• Your health is not determined by your DNA alone.  It’s how you manage the DNA you’re given that truly affects your health.  

Story time with Dr. Sara Gottfried, MD

“The Summer before I flew to Harvard Medical School, I worked on a research project.  It was for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. This required me to live in Alaska for the Summer and eat food that's the same as the native Alaskans.  This included Wild-Caught Salmon at almost every meal.

I did not realize a complete transformation was happening inside me.  The salmon I ate changed my health and looks for the better. When I got to Harvard, in the midst of the chaos from all the Freshman moving into the dorms; I felt calm. 

I did not know why I was not stressed like everyone else, but I was cool as a cucumber.  Looking back, I now know it was because my hormones were completely balanced from the Salmon I ate.  The Omega-3 and 6 boosted my levels so far up that my brain was well-fed with the purest fuel. 

My looks improved as my hair had full-bodied thickness without using any products.  My skin was supple, firm, and clear compared to other students who likely ate hot dogs all Summer.  Native Alaskans have known the health benefits of salmon for centuries.”

Are You Pulling Your Hair Out or Is It Falling Out?

Either way from stress to lack of nutrients; 30% of women experience hair loss by age 30, and 50% by age 50? It is important to know the causes as many seek help from their doctors with little to no results. 

One of the first factors to hair loss is low iron, and insulin resistance. High androgens, high stress hormones like cortisol, and low thyroid all contribute as well. These are all markers for PCOS, which is one of the top infertility issues women face today. Heredity and inflammation are also factors with this issue. The good news is that Omega-3’s can help, and they’re in Wild Salmon and its oil.

A Pill-Free Approach for Men & Women

In one study, men and women who took 4,000 mg (4 grams) of fish oil a day for six weeks lowered morning cortisol levels. They reduced to healthier levels and increased lean body mass.

This study confirmed previous findings in men showing that fish oil lowers cortisol levels. In particular, it lowered their mental stress which is great! There are few supplements available for this.

Summary of Omega-3 Benefits:

• Lowers levels of cortisol, which I call the “bad boyfriend” hormone.  Cortisol is the main stress hormone (Noreen, 2010)
• Raises lean body mass, a key marker of longevity (Noreen, 2010)
• Link to longer telomeres, the best marker of biological versus chronological aging
• Reverses markers of PCOS, the most common endocrine problem in U.S. women. Shown in (Karakas, 2016), and lowers testosterone (Nadjarzadeh, 2013)
• Raises testosterone levels in men (Meldrum, 2011)
• Lowers stress response in men (Delarue, 2003)
• Helps ease symptoms in bipolar disorder.  See the randomized trial in (Sarris, 2012; Shikeri, 2016)
• Improves connections in the brain that connect to key parts of the body.  It may even prevent cognitive impairment such as in Alzheimer’s. (Engelborghs, 2016; Cansev, 2016)
• Increases adiponectin, a hormone that correlates with fat storage.  It serves as a marker of insulin sensitivity and fat cell function (Wu, 2013)
• Lowers heart rate/enhances cardiac electrophysiology (Mozaffarian, 2005)

Simplicity is The Key

A regular plate of wild Alaskan salmon or fish oil supplement will make a significant impact on your health as you’ve read. Can you imagine how amazing you’ll feel once all your hormones balance out?

There is nothing better than feeling happy and healthy. This is what hormonal balance feels like. Stress should be manageable, not raging out of control at the little things. Who wants to feel like that? It is so unhealthy, unattractive, and so far off base from how we should be. It is possible to get off the crazy train going full-speed ahead. 

You can be the person you want to be.

The one who looks younger, has amazing hair and skin, and feels comfortable in it. Check out Dr. Sara’s book Younger for more tips on eating, health tips, and more to be at your best.