Prescription drugs used to relieve stress and to promote sleep can cause adverse health effects, ranging from over-sedation to memory problems. Fortunately, researchers have discovered a natural compound in tea that safely relieves the effects of stress and promotes mental calmness. Derived from green and black tea, the amino acid, L-theanine, is often used by people wishing to avoid taking antianxiety prescription drugs to support a sense of relaxation, while promoting clear thinking and mental calmness.

Multimodal Support for Brain Health

L-theanine readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, reaching brain neurons with ease. Once inside the brain, theanine acts as a cellular protectant. Studies in animals and humans reveal theanine’s ability to boost cognitive function, promote relaxation, and support brain health. 

Most clinical studies use daily doses of theanine between 50 mg and 400 mg to prevent or mitigate anxiety. L-theanine significantly increases activity of alpha brain waves, which suggests that it relaxes the mind without inducing drowsiness.

Animal studies suggest that theanine increases levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Boosting serotonin is the mechanism by which many of the leading prescription antidepressants work. Addition research suggests that supplemental theanine decreases the release of excitatory neurotransmitters, while increasing the release of calming neurotransmitters.

Safe and Non-Habit Forming

Benzodiazepines are the most widely prescribed class of anxiety-relieving drugs. This class of drugs includes alprazolam (Xanax®) and diazepam (Valium®). Even though many people take these drugs to calm their anxiety, they may also foster dependence, which limits their usefulness and possibly their long-term safety.

One of the most compelling clinical studies compared theanine with Xanax®. Each of 16 healthy human volunteers took 1 mg alprazolam, 200 mg theanine, or a placebo on separate days. Following each dose, the researchers obtained behavioral measures of anxiety in all participants. Only theanine promoted relaxation under study conditions.

Unlike most anti-anxiety prescription drugs, theanine is not habit forming. Consult with your physician before taking supplemental theanine, especially if you are taking medications or if you are pregnant or lactating.

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The progressive accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain has been linked to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive health problems that occur in aging humans. In 2005, researchers first discovered that EGCG could help dissolve beta-amyloid plaques in the brains of mice.

A recent study found that EGCG could also prevent the destruction of healthy brain neurons independent of its effect on removing beta-amyloid plaque. Other powerful polyphenols found in pomegranate and turmeric have been shown to help block or remove beta-amyloid plaque.

Specifically, EGCG prevented the formation of potentially dangerous beta-amyloid buildup by dissolving existing buildup of the protein found in plaque that contains the potentially neurotoxic metals, copper, iron and zinc. Studies have linked the aggregation of these metal-containing amyloid protein complexes with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Green tea contains between 30 and 40% of disease-fighting polyphenols, while black tea (green tea that has been further oxidized by fermentation) contains between 3 and 10%. Oolong tea is semi-fermented tea and accordingly, falls between green and black tea with respect to polyphenol content.

EGCG Quercetin Synergy

The disease-fighting effects of EGCG can be enhanced by consuming foods rich in another powerful phytonutrient, quercetin. Apples, onions and tea contain a rich supply of quercetin, which acts synergistically with EGCG to augment the health-promoting benefits individually found in each phytonutrient.

In recent years, a number of polyphenols, notably resveratrol, have been shown to thwart the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders by chelating with and removing toxic levels of metals in the brain.

We can now add green tea extract to this growing list of cognitive health nutrients.

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Clinical studies have demonstrated that milk thistle extract possesses significant hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, and cardioprotective effects. In a recent study, milk thistle extract was used (along with soy, lycopene and antioxidants) in a phase III clinical trial to delay prostate specific antigen (PSA) progression after prostatectomy and radiotherapy in prostate cancer patients. Another study found that milk thistle extract inhibited the growth of advanced human prostate carcinoma cells that tend to metastasize to the brain.

