TriVita Weekly Wellness Reports

[BernardMaree]

How to Avoid Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Goals

This is the perfect time for an encouraging article on keeping your weight loss goals. Nearly half of all people in North America make a New Year's Resolution to change something in their life. The most common commitment is to lose weight. Second is to exercise more. Third is to stop smoking.

Within a few weeks the number of people sticking to their resolve declines dramatically. Given the importance of improving our behavior, an encouraging word from an ally may be just the thing we all need to keep our resolve!

Mechanics of weight loss
Let's review the best advice for weight loss that we have gathered from expert sources over the last several years.

• How: Reduce your calorie intake to match your BMR (basal metabolic rate). BMR represents the number of calories your body needs at rest; in other words, your body burns these calories through basic functions. Click here for a BMR calculator (labeled Basal Metabolism). So, BMR represents the ideal number of calories you should eat in a day. Additionally, increase your activity to burn 1–2 pounds of fat per week.
• When: Never eat within two hours of bedtime. Morning exercise is a bit better than evening exercise. Never consume more than 400 calories in an hour.
• What: Eat according to an organized plan. For example, South Beach, Ornish, Mediterranean, etc. Do both aerobic and resistance exercises most days of the week.
• Why: Your sense of purpose will dictate your actions step by step.

Speed bumps
Somewhere along the way you are going to experience discouragement, disappointment or despondency. It may be when you hit a weight loss plateau. It may be when you see others doing what you used to do and the old habits pull at your heart. It may be when those inner voices – I call them my "counsel of critics" – start to tell you lies about failure and success. What do you do when you hit a speed bump?

The answer to this question does not lie in the "how – when – what" of weight loss. The answer lies in the "why." Your personal "why" gives you energy. It inspires you, motivates you and drives you to complete your goal.

Remember to let your desire fuel your action; let your actions harmonize with your sense of purpose. Simply be resolved to live a life of purpose and you will have the energy to get beyond the speed bumps.

Common setbacks

• Lack of support – Losing weight with an uncooperative family is very difficult. In fact, diet failure is far more common with kids at home than among empty-nesters. A great solution is to turn those sources of distraction into cheerleaders. Recruit your family into your support group. Ask them for help and you may be surprised how helpful a supportive family can be.
• Social functions – Parties and family gatherings are another trigger for setbacks. Food and a festive environment are catalysts for overeating and skipping exercise. Careful planning in advance can really help with food selection and an exercise schedule. And if you do overindulge, remember the "calories in, calories out" rule and increase your exercise for a week or two to burn off the extra calories.
• Emotional issues – Depression, discouragement and despondency are also common triggers for diet failure. Remembering the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness can be a good antidote. For instance, Essential #6 teaches us that we need to Give and Receive Love for excellent health. Love moves us to make commitments, committing ourselves to a life of purpose. Purpose is the reason for action. Therefore, love can help us balance autonomy, commitment and purpose with fear, shame and doubt.

Conclusion
When we commit ourselves to such noble pursuits, they deserve our very best attention. We need to define our purpose as the foundation for success. Purpose is an important motivation to help us reshape our thinking. Purpose is the antidote to self-sabotage.

Ponder over each of these life-changing rules for healthy living. You will soon see that each of these gems reflect the light you need to see beliefs that no longer serve your best interests. You can confront self-sabotage and slay the dragons that keep you from reaching your goals. Also, learning and living the 10 Essentials provides you with powerful tools to reshape your attitudes into the very ones that can help you to reach your goals, live the life you want and fulfill your purpose.


Take Control of Your Health

• Plan a balance of calories and activity for lifetime weight control
• Eat 5, 7 or 9 servings of fruit and vegetables daily
• Plan 30 minutes of aerobic activity most days of
  the week
• Do resistance training 2–5 times per week
• Supplement to support the four stages of weight loss:
  • Energy and Metabolism:
    Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help increase metabolism and energy to support your body's ability to burn more calories at rest. Adaptogen 10 Plus contains aloe vera to help you absorb nutrients and improve your digestive system.
  • Cortisol & Stress Management:
    Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help to limit cortisol production in your body – cortisol is the stress-induced hormone that can lead to abdominal fat. Adaptogen 10 Plus contains all ten adaptogens that have been proven to help the body "adapt" to stress.
  • Appetite Control:
    Leanology Appetite Control Chews help reduce the natural hunger signals in your body, minimizing cravings
  • Blood Sugar Control:
    Leanology Nutritional Shakes help your body use the nutrients you eat as energy, rather than storing them as fat.

[BernardMaree]

Taking the "flame" out of inflammation

We usually describe the process of inflammation like a series of dominos all set up and ready for something to tip over the first domino and start the chain reaction. The first one tips over the second one, which tips over the third one and so on. This is called the "domino effect." Clever people can set up these dominos in an amazing array of complicated designs.

Inflammation is a process much like that. A single event may trigger a domino effect of inflammatory reactions. While many of the reactions are fairly predictable, many others are not. They seem to involve amazingly complicated patterns unique to the individual. Still, all inflammation exhibits five basic signs caused by four basic triggers.

Signs of inflammation
With tissue injury, inflammation is part of the healing process:

1. Redness: An injured area needs an increased supply of nutrients and proteins carried in the blood. So, blood supply increases and the tissue turns red (Latin: rubor).
2. Swelling: The injured area is bathed in healing proteins and substances to control bleeding, as well as an increased supply of plasma for transport of waste. This causes the injured area to swell (Latin: tumor).
3. Pain: The injured area needs to be protected. We instinctively guard an injury because we feel or anticipate pain (Latin: dolor).
4. Heat: The damaged tissue now becomes weakened and so it is susceptible to infection. White blood cells rush to the area and defend the fragile cells from microbes. A sign that this is working is heat or fever in the damaged area (Latin: calor).
5. Loss of Function: This process is accompanied by a reduction in function of the injured area until it is healed (Latin: functio laesa).

The "dominoes" fall in the same predictable pattern if the injury is a sprained ankle or heart attack! No matter what triggers the inflammation, the process is the same.

Inflammation triggers
Inflammation is the response to four basic triggers: trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress. All four of these triggers cause tissue injury. Our body responds to injury with inflammation.

• Trauma
  We usually think of trauma as a direct injury that causes pain and distress. However, a sedentary lifestyle is also a serious cause of trauma. Why? Because our body was made to move! The more we move, the more we are able to move – and the more we want to move. The less we move, the less we are able to move. Our muscles and other tissues shorten and atrophy. Then, any movement causes injury. So, the less we move, the less we want to move.
• Toxins
  Toxicity causes cells to rupture in the same way that a needle causes a balloon to pop. Is there any doubt that we live in a toxic world? An article in National Geographic estimated that humans create 700,000 tons of pollution and waste every day! Between these "exotoxins" (toxins created outside our body), and "endotoxins" (toxins created inside our body), we are bathed in inflammation-producing poison every moment of every day. Any successful strategy for reducing inflammation must address the level of toxins we face.
• Deficiency
  Deficiencies also cause inflammation. For example, an omega-3 essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency leaves the cell walls weak and unable to function normally. Again, cells are like balloons. If the balloon membrane is too thin, even a normal amount of air will make it pop. If the cell wall is too thin because of an omega-3 EFA deficiency, even normal cell activity will cause the cell to pop and trigger the domino effect of inflammation. Similarly, deficiency of other nutrients can have a catastrophic effect on cells within your body. (A deficiency in oxygen, water, sleep and circulation can also trigger inflammation.)
• Stress
  Emotional distress is also a cause of inflammation. When we appraise a situation to be stressful, our brain releases chemicals called catecholamines that trigger the release of many inflammatory processes. For example, stress causes the release of insulin – a pro-inflammatory hormone. Too much stress over too long a period of time will cause insulin resistance (IR), which is associated with obesity. Other stress-related chemicals reduce circulation to our digestive and reproductive systems and trigger inflammation from blood deficiency. Stress is a serious cause of inflammation!

First steps
We are made with the ability to respond to trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress with inflammation. Therefore, inflammation is not the enemy; however, runaway inflammation is definitely our enemy! Stop the domino effect of runaway inflammation before it starts by learning and living the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.

• Reduce basic nutrient deficiencies through our Healthy Aging program.
• Help reduce the effect of harmful toxins with Nopalea™.
• Ease the disturbances caused by emotional distress with anti-stress adaptogens.

A word about Nopalea
Once runaway inflammation is triggered it follows an amazingly intricate course leading to catastrophe. It is as if tens of thousands of dominoes are falling in an extremely complex design. Many of the steps are known to medical science, but many are not. One thing we know and have known for thousands of years: stop the runaway inflammation and health will always improve! So, no matter what the "condition" is that is causing distress, reducing excess inflammation will always improve the way we feel.

Betalains in Nopalea are anti-inflammatory nutrients. They help your body do what it does best: repair with controlled inflammation while dousing the flames of runaway inflammation. So, we can say with confidence that if runaway inflammation is the problem, reducing that inflammation is part of the solution. Address the root causes of runaway inflammation by following the 10 Essentials, and taking Healthy Aging nutrients, adaptogens and Nopalea!


Take Control of Your Health

• Eat 5, 7 or 9 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Include a rainbow of colors, including leafy
  green vegetables.
• Supplement appropriately:
  • Healthy Aging nutrients to fill deficiency
  • Nopalea to put out the fire and drain toxins
  • Adaptogen 10 Plus to help counteract damage caused by stress
• Sleep peacefully every night and enjoy activity every day

[BernardMaree]

Understanding Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal Allergies: In Full Bloom

More and more people are experiencing allergies and suffering with related symptoms. In past Weekly Wellness Reports we have discussed how histamine receptors trigger inflammation in the four tissues they populate:

1. The airways
2. The digestive/reproductive tract
3. Our brain
4. Our immune system

Histamines are triggers for runaway inflammation.

If we are to combat the rise in allergy symptoms we must first understand them. How are histamines produced? What effect do they have on the four receptor sites (H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4)? These important questions require answers from anyone experiencing symptoms.

