Here's highlights from our e-newsletter, Healthy News, plus a few additional pages for topics of interest.
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Past Healthy News:
Probiotics/ADD
Avoiding High Fructose Corn Syrup
An Angry Heart?
Earth Day
Eggs & Chlorophyll
Why Buy Organic
Greens & Statins
Vitamins & Fish
American Heart Month
Antioxidants
Candida
Celiac Disease
Do You Have Parasites?
Diabetes - GMOs
Heart Health & Coffee
Cold & Flu Remedies
Ear Drop Remedy
by Source Naturals
Most people know the benefits of firing up the metabolism in a weight management program: the body burns more calories for increased energy and less fat storage. Less well known is the importance of interrupting the inflammation cycle. Inflammation can alter our body chemistry so it is more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.Inflama-Trim by Source Naturals is designed to interrupt the cycle at a number of different points. Inflama-Trim is a complex array of nutrients designed to give a systemic approach to healthy weight management. Here's some information about what Inflama-Trim targets and which ingredients help.
Inflammation
One key to reducing inflammation is to ease the body's inflammation messengers, such as cytokines. Inflama-Trim includes tumeric, hops, resveratrol, rosemary, bromelain, holy basil, ginger root, and magnesium to counter metabolic inflammation.
Brain/Cognition
Stress induces the release of cortisol, which in turn increases fat retention. At the same time, neurotransmitters influence alert mental functioning, drive, and ambition. Neurotransmitters that have stimulating properties can support a positive outlook by activating a feeling of energy and vitality. Helpful ingredients include L-phenylaline, GABA, L-theanine, niacinamide, magnesium, and vitmains B5 and B6.
Metabolism/Hormones
In response to stress, the adrenal glands produce hormones such as cortisol, which can cause weight retention. Inflama-Trim is formulated to reduce anxiety and stress and to maintain healthy adrenal function, including holy basil, relora, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B5 and B6.
Sugar Balance
Blood glucose can be transported into the cell for energy, or it can be converted to fat ans stored. Namy nutrients can aid the body to stimulate glucose uptake, such as alpha-lipoic acid, banaba leaf, bitter melon, chromium, cinnamon bark, fenugreek seeds, and vanadium. At the same time the cells are becoming more efficient in glucose uptake, it is also helpful to control appetite. Natural compounds that decrease appetite are garcinia and gymnema sylvestre.
Energy
In any weight management program, the key is to reduce caloric intake while increasing physical activity. Yet the body requires larger amounts of chemical energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate, to compensate for increased energy expentiture. Ingredients included to enhance energy production include green tea, ginger root, magnesium, Bioperine, L-tyrosine, gum guggul, iodide, chromium, potassium, acetyl L-carnitine, and vitamins B5 and B6.
Digestion
Inflama-Trim included two compounds that actively help block the digestive absorption of fats and carbohydrates so they can be reduced int he body. Chitosan is a fiber compound that absorbs and expels fats. Phase 2 is made from white kidney beans and slows down the digestion of starches. Dandelion leaf and bladderwrack are also included to aid in removing waste products.
Liver/Detox
Among its many functions, the liver is the main fat metabolizer because it breaks down lipids. It regulates blood sugar and converts many vitamins into active nutrients, all while it cleanses and detoxifies the entire body. Healthy liver function is supported by ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, acetyl L-carnitine, dandelion root, n-acetyl cysteine, bupleurum root, alpha lipoic acid, potassium, vitamins B5 and B6, niacinamide, and beta-sitosterol.
Source Naturals takes a wide, holistic view of health care. Their philosophy in health and product formulation is to address underlying imbalances to keep the body in alignment.
If you missed our email newsletter, here's what we said about Inflammation and Weight Gain:
Most people know the benefits of firing up the metabolism in a weight management program: the body burns more calories for increased energy and less fat storage. Less well known is the importance of interrupting the inflammation cycle. Inflammation can alter our body chemistry so it is more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
Metabolic inflammation is the inappropriate activation of our immune systems, which can disrupt many of our body's systems and can have severe effects on weight retention and weight gain.
As with so many health issues, the inflammation cycle can begin with a poor diet. An excess amount of refined carbohydrates such as breads, cookies, and chips aren't only high in calories but also high in carbs. Carbohydrates are digested to form glucose, the body's main energy source. The more refined the carbohydrate, the faster the glucose is released into the bloodstream, surging the body with sugar. This can cause less stable energy levels in the body, as blood sugar peaks and drops quickly in response to refined carbs.
High blood glucose not only signals the liver to produce more fat and excess cholesterol, it also signals the pancreas to produce excess insulin. The upsurge in insulin increases fat storage. If the increased fat is not burned off as energy, some of it will be stored as visceral adipose tissue (VAT), which is the fat surrounding the midsection.
At the same time, stress can also affect this process. Stress causes the body to produce cortisol, which also increases VAT storage. VAT affects more than just weight as it acts like a gland, secreting cytokines. Cytokines are messenger molecules that turn on the inflammatory response in the body. Other inflammation triggers include environmental toxins, poor diet, and an unhealthy lifestyle.
This vicious cycle can be stopped! By interrupting the inflammation cycle lose weight, restore blood sugar balance, decrease stress, restore insulin balance, or reduce inflammation. Inflama-Trim by Source Naturals is designed to interrupt the cycle at a number of different points.
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Handling the Stress of the Holidays
Natural Vitality may help!
More than seventy-five years ago, scientists declared magnesium to be an essential mineral for our physical health. In 2006 the World Health Organization re-declared the prime importance of magnesium to health. And yet, due to modern farming practices and present day food processing procedures, this mineral is largely depleted from our soils and food supplies.
Magnesium is one of the most depleted minerals, yet one of the most important. We imagine that medicine has advanced to the stage of miracle cures, yet it’s not technology that we’re lacking but basic nutrients that power our bodies and give us our health.
In a world of constant and rapid-fire change, our bodies are going through energy peaks and energy crashes every day. We’re exhausting our natural physical stores of energy, straining our bodies’ capacity to function at optimum and properly heal itself. Although we often can’t change the amount of work we are expected to perform, we can learn how to preserve and rebuild our energy levels naturally.
Magnesium regulates more than 325 enzymes in the body, the most important of which produce, transport, store, and utilize energy. Magnesium and the B-complex vitamins are excellent examples of energy nutrients, because they activate enzymes that control digestion, absorption, and the utilization of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Many aspects of cell metabolism are regulated by magnesium, such as DNA and RNA synthesis, cell growth, and cell reproduction. Magnesium also orchestrates the electric current that sparks through the miles of nerves in our body. Magnesium has numerous physiological roles, among which are control of nerve action, the activity of the heart, neuromuscular transmission, muscular contraction, vascular tone, blood pressure, and peripheral blood flow. Magnesium modulates and controls the entry and release of calcium from the cell, which determines muscular activity. Without magnesium, muscle and nerve functions are compromised and energy is diminished. We are operating with the power turned off. Because magnesium is involved with hundreds of enzymatic reactions throughout the body, deficiency can affect every aspect of life and cause a score of unhealthy symptoms. Without sufficient magnesium, muscle weakness, soft bones, anxiety, arrhythmia, diabetes, headaches, insomnia and heart disease can result. The National Academy of Sciences has determined that most American men obtain about 80 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) and women average only 70 percent. There are many symptoms of magnesium depletion: stress, fatigue and low energy, inability to sleep, muscle tension, spasms, and cramps, anxiousness and nervousness, irritability, headaches, weakness, and more.
Natural Vitality Natural Calm is an excellent source of magnesium. It comes in a powder that you mix with a little bit of water for an easy way to getyour magnesium. For many people, Natural Calm is the solution to both restoring a healthy magnesuim level and balancing you calcium intake, the result of which is natural stress relief. With the holidays upon us, those symptoms are often more prevalent. Now is the time to see if Natural Calm can help you - stop by and ask for your sample today!
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Deficiencies from Prescription Drugs?
Here is a bit from an article we found interesting. To read the whole article, visit this site: Natural News.
Most people trust that the medicines that they take will help them overcome illness, enhance their health and promote well-being. Unfortunately medications often deplete important nutrients from the body, and people don't find the relief that they seek.
People who have become malnourished as a result of their medications are vulnerable to a host of nutrition related diseases. To make matters worse, they may find themselves having to treat malnourishment with a new batch of medications and this may become a dangerous cycle.
* Statins: reduce CoQ 10 and other important nutrients; may also result in lower levels of A, D, K, folic acid, and iron in the body.
* Antibiotics: led to antibiotic resistant bacteria and loss of healthy bacteria in the gut; may deplete the body of essential nutrients like zinc, magnesium, vitamin Bs, and iron.
* Pain Killers/Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: aspirin and salicylates rob the body of folic acid and potassium; some such as cortisone and prednisone reduce levels of calcium, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins D & C, plus more.
* Diuretics: some deplete sodium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B1 & B6; others deplete CoQ10 and other nutrients.
* Hormone Replacement Drugs/Birth Control: deplete magnesium, zinc, B2, B6, B12, and folic acid, putting women at risk of malnutrition.
* SSRI Drugs: interfere with the absorption of B12, biotin, folic acid, and others; may also deplete CoQ10.
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Do You Have Yeast Overgrowth?
Millions of bacteria reside in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy individuals. A large percentage of these bacteria are beneficial organisms that keep the bowel functioning normally and discourage the overgrowth of Candida albicans yeast and other undesirable bacteria and fungi. Unfortunately, many of use have unhealthy guts, which has lead to an imbalance of bacteria in the intestinal tract, resulting in an overgrowth of yeast.
Some experts believe that 90% of the American population has an overgrowth of yeast. Yeast overgrowth, Candida albicans, in the intestinal tract has been linked to numerous health problems. Common symptoms of overgrowth include allergies (sinus problems), chemical sensitivities, depression, digestive disturbances (abdominal pain, belching, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, heartburn, indigestion), fatigue, headaches, immune system malfunction, and a general sense of 'feeling sick all over'. Here is a a great list we found on the website, Healing Naturally by Bee: Candida Symptoms. We also like the test King Bio has: Candida Test.
So what causes an overgrowth? Many factors can contribute to Candida overgrowth, including impaired immunity, nutrient deficiency, diabetes, impaired liver function, and many prescription drugs, including antibiotics and steroids. A poor diet high in refined sugar and carbs, dairy products, and alcoholic beverages can also add to overgrowth.
If you have any of these symptoms and contributing factors, chances are you have a Candida overgrowth. Now the question is what can you do about it. One thing we highly recommend is a dietary change. Eliminating refined carbohydrates and simple sugars is very important for getting Candida under control. The yeasts feed on sugars, so you will be reducing their food source.
There are also a number of supplements that will help inhibit the growth of Candida. One of our favorites is Nature's Sunshine Yeast/Fungal Detox. This is a nutritional formula designed to enhance immune function, promote liver health, and inhibit the growth and facilitate the detoxification of candida yeast and other pathogenic (disease-causing) fungi. Yeast/Fungal Detox contains herbs and nutrients with proven antifungal and immune-enhancing activity, as well as the ability to improve liver function and promote detoxification, two critical factors in the successful treatment of yeast and fungal overgrowth. Here's a bit of information on a few of the ingredients:
Oregano
Oregano has been widely promoted for yeast infections as it is an antifungal. It also stimulated digestive function and expels excess mucus from the lungs.
Garlic
Garlic has been dubbed 'Nature's Penicillin' as it is excellent at fighting bacterial infections. Garlic also inhibits viral and fungal infections, plus stimulates digestive secretions and expels mucus.
Pau d'Arco
This herb is a powerful anti-fungal agent. Pau d'Arco is considered a blood purifier and is also helpful for bacterial and viral infections, parasites and cancer.
For more details about Yeast/Fungal Detox, check out our informational book on all Nature's Sunshine products.
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