stress: we all think we know what it is. it's your job. it's your relationships. it's your hectic, multitasking life. it's the anxiety... the worry... the demands of parenting. (baby crying) you get so used to it that you have come to accept stress as a natural way of living. it seems never ending. it feels like it's here to stay.

even the responsibilities of your daily life appear to be overwhelming. i am dr. richard weinstein, and i have a revolutionary and natural approach to conquering your stress. this is an easy and effective program that can forever change the way you think and feel about stress. i will show you how to resolve you a major cause of stress and stop the symptoms. in as little as 30 to 60 days, you can regain and maintain vibrant health. ♪ we all have stress. stress is a serious problem. it has been scientifically linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, insomnia, thyroid disorders,

ulcers, mood swings, memory loss, and unhealthy food cravings. we have all heard the saying, "stress kills." and you know how terrible you feel when you're stressed out. how can we deal with stress and be healthy? what do you do about it? can you exercise it away? when you meditate, does it leave? can you think happy thoughts and everything is better? don't you wish, don't you wish it were just that easy? exercise is important. meditation can calm you. we all know the power of positive thinking. however, there is a deeper, underlying cause of stress that you are simply not aware of.

stress is not only psychological. it is not just your emotional reaction to the world you live in. stress can be and is the result of a real physical and chemical imbalance, which you can do something about. i know that many of you have tried so hard with diet and exercise to achieve better health and have failed, and that many of you have just given up hope. i assure you that when you address the root cause of your stress, which is inflammation, you can conquer your stress and feel better now. ♪ please join me and i will identify for you all the components of stress. i will introduce you to the mystery of inflammation and the adrenal hormone, cortisol. we will explore how they interact and dramatically affect your health.

we will talk to some of my patients who have resolved their health problems that were caused by stress and inflammation. you will learn the symptoms of inflammation and discover the easy changes that you can make to improve your health and feel better. i will teach you how to conquer your stress, and you will learn to crave health. i actually felt like a top that was spinning out of control, i was having severe mood swings, memory loss... i was extremely fatigued. i was sleeping at strange hours, if i was sleeping, up most the nights, just basically suffering from severe fatigue. for me, i was feeling... like i really didn't want to live anymore. part of the problem that i was having, besides the pain and discomfort,

was the inability to sleep at night because of radicular pain or because of numbness and tingling and things of that nature. in addition, there were problems that i would have even with digesting food. ♪ ♪ to understand my revolutionary approach to conquering stress, you must understand the cause and effect relationship between inflammation and the adrenal hormone cortisol. inflammation has truly become the hot topic in medical research. this research reveals that 35 million americans are at risk of heart attacks and stroke due to inflammation, even though their cholesterol levels are normal.

so just what kind of inflammation are we talking about? to make it simple, there are two types. one is external inflammation, and the other is internal, invisible inflammation. we have all experienced the external kind. it's when you accidentally brush up against a hot iron or have hot cooking oil or boiling water splash on your skin. you immediately respond by pulling your hand away from the heat and attend to the developing blister. you are able to have this reaction because you have nerves in your skin that are sensitive to temperature and can warn you about inflammation. internal, invisible inflammation is in our organs and bloodstream. it is caused by too many anti-inflammatory drugs that block the enzymes we need to repair our intestinal lining on a daily basis. the overuse of antibiotics upsets the normal balance of bacteria in our intestinal tract. alcohol, soda, and caffeine can irritate our intestinal lining.

fast food and processed foods that are high in omega six oils increase the inflammatory chemicals called "cytokines" circulating in our bloodstream. all these cause inflammation and damage our tissues. our internal organs are literally being drenched in inflammation. unlike the nerves in our skin that are sensitive to temperature, we don't have nerves in our internal organs to sense this inflammation. we don't know we have inflammation and we don't know we should be doing something about it. but research tells us that 50 percent of americans have chronic internal inflammation, and it has a devastating effect on our health because of our body's normal response to inflammation, which is the adrenal hormone cortisol. i was really irritable, moody, craving sugar all the time, which i didn't understand where that was coming from.

so that was another thing he helped with. just didn't feel like myself. not enough was wrong to where i could really put my finger on it, but i knew something was up. something was just off. high fatigue, achy joints and muscles, and even have problems in maintaining an adequate or reasonable weight. and i was having all of those symptoms. experiencing a lot of mood swings, a lot of irritableness where i just -- i'm normally a fairly even keel person even with three kids, but i think after having three kids and having them so close together, i think my hormones just never quite got back in sync. and so i -- it was sort of like a pms that lasted three weeks out of the month. thank you for tuning in and watching your public television station. right now it's "craving health" with dr. richard weinstein, who's here with us in the studio. but first, i want to tell you that when you go to the phone

or the website and make that important pledge of support at the $100 level for the full year, we're going to send you out the dvd of this program as your special thank-you gift. it includes additional material not seen in this broadcast, and so much more is coming up, so don't go away. dr. weinstein, welcome. thank you, shari, it's a pleasure to be here. i'm just thrilled to be with you. well, can you tell us a little bit about your background and your credentials and why "craving health" for public television? of course. i've been in practice in california as a chiropractor for 30 years, and i've also written a book called "the stress effect," which makes the correlation between stress and the hormone of cortisol, which is a dual hormone, and the diseases and health problems that occur from that. well, we hear about cortisol so much in the news today. it's tied to weight gain and so many other factors. why is this so important, for us to understand cortisol? well, it's so important to understand because cortisol is a dual hormone that deals with inflammation but also stress, and guidance physiology and its chapter on adrenal cortical function correlates cortisol to inflammation, immune problems,

diabetes, weight gain, and they look at it in terms of the infectious process, which is meant to be short term. what we're seeing now in our society is a rapid increase, exponential increase of inflammation that's now triggering this massive cortisol response, causing stress and health disorders. dr. weinstein, can you share with us some medical research that has led you to formulate these theories around cortisol and stress. oh, certainly. what we're seeing here is, the "new england journal of medicine" talks about 35 million americans being at risk of heart disease and stroke just because of inflammation, even though their cholesterol levels are, in fact, normal. well, there are more thank-you gifts coming up. and tina rakelly is here with us in this studio. right now, let's go talk to tina. this is such a fabulous real-time issue, and we're getting to unpack it together with this very important program, "craving health" with dr. richard weinstein. and it's possible because of people like you that have become members over the years. so we're asking you right now to go to your phone or go to your website, to your station's website,

and become a member around this program. when you pledge at the $100, as shari had indicated, you receive that very important copy of the dvd of this program it's fantastic. and also, if you pledge at $150, you receive not only the dvd but you receive the "craving health" workbook, which is a very detailed, very specific way to take charge of your health and to become educated and active. so, again, become a member. find a level that works for you. call the phone -- get on the phone or get in touch on your website and become a member around this very important issue. back again, now, to shari and dr. weinstein. the companion workbook is really a unique item. and it is an exclusive thank-you gift for you when you support your public television station. it's really a hands-on interactive guide. there's so much information in there. well, what we want people to do is pledge for the dvd and the workbook, because the workbook will help you to understand the dvd a little better and guide you through the stress quiz,

tell you about prone inflammatory foods, what foods can cause problems, and give you a real concrete guideline for what we later will show you, will be the 3r program. well, and also, the dvd, a lot more coming up in this program itself, but that additional material, as tina mentioned, 100 total minutes in the dvd. so go to the phone now and pledge at that $150 level. dr. weinstein, what -- how is stress linked to disease? well, how it turns out is that the stress hormone in fight or flight stress is designed to affect blood pressure, your sugar metabolism, shut down your immune system. these are all normal fight or flight stress. when your cortisol levels are high due to inflammation, this is where the problems begin. so do we have stress because of inflammation, or do we have inflammation because of stress? we have all of it. stress causes inflammation. inflammation causes stress. and as we will see later on in the program, it will be defined as the vicious cycle. and so much more coming up in the program.

we're going to hear more personal stories. but right now we want you to go to the phone and make that pledge of support. again, at the $150 level for the year, you're going to receive both the dvd of the program with that additional material not seen in this broadcast, as well as the companion workbook. it's 40 pages. it's got a medical glossary in there, anti and pro-inflammatory food lists, and so much more. so your public television counts on you. go to the phone right now. but we're going to return to "craving health" here on your public television station, so we'll see you later. ♪ what is cortisol? cortisol is a hormone secreted by our adrenal glands. the single most important thing to understand about cortisol is that it has two separate functions in our body.

the first is to defend against inflammation. most us can easily relate to this because we know of pharmaceutical cortisone creams for rashes and cortisone injections for inflamed, injured joints. the second function of cortisol is that it manages our response to stress, as in fight or flight danger. to do so, cortisol raises our blood pressure to pump blood to our muscles so we can run or fight. it also makes sure there is plenty of sugar in our bloodstream for fuel for our muscles. so it makes other cells resistant to insulin. in fight or flight stress, we don't need our digestive tract, reproductive tract, immune system, or repair processes. so, cortisol intentionally directs energy away from these processes, which is fine when the stress is meant to be short-term. so let me ask you a question. if cortisol is elevated for both stress and inflammation,

what do you think happens when 50 percent of you have chronic internal inflammation? it means you also have chronically-elevated levels of cortisol. since cortisol elevates blood pleasure, it puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke. cortisol makes your cells resistant to insulin, which puts you at risk for diabetes, weight gain, and obesity. in fight or flight stress, cortisol diverts energy away from your digestive tract, reproductive tract, immune system, and your repair processes. and this puts you at risk for a whole host of health problems and diseases. but this is just the tip of the iceberg. chronically elevated levels of cortisol causes other hormones to become imbalanced, and this will make you crave sugar, salt, and fat. don't you ever wonder why, when you're stressed out, you reach for candy, ice cream, pastries, chips, fast food, and processed foods,

the so-called "comfort foods"? it's the elevated levels of cortisol that causes this. cortisol is such a powerful hormone, it overrides the neurotransmitters of rational thinking, so no matter how much you know you shouldn't eat fast food or processed food, you will still crave and eat them anyway. so now you have two other problems. fast food and processed foods are high in omega six oils that cause an increase in the inflammatory cytokines in your bloodstream, which means more inflammation, more cortisol, more food cravings. when my stress levels were up and the worries and the various things, well, that was sort of a -- it was sort of a release of pressure to go out and have a nice banana split or something. as a matter of fact, the only thing i that i craved a lot was sugar.

i ate because my energy level would dip 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon, and i think it happens to a lot of people, but really, really to the point of not being able to work, not being able to continue doing what i needed to do, so i did eat a lot of sugar, yes. research proves that negative emotions also increase the inflammatory cytokines in your bloodstream. so the guilt and frustration you feel for not being able to control your food cravings, and the anxiety and worry caused by the progressive weight gain that comes from eating these foods just means more inflammation, more cortisol, more negative emotions, and on and on it goes. nature never intended for you to have long-term fight or flight stress, and it never expected that you would have chronic internal inflammation from such a poor diet and drug use. it is completely unnatural for you to have chronically elevated levels of cortisol,

and that's where your health problems begin. yes, i have a real problem with obsessive compulsive behavior at times and i actually try to do too much in too short a period, and i work under this thing that i call "time anxiety," and it does cause adrenaline rush. it does cause increased cortisol levels. and i just hadn't thought that that would have been the root of my problem. i had had three miscarriages in two years, and had gone to, you know, different fertility doctors and they did tests and couldn't find anything wrong, so everything was wrong because they couldn't find anything. and they just basically told me that, well, it just -- you know, might not be an option for you. and i was 25 when that happened, and it was the last thing i wanted to hear.

♪ to appreciate how inflammation and cortisol can be sign scientifically linked to so many varied health problems and diseases, it would be helpful for you to have a good model of what normal health is. the model that i use is called the "triangle of health," and the three sides are the physical, the chemical, and the emotional. the physical side consists of tissues like our muscles, bones, and organs, our cells. the chemical side refers to our hormones, neurotransmitters, and enzymes that allow our cells to communicate with each other. the third side of the triangle involves our psychological or emotional well-being.

all three sides of the triangle must be balanced for you to be healthy. and as we shall see, anything that affects one side of the triangle will immediately affect the other two sides. when we exercise on a regular basis, we are obviously supporting the physical side of the triangle. we're improving our cardiovascular system, and we are building strong, healthy muscles and bones. when we exercise, our brain chemically produces endorphins, which are the feel-good, pain-relieving opiates natural to our bodies. so initiating a positive action on the physical side of the triangle produces a positive effect on the other two sides. your diet is another crucial factor to your health. what you put into your body affects your physical and emotional well-being. let me make this clear. thank you.

on the chemical side of the triangle, the foods we eat are enzymatically broken down into the vitamins and nutrients our cells need to be healthy. and since the neurotransmitters that our brain needs to be emotionally happy, such as serotonin and dopamine, are synthesized by the foods we eat, having a good diet literally nourishes the physical and emotional side of the triangle. when the emotional side of the triangle is balanced, we are able to make good lifestyle choices. it's the most natural thing in the world to want to support our health and well-being. we want to exercise and support the physical side of the triangle, and we want to eat the right foods to support the chemical side of the triangle. when you are in homeostasis, or in balance, in the triangle of health, you can handle stress appropriately. you don't become emotionally unglued by every little thing. your body is healthy and strong. you don't get sick often, and you don't get injured easily.

you don't crave sugar, salt, or fat, and eat junk food. you live in a natural state of grace and harmony. but let's see what happens when the triangle of health gets caught up in the vicious cycle of stress. i was having severe mood swings, yelling at my husband and my children, and then having depression, a lot of depression after that. if you think about -- that the thermostat in your home, when it's broken, that's what my hormones were like. my hormones had -- were out of whack, so i was in constantly stress. ♪ the vicious cycle of stress is what happens when inflammation

and the cortisol that must be secreted in response to the inflammation adversely affects the triangle of health. let's say you have back pain or neck pain or headaches. instead of treating the cause, you treat the symptom with an anti-inflammatory drug like aspirin or ibuprofen. now let me say here that the short-term use of these drugs for symptomatic relief is not the problem i'm talking about. even the manufacturers of these drugs warn you not to take them for more than ten days without consulting your physician. after taking these drugs for weeks and weeks or months or even years on end, your intestinal tract is inflamed, and you have elevated levels of cortisol to defend against the inflammation. but elevated levels of cortisol cause other hormones to become imbalanced, and this is what causes you to crave sugar, salt, and fat. you satisfy these cravings by eating fast food and processed foods loaded with these ingredients.

these foods can cause an elevation in inflammatory chemicals called "cytokines" in your bloodstream. so now you have for suga st,ndht or flight s stressed out.

mo ilaathehycal si the tane, ent.essed out.

cahtp th thaeiteoftr t givg yosomeewinrmion and st in how you canegain and maintain your brant health. now, when you go to the phone or the website and make that edge of support, you can pledge at $100 for the full year, a roam that you receive throughout the year. at t $100 leve you'll receive the dvd of the program. not seen in the broadcast. at the $150 level, you're going to recee the dvd and the companion workbook. we've got more coming up, but right now, let's go talk to dr. richard weinstein with tina rakelly. thank wdeulto have you here wi. it's important, so important to have resources available

with these very real-time issues. and your becoming a memb is a way to ensure this kind of vibrancy, this kind of information available, of your public television station and pledge your support right now. and this is such a vital issue, how are we doing as americans with our health? well, sadly, we're doing appalling. and what's happening, we now see that 64 percent of americans are overweight, and half of those are obese. we are seeing the surgeon general telling us that obesity is even a greater threat to americans, poses a greater threat than terrorism. wereeeing that obesity will soon overtake cigarette smoking as a l cse pve dth we're seeing 800,000 new cases of diabetes each and every year. we're seeing children born in the year 2000 bemi tmeouy onto diabetes in their early 20's. it's a disaster. and we're seeing tt it'slsorelt he rtolwhh us flmation and stress.

that's amazing. you know it's -- there are so many things in life that here is an issue that we have so much of an opportunity to make a difference, and that's why this resource your public television coming together is so important. and if you pledge your support at the $200 level, we have a very special gift for you, and that is you'll receive notnlthdv d atomni wkbk, but you'll also receive the "stress effect, a vital and very detailed, very insightful way of learning fully about the relationship between these factors and what you can do about it. w at augfaor about what we can do about it, and something that really caught my heart and attention was that relationship between that real vicious cycle. can you tell us more about that? of course i can. what, i think, frustrates americans so much is the ability to control diet, control how they feel, and really, isn't life all about how we feel? and if you're craving the wrong foods and you're gaining weight

and you're feeling guilty, which causesorneti etis, which causes even greater levels of stress, you really do feel out of control. but by pledging $200 and getting the dvd and the workbook and the book, you can get your life back in control and understand how to get your cortisol levels significantly down. you know, that really is a message of hope. there is a vitality in knowing we can do something about it, to your public television station. make that call right now. let's go back and check in again with shari. weht issues and health issues in today's society, and once again, public television is leading the way in presenting new information for you, information to educate you, to empower you to take better control over your health and your life. now, again, when you pledge at the $100 level for the ye, we're going to send you out your very own copy of the dvd of this program. again, it includes additional material not enn isroca,mo fm . instein,

and more patient profiles in-depth. it is really an excellent learning tool to helping you unrsndheeliohi between stress and inflammation, the adrenal hormone, cortisol, and how this can affect disease and your health. at the $150 level for the year, you're going to receive both the dvd and the companion workbook. that hands-on interaive gue is going to walk you through the stress quiz. it's going to help you chart your stress as you make easy dietary changes. it's goi tid seof tse foods tt e increasing your inflammation and, in fact, stressing you out. at the $200 level for the year, you're going to receive the dvd, that great companion workbook, dr. weinstein's first book, "the stress effect," plus a wonderful cd from the farmer's market string band, and we're going to be telling you more about them coming up later. but right now, let's throw it back to dr. weinstein and tina. now i appreciate so much having the resource of this program, "craving health", and having you here in the studio to help us unpack some of these very important issues.

you know, diet -- diet is a huge part of what we can control. can you talk more about that relationship? diet is almost really the key element here. you can get intestinal tract inflammation, as our program talks about, through the overuse of antibiotics and even anti-inflammatory drugs. but the real key to this thing is the inflammation that comes from the standard american diet of fast food and processed foods that are tremendously high in omega six inflammatory oils. and why this becomes so terribly important is that if you have a diet that's based on that, it will elevate your cortisol levels. but unfortunately the elevation of cortisol will cause you to crave sugar, salt, and fat, which, of course, are the staples of fast food and processed food, and you find yourself trapped in this vicious cycle that even though you want to get out of it, you simply just don't know how to do it, which is why pledging, pledging and getting all the tools and the resources that we have available for you will help you and guide you out of that vicious cycle.

that is fantastic to hear. you know, we have these different levels of membership that allow you to find a way to connect in, what works with your pocketbook, but the most important thing is that you are supporting public television, this vital resource. and you know what, that $150 level, that workbook includes some recipes that really help in addressing those issues. now at $200, they receive -- people will receive also in addition to the wond the dvd, also receiving that very important book, "the stress effect," that really has a lot to do, including the three r's. can you tell us about that? of course, getting the book and the dvd and the workbook, again, will help you have all the tools that you really need to conquer your stress and lead a healthy lifestyle. and the important part about the book is that it gives you an entire story and gives you a complete correlation of how cortisol participates in stress diseases, but it also helps you learn to measure, scientifically and accurately, your cortisol values. that is really good to know.

i mean, having something very tangible and hands-on, something very specific, and again, this is -- it's amazing how public television taps the pulse of what's happening in our world, in our community, issues around our health and how it impacts quality of life. it's so very important. so your call, your becoming a member around this program is extremely timely and meaningful. make that phone call. let's go back again to shari. what i like about "craving health" and the wonderful companion workbook is that it's really a natural approach for dealing with your stress. so many of us feel stressed out so much of the time. dr. weinstein really points out that stress is linked to a chemical imbalance caused by constant elevated levels of cortisol. now, this is new information, maybe a little bit hard to understand at first, but once you pledge at the $100 level or the $150 or $200 level, you're going to receive all of the information and all of the resources to really help you get a handle on the inner relationship between stress

and inflammation, how you can take control of your life and make some easy changes to get this under control. maybe you're someone who's fought very hard to work on your health and you exercise all the time, and you eat right, but you just can't lose that additional weight that is just holding you down. or maybe you're someone who has gained so much weight over the last couple of years that you've really kind of given up. do you notice how you crave all of those foods that you really know in your mind are making you feel even worse? well, this is the link that dr. weinstein has put together, the vicious cycle, how our food cravings contribute to more inflammation, which contributes to more cortisol, which contributes to more food cravings. and we know how this can lead to negative emotions and even just feeling just not really good in our own bodies. so go to the phone or the website right now, pledge your support to receive these materials, but pledge your support to support public television, your important educational resource in our community. back to tina and dr. weinstein.

you know, this is really hitting home with me in terms of realizing that we are on a mission on something we can do something about and quality of life, our health, and that also impacts how our communities function when we're all in that right space of mind, body, and spirit. so it's so important that you contribute to those factors that make a difference, and your public television station is giving us vital tools, so your call right now is so very important. please make that call. and, you know, i was so captivated with your 3r program, the recommendations about the omega three supplement. can you help me understand that better? of course i can, tina. the omega three oils are very important because they are -- they are counter regulation to the inflammatory diet that's high in omega six inflammatory oils. but even more than that, we've seen research now that tells us omega three oils can be very useful in conditions like osteoarthritis, and even more importantly, the health of ourselves depends upon receptor sites

that are made of soft lipid fats that are comprised or helped by the omega three oils. if you have a diet that's high in omega six oils, what's going to happen is those receptor sites are not going to work well, and the cell's health immediately begins to decline, and that is such a key important part in staying healthy is having, obviously, healthy cells. oh, that is so good to hear, you know. and we want to make sure that it's very accessible, the information. now the workbook is a very, very useful, easy tool to work with. is that -- do you get that feedback from people on how they use the workbook? of course. the idea of the workbook is to simplify the program so you can see the 3r program in print, easy to do. keep a dialogue or a little log of how you're doing with it and succeeding with it. absolutely. at that $150 level, we will send to you as our thank you for making that investment and support, the dvd, as well as that vital workbook. let's go back and check in again with shari. well, you've got some time right now to go to the phone

or go to the website and make your pledge of support for "craving health" with dr. richard weinstein. again, at the $200 level, you're going to really receive the entire collection, the dvd of the program with additional material, the companion workbook, dr. weinstein's book "the stress effect," plus, a wonderful cd. in fact, you're going to meet the farmer's market string band later in the show. we discovered them when we were on location in dr. weinstein's town in california, just an added thank you, an added incentive for you to go to the phone. but you know the true incentive is all of the great programming that you receive on public television. so go to the phone, go to the website, make a contribution at any level that works for you and your family, but because you're watching, we know that you are learning something from this information, so don't wait another minute. people are waiting by the phone right now to take your call. understanding the real cause of stress is so important to you, your children, your parents, and to the health of our nation.

my program will give you the insight and tools you need to regain and maintain vibrant health. the symptoms that i had, diabetic, and as a result, i would have problems with being lethargic, heart problems, sometimes heart would go into atrial fibrillation and, you know, various things because of the diabetes, as well as having a lot of problems with the tips of my fingers, there would be problems that i would have with feeling tingling and numb and things of that nature, so. i was really feeling very down on myself. it's not a very reassuring feeling to yourself not being able to have children.

and the fact that i couldn't, you know, hold on to a pregnancy, i didn't have a problem getting pregnant. it was just staying pregnant. and i just -- i really came down hard on myself because you just -- you blame yourself for what happens even though most of the time it's out of your control. so it was -- i put a lot of pressure on myself. but the pain was so severe that i felt that, like, i can't live with this, and at times i felt almost that i didn't want to live with that. although, of course, with three children and a very good life, i was, you know, i knew i needed to take care of myself and do something. ♪ ♪

with this vicious cycle of stress attacking the triangle of health so relentlessly, is it any wonder why we feel so lousy most of the time and have so many stress-related health disorders? can we ever return to vibrant health and happiness again? of course we can. and we can do it through my revolutionary and natural approach to conquering stress, the 3r program. the three rs stand for resolve, repair, and restore. we are going to resolve inflammation, we are going to repair the intestinal tract, and we are going to restore normal hormone balance. the single-most important step to getting healthy is to resolve the inflammation. since it is the inflammation that's triggering the cortisol response, unless we put out the fire within our bodies, there is no hope of feeling better,

losing weight, or conquering stress. resolving inflammation is easy. all it takes is adding the anti-inflammatory omega three fish oils to your diet. or if you're a vegetarian, use flaxseed oil and taking natural anti-inflammatories such as ginger, turmeric or bromelain. all of these effectively reduce inflammation in the bloodstream and are safe. next, we must repair the damaged intestinal tract lining, which has been ravaged by over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, the overuse of antibiotics, and poor diet. this is exceptionally easy. all you need to do is take a simple protein amino acid called l-glutamine morning and night on an empty stomach. taking it on an empty stomach is important, because then it will absorb easily without competing with any other proteins. in 1978, the national institute of health

discovered that l-glutamine was the major fuel used by the cells of the intestinal tract for repair, and that without l-glutamine, these cells would die. another part of the repair program is to take a good probiotic formula that has numerous strains of beneficial bacteria like acidophilus and lactobacillus. this will balance the normal flora in the intestinal tract that are so vital in making the enzymes we need to be healthy on a daily basis. lastly, we need to restore normal hormone balance. the omega three oil that resolves inflammation will also help to balance blood sugar levels. to this we want to add the mineral chromium, which also helps with insulin resistance and reduces cravings for sugar. magnesium is often reduced with high cortisol secretion and is necessary for relaxing muscles, easing tension, and insulin stability. recent research shows that at least 83 percent of diabetics

are magnesium deficient. because the adrenal glands use more vitamin c than any other part of our bodies, vitamin c intake is very important. then there are the herbs that help the adrenal glands to adapt to normal function such as ginseng, holy basil, and rhodiola. by using my 3r program to resolve inflammation, repair the damaged intestinal tract, and restore normal hormone balance, you can conquer stress and return to the triangle of health. you can feel well and stay well. you can regain and maintain vibrant health. you have learned to crave health. ♪ i was feeling extremely frustrated because as i started going through menopause, i had gained 25 pounds. and until a woman has gone through menopause

and experienced something like this, she doesn't understand it. one week my weight would jump seven pounds. another week my weight would jump three, five pounds. and so i was doing these jumps, and i would crave chocolate, and i usually would eat more chocolate out of frustration because i would be trying to lose weight. i'd be trying to diet. a lot of anxiety, a lot of palpitation, insecurity, those are -- sleepless nights. oh, i also gained a lot of weight. that was another symptom that i had was i was the heaviest i had ever been in my life. even heavier than when i was pregnant with my children. we've all noticed a change in the health of america. since the mid-1970s, the average american is 25 pounds heavier, a majority of americans are overweight, and a third of us are obese.

we're nearing almost a million new cases of diabetes every year. while none of us can be in denial about the alarming rise in weight gain, obesity, and diabetes, very few of us know the key role that cortisol plays in this epidemic. understanding cortisol is essential to good health. let's take a closer look at the many ways elevated cortisol can cause you to not only gain weight but make it almost impossible to lose it. remember, cortisol is a tricky hormone because it's used for both stress and inflammation. i have explained to you that the hormone cortisol is the body's normal response to inflammation and that it also manages the body's response in fight or flight situations. however, too much cortisol is a serious problem. if your cortisol level is dramatically high, as if your body is in fight or flight mode constantly, then you will feel stressed out. as a normal part of the fight or flight response,

cortisol makes your cells resistant to insulin, which is the hormone that allows sugar or glucose into your cells. when your cells are resistant to insulin, it means that the sugar or glucose can't get into your cells, and sugar is the cell's primary fuel. the inability to use your own insulin results in type-ii, insulin-resistant diabetes, which is the fastest-growing type of diabetes in america today. the sugar -- any sugary treat, i am from a background where we love our desserts, so any sugary treat, any dessert, any ice cream, any apple pie, what have you, is something that i would crave. and i would crave chocolate and i usually would eat more chocolate out of frustration because i would be trying to lose weight. i'd be trying to diet. and when you are cutting way back on you food intake and your weight is jumping, well, then it's that all,

"well, then, i will -- i might as well just eat whatever i want." and so then you -- you know, you go for what you're craving, which is the chocolate, because it's your emotional food. it's your feel-good food and then it's your feel-guilty food because here you are eating something that you know that's not good for you but yet your body's craving it because it is mineral deficient. so when sugar can't get into your cells, you crave sugar. therefore, you eat more high-calorie foods loaded with sugar. so what happens to the surplus of sugar that can't find its way into the cells? it gets stored in your body as fat, usually around your waist and is actually called "cortisol fat." and as we know, it can be very difficult to lose. meanwhile, your pancreas is making more insulin in an effort to get the sugar inside your cells.

but this causes an increase in inflammatory cytokines, which causes a further elevation of cortisol, which just means more insulin resistance and more stored fat. with this tug of war cycle between inflammation and cortisol, your body is running overtime. it's like a refrigerator when the door is left open and it just keeps running and running and running. this whole process places a tremendous burden on your metabolism that will make you feel exhausted. this is why you often feel like taking a nap right after you eat, and it is why you desire something sweet right after every meal. i began to feel a really high intensity of fatigue, and it was because i was taking care of my grandson three days a week; and in my 60s, that isn't as easy to do as it is when you're in your 30s. but it seemed as though the intensity of fatigue was higher than it should have been for the amount of energy that i was expending. too much cortisol has further negative effects.

cortisol can also make your cells resistant to leptin. leptin is a hormone that controls appetite and enables your body to burn fat cells. however, when cortisol levels are too high, the leptin will not be able to do its job and will cause an increase in appetite, a decreased ability to burn fat, and an increase in stored fat. your body's ability to burn calories is called "metabolism," and it's controlled in a large part by your thyroid gland. elevated cortisol can slow down thyroid and inhibit the production of thyroid hormone. low thyroid function causes fatigue, the inability to burn calories, weight gain, and depression. by now you are beginning to understand the amazing role that cortisol plays in weight gain, which leads to obesity, diabetes, heart disease; and also results in depression, memory loss, mood swings, and stress.

maybe the worst effect of chronic, elevated levels of cortisol is a suppression of the immune cells in the intestinal tract. 60 percent of your entire immune system is in your intestinal tract. so when immune cells are suppressed, your intestinal tract becomes inflamed. this is another layer of the vicious cycle where elevated levels of cortisol leads to intestinal inflammation, which then inhibits enzymes from breaking down fat, and enzymes that are also important in making thyroid hormone. a dysfunctional intestinal tract also has problems absorbing sugar. and that leads to more insulin and cortisol imbalances, and you know the end result. there's only one word for it: fat. furthermore, the neurotransmitters that control your moods are synthesized in your digestive tract, so intestinal tract becomes inflamed and imbalanced, we suffer from depression and mood swings.

and what do you do when you are depressed? you eat and you overeat. is it any wonder why we have gained weight and cannot lose it? resolving this epidemic of weight gain starts by dealing with the cause of the real physical and chemical imbalance inside of you. once you resolve the intestinal inflammation, repair the intestinal tract, and restore hormone balance, you will feel better, and it will be much easier to make the personal choices to enable you to live a healthier, happier, stress-free life. hi, we're back in the studio with dr. richard weinstein and more coming up with the show. but right now, we'd like you to go to the phone or to the website and make that pledge at the $200 level in support of your public television station. you're going to receive the dvd of the program, the wonderful companion workbook, dr. weinstein's book, "the stress effect,"

plus, another special thank you, a wonderful cd from the farmer's market string band entitled, "play fresh, play local." dr. weinstein, can we again review the link and the tie between obesity and disease? of course we can. the link occurs where we've become obese because we have these stress hormones going in our body that make us unable to utilize our glucose, which gets sugar into the cells. so the national institute of health tells us that this causes an accumulation of fat around the abdomen that they sometimes call "cortisol fat." once you have insulin not being able to be utilized because cortisol is blocking it and making us what we call "insulin resistant," then what happens is your body can only store it in the abdomen as fat, and we know that obesity will, in fact, contribute to your disease processes. so, then elevated levels of cortisol cause us to gain weight? absolutely. that's exactly what does happen. and we have to look at even as a broader topic, of course, that we show in the program, is that elevated levels of cortisol

will cause us to crave sugar, salt, and fat, and perpetuate that vicious cycle over and over again. and that's why it's so very important that you pledge your $150 to $200 level and get all the tools that you can possibly get to make you feel better. so for us to really understand the tie with cortisol and obesity and disease, we really have to identify that it's a chemical imbalance in our bodies? that is the single probably most important thing, is that it's not a mental, emotional thing, it is a chemical problem. well, right now, let's throw it on over to tina rakelly. what vital and timely information, our health, all that we actually have so much control over in sometimes a world that feels a little out of control. your public television station is what makes all the difference in bringing you this kind of vital television, and your role by supporting it is critical. make that phone call, go to the website. pledge your support. lots of very important levels. for example, at that $100 level of support,

you'll receive your own copy, your own dvd of this program that we are enjoying and learning together. and this program, the dvd, includes over a hundred minutes of additional footage that is very vital and meaningful. at the $150 level of support for a year's membership, you'll receive not only the dvd but also that very, very unique companion workbook that walks you through, very personally, your own assessment and your own pathway to health. and again, that $200 level is a wonderful way to get onboard with all the tools you need for understanding this very -- this very manageable, if we have the information, kind of a situation, taking care of our health, craving our health. you'll receive the dvd, as well as that companion workbook. you'll also receive that very, very groundbreaking and detailed book of dr. weinstein's "the stress effect," and a very playful cd to kind of keep the spirits going with that farmer's market string band. it all starts, though, with your phone call,

your getting involved in this tangible way, supporting your public television station. make that call right now. back again to shari and dr. weinstein. dr. weinstein, you talk about how important it is to get back into balance. and to do this, you have designed your protocol, the 3r program. can you talk to us a little bit about the 3r program? of course, shari. the 3r program is vital because -- my point is that you can't get well if you don't resolve the inflammation, which is causing the cortisol imbalance, if you don't repair the intestinal tract, which is also inflamed and causing your cortisol imbalance, and then that gives you the opportunity to successfully restore hormonal balance. it's a simple straight-forward program. and when you pledge to your local public television station, you can get these vital tools that will help you easily achieve better health by getting yourself back into balance using the 3r program of: resolve inflammation, repair intestinal tract, and restore hormone balance.

dr. weinstein, why is the natural protocol so important? why natural? well, the only other alternative is to then go into maybe a pharmaceutical approach, which only tends to want to deal with treating more of the symptoms. and there are many healthcare conditions that really do require medication. no doubt about that. but from the basis of my program, we want to use the simplest, easiest and actually least expensive natural supplements, that just supplement your body, ease it back into balance, ease it back into health, and then for most people, they oftentimes don't even have to continue to take the supplements once they resolve their food cravings and they're back to hormonal balance again. so, dr. weinstein, can you go into a little bit more detail for us about what is the difference between supplements and medication? well, medications are, of course, designed to specifically treat a symptom without really addressing causes for the most part. and again, they can be vitally important to those who crucially need them. but there is almost always the downside