James O'Keefe, MD and
Joan O'Keefe, RD

By: Dr. James O’Keefe

We’ve fielded a lot of questions lately about mercury and other toxins in fish oils. Mercury and other contaminants are commonly found in the fish richest in omega-3 fats, like salmon and tuna. That’s why the Environmental Protection Agency recommends limiting your fresh fish intake. At the same time, the American Heart Association and other national and international health organizations recommend we get more omega-3 fats from fish in our diets.

Both CardioTabs Omega-3 Fish Oil and CardioTabs Ocean Safe Omega-3 undergo extensive purification processes, including molecular distillation, which is the only method that removes PCBs, heavy metals (such as mercury, lead, and cadmium), DDT and other contaminants to below detectable levels for human consumption. Our omega-3 products are manufactured to the Global Organization for EPA and DHA (GOED) standards. CardioTabs is also an active member of the Council for Responsible Nutrition and participates in the Natural Products Association’s True Label Program. Our products are independently tested for purity by 3rd party laboratories. CardioTabs Ocean Safe Omega-3 is Gold Certified for purity by an independent, nationally recognized third-party laboratory.

By: Joan O’Keefe

The health of your arteries is critically important to virtually every aspect of your health. Too much salt (sodium) ages your cardiovascular system by raising your blood pressure and hardening, stiffening and thickening your arteries and the walls of your heart. You want to keep your blood vessels soft, smooth and supple like they were when you were a child and a teenager and avoid developing the rigid, inflamed and crusty pipes that can lead to a heart attack, stroke and congestive heart failure.

As an American adult, your chances of developing high blood pressure during your lifetime are 90 percent. If you continue to follow your current lifestyle, sooner or later you will probably get hypertension-the medical term for high blood pressure. Why? For starters, the average American consumes about 4000 mg of sodium daily, which is about six to ten times more salt than we were designed to eat. Add the fact that blood pressure rises in response to too much body fat, stress, and sugar and too little sleep and exercise, and you have the recipe for high blood pressure. In February 2005, the Center for Science in the Public Interest estimates that too much sodium kills 150,000 Americans each year. Excess sodium does much more that just raise your blood pressure. A study by David Calhoun, MD, reported in February 2005 Cardiology News showed that high-sodium intake reduced blood vessel wall function. In addition, salt leaches the calcium from your bones, making you prone to osteoporosis and fractures, and also appears to increase cancer risk- especially in the GI tract. A recent study found that extra salt in the diet increased the likelihood of heartburn (also known as esophageal reflux) by as much as 70 percent.

A good place to start lowering the sodium in your diet is by removing the salt shaker from the table and hiding it in an inconvenient spot. But only about 5 percent of the salt in our diet comes from the salt shakers; 75 percent comes from processed and restaurant foods. Most people do not choose to eat high-sodium products- they just eat foods that are readily available in our culture. Salt is everywhere in our modern diet, even in foods such as bread that don’t taste salty. Processed foods are loaded with salt to help preserve freshness, and the more sodium you eat, the more you will crave salt. When you eliminate highly processed, high- sodium foods from your diet, you will take a huge step toward a healthier more vigorous life.

Fresh fruits and vegetable contain virtually no sodium and thus are great for lowering your blood pressure along with your weight. We recommend at least nine servings of fresh produce daily. Unprocessed meat, poultry and fish contain only small amounts of sodium, but the more highly processed versions like deli meats, smoked, or barbecued meats, beef jerky and other commercially modified meats are usually very high in salt. The processed snack foods are generally also high in sodium. Try to get used to eating nuts that are unsalted or only lightly salted. Look for the sodium content on food labels and avoid items that have more than 400 mg per serving. Limit your daily intake to not more than 2300 mg (about one teaspoon) – the average American eats almost two times this much. One glass of regular V8 vegetable juice has over 1000 mg by itself. (low-sodium V8 or tomato juice is great) and a single dill pickle has 440 mg. A high potassium-to-sodium ratio is one of the most important parameters of a healthy diet. We are designed to take in much more potassium than sodium, but the ratio is reversed and sodium dwarfs the potassium consumption. So how do you get more potassium? You guessed it-lots of fruits, vegetables, lean protein and other Forever Young natural whole foods.

A Rainbow of Salt Varieties to Avoid
White salt: table salt
Red salt: ketchup
Yellow salt: mustard
Black salt: soy sauce
Green salt: pickles and olives

By: Joan O’Keefe

We received a great question from one of our favorite nurses today and because it’s so unusual, I want to share the answer with you.

Q: Is it safe to take fish oil or omega-3 if you’ve had your gall bladder removed?

A:

The gall bladder helps with the digestion of fats. The organ contracts when the body consumes fat. Following gall bladder removal, patients are often told to be careful of overloading on fat. This means that they should avoid consuming fried foods and other high-fat foods. If the patient is on a NO fat diet (not just fat-restricted, but NO fat), meaning he/she cannot tolerate fat at all – cannot tolerate meats, nuts, olive oil, avocado, cheese, fish, etc.- then the patient may have to avoid fish oils. However, NO fat diets are rare. Restricted and very low fat diets are more common and because omega-3 fish oil softgels contain such small amounts of fat, they should be safe. The key is to start with small doses. Take just one small omega-3 fish oil softgel per day. If you feel any pain or discomfort, stop. If you’re tolerating the fish oil, gradually add more until you reach your recommended dose. I wouldn’t recommend starting with liquid fish oils, but you should be fine with small softgels.

By: Joan O’Keefe

Your life can change today. I am so excited that you are reading this blog. I’m excited for you and for the joy that losing weight is going to bring to your life. How many times have you heard someone say dreadfully, “my diet starts tomorrow,” or “Ugh, my doctor says I have to lose weight?” Stop looking at weight loss as a chore. Get pumped up and excited because your life will soon be defined by feeling good and healthy, extra energy and zest for life. I have several clients that let excess weight define and limit them. One client spends her days miserable because she can’t do the things she’d like to do because of her weight. On a recent vacation, her family and friends golfed and walked on the beach while she sat watching. Excess weight was killing her spirit. She’s now 18 pounds down and gets a little of her life back every day. Imagine the joyous days she has ahead of her as she continues to shed 180 more pounds of extra weight.

In addition to my usual advice (pick two colors and a protein morning, noon and night – see Nutrition 101), here are some unconventional tips for weight loss. Losing weight is more than just “diet.” Follow these tips and you’ll be feeling great in no time!

Posted By: Joan O’Keefe

I wanted to thank Kimberly from SheScribes for writing an excellent review on her site about the Nutrition 101 video series. This is a blog site that I thoroughly enjoy!

Click here to read review

By Joan and James O’Keefe

Omega 3 is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in Americans
today. For those at risk for or with diagnosed cardiovascular diseases,
it’s very difficult to get enough DHA and EPA (the two omega-3 fats
that benefit heart health and are found only in fish) from diet alone.
We recommend supplementing with 1,000 mg of DHA and EPA daily (more for
those with high triglycerides or other conditions – speak with your
physician regarding dosing). DHA appears to be the most important of
the two.

We have long compared omega-3 deficiency with sailors and scurvy. Years
ago, sailors discovered that limes cured/prevented scurvy. Of course,
we now know that scurvy is the result of severe vitamin C deficiency.
How many conditions/diseases will treating severe omega-3 deficiencies
prevent?

Most people get more than enough omega-6 fats in their diets. There’s
no reason to supplement with omega-6.

Omega-3 deficiency may be hurting our hearts (Read article from msnbc)

Sleep is a fundamental need that you may take for granted – that is, until you find yourself having trouble sleeping. We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping, and some consider it a waste of time. But we’re sure you don’t need us to tell you that chronic sleep deprivation makes you not just tired, but also generally irritable, unenthusiastic, unable to concentrate, and unhappy. So is sleep a waste of time? Certainly not. Life in general is just more difficult and less fun when you are sleep deprived.

Download the rest of the article:

By Joan and James O’Keefe

A sharper mind, a happier mood, a healthier heart, a leaner body, and less inflammation: Thousands of scientific studies have documented an astounding array of physical, mental, and emotional benefits conferred by omega-3 supplementation. Omega-3 fats nourish the cells of the skin, hair, nerves, brain, heart, and virtually all of the tissues and organs.
You are what you eat. This overused cliché is literally true when we are talking about the type of fats we consume. The membranes of the cells throughout your body are mostly composed of lipids (fats). Omega-3 fats were plentiful in our natural food chain. Countless generations before us ate a high omega-3 diet of wild game, leafy greens, nuts and especially fish. Unfortunately modern food manufacturers have squeezed the omega-3s out of our diet and replaced them with harmful saturated and trans fats.

According to the USDA guidelines, Americans should strive for about 500 mg of DHA plus EPA per day. These two essential fatty acids are found mainly in fish. In order to meet these requirements, an individual must consume at least two oily fish meals per week or use omega-3 fish oil supplements. Since 2002, the American Heart Association has recommended the same dosage for healthy individuals, but 1000 mg daily for those with known heart disease. The USDA diet guidelines also acknowledge the research indicating omega-3’s impact on improved heart and brain functioning as well as other benefits to the body.

You should try to eat fish two to three times weekly, avoiding fried fish and large carnivorous species like shark, swordfish, and fish caught in contaminated waters like most freshwater lakes in America. These fish can contain dangerous contaminants like mercury or pesticides, especially in their skin. To avoid consuming these remove and discard the fish skin, visible fat, and dark flesh before cooking. The best choice for cooking fish is to broil, grill, bake, or boil rather than fry.

Some people complain of a fishy aftertaste or belching after taking fish oil. This is the only real side effect of fish oil and can be minimized by using a more highly concentrated “pharmaceutical-grade” omega-3 supplement, keeping the bottle in the freezer, or using an enteric coated variety, like CardioTabs Omega-3 Fish Oil.

We believe the evidence indicates a more optimal dose of omega-3 to be about 1000 to 1500 mg of DHA + EPA daily. To accomplish this you will need to read the label on your bottle of fish oil. Look for DHA and EPA and add the two numbers to determine how many pills you’ll need to take to reach the desire amount. The capsules can be taken all at one time, generally with a meal, or in two divided doses, such as with breakfast and the evening meal.

For all its benefits, omega-3 fat does have one downside – it is easily oxidized and thus in high doses can deplete your body’s antioxidant levels. To prevent this you should try to use extra virgin olive oil as your primary cooking and salad oil. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants, including vitamin E and squalene, which provide protection against oxidation of the omega-3 fat, ensuring that you will get the full benefits without any downside from fish oil supplementation. If you have triglyceride levels over 150 mg/dL, you may need 2000 to 5000 mg of EPA + DHA to normalize your triglycerides and risk of heart disease.

By Joan and James O’Keefe
It is no secret that heart disease is the #1 killer in America

Americans across the country are getting educated about heart disease. Many are taking positive action and are focusing on:

1. What they eat for better nutrition.

2. Exercising more for longevity.

3. Adding supplements for better results.

But what many in Kansas City Missouri do not know is…

To read the rest of this article, click here please click here.

A big thanks to Tricia Carcopa for her insight into this article. She is the Kansas City Senior Care Examiner on Examiner.com, and her 25 years of professional experience and understanding into Kansas City’s health care issues is a great source of information.

By Joan and James O’Keefe

Omega-3 may even be more important for kids than for adults. The brain and nervous system of children are dependent upon an adequate supply of omega-3 to develop and function normally. Download the rest of the article and discover why Omega-3 is the most important supplement for healthy kids.