How Milk Thistle Protects The Prostate

In prostate cancer cells, milk thistle extract favorably affects the imbalance between tumor cell survival and death by interfering with the expression of cell cycle regulators and proteins involved in apoptosis, or cellular self-destruction. Studies have shown that silymarin is also a potent inhibitor of NF-κB activation. As a regulating compound produced in response to inflammation, NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa beta), is widely acknowledged to promote prostate and other forms of cancer.

Silymarin’s potent antioxidant activity also helps to quell inflammation and replenish glutathione, the chief antioxidant inside most cells and the first line of defense against free radical damage. Glutathione, found in high concentrations in the liver, also protects liver cells from injury caused by iron overload, ischemia, radiation, and viral hepatitis.

The daily oral dose of milk thistle extract used in clinical trials ranges from 280 to 800mg. The recommended dosage is typically a minimum of 140mg of silymarin (200mg of milk thistle extract) three times daily.

Milk thistle extract offers a non-toxic, cost-effective, and available means to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In addition, the extract possesses multiple disease-fighting properties that have shown promising activities for the prevention and/or intervention of liver damage, chemotherapy toxicity, and breast, and ovarian cancers.

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The reason: obesity decreases the bioavailability of vitamin D3 from skin and foods because the vitamin is sequestered in body fat compartments and therefore is prevented from getting to the tissues where it is needed to perform its many functions.

In 2000, scientists discovered that overweight and obese people could exhibit signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency despite eating a diet with sufficient levels of the vitamin. Subsequent studies suggest that the more excess body fat you carry, the greater your risk of vitamin D deficiency and the health conditions it helps prevent. In addition to preventing hearing loss, adequate intake and bioavailability of vitamin D is essential to protect against such serious health conditions as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, and osteoporosis.

Researchers found that obese subjects had significantly lower blood levels of vitamin D than did age-matched control subjects. In general, the higher a subject’s BMI, the lower was their serum vitamin D3 concentration and peak serum vitamin D concentrations after taking supplemental vitamin D.

This study found that the association between high BMI and low Vitamin D was consistent across a number of populations. For each 10% increase in BMI there was a 4.2% drop in vitamin D levels. This suggests that the association between vitamin D levels and BMI is likely due to a Vitamin D lowering effect caused by a high BMI.

Obesity and Low Vitamin D Linked to Diabetes Risk

It is now generally accepted that obesity, by causing low levels of vitamin D in the body, can raise the risk of type II diabetes. One study found that people who are both obese and vitamin D deficient are at greater risk of insulin resistance than if they have either factor alone.

Obesity combined with a vitamin D deficiency (which can be caused by obesity) increases the risk of developing insulin resistance significantly more than obesity or vitamin D deficiency alone. Shockingly, obese study subjects with healthy levels of vitamin D in their blood were nearly 20 times more likely to suffer from insulin resistance, compared to non-obese people, and were 32 times more likely to suffer from insulin resistance when combined with low levels of vitamin D in the blood.

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A research group at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem fed 63 randomly assigned obese police officers (BMI >30) assigned to one of two groups either a reduced-calorie diet providing carbohydrates throughout the day or a reduced-calorie diet with carbohydrates eaten mostly at dinner.

The group that consumed most of their carbs (e.g., bread, corn, legumes, pasta, potatoes) in the evening lost more body fat and enjoyed healthier levels of blood markers linked to reduced risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

A Hormonal Dynamic Duo

The idea of studying the effect of a reduced-calorie diet with carbohydrates eaten mostly at dinner came from studies of Muslims who fast during Ramadan, the ninth lunar month of the Islamic calendar. Fasting individuals abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset, thus automatically limiting all carbohydrate intake to dinner. Research studies found that that two key satiety-related and energy-sensing hormones in the body were favorably affected by this pattern of carbohydrate consumption.

Specifically, limiting carbohydrate-rich food consumption to the evening meal during Ramadan fasting led to changes in daytime hormonal levels of leptin and adiponectin that favor body fat loss as well as improved levels of inflammatory markers in the blood, including C-reactive protein, TNF-α, and IL-12. Study investigators found greater reductions in abdominal circumference, body fat mass, and body weight in volunteers on the experimental diet compared to those in the control group.

Leptin, known as “the master satiety hormone,” communicates adipose tissue status to receptors in the brain. Leptin helps regulate hunger, satiety, and food intake and it’s healthy functioning is intimately tied to insulin levels and sensitivity.

Adiponectin, a hormone made primarily in fat cells, plays a critical role in energy regulation and in fat and carbohydrate metabolism
. It is widely considered to be the link between insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Adiponectin has been shown to reduce blood levels of sugar and fats, to improve insulin sensitivity, and to exert a systemic anti-inflammatory effect.

Diet studies have shown that during periods of weight-loss, leptin levels typically decline. As leptin concentrations fall, satiety levels tend to be reduced and dieters begin to eat more food and regain lost weight. Thus, any dietary manipulation, such as limiting intake of daily carbohydrate-rich foods to the dinner meal, tends to sustain higher daytime leptin levels and therefore could help dieters maintain their weight loss over time.

What You Need To Know

In the Israeli study, volunteers who consumed most of their carbs during dinner had higher concentrations of leptin and adiponectin throughout the day when compared to a control group that distributed their carbs across breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This helped the carbs-at-dinner group experience greater satiety during waking hours while it improved their weight-loss and weight maintenance and led to healthier blood levels of insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Helpful hint: Try using a handful of nuts, as the study participants did, in place of such high-carb foods as breads, cereals, potatoes, rice, and snack chips, to help cut carb intake during the day. Nutrient-rich nuts are a good source of essential fats, protein, magnesium, and vitamin E.

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U.S. citizens are the victims of modern medicine’s runaway use of medical and dental imaging tests. Your doctor or dentist will likely not inform you of the radiation risks these tests pose. It is also unlikely that your doctor or dentist will hand you a prescription for nutraceutical-based dietary supplements that can mitigate the radiation-induced damage to the structure and function of your DNA–damage that can lead directly to cancer and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease. If you would like to receive a list of these nutrients, please send me an e-mail with your request by clicking HERE

Welcome to Chernobyl

Studies of the atomic bomb survivors at Hiroshima and Nagasaki,  people living near nuclear facilities during accidental release of radioactive materials at Chernobyl, workers with occupational exposures, and those who have received exposures from diagnostic and therapeutic medical studies reveal an identifiable pattern of increasing cancer risk.

For example, radiation doses commonly delivered during CT examinations resemble doses received by individuals in whom an increased risk of cancer has been documented. Doctors have known this for decades: studies have identified an increased risk of cancer among long-term survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs, who received exposures of 10 to 100 mSv (milliSieverts).

Doctors are aware that a single CT scan of the abdomen or chest can deliver the same amount of radiation exposure as WWII Atomic weapons, and they routinely prescribe multiple CT scans to the same patient over time.

Cardiologists are among the biggest offenders in the multibillion dollar medical imaging industry. Each year, U.S. cardiologists order more than 10 million scans for their patients, and such scans are among the most damaging type: computed tomography (CT). A CT angiogram of the heart exposes an individual to a 16 mSv dose of radiation–the equivalent of 800 chest x-rays.

It gets worse: A typical nuclear scan bombards the patient with 41 mSv, or the equivalent of 2000 chest x-rays! Doctors do not inform their patients of this very high level of radiation. One exception: pediatricians are aware that children are more sensitive to the effects of radiation than adults are, and that they have much more time left in their lives for potential radiation-induced cancers to occur).

But Wait, There’s More!

Accidental overdosing of radiation from CT brain scans is a growing problem. If this is a problem at a such prestigious hospitals as Cedars-Sinai, what about other less-prestigious hospitals?

There have been other catastrophic accidents regarding medical imaging and radiation overdosing. Your doctor is probably aware of them but will not likely discuss them with you, especially if he or she is prescribing nuclear imaging for you (See: Therac-25 story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therac-25)

Doctors fail to measure exactly how many mSv each patient receives, which, during some tests, could simply be done by having their patients wear the very same radiation badges worn by the x-ray technicians who perform the imaging procedures. Why are lab techs given this benefit but not the patient?

Sobering CT Scan Data Reveal Estimated Cancer Risks

Researchers estimate that approximately 29,000 future cancers (95% UL, 15,000-45,000) could be related to CT scans performed in the US in 2007. During that year, the largest contributions were from scans of the abdomen and pelvis (n = 14,000) (95% UL, 6,900-25,000), chest (n = 4100) (95% UL, 1,900-8,100), and head (n = 4000) (95% UL, 1,100-8,700), as well as from chest CT angiography (n = 2,700) (95% UL, 1,300-5,000). One-third of the projected cancers were due to scans performed at the ages of 35 to 54 years compared with 15% due to scans performed at ages younger than 18 years; 66% were in females.

“Among 40-year-old women, on average, 1 cancer would occur among 8105 patients who underwent a routine head CT scan. For a 60-year-old woman, the risks were substantially lower and varied from approximately 1 in 420 examinations for CT coronary angiography to 1 in 12,250 examinations for a routine head CT scan. For a 20-year-old woman, the risks were substantially higher and varied from approximately 1 in 150 examinations for CT coronary angiography to 1 in 4360 examinations for a routine head CT scan.”

Data from a retrospective cross-sectional study of radiation doses associated with the 11 most common types of diagnostic CT studies performed on 1119 consecutive adult patients at 4 San Francisco Bay Area institutions in California between January 1 and May 30, 2008 reveal an disturbing picture. Study investigators estimated the lifetime risks of cancer by scan type from the radiation doses they measured:

“An estimated 1 in 270 women who underwent CT coronary angiography at age 40 years will develop cancer from that CT scan (1 in 600 men), compared with an estimated 1 in 8100 women who had a routine head CT scan at the same age (1 in 11 080 men). For 20-year-old patients, the risks were approximately doubled, and for 60-year-old patients, they were approximately 50% lower.”

What NASA Astronauts Can Teach Us About Radiation Exposure

The Apollo astronauts were subjected to fairly high radiation doses as they passed outside the protective envelope of the Earth’s magnetosphere, and especially during their brief transits of the Van Allen Belts. The astronauts experienced visual disturbances as a result of radiation particles (alpha type) exciting the cells of their retinas.

Ionizing radiation of the type found in space is known to produce significant damage to the lens of the eye. Such radiation can cause permanent damage to the reproductive system, including reduced fertility and permanent sterility.

Sadly, of the 24 astronauts to date who have traveled to the Moon (including 12 who didn’t set foot on it), two have already died of cancer. Jack Swigert died of bone cancer in 1982 and Alan Shepard died of leukemia in 1998. Would these two astronauts have developed these types of cancers had they not left the Earth’s protective atmosphere? Possibly, but given the radiation risks our astronauts have been exposed to, it’s possible that cancer is an occupational hazard of space travel due to radiation damage to our delicate human DNA. The take-home lesson: all radiation exposure carries potential risks.

A newly published study has found that cosmic radiation – the type that bombards all astronauts in deep space — can accelerate the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. This is a real concern for NASA since it is planning manned missions in 2021 to distant asteroid in 2021 and to Mars in 2035 — a trip that will expose astronauts to three year’s worth of deep space cosmic radiation.

Researchers exposed animals to the same doses of radiation that astronauts will experience during their mission to Mars. Study investigators observed that mice exposed to radiation were far more likely to fail at tests of cognitive competence, suggesting neurological impairment  far earlier than these symptoms would typically appear in the normal lifespan of the animal. Importantly, the brains of the mice showed signs of adverse vascular changes and a greater-than-normal accumulation of beta amyloid, the protein that accumulates in the brains of humans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Medical Imaging Is Not The Only Source Of Radiation

Are you wondering about your own radiation risk? Medical physicists can easily estimate individual radiation exposures and risks–for a fee. To do so, they would take into account more than just your exposure to medically ordered scans. For example, a woman with up to two CT exams (radiation dose will vary depending upon type of scan), a few chest x-rays or x-rays of the extremities, and yearly mammograms after age 40, will still have a lifetime background radiation exposure (e.g., radon in the home, second-hand smoke, cosmic radiation) that will be much higher than her lifetime medical exposure. Airline flying and airport scanner exposure will further increase her lifetime radiation exposure far beyond the medical imaging exposure outlined above.

3 Steps You Must Take Before Agreeing to A Medical Scan

Step 1. Question the need for the scan.

Step 2: Track your exposure.

Step 3: Protect yourself.

What You Need To Know

It is highly likely that if you’ve had medical imaging tests, your doctor neither informed you of the cancer risks of the tests he prescribed nor provided you with a radiation badge during your scan.

It is also highly likely that if your doctor prescribed a medical imaging test, he or she did not hand you a prescription for radioprotective nutraceuticals to minimize the radiation-induced damage to your DNA. Are these failures to inform and protect you be considered as medical malpractice?

Bottom line: Many doctors do not order medical scans and routine x-ray tests using science-based guidelines; in far too many cases, the justification for these scans is questionable and your doctor has no idea if ordering a CT scan or other radiological test will improve patient outcomes.

Robert’s Rule: When it comes to radiation exposure from medical imaging scans, less is better for everyone.

☆ Disclaimer: This is my informed opinion. I could be wrong. What do you think?

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If you’re a long-time tennis fan or if you enjoy tennis history, then you’re probably aware of the Ivan Lendl vs. John McEnroe rivalry, which was among the most contentious in the history of the sport.

There was clearly no love lost between these two champions. The same can be said of the Lendl-Connors rivalry (which I’ll discuss later in this post), but let’s examine the Lendl-McEnroe record, because it demonstrates how one player was able to end the dominance of the other through the use of personal nutrition counseling.

McEnroe’s Woes

When I finally came face-to-face with John in the men’s locker room at Wimbledon, I found him to be surprisingly shy (I know that’s hard to believe). I had been trying for about a year, through conversations with his doubles partner, to convince him to work with me. But John would have no part of it. He simply didn’t believe that my advice could make any difference in his win-loss record. He even mocked the value of sports nutrition in the press, albeit in a good-natured way. Even so, my offer still stood.

To prove my point, I told John’s doubles partner that I would demonstrate the immense value of sports nutrition counseling to John the hard way–by working with one of his rivals, who would then enjoy a competitive advantage and would go on to dominate John in match play. I thought it was going to be Jimmy Connors (another sports nutrition skeptic) because I had already begun talking to Jimmy about changes in his diet. I felt Jimmy’s stubbornness–a trait which had served him well during match play–became a stumbling block to extending his career longevity and win record through the science of sports nutrition. Instead, it would be another gifted player who would become my client and both McEnroe’s and Connors’ undoing: Ivan Lendl.

”Everyone used to ask me if I was on the Haas diet,” he [McEnroe] said, referring to Robert Haas, who has been credited by Martina Navratilova and Ivan Lendl as a prime reason for their success. ”But I told them, ‘No. I’m on the Haagen-Dazs diet.’ I still am.”

Lendl’s Lament

Ivan Lendl’s agent, Jerry Solomon, called me and told me that Ivan was thinking of quitting professional tennis  because he felt he was losing to players he should be dominating–including Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. Ivan had become extremely frustrated, and Jerry simply did not want to lose his golden goose client–especially one oozing with unfulfilled potential. Clearly, there was a missing piece of the puzzle, but neither of them could pinpoint it. One reason: at the time, I was the only sports nutritionist on the professional tennis circuit who had developed a sports nutrition protocol with a proven record of success. At that time, only a few of the pros knew about me and my work.

Most professional tennis players didn’t know how to eat to win, and many ate diets that hampered their endurance and performance and in a few cases, even jeopardized their health. All that was about to change with the publication of my #1-bestselling book, Eat to Win, in 1984, which would literally launch a worldwide sports nutrition revolution.

I began working with Ivan Lendl just after he lost to Jimmy Connors in the finals of the 1983 U.S. Open. Coincidentally, another client of mine, Martina Navratilova, handily defeated her arch rival, Chris Evert, in the women’s finals that year.

Jimmy Connors’ defeat of Ivan Lendl in the finals that year was a repeat performance of the previous year. Lendl ran out of steam in the fifth set, losing 6-0. This really frustrated Ivan simply because he felt he possessed the ability and game to beat Connors. Permit me to digress for a moment and discuss the events just after Connors defeated Lendl in the 1982 U.S. Open finals.

It’s Deja Vu All Over Again

Minutes after Connors had beaten Lendl in the 1982 Open final, Jimmy and I walked off the court together with Bill Norris (pictured in accompanying photo; L to R: Robert Haas, Bill Norris, Mrs. and Mr. Gene Mayer), the head ATP trainer.  Bill had introduced me to Jimmy, hoping Jimmy would work with me. Immediately after Connors defeated Lendl in the men’s ’82 US Open final match, the three of us went to a private treatment room where Jimmy asked Norris to examine his painful hip. It was just three guys quietly leaving the court and walking, unmolested by papparazzi, back to the locker room.

Connors was on cloud nine because he had soundly defeated the object of his scorn, Ivan Lendl in a grand slam event. Jimmy wasn’t shy about expressing his dislike for Lendl or his enjoyment of the victory. But it would be a relatively short-lived celebration.

One of my thought balloons during this moment was: It would be ironic if I wound up working with the defeated Lendl, who would then–because I’m such an awesome sports nutritionist–come back to dominate Connors. Little did I realize that my fantasy would shortly become reality. No one in the room that evening could have predicted the dramatic damage that Lendl would visit upon the careers of Connors (and McEnroe) within a short time.

Martina Navratilova’s unrivaled success and dominance over her adversaries changed the way women on the professional tennis tour would eat and train from then on. Ivan Lendl was about to do the same for men’s professional tennis. The common thread: personal sports nutrition counseling, my way.

History Repeats Itself

From our first counseling session, Ivan and I began a relationship that would span the rest of his career and beyond. What neither of us knew was that an chronic inflammatory back condition (facet joint syndrome) would cut short his reign as the king of men’s professional tennis.

Through his diet, supplements, and training regimen, Ivan became the poster boy for what personalized nutrition counseling and training could do for a professional athlete. There was a precedent for all this: my previous work with Martina Navratilova had helped her rise to the top of women’s pro tennis and stay there–which she publicly acknowledged many times–and helped her dominate the competition for many years, much like Ivan was about to do. I boldly predicted that Martina would still be actively competing long after most adversaries her age had retired and as the record reflects, my prediction was 100% accurate. History, it seems, does repeat itself in tennis–at least when both players are native Czechoslovakians who learn how to eat to win.

Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold

By 1984, Ivan had become one of the fittest athletes on planet Earth. As Martina had before before him, he began decimating the competition, effectively ending the reign of both Connors and McEnroe. Ivan enjoyed his revenge and so did I. Although all three players were roughly equal in tennis skill (with John dominant in serve and volley) and competitive spirit, neither Jimmy nor John could possibly hope to match Ivan’s endurance, overall fitness level, strength, or mental focus that comes with the right diet, training regimen, and sports nutrition supplement protocol. From this point on and for the foreseeable future, beating his opponents, from Ivan’s perspective, would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

McEnroe had minimized the value of sports nutrition in a very public way; Connors had privately rejected its value, even though as he admitted to me when I ran into him at Caesar’s Palace, LV, it had helped him win a tournament. Like Martina, Ivan publicly credited my counsel with helping him rise to the top and remain there. Both Martina and Ivan broke numerous records while setting new ones in the process, not to mention setting the bar very high for future champions–much higher than it had ever been in the history of the sport.

Ivan was by now routinely making mincemeat of McEnroe, who would never again dominate men’s professional tennis, and in a case of deja vu, I was at again at the finals of the U.S. Open in 1984, only this time, instead of heading to the locker room after the championship match with Connors as I had in 1983, I was walking with the new King of Tennis, Ivan Lendl. Whom did Ivan defeat in the finals? Why, his former nemesis of course, Mr. James Scott Connors.

Is Personal Diet Counseling Right For You?

The question I posed in the header of this post was: Can Personal Diet Counseling Help You Eat to Win?

Judging from the results of just two of my clients, Martina Navratilova and Ivan Lendl, I think the historical record clearly answers that question in the affirmative.

Of course, you may not possess the innate ability of a Wimbledon champion, but I maintain that anyone can up their game and make a meal out of their competition with evidence-based personal sports nutrition counseling. I’ve seen it happen with my clients repeatedly over three decades. That’s a level of safety and efficacy rarely found today among the wild and speculative diet claims made by self-proclaimed health gurus in books and blogs.

Any sports nutritionist can make outlandish claims, but almost none can back them up with an impressive record of results achieved with world champions and Olympic athletes. Armchair experts lack the knowledge and wisdom that only comes with working closely with champions and helping them reach the top of their sport. Perhaps that is why Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee lists as the two most important books in her life, Eat to Win and The Holy Bible.

John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors both saw their dominance of men’s professional tennis cut short by one of my clients, Ivan Lendl. Chris Evert, an extraordinarily talented player and a living legend, would never again dominate Martina Navratilova during their legendary tennis rivalry once Martina hired me to advise her. Ivan and Martina were pioneers in an era when athletes and coaches were skeptical of the “new” science of sports nutrition. My goal was to prove the skeptics wrong.

I think I played my part.

Ivan still calls me for diet counseling to this day. Ivan gets it. Do you?

Thanks to PaleoPharm.com, you can chat directly with me online regarding your most pressing questions regarding, diet, fitness, nutritional supplements, and diet-related health concerns for a fraction of my usual fee. Simply check my Appointment Calendar and then Checkout using your favorite credit card. I will send you a unique code and link so that we can chat online at the prearranged date and time. It’s that simple!

For The Record

Can you really eat to win? The facts speak for themselves:

McEnroe Vs. Lendl: Head-to-Head Stats

NUMBER OF WEEKS AS #1
McEnroe: 170
Lendl: 270

 

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
McEnroe 15, Lendl 21

 

GRAND SLAM PERFORMANCES

GS wins: McEnroe 7, Lendl 8
McEnroe: 3 W, 4 USO
Lendl: 2 AO, 3 FO, 3 USO

 

GS Runner-Up Appearances: McEnroe 3, Lendl 11
McEnroe: 1 FO, 1 W, 1 USO
Lendl: 2 AO, 2 FO, 2 W, 5 USO

 

GS Semifinal Appearances: McEnroe 8, Lendl 9
McEnroe: 1 AO, 1 FO, 3 W, 3 USO
Lendl: 3 AO, 5 W, 1 USO

 

CAREER TITLES (recognized by the ATP)
McEnroe: 76
Lendl: 94

 

CAREER TITLES (including those not recognized by the ATP)
McEnroe: 88
Lendl: 144

In 1819, Dr. Samuel Black noticed a striking 4-fold statistical difference in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease between residents of Toulouse and Belfast. Despite the high saturated fat content of their diet, the French have enjoyed a historically low rate of cardiovascular disease. In fact, France still enjoys one of the lowest rates of cardiovascular mortality in the world, ranking third behind Korea and Japan.

This phenomenon, called the ‘‘French paradox’’ by Serge Renaud in 1993, prompted a plethora of epidemiological studies that attempted to explain the paradoxically low rates of cardiovascular mortality in France on the basis of red wine consumption. Recent studies suggest that this hypothesis may not be complete and perhaps, even dead wrong.

Please Pass The Cheese

In addition to red wine and its major phenolic constituent resveratrol, which some studies suggest confers cardioprotective effects on wine drinkers, I believe other factors could be implicated in the French paradox. Although researchers will not likely ever pinpoint a single causative factor to explain the paradox, I would suggest that cheese consumption, especially of molded varieties, is a likely contributor to the relatively lower level of risk for cardiovascular disease enjoyed by those who embrace the native French diet.

My interpretation of the published data informs me that eating moldy cheese can have a favorable effect on lipoprotein turnover and plasma lipid profile, blood pressure, and level of systemic inflammation.

For example, recent studies have isolated novel peptides in moldly cheeses that can inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme, a controlling factor of systemic blood pressure. A complex time-dependent enzymatic transformation of the cheese core controlled by bacteria, humidity, and temperature during the ripening process results in the formation of compounds that can reduce such inflammatory cytokines as C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. The result for moldy cheese lovers? lower blood pressure.

A molded cheese such as Roquefort can favorably influence cardiovascular health because it contains secondary metabolites produced by the mold, Penicillium roqueforti, and other fungi. Some of these secondary metabolites, including andrastins A–D and roquefortine, can inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis.

The French Diet: What Do They Eat ‘Over There’?

A typical French meal contains what would appear to be a heart-unfriendly amount of saturated fats originating from butter, cream, cheese, cured meats, whole milk, and pastries. The French diet also includes small amounts of fruits and vegetables and moderate amounts of wine. Saturated fat may contribute up to 40% of total calorie intake of the French diet.

The intake of fruits and vegetables is rather low, especially in the Northern regions of France, at <300 g/day. Although France is technically located in the Mediterranean region, the true Mediterranean diet is consumed only in very small geographical enclaves of Southern France. The Mediterranean diet is characterized by an abundance of fish, fruits and vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and moderate amounts of wine. Importantly, cheese is a staple food in both the typical French dietary regimen and the Mediterranean diet.

In fact, cheese consumption in France (average, 26 kg per capita) is one of the highest in the world, only falling behind Greece. Cheese and its by-products have a high protein content, low glycemic index, and contain significant amounts of vitamins A, B6, B9, and D, and calcium. Recently discovered facts about the nutritional pharmacology of molded cheese suggest that these types of cheeses may help to promote increased protection against cardiovascular mortality.

Chose Your Cheese

Camembert, Gorgonzola, and Roquefort, are among the most popular varieties of molded cheese. Their production begins with the addition of rennet and a starter culture of Penicillium roqueforti or Penicillium camemberti, fungi which promote flavor formation in full cream sheep’s milk.

The chemical processes involved in the ripening of these cheeses is far more complex than that of bacterial-ripened varieties such as Cheddar or Gouda and is characterized by more intense breakdown of proteins. As a result, the core of ripened molded cheeses contains a unique variety of nutraceuticals of bacterial, fungal, and mammalian origin that are not present in other cheeses. In particular, Roquefort and other blue cheeses contain andrastins A–D, which are potent inhibitors of a key enzyme required for cholesterol biosynthesis. Andrastin A displays strong anti-tumor activities, suggesting its anti-cancer potential. Other substances, including roquefortine, possess powerful anti-bacterial properties and inhibit Gram-positive bacterial growth.

So what will you be enjoying on your next garden salad? Low-fat French dressing, or a rich and creamy Blue Cheese dressing loaded with cancer-fighting compounds?

☆ Disclaimer: This is my informed opinion. I could be wrong. What do you think?

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One Less Angel mp3

One of the most damaging types of ROS is MDA, an often overlooked damaging molecule in the body. Yet a popular herb and condiment can each help protect your delicate DNA from the damaging and age-accelerating destruction of MDA and other forms of ROS.

Click the link below to download a special PaleoPharm report about the remarkable antiaging effects of oregano:

Protect Your DNA From Toxic Fats In Your Diet (PDF)