How’s Your Vitality?

A Quiz

Rate your vitality by taking this quiz and rating yourself from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest)

1. Daily Energy Level ____
2. Immune Strength ____
3. Appearance of skin, hair and nails ____
4. Ability to manage stress ___
5. Healthy daily diet ___
6. Overall health and outlook ____
7. Total Up Your Vitality Score: ___

If you scored 17 and under:
At least you’re honest. Now there’s nowhere to go but up. You’re guaranteed to see and feel the difference with this vitalizer program. Start by taking with glass half full.

If you scored 18 – 24:
The good news is you are doing okay. The bad news is you’re doing okay. That’s a far cry from vitality. Time to try this vitalizer program every day. Rise and shine.

If you scored 25-30:
You obviously care about taking care. What better reason than that to up the ante on your vitality by taking this vitalizer program. Feel the difference with an unconditional money-back guarantee. Then share the health.

This vitalizer program redefines vitality and revolutionizes how nutrients are released into your body. It provides every vitamin and mineral your body needs, plus the most powerful antioxidant spectrum to protect your cells, critical anti-aging nutrients to protect your DNA and support healthy aging, seven omega-3’s to help reduce the risk of heart disease and guaranteed super-active probiotics to improve digestive health.

It’s the most scientifically advanced nutrition program ever created—and it’s all in one convenient “vita-strip” that you take once a day.

Order this vitalizer program today online.
And, for even better nutrition, try the vitalizer program wellness pack. The pack combines vitalizing nutrients, patented immune support and energizing soy protein or leucine rich shakes.

And remember, you save 10% when placing this vitalizer program or any vitalizer program pack on AutoShip, so it’s like getting your shipping free.

So join today to get 15% off Suggested Retail price and then put this vitalizer program on AutoShip for another 10% off.

Protect Yourself against Colds and Flu

Influenza affects more than 100 million people in the U.S. each year and approximately 35,000 Americans die from complications of this disease. We also catch nearly a billion colds annually or roughly 2-4 for each adult and 6-10 colds for every kid! 38% of Americans suffer from allergies and our stressful lifestyles, poor dietary habits, and even normal aging make it even tougher to fight off invaders and infections.

Influenza vaccination is recommended for children under age 5, adults over age 65 as well as for anyone suffering with a serious chronic illness. But, of course, the flu vaccine only protects you from the common strain of flu expected on a given year, so boosting your immune system strength and function is incredibly important to help you fight off the myriad of cold viruses and other pathogens.

Your immune system, a complex system of protective cells and biological “soldiers” defends against germs and invading pathogens every day. But viruses and bacteria can live up to 2 hours or more on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desktops. Every time you eat at a restaurant, shake hands, hold on to a grocery cart, or open a door…you’re challenging pathogens to break through your immune defense systems. So how does the body defend itself and what can you do to support your immune system that is so hard at work right now?

Your body’s first line of defense begins with physical barriers like skin, hair, and mucous membranes. If an invader breaks through, it has to elude a series of nonspecific defense mechanisms including patrolling scavenger cells such as macrophages and neutrophils.

If a cell is infected by a virus, it secretes a substance called interferon. Interferon is an immune system regulator that is extremely active in cell defense due to its antiviral and immune stimulating effects. (Learn more about interferon.) When produced by cells infected by viruses, interferon communicates with uninfected cells to trigger an antibody response to the virus. Interferon can also activate natural killer cell activity, macrophage activity, and trigger the release of powerful cytotoxic chemicals designed to neutralize immune system invaders.

Invaders that get past the first lines of defense confront individually tailored defense weapons. Specialized immune cells work together in a specific defense network enabling your system to recognize, remember, and neutralize potentially harmful invaders such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

There are many things that you can do to protect yourself from being infected with a cold or the flu and it starts with getting in the habit of hand-washing and sneezing into your elbow (or a Kleenex). Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables (at least 7 servings per day) and make sure you’re getting an optimal intake of vitamins, minerals and other immune system supporting nutrients, from your diet and supplementation. Exercise regularly—meaning at least 30 minutes per day and get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

Research has shown that good nutrition is essential for supporting optimal immune function and one study even showed the benefits of multivitamin supplementation in reducing the number of infection related illnesses in healthy elderly. Key nutrients such as vitamin C and zinc support skin health; folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 help the body produce huge “armies” of immune support cells; and antioxidants such as vitamin E, beta carotene, and selenium help keep the immune system’s destructive by-products in check.

Well-studied phytonutrients may also bolster immune function. Echinacea is believed to stimulate the immune system to help fight infection and has traditionally been used to treat or prevent colds, flu, and other infections. Some research indicates that echinacea and other herbs such as astralagus may be beneficial for use by those with upper respiratory infections although the results are mixed.

The recent outbreak of e-coli bacteria in spinach also reaffirmed the critical role that the gastrointestinal tract plays in a healthy immune system. The intestines are an important line of defense for the immune system and research is proving that probiotics offer key support for immune system health. In the gut, probiotic bacteria may compete with pathogens for nutrients, decrease production of pro-inflammatory compounds, and may inhibit the growth of bacterial pathogens so it’s especially important to keep a healthy balance of good bacteria, or probiotics living in the gut.

Bolstering immunity is important all year long, but is critical through the winter months. It’s not too late to get a flu shot if your physician recommends it. Get in the habit of frequent hand-washing and sneezing into your elbow. Eat a balanced diet, take your vitamins and immune support nutrients, exercise, and get plenty of rest and sleep. Stay in good health so that your body is in the best possible position to fight off any virus or bacteria or other invader that might come your way.

Find an all natural, exclusive formula that boosts your body's production of interferon.

The Health Benefits Of Omega-3's

Listen to a discussion about the health benefits of Omega-3s.
This 21 minute discussion covers:

• What are Omega-3 fatty acids?
• What are ALA, EPA. and DHA?
• What foods contain Omega-3 fatty acids?
• Why is it a problem if our diet contains too much Omega-6 fatty acids?
• What about our diets puts our fatty acids out of balance>
• How do the Omega-3 fatty acids:
  
  • promote heart health
  • reduce triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL, and blood pressure
  • reduce the risk of stroke
  • benefit diabetics by reducing their health risks
  • assist weight loss
  • improve arthritis
  • promote bone health
  • reduce the risk of dementia
  • delay the development Alzheimer's disease
  • benefit bipolar disorder, depression, and verbal decline
  • diminish the likelihood of colon and breast cancer
  • reduce the risk of macular degeneration
  • promote fetal development
  • improve lung function for those with asthma
  • hair, skin and finger nails
• How to increase your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids?
• What concerns should you have about fish oil supplements?
• What about flax?
• How much Omega-3 fatty acids do we need?

Additional Information:
Read an informative pamphlet about this premium, pharmaceutical grade omega-3 supplement.

Find Ultra Pure- Pharmaceutical Grade Natural marine lipid concentrate, formulated with the oil of cold-water fish

PCOS and High Blood Pressure

PCOS and High Blood Pressure

When your hormones are all out of sync, PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) could be the culprit. According to the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association, PCOS affects about 6 – 10% of women; unfortunately, most don’t even know that they have it.

When PCOS occurs, the follicle swells but the egg is never released causing a cyst to form. This occurrence is the result of an increase in testosterone levels in the body. Testosterone is usually considered more of a male hormone. However, women do produce this hormone in small amounts. It has been speculated that the inability of the body to process insulin (due to high levels in the blood) causes the increased production of testosterone from the ovary. Furthermore, other hormones such as FSH, LH, and estrogen do not cycle normally. Unfortunately, this phenomenon can cause women to struggle with a BMI (Body Mass Index) in the overweight and obesity categories.

What Are The Symptoms of PCOS?

• Hypertension
• Acne
• Inability to process insulin (Learn more about PCOS and insulin resistance.)
• Infertility
• Weight Gain
• Increase hair growth on the body
• Inconsistent and absent periods

According to WebMD, there is no cure for PCOS but the cornerstone of managing this condition is regular exercise, a healthy diet, and weight control. As with any health program, managing your weight also affects blood pressure and insulin levels and has positive implications for some major diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

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Why is my Blood Pressure High and how does that tie to PCOS?

High blood pressure (hypertension) is defined as a blood pressure that is consistently (more than 6 months) above 140/90. Systolic blood pressure is the top number. Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number. The onset of hypertension (high blood pressure) is a serious health problem for several reasons. High blood pressure is a very common condition with wide-spread consequences and can remain asymptomatic (without signs or symptoms) or undiagnosed until relatively late in its course. Several studies have proven that Insulin Resistance and the resulting hyperinsulinemia (elevated insulin in the blood) cause elevations in blood pressure, because insulin causes hardening of the arteries (deposits of fatty substances like cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other material build up in the inner lining of an artery) which directly affects the diameter of the inside of the vessel. Think of your vascular system as a complex, interlocking web of garden hoses. The smaller the size of the hose, the more pressure on all of the other hoses as less blood flows through per minute. The heart must pump harder to get blood to distant sites while facing the decreased diameter of vessels. This increases the pressure of the entire cardiovascular system causing elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure increases, the chances of life-threatening medical conditions. High blood pressure makes your heart work harder than normal, and as a result, both the heart and arteries are more prone to injury. Hypertension increases the risk of:

• heart attacks
• strokes
• kidney failure
• blindness
• congestive heart failure

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What steps can you take to reduce your blood pressure?

• Maintain a healthy weight. Lose excess weight and keep it off with a long-term program of exercise and healthier eating
• Side-step salt. Avoid using too much table salt, limit salty fast foods, and read labels to find low sodium foods in your grocery store.
• Watch what you eat. Choose a diet low in salt, cholesterol and animal fat; high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and low-fat milk products; with some nuts and seeds.
• Try coenzyme Q10. Taking 100 mg a day may have a significant impact on your blood pressure.
• Take minerals. Supplements of calcium (800 to 1,500 mg a day) and magnesium (350 to 500 mg a day) may be helpful.
• Boost heart health with garlic A 600 to 900 mg a day standardized garlic supplement can improve heart and blood vessel health, and also has a mild blood pressure–lowering effect.

As with conventional drugs, the use of natural substances sometimes controls blood pressure if taken consistently but does not lead to a cure for high blood pressure. Thus, someone whose blood pressure is successfully reduced by weight loss, avoidance of salt, and increased intake of fruits and vegetables would need to maintain these changes permanently in order to retain control of blood pressure. Remember, left untreated, hypertension significantly increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.

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Nutritional supplements that may be helpful

Although there are pharmaceuticals that can help lower blood pressure, there are currently no drugs that will completely reverse Insulin Resistance or PCOS; you must rely on a multi-faceted approach to improving these conditions.

• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) - Both preliminary and double-blind trials have reported that supplementation with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) leads to a significant decrease in blood pressure in people with hypertension. Much of this research has used 100 mg of CoQ10 per day for at least ten weeks.
• EPA/DHA - Omega-3 fatty acids - EPA and DHA, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, lower blood pressure, according to an analysis of 31 trials. The effect was dependent on the amount of omega-3 oil used, with the best results occurring in trials using unsustainably high levels: 15 grams per day - the amount often found in 50 grams of fish oil. Although results with lower intakes were not as impressive, trials using over 3 grams per day of omega-3 (as typically found in ten 1,000 mg pills of fish oil) also reported significant reductions in blood pressure.
• Magnesium -
  Some, but not all, trials show that magnesium supplements - typically 350–500 mg per day—lower blood pressure. Magnesium appears to be particularly effective in people who are taking potassium-depleting diuretics. Potassium-depleting diuretics also deplete magnesium. Therefore, the drop in blood pressure resulting from magnesium supplementation in people taking these drugs may result from overcoming a mild magnesium deficiency.
• Calcium - Calcium supplementation—typically 800–1,500 mg per day - may lower blood pressure. However, while an analysis of 42 trials reported that calcium supplementation led to an average drop in blood pressure that was statistically significant, the actual decrease was small (in medical terms, a drop of 1.4 systolic over 0.8 diastolic pressure). Results might have been improved had the analysis been limited to studies of people with hypertension, since calcium has almost no effect on the blood pressure of healthy people. In the analysis of 42 trials, effects were seen both with dietary calcium and with use of calcium supplements. A 12-week trial of 1,000 mg per day of calcium accompanied by blood pressure monitoring is a reasonable way to assess efficacy in a given person.
• Vitamin C - Five double-blind trials have found that vitamin C supplementation reduces blood pressure, but the reduction was statistically significant in only three of the five, and in most cases reductions were modest. Some doctors recommend that people with
  elevated blood pressure supplement with 1,000 mg vitamin C per day.
• Vitamin E - In a double-blind study of people with high blood pressure, 200 IU of vitamin E per day taken for 27 weeks was significantly more effective than a placebo at reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.50 This study was done in Iran, and it is not clear whether the results would apply to individuals consuming a Western diet.
• Taurine - A deficiency of the amino acid taurine, is thought by some researchers to play an important role in elevating blood pressure in people with hypertension. Limited research has found that supplementation with taurine lowers blood pressure in animals and in people (at 6 grams per day), possibly by reducing levels of the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline).
• Garlic - Garlic has a mild blood pressure-lowering effect, according to an analysis of ten doubleblind trials. All of these trials administered garlic for at least four weeks, typically using 600–900 mg of garlic extract per day.
• Arginine - The amino acid arginine is needed by the body to make nitric oxide, a substance that allows blood vessels to dilate, thus leading to reduced blood pressure. Intravenous administration of arginine has reduced blood pressure in humans in some reports. In one controlled trial, people not responding to conventional medication for their hypertension were found to respond to a combination of conventional medication and oral arginine (2 grams taken three times per day.)
• Reishi Mushrooms - A double-blind trial reported that reishi mushrooms significantly lowered blood pressure in humans. The trial used a concentrated extract of reishi (25:1) in the amount of 55 mg three times per day for four weeks. It is unclear from the clinical report how long it takes for the blood pressure-lowering effects of reishi to be measured.

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Lifestyle changes that may be helpful

• Smoking is particularly injurious for people with hypertension. The combination of hypertension and smoking greatly increases the risk of heart disease-related sickness and death. All people with high blood pressure need to quit smoking.
• Consumption of more than about three alcoholic beverages per day appears to increase blood pressure. Whether one or two drinks per day meaningfully increases blood pressure remains unclear.
• Daily exercise can lower blood pressure significantly. A 12-week program of Chinese T’ai Chi was reported to be almost as effective as aerobic exercise in lowering blood pressure. Progressive resistance exercise (e.g., weight lifting) also appears to help reduce blood pressure. At the same time, blood pressure has been known to increase significantly during the act of lifting heavy weights; for this reason, people with sharply elevated blood pressure, especially those with cardiovascular disease, should approach heavy strenuous resistance exercise with caution. In general, people over 40 years of age should consult with their doctors before starting any exercise regimen.
• Most people with high blood pressure are overweight. Weight loss lowers blood pressure significantly in those who are both overweight and hypertensive. In fact, reducing body weight by as little as ten pounds can lead to a significant reduction in blood pressure. Weight loss appears to have a stronger blood pressure-lowering effect than dietary salt restriction.

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A complete system, including nutraceuticals (vitamins, herbs and minerals that are disease specific), a realistic exercise program, nutritional guidance and a support network that will help you change unhealthy lifestyle choices, is required to address the issues presented by PCOS and high blood pressure.

Buy premium, standardized supplements to promote heart health!

*

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

PCOS. What Is It?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, is a condition that is seen with increasing frequency. PCOS affects about 6% of women and can occur at any age before menopause. It can often go undiagnosed for months, because its symptoms overlap with so many other women’s health concerns. It is also the most common cause of infertility among women in the US. It usually goes hand-in-hand with insulin resistance.

PCOS is often temporary. Who gets PCOS? It is seen in:

• girls going through puberty (when their ovaries are trying to set a regular menstrual pattern)
• women during the transition years of perimenopause

PCOS responds extremely well to a program of natural support that restores hormonal balance, especially with the dietary changes recommend for women with insulin resistance.

What is PCOS?

Understanding PCOS is easier if one tries to picture what goes on inside the ovaries every month.

Each month the ovaries begin to ripen a number of follicles. When we ovulate, the egg in the dominant follicle pops out and is captured in the fallopian tube on its way to the uterus. In PCOS, the egg is not released due to a series of changes that take place in the ovaries and in the normal hormonal pathways. There is no one reason for how these changes take place. There are lots of theories about PCOS being proposed, but the end result is the same: no ovulation and no resulting pregnancy or period.

What Are Polycystic Ovaries?

When ovaries become polycystic they create a lot of follicles. Some say they look like a pearl necklace on the ovaries. No one follicle becomes dominant and ovulation can’t occur. For the most part, these multiple ovarian cysts are not dangerous in themselves. However, they do bring with them uncomfortable side effects. Because a woman with PCOS doesn’t ovulate, her natural sequence of hormonal events gets interrupted, her levels of estrogen and androgens (testosterone and DHEA) remain high, and her body reacts with symptoms.

What are the symptoms of PCOS?

The most common symptoms of PCOS are:

• irregular or absent periods
• infertility
• increased hair growth
• unusual weight gain, even with dieting or increased exercise

Women with PCOS will often go for months without a period and then start bleeding heavily for days. This occurs when the uterine lining has gotten too thick and the body must naturally shed it. Because PCOS disrupts ovulation it can be very difficult to become pregnant.

Other signs of PCOS include:

• acne
• high blood pressure
• obesity
• abnormal facial and body hair growth (due to too much testosterone)

One of the less recognizable symptoms of PCOS is depression. While depression happens for many reasons, it is always a good idea to consider PCOS if you have other PCOS symptoms. In some cases antidepressants are prescribed which do not alleviate the underlying issues and therefore are not very helpful.

PCOS and insulin resistance

Another telltale symptom of PCOS is steady, significant weight gain - even with reduced caloric intake. Some women say they’re gaining weight no matter what they do. It’s not unusual for women with PCOS to say they’ve recently gained 60 or more pounds in less than a year, despite dieting all the time and exercise. This weight usually accumulates around their middle. Why do women with PCOS gain weight at such alarming rates? The research is showing that PCOS is strongly linked with insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is a condition some people get by eating too many carbohydrates and leads to sustained high levels of insulin in the bloodstream. It is possible that this extra insulin hitches onto the receptors lining the ovary and stimulates cyst production. This is an issue that should be monitored because women with insulin resistance have a much higher risk of developing other serious health problems, like diabetes and heart disease. In fact, if you’re headed down the path to PCOS, what that means is that you’re now getting into the category of metabolic syndrome. This is a category you want to get out of as fast as you can, because with all the damaging inflammatory processes going on with this syndrome there is potential for serious problems down the road.

Another interesting consideration for some is that while many people think of PCOS as a condition that only affects women who are overweight. Though not often, from time to time thin women are afflicted with insulin resistance and PCOS.

On the bright side, women with insulin resistance and PCOS respond very well to:

• modifications in their diet
• adding nutritional support in the form of soy and other functional foods
• multivitamins, minerals (Do you have a way to tell if the supplement (vitamin) that you’re using is being absorbed & assimilated?)
  
• omega-3’s
• Inositol may be important for PCOS women for at least three reasons:
  1. It may aid insulin action and thus reduce insulin resistance.
  2. It may help to relieve depression, which is common in polycystic ovary syndrome.
  3. It helps your liver to metabolize fat.
• beginning an exercise program.

What is the treatment for polycystic ovarian syndrome?

Traditionally, doctors have overlooked PCOS unless it is diagnosed relative to infertility or irregular bleeding. If diagnosed, it was and often still is commonly treated with birth control pills. The Pill lessens the symptoms of PCOS by short-circuiting ovulation and giving the ovaries a rest. This is always an option for women looking to avoid pregnancy. Testosterone levels will go down on the Pill, and it is good for regulating cycles but it won’t address the basic issue of insulin resistance. Some doctors are now prescribing a diabetes drug called metformin (Glucophage), for blood sugar control, but if a woman with PCOS doesn’t change some of her lifestyle choices - such as following a low glycemic-load diet - her ovaries become polycystic again when she goes off either type of pill.

An inclusive treatment of PCOS with a combination approach helps women reduce their polycystic ovaries through:

1. nutritional supplements:
   
   • Multivitamin/Mineral
   • Essential Fatty Acids
   • Calcium/Magnesium
   In combination, these supplements work together to support both a healthy metabolism and hormonal balance in perimenopausal and menopausal women.
2. Inositol may be important for PCOS women for at least three reasons:
   1. It may aid insulin action and thus reduce insulin resistance.
   2. It may help to relieve depression, which is common in polycystic ovary syndrome.
   It helps your liver to metabolize fat.
3. gentle endocrine support
   Look for a formulas that addresses the ten most common symptoms of hormonal imbalance experienced women and uses the latest research on phytotherapy (herbal medicine) to promote hormonal balance providing natural, gentle and holistic relief for the three key hormones that fluctuate during menopause: estrogen, testosterone and progesterone.
   • Black Cohosh, Soy Isoflavones and Flaxseed, and a phytoestrogen blend of dong quai, red clover and licorice form a powerful and synergistic isoflavone complex which diminishes symptoms associated with estrogen deficiency like hot flashes and night sweats.
   • Flavonoid Blend from botanicals that have been used by traditional cultures to treat symptoms like irritability, anxiety, and insomnia. Recent studies show that the flavonoids in these herbs may mimic the actions of progesterone.
   • Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb known as an adaptogen with aphrodisiac and mood-stabilizing properties. Recent studies suggest it activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, increasing the production of androgens.
4. enriched nutrition
5. regular exercise

Here's a good site for more information about PCOS and natural approaches to treating PCOS.

Are Today’s Kids The Sickest Generation?

Are today’s children becoming the sickest generation? Looking at the statistics on children’s health, across the board, paints an alarming picture…

• ADHD – up a whopping 400% over the last 25 years.
• Bi-Polar Disorder – 40-fold increase among children over the last decade.
• Allergies – 40% of children now have allergies.
• Asthma – up 160% in children under the age of 5 since 1980.
• Autism – dramatic gains since the 1980’s with estimates now of 1 in 150 children in America today having an autism spectrum disorder.
• Sleep Disorders - 25% of children have sleep disorders, which is also a precursor linked to obesity, asthma and allergies. Researchers have found that every additional hour per night a third-grader spends sleeping reduces the child's chances of being obese in sixth grade by 40 percent. If there was a magic number for the third-graders, it was nine hours, 45 minutes of sleep.

Jean Weiss of MSN Health and Fitness reports on the state of children's health:

“More kids are getting diagnosed with bipolar, ADHD, allergies, and asthma in this decade than in previous decades. Some attribute this increase to improved diagnosing, others to over-diagnosing. Still others view the sick-kid trend as the proverbial canary in the coalmine: More children are getting sick because they are fragile and affected by an increasingly industrialized world.

“I do think we are in the midst of an epidemic of these child disorders,” says Dr. Kenneth Bock, co-founder of the Rhinebeck Health Center and author of Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, Allergies (Ballantine Books, 2007). “I don’t believe it is all due to better diagnosis.”

Bock suggests that children predisposed to these medical conditions are more likely to manifest them after cumulative exposure to pollutants such as heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, flame retardants, and chemicals from plastic additives to name a few. “All those kinds of things together are increasing the toxic load on children,” he says.

The simplest thing parents can do for their child is decrease their exposure to toxins, Bock says, whether it means eating pesticide-free food or avoiding heavy metals and harmful pollutants found in myriad products such as toys, computers, and clothing. “This is a recent phenomenon over the last 20 years,” says Brock. “We are living in a chemical soup, and it’s the kids that are the most susceptible.”

What Can You Do?

Five Supplements to Improve Children’s Health

In the next posting we’ll talk about removing toxins in the home that can make a big difference in your children’s health. Right now, there are five supplements that can go a long way in improving your children’s overall health, especially for children that are suffering from the issues highlighted earlier.

1) A high quality multivitamin/mineral: Find a comprehensive children’s multivitamin and multi-mineral on the market that is also tooth friendly! (Find out how to tell if your vitamin supplement is a quality vitamin.) Beware vitamin supplements that contain artificial sweeteners or excessive sweeteners both of which may exacerbate existing childhood conditions. These multivitamins provides the essential vitamins and minerals children need to build healthy bodies, without any artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors or preservatives.

2) Chewable Calcium/Magnesium: While calcium is vital in building strong bones, it also supports cell membranes and aids the nervous system, especially in impulse transmission, which could improve a child’s behavior.

Magnesium also has a calming effect on the nervous system, helping to maintain normal muscle and nerve function, and is involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. Children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have responded positively to supplementation from calcium, magnesium and other crucial minerals needed to build healthy bones.

This chewable calcium/magnesium supplement comes in a tasty berry flavor and provides 1000 mg of elemental calcium, plus magnesium, Vitamin D and other critical nutrients.

3) Healthy protein snacks or soy protein: Eating small portions of protein throughout the day can help even out a child’s energy. Healthy protein based shakes are a perennial favorite and a great tasting, easy snack that packs extra nutrition into any meal or snack for kids. For those who want to avoid a milk protein product, soy protein delivers a tasty and healthy source of protein and provides critical nutrients to build good health that can easily mix into a fruit smoothie or in a child’s favorite juice.

• For more information on a great tasting, easy to mix, healthy protein shake click here.
• For more information on an energizing soy protein to mix into your favorite beverage click here.

4) B-Complex: The B vitamins (also called “The Happy Vitamins”) have been linked to improved neural activity and are very helpful in reducing stress, mental confusion, irritability, mood changes, and insomnia. Look for a B-Complex that offers a complete B-Complex at the levels found in nature. (Learn about the 8 B vitamins.) This B-complex has a patented folic-acid coating for best absorption of this critical nutrient. Getting a good healthy dose of B-Complex is important today as stress and sugar depletes B-vitamins in the body. Click here for more information on B-Complex online.

5) Omega-3 fatty acids: Here’s a healthy fat that you want your child to have: Omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have found that children with learning disorders, including attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, often have an essential fatty acid deficiency.

The right kinds of fat are needed to help the brain fire information efficiently from synapse to synapse. Essential Fatty Acids help brain cells receive the messages sent between synapses, thus eliminating the chatter and preventing the sending neuron from scooping up its own message.

Click here to find a pharmaceutical-grade Omega-3 supplement providing a full spectrum of seven natural omega 3 fatty acids including EPA, DHA, ALA to support healthy heart, vision, brain and joint function.

The above five supplements provide a good foundation for your children to enjoy better health, better learning, better sleeping, better energy and better brain function. Click here for more overall information on children’s health products.

Note for Sleep Issues: For sleep problems, a serving of chewable calcium/magnesium and an additional B-Complex to children before bed can promote restful sleep. And you may consider adding a gentle, natural sleep herbal supplement for more difficult sleep cases. If a child has trouble waking up in the morning, a protein shake right before bed can help balance their blood sugar levels for an easy morning wake up.

Avandia and Diabetes – Are there alternatives?

Is there a risk in taking Type 2 diabetic medications?

Recently, the New England Journal of Medicine released findings that the risk of developing a heart attack from taking the pharmaceutical drug, Avandia, was as high as 43%. In addition, it was reported that patients taking Avandia were 64% more likely to die of cardiovascular causes while taking the drug.

The most alarming issue is that Glaxo knew that there were side effects such as these as early as 2000 but did not notify the public of the risks. Although the data has been conflicting between different studies, caution should be taken. It is advisable to make an appointment with your physician to discuss this issue.

Unfortunately, Avandia is not the first medication to carry serious health risks. In September of 2004, Vioxx, Bextra, and Celebrex were recalled due to its potential role in causing heart attacks and strokes. Zyprexa, used for psychological problems, carries warnings of unintended risk of diabetes. Therefore, it is naïve to think that Avandia will be the last.

How does Avandia work?

Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which either insulin is not secreted in sufficient amounts to usher glucose into the cells or the cells have become resistant to insulin. In either case, high blood glucose is the result. Avandia is related to a class of drugs called thiazolidinediones. This particular drug influences the cell receptors to become more sensitive to the insulin, thus decreasing insulin resistance. In addition, Avandia decreases the amount of stored glucose that is released from the liver into the bloodstream.

What are the Alternatives?

Diabetes is a very serious condition and should be closely monitored by a medical practitioner. Be sure to always monitor your blood glucose at least once per day alternating times each day. However, there are things that you can do now to manage and control your diabetes.

Lifestyle changes have been shown in many studies to have positive outcomes that even surpass medication therapies. Exercise and a healthy eating plan should be immediately incorporated into your routine.

Alternative and complementary medicine are other avenues to control blood sugar that have been used with success. One such therapy is alpha lipoic acid (ALA), an antioxidant used in Europe for peripheral neuropathy. Some studies show that ALA increases the uptake of glucose into the cells which means that this alternative therapy increases the sensitivity of the cells to glucose. This is beneficial to decrease blood glucose levels.

Minerals such as vanadium, magnesium, zinc, and chromium support the body’s ability to process glucose efficiently. Banaba leaf extract along with magnesium and chromium promote efficient transport of glucose into the cells allowing it to be used for energy instead of damaging vital organs such as the eyes, kidneys, and heart.

Just as caution should be taken when consuming pharmaceutical medications, alternative therapies are not all the same. It is vital to choose a company that has a reputable track record and does not promote a product that was just on last night’s news. It needs to be scientifically formulated with the purest of ingredients to ensure safety and efficacy.

Find a safe and efficacious alternative product that will facilitate prevention of high blood sugars and have a 100% money back guarantee.

How Safe is Your Drinking Water?

Everyone knows that water is essential to life. Unfortunately, today's water supply leaves much to be desired. Below are some of the problems with the water today:

The problem with tap water:

• 2,110 contaminants found in U.S. drinking water since 1974.
• Most city municipalities only test for 22 contaminants.
• 8 out of 10 Americans live near a toxic waste site.
• 3 out of 4 waste treatment plants are not able to stop industrial toxic chemicals from polluting the water. --EPA
• Water treatment plants add up to 47 chemicals to treat drinking water such as aluminum, chlorine, and sodium.
• People who drink chlorinated water have 43% higher risk of bladder cancer. -- National Cancer Institute
• Contamination after water treatment comes from lead and asbestos contaminated pipes; plus bacteria and dirt from leaky pipes. -- EPA

The problem with Bottled Water:

• Standards for bottled water are the same as tap water. No guarantee of improved quality.
• Cancer causing chemicals have been found in water stored in plastic containers. --Dept. of Health
• High bacteria count has been found in bottled water, including fecal coliforms. --EPA

Your body, mainly your kidneys, are the filters removing the lead, particles and chemicals found in water today, whether they come from industrial pollution, or from the chemicals put in the water to negate the pollution. But rather than having your body be the filter, why not buy a filter that purifies your water at the tap?

Purifying your water at the tap is the best way of assuring good, clean water. Our line of water purifiers offer options to fit every budget, from the easy-to-use and inexpensive pitcher carafe, to the Consumer Digest excellent-rated high volume, advanced carbon filtration system, to the unparalleled water quality of the reverse osmosis system. All units provide you with a reliable way to get pure, clean water from your tap. These units also save you money over bottled water and free you from the inconvenience of having to lug bottled water from the store.

We invite you to learn more about our complete line of water filtration units.

March is National Nutrition Month

Making Smart Food and Dietary Supplement Choices

Greetings,

Research increasingly validates the connections between nutrition and health and the types and amounts of food we eat. Science also helps us understand the impact of nutrition on the likelihood of developing certain diseases as well as the likelihood of maintaining good health and increasing longevity. For example, we know that both dietary excesses and deficiencies are linked to certain diseases. Obesity and high fat diets are established risk factors for the development of:

1. coronary heart disease
2. many types of cancers
3. ischemic stroke
4. type 2 diabetes

In fact, these four conditions alone account for approximately 85% of all deaths in the United States.

On the other hand, nutrient deficiencies in our modern diets have also been connected to numerous health conditions. For example, we know that suboptimal intakes of calcium and vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis and inadequate intakes of folic acid at conception and during pregnancy can increase a women’s risk of having a baby with a serious birth defect. Yet many Americans fail to consume the recommended servings of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low fat dairy products to meet their nutritional needs. Many of us rely on fast and convenience foods that are highly refined and often low in vitamin and mineral content. And to make matters worse, as we age we tend to absorb nutrients from food less efficiently. So in honor of National Nutrition Month, vow to improve your nutrition, which in turn will help reduce your risk of disease and promote lifelong health and well-being. Commit to making smarter food choices, achieving or maintaining a healthy weight, and taking appropriate dietary supplements to fill in nutritional gaps, address your specific health needs or assist you in weight management.

Let’s start with making smarter food choices. Unless you’re a farmer or rancher growing, raising and harvesting your own food, chances are you’re like most Americans and find it a challenge to get back to basics and do some home cooking. Finding the time these days to make it to the grocery store to shop for healthy food choices may be difficult. And even if you do make it to the store, taking the time needed to rummage through the aisles and select the smartest food choices from over 40,000 items you’ll find there can be overwhelming. So, to help make your next trip through the grocery store a little bit easier, here are some basic supermarket survival tips:

• Most grocery stores are arranged in about the same way, with the freshest foods placed around the perimeter, or the “square," of the store. That’s where you’ll find the fresh produce, low fat dairy foods, lean meat (poultry, fish, etc.), and whole grain breads—and that’s where you should start.


• Make your first stop in the produce section, where you can choose fresh fruits and vegetables that are low in calories, high in fiber, and abundant in vitamins and minerals. Dark green and deep orange-yellow fruits and vegetables are better choices than pale colored produce. Take advantage of buying organic produce, if you can (less pesticide exposure).


• Next is a visit to the dairy section. Choose nonfat or 1% fat products, which are a great source of quality protein, calcium, and vitamin D without too many calories. If you are a soy milk drinker, you will probably find the ready-to-drink, refrigerated soy milk there, too. Look for a low-fat version.


• On to the meat section, where you should look for lean, protein-rich foods such as skinless chicken or turkey breast meat, fresh fish, extra-lean beef, and extra-lean ground turkey made from white meat. Diets higher in protein may aid in weight loss because studies suggest that protein helps control hunger.


• Then follow your nose to the bakery section. Skip the unhealthy stuff like muffins, donuts, and scones, and look for whole grain breads that are high in fiber and low in fat, such as 100% whole wheat bread, pitas, and tortillas.


• Once you’ve shopped the square, make a brief trip to the inner aisles to grab some brown rice and whole grain cereal.

Next, if you’re like 65% of Americans, overweight or obese, now is the time to achieve a healthy weight that’s right for you. And the good news is that you don’t have to lose a lot of weight to reduce your risk for disease and improve your health. A modest weight loss of 5-10% in body weight (10 lbs. for example) can significantly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease and can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Achieving a healthy weight starts by watching your caloric intake and the best way is to make modest decreases in the amount of food you eat each day combined with a significant boost in your level of physical activity. Commit to a comprehensive weight management program, designed to help your body preserve lean muscle which is essential to weight management success. Preserving lean muscle while you lose weight from fat helps preserve your metabolic rate or your ability to burn calories.

And while you’re making those smarter food choices and achieving a healthy weight, remember to make wise supplement choices a part of your daily routine. Despite our best efforts to eat healthier, it never hurts to get some nutrition insurance with a balanced multivitamin/mineral supplement. Supplemental calcium, vitamin D, and the antioxidant vitamins C and E should also be considered. In fact most of us fall short in getting the recommended amount of calcium each day, so taking at least 1,000 mg of supplemental calcium each day is a smart choice, especially for women who are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis.

Adding in other supplemental nutrients that are supported by strong scientific evidence for their potential health benefits is also highly recommended. For example, the research supporting the health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Increasing one’s intake of the omega 3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, has been associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease and significant improvements in various inflammatory disorders. Higher intakes of EPA and DHA also help to retain normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Although omega 3 fatty acid rich fish is a great way to get omega 3 fatty acids, many people are concerned today about heavy metal and PCB contamination in fish. Therefore, one of the best and safest ways to get your omega 3s is to choose a highly purified omega 3 fatty acid rich fish oil supplement each and every day.

Certainly, the old adage from our mothers and grandmothers continues to be valid: “we are what we eat.” So again, make a special effort on behalf of National Nutrition Month to improve “what you are” by eating plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole grains. Achieve a healthy weight by cutting your portion sizes, boosting your physical activity and following a weight management program designed to help you preserve lean muscle, and be sure to include a wise array of appropriate dietary supplements to fill in your nutrition gaps, address specific health needs and assist in your weight management efforts.

Here’s to being the best you can be!

Weight Loss Success Story

"Looking Better than I did in High School!" Sue, a police officer overcoming tough personal challenges, lost a total of 25 inches and 25 pounds with Cinch in just 10 weeks!*

A relentless string of personal challenges sent Sue into a tailspin. She was unhappy and gained weight, which just made her feel even worse. But Sue's sister convinced her to give Cinch a try. Now, she feels happier, healthier, and has energy to spare - even after working a double shift.

"After experiencing a series of personal pitfalls, I fell into a period of depression. I had lost my job, my pension was gone, and a six year relationship was over. This series of events left me with little motivation to take care of myself and an overall lack of concern for my health and well being. And on top of this, I gained 25 pounds."

Gaining weight added yet another personal challenge for Sue.

"I knew my weight gain was a major source of my depression, reduced health and unhappiness. But just knowing this wasn't enough. Each attempt I made to return to my prior weight was unsuccessful."

Sue's sister, a personal fitness trainer, knew that Sue was in trouble and really wanted to help.

"In August of 2006 my sister, a former professional cyclist and personal trainer, called me from San Francisco at the Shaklee annual conference to tell me about Cinch, Shaklee's amazing new weight loss program. Her enthusiasm and confidence in the program was contagious and I could not resist trying it. She explained how Cinch embraces much of the same science that she uses in teaching nutrition and weight management in her athletic training business. Knowing the integrity of both Shaklee and my sister, I quickly decided to give it a try. "

Finding a successful way to lose pounds and inches was a major turning point for Sue, both in her attitude and her energy.

"I found the program to be easy and fantastic. In 10 weeks I lost 25 inches, 25 pounds, and I look better now than I did in high school!* My happiness and well being is restored.

Also, as a police officer, my work can be exhausting. However, now I'm able to work a double shift and still have energy left at the end of the day. I have more energy and feel better than I can ever remember feeling. I feel fantastic! As a result of my weight loss, I am a happier person, no longer struggling with emotional difficulties. I say "thank you to Shaklee for changing my life."

Sue's personal success is quite a story, and the changes were so apparent that everyone wanted to know what she was doing. So, it was only natural when Sue wanted to start sharing Cinch to help others.

"People can see my fantastic results, and they kept asking me about it even though I had never mentioned anything. So, I decided to join my sister in sharing Cinch and building a Shaklee business. Together, my sister and I have started nearly 40 people on the Cinch program within just a couple of months!

For others who still face the prospect of trying to lose weight, Sue offers some simple advice.

"Just follow the program. Use the CinchCoach software and I suggest using the recipes provided. If you follow it 80%, you will be successful. And don't be afraid to ask your Shaklee distributor for support or assistance."

*Results not typical.

Editor's Note: See Sue's before and after pictures

Go to our educational site and leasrn more about how to loose the weight ad inches while keeping the muscle.

Order the Starter Kit now to get started losing weight and inches

For those who are already on a Cinch program make sure you don't run out of products.

Two Reasons to Take Your B's!

Reason #1: Improving Brain Function

Brain function, memory and the speed with which information is processed decline as people age, but researchers in the Netherlands and Switzerland have found that taking folic acid can help.

"We have shown that three-year folic acid supplementation improves performance on tests that measure information processing speed and memory, domains that are known to decline with age," said Dr Jane Durga of the Nestle Research Center in Lausanne.

POOR MENTAL PERFORMANCE

"The functions that decrease most commonly with age are those that we see a beneficial effect through folic acid supplementation," Durga said in an interview.

"It seems a bit intuitive, although it is not proven, that if you can slow down age-related cognitive decline, perhaps you can also affect the risk of dementia. But this is still a question that needs to be researched," she added.

Durga and scientists at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, who reported their findings in The Lancet medical journal, compared the impact of folic acid supplements to a placebo in a study involving 818 men and women 50-70 years old.

Half of the volunteers were given 800 micrograms of folic acid each day for three years while the remainder received a dummy pill.

When the scientists tested the cognitive and memory functions at the end of the study, they found the three-year change was significantly better in the folic acid group.

Reason #2: Stopping Homocysteine before it kills you!

One of the most provocative medical books of the past decade is Kilmer and Martha Culley's The Heart Revolution. In it, Kilmer proposes that it is not cholesterol from eggs and animal fat that causes arteriosclerosis, it’s homocysteine, an enzyme that, if too abundant in the bloodstream , can destroy the elasticity of artery walls and thicken them, causing heart disease and strokes. These findings have been backed up by other research as well.

So what is a major culprit of such deadly homocysteine overabundance? Processed white flour. Processing may allow flour to last longer but robs it of up to 90 percent of its nutrients, including folic acid and B6, which keeps homocysteine levels in check. In other words, to help your heart health, ditch the white stuff!"

Source: Texas Monthly Feb07.

Editor's Note:

The problem with Folic acid, a critical part of the B vitamin complex, is it isn't easily absorbed. So what this B-Complex did was develop a unique folic acid coating over the surface of its B-Complex that makes folic acid much more accessible and bioavailable. You won't find this process anywhere else, as it is an exclusive patented technology.

We suggest you don't take a folic acid supplement by itself, because folic acid is part of the eight essential B Vitamins and they work best when they work together. This B-Complex gives you the right balance of all the B-vitamins including folic acid. In addition to this promising new study on folic acid supplementation improving memory and brain function, a complete B-Complex also promotes a healthy cardiovascular system, helps metabolize energy from carbohydrates, fat and protein and aids in the synthesis of DNA and new cells. Plus, it's also called the Happy Vitamin as it can help with stress. We've seen more than one person take several B-Complex vitamins when getting up to do something nerve-racking like public speaking!

Lifestyle Changes Can Improve Heart Health

Modifications You Can Make To Support the Hardest Working Muscle In Your Body -

Your Heart

Your heart - it beats on average 100,000 times a day and pumps the equivalent of 2,000 gallons of blood each day. Imagine what a workhorse our hearts must be! So vital to our life and yet not well taken care of by most of us. Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming close to a million lives each year. Over 30 million Americans live with the burden of heart disease; 60 million Americans have been diagnosed with hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease.

While traditionally considered a "man's disease," heart disease has become a serious health challenge for women as well. Cardiovascular disease kills over 500,000 women each year, more than the next seven causes of death combined. To give you a perspective, 1 in every 2.5 women will die of heart disease and stroke, compared to 1 in every 30 women who will die from breast cancer. What may be the most important information is that heart disease in women presents with different symptoms and physicians tend to under-diagnose the disease in women. In fact, more than half of women who die of coronary heart disease have either had no classic symptoms, or have been misdiagnosed as anxiety, stress or musculoskeletal disorders. Part of the challenge comes from the fact that coronary artery disease in women tends to present with symptoms like shortness of breath or fatigue rather than the classic "crushing" substernal pain that is more typical in men. Research conducted by NIH with 515 women surprisingly revealed that fewer than 30% of women reported having chest pain or discomfort prior to their heart attacks, and 43% reported have no chest pain at all during any phase of the attack. The most common symptoms they reported were:

• unusual fatigue
• sleep disturbances
• shortness of breath.

So, whether you are male or female, today is the day to put your heart health on the radar screen.

So, let's talk about what you can do. First of all, let's assess your risk and then determine what you can do to lower your risks. Yes, there is much you can do to hopefully prevent a catastrophic event from happening to you down the road!

The seven major risk factors for coronary artery disease are:

1. family history
2. obesity
3. hypertension
4. elevated cholesterol and triglycerides
5. Type 2 Diabetes
6. smoking
7. sedentary lifestyle

Well, only one of these risk factors is not in your control. You cannot change your family history, but knowledge is good --so, if your family tree includes heart attacks, strokes and diabetes, it behooves you to look at the other 6 risk factors -- because these are all modifiable risks that you have control over! Knowing your risk factors is the first step in preventing heart disease. Once you know your risk factors, you can begin to take the steps needed to reducing your chances of developing heart disease.

Modifiable Risk Factor 1: Being overweight or obese
If you're like 65% of Americans who are overweight or obese the number one thing you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease is to achieve a healthy weight. Too much body fat, especially around your waist, puts you at higher risk. Being overweight or obese also increase your risk of other conditions like high cholesterol and triglycerides, stroke and Type 2 Diabetes. So by losing weight you can begin to reduce your risk of heart disease. And the good news is you don't have to lose a lot of weight to start to improve your health. Modest weight loss of even as little as 5-10% can significantly improve your cholesterol, blood pressure and risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Modifiable Risk Factor 2: Having High Blood Cholesterol levels
You can have high cholesterol and not know it because in the early phases of accumulation of cholesterol plaque in your arteries, there are no symptoms! This buildup of plaque can narrow your arteries and reduce blood flow ultimately leading to arterial blockage or blood clots in arteries that feed the heart and brain. This in turn can cause a heart attack or stroke. Lifestyle changes like improving your diet and increasing your physical activity can help lower your cholesterol. Consistently eating a diet rich in whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes and low fat sources of protein (like soy protein) can help lower cholesterol and protect your heart. The FDA has recognized that the consumption of 25 grams or more of soy protein per day may reduce your risk of heart disease. Choosing healthy sources of fats is also incredibly important. You need to limit your intake of saturated fat (the type found in beef, butter, cheese and regular fat dairy products) and completely avoid trans fats (found in fast foods, bakery products, packaged snack foods and some margarines) as these have been clearly linked to increasing the risk of heart disease. Simultaneously, it is prudent to switch to monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds), as regular consumption of these fats has been shown to decrease your risk of heart disease. Another important heart healthy fat is omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat found in foods like fish and flaxseed that may also help protect your heart by decreasing your risk of heart attack, protect against irregular heartbeats and helping to lower triglycerides and blood pressure. Fiber is another important part of a healthy diet. Look for dark breads that contain at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, whole grain cereal that provides at least 6 grams of fiber per serving. Fiber supplements that provide at least 5 grams of fiber, preferably a blend of soluble and insoluble fiber are a prudent addition for anyone dealing with elevated lipids.

Modifiable Risk Factor 3: Having High Blood Pressure
You can also have high blood pressure or hypertension and not know it. With elevated blood pressure, your heart is working harder than normal, pushing your blood with too much pressure against your artery walls. This in turn may enlarge your heart and damage your arteries and significantly increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. What can you do? Well, if you are overweight, losing weight can make a significant difference in your blood pressure. Eating a heart healthy diet rich in plant foods and heart healthy fats can also help. And make sure to get adequate amounts of potassium, calcium and magnesium but watch your sodium intake. Studies indicate that populations who consume diets rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium, but limit sodium intake have lower blood pressure. Regular physical exercise also tends to strengthen the cardiovascular system and lower blood pressure. And, again, omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to support healthy blood pressure and help to maintain healthy heart rhythm.

Modifiable Risk Factor 4: Having Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is a serious and increasingly common disease in which the body doesn't properly use insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas that is responsible for transporting sugar in the blood into cells of the body where it can be metabolized. Left untreated, blood sugar levels increase and will damage blood vessels, thus increasing the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Being overweight and sedentary are two big risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes, and once again, modest weight loss can help prevent diabetes from developing in the first place. If you already have diabetes, weight loss, improvements in your diet and the addition of fiber can help to naturally improve your blood sugar control. Regular visits to your health care provider are critical if you already have diabetes. If you have a family member with diabetes or you are overweight, have your doctor screen you for diabetes, which can often be without symptoms until it is advanced.

Modifiable Risk Factor 5: Being Physically Inactive
Being a couch potato increases your likelihood of developing heart disease. And increasing your physical activity can make a big difference. If you're overweight it will help you burn calories, it will also help lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes a day, most days of the week. If you don't have time to do all 30 minutes at once, no worries, breaking it up into shorter periods of exercise is fine just be sure it all adds up to 30 minutes a day. In addition to vigorous activities like walking, running, or swimming, simple day to day activities count too. Activities like gardening, housework, mowing the lawn are all activities that can help improve your heart health.

Modifiable Risk Factor 6: Smoking
Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the United States. Even second hand smoke, constantly breathing in smoke from someone else's cigarette or cigar also increases your risk of developing heart disease and other serious conditions like cancer. If you smoke the best thing you can do for your health and the health of others around you is to quit. Discuss quitting with your doctor. He or she can help direct you to a smoking cessation program that's right for you.

So in honor of February - Heart Health Month - we want to be sure you are taking special care of your most prized possession, your heart. Learn if you have any risk factors and take the necessary action outlined in this Bulletin to modify your risk - starting today. Start by following a heart healthy weight and inch loss plan and increasing your physical activity level. In addition, consider the use of heart-smart dietary supplements as added nutritional support. Incorporate soy protein and soluble fiber into your diet. Eat a diet rich in plant foods like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, other lean protein and heart healthy fats. Be sure you are consuming adequate amounts of homocysteine lowering folic acid, Vitamins B6 and B12. Make sure to get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. If you are concerned about contaminants in fresh fish, consider a pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplement that will bring you a full spectrum of omega-3 fatty acids including EPA for hearth health and DHA to support brain function. And don't forget about Coenzyme Q10, to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, the form of cholesterol that makes up the plaque that builds up inside artery walls. People who take statin type drugs may be depleted in coenzyme Q10.

So, enjoy a few bites of mouth-watering dark chocolate on Valentine's Day (for its heart healthy polyphenols, of course) and then go for a walk with your "honey." Talk about your excitement about incorporating exercise, healthy eating and wise supplementation into your daily routine so that you can enjoy the coming year with energy and vitality--and the confidence that you are taking care of your heart.

Be well.

Health Alert: Not All Vitamins Are Created Equal

MSNBC.com recently tested vitamins found on store shelves. Of 21 brands of multivitamins on the market in the United States and Canada selected by ConsumerLab.com and tested by independent laboratories, just 10 met the stated claims on their label or satisfied other quality standards. (Do you know how to pick a quality vitamin? Read the Quality Vitamin Checklist so you know where your money is going.)

Most worrisome, is that one product, The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for Women, was contaminated with lead.

"I was definitely shocked by the amount of lead in this product," ConsumerLab.com's Dr. Tod Cooperman stated. "We've never seen that much lead in a multivitamin before."

Other products contained more or less of a particular vitamin than listed on the label. Some did not dissolve in the correct amount of time, meaning they could pass through the body without being absorbed.

ConsumerLab.com independently evaluates hundreds of health & nutrition products and periodically publishes reviews. In the news report, released to MSNBC.com, the company purchased a selection of the popular multivitamins on the market as well as some smaller brands and sent them, without labels, to two independent laboratories to be tested.

"I think this confirms the advice often given: you are safer choosing a well-known brand of vitamins sold by some company that you have confidence in."

In the reports, tests show that the Vitamin Shoppe women's product contained 15.3 micrograms of lead per daily serving of two tablets. This same product also contained just 54% of the 200 milligrams of Calcium listed on the label.

This amount of lead is more than 10 times the amount permitted without a warning in California. This mineral is stored in the body and could build up over time.

"I would be concerned about a woman taking a multivitamin that contains 15.3 micrograms of lead per daily serving," stated Judy Simon, a dietician at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. "Among other health effects, lead can contribute to high blood pressure."

ConsumerLab.com also found that Hero Nutritional Yummi Bears, a multivitamin for children, had an extra 216% of the labeled amount of vitamin A, delivering 5,400 International Units in a daily serving. That's substantially more than the tolerable level of 2,000 IU for kids ages 1-3 and 3,000 for kids 4-8.

"Because too much vitamin A can cause bone weakening and liver abnormalities, the Yummi Bears could be doing more harm than good. Vitamin A is one of those vitamins you don't want to get too much of," Dr.Cooperman noted.

The lead and Vitamin A findings are worrisome because vitamins are generally taken every day, potentially building up to toxic levels and leading to problems down the line. In particular, women with high levels of lead in their bodies who get pregnant could pass on problems to their baby.

In other findings, Eniva VIBE, a liquid multivitamin sold in packets, had only 54% of the claimed Vitamin A.

The ConsumerLab.com report also found that some vitamins did not break apart within the 30-minute standard set by the United States Pharmacopia. Nature's Plus Especially Yours for Women required more than an hour to disintegrate, while AARP Maturity Formula took 50 minutes. These products could go through your body without releasing the nutrients.

Editor's Note: Shaklee's Vita-Lea won a "disintegration derby" conducted by NBC several years ago that showed Vita-Lea disintegrating in under 20 minutes-- faster than all other multivitamins tested.

There are many, many reasons that set Shaklee apart from all other vitamins, herbs and nutritional supplements on the market today, and one of the most important is found right in the Shaklee Guarantee.

1. 100% guarantee that the ingredients listed on the label are in the product
2. 100% guarantee of quality-controlled product formulations that ensure product safety, purity, reliability, and product performance
3. 100% guarantee that we use the finest quality ingredients available

As you can see with Shaklee, it's not just an unconditional money back guarantee, but a whole philosophy and commitment to making Shaklee products the very best. With Shaklee you never have to worry or wonder if what's on the label is in the bottle. And you can rest assured that you're getting the very best quality and formulation based on solid scientific research and unprecedented testing.

A handy one page view with links to all the vitamins and minerals, herbs, botanicals and nutritional supplements.

Dr. Weil recommends daily supplementation

Sunday, Jan. 7, 2009, I watched Good Morning America and saw Dr. Andrew Weil, an integrated medicine specialist and author of the bestselling "Healthy Aging," share his tips on what supplements people should be taking every day. I have admired Dr. Weil for many years and so I pass his recommendations on to you.

• Multivitamin:

  People should take a quality multivitamin every day because the body needs vitamins every day. Our main dietary source of vitamins are fruits, and vegetables and whole foods. Most people are not eating those in sufficient amounts, or even every day. So the multivitamin is insurance for gaps in the diet. And even if you are eating fruits and veggies everyday, it's not a bad thing.

  Choose a multivitamin by reading the labels. There are some things that definitely should and shouldn't be on the label. The multivitamin should not contain any pre-formed vitamin A, which is usually called retinol. Don't get a multivitamin that has iron in it unless your doctor has recommended you do so. (Learn more about choosing a quality multivitamin.)

  You do want vitamin D3. If the label says vitamin D2, then it's not the good kind of vitamin D.

• Vitamin D:

  There's research coming out really month by month showing vitamin D prevents many kinds of cancer and multiple sclerosis. We used to think vitamin D was just necessary for bone health, but now we're seeing it prevent a lot of other diseases.

  But make sure you're taking D3. So often, you see orange juice or foods that say they're vitamin D fortified. But many times, those are fortified with D2. Vitamin D has to be taken with fat. Taking a vitamin D pill with orange juice isn't going to work; it won't stick to you.

• Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Take one gram of fish oil every day. The body needs adequate intake every day for optimum mental and physical health, and there are not many dietary sources. You can really only find it naturally in oily fish from cold water (salmon, herring, sardines). It helps prevent heart disease, aging, cancer and dementia.
• CoQ10: People should also take the antioxidant CoQ10. It helps muscle function, heart function and brain function. It is absolutely necessary for people with heart disease. Co-Q-10 is made naturally in your body, but more doesn't hurt.
• Herbal Tonics: Tonics are natural substances, which, taken over time, increase general resistance to illness and encourage longevity. There are many different ones, and they're worth learning about and experimenting with. If you're lacking in energy or get sick a lot, these could be very useful to you.

Dr. Weil also had recommendations about how to choose a supplement. He said that when it comes to supplements, there's not necessarily a correlation between price and quality, which is important to know. Start by reading the label. Be careful of the milligram amount you're getting per capsule.

If the recommended dose is 1,000 milligrams and the pill only contains 200 milligrams, then you're going to be taking a lot of pills every day just to reach that dosage, so pay attention to the details.

Try to get brand-name recommendations. Sadly, many doctors haven't learned about supplements in medical school, so your doctor may not be able to advise you on that. To find the best brands, do your homework. Either get names of products from people you trust, or go on the Internet and look these supplements up. Check how the different brands do quality control. Ideally, pharmacists will be able to help; but again, they aren't getting this in their education any more than our physicians are.

We hope this information is of help to you and yours. Optimal health requires knowledge and action on our part.