sulfur-containing chemicals, such as broccoli and cauliflower in one group and onions and garlic in the other. I think that’s the easiest way to increase sulfides. The health benefits are significant and worth the discrete elimination of any gas that may be produced.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: PNAS. 2023. 120(32):  e22161411202.

Will Carbonated Water Aid Weight Loss?

/in /by

In the next few Memos, we’re going to talk about several studies out of the mainstream. Today we’re starting with adding carbonation to water.

If you walk the aisles of a grocery store, you can’t help but see 100 feet of shelves full of water—not just the regular purified or distilled, but flavored with every fruit and herb imaginable with a net of no added calories. I admit that I have my favorite: Liquid Death Severed Lime.

Earlier this year, a research group published a paper that asked the question, “Can carbonated water support weight loss?” They compared the rate of glucose metabolism in the red blood cells of people who drank carbonated water with data from those who undergo dialysis. While the process is complicated, the carbonated water increased the bicarbonate levels of the blood making it more alkaline. That stimulated the rate of glycolysis in the cells, and theoretically, increasing metabolism.

Would drinking carbonated water all day have an impact on body weight long term? The researchers made it clear that nothing replaces a healthy diet and increasing exercise, because the number of calories used in the process is low. However, drinking water before a meal may help you eat less, and making it carbonated water may also help. Unless you have an issue with carbonated water, maybe it will give you a slight edge in your efforts.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health 2025;:e0011082.

Use It!

/in /by

Paula, Riley, and I were in South Carolina for the past week visiting our son and his wife; the picture shows some of us collecting shells at Edisto Beach. After getting in and out of a boat, I came face to face with an issue that’s been bothering me for a while: balance. I don’t mean I’ve been falling down a lot; I mean getting the sensation that I’m not as stable as I used to be.

I decided that I was going to hit the road again—walking. I’ve been using the recumbent bike almost exclusively to maintain my fitness. But the lack of movement over uneven surfaces as you’re moving forward (or backward or sideways) causes stabilizer muscles to atrophy quicker than when you were younger.

We also helped cut down a couple of small white oak trees and stacked what will be firewood. Freshly cut wood is heavier than you might expect, and that brought to light the muscle I’ve lost.

Let me summarize it this way. Your body is going to change, without question. The more physical tasks you give up, whether it’s shopping for and carrying groceries, working in the garden, even taking out the garbage, the more physical decline you’ll have. Exercise is important for many reasons, but functional fitness helps you live your life. Use your body, or your world will start to shrink.

If losing muscle is worrying you, download Taking Back Your Muscle and Reclaiming Your Power, the first two parts of the Aging with a Vengeance series; they’re on sale for only $9.95 each. Meanwhile I’m working on the next Aging with a Vengeance presentation; the topic will be memory and learning. If you have any questions about diet, supplements, or products you’ve heard about, let me know and I’ll weave them into the presentation. It doesn’t matter how old you are now—this is about the number one fear that comes with aging: losing what we know. We’re going to attack it with a vengeance!

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

A Little More About Sleep

/in /by

After last week’s memos on short sleepers, I got a couple of questions about other types of sleep. Let’s take a look.

One person asked if sleeping over 10 or 12 hours per night is problematic. The answer is that it could indicate a problem if done on a consistent basis. Sleep apnea can contribute to more time in bed because the person isn’t able to sustain rhythmic breathing; conditions that result are hypertension and other forms of heart disease. People with metabolic disorders who don’t produce enough energy can also spend more time attempting to sleep. Overall, that much sleep is less than desirable unless there’s a reason, such as a loss of sleep occasionally due to stress or travel.

The second was something called bi-phasic sleep patterns. This is legit; it’s a carryover from before the industrial revolution when lighting became more prevalent. Back in the time before regular lighting, people would go to sleep at sundown, sleep for several hours, get up in the middle of the night and do chores, check on animals, etc., then return to bed until sun-up. With the way the world is regulated these days, that doesn’t happen very much unless individuals are free to set their own schedules. Is that healthy and acceptable? I found nothing to suggest otherwise if it’s a natural pattern. If you find yourself temporarily caught in that pattern, such as with a newborn, don’t worry about it; this, too, shall pass, so adapt as well as you can for now. Avoid doing things that will make you more wakeful, such as watching something exciting on a bright screen or drinking coffee, so you can get back to sleep more smoothly.

I hope that clarifies sleep a little more for you. It seems like the correct duration is what fits you the best. If you have the mental and physical energy to do all you need to do, it’s probably fine.

We’re taking next Tuesday off, so I’ll be back in a week.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet