Think again. Good fat appears to prevent dangerous visceral fat from forming and circling around your organs. DHA, an Omega 3 Fatty Acid found in fish like salmon, trout, herring, and mackerel (thanks to the algae these types of fish eat), is responsible for this good news. Moreover, in lab tests, DHA has shown to turn on a gene that creates a protein that burns fat. Fatty fish is one way to get your daily dose of DHA, but so is eating walnuts, ground flaxseed, and flaxseed oil. You could also get DHA from fish oil supplements, but I think it’s better to get what you need by eating real food.

Source: “YOU Docs: Yes, there really is a good fat”

Learn about good fats and countless other healthful tips at one of my “Lean & Green” Workshops…next one is Saturday, January 10, 2009 in Longview, Washington at Lower Columbia Community College.

YOU Docs: Healthy gifts will keep giving for many years

by Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz

I caught this article in the YOU Docs syndicated column that appears every Wednesday in the “How We Live” section of the Oregonian. Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz offer some healthy gift suggestions for all the different people in your life from the eco- conscious types to the glamour girls.  The following is an excerpt…click on the link at the end of this post to see the full column – definitely worth checking out! 

“When it comes to making everyone on your gift list happy, you can do better than wine or Prozac. Well, maybe not, but you can give gifts that keep giving. These days, gifts that make you healthy are also fun to get. Extra joy: Since they don’t break the bank, you can buy one of each for yourself, too. Here are some of our favorite things that give health for years to come:

Colleagues: Deep, dark chocolate. Splurge on the real cocoa-based stuff, with 70 percent or more cocoa (it might say “cocoa butter” on the label). The healthiest chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa and doesn’t contain milkfat or solids. What it does contain is flavonoids, which help keep your arteries young. But the real reason to give it, especially to your officemate or whoever does your review: Eating chocolate releases dopamine, a feel-good hormone. Recommended for a starter at most meetings.

Continue reading The YOU Docs column…