The Price You Pay

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On Tuesday, I asked where you’re spending your time. There’s a price for everything that we do and what we don’t do, even if the outcome will ultimately be positive. Here’s a personal example.

It’s no surprise to any reader that I had a knee replacement just before Christmas and have been spending time rehabbing my restructured knee. It will take time to get function back completely, but I’m way ahead on the benchmarks. That’s good.

But I’ve lost seven weeks of higher intensity aerobic exercise and as a result, a lot of my fitness. In addition, I’ve lost a lot of muscle mass and strength. The process of building back muscle will take time (way too long to suit me), but it’s the price I have to pay.

Here’s another price. The day before surgery, my blood pressure was 112/65. About a week ago, my resting BP was 177/102. For me, exercise was one of the ways I maintained my BP; I immediately started to increase my exercise level and—you guessed it—overdid it. I paid the price for that, too. As I can get back to and exceed my pre-surgical fitness level, my BP should go back to where it was. There’s always a price for things you do and what you don’t do.

The difference? Eating less, eating better, and moving more increases the odds of positive health outcomes.

Just a reminder that the Super Bowl Webinar: Reclaiming Your Power!  is tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET; registration is $12.95; Insiders and Members get the usual discounts. You’ll learn why the mitochondria can impact all areas of your health and what you can do to repair this energy producing powerhouse. As long as you sign up by 2 p.m. ET tomorrow, you can be on the live webinar. If you sign up after that time, you’ll be able to watch the replay for a week after the live webinar. Either way, time to get your power back!

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

The Right Choices

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What do you think is more important: the state of your garage or the state of your clothes closet? The state of your basement or the state of your car? The state of your desk or the state of your pantry? Do you want them neat and organized, or are you okay with going through piles of things to find something you didn’t put away?

Let’s look at one more state. Is the state of any one of those areas I already mentioned more important then the state of your health? I think everyone would agree that your health is more important.

Final question: where are you spending your effort, your time, and your money? If you don’t have your health, most of those other areas will never get addressed, so it’s easy to see which should come first.

Your health is also not just one thing; it’s your energy levels, your fitness, your cardiovascular health, your strength, your bones, along with how you manage your diet, your diseases and conditions, and on and on. Are you taking care of your health with the same effort you’re using to take care of your car, garage, desk, or closets? Whether you do or whether you don’t, there’s a price to be paid. More about that Saturday.

Just a reminder that the Super Bowl Webinar: Reclaiming Your Power!  is this Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time; registration is $12.95. You’ll learn why the mitochondria can impact all areas of your health and what you can do to repair this energy-producing powerhouse. Sign up today.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

2022 Super Bowl Webinar

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The first Super Bowl Webinar I did examined the energy systems of the body and how to train each one for a specific purpose, a concept called “specificity of training.” Now, 12 years later, we’re going back to examine the part of the cells that produces the most energy: the mitochondria.

Recent research has focused on what happens to mitochondria over our lifetime. Free radicals, the by-products of energy production in the mitochondria, interfere with energy production. More than that, they can damage the mitochondria, prevent the production of new mitochondria, and prevent the normal recycling of mitochondrial components to be reused in the body. The result is a lack of energy that impacts all phases of our lives.

That’s the problem. Is there any solution? That’s the topic of this year’s Super Bowl Webinar: Reclaiming Your Power! Based on the most recent research, I’m going to explain what goes wrong and the potential solutions, which include exercise, diet, and supplements. And it’s not just the over-65 crowd that may produce less energy; from early adulthood, you can start feeling the effects. No matter what your age, if you feel you don’t have the energy you used to have, join me for this year’s Super Bowl Webinar.

The webinar will be held live on Super Bowl Sunday, February 13, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time; your cost is only $12.95. If you can’t join live, you’ll get access to the replay for a week after the live webinar. Of course, Insiders and Members get the usual discounts.

If you want to reclaim your power, join me on the 13th to find out how.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

I’m Back!

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It’s been an interesting five weeks since my knee replacement. I’ve never taken that much time off before, but I’m healing well—just not as quickly as I want. Researching the best way to gain back joint strength and muscle loss, I’ve come across a new term that combines two conditions: osteosarcopenia. It’s a combination of the loss of bone mass and the loss of muscle mass.

Osteopenia is the loss of bone mass. While associated with aging, other factors play a part such as genetics, lack of exercise, and poor absorption of nutrients.

Sarcopenia, loss of muscle mass, is definitely associated with the lack of exercise, but there are other factors as well. One that was surprising was the deterioration of mitochondrial function, both in number and effectiveness of function. When mitochondria can’t produce energy effectively and can’t repair and replace themselves, it can impact every cell and organ, not just muscle.

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time looking at the research to find out possible solutions to mitochondrial decline. I can tell you that one of the keys is exercise: strength training, stretching, and aerobic exercise. The rest merits significant explanation. That’s why it will be the topic of this year’s Super Bowl Webinar Aging with a Vengeance: Reclaiming Your Power! on Sunday, February 13 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. More information to come.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Happy New Year!

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Where did the time go? It seems like we were just beginning the year, and now it’s New Year’s Eve. I wish you all the best in 2022, and I’ll be there with you.

Have a good time tonight, no matter how you ring in the New Year, but be safe if you travel anywhere to celebrate. Let’s start off the New Year without any additional health or accident issues.

Knee Update

In short, I was ignorant about how painful knee replacement would be. I worked hard at prehab, but nothing I could have done would have prepared for the pain. I expected to be in pain for few days. But when I called the nurse at the surgeon’s office to find out a timeline on the pain, her first comment was, “The first two weeks will be the worst pain you’ve had, and you’ll regret the surgery. Then things will get better.”

I really don’t remember anyone saying that. In retrospect, when they break three bones in five places and use a hammer and screws to replace the pieces they discarded, it makes sense. So if you’re considering knee replacement in 2022, let me be the first to tell you that knee replacement will be just about the worst pain you’ll intentionally get; the first day will be excruciating, the second worse, and then it gets a little better every day.

Do I regret it? Not a chance. The pain will subside in the coming weeks, and then I can get back to moving the way I want to move. Later I’ll go into more detail on how the surgery went and how the rehab process is going, but for now, I’m just going to focus on recovery. Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes. I read every one of them. I’ll resume the Memos soon. Until then:

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Merry Christmas

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As we celebrate Christmas in a couple of days, remember that this is a time of peace and joy although it’s sometimes hard to remember with the hustle and bustle of this season. Whatever your faith, whatever you believe, put the devices away, turn off the TV, and take some time to think about what this season means to you. Remember the best of times you’ve had during this season. May peace overwhelm you.

I get my new knee tomorrow. I’ll be celebrating while rehabbing, and it will be a pleasure.

From all of us here in the Zelasko household, we wish you a Merry Christmas, peace, and joy.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Your Holiday Eating Plan

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Over the years, the topic of “How should I eat during the holidays?” comes up over and over. We all want to try to avoid gaining the five to ten pounds during the weeks from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. Depending on your activity levels during the past year and a half with COVID restrictions, you may already be dealing with some extra weight. I think there are two parts to the solution of preventing weight gain during the holiday season.

Increase or Begin to Exercise

In my experience working with people, the holidays are so busy they stop doing what can help deal with stress and extra calories: exercise. Even a 20-minute interval session (found in the Basic Health Info section on drchet.com) can do wonders for relieving stress, and that may help you eat less when those extra calories are available. Or when it all gets to be too much, declare it’s time for your walk and take off.

Exercise isn’t designed to burn a lot of calories unless you really work out strenuously or work out for hours, but it helps keep your metabolism going: you use up your short-term fat storage, and your muscles continue to use energy to recover. It’s an effective way to help prevent weight gain.

Have an Eating Plan

The most important way to eat during the holiday is to have a plan. Strategize. You know when the holiday foods, treats, and goodies are going to be available; decide how you’re going to approach them. Here are the three most popular ways people have said they use.

To Here and No More
Many people decide in advance what and how much they will eat whether at parties or holiday meals. Maybe someone makes the best taquitos you’ve ever eaten and you want to have several. That’s fine. Skip other calorie-laden treats such as the cookies you’re not crazy about and opt for calorie-free drinks instead of calorie-heavy alcohol. Hosts will never be offended when you turn down a drink because you need to save room for the stupendous taquitos.

Another example: Paula and I almost never make cookies other than for the holidays—and when we make them, we’re going to eat our share. Baking days include a lot of soups and salads rather than heavier meals to at least partially make up for all the cookie calories.

Be wary of two things: sugar and salt. Both make you crave more so when you set a limit, you have to stick to it.

Just One Meal
Let’s face it: like Thanksgiving, most holiday gatherings center around one meal. Eat everything you want but in smaller quantities. This is similar to the first approach, but involves more foods you might only get at the holidays: oyster stuffing, gravy with mashed potatoes, or Mom’s special dessert. Eat the foods you love but in reasonable quantities. You can eat more lightly the day before and day after to compensate.

Stay the Course
You’ve worked hard to get your weight to where you want it to be, so you decide to stick to your meal plan. Adjust it to account for the holiday foods but don’t deviate. All foods count; stick to what has worked for you.

One more point: forgive yourself if you fall off the plan. It happens. Put it behind you and get a fresh start the next day.

The Bottom Line

The idea of holiday gatherings is to enjoy the company of others, and part of the celebration is food and drink. Decide on an eating plan, stick as close as you can to your workout plan, and you may not have to start the year by resolving to lose what you gained over the six weeks of the holiday season.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

The Bottom Line on Fasting

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In the past four Memos, I’ve focused on explaining fasting. The questions I left you with on Saturday were: “Is it worth it to fast? Is it effective? Is there science to support it?” The answer to all three is yes. I think it can be summed up in one quote from the reference.

“In response to starvation, mammalian cells enter either a non-dividing or a low-dividing state and invest energy resources in cellular protection against various insults.”

While the statement is complicated, it means that metabolism is decreased. That allows the body to shift energy sources from glucose to fat metabolites such as ketones. The body focuses on reducing the production of proteins that can be destructive, such as inflammatory hormones, thereby protecting cells. It also helps improve the immune system so it functions better. The stress of reducing food intake in a controlled fashion helps cells function better.

The research review is available for free; it goes into more detail but demonstrates that fasting is beneficial when used properly. The bulk of the research is on the two- to-five-day fast with fewer than 1,000 calories on the fast day; I’ll use a two-day version before my knee replacement next week to help my body prepare. Just be sure to check with your physician before you fast if you have any metabolic issues such as diabetes or if you take medications, both of which can be impacted by restricting food.

Wednesday is the final scheduled Insider call of 2021. This may be the time to join to help you achieve your health goals in 2022. Hope to see you (or hear you) at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference:Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2018 April; 29(4): 271–280.

Fasting: Two Approaches

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It’s time to get into some real fasting. While there’s nothing wrong with the abstinence approach, abstinence is not really fasting. I’m going to cover two different approaches. The first is known by the moniker 5:2. That means you eat reasonably five days out of the week and you fast two days per week. The second is a straight fasting approach of limiting calories per day that has been used in conjunction with cancer treatment. There’s no specified times to eat in either case, and you can drink any calorie-free beverages of your choosing.

The 5:2 Fast

The 5:2 fasting diet was originally developed about 10 years ago by a British physician/journalist. It’s become commercialized over the years with new additions and materials but essentially, this is how it works:

  • For five days a week, you eat your normal diet. The goal is to eat healthier, but there are no restrictions on the number of calories that you can eat.
  • For two nonconsecutive days of the week, you reduce your caloric intake to 750 calories per day, spread out over the day as you want. Again, the goal is to eat healthy food—and wouldn’t you know it, healthy food is generally low in calories! Your intake should include plenty of vegetables.

That’s it. It’s a way you can eat for the rest of your life if you want to. If you add some exercise and choose a better diet, you could lose weight and get some of the benefits I talked about in earlier Memos.

The Two- to Five-Day Fast

This approach is closer to a true fast than anything else because there are no gimmicks. The goal is to help the immune system and other organs by focusing less on growth and more on repair. This approach was developed by Dr. Valter Longo and has the most research behind it.

The goal is to eat healthy. A vegetarian approach with very low protein can make it very beneficial. Because this is a very low calorie fast, you have to check with your physician before you do it. Here we go:

  • Day 1
    Eat up to 1,200 calories, primarily from vegetables with some protein. Soups and broths make this approach easier. If you wanted to use shakes or smoothies, that’s acceptable as long as you stay under the 1,200 calories for the day.
  • Day 2 through Day 5
    On these days, your calories are restricted: 300 to 500 calories per day. The calories should come primarily from vegetables and again soups and broths are desirable.

When I use this approach, I generally do two days: one 1,200 calorie day and one 500 calorie day, and then eat normally the other five days. You have to be mentally ready if you’re going to do additional days. Eat when you want, whether a single meal or spread throughout the day. The choice is yours.

The Bottom Line

The last four Memos have talked about fasting and abstinence in relation to food intake. The question is why do this at all? Is there science to support it? Is it worth doing? That’s for next week.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Fasting: Abstinence Models

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How did you do on your 18:6 abstinence from food if you tried it? The ratio of abstinence to eating can vary. I asked you to try an 18:6 approach. Personally, I did fine—that’s just about my normal eating pattern anyway. I’m going to give you one version of an abstinence model today. I’ll give you two versions of a fasting model on Saturday.

The objective was to avoid food for 18 consecutive hours. The clock begins after your last meal the evening before. If you like to eat late or go out with the gang, that means that you might finish eating at 10 p.m. You wouldn’t eat again until at least two o’clock the following afternoon. Then you would have six hours to eat, ending at 8 p.m., and then the cycle begins again. Just to be clear: you don’t start the clock on the six hours for eating until you actually take your first bite of food. That’s why your last meal might have been 10 p.m. on one day because you didn’t start eating until 4 p.m., because let’s face it things don’t always go to plan.

The question: what do you eat during those six hours? Everybody seems to have an opinion. You could use a ketogenic or Paleolithic approach or you could eat a Mediterranean diet. You could also stuff yourself with all kinds of junk food. Regardless of which approach you decide to use, the goal is to eat better for maximum benefit. You can drink any calorie-free beverages of your choosing.

I’ll give you two different approaches for a fasting plan on Saturday. Until then, if you haven’t tried it, see how you do, with the same proviso for people with serious medical disorders.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet