Are Forever Chemicals Really Forever?
PFAs, AKA perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are called forever chemicals because they don’t break down over time in the environment or in your body. They hang around with the potential to make trouble—and they’re everywhere. Since the 1950s, they’ve been used to coat the inside of pizza boxes and other food packaging to prevent oily leaks and keep moisture out; to make clothing, carpets and upholstery stain-resistant; and to improve the texture or create a sheen in nail polish, mascara and sunscreen. They even show up in toilet paper!
Action Steps to Reduce Your Exposure
While the federal government and industry try to figure out how to remove PFAs from a wide range of products, there are steps you can take to reduce your exposure.
• Avoid clothing and fabrics marked “stain resistant,” “waterproof,” or “wear-resistant.”
• Vacuum frequently to remove PFA-laden dust from your home.
• Run HEPA air filters in your central air system or use free-standing air filters in living areas and bedrooms.
• Use a water filter that works with activated carbon and/or reverse osmosis to remove about 90% of PFAs from your drinking water.
Recipe: Crispy Tofu Salad
A few preliminary animal studies suggest that cilantro may also help slow the deposition of heavy metals in bones. So if you enjoy its flavor (about 20% of folks don’t—they have a gene that makes it taste like soap) try integrating it into some of your meals! It's easier than you might think to incorporate cilantro into your diet—try Daphne Oz's Crispy Tofu Salad, from her latest book Eat Your Heart Out: All-Fun, No-Fuss Food to Celebrate Eating Clean.
Helping your body reduce the burden of pollutants
There are no proven ways to remove PFAs from your body, but it might be helpful overall to take steps to remove other pollutants, such as heavy metals.
Modified citrus pectin is a fiber obtained from the peels, seeds and pulp of citrus fruits. Small studies suggest it may help to increase excretion of some heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic and cadmium.
Are Semaglutide drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy Right for You?
Prescribing the “spit of a lizard” seems like a witch’s brew from a fairy tale. But in 1990, a researcher at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx, NYC named John Eng discovered that the poisonous venom of a Gila monster lizard had the potential to treat diabetes. His interest in the Gila monster peaked when he heard that it kept its blood sugar levels stable even when it did not have much to eat. So, Eng searched through the lizards’ saliva for helpful chemicals and found a GLP-1 stimulant called semaglutide, like in Ozempic and Wegovy, that lasted long enough in human's blood to suppress our appetite. This crucial insight allowed for the development of a diabetes medication and the most popular weight loss drug ever with some studies showing reduction in the 20% range. Research now shows it does more than that: semaglutide seems to be beneficial for a slew of conditions ranging from heart disease to alcoholism. We don’t fully understand the various mechanisms of action, which makes doctors nervous, but for most people the side-effects of nausea and fatigue have been manageable. The drug has made it clear that obesity and other addictions are not just issues of will-power, but medical conditions that can and deserve to be treated.
• You are a candidate for the medication if you are obese or overweight, especially if you have poorly controlled diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• You are not a candidate for this medication if you have had pancreatitis, active gallbladder or kidney disease, or some uncommon cancers.
Pro-Tip to Combat “Ozempic Face” – Collagen-Up!
Some people taking GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have noticed face sagging and older looking skin, most likely due to significant weight loss and associated muscle wasting. Tabloids covering celebrities created the now-colloquial phrase “Ozempic Face.” Patients have to keep their protein intake up, and supporting loose skin with collagen could help. Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in animals and creates a scaffolding for your tissues. As we age, our collagen becomes fragmented and collagen production slows so supplementation could be beneficial. Chicken and fish skin have lots of collagen, but it is probably easier to buy collagen in powder, capsule, and liquid form. Hydrolyzed collagen is broken down into smaller pieces, making it easier for the body to absorb, and is the type often found in supplements. A popular affordable source is iHerb’s Collagen-Up.
Consider making this part of your daily routine. And don’t forget your beauty sleep!
Recipe: Blueberry Almond Protein Muffins
A great way to maintain your overall health while working to lose weight is to eat protein packed options like these Blueberry Almond Protein Muffins.
These wonderfully satisfying and naturally sweet (thanks to dates and apple sauce) muffins are amazing make-ahead breakfasts or snacks and come out of the oven bursting with molten blueberries. They're also gluten-free, an added bonus!
My goal in life has always been to empower people to live healthier, longer lives.
October 4, 2023
Hardy people can be more productive, as well, so this helps to lift society overall. For example, the foundation I founded with my family, HealthCorps, uplifts American teens by providing education and mentorship to help them get healthy, get educated, and get employed gainfully in their chosen profession.
On the other end of the age spectrum, understanding genes, proteins, and cells in older people have scientists predicting that we will add a decade more to human lifespans within the next 10 years.
Despite the drop in fertility rates and recent decline in life expectancy due to the opioid crises, even the U.S. Census Bureau actuaries project that in 2050, the U.S. population will be about 55.5 million more than it is today, reaching a level of about 390 million. This increase will generate more entrepreneurship, innovation, productivity, and growth.
Human capital is the ultimate wealth of the nation and is wasted when people lose health and die prematurely.
This creates a wonderful opportunity: what would you do with 10 more healthy years?
As older people see their capacity for productive years expand, they should be encouraged to keep participating in a larger and more productive national workforce. This benefits mature individuals with increased social interaction, purpose, and even longevity, while providing a massive boost to the economy.
A larger workforce also increases the nation’s productivity so creates trillions more revenue and helps balance our budget to keep our social security solvent.
Healthy habits don’t just help you live a longer and happier life, it helps our nation do better, too - sounds like a pretty good deal to me!
Several years ago I met a 101-year-old man named Luigi in Sardinia who had served in the Italian army when Mussolini was in power in the 1930s. After the dictator was killed, Luigi helped the Allied forces push back the Fascists and then defeat Hitler in 1945. He then spent 70 years raising several generations of a family. For most of us, his youth is an ancient history lesson, yet he precisely recounts all the details with a perfect memory, just like so many other of his friends on this mountainous island in the Mediterranean.
I was visiting the island of Sardinia because I wanted to learn more about the habits of the world’s longest-living people. My friend Dan Buettner had introduced me to the concept of “Blue Zones” — places where people live to age 100 several times more commonly than in most areas of America. His current Netflix show is top ranked because he offers practical advice on how these centenarians live their lives. Besides Sardinia, the other four areas are in Greece, Japan, Costa Rica, and the Seventh Day Adventists in California. There is even a “Blue Zones” company that teaches communities how to achieve similar longevity. It’s quite revealing when you learn the list of the commonalities that cross over from one part of the world to another. Half of them center around social habits, like knowing your purpose, spending time with those you love, and having some kind of faith. The other half? They revolve around food choices. Blue Zoners eat lots of plants, beans, and fish. They limit their meat and sugar intake, and eat mostly plants and beans. Despite all of our research on nutrients, the most important data comes from real life experiences of role models like Luigi, so we should copy their habits.
Since data suggests that 40% of the US population is deficient in Vitamin D, let’s start with taking extra Vitamin D which mimics the daily exposure to copious sunlight enjoyed in the Blue Zones. iHerb.com has a high quality option.
Blue Zones
My Turkish immigrant parents loved serving us fresh fish, which they always argued would help us live longer. They were right, and in the parts of Southern Turkey with high fish consumption, heart disease rates are lower. We now understand that Omega 3 fats reduce heart disease risk. Try this recipe from my daughter, Daphne Oz, for Sheet Pan Salmon.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Salmon