The four sites

We are all familiar with H-1 site (airways) symptoms: watery, itchy, inflamed eyes and nose, throat and lungs. The same signs of inflammation we experience in our respiratory tract with H-1 inflammation occur in the three other sites:

• H-2 sites (digestive/reproductive tracts) inflame and we experience: acid indigestion, gastric reflux, dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis and inflammation of the reproductive tract.
• H-3 sites (the brain) inflame and we experience: anxiety, agitation, insomnia, depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity, autism, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.
• H-4 sites (the immune system) inflame and we experience: autoimmune symptoms associated with chronic fatigue, body aches and pains, rapid aging and hormone disruption.

The root of the tree may be the same (histamines) but the fruit on the tree (symptoms) depends on our genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle choices. It also depends on timing. For example, an explosion of histamines in the brain may manifest as hyperactivity in the young and anxiety in the elderly (and insomnia in everyone).

Important for growth

Histamines are not "bad" chemicals – just misunderstood. We sometimes need histamines to protect us from poisons. When we have hay fever, our body misidentifies a harmless pollen grain as a toxic poison. Histamines actually flood the area to remove the pollen. However, these histamines are critically important in other ways. Our body uses controlled inflammation to accomplish good things. For example, we make histamines to facilitate the process of puberty. Just imagine the physical changes little boys and girls have to experience to become young men and women. These physical changes are caused by the controlled inflammation of histamines. Our ability to stay awake and alert is dependent upon histamines as well. However, when these become imbalanced we may experience symptoms such as PMS and hyperactivity.

Histamines form

To make histamines we need protein amino acids and the B vitamins folate and B-12. One important amino acid in forming histamines is methionine. A sign that our methionine metabolism is impaired is elevated homocysteine levels.

Many people have a hard time digesting Vitamin B-12. For example, people with any digestive irritation will be unable to absorb B-12. When B-12 levels go down, histamines go up! This is because normal, healthy levels of folate quickly become unbalanced and begin converting proteins to histamine. These histamines attach to any available receptor site.

Here is an important reason why people can experience different symptoms from the same basic cause (too little B-12): One person may be born with more H-1 receptors, so they experience allergies in the airways. Another person may be born with more H-3 receptors, so they experience insomnia. One person may simply be born with more receptor sites than another.

Restoring Balance

To bring balance back into the system we need Vitamin B-12. Please note: How much B-12 is in the bloodstream is not important in deciding how much B-12 you can use! Vitamin B-12 exits the blood system quickly and we may get a false impression of our actual need for nutrient balance by viewing B-12 this way. It is better to look at the end results if we are to truly determine the benefit of taking B-12. For example, elevated homocysteine levels tell us we need a high level of folate and B-12. Elevated histamine levels in our blood (or signs of excess histamines in our body) tell us we need extra Vitamin B-12, but less folic acid.

This is why I formulated Super Sublingual B-12 with large amounts of B-12 (both methyl- and cyano- B-12) and low amounts of folic acid. It is also why I formulated HCY Guard® with a closer ratio of the two nutrients and why Dr. Libby used a similar strategy.

Super Sublingual B-12 helps restore balance to people troubled by signs of high histamines. Regardless of your specific symptoms, Super Sublingual B-12 may be the relief you need from the inflammation of elevated histamines.

Take Control of Your Health

• Reduce your exposure to toxins – go green!
• Increase deep breathing
• Maximize water consumption
• Get adequate sleep and reduce stress
• Take B-12 to help slow histamine formation
• Take Nopalea™ to break the cycle of inflammation

[BernardMaree]

Spring clean with Vitamin C

Well, it's officially spring in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the traditional time for spring cleaning – in our home and inside our body. Time to rid ourselves of all the junk we can't use anymore and start fresh!

Vitamin C can help us clean out the old and make room for the new.

Would you like to hear something interesting about Vitamin C? Almost all mammals except humans produce Vitamin C as ascorbic acid in their livers. But not just mammals: Almost all animals in the Animal Kingdom produce Vitamin C every day to maintain their health. Why don't humans produce Vitamin C? How much Vitamin C do people need to take? What effect does Vitamin C have in your body?

The role of Vitamin C

Let's answer the easy question first: How much Vitamin C does a person need to take? Well, when animals produce Vitamin C it is according to their needs at that moment and during that particular time in their life. A young dolphin may produce much more Vitamin C than an older sibling or parent. However, all dolphins – and all other animals – produce more Vitamin C when they have an infection, when they are exposed to toxins and when they are under stress.

So, we understand that people need different amounts of Vitamin C at different times in their life. We also need more Vitamin C when we face challenges to our health and well-being. In a recent Weekly Wellness Report on colds and flu, we discussed how a Vitamin C flush can help you determine the precise amount of Vitamin C you can use during a given period in your life. The Vitamin C flush was recommended by two-time Nobel Laureate Dr. Linus Pauling, his protégé Dr. Alfred Libby and former director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Russell Jaffe.

What does your body do with all that Vitamin C?

Vitamin C makes things happen in your body.

• Bones – All of the minerals in your bones require Vitamin C to turn them from lifeless rocks into health-building minerals.
• Blood – Your blood needs Vitamin C to convert iron into hemoglobin.
• Thyroid – Your thyroid gland needs Vitamin C to convert copper into thyroid enzymes that carry protein.
• Collagen – All of the collagen in your skin, gums and the rest of your body requires Vitamin C to convert dead protein from your diet into living tissue. This makes you look good as well as feel good!
• Immune system function – Vitamin C activates a certain kind of immune cell called a lymphocyte. Lymphocytes, as the name implies, live mostly in your lymph system. However, they can travel in and out of your bloodstream as well. Lymphocytes that have been activated by your thymus gland can go anywhere in your body to fight disease. The thymus gland uses Vitamin C to program lymphocytes to search out one specific target and destroy it.
• Antioxidant protection – Vitamin C is also an antioxidant. Your body uses it to make glutathione – the "mother" of all antioxidants. What's more, all other antioxidants can be refreshed by Vitamin C. Important antioxidants like Vitamins A and E can have their lifespan extended by Vitamin C. Antioxidants protect you from premature aging.

Vitamin C has so many functions that you could spend a lifetime studying this one important vitamin. Try the Vitamin C flush and determine how much Vitamin C you can use each day. It can be quite the "spring cleaning," as it helps remove old lymphocytes and other debris held over in your body. I suggest that you repeat this procedure quarterly – at the change of the seasons. You will find your need for Vitamin C will diminish when you eat fresh fruits and vegetables. It will increase when you are under stress or facing illness.

Conclusion

Why don't humans produce Vitamin C like other animals? The answer is that we don't know. What we do know is that people are healthier when they eat Vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables. And in this stress-filled, toxic world we have created, more Vitamin C is needed than a depleted diet can provide. This is why we have supplements to help us compensate for the special circumstances we find ourselves in today.

So, do your spring cleaning and start this season of your life in the best possible shape!

Take Control of Your Health

• Eat Vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables:
  • Sweet and spicy peppers
  • Most fruits, especially berries and citrus
  • Dark green and yellow vegetables
  • Leafy green vegetables
• Eat the right daily amount:
  • Children: 5 servings of fruit and vegetables
  • Women: 7 servings of fruit and vegetables
  • Men: 9 servings of fruit and vegetables
• Remember, cooking destroys Vitamin C
• Take your Healthy Aging supplements
• Do the Vitamin C flush quarterly

[BernardMaree]

Creating Your Wellness Sanctuary

The 10 Essentials of Health and Wellness are the keys to a happy, healthy life. No pill, potion, product or program that excludes these values will succeed for long. Any approach to wellness that you embrace will be enhanced and will have the greatest chance of lifelong success if it is built upon a foundation of the 10 Essentials.

The difference between wellness and illness is not so much the difference between "knowing" and "not knowing" the 10 Essentials; instead, it is the difference between "knowing" and "actually doing" the actions associated with true wellness. Do you agree? Then you will also agree that you not only need knowledge, you also need desire and a helpful setting. You need a wellness sanctuary!

Your sanctuary

What is a "wellness sanctuary"? It is a place and time where you can practice your wellness principles. It should be a stress-free zone, free from conflict. It should be a noise-free zone, where chatter and distractions are minimal or eliminated. It should be pleasant to all of your senses. Your sanctuary needs to be a place of rest and peace.

Your home or garden could be your wellness sanctuary. Or it could be a favorite room, or even a small space within a room. The idea is to make your sanctuary space a place where you can retreat from the relentless stress of the day. So you want to create an environment (big or small) that is conducive to your physical, emotional and spiritual wellness. Also remember, setting up your sanctuary and your wellness regimen is typically not achieved overnight. It could take some time to work it all out, so set SMART goals:

• Specific as to time and place
• Measurable in their application
• Achievable given the reality of your world
• Reasonable with respect to commitments you have already made
• Timely in their execution

A very useful step we can take toward creating a sanctuary is to designate a specific time and place. Some people make their bedroom their first place of refuge, and then commit to specific do not disturb times for self-care. For example, some turn off their cell phones and retreat to their sanctuary (bedroom) an hour before they actually plan to sleep. There is no computer or television in their bedroom; the light is low and the colors are soft. Many will also journal their progress in applying the 10 Essentials to their lives (they journal with pen and paper, not an electronic gizmo) and meditate on ways to better apply what they know in pursuit of their goals.

Taking time for wellness

Once you have established your sanctuary "place," it's critical to also establish your sanctuary "time." How much "me time" can you commit to on a regular basis? What time is best for you? What will you accomplish during this time?

Morning – in the morning hours, you could physically exercise and mentally prepare for your day by:

• Engaging in a minimum of 30 minutes of activity, most days of the week, to satisfy Essential #5 (note: the healthiest cultures on earth spend about 2 1/2 hours daily in physical activity).
• Planning your meals in order to get the most nutrition from them (Essential #4) and beginning your daily water intake (Essential #2).
• Thinking about how you will...give and receive love during the day (Essential #6)...focus on specific things and people for which you are grateful (Essential #8)...set your spiritual compass for the day ahead (Essential #10).

Evening – during the latter part of the day, you could commit to greater health by:

• • Practicing deep breathing for 20 minutes (Essential #1).
  • Quieting your mind in preparation for 7 1/2 to 9 hours of peaceful sleep (Essential #3).
  • Let go of any lingering resentments from the day (Essentials #7 & #9).

Added Support

To make the most of your "sanctuary time," it pays to be in a calmer state of body and mind. If you have trouble reaching this state, then there are two supplements in particular that could be added to your daily regimen.

• Body – to help your body reach a calmer state, you can take Adaptogen 10 Plus®. Its unique blend of ingredients is specifically targeted to help your body better adapt to and overcome all the stresses of today's hectic world.
• Mind – to help your mind reach a more calm, relaxed and focused state, you can take Sublingual B-12. Many adults have a B-12 deficiency due to aging and diet, so you definitely want to check this out and see how it could help your own situation.

In Conclusion

For complete wellness, you need to learn and live the The 10 Essentials of Health and Wellness. And to help you best incorporate the 10 Essentials, you would benefit greatly by establishing a specific sanctuary of time and space and commit to it. You can always start small, and then later expand your self-care activities as your circumstances permit. But in any case, the goal is to create your very own personal haven of wellness.

Take Control of Your Health

• Make wellness a priority
• Set Do Not Disturb times and places
• Expand your sanctuary to include your entire domain
• Use bright, cheery lighting in the morning
• Plan your day well
• Conclude your day completely

[BernardMaree]

Take the Nopalea Loading Phase

You can't put out a forest fire with a single pail of water. Likewise, you can't break the cycle of inflammation with a single serving of Nopalea™.

We need to meet the level of inflammation in our body with an equivalent force of anti-inflammatory Betalains from Nopalea. We must quench inflammation with a Nopalea Loading Phase (NLP).

The cycle of inflammation

Inflammation in your body is like a campfire: when properly contained it is useful for warming your body and cooking your food. However, when even a single ember escapes the hearth and remains unquenched, it can smolder and spread until it burns down an entire forest!

The cycle of inflammation begins with injury or trauma, toxins or poisons, deficiency or stress. When inflammation is controlled and balanced, it facilitates:

• Repair of the injury.
• Elimination of the toxins and poisons.
• Relief for many forms of deficiency and stress. For example, controlled and balanced inflammation relieves blood and oxygen deficiency in areas of poor circulation.

Runaway inflammation persists long after the cause has been removed. It continues to smolder and spread until something breaks the cycle. With fire, usually a little water will quench an ember before it causes a forest fire. With runaway inflammation in our body, we need anti-inflammatory nutrients that will remove the cause as well as the effect of inflammation.

However, the same amount of water that quenches a single ember will not douse the flames of a forest fire. The same level of anti-inflammatory nutrients that will balance daily trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress will not "put out the fire" of runaway inflammation.

The Nopalea Loading Phase

We are a people on fire: we typically have runaway inflammation raging in one or more places of our bodies. We suffer from this because so many of our health problems stem from this very condition. And if our inflamed condition is greater in size and intensity, the greater our response will have to be in order to put out the fire.

That makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, if you have a forest fire of inflammation you can't put it out with a single pail of water. The same is true with our health: If we have been suffering from major inflammation over a long period of time, we need a REALLY SIGNIFICANT RESPONSE to put out the fire.

We need a Nopalea Loading Phase.

The Betalains in Nopalea are anti-inflammatory – as such, they put out the fire of inflammation. But how much Nopalea do you need? That depends: How big is the fire you are trying to put out?

For maintenance, the label suggests drinking 1 to 3 ounces a day; this amount is needed every day just to fight the inflammatory effects of our diet, air and water pollution, and even everyday stress. But you need to take more in the beginning to break the cycle of inflammation. Here is how the Nopalea Loading Phase works:

1. Pre-Evaluation: Before taking Nopalea for the first time, record your level of pain and rate the discomfort you feel. Also, look at things you may not readily associate with inflammation. For example, how well are you sleeping? Write it all down.
2. Complete the Loading Phase: Drink 3 to 6 ounces of chilled Nopalea every day for 30 days.
3. Post-Evaluation: After 30 days, assess how you feel in comparison to before you started the Loading Phase. Most people find a significant difference and I'm sure you will too.

Keep following the Loading Phase directions until the cycle of inflammation is extinguished in your body. Remember, only YOU know how much Nopalea you will need or how LONG you will need to continue the Loading Phase. Trust your intuition.

• If you think you need more – take more.
• If you think you need to continue the Loading Phase beyond 30 days – then keep doing it.

Trust your instinct because only you can tell when the cycle of inflammation in your body is broken.

Restoring balance

Nutrient deficiencies create inflammation. That's why it makes enormous sense to take a full serving of Healthy Aging nutrients to support our bodies' firefighting efforts. Furthermore, each of the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness is also anti-inflammatory in nature. So if we fail to abide by these timeless, natural laws, we could very well be fanning the fires of the inflammatory problems we're ultimately trying to overcome. It's important to remember that once you have subdued the flames of runaway inflammation, you need to follow Nopalea's maintenance regimen to help prevent any smoldering inflammatory embers from re-igniting again.

Take Control of Your Health

• Follow the Nopalea Loading Phase: Drink 3 to 6 ounces of chilled Nopalea daily for 30 days. But also consider:
• Drinking a greater amount each day if you feel that your body needs it
• Extending the Loading Phase beyond 30 days if you feel it will help
• Take your Healthy Aging nutrients every day
• Practice the 10 Essentials for greater wellness

[BernardMaree]

"Love Notes"

One of the questions I receive most often is about a very delicate subject: the libido, or sexual drive. The human libido, however, is not only about sex – it's also a very important marker for both physical and emotional health. Disturbance in sexual drive is connected with almost all serious disorders, such as heart disease and even Alzheimer's. We need to learn what a disturbance in sexual function may mean – at any age.

Hormones: special messengers

You may recall from previous reports that hormones are messengers. They convey instructions that demand a specific response. When that demand is met, your body will often send another hormone out to say, "Mission accomplished".

There are thousands of different hormones. We know the names of some of the more familiar ones: estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, etc. These are special hormones for reproduction, but they also serve many other functions not even remotely associated with reproduction – this is a very important point!

Consider the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is produced in men, women and children. Progesterone has such a vital effect upon the brain that it is given after brain injury to promote healing. Progesterone also improves the beauty of the skin, lowers blood pressure, reduces muscle spasms, increases energy and opens the airways. Higher levels of progesterone are associated with stress resistance and improved libido. Progesterone is the messenger conveying "love notes" to your mind and body.

Stress: anti-progesterone, anti-libido

With higher levels of progesterone come higher levels of testosterone and DHEA, the "anti-stress" hormone. But when stress increases, the libido goes down because the levels of progesterone, testosterone and DHEA all decrease. This happens because the nutrients that normally help fuel the production of these three hormones are instead redirected through the body's homeostasis process to help fuel its "fight or flight" functions, which are activated by stress.

Furthermore, progesterone is made from cholesterol. So when intermittent or chronic stress causes progesterone production to go down, the cholesterol that is normally used to produce it is freed from that function and ends up being released into the bloodstream. As a result, the body's overall cholesterol level rises. And when "bad" cholesterol levels rise, so does the risk for heart attack and Alzheimer's disease.

What to do

Hormones have a life cycle of three stages: we make them, we use them and we eliminate them. For the first stage of "making good hormones", we need to remember that good hormones are made from good cholesterol, which in turn is made from good fats. OmegaPrime® contains a balanced blend of Omega fats to help your body make good hormones. Try two or more per meal for several months to help rebalance your hormones, improve the sexual function and reclaim the sexual drive. This recommendation is valid for both women and men.

To further help with the hormone life cycle, Balanced Woman® capsules contain botanicals such as damiana that instruct your body to make hormones from these fats and use them appropriately. For men, Prostate Health Formula™ contains the botanical remedy pygeum which works in a similar way. Doubling the label recommendations for both of these powerful nutrient combinations can help deliver restorative levels of these important ingredients.

Finally, remember that stress is like a poison for healthy sexual drive and sexual activity. Taking the anti-stress adaptogen rhodiola (found in Adaptogen 10 Plus®) can help – it acts as a bulwark against the damaging effects of stress. Also, the antioxidants in Adaptogen 10 Plus work to improve the nitric oxide cycle in your bloodstream in a similar way as medications do for sexual dysfunction. If you want to help reduce your stress daily, take Adaptogen 10 Plus. And take more when you want to send your body more "love notes".

Remember, no matter what your age, a healthy libido is a sign of a healthy body and mind. If you are suffering from sexual dysfunction you should see a doctor soon, as this can be a sign of a serious illness. To help support healthy sexual function, remember OmegaPrime®, Balanced Woman® or Prostate Health Formula™ and Adaptogen 10 Plus®.

Take Control of Your Health

• Reduce stress – it poisons sexual performance
• Get your rest – hormones are produced in your sleep
• Increase "good" dietary fats; reduce "bad" fats
• Avoid alcohol
• Stop smoking
• Have a medical check-up
• Check all medications for sexual side effects

[BernardMaree]

Tips for Time Management

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of."
– Benjamin Franklin

We speak of "time management" as if time were a commodity to be managed like lumber or DVDs. But as Mr. Franklin put it, time is the precious fabric of life. And once a moment has passed, it is gone forever. So, how can we make the most of time (and life)?

Think systematically

An overarching principle of time management was stated by Steven Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He stressed that we need to "put first things first." This means having a pretty clear idea of the direction of our life. For convenience’s sake, you could work from these three points:

• What is our purpose?
• What are our strengths, talents and resources?
• What do we desire or want? What are our goals?

So, working with these points, here is the systematic thinking process: Our work should be derived from our sense of purpose. Purpose, then, is a journey rather than a destination. It is the unique way we combine our natural abilities (our talents) with our education and expertise (our strengths) to meet our short term objectives and long term goals. Living a life of Purpose requires that we dedicate our resources (time, energy, health & wealth) in pursuit of a cause or mission that reflects our core identity. It is not dictated by circumstances; rather, Purpose dictates the way we approach every circumstance. Situations change but Purpose does not!"

As for our desires, wants and goals, they should be harmonious with our values and sense of purpose. Steven Covey urges us to consider this "first thing" before our next step, which is to set goals in harmony with our sense of purpose. Goals are general statements of intent that are limited by time, distance, amount and other measurable quantities. Each goal comes with a series of progressive objectives: what needs to be done, by when and by whom? These systematic steps help us create mileposts as we engage in the enthusiasm of living a life of purpose.

Remember, happiness comes from setting and achieving worthwhile goals.

Prioritize

Mr. Covey developed a system for determining how to "put first things first" in almost any situation: the four quadrants of time management.

• Quadrant 1 – Urgent and important: crisis management
• Quadrant 2 – Not urgent, but important: time management
• Quadrant 3 – Urgent, but not important: distraction
• Quadrant 4 – Not urgent, not important: wasted time

Quadrant 2 is where the majority of our time should be spent: planning, learning, doing, relationship-building, recreation – all according to immediate objectives, long-term goals and our own, personal sense of purpose. The more time we spend in these activities, the more effective our time management will be. And this translates to a happier life!

As you can see, this is less about how we manage time and more about how we manage ourselves.

Use our strengths, talents and resources wisely

We all need to select the most purposeful use of our precious resources:

• Time: It can never be replaced. Each moment is the only one of its kind and then it is gone.
• Talents: Fortunately, we can develop our talents with time and practice.
• Health: We can improve and maintain our health by the vigorous application of The 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.
• Wealth: We can develop wealth appropriate to our spirit of service.

Nutrients can also play a role in building a life of purpose. Certainly, we cannot hope to build a life filled with public and private victories without a solid foundation in health and wellness. Our Healthy Aging nutrients provide a solid foundation for health. Sublingual B-12 can help fuel an energetic mind while Energy Now! can help fuel an energetic body. (Energy now! also personally helps me stay on task without giving in to distractions when doing my important work.)

Dedicate yourself to living a life of purpose. Set worthwhile goals as well as clear, measurable objectives. And both cherish and manage the time that you have – for time is the stuff life is made of!

Take Control of Your Health

1. Explore your most noble desires
   • Decide what you want your life to stand for.
   • Write your epitaph – how do you wish to be remembered?
   • If time and money were not factors, what would you be doing?
2. Write down your purposes. Often these fall into four categories:
   • Relationships/Love
   • Play/Recreation
   • Work
   • Worship
3. Decide the goals and objectives that you must reach along the way
   • Write them down specifically
   • Create measurements or milestones to assess your progress
   • Celebrate your successes
   • Re-assess your plans (but not your purposes) often
4. Use the 10 Essentials to create the perfect environment for success

[BernardMaree]

Reversing Bone Loss

The shocking statistics – according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation:

• 10 million people in North America have osteoporosis.
• 80% of those affected by osteoporosis are women.
• 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men over the age of 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture as they age.
• Following a hip fracture from osteoporosis, 1 in 4 people will die within a year (the death rate is twice as high for men as for women). Also, 1 in 4 will become complete invalids requiring long-term care.
• Only one-third of the people suffering an osteoporosis-related hip fracture will heal and return to a normal life.

A childhood disease?

To understand the process of premature bone loss we must first understand the nature of bone. Your bones are alive. But every cell in your skeleton has a lifespan. It is "born" from stem cells, it lives for many years and then it dies. When it reaches the end of its lifespan, a new bone cell replaces it.

During our youth, there are more new bone cells being born than there are old bone cells dying. As a result, our bones get longer, bigger, denser and healthier. By our teen years our bones reach PMD (peak mineral density). Therefore, the healthier our bones are as children, the longer they will last as we age. Good nutrition during childhood is so important because we are building a healthy bone foundation for our senior years.

At about age 30 the rates of bone cells being born and those dying are about equal. By age 40 the pendulum definitely swings to the other side and the amount of bone cells dying every day exceeds the amount being born. Over time, your bones become thinner, less active and are more challenged to support your body.

Bones that thin too fast are called osteopenic. About 45 million people in North America suffer from bones that are too thin. When thinning continues to the point where a bone resembles Swiss cheese (full of holes and pores), the condition is said to be osteoporosis. The bone at this stage is diseased and can fracture with the slightest stress.

Reversing premature bone loss

The best way to reverse a problem is to help prevent it in the first place.

Children and adults up to age 30 should:

• Take a calcium, magnesium and Vitamin D supplement every day.
• Focus on leafy green vegetables as a dietary source of calcium and magnesium.
• Get at least 20 minutes of direct sunshine on 40% of their body every day as a natural source of Vitamin D.
• Perform weight-bearing exercises most days of the week.

Adults over 30 should do the same things. However, bone-building requirements for adults (including supplements) need to be more rigorous. This is especially true if they have any risk factors for osteoporosis.

Growing new bone

Regardless of your age or bone density, you can help slow or stop the process of bone loss and you can start producing new, healthy bone cells. All it requires is a little time every day for exercise and sunshine, plus the right nutrients. The nutrition you need is found in whole foods – especially leafy green vegetables. Supplements can also play a critical role by providing the intense, specific nutrients needed for restoring healthy bones.

• TriVita's VitaCal-Mag D™ is designed for people under age 30 as well as those over that age who have no risk factors for bone loss.
• TriVita's Bone Growth Factor™ is designed for people over 30 who have risk factors for osteoporosis. This disease is characterized by the decrease in bone mass and density; i.e., the bones thin and become more porous. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, there are many different risk factors for this disease, including genetics, age, gender, menopause, certain medications and others. (For a full list of risk factors, see the National Osteoporosis Foundation link listed under the Learn More! section below). Because Bone Growth Factor has been clinically proven to re-grow bone, it is an ideal supplement for those that have Osteopathic risks.

The good news is that you can add more new, healthy bone mass every year you follow these steps – no matter how old you are or how thin your bones are. Help turn back the clock on bone loss with proper lifestyle choices and intense nutrition.

Take Control of Your Health

• Get 20 minutes of morning and/or evening sunshine every day
• Do weight-bearing exercises most days of the week
• Eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables daily:
• Children: 5 servings (include 2 or 3 servings of leafy green vegetables)
• Women: 7 servings (include 4 or 5 servings of leafy green vegetables)
• Men: 9 servings (include 6 or 7 servings of leafy green vegetables)
• Sleep 7 ½ to 9 hours every night
• Supplement your diet with calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin D every day:
• TriVita's VitaCal-Mag D™ for those under age 30
• TriVita's Bone Growth Factor™ for those over age 30

[BernardMaree]

Are There Alternatives for Water?

Healthy Living Essential #2 is Drink Water. Many people don't follow this Essential for one reason or another. Some use water "alternatives" instead. But I can tell you, with full conviction, that there are NO alternatives to water! You must drink water and you must drink it in abundance.

Pros and cons of water "alternatives"

Let's look at some of the positive and negative aspects of so-called alternatives to water:

• 100% fruit juice – contains some vitamins, minerals and a lot of sugar. In fact, a 16-ounce glass of fruit juice contains about 50 grams of sugar and 220 calories. Fructose, or fruit sugar, reduces the rate at which we absorb fluid and can actually make you thirstier, leading to over-consumption of calories from juice.
• Sport drinks – often contain fructose or sucrose syrups, flavorings and colorings. The electrolytes, sodium and potassium are helpful for endurance-type exercise or activity, but not necessary for everyday exercise. A 16 ounce sport drink has roughly 30 grams of sugar and over 100 calories.
• Energy drinks – contain vitamins, amino acids, a lot of sugar and caffeine. Although advertised as providing more energy, what they really provide is more calories and caffeine. Added caffeine can be temporarily energizing, but often leads to a rapid dip in energy and can be potentially habit forming. An eight ounce energy drink has about 115 calories and 80 milligrams of caffeine.
• Fitness waters – these waters are laced with an assortment of nutrients, herbs, flavorings and/or sweeteners. These enhancements are usually too insufficient to have any meaningful impact on your health; plus these waters can be costly. As for calories, they can contain anywhere from 10 to 100 or more calories in a 16 ounce drink.
• Carbonated beverages – such as regular or diet sodas can be high in sugar or artificial sweeteners and caffeine. Colas are also high in phosphates, which bind with calcium and weaken bones. Regular soda can contain up to 200 or more calories for 16 ounces.
• Coffee, tea and lattes – are also very popular. But along with the caffeine, they often contain added sugars and fats which can add up to as many as 450 calories for a 16 ounce drink. Since most caffeinated products provide very few nutrients, it is typically advised to keep intake low.
• Flavored waters – are waters with a touch of natural flavoring. By itself, this is fine. Unfortunately, however, many flavored waters contain sugar (some even have more than a can of soda pop) or caffeine and other additives, all of which should be avoided.

In contrast to the water alternatives above, we can get water that is good for us from food. Many fruits and vegetables, for example, are high in water content as well as antioxidants (which is a nice plus). The guideline for consuming the right amount of fruit and vegetables is 5, 7 or 9 servings daily, depending upon our size and gender.

Healthy ways to spice up your water

In summary, we now know two things. First, there are no real alternatives to water – they all have too many drawbacks. And second, water is essential to good health – it helps the body both detoxify and fuel metabolism for energy.

But these two findings present a problem for all of the people who feel that water is just too boring to drink on a regular basis. They are likely to wonder, "Are there ways to make my water taste better? And are there drinks besides water that can help support my body's detoxification and metabolic processes?" The answer is YES. You can use the recipes below to spice up your water while adding extra detoxification and metabolism support:

• Nopalea Splash: Take 6 ounces of naturally carbonated spring water and add 1 ounce of Nopalea™ to it for a hydrating, detoxifying and refreshing beverage that naturally helps reduce inflammation.
• Tea Time 10 Plus: Take 6 ounces of either hot or cold green tea and add 1 ounce of Adaptogen 10 Plus®. You can get the health benefits of green tea coupled with the stress-busting effects of adaptogens.

Water: the life-essential beverage
At birth, water can make up as much as 80% of a baby's body weight. Yet at death, for adults in their 70s and 80s, water often makes up less than 40% of the body weight.

Water is life. And in a sense, dehydration equals death.

Drink Water – and claim the health benefits of this life-giving liquid!


Take Control of Your Health

• Calculate your water needs using the simple formula below:
  Your weight in pounds divided by 2 = ounzes of water per day
• Work with your body:
  • Drink 2 glasses of water when you get up in the morning
  • Drink 2 glasses of water per hour until your needs are met
  • After 3 p.m., drink only small amounts of water as needed
• Eat brightly colored, high water-content fruits and vegetables:
  • 5 servings for children
  • 7 servings for women
  • 9 servings for men
• Try mixing Nopalea with sparkling water
• Try adding Adaptogen 10 Plus to hot or cold green tea