NAFLD, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is one health condition that’s really making its mark. Affecting nearly 70 million Americans every year, NAFLD occurs when there’s a buildup of excess fat in the liver, which can set the stage for even bigger problems like long-term liver damage and heart disease. So if you or someone you know has been diagnosed with NAFLD, it’s time to listen up!

NAFLD is like an early warning signal that says, “Look out! Danger ahead!” The problem, though, is that NAFLD is often a silent threat. You can’t feel fat accumulating in the liver—it’s usually only discovered when testing for another illness. Increased liver enzymes are the first sign of NAFLD, but because other liver problems can also result in raised liver enzymes, those have to be ruled out first.

So what’s the best way to avoid NAFLD? A healthy diet. Steer clear of the Standard American Diet (SAD), which is loaded with heavily processed, high-fat and high-sugar foods, and step up your intake of fresh fruits and veggies. Eat more fiber, eliminate refined sugars and carbs (including white flour and white rice), add more whole grains and Omega-3s, and avoid saturated and trans fats.

My H.O.P.E. Formula is a great start, since good digestion is just as important as a healthy diet when it comes to keeping your liver—and your whole body—in tip top shape. Just follow this simple, 4-part plan every day: High fiber (at least 35g daily), Omega-3s (2,000mg or more daily), Probiotics (at least 6 billion CFU daily), and digestive Enzymes (with every meal).

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Exciting news! If you live in the DC/Baltimore area, be sure to tune in to your local PBS station this Saturday, September 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for an exclusive one-day-only sneak preview of my NEW PBS special The Road to Perfect Health.

A lot of folks don’t realize that a healthy body begins with a healthy gut. That’s because your digestive tract is where more than 70 percent of your body’s natural defenses are found, and it’s where trillions of bacteria live in a delicate balance to help you absorb nutrients, defend against toxins, and fight off illness and disease—not to mention help with bowel regularity!

But what may surprise you is that even things you wouldn’t normally associate with digestive health—everything from anxiety, joint aches and food sensitivities to fibromyalgia and even high cholesterol—they can all start in the gut. That’s how important it is to keep your digestive system running smoothly.

Join me this weekend to learn the secret to balancing your gut and healing your body, beginning with the power of probiotics. Those are the beneficial bacteria in your intestines that help with healthy digestion and immune function, and they are the key to a strong GPS, or what I like to call your Gut Protection System. From there, I’ll give you the keys to rebuilding your health from the inside out and finally living the life you’ve always wanted. See you there!

The Road to Perfect Health will also air nationwide beginning in late November through mid-December and continue periodically in 2011 and beyond. Stay tuned to www.brendawatson.com and I’ll keep you posted!

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Omega-3s in space?? How cool! As if the health benefits of Omega-3 essential fatty acids weren’t impressive enough, now scientists are looking into the possible bone-building properties of Omega-3s for astronauts.

Because of the weightlessness astronauts endure, bone loss occurs when they spend long periods of time in space. But, researchers found that astronauts who ate the most fish suffered less bone loss during long-term flights, which led to subsequent studies looking specifically at Omega-3 fats—an important component in fish oil.

Sure enough, scientists found that fish-derived Omega-3s support healthy bones and helped prevent the weightlessness-related bone loss experienced by astronauts. Just one more reason to get your daily Omega-3s!

Since the Standard American Diet (SAD) is extremely lacking in beneficial Omega-3 fats, I recommend taking a quality Omega oil supplement daily for optimal health. Because of their abundant health benefits—including heart health, brain and eye health, better digestion, healthier skin and joints, and more—most experts recommend between 1,000mg and 4,000mg of Omega-3s every day.

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And don’t tell me ‘nothing’ because I don’t want to hear it! Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day folks, and it gives your body the fuel it needs to start the day off right and keep you going all day long. So, on that note, what are the best breakfast foods for sustained energy and brain power throughout the day? Here’s the key: high fiber and high protein.

This week, I want you to really take a look at your breakfast and see where you can make some healthy changes. Let’s start with some common mistakes that people think are smart choices, but that are really just filled with things your body doesn’t need:

• Fruit Smoothie. Ah, the seemingly healthy fruit smoothie. This high-sugar breakfast may give you a good ‘sugar high’ boost to begin with, but it only sets you up for a hard sugar crash later on—causing you to reach for more sugar and carbs mid-morning, and that dangerous cycle can last all day long. 
  • A Better Option: Replace the sugary fruit juice with almond milk, and add some almond butter or a protein/fiber powder like the Fiber35 FitSmart shakes.
• Bowl of Sugary Cereal. Breakfast eaters, beware! This could be another high-carb disaster if the cereal is low in fiber and high in carbs and sugar.
  • A Better Option: Choose a high-fiber cereal and be sure to add plenty of nuts! Fiber helps to regulate blood sugar levels as well as get your digestion moving, and protein provides amino acids that our brains need for optimal function. 
• Coffee as Breakfast. I don’t even like to think about all you coffee-for-breakfast people out there, but you know who you are, so listen up! Making a breakfast out of coffee just creates another vicious cycle of having to replenish that caffeine all day long just to get through the day, and that can put added strain on your adrenal glands, which are important for regulating stress responses in the body. Those are two glands you don’t want to wear out!  
  • A Better Option: For some people, one cup of coffee a day isn’t the worst thing in the world. But please, don’t replace your breakfast with it. Take a few extra minutes to do breakfast right.  You absolutely need a high-fiber, high-protein breakfast. Take it from me—it will go a long way toward maintaining energy and brain power throughout the day. 

So there you have it –take a good look at what you’ve been eating for breakfast, and if it’s not high in fiber or protein, make a healthy change starting now!

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My weekly “Renew You” Challenge – When it comes to being healthy, your emotions play a pretty big part. What do I mean? Well, think about how your emotions can affect digestion. Do you sometimes lose your appetite when you’re upset? Or get an upset stomach when you’re stressed or angry? Emotional upheaval is a pretty powerful force, and it can actually shut down the digestive system. And if you’ve learned anything from me, it’s that the foundation of a healthy body is a healthy gut!

On that note, your emotions have a lot do with the relationships in your life. Oftentimes relationships can spark emotions, both good and bad. Positive relationships can have a wonderful effect on our health and our well being, but not everyone knows how to relate well to others. Now, I’m not an expert on people or relationships, but I do like to think holistically, which means I like to look at the whole picture—and relationships are part of that picture. 

So what’s your challenge this week? Well, it has to do with relationships and emotions, and it’s really pretty simple when you think about it: be curious about the other person. What do I mean? Well, do you ever find yourself thinking about how you are going to respond to someone while that person is talking to you?  A lot of times we talk in circles because of this, and that can start to take its toll on our emotional and physical health.

So the next time you have a conversation with someone, be curious. See what happens and how it makes you feel, then get in the habit of it of paying more attention and see how it affects your health. Now that makes me curious!

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Did you know that a healthy gut can help you fight back against colds and flu? This week on the Poop Scoop I’ll be talking with renowned medical doctor and nutrition expert Leonard Smith about the importance of a strong digestive tract for boosting immunity and warding off harmful bacteria and viruses. After all, more than 70 percent of your body’s natural immune defenses live in your gut!

Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon, as well as an expert on nutrition and natural supplementation. For the past 25 years, Dr. Smith has studied countless holistic medical programs, including those focusing on immunity, longevity, nutrition, exercise, chelation, stress management and the relevance of mental and spiritual attitude with regard to healing. Acknowledging the effectiveness of whole organic foods and nutritional supplementation, Dr. Smith strives to stay on the cutting edge of research and keep pace with the latest advances in the field of functional nutrition.

Log on and listen to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) right from your computer. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory on my website and listen to past shows from the archive!

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Hey, guess what? Feeling good is good for you! A recent study found a connection between positive emotions and a lowered risk of coronary heart disease—pretty neat, huh? Specifically, they studied something called “positive affect,” which is basically just another way of saying that someone is experiencing positive emotions, and what they found was that increased positive emotions actually decreases your risk of developing heart disease by 22%… wow!

But before you roll your eyes and say, “Oh, now you expect me to be chipper and pleasant all day?” let’s not get carried away. Positive affect doesn’t mean you can’t have a slump here and there. Let’s face it, everyone has their down days. But overall, if you’re able to experience emotions like joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment more often than negative emotions, you’re already on the right track to a healthier heart.

When it comes to good health, we simply can’t ignore the impact that our emotions have on our bodies…even the gut! When you experience emotions like anger, anxiety or stress, healthy digestion slows down, and that can lead to an upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation and other problems. I bet a lot of you are nodding your heads, right? Of course! We’ve all paid the price of negative emotions at one time or another, which is why it’s so important to turn that frown upside-down. And the next time you’re feeling upbeat, remember: your heart is getting the benefits!

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This past Saturday, we filmed my newest PBS special about probiotics called The Road to Perfect Health, and what a great time everyone had! Okay, so it can be a little exhausting making sure all the technical stuff gets done right, and sure, there were some do-overs, but the energy from the audience was so positive, and I can’t wait for everyone to see the show when it airs on PBS later this year. Check out these photos for an exciting sneak preview!

For those of you who may not know, probiotics are what I like to call your Gut Protection System, or GPS. That’s because all those friendly bacteria in your digestive tract make up a huge portion of your body’s natural immune defenses, so keeping your gut in balance has a lot to do with how you feel every day. Not only that, but probiotics play a key role in good digestion and manufacturing important vitamins, which is why taking a daily probiotic supplement is so important. Be sure to tune in to PBS beginning this November to find out more about the benefits of probiotics—and what you can do every day to keep your GPS in tip-top shape!

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NAFLD, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is one health condition that’s really making its mark. Affecting nearly 70 million Americans every year, NAFLD occurs when there’s a buildup of excess fat in the liver, which can set the stage for even bigger problems like long-term liver damage and heart disease. So if you or someone you know has been diagnosed with NAFLD, it’s time to listen up!

NAFLD is like an early warning signal that says, “Look out! Danger ahead!” The problem, though, is that NAFLD is often a silent threat. You can’t feel fat accumulating in the liver—it’s usually only discovered when testing for another illness. Increased liver enzymes are the first sign of NAFLD, but because other liver problems can also result in raised liver enzymes, those have to be ruled out first.

So what’s the best way to avoid NAFLD? A healthy diet. Steer clear of the Standard American Diet (SAD), which is loaded with heavily processed, high-fat and high-sugar foods, and step up your intake of fresh fruits and veggies. Eat more fiber, eliminate refined sugars and carbs (including white flour and white rice), add more whole grains and Omega-3s, and avoid saturated and trans fats.

My H.O.P.E. Formula is a great start, since good digestion is just as important as a healthy diet when it comes to keeping your liver—and your whole body—in tip top shape. Just follow this simple, 4-part plan every day: High fiber (at least 35g daily), Omega-3s (2,000mg or more daily), Probiotics (at least 6 billion CFU daily), and digestive Enzymes (with every meal).

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One of the best parts of my job is being able to connect with people just like you and talk about how a healthy gut can literally change your life—so I’m really excited about inviting folks to attend a live taping of my newest PBS special on Saturday, June 26^th in Tampa!

The Road to Perfect Health with Brenda Watson will help you understand why a balanced digestive system is the key to achieving the vibrant, lasting health. We’ll explore how so many health problems — from depression, arthritis, heartburn and diabetes to parasites, allergies, skin problems and many more – can all be connected back to an unhealthy, out-of-balanced gut. So bring your friends and family and don’t miss this incredibly informative, eye-opening experience! But hurry—seating is limited, so be sure to RSVP soon.

What: The Road to Perfect Health with Brenda Watson Taping

When: Saturday, June 26^th, 2010

Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Where: 1300 North Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607

RSVP: Call Jerry @ (727) 450-1061 or e-mail jadams@brendawatson.com

 Attire: Business casual; no jeans or t-shirts please.

Refreshments: Food and beverages will be provided.

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