Continued From Page 1
Bethanne Patrick: And those are at the root of aging -- and as you said about mitochondria in 'UltraMetabolism -- since we're not going to get a magic pill anytime soon, that's going to give us the equivalent of thousands of bottles a day of red wine, what should we be paying attention to in terms of blood sugar and in terms of our mitochondria -- what are the simple things that we can do everyday?
Dr. Mark Hyman: That's a really great question and I think that's the take home point, that you don't have to wait for a magic pill, there's enough that we know right now to help your mitochondria stay healthy and we know how to keep your blood sugar in control. And what can you do? Well, very simply you can eat a whole foods diet -- foods that don't raise your blood sugar quickly -- things like whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, lots of fruits and vegetables. Lean animal proteins, such as fish and Omega 3 eggs, and organic or grass-fed lamb or chicken or poultry. Those foods actually help balance your blood sugar. You can increase your intake of Omega 3 fats which has the same signaling pathways as resveratrol in the cells, and can be taken in the form of wild salmon, or sardines or black cod or herring. And using Omega 3 fatty acids supplements, which you can take very easily. And you can also dramatically limit your flour and sugar products. Those products are abundant in our society -- we eat 135 pounds of sugar per year in our society and it's about more than half a pound a day per person. Our genes are just not liking that, and that causes rapid aging. In fact, you know -- you look at diabetics, they get diabetes and not only the consequence of diabetes, but they get the consequences of heart disease, and cancer, and Alzheimer's at a much higher rate than the average population.
Bethanne Patrick: And those are at the root of aging -- and as you said about mitochondria in 'UltraMetabolism -- since we're not going to get a magic pill anytime soon, that's going to give us the equivalent of thousands of bottles a day of red wine, what should we be paying attention to in terms of blood sugar and in terms of our mitochondria -- what are the simple things that we can do everyday?
Dr. Mark Hyman: That's a really great question and I think that's the take home point, that you don't have to wait for a magic pill, there's enough that we know right now to help your mitochondria stay healthy and we know how to keep your blood sugar in control. And what can you do? Well, very simply you can eat a whole foods diet -- foods that don't raise your blood sugar quickly -- things like whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, lots of fruits and vegetables. Lean animal proteins, such as fish and Omega 3 eggs, and organic or grass-fed lamb or chicken or poultry. Those foods actually help balance your blood sugar. You can increase your intake of Omega 3 fats which has the same signaling pathways as resveratrol in the cells, and can be taken in the form of wild salmon, or sardines or black cod or herring. And using Omega 3 fatty acids supplements, which you can take very easily. And you can also dramatically limit your flour and sugar products. Those products are abundant in our society -- we eat 135 pounds of sugar per year in our society and it's about more than half a pound a day per person. Our genes are just not liking that, and that causes rapid aging. In fact, you know -- you look at diabetics, they get diabetes and not only the consequence of diabetes, but they get the consequences of heart disease, and cancer, and Alzheimer's at a much higher rate than the average population.
Dr. Hyman on Healthy Aging
Dr. Mark Hyman's 'UltraMetabolism' delivers plenty of scientifically grounded information about weight loss myths, effective individualized strategies centered around the theme of stoking metabolism and a detailed six-week plan that will help you lose 11 to 21 pounds.
- Listen to Mark's Interview
- Buy Mark's Book, 'UltraMetabolism'
- Learn More About Dr. Mark Hyman
- Download a Free Sneak Preview of 'UltraMetabolism'
- Visit Mark's Web Site
- More Health, Wellness & Self-Help Interviews
More Tips and Advice From AOL Coaches
Bethanne Patrick: That's a very interesting point because of this imbalance with sugar and refined flour, and products like that. But, what about the red wine as part of the diet that is high in the right kinds of fats and the right kinds of fibers and legumes?
Dr. Mark Hyman: Well the right kinds of fats are critical. I mean we know that and science tells us that they regulate blood sugar. And beans and nuts and seeds are sources of protein that help us balance our blood sugar, and fiber that helps control the weight of absorption of sugars. All these things will really dramatically reduce the aging process. There's a few other things that can help boost your mitochondria-exercise. I mean you can achieve healthier mitochondria by exercising, just aerobic conditioning, strength training, interval training -- all of which I talk about in 'UltraMetabolism'. And these are ways of boosting your mitochondrial function. That's why exercise is sort of a panacea against aging.
