Let NutrEval Rock Your World

Ever wondered how well you're absorbing your pile of supplements and plates of healthy, organic food? Curious what else you could optimize to feel even better? Here's a test for you.

NutrEval is the queen of tests -- I've started recommending it more regularly as I see the deep benefits it brings.  A combo of urine and blood tests, it's a comprehensive nutritional evaluation that identifies imbalances of vitamins, nutrients, and co-factors. You'll also discover if you have problems with bad bacteria in the gut (dysbiosis), how much Omega 3s and 6s you need, and assess for any detoxification problems particularly in the liver.

NutrEval is an ideal test when finishing a cleanse, such our recently sold-out January 2010 cleanse, or if you are just looking for more guidance in order to age gracefully.

You have to order the test through a doc (that's me), and I'm offering this test to any patients, yoga students or cleansers in our community.

To me, the amazing part is the cost. For now, the cost is $147 with most insurance companies (except Aetna, Humana, Kaiser, Principal & Tufts) while the street price is $1500. Genova banks on your insurance paying the difference and you will not be charged if they do not (that's why they call it "Pay Assured").  Just copy that insurance card and include it in the box.

The processing is a bit cumbersome and beyond the capability of most of our local blood draw centers (bless them), so I recommend springing for a to-your-door phlebotomist service run by Nathan Cron. He's a dream as is his team, and they will handle all those labels and complications that you can't be bothered with.

Three weeks later--make a 25 min phone appt. with me to review your dissertation on your health. Transformation will be yours.

Omega 3s: Are You Getting Enough?

"Oh, I have flax oil in my breakfast - I get enough."

I often hear this from my patients. Girlfriend, you have to eat about 1½ cup of flax seed oil or salmon daily to get a sufficient amount. 

Take a supplement -- this is one of those very few situations where the food sources probably aren't as good for you as the pill. We have new data showing dramatic benefits of omega 3s in the prevention of depression, cancer, heart disease, inflammation, pain and more. 

You also need to be careful to get a fish oil supplement without contaminants like mercury. Ask your doctor to test your AA/ EPA ratio to find out how low your ratio is. More on this in a moment. 

Good vs bad fats. We eat different types of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and partially hydrogenated or transfats. While you have a limited budget of saturated fats daily for a healthy diet, they are not your worst enemy. 

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, i.e., animal fats in meat and cheese contain saturated fats. Monounsaturated fat such as the fat in olive oil is liquid at room temperature but cloudy in the fridge. Your salad dressing should contain extra virgin olive oil.

Polyunsaturated fats are liquid in the refrigerator. They have more double bonds -- the chemical structures that make them fluid. Trans fats are artificial chemically produced fats such as margarine or "partially hydrogenated" fats, which are bad to your health and should not be eaten. Transfats are the worst offenders. Omega 3 and omega 6 are polyunsaturated fats. Both are essential fatty acids, meaning we can't make them in our bodies. Omega 3 refers to the position of the double bond in the molecule itself. There are two types: short chain and long chain. 

When my patients tell me they eat plenty of flaxseed oil, I have to break the bad news: flax won't do it because we need long-chain omegas for the benefits, not short chain. We only convert about 5% of short-chain omega 3s to long chain. So you need to take fish oil. If you're vegan, you can take krill oil as an alternative. We need long-chain omega 3s, and you also need to limit omega 6s. Omega 3s will favor fewer blood clots, kill cancer cells, improve your immune system and mental acuity, and prevent heart disease. 

How is it that Eskimos can eat half their calories from fat yet have low risk of heart disease? Researchers think it's because of their omega 3s. I tend to focus my learning on research in women, and in 2002 we learned that 84,688 nurses who took fish oil had a 45% lower risk of heart disease. Omega 3s don't just help the heart: they also have been shown to benefit cancer risk, ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, dementia, multiple sclerosis, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. 

How much omega 3 do you need? 

Goal Grams/day 

Maintaining good health 2 

Improved CV health 2-5 

Improved Brain function 5-10 

Inflammation Reduction 5-10 

Optimal health 5-10 

What to look for in your Omega 3 supplement. Try to find pharmaceutical-grade long-chain essential fatty acids. It should be cholesterol-free and molecularly distilled for the safest grade possible. We now have a new blood test to measure your omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, called the AA/EFA (arachidonic acid to essential fatty acid ratio). Eskimos have a ratio of 0.7; the Japanese 1.5. Americans typically have a ratio of 10, and among kids with ADHD, the ratio is 20. Start your supplement today, and check your ratio. It will help you age optimally and prevent heart disease, depression and inflammation.

Supplements 101

Here is a basic plan for all adults (kids in a future post!). Additional supplements should be based on your individual issues and goals (e.g., weight loss, insomnia, reversing insulin resistance, adrenal fatigue, underactive thyroid, etc.).

1. Good multivitamin. You need ample A, B, C, some E and minerals. Minerals vary depending on your health. My faves are on my website at www.doctorgottfried.com and, as with all of our supplements, 100% of after-tax proceeds support educational and environmental nonprofits.
2. Fish oil. Even if you are vegetarian, consider this supplement. 99% of Americans are deficient and flax oil does not suffice. You must use a safe brand that is molecularly distilled and tested to be free of mercury. I recommend 1000-3000 mg/day, depending on your health. Higher doses are sometimes needed in depression, inflammation, high cholesterol and insulin resistance. I prefer PurEFA (each soft gel is 1000mg). This is our most proven supplement based in high-quality data.
3. Calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. Most of us need more than nutrition, sunlight and a multivitamin provide. Check your vitamin D level – most of my patients are deficient even here in sunny California.
4. Greens formula. I recommend that everyone drink green juice as a start to the morning followed by protein. This alkalinizes your body. You can juice it yourself (wheatgrass, kale, celery, chard, etc.) or mostly use a powder. I prefer the taste of Designs for Health or Integrative Therapeutics.