10 Tips to Improve Your Health
December 2006
Are you Overstressed?
New Products - 2006
Anti-Aging - A Radical Idea
Colloidal Minerals
7 Key Supplements To Keep You Healthy
Heart Health
Create Your Own Herbal Medicine Chest
It's Easy Being Green!
Natural Flu and Cold Remedies
Circulatory Health
Brain Boosters! Enhance Your Brain Power.
Do You Have A Vitamin Deficiency?
Spring Cleaning
Immunity II
Immunity I
Cleansing, Vitamin D3, Tips for Insomnia
Little Known Facts About Changes In Our Diet
Anti-Aging - A Radical Idea
November 2007 - Types of Cleanses, Vitamin D3, Tip
HAVE YOU DONE YOUR FALL CLEANSE YET? IT IS NOT TOO LATE!!
Depending on your blood type, regularity, how much you have traveled this year, liver health and digestive issues will depend on the cleanse which is best for you. If you are not sure, call me to find out which cleanse is best for you to do before the Christmas holidays begin.
CLEANSTART
Apple/Cinnamon or Wildberry
Benefits:
•Supports the natural, everyday cleansing of toxic waste from the body.
•Works without posing dangerous side effects.
•Improves energy and promotes a feeling of well-being.
•Helps protect the body from disease.
PARA-CLEANSE
Benefits:
•Provide natural, gentle, effective nutrients.
•Encourage the elimination of several types of parasites.
Benefits:
- Promotes the healthy cleansing of metabolic waste.
- Supports intestinal regularity.
- May improve energy and well-being.
Benefits:
- Promotes natural, healthy elimination.
- Supports normal glandular function.
- Supports the liver and digestive system.
- May help maximize the nutritional benefit from the food you eat.
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VITAMIN D3 - FOR SKELETAL & IMMUNE HEALTH - NSP's NEWEST PRODUCT
WHAT DOES VITAMIN D 3 DO?
Vitamin D comes in two forms: D2 and D3. Of the two D3 is more bioactive. The body synthesizes vitamin D3 from sunlight; it cannot be obtained through foods.
Vitamin D3: (cholecalciferol) and its active metabolite (Calcitriol) regulate the balance of bone mineral.
Vitamin D3 ensures the proper serum levels of calcium and phosphate; regulates bone growth and regeneration; aids in increasing the absorption of calcium, helps with heart and nerves.
It enhances calcium absorption by strengthening the bone-forming mechanism and improves calcium re-absorption rate in the intestine. Taken regularly, it helps to slow down bone degeneration and strengthen the bones.
Vitamin D is vital to the health of your skeletal and immune systems. The body manufactures this essential vitamin through sun exposure, making it difficult to obtain adequate amounts of vitamin D during the cloudy winter months.
There is a great deal of new research which shows that Vitamin D3 …factors into far more than the critical tasks of building and maintaining healthy bones. Touted as the new, (yet old and safe), wonder drug, vitamin D3 may be one of our body’s best defenses against various cancers, autoimmune diseases, respiratory and skin infections, and declining physical performance as we age.
As basic as it may seem, getting just a few minutes of direct sunlight per day might indeed be enough to ward off unwanted disease processes. There is a direct correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and where you live, the amount of time you spend in the sun without sunscreen, etc. It is the areas of the world that do not have regular, direct sunlight, that suffer the most. If you happen to reside on the sunny equator never fear... but if you call Alaska home on the other hand it might be beneficial to consider a little extra D3. Without getting into great detail, research shows that the proximity one lives according to the latitudes on the globe is an essential player in the amount of sunlight one receives.
Donald Lepore, ND, in his book The Ultimate Healing System, discusses that, as has been previously discussed, individuals obtain Vitamin D3 from sunlight. “This ultraviolet light acts on the oils of the skin to produce the vitamin, which is then absorbed by the body.” It can also be obtained “…orally through food or food supplements.” Lepore states that“…it should be noted there is more D in the milk in the summertime because the cows themselves are out of the barns. So summer milks and cheeses are richer in Vitamin D than winter products.” He also states that anything that grows in the sunlight also contains Vitamin D, as well as “…Fish Liver Oil, sardines, herring, salmon, Tuna, Milk and Dairy products.”
SIGNS OF VITAMIN D 3 DEFICIENCY
Some signs of Vitamin D deficiency might include joint pain and stiffness, backache, tooth decay, muscle cramps, hair loss as well as the more commonly associated childhood illness of Rickets.
WHO BENEFITS FROM VITAMIN D 3
Some of the potential illnesses that could benefit from D3 supplementation include: alcoholism, anxiety, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, birth defects, bone disease, bone pain, cancer, Celiac-Sprue, Celiac, Crohn’s disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Depression, diabetes, diarrhea, enzymatic diseases, eye problems such as conjunctivitis, myopia, and cataracts; fatigue, fibromyalgia, Grave’s Disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, impaired wound healing, irritable bowel disease, insomnia, intestinal irritability, joint pain, kidney disorders, liver impairments, Lupus, malabsorption, multiple sclerosis, muscle pain, obsessive disorders, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, panic attacks, Parkinson’s, PMS, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, Rickets, schizophrenia, and thyroid issues.
In a research study conducted by Dr. Robert P. Heaney MD from Creighton University, it was discovered that when Vitamin D3 was added to the regimen of 34 post-menopausal women, two-thirds of their calcium absorption increased. According to Dr. Heaney, “…in brief, raising serum 25 (OH)D [also known as Vitamin D3] from 20 to approximately 80nmol/ L improves Ca [calcium] absorption, reduces osteoporotic fracture risk and is associated with higher BMD [bone mineral density].”
“Researchers from King’s College London have found that vitamin D3 could substantially improve the responsiveness of these patients to steroid treatment, offering them hope of an improvement in their condition” These findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on December 10, 2005.
There are many studies that show the correlation between “…higher levels of Vitamin D and a lower incidence of multiple sclerosis. Similarly, studies have shown low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with numerous autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D offers benefits for autoimmune diseases because of its ability to influence T cell development and inactivate Natural Killer cells.”
Could there be a correlation between the flu season running from November through February with the incidence of decreased sunlight? Dr. John Cannell, MD, a psychiatrist at Atascadero State Hospital in California and executive director for the nonprofit Vitamin D council, found that in “…2005 a nasty flu virus hit the forensic psychiatric hospital where Cannell supervises a ward. While 10 percent of the facility’s patients caught the bug, none of his patients did.” At that point he began to investigate if there was a correlation as to whether the additional D3 that these patients had been taking played a part. His work found that “…vitamin D3 augments the antimicrobial compounds produced by white blood cells, and thus helps boost the resistance to flu – and scores of other viruses that cause the common cold. “
“Vitamin D deficiencyis often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia,” according to Michael F. Holick, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This information could be the integral link in this confusing, frustrating illness.
In an article entitled “Immune regulation: Vitamin D3 promotes immune function in the skin, “ published in
Nature Reviews Immunology, it is written that “the importance of vitamins for optimal health has been known for a long time, but two recent papers reveal a previously unknown role for vitamin D3 in regulating immune responses in the skin
Many companies offer synthetic vitamin D products. NSP Vitamin D3 is completely natural. According to the NSP label on the new product, it is stated that the D3 is derived from lanolin harvested from BSE-free sheep’s wool fat from New Zealand and Australia. These animals are certified BSE-free which means that they have been tested for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as Mad-Cow Disease. This disease process is specific to beef, but it appears that NSP is covering all bases in testing for this in a sheep-based product. The testing could also be done due to the fact that the sheep could have possible ingested animal feed that contained beef or beef by-products.
Each NSP tablet contains 2000 IU of natural Vitamin D-3 Take 1-2 tablet daily with a meal.NSP Vitamin D-3, # 1155-1
“The recommended adequate intakes for vitamin D are inadequate,and, in the absence of exposure to sunlight, a minimum of 1000IU vitamin D/day is required to maintain a healthy concentrationof 25(OH)D in the blood.
Research differs as to the amount needed by each individual. Some studies state that 2000 IU /day is essential in preventative maintenance. But, there are some works cites that up to 45,000 IU day could be necessary in restorative work
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HELP ME, I NEED A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP - Tips to help you sleep.
If you are having sleep problems, whether you are not able to fall asleep, wake up too often, don't feel well-rested when you wake up in the morning, or simply want to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep, try as many of the following techniques below as possible:
· Listen to white noise or relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep.
· Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep. You might try eating one ounce of protein before bed.
· Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. There also should be as little light in the bathroom as possible if you get up in the middle of the night. Keep the light off when you go to the bathroom at night. As soon as you turn on that light you will for that night immediately cease all production of the important sleep aid melatonin.
· No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even out of the house, completely. It is too stimulating to the brain and it will take longer to fall asleep. Also this is disruptive to pineal gland function for the same reason as above.
· Wear socks to bed. Due to the fact that they have the poorest circulation, the feet often feel cold before the rest of the body. A study has shown that this reduces awakening during the night.
· Read something spiritual or religious. This will help to relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, as this may have the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might wind up unintentionally reading for hours, instead of going to sleep.
· Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on the body to be awoken suddenly. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, they should be unnecessary. Wake to music. Get an alarm clock which gradually allows the music to get louder, called a Sun Alarm.
· Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed.
· Melatonin and its precursors. If behavioral changes do not work, it may be possible to improve sleep by supplementing with the hormone melatonin. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute complete darkness at night.
Benefits of NSP's Melatonin #2830-4:
• Helps promote the body's natural sleep rhythm.
• Helps you feel more alert and rested after a night's sleep.
• May help fight jet lag.
• Possesses antioxidant properties and may benefit the immune system.
Melatonin Extra®—3 mg [Glandular] is an exclusive NSP formula containing melatonin, a natural compound produced by the pineal gland (located in the center of the brain). Melatonin is vitally important to health when you consider three factors: aging, energy and sleep. As people age they produce less melatonin.
Melatonin can help restore the body’s natural sleep rhythm. Used as directed, it may help you feel more alert and satