Blogging with Lee

The Mathematics of Sugar and Obesity

I like to play with numbers. It’s something I’ve been doing since my youth. While some people can quote Shakespeare as if they wrote the lines themselves, I can perform complex equations almost instantaneously without ever putting pencil to paper. I’m not bragging; rather, I’m simply setting the context for the equation I’m about to share.

The other day I was talking with my friend and colleague Dr. Joseph Mercola when he told me that the latest statistics show per capita sugar consumption in the U.S. to be approximately 170 pounds per year. I did a bit of research and found that number to be quite accurate as a combined value for both sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). For the sake of this article, I’m going to wrap them together and call it sugar (after all, HFCS is just as troublesome as sugar itself).

Now, let’s break down the numbers and see what this potentially means to our weight, not to mention our health.

    One pound of sugar contains 1,860 calories.

    170 (pounds of sugar) x 1,860 (calories/pound) = 316, 200 calories.

    It takes 3,500 calories to add one pound of body weight. So . . .

    316,200 (calories) ÷ 3,500 (calories/pound) = 90 pounds.

90 pounds?! Is it any wonder we have an obesity epidemic? Now, I know that this is very reductionist and obviously we don’t keep all 316,200 calories, but even if we burn through two-thirds of those calories we’re still left with 30 pounds of unwanted weight.

It’s obvious that we need to reduce our intake of sugar and sweeteners like HFCS. But that does not mean you should turn to artificial sweeteners. They’re even more toxic and can be even more dangerous to our health. (See Dr. Mercola’s book Sweet Deception.)

So far, the best alternative I’ve found is xylitol, which is a sugar alcohol that is non-caloric and does not produce the biological responses that sugar does. But looking for alternatives, in this case, isn’t really the answer. I believe the answer lies in making conscious, healthy decisions every day. Thirsty? Don’t reach for that can of sugar-laden soda. Have a glass of water or some chilled green tea. Refrain from spiking your morning coffee with “white poison” and approach desserts with caution.

In less than 60 years we’ve almost doubled the amount of sugar we consume (statistical tracking began in 1950). We’re fatter, sicker and more fatigued than ever. It’s a sad state of affairs. And while my calculations offer a mere glimpse at the repercussions, perhaps they’ll serve as a memorable caveat that can help you resist the urge to indulge.

Introducing a New Friend: Ori Hofmekler

Last week I had the immense pleasure of meeting Ori Hofmekler, author, innovator and, in my opinion, a true visionary in the fields of diet and fitness. Ori is the creator of The Warrior Diet program and author of the bestselling book by the same name. Most recently, however, he has been making the scene with a new book called The Anti-Estrogenic Diet – How Estrogenic Foods and Chemicals Are Making You Fat and Sick.

Ori visited our headquarters in Fargo and we spent the entire day together exploring his unique perspective on fitness and nutrition. He has an amazing background from which he developed his theories and practices. As a young man, Ori was an elite member of the Israeli Special Forces, where he first discovered and developed many of his training principles. Later, he received a degree from the Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem as well as a degree in Human Sciences from Hebrew University. Although one might perceive the disciplines of fine art and biology as distinctly separate, Ori reminds us that some of our greatest artists—Da Vinci and Michelangelo for example—were also deeply interested in science and, particularly, the science of the human body.

After completing his education, Ori became a world-renowned artist specializing in political satire. His work has been published in major magazines and newspapers around the world, collected in books and displayed in prominent galleries. However, an eye injury sustained during his army days eventually caught up with this master painter and he was forced to transfer his focus from one passion to another. He left the world of fine art behind and began anew, using his knowledge of biology and physiology along with his military training to forge a brave and exciting new path.

Through his many media contacts, Ori began a new career as a columnist, author, editor and publisher (his magazine Mind and Muscle Power is no longer in print). He developed The Warrior Diet program and wrote a book on the subject, which earned immediate acclaim from scientists, medical experts, champion athletes and readers worldwide. Ori also perfected his physical training techniques, which he calls Controlled Fatigue Training (CFT), approaching fitness from a holistic perspective, methodically applying human survival principle to the exercise drills focusing on total-body movement rather than the “body-part isolation” approach common to most modern fitness practices. He now lives in Los Angeles, and although he is very quiet and modest about it, he has used his CFT program to train some very well-known individuals around
Hollywood.

Does it sound like I’m gushing? Perhaps I am a little. But the fact is that unlike so many people who don’t live up to the hype of their biographies, Ori is exactly as his bio says: a true modern renaissance man. And beyond that, he is simply a genuine, affable and incredibly insightful human being.

So why am I writing about Ori Hofmekler? Because in the coming months we’ll be working together on some exciting new initiatives. You’ll be seeing Ori in our catalogs and on our website, and you’ll have the opportunity to learn from him and benefit from some special products he’ll be designing for us. Look for the Ori Hofmekler Signature supplements under the Swanson Ultra^® label soon.

For more about Ori, The Warrior Diet and The Anti-Estrogenic diet, and his popular radio show “The Warrior Within,” visit his website at www.warriordiet.com. For a glimpse at Ori’s previous work as a world-renowned artist, check out www.orihofmekler.com. To purchase any of Ori’s books, including his latest 2008 release Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat, click here.

Estrogen Overload

For those of you who, based on the title, are expecting a misogynist rant, let me say right now that is not the purpose of this post. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the women of the world and would never engage in such boorishness.

What I do want to talk about is the fact that, according to many scientists, we are awash in estrogenic compounds that are interfering with our health—and I mean our health: men, women and children included.

I’ve just read a fascinating book on the subject called The Anti-Estrogenic Diet—How Estrogenic Foods and Chemicals Are Making You Fat and Sick. It was written by Ori Hofmekler, whom you may recognize as the developer of The Warrior Diet program and author of the book by the same name.

According to Hofmekler (and supported by rigorous science):

Never before has the human body been exposed to such an overwhelming amount of estrogenic substances. . .Our meat and dairy are loaded with hormones and our vegetables and fruits are treated with pesticides, all of which virtually mimic estrogen in our bodies. . .We have never adapted to such a surplus of estrogen in our food and environment, nor have our genes been programmed for such estrogen dominance.”

While some may scoff at this contention, there’s little argument when you delve into the science. And there’s mounting evidence, readily seen in the world around us, that this flood of estrogen is having grave consequences. Around the world, young women are beginning to menstruate earlier than ever before. Estrogen-dependent cancers are on the rise. Marine species are showing signs of adaptation/mutation due to our waste products entering their environment. And last but not least human populations across the globe are getting fat.

So what’s the weight have to do with it? Estrogen, notes Hofmekler, is a fat storage hormone. Is it possible that the hidden estrogenic substances around us are at least partially responsible for today’s obesity epidemic? Hofmekler certainly thinks so.

The good news is that there are simple ways to avoid and counteract the influence of hidden estrogens in the food supply and the environment, and Ori Hofmekler lays it all out brilliantly in his easy-to-read book and easy-to-follow advice. Recipes, questions and answers, and full scientific references are included in this fantastic book.

In the coming months I’ll be working with my product development group to develop a Swanson solution to help everyone concerned about hormone balance and estrogen abundance. Meanwhile, I urge you to read The Anti-Estrogenic Diet and consider the influence that hidden hormones may be having on your well-being. Click the linked title to buy the book on Amazon. Or to learn more, click here to watch an interview with Ori Hofmekler on YouTube.

Greetings from Oslo

I am currently on a trip through Europe, investigating new product concepts that can naturally benefit health and wellness. Yesterday in Oslo, Norway, I had the opportunity to meet with two of Europe’s most renowned researchers in the emerging field of “infectobesity,” the study of which focuses on the relationships of certain pathogens (viruses and bacteria) on weight gain and obesity.

Dr. Erling Thom and Dr. Roald Strand are recognized throughout Norway and Europe for their groundbreaking work. Of particular interest to me in meeting with them for over six hours yesterday is their conviction that pathogens in the gut and GI tract contribute greatly to what virtually all researchers agree is the most harmful fat on the body: belly fat.

What is particularly exciting is the research this team has done concerning the effects certain immune-enhancing herbs and supplements can have on these harmful pathogens often found in the gut, and how this in turn positively affects the body’s ability to shed itself of the not only unsightly but also unhealthy body fat.

In addition to meeting with Drs. Thom and Strand yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting one of Norway’s most popular television and film actresses, Britt-Elizabeth Haagnesli, who recently implemented the good doctors’ easy-to-follow diet and supplement program to combat “infectobesity”. In just 30 days, without exercise or rigid calorie restriction, Ms. Haagnesli lost 11 pounds and two inches of belly fat around her stomach and waist.

In the months ahead I’ll be working with my colleagues in Norway to develop a version of their program for the US market. I’ll keep you posted as the project develops.

Tomorrow I head to Germany to meet 84-year-old Eva Aschenbrenner, the country’s “first lady of herbal medicine.” Check back in a couple days for more updates.