Case in point: A new study out of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland found that high-intensity exercise for brief periods of time may help reduce the risk of diabetes.

In the study, published in the journal BMC Endocrine Disorders, researchers had young healthy male volunteers use exercise bikes to perform rigorous 30-second sprints. Over the course of two weeks, the subjects performed 30 of these sprints (about two or three a day) for a grand total of 15 minutes of exercise.

You read that right – 15 minutes. Over the course of two weeks.

And this low-volume, high-intensity training substantially improved both insulin action and blood sugar control.

“Doing a few intense muscle exercises, each lasting only about 30 seconds each, dramatically improves your metabolism in just two weeks,” said James Timmons, a professor at the University and one of the researchers.

I’ve been an advocate of short, high-intensity training for years. Now, in addition to the many studies showing that this kind of exercise improves cardiovascular fitness and is an effective way to burn fat, the Heriot-Watt study shows that it may be an effective weapon in the fight against diabetes.

This finding is important, because it helps make the case that there’s a lot you can do for your health in very little time. If, that is, you train smart. While walking 30 minutes a day is terrific, and weight training and spin classes and all the other ways to exercise still have their place, it’s nice to know that you can still get a lot accomplished even if you have only a few minutes a day to work out.

[Ed. Note: If 15 minutes over the course of two weeks can help improve your health, there's no excuse to avoid exercise. For more advice about staying fit and healthy, check out health expert Jonny Bowden's site, JonnyBowden.com.
Exercise is only half the battle when it comes to staying fit and healthy. For a free source of expert advice about what you should and shouldn't be eating, sign up for ETR's natural health e-newsletter.]

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In the study, to be published in the Journal of Geriatric Psychology and Neurology, researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Michigan report an association between the risk of cognitive impairment in older folks and low levels of vitamin D.

More than 1,750 men and women 65 years or older were given neurocognitive tests. The testing revealed that 212 of the participants had cognitive impairment. The researchers then compared the vitamin D levels of those without cognitive impairment to those with cognitive impairment – and found that the risk of impairment significantly increased as vitamin D levels declined.

In fact, participants whose vitamin D levels were in the lowest 25 percent of the group had a whopping 2.28 times greater risk of cognitive impairment than those whose levels were in the top 25 percent. Since cognitive impairment is a major risk factor for developing dementia, anything you can do to lower your risk can help protect your brain for the long haul.

The best way to get adequate levels of vitamin D is through sun exposure. That means getting outside for about 10 to 20 minutes a day, three times a week – more often in the winter. I also personally recommend vitamin D supplements, about 1,000 to 2,000 IU daily. You can find vitamin D supplements at any health food store, even at Walmart.

[Ed. Note: For more information about natural methods that can improve your health - and help keep your weight down - check out nutrition expert Jonny Bowden's website, JonnyBowden.com.

Sunshine and vitamin D not only contribute to keeping your brain young, they can have a positive effect on everything from cancer and diabetes to athletic performance and neonatal health. To learn more about the vital connection between sun exposure, vitamin D, and your health, click here.]

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New research from Monash University has identified appetite control cells in the human brain. The cells are attacked by free radicals after you eat, but the attack is bigger and stronger following a meal rich in sugar and carbohydrates. 

“The more carbs and sugars you eat, the more your appetite-control cells are damaged,” said Zane Andrews, MD, the lead researcher on the study. The result? You eat more. 

According to Andrews, people aged 25 to 50 are most at risk. “The neurons that tell people in that crucial age range not to over-eat are being killed off.” 

Yet another reason to limit your sugar and processed carbs if you don’t want to be the victim of constant cravings. 

[Ed. Note: Sugar and carbs can devastate your weight-loss plans. So following health expert Jonny Bowden's suggestions to steer clear of these diet-defeaters could help you slim down. For more easy-to-follow health enhancers, check out Jonny's book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.

And for more simple methods that can help you feel better and live longer, read all about our Healing Prescription service.]

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A recent review of the literature on bariatric surgery found that of all the surgical procedures used to reduce weight, gastric bypass resulted in the most serious post-surgical nutritional deficiencies. The micronutrients most commonly found to be deficient were: vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, thiamine (vitamin B1), folic acid, iron, zinc, and magnesium. The authors of the review concluded that nutritional supplementation is absolutely necessary for every gastric-bypass patient.

Gastric bypass is the most popular weight-loss surgery in America. But it is a double-edged sword. While it can reduce some of the risks associated with obesity, it also presents a whole new set of health challenges. And it is hardly without side effects or complications, including blood clots, leaking, hernia, and a fairly high rate of death (1 per 200-300 surgeries). It’s not a decision that should be made lightly.

Since you’d have to eat very differently after the surgery, why not try eating that way before you make the commitment to go under the knife? Reduce calories, trim your nutritional budget of all “non-essentials” (like processed carbs, sugar, soda, and junk foods), and fill your plate with protein and vegetables. You might be surprised at the results!

