A guy rings his boss and says “I can’t come to work today.” The boss asks why and the guy says “it’s my eyes.” “What’s wrong with your eyes?” asks the boss. “I just can’t see myself coming to work, so I’m going fishing instead…”

A plethora of recent studies continue to emphasize the usefulness of fish oil containing omega-3 fatty acids in addressing issues of brain health, cognition and mood disorders.

Use of omega-3 fatty acids were shown to decrease the risk of developing psychotic disorders including schizophrenia in those patients that demonstrated sub threshold psychotic states, according to one study.

Another study demonstrated that use of EPA, a major component of fish oil, improved memory and reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. As we age, the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine declines. EPA was shown to slow the reduction of acetylcholine release and its synthesis.

Also, in a small study, omega-3 fatty acid use yielded positive results in 8 of 9 children with autism.

Q: Should I eat protein before or after my workout?

You should consume protein before AND after your workouts. Always eat a small pre-workout meal consisting of some low glycemic carbs and a quality protein. A good meal is a half cup of rolled oats and a scoop of whey protein. This provides you with a sustained carb source to provide energy through your workout and a quality protein source to support muscle repair and growth.

Post-workout meal should consist of a high quality protein and a high glycemic carbohydrate. After your workout is the ideal time to spike your insulin levels and re-supply your body with glycogen. Liquid meals are great after your workout because you don’t have to deal with the heavy digestion which real foods takes. I like Isagenix alot, it’s everything my body needs after a hard workout.The goal for post workout is to maintain a prompt digestion rate so nutrients can transport swiftly and efficiently to our muscles.

If you live in NYC, then you know we haven’t seen the sun in a while – It’s dark at 5pm. I’ve been so crabby and no doubt slightly depressed that I’ve been having thoughts of, well, I can’t believe that I AM GOING TO SAY IT, I’ve been thinking about kicking my cats. Please don’t call the ASPCA, I didn’t do it, I just thought about it. My island blood craves warmth, blue skies and sunshine. I guess who wouldn’t love that? For a second I thought I was so special that I needed it more than other people. So, I am going to St. Lucia for one WHOLE week.

My worrisome brain will not care about a thing — I will bake in the sun and absorb so much vitamin-D that I will be as black as charcoal! I won’t care about wrinkles, sunburn or dying of cancer. I will eat, drink and be damn merry.

So, what is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is carried through the body by fat and stored in fat tissue. Getting too much can be harmful.  This is a vitamin can be produced in the body, as well as, obtained from the diet.

What food source is the nutrient found in?
The most reliable source of vitamin D, in the U.S. diet, is fortified milk.  All milk sold in the United States is fortified with vitamin D.  Wondering what other foods contain this vitamin?

Try cheese, butter, margarine, cream, some soy milks, eggs, liver, fish such as sardines and salmon, cod liver oil and fortified cereals

The body can make vitamin D after sunlight or ultraviolet light hits the skin, thus the reason you commonly hear this vitamin referred to as sunshine vitamin.  Ten to 15 minutes of sun exposure 3 times a week is all the body needs. Older people are less efficient with this conversion.

How does the nutrient affect the body?
Vitamin D helps build strong and healthy bones and teeth. It does this by helping the body to absorb the minerals calcium and phosphorous and to deposit them in bones and teeth.

Other Useful Information

If the body does not get enough vitamin D and calcium, a person is at higher risk for bone mass loss, which is known as osteoporosis. Low levels of vitamin D also increases the risk of bone softening, known as osteomalacia, in older adults. Children who do not get enough vitamin D over a long period may develop rickets, which is defective bone growth. Fortifying milk with vitamin D has made rickets extremely rare in the US.

Vitamin D is measured as micrograms (mcg) and because it can be toxic, there is a Recommended Dietary Allowance–for men and women, 25 to 50 years old, is 5 mcg per day. Children need twice as much daily vitamin D as adults, because their bones are still growing. Pregnant and lactating women also need 10 mcg per day.

Another common measurement for vitamin D is International Units, known as IU. The RDA, in IUs, for vitamin D for adults is 200 IU per day; for children, it is 400 IU per day; and for pregnant and lactating women, it is 400 IU.

Eat veggies and lean meats. Lift weights. Repeat.

By 35, bone strength has peaked. Smart lifestyle choices however, from exercise, diets and supplements can improve your odds of avoiding bone problems.

Diet smart. Never burn more calories than you’ve taken in. This decreases your production of estrogen and can be harmful to bones. Estrogen helps your bones absorb calcium and enables your body to use calcium more efficiently.

The daily recommendation for calcium is 1,000mg. Some great foods
you can eat?

Collard Greens = 179
Kale = 90
Brocolli = 90
Almonds = 71

Avoid stress. Turns out stress is even bad for your bones. Chronic stress raises your cortisol, a hormone that alters mineral absorption.

Exercise is always the answer. Weight lifting is great for bone building, but any exercise will do. The key is to work against gravity so that your bones get stronger to handle the load. Just remember that like your muscles, your bones need time to restore themselves.

I get asked a lot about omega fats and why they are so good for you. Here’s a brief explanation: Your body turns Omega-3 fats from food into compounds that reduce inflammation?one of the culprits behind heart disease, which kills more women than any other illness.

These good fats also reduce blood pressure, prevent artery-plaque buildup, lower the level of bad blood fats, guard against clotting, reduce heart rate and prevent heart arrhythmia.

I have a family history of heart disease, so I make sure I eat a lot of salmon and tuna, as well as pop an Omega softgell every morning with my Isagenix Shake.

Why or, why not? For starters, the warnings scare me—heart attacks, anxiety, death. I love my life and this journey I am on and can’t imagine it being cut short by diet supplements. I’d rather be f**king fat and die of a heart attack the good ole fashion way. And that’s the truth.

Want more truth? I took two supplements once and went on my way to work, looking cute as a button. Then, as I was waiting for the subway something started to happen. I became angry and anxious. I began to shake, followed by an upset stomach. If that wasn’t enough I started sweating like a crackhead that just had a hit. At least I assumed that’s what it feels like without the high. I didn’t eat that entire day because I wasn’t hungry…not eating felt like an accomplishment. Zero calories = no fat ass.

I decided the next day to try taking my supplements with food. Better. More importantly, I didn’t eat! Five days later, 3 pounds lighter and no sleep (another side effect), I looked like a full blown zombie-crackhead. If you’ve ever seen one of those, then you know how hideous and scary they look. I was also crazier than ever. Somehow, I was also accused of being, er… super annoying. I had to end the madness.

Pros: None whatsoever. Whatever weight you lose comes right back.

Cons: Diet supplements, both over-the-counter and prescription can cause the following: nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, high blood pressure, fatigue and hyperactivity, heart arrhythmia and palpitations, congestive heart failure or heart attack, stroke, headaches, dry mouth, vomiting and diarrhea or constipation, intestinal disturbances, tightness in chest, tingling in extremities, excessive perspiration, dizziness, disruption in menstrual cycle, change in libido, hair loss, blurred vision, fever and urinary tract problems. Overdoses can cause tremors, confusion, hallucinations, shallow breathing, renal failure, heart attack and convulsions.

It’s just not worth it.