Careful: Fake Protein Can Make You Weak

Protein powders you find in your local health-food stores lack critical nutrients that give protein its real power.
These overly-processed and misleading products give you cheap, weakened forms of protein that come from sick, diseased animals. And some protein powders even have dangerous levels of lead, cadmium and other heavy metals.
Not only are they a waste of money, but if you eat them, they will only make you weaker and more vulnerable to disease.
To stay slim, strong and potent, you need a reliable source of protein that hasn’t been processed, contaminated or altered.
Today, I’ll show you the 7 factors you need in your protein powder to unlock its natural power.

The Whole-Grain Hoax

“Whole grains are your best bet,” declares the Harvard School of Public Health website. Don’t be afraid of carbs from whole grains. They’re good for you, the site says.
The modern health industry and big business do a lot of advertising, advising and talking about how good for you whole grains are. And now everyone seems to have fallen for the whole-grain lie. Even the smart people at Harvard.
What they should be warning you about are the whole grains.
The whole idea behind eating a grain “whole” is this: Your body breaks down dietary starch – carbohydrates – into glucose, spiking your blood sugar. If a grain is left whole, you won’t break it down as fast, and it won’t raise your blood sugar.
It sounds like a nice theory, but it doesn’t work in the real world.
Let me show you what I mean.

Reset Your Hormone Switch to "Normal"

Have you ever shivered on a cold day? Felt a little light-headed when you stood up too fast? I’m sure you’ve broken a sweat while doing your PACE exercises, right?
In all these situations, what you’re feeling is your body trying to return itself to a “normal” state. In medical terms, we call it homeostasis – a fancy way of saying that your body is reacting to its environment and trying to get back within its natural chemical, hormonal and temperature ranges.
For example, when your energy levels are low, the conventional wisdom would tell you that your hunger hormones (like leptin and insulin) signal your body to “eat more, expend less.” And when you’ve eaten enough, your hormones should tell you that you’ve had enough.

Don't Be a Chicken – Eat Some Turkey

Thanksgiving is here, so let’s set the record straight: Eating a few extra helpings of turkey will not make you fat.
It’s the stuffing and the potatoes that pack on the holiday pounds. The bottom line is insulin and how much your body makes. Starchy foods like bread and potatoes send your blood sugar through the roof, triggering waves of fat-producing insulin.
So how can you tell the difference between foods that spike insulin and those that are less harmful?

Corn Syrup's New Disguise

How do you like the sound of corn sugar?
The mega-producers of this processed sweetener think you’ll like that name better than high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the biggest money maker in the history of the food industry. But a less scientific name isn’t going to transform it into something you’d want to put in your body.
The Corn Refiners Association petitioned for this name change to “avoid confusion” about what HFCS is. They claim it’s “essentially the same as table sugar.”
Well, I’ll admit table sugar and HFCS have about the same number of calories, but that’s where the similarities end…

100,000 Prescription Deaths and Counting…

Last year, over half a million Americans were hurt by prescription drugs. And 100,000 of them died.
How did that happen? If some prescription drugs are that dangerous, how are they getting approved?
The answer is not simple. There are good people involved in the process. But the incentive in the system has become distorted.
Here’s how it happened…

83,000 Heart Attacks Are Not Enough?

An FDA panel has just ruled that the diabetes drug Avandia should remain on the market.
This despite the fact that it’s been linked to 83,000 heart attacks and 304 deaths.1,2
Well… that sounds like great news for GlaxoSmithKline, who makes the drug. But I don’t think anyone should ever take any drugs like this. Here’s why…

You're Better Off Eating a Cardboard Box

The other day G.S. came to my office for a visit.
I won’t get into his personal medical issue, but the subject of fiber came up.
He said, “Dr. Sears, I’m getting all the fiber I need. Every morning I have my whole wheat toast or a big bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats.”
I’m telling you this because it’s kind of typical. My patients believe they’re getting the right kind of fiber from whole grains.
The truth is all fiber is not created equal. You could call a cardboard box “fiber,” because it’s cellulose and your body wouldn’t digest it.
But it’s not the type of fiber nature intended for you to have in your body…

3 Foods You Should Never Eat

If you enjoy breakfast or lunch on-the-go, I understand. Our lives are so busy; we don’t always have time to cook.
But beware: Some “convenience foods” aren’t worth it. You’ll pay for it with added inches to your waistline. And those excess pounds lead to chronic diseases like obesity, cancer, and heart disease.
Here are three foods that will put you on the fast track to fat:

Enjoy a Few Cold Ones at Your Super Bowl Party Without the Beer Belly

This year, I’m lucky… I have tickets to the Super Bowl.
On Sunday, I’ll be driving down to Miami with a few friends to watch the big game. I’m extra excited because my new fitness book, P.A.C.E.: The 12-Minute Fitness Revolution, is being featured in the official program for the event.
The Super Bowl is a truly American tradition that brings families and friends together for a day of good fun and good food.
And good beer.

Yesterday's Turkey Get the Best of You?

Did you overeat on Thanksgiving? Hey, it’s a holiday, right? Who would blame you?
If those extra helpings are still sitting with you the next day, you should read this.
The problem is usually not in your stomach. It’s usually with another part of your gastrointestinal tract called the colon.
It’s does a lot of important work for you. It separates and breaks down water and waste matter. It helps you absorb nutrients and remove harmful substances from the foods you’ve eaten and keeps you “regular.”

Ever Heard of Constipated Cavemen?

I changed the picture on my letters to you.
I’m amazed how many of you wrote to me with comments:
“Not trying to be critical but your new appearance makes you look like the caveman on the Geico commercial.”
“Dr. Sears’ Neanderthal look is like those Viking guys on the TV commercials. Cool!”
A lot of folks are asking me, “Why?”

Fat Burner and Heart Protection in One

This is the first chance I’ve had to tell you about the other dimension of Irvingia gabonensis, one of the key ingredients in Primal Lean: a stronger heart and better blood sugar.
This potent herb isn’t simply an incredible weight-loss supplement. It’s more than just a tonic you take for increased energy. It has very specific talents. It ramps up your body’s ability to burn fat and has a calming, normalizing effect on your cholesterol and blood sugar…

Carbs Can Cause Cancer

The other night, my son Dylan and I were in line at the grocery checkout, and I couldn’t help but notice the woman in front of me.
As she unloaded potato chips, pastries, waffles, and pasta onto the conveyor belt, I wondered if she understood the risks she was taking. If she knew empty carbs were linked to breast cancer would she still buy them?

Candy by Any Other Name?

Dear Reader, I thought you would like to know this little-known fact about “power bars”… I’m talking about those so-called energy snacks you eat in place of breakfast or for …