Red's Health Tips

Got to bed after 0300 this morning and woke up near noontime. Went to church and started organizing the rest of my day. I’ve been reflecting about the lessons learned at the seminar I went to in New Orleans. Lots of things to digest. I have heard many before. I learned a few new ones also. I’ve been told, and I can attest to it also, that you need to hear something seven times before you really know and understand a new concept. I’ve heard things before and was able to spout them off and sound like I knew what I was saying, but it wasn’t until hearing it many times that I truly understood what was being said.

We drove up to The Woodlands to pick up my granddaughter late this afternoon. That trip made it a grand total of a thousand miles in the past few days. On the trip back to Houston I discussed insulin resistance with a friend of mine, Vincent Vecchioni. When you are younger your insulin responds very efficiently to carbohydrates that you eat. Insulin resistance develops in some people for a variety of reasons. One of the most prevalent is an overdose of carbohydrates on a daily basis.

Moderation is key to your new lifestyle. You have the capability to reverse insulin resistance, but it takes time. It took times, years in fact, to develop insulin resistance. Chromium and vitamin K2 are two nutrients that can help you reverse insulin resistance. True cinnamon, not cassia cinnamon, and crocin can help you reverse insulin resistance. There are a few other supplements that work to rework your insulin resistance.

Total insulin response to eating carbohydrates can be decreased with exercise and soluble fiber. Additionally, one of the most powerful actions you can take to reduce total insulin is to reduce your carbohydrate and total caloric intake. If you do not have insulin resistance and you want to supercharge your insulin response you can improve your insulin sensitivity. Curcumin, vanadium, chlorogenic acid, chromium, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids can improve the sensitivity of your insulin response.

Fasting has an amazing effect on insulin sensitivity. Teas, particularly green, black and oolong, can improve your insulin sensitivity. Another thing that can improve insulin sensitivity is to increase your free testosterone levels. Foods rich in phytoandrogens can raise your free testosterone levels. This would include celery, corn, cucumbers, kale, spinach and radishes. DHEA, zinc and vitamin B5 can increase your free testosterone levels.

Both men and women can have too much estrogen or the wrong kind of estrogen. Excess estrogen can cause your body to store more fat. Excess estrogen can cause your free testosterone levels to decrease. Alcohol inhibits estrogen from clearing your bloodstream. Grapefruit can inhibit your liver from breaking down estrogen. Isoflavones found in soy can help your liver metabolize excess estrogen. Resveratrol has been shown to improve your liver’s ability to remove excess estrogen.

The things I mentioned above are just part of the equation. Insulin is not just a carbohydrate thing, so to speak. There are many processes going on in your body that can affect the quality and sensitivity of your insulin response. The more efficient your insulin response, the better you are at reducing your fat reserves.

Red O’Laughlin
Your Prosperity Professor
281-437-8114 H/W 281-687-1188C

It was a busy day today at Myron Golden’s Six Figure Business School.  Later this afternoon I spoke for approximately an hour on weight loss and improving your health to over two dozen new entrepreneurs.  I believe things went well – lots of questions after the presentation and during the subsequent break.

On the road I must tackle the restaurant food option for daily sustenance.  I like fast foods, most burgers and chicken.  I had some seafood gumbo today for lunch with a small slice of garlic bread and iced tea.  Normally this would have been my first meal of the day.  I am not usually hungry when I awaken.  I drink lots of water and iced tea through out the morning hours and then transition to lunch with something substantial. 

However, this morning I had a breakfast (fast food – eggs and bacon) with iced tea.  I didn’t expect to be hungry for lunch, but I was.  So, I ate.  The seminar broke up around 1900 and I packed up the car and headed back to Houston.  I stopped in Baton Rouge for a fast burger and got back on the road again.  It was after 0200 when I got home.

I was not able to hydrate the way I normally would at home.  I sit in a seminar and take notes.  Most of the sessions are an hour and a half followed by a ten to fifteen minute break.  I don’t have access to iced tea in the hotel and the other options (other than water) are not appealing.  So, I suffered a little from my normal routine.

The foods were adequate to stem my hunger, but not what I would call nutritionally balanced.  I had my nutritional supplements and fiber with me and took them after each meal.  Other than hydration issues, the trip was a success lifestyle-wise.  I had little carbohydrates, a modicum of fats and a reasonable amount of protein.

On the return trip, my friend, Vince Vecchioni discussed a myriad of subjects.  We are both Toastmasters and we began with a critique (evaluation) of my speech.  I got some really good feedback from him.  During the seminar I got an invitation to speak on diets at a seminar in Houston next weekend.  I will incorporate some of those critiques suggested by Vince in my next speech.

One of the topics we discussed was the Atkins Diet.  I was on the Atkins Diet for nearly five years.  I lost fifty plus pounds in five months and kept it off for over six years.  I mentioned in my book that low carbohydrate meals can lead to calcium being leached from your bones if you don’t supplement calcium on a daily basis.  Vince asked me if I were on the Atkins Diet as part of my 28-day program.  I told him that I plan to eat around 50 grams of carbohydrates daily.  Some days I eat more and some days I eat less, but the average is around 50.

Is 50 grams a good number for you?  I don’t know.  I picked 50 grams because I can eat a lot of foods and enjoy my food options without having sugar spikes at any one meal.  I am trying to burn fat.  Therefore, I need to eat fewer carbohydrates and get into the fat-burning mode as often as I can.  I lost two inches in my waist in the first two weeks and want to continue that trend.

I told Vince that I will continue my present eating pattern to see where it takes me.  I am aiming for 165-175 lb-range.  Will the 50 grams of carbohydrates allow me to get to that range?  We’ll see in the future.  If I plateau out before arriving there, then I will reduce my caloric intake a bit more.  If I blast through it, I will add a few more carbs to my daily intake.  I know that less than twenty grams of carbohydrates a day kept me in the 150’s without any effort.

Carbohydrates are key to burning fat.  The less carbohydrates that you eat; the less insulin will be secreted.  You will enter the fat burning phase earlier and stay there longer.  You must ensure that you maintain your nutrition (vitamins and minerals) every day.  If you have insulin resistance, then it is even more critical.  Many of those nutrients can help you counter the effects of insulin resistance.

If I had another out of town seminar to go to in the near future, what would I do differently?  I have given than some thought.  On trips to Florida we usually bring a small ice chest with foods that we enjoy eating.  I think I would consider bringing a small ice chest and stocking it with foods to supplement an out of town lifestyle.  I brought the bare minimum vitamins and minerals because I was only gone for two days.  I would have to consider bringing just a few more on the next trip.  I brought two kinds of soluble fiber with me.  I would bring my other fiber with me to have better choices.

Fiber is critical on any kind of low carbohydrate diet or lifestyle.  I learned the hard way – no pun intended – that fiber is my friend when I eat of lot of protein and little carbohydrates.  When I have the time, I take my fiber a half-hour before I eat.  However, eating out of town doesn’t always give you that option.  Invest in two or three types of soluble fiber without any artificial colorings or artificial flavors.  Part of your new lifestyle is to minimize the toxins associated with the food industry.

Red O’Laughlin

Your Prosperity Professor

281-437-8114 H/W  281-687-1188 C

I attended a twelve-hour seminar today on improving my business and myself.  Myron Golden’s Six Figure Business School is one of the best business schools I have attended.  I am speaking tomorrow afternoon on health and nutrition.  I was asked today to speak at another event next weekend in Houston.  I look forward to that event also.

Today was long, but extremely worthwhile.  I had to leave NAS Belle Chase this morning because it is a Drill Weekend for Reservists.  The base had changed a lot since I was stationed there in the 80’s.  I am spending tonight at the old Naval Support Activity, which is now called Federal City – an unusual name.  I make it a point to stay at military bases if there are convenient.

Another typical day on my 28-day Fast Start Program.  Nothing different to talk about my energy levels, mental clarity or hunger.  I feel strong, think clearly and have no hunger pangs even thought I am eating much less than I did before I started on my new lifestyle.

I previewed my new book cover to a copy of associates and received very good reviews.  One minor tweak and I’m ready to send it to press.  I obtained some more information on electronic publishing that I will act on immediately upon returning to Houston.  I have been delayed in electronic publishing because of formatting issues.  I now have another track to take.

I listened to Myron Golden talk about his newly approved MLM pocket coach app for iPhones.  It got me to thinking about generating a weight loss app for iPhones and Androids.  Monetizing ideas creates new products that generate more money.

Oxidative stress prevents you from losing weight effectively.  Your digestive tract cannot operate correctly when overwhelmed with excessive inflammation or oxidative stress.  Omega-3 fatty acids fight this type of stress well.  Glutathione is made in every cell in your body.  Glutathione helps fight inflammation by providing hydrogen atoms to fight free radical damage.  Age and other factors decrease the amount of glutathione that you produce.  Foods or supplements help replace and stabilize your glutathione levels.

Natural sources of glutathione are asparagus, broccoli, avocado, spinach, raw eggs and garlic.  N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), milk thistle (silymarine), Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA, curcumin and selenium help your body regenerate glutathione to healthy levels.

Many food products today contain 20-50% of the nutrient value compared to the same foods 60-80 years ago.  Food that used to provide 100% of your daily needs is not capable of providing that level of protection today.  As a result, you are forced to use supplements. 

The quality of supplements varies, so it is important to choose carefully.  One supplement may contain a basic chemical, such as Calcium, in one form.  Another supplement will advertise the same chemical, but in a different compound.  The choice of form (chemical composition) is important.  Some forms are more bioavailable to your body – they give you more of what you want.  Always check the content of the ‘serving size’ – don’t assume that one pill or capsule is what’s needed.

Red O’Laughlin

Your Prosperity Professor

281-437-8114 H/W  281-687-1188 C

I drove to New Orleans today to speak at Myron Golden’s Six Figure Business School this weekend.  Normally I speak on personal growth and self-improvement.  I tell the audience how to use their subconscious mind to help them achieve the things they want in life.  Your subconscious mind is your strongest ally or your bitterest enemy.  It is easy to get it to help you if you know how to talk to it.

I made a lifestyle choice to eat when I am hungry.  I have eaten at times when I am not hungry to counter some near-term event.  However, I’m beginning to question my wisdom in eating when I am not hungry – just so I won’t be hungry later.  When I think about it, it doesn’t make real sense.  The whole purpose of eating when you are hungry is to adjust my old habits to meet the needs of my body.  If I am not hungry, I should not eat.

As I have thought this process over on the seven-hour trip today, I think I should concentrate on eating when I am hungry, only then.  I am writing this blog to let people know what happens as you transition to a new lifestyle.  If my new lifestyle is to adjust my eating habits, then I should abide by that decision.

Does that mean if I am not hungry at normal dinnertime that I should not eat and wait until tomorrow?  Yes, that should be my guiding principle.  No hunger – no eat!  I didn’t want to be hungry at ten or eleven o’clock in the evening and then go to bed on a full stomach.  Actually, I’ve had very few ‘full’ stomachs since I started this program.  I find myself satisfied by eating much less, than I had previously.

Fasting is a good thing.  I wrote about it in my book.  Fasting stimulates your adiponectin hormone.  It tells your body to start burning fat.  Insulin, cortisol and ghrelin overpower adiponectin so that your brain can’t hear it.  It’s similar to you shouting ‘don’t eat’ in a stadium with thousands of people and every one else is shouting ‘eat’ to your brain.

Fasting requires that you maintain your nutritional balance.  A calorie restricted diet program works when you have nutritional balance.  If you are not getting your nutrition from your food, you need to supplement.  I brought extra coconut oil, two types of fiber and a selected assortment of vitamins and minerals on this trip.  I could have easily left them home and caught up when I returned.  The new lifestyle I am adhering to tells me to ensure that I have balanced nutrition daily – not every other day or every third day.

When something is important to you, it will happen.  I mentioned two types of fiber a moment ago.  I have psyllium, chia seeds and inulin at home and I use each of those daily.  I brought the chia seeds and inulin on this trip.  They are easier to use on the road.

On a restricted calorie lifestyle (something I hope to achieve) you must keep your waste flowing through you colon.  Fiber works well to keep that process from backing up, so to speak.  Fiber also works well to help reduce the carbohydrate impact, or sugar spike, that you might get after eating a meal.  You want to reduce the total insulin response as much as possible to reduce risk of stroke and cardiovascular problems.  Elevated blood glucose levels can lead to major health problems. 

Red O’Laughlin

Your Prosperity Professor

281-437-8114 H/W  281-687-1188 C

Moderation is the best medicine for almost any endeavor you select. Moderation in eating, drinking and exercising will develop into healthy habits. Insulin is needed to get fuel to the cells in your body. Excess insulin stores more fat. Carbohydrates are needed as the primary source of fuel for your body. Excess carbohydrates result in excess fat being stored.

Excess carbohydrates over time can result in a condition called insulin resistance. Under normal conditions, your cells are ready to grab the glucose from your bloodstream and store it for your energy needs. Cells continuously inundated with insulin become unresponsive – their sensors are ‘desensitized’ so to speak. Symptoms of insulin resistance are high fasting blood glucose levels, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, obesity, drowsiness after eating, depression, mental fatigue, and temporary loss of memory.

If you find yourself overweight, constantly tired, and forgetting things more easily, you might have insulin resistance. Reduction in total calories and reduction in simple carbohydrates is a good way to start retraining your insulin response. Reduce your daily intake of sugar, processed flours and starches, white rice, processed potatoes, etc. This doesn’t mean you have to totally abstain, but you do have to significantly reduce the amount you consume.

Carbohydrates have a tendency to make you hungrier shortly after eating. Insulin is the primary culprit. It is looking for more fat to store – and, the only way to get that extra fat is for you to eat when you don’t need to eat – and, to eat those comfort foods that you have become used to over the years. Proteins have the reverse action – they keep you feeling full longer.

Insulin resistance can be fought by exercise, restricted calorie intake and soluble fiber, just to name a few. Nutritional balance is needed to keep your body operating correctly when you reduce your total calories. Chromium, vitamin K2 and several other supplements are effective in reversing insulin resistance.

I blogged yesterday that I had a nice pasta meal last night with garlic bread and a cookie for dessert. That was my personal reward for successfully completing Week 2 of my 28-day Fast Start Weight Loss program. On this lifestyle change program, I weigh myself once a week. I decided this morning to see what impact last night’s meal and two glasses of wine did for my weight. I weighed in this morning and found myself less than I weighed yesterday (the end of Week 2). I was pleasantly surprised. Any single meal will not have any affect of your lifestyle change program.

My wife started yesterday and she plans to have a nice Mexican food meal in two weeks. You need to reward yourself for your efforts and your successes. You are developing new lifestyle habits. I was very conscious of eating last night. I chose half of what I normally would have had. I chose a single piece of garlic bread. I chose half a cookie. Those were portion control habits I am adopting for my new lifestyle.

The foods I am selecting and the portions will result in an ‘end’ weight and fat content for me at some time in the future. This is a permanent change to my lifestyle. If I am not happy with that final result, I can always reduce my portion size and change my foods again, just like I am doing right now. If I arrive at my ‘goal’ weight and I am happy with how I look, and I continue to lose weight, then I know that I have flexibility in my food choices. I will stay with the same portions – they will have been established as habits in my life at that time.

Having flexibility means that I can splurge periodically on things I would not think about doing today. Splurge means once or twice, but not establishing a new habit. Maybe that means a couple of cookies instead of one; or, maybe a bowl of ice cream with a piece of pie. It gives me options that I will not consider today.

In your new lifestyle you must get control of your insulin response. It is the strongest hormone for driving fat into your fat cells. Control of your insulin response will give you better control over your fat burning. Reduced carbohydrates equals less glucose in your bloodstream and your body will start burning fat for fuel. Burning fat for fuel means that you are losing inches in those places that are important to you. Just because you want to lose fat around your middle or hips doesn’t mean that your body will comply. You put fat on slowly and it will come off slowly according to your body’s fat selection processes.

Red O’Laughlin
Your Prosperity Professor
281-437-8114 H/W 281-687-1188 C

I reached the end of Week 2 and decided to celebrate.  My weight this morning was 192 lbs – 3 pounds less than last week.  A total of 11+ pounds for the two weeks.  Yes, it is a lot less than I loss the first week, but I still believe that the first week was primarily water loss - something that comes easily and loses easily.  I am finally in that fat burning zone that produces real weight loss.

I observed water weight loss many times when I was on the Atkins diet.  I ate less than 20 grams of carbohydrates a day for months at a time.  Any one time that I had a large carbohydrate-filled meal, I would gain nothing.  If I kept it up for a weekend, I would gain significant weight.  Returning to Atkins would result in returning to my old weight in ten to fifteen days.

I have been on a reduced carbohydrate diet during my first two weeks.  Carbohydrates cause insulin to drive fat into your fat cells.  Reducing carbohydrates minimizes insulin’s interaction with your fat.  I haven’t been on 20 grams or less a day.  Maybe one or two days I might have, but it wasn’t intentional.  I try to stay around 40-60 grams a day.  Some days I succeed and some days I don’t.  I choose foods that are complex carbohydrates when I had the choice.

I’m down three pounds this past week.  That’s twelve pounds a month on the average.  Once I lost my water weight from Atkins years ago I averaged eleven pounds a month.  During Atkins I was not taking vitamins and minerals to balance my nutritional requirements.  I am now.

What about my measurements?  Good question!  My hips and chest remained the same.  I lost one inch off my waist.  I lost a half-inch off my neck.  I am very happy to trade one inch off my waist for three pounds total weight loss.

I didn’t plan on splurging today.  I did plan to have a glass of wine tonight if my numbers were good.  I went to a business meeting tonight and there was a pasta buffet.  I decided at that meeting to have some pasta, but to maintain portion control.  I did just that.  I had much less pasta than I have had in years.  I had one piece of garlic bread and half a cookie for dessert.  I felt full after eating.

I came home and had not one glass of wine, but two with my daughter in celebration.  Tomorrow starts another dedicated adherence to my 28-day plan.  Week 3 concentrates on hormones - insulin, testosterone and estrogen; plus fat absorption.  I’ll talk more about each of these topics as we progress through Week 3.

I might gain a pound of two tomorrow, but I doubt it.  If I do, then I’ll lose that weight by the weekend and continue my two to three pounds a week total weight loss.  And, more importantly, fat loss where I need to lose fat – around my waist.

This coming week will be a bit more complex since I’m driving to New Orleans for a seminar.  I lived in New Orleans for years and really like the food.  I have the discipline to maintain moderation and portion control while I’m there.  I’m very happy that I’ve broken through the water loss phase and have entered the fat burning phase.  Two to three pounds a week might now sound like a lot.  I put the weight on a lot slower than that, but I’m taking it off a lot faster than I put it on.  I’m burning fat and that’s the focus of my overall weight loss program.

My immediate plan is to continue my present course of actions – my meals, exercise program, nutritional supplements, stress reduction, etc.  I have found a comfortable level of living with the food intake (other than today) that I have chosen over the past two weeks.  The key to a lifestyle change is to find a new comfort zone for eating.

I was talking to several people tonight about my book.  Most of them had an extra thirty or more pounds that they could afford to lose.  Many were interested in losing weight and want to know when my book is available.  Some, interesting enough, were happy with their lifestyle choices and didn’t want to lose the extra weight that they had accumulated over the years.  Leaving your comfort zone is very difficult!

It’s all personal choice.  You either want to or you don’t want to.  Living with that extra weight around your waist will affect the quality of your life as you age.  Like the old Fram Oil commercial – pay me now, or pay me later.  You can change you lifestyle now, or you can pay later for those extra pounds that you will carry around for the next couple or more decades.  It won’t get cheaper to live in retirement carrying thirty, fifty or more pounds.  Make the decision now to change your lifestyle.

Red O’Laughlin

Your Prosperity Professor

281-437-8114 H/W  281-687-1188 C

A quick summary of Week 2 before I proceed with today’s blog.

Daily vitamins and minerals

Antioxidants to fight inflammation

Antioxidants to fight oxidative stress

Increase daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids

Reduce daily intake of omega-6 fatty acids

Perform stress relief activities daily

Obtain quality sleep

Have a diversified exercise program

Add fiber to your daily diet

Add prebiotics to your daily diet

I believe I have covered most of the topics above already.  Allow me a few moments to cover prebiotics.  Probiotics are the opposite of antibiotics.  The doctor gives you a prescription for antibiotics to kill harmful germs.  Antibiotics cannot tell the difference between good and harmful bacteria.  It kills them all.  Probiotics are bacteria that restore a healthy bacteria balance to your colon.  Probiotics are not the same thing as prebiotics.  Prebiotics are non-digestible foods that help good bacteria grow and remain healthy.

Fruits, legumes and whole grains have carbohydrates fibers called oligosaccharides that stimulate the growth of good bacteria.  Almost any food containing sugar can be a prebiotic.  Your colon bacteria thrive on sugars.  Based on my writings, sugar, in moderation, is necessary to power many of your body’s processes.  Some organs, like your brain, can only operate of blood glucose.  When you are out of glucose and your body converts to burning fat, then there are processes in your body to provide your brain with the necessary glucose to keep working.

Inulins are carbohydrate fibers known as fructans.  They are contained in over 36,000 plants.  Some of these plants are herbs, such as chicory root, burdock root and dandelions; fruits, such as apples and bananas; vegetables, such as onions, garlic, asparagus, and leeks.  Prebiotics help more than just your colon.  Inulin has been shown to moderate cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  Prebiotics have been shown to boost your white blood cells and killer T-cells which improves your immune system.  Prebiotics have been used to treat Crohns Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  There are many health benefits from prebiotics.  You should include them daily in your diet.

Sunday has rolled around and I am a little tired from an early morning start.  I visited sick veterans at the Houston Veteran’s Hospital this morning as part of a church organization that I am a member.  I got home and fixed a big mid-day meal and began planning my week to come.  I plan to go to New Orleans later this week to speak at Myron Golden’s Six Figure Business School on Friday and Saturday.  I will be sharing several key points about weight loss and about how to act and feel like an eighteen-year old as you approach one hundred years of age.  I look forward to this conference.  I still have to create two products to sell that that event.

I have been having extreme difficulty convert my weight loss book into an electronic format for publishing on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iBookstore.  Every time I dump my document into the epub converter, I get it rejected.  I’ve read the guide several times and believe I have met all the requirements.  Obviously, I have not.  I obtained some insight from several of the authors I met yesterday at a book-signing event.  I am taking action, based on their recommendations, to try an alternative method of conversion.

My new lifestyle is throwing curves at me periodically.  I had my first case of the hunger cravings last night.  I should have been drinking more liquids in retrospect, but I had not.  I had a few peanuts and cashews and then a few more and then a few more.  I stopped before I got carried away, but I did have that urge to eat something and nuts were my choice of food.  It is not an uncommon urge for me, as it used to be routine for me to eat nuts in the evening.  However, my choice was not to eat in moderation, something I am learning to do better.

Overall, I have been in excellent health and have had a clear and creative mind during Week 2.  Friday morning I had an extra early start (for me) and again this morning.  I wasn’t tired when going to bed on Friday night, but I was tired this afternoon.  Maybe it was a postprandial condition of eating, but I think not.  I monitor my mental and physical condition many times a day, especially since I started this 28-day program.  Part of this monitoring is to understand the changes I am experiencing with my transition to a new lifestyle.  And, secondly, I want to report anything I experience in my blogs to help others.

Lifestyle transition is difficult.  It’s interesting to read and listen to articles and videos on various aspects of weight loss.  I had a few minutes today and cruised through my e-mails.  I found one doctor (name unimportant for this discussion) who was talking about hormones and weight loss – a topic that interests me.  He talked about adiponectin, ghrelin, insulin and cortisol.  He talked about how to increase adiponectin and reduce ghrelin, insulin (response) and cortisol.  I agree with everything he had to say.  He was selling a product that performed the actions he had been talking about in this video.  That’s fair; he gave the scientific evidence and presented a solution.

However, it still amazes me that people have a lifestyle that they are currently addicted to (yes, I used the word addiction to signify the level of difficulty to change).  People may take a supplement to address symptoms, but they are not changing the cause.  My book addresses the causes and effects of gaining and losing weight. You might temporarily overcome a symptom and see some results, but you are still maintaining the lifestyle that brought on the symptoms (excess fat).  You must change your lifestyle to see permanent results.  This lifestyle change is permanent - no going back.  That doesn’t mean you can’t have a ‘single’ momentary relapse.  Single momentary relapses are not consistent lifestyle actions, unless you allow them to become your old lifestyle again.

I hear arguments for four or five or six small meals a day to lose weight.  In my further research, I have found striking evidence that your blood glucose levels after eating are critical to your overall health.  Allowing your blood glucose levels to remain high after eating can cause a myriad of health problems in the long run.  I’ll write a blog or newsletter going into the details; but, for right now, trust me.  Why keep my blood glucose levels raised unnecessarily when I don’t have to?

We eat mainly out of habit.  These nutritional gurus want you to develop a new habit of eating up to six meals a day.  How can you keep your blood glucose levels low when you are eating every couple of hours?  Yes, I can accept the fact that you might not be eating high glycemic foods, but you are still raising your blood glucose levels after the meals that they recommend.

I am attempting to eat only when I am hungry.  It makes sense.  Why eat just to eat?  I’ve gotten the morning meal situation well under control.  I have my large glass of water when I awaken and then begin a daily regimen of iced tea while I work.  I am not ‘hungry’ until lunch time.  Water and iced tea no longer satisfy my needs.  I have a lunch, mainly protein with some supplemental carbohydrates and good fats.  I take fiber and coconut oil at that time also.  By the time my evening meal time approaches, I am not hungry; but, I realize that I don’t want to eat an hour before going to sleep.  Because of this, I fix a meal (before dark) so that I can have enough time to properly digest it before heading off to dreamland.

I plan to experiment a bit more with my evening meal hunger issue, but right now I am just ‘doing it’ to see what results happen from my course of actions on my 28-day program.  I will keep y’all advised.

Red O’Laughlin

Your Prosperity Professor

281-437-8114 H/W  281-687-1188 C

Allow me a short explanation of inflammation.  I cover it in detail in my book. Free radicals are created by almost everything we do.  Free radicals are atoms or molecules that have lost an electron.  They are ‘out of balance.  They need an electron to balance their chemical arrangement.  Any other atom or molecules they come in contact with are potential candidates to ‘steal’ an electron and make them stable again.  The new atom or molecule now becomes a free radical looking for a replacement electron.  It is a vicious never-ending cycle.