And if you do have the surgery – or you’ve already had it – make sure you’re supplementing with vitamins and omega-3 fats… and that every calorie you consume gives you the most nutritional bang for the buck.

[Ed. Note: Natural methods - including eating more fruits and veggies and supplementing with vitamins - can have a powerful effect on your health... and your weight. For more natural ways to feel better and live longer, check out nutrition expert Jonny Bowden's book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.

Surgery may be the answer if you are morbidly obese. But you can lose weight on your own by eating right and exercising. For ideas about which foods you should be eating and which foods to avoid - and recipes for delicious, healthy meals - sign up for ETR's natural health newsletter.]

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But those of us who have been on the breakfast bandwagon seem to have left out one of the most important details: the breakfast menu. Because even if you eat breakfast, all bets are off if you choose the wrong foods.

In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers confirmed that breakfast eaters, in general, eat fewer calories during the day. But the study also showed that people who eat a really high-calorie breakfast are more likely to eat more calories during the day. Plus, their average intake of important nutrients (like calcium) falls.

When you think about it, this makes sense. Breakfasts that are very high in calories are almost certain to include junk like pastries, donuts, and other “foods” that have nothing to do with reaping the benefits of a solid, high-protein, low-calorie breakfast that’s been shown to moderate cravings. In fact, a high-calorie junk-food breakfast is far more likely to lead to overeating during the day – exactly the opposite of what you want.

So don’t skip breakfast. But do skip the donuts.

[Ed. Note: Opting for fruit and eggs instead of muffins and donuts is a simple way to stay healthy and keep your weight under control. For more natural, easy-to-implement strategies that can help you burn fat, get fit, and stay healthy, sign up for. ETR's natural health newsletter.

For more natural ways to feel better and live longer, check out nutrition expert Jonny Bowden's book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.]

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That’s the finding of University of Cambridge researchers writing in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study revealed an association between higher levels of vitamin C in the bloodstream and a lower risk of developing Type II diabetes.

The researchers looked at over 21,000 men and women who did not have diabetes when the study started. Their vitamin C levels were tested, and they were given dietary questionnaires to fill out. The researchers then followed these people for 12 years. During that time, 423 of the men and 312 of the women developed diabetes. But the men and women who were in the top 20 percent of vitamin C levels had a whopping 62 percent lower risk of developing the disease compared with those in the bottom 20 percent.

Moral of the story: 90 percent of our vitamin C comes from eating fruits and vegetables, so make sure you include plenty of them in your diet. But to be on the safe side, take a vitamin C supplement as well. I recommend 1,000 mg a day.

[Ed. Note: Natural methods - including eating more fruits and veggies and supplementing with vitamin C - can have a powerful effect on your health. For more natural ways to feel better and live longer, check out nutrition expert Jonny Bowden's book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.

Increasing your vitamin C intake can help protect you from diabetes. But you should be eating right and exercising to get the best results. For ideas about which foods you should be eating and which foods to avoid - and recipes for delicious, healthy meals - sign up for ETR's natural health newsletter.]

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Last year, Arthur Kramer, Ph.D., did some groundbreaking studies at the University of Illinois. His research found that merely 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise three to five times a week could increase the size of the brain. The mechanism? A powerful chemical called Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF). Harvard Professor of Psychiatry John Ratey, M.D., has called this substance “Miracle-Gro for the brain.”

According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, BDNF may help regulate calorie intake. People with low levels of the chemical have a considerably greater risk of being overweight.

This new study isn’t the first time a connection between obesity and BDNF has been noted. In a 2007 study in Neuroscience, researchers removed the BDNF gene in two of the appetite-regulating areas of the brains of mice. They promptly became fat!

But genes aren’t destiny. Researchers were able to get the mice back to normal weight by restricting their food intake.

It’s always easier to eat less food if you aren’t too hungry. So why not boost levels of a natural compound – BDNF – that could help control your appetite in the first place? Especially when you can increase your BDNF levels so easily… with basic, everyday exercise.

[Ed. Note: Natural methods - including plain old exercise - can have a powerful effect on your health. For more natural ways to feel better and live longer, check out nutrition expert Jonny Bowden's book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.

To read more articles on healthy living in ETR's natural health e-letter, click here.]

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This is huge when you compare it to the results of most diets – and it comes on the heels of a related study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

These researchers added extra protein to the diets of overweight and obese men, and recorded what happened when they consumed it at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or throughout the day. Following the extra-protein meal, the subjects reported feeling fuller for the rest of the day, especially when the extra protein – such as eggs and lean Canadian bacon – was eaten at breakfast.

This is very much in keeping with other research indicating that protein for breakfast (indeed, eating breakfast period) is a great weight-loss strategy.

Simply adding a side of scrambled eggs to your pancakes and changing nothing else accomplishes nothing. But as part of an overall calorie-reduced diet and exercise program, the extra protein – especially at breakfast – may help you lose weight.

[Ed. Note: Most Americans eat a paltry amount of protein at breakfast - representing only about 15 percent of their total daily protein intake. So following health expert Jonny Bowden's suggestion could help you slim down. For more easy-to-follow health enhancers, check out Jonny's book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth

And for more simple methods that can help you feel better and live longer, read all about our Healing Prescription service.]

In a new study published in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers divided 152 men and women into four groups. Groups One and Two were given standard weight-loss instructions: Reduce calories by 1,000 and eat a “low-fat” diet. Group One was told to eat a breakfast built around two eggs. Group Two was told to eat a breakfast built around bagels. Everything else was the same, including the total calories both groups consumed at breakfast.

Group One (The Egg Diet) had a 61 percent greater reduction in BMI (body mass index), a 65 percent greater weight loss overall, and a 34 percent greater reduction in waist circumference compared to Group Two (The Bagel Diet). All measures were statistically significant.

Groups Three and Four were not given any weight-loss instructions. The researchers told them not to change anything about their diets, except for breakfast. Group Three added eggs to their breakfast, and Group Four added bagels. Neither of these groups showed any significant changes.

What this study ingeniously shows is that, in certain contexts, the choice of foods can make a huge difference in a weight-loss program – even when the number of calories is kept the same. Unfortunately, as Groups Three and Four showed, merely eating eggs rather than bagels won’t cause you to lose weight if you continue to eat too many calories. But as part of an overall fat-loss program, those eggs may make a huge difference.

[Ed. Note: Add eggs to your low-calorie breakfast, lose more weight. Who knew good health could be that simple? Natural methods - including the foods you eat and the supplements you take - can have a powerful effect on your health. For more health enhancers, check out nutrition expert Jonny Bowden's book, The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.

And for more simple methods that can help you feel better and live longer, check this out.]

“My dad is on multiple medications. I carefully plan his meals, but, depending upon his mood, he does not always eat properly or get the rest he needs. So he is typically grouchy, uncooperative, and combative when he wakes up in the morning, late in the evening, and occasionally throughout the day. Also, he is so boring and sedentary that his behavior can be unduly stressful and alienating for me. Moreover, he gives me the impression that he has lost the will to live.

“He can walk – usually with a cane for support. And his brain seems to be okay, because he remembers the names and faces of his friends and relatives. But are there any foods that can energize him?”

Alicia McDonald

Dear Alicia,

First, let me say that I really sympathize. You are describing my own father in the last years of his life. This is not a picnic.

Don’t be lulled into thinking that everything’s okay with him “brain-wise” because he remembers family and friends. His brain may not be working on all cylinders, and that may be why he doesn’t interact well with people or have any interest in what’s going on around him. Plus, don’t underestimate the enormous power of medications to produce all sorts of unwanted side effects.

Start by finding a holistically minded MD or a naturopathic doctor and revisit his med list. See what is really essential and what isn’t. If you can get him off ANY of his drugs, do so. And if one of them is a statin drug for high cholesterol, be sure to talk to your doctor about dumping it. “Lowering cholesterol” has absolutely no benefit for a man his age, and may even be a risk factor.

Consider giving him some supplements – notably, COQ10 and L-carnitine, which may help with energy. Consider, too, the super trio for brain health: acetyl-L-carnitine,
phosphatidyl serine, and GPC. All of these have been shown to help with memory, thinking, and sharpness.

Your challenge is going to be to get him to eat. People in your father’s age group are frequently under-consuming protein and, thus, vitamin B12, an important vitamin for both energy AND thinking.

Without question, get him on a vitamin D supplement immediately. It’s been shown to increase both mood and physical performance in older adults, not to mention stronger bones.

Try to center his meals on protein (eggs – whole eggs!), grass-fed beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, and – most of all – fish. Both fish and fish oil will be a vital addition to his diet. Fish oil is highly anti-inflammatory, which your father really needs. It also helps with mood (which could help with motivation and engagement). I can’t begin to tell you how important that is.

The less sugar and white stuff (potatoes, bread, cereals, etc.) he eats, the better, though you may not be able to or need to cut them out entirely. But to the extent that you can give him more protein, you’ll be able to energize him more. And don’t skimp on the fat, especially from egg yolks, coconut and coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, nuts, dried fruit, and even butter.

- Dr. Jonny Bowden

[Ed. Note: Natural methods - including the foods you eat and the supplements you take - can have a powerful effect on your health. For more natural ways to feel better and live longer, check out nutrition expert Jonny Bowden's book, The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.

Have a question for an ETR expert? Write to us at AskETR@ETRFeedback.com and we just may print a response in an upcoming issue of ETR.]