Bethanne Patrick: So what's the role of red wine in that healthy lifestyle and diet?
Dr. Mark Hyman: Red wine is great for enjoyment; it's a great thing to share with friends. I don't believe that it's the panacea for keeping us healthy. I think what the studies have shown is that there's vital nutrients or plant compounds that talk to our genes, that turn on messages, that can keep us healthy or make us sick. And that's really the power of the new science which we call neutrogenomics, which is how we can turn our genes on or off by the foods we eat. Resveratrol is just one of thousands of compounds of vital nutrients that can regulate aging and diabetes and disease. That's why you have to look at this as a whole picture. We can't be thinking that we're just going to find that sort of magic quick fix and that we're going to eat whatever we want -- and be slothful and gluttonous and live forever.
Bethanne Patrick: Oh that sounds so nice after Thanksgiving, Dr. Mark. But as you say, the important thing about this study is that it shows us that paying attention to our mitochondria functions can pay off in terms of aging and overall health.
Dr. Mark Hyman: Absolutely, that's the key. I've been talking about this for years and thank God, it's getting out there now and people are hearing about it. You have to learn how to take care of your little energy system. It's like your engine in your car -- that's your engine. As your engine gets clogged up and pooped out, you're going to get old and sick and die. And keeping your mitochondria healthy is something we know how to do. There are supplements that can help that, exercise helps that, other vital nutrients, fish oil, balancing your blood sugar. These are all really simple ways that you can do right now to improve the health of your mitochondria and achieve a lot of the same benefits of healthy aging that you can get from taking 360 tablets of resveratrol.
Bethanne Patrick: Well I might try maybe a glass or two of red wine this week.
Dr. Mark Hyman: That's right.
Bethanne Patrick: But thank you so much. Dr. Mark Hyman, author of 'UltraMetabolism' and our AOL Wellness Coach. This is Bethanne Patrick for AOL Coaches.
Dr. Mark Hyman: Well the right kinds of fats are critical. I mean we know that and science tells us that they regulate blood sugar. And beans and nuts and seeds are sources of protein that help us balance our blood sugar, and fiber that helps control the weight of absorption of sugars. All these things will really dramatically reduce the aging process. There's a few other things that can help boost your mitochondria-exercise. I mean you can achieve healthier mitochondria by exercising, just aerobic conditioning, strength training, interval training -- all of which I talk about in 'UltraMetabolism'. And these are ways of boosting your mitochondrial function. That's why exercise is sort of a panacea against aging.
Bethanne Patrick: So what's the role of red wine in that healthy lifestyle and diet?
Dr. Mark Hyman: Red wine is great for enjoyment; it's a great thing to share with friends. I don't believe that it's the panacea for keeping us healthy. I think what the studies have shown is that there's vital nutrients or plant compounds that talk to our genes, that turn on messages, that can keep us healthy or make us sick. And that's really the power of the new science which we call neutrogenomics, which is how we can turn our genes on or off by the foods we eat. Resveratrol is just one of thousands of compounds of vital nutrients that can regulate aging and diabetes and disease. That's why you have to look at this as a whole picture. We can't be thinking that we're just going to find that sort of magic quick fix and that we're going to eat whatever we want -- and be slothful and gluttonous and live forever.
Bethanne Patrick: Oh that sounds so nice after Thanksgiving, Dr. Mark. But as you say, the important thing about this study is that it shows us that paying attention to our mitochondria functions can pay off in terms of aging and overall health.
Dr. Mark Hyman: Absolutely, that's the key. I've been talking about this for years and thank God, it's getting out there now and people are hearing about it. You have to learn how to take care of your little energy system. It's like your engine in your car -- that's your engine. As your engine gets clogged up and pooped out, you're going to get old and sick and die. And keeping your mitochondria healthy is something we know how to do. There are supplements that can help that, exercise helps that, other vital nutrients, fish oil, balancing your blood sugar. These are all really simple ways that you can do right now to improve the health of your mitochondria and achieve a lot of the same benefits of healthy aging that you can get from taking 360 tablets of resveratrol.
Bethanne Patrick: Well I might try maybe a glass or two of red wine this week.
Dr. Mark Hyman: That's right.
Bethanne Patrick: But thank you so much. Dr. Mark Hyman, author of 'UltraMetabolism' and our AOL Wellness Coach. This is Bethanne Patrick for AOL Coaches.