If the number of free radicals is low enough the stealing stays confined to a small area.  What creates problems is when the number of free radicals far exceeds the number of atoms or molecules that contact each other.  Electrons are ripped off and not replaced.  Individually it is a minor problem.  When cells, organs, tissues, etc become inundated with free radical damage you begin to develop inflammation in those areas.  It begins at a very low level and continues to build over time.  Given enough time you will see damage occur that is difficult to control or overcome.

Low level chronic inflammation left unchecked will allow disease, tumors and other health issues to develop.  Low level chronic inflammation is impossible to feel.  You are totally unaware of any problems.  If you were to have a C – reactive protein (CRP) blood test you would be able to get a quantitative assessment of your body’s inflammation.  Most people don’t know about CRP and they don’t check their inflammation levels.  Most blood tests don’t include it.  I’ve been adding CRP to my personal list of blood tests that I have each year whether the insurance company pays for it or not.  I pay for it some years and the insurance company pays for it other years.

Free radicals from the air you breathe (pollution, exhaust, pesticides, etc). Free radicals come from the food you eat (artificial colors, artificial flavorings, preservatives, etc). Free radicals come from the stress you have every minute of the day. Free radicals are generated by your body’s systems and processes.  There are many different types of free radicals, some more dangerous than others.

Antioxidants are ‘extra’ atoms and molecules that have an extra electron that can be ‘given up’ without impacting the stability of the antioxidant.  Antioxidants are present in many foods, vitamins, minerals and supplements.  The vitamins and minerals contained in the food you eat are the best antioxidants - compared to the store-bought variety.

Inflammation creates problems in many ways with weight loss.  Two specific issues address your insulin response and your digestive process.  The impact is that more fat gets stored and less fat gets burned.  You have to control the inflammation in your body for long-term health and to help you win the battle of losing fat.  Antioxidants are most important to be taken daily, without stopping, for the rest of your life.   This is a lifestyle change if you aren’t already taking supplements - or, you aren’t eating a nutritionally balanced diet.  You need a nutritionally balanced diet to provide the vitamins and minerals needed by your body to improve your insulin response and to control the oxidative stress in your gut.

Store-bought vitamins and minerals are sold to make a profit.  Many times you get a vitamin or mineral that meets the requirement on the label, but the bioavailability of being absorbed by your body varies significantly compared to the foods you eat.  Manufacturers try to make up for what people don’t eat by providing extra vitamins and minerals.  80-100 years ago the foods grown had double or triple the nutritional content of foods grown today.  Even eating a very balanced diet can lead you down a false road.  Supplementation is needed to assist you in maintaining a winning strategy over the second-by-second battle that is being waged in your body by free radicals.

Week 2 should include a healthy balanced diet along with supplementation.  Which supplements are the best?  I’m not a doctor or nutritionist.  I am a researcher and can tell you what vitamins and minerals are good when presented with a specific cause and effect relationship.  That is what I have done throughout my book.  Each chapter identifies food products and other supplements that can assist you combat the daily battle of inflammation.

Today I had a hotel-prepared meal for breakfast for an early morning meeting.  I came home and fixed a very modest lunch.  After lunch I finally got to the gym - something that I had wanted to do and was unable to do for the past several days.  My daughter joined me in mid-afternoon and I had a good workout and a half-hour in the sauna.  My granddaughter and I stopped by Whataburger for a quick bite to eat.  Then we went to the gym together around dusk and I had another wonderful time doing more cardio that I had done earlier today.  I also spent another half-hour in the sauna.  Both my daughter and granddaughter reported excellent workouts today also.

I hydrated in the sauna and after leaving the sauna.  Hydration is critical to maintain your body’s systems.  Many times people should hydrate and they don’t.  They don’t ‘feel’ thirsty.  When you feel thirsty, it is way past needing it.  It’s best to drink fluids throughout the day, whether you feel thirsty or not.  If you exercise and sweat a lot, then you need to increase your fluid intake.

Red O’Laughlin

Your Prosperity Professor

281-437-8114 H/W  281-687-1188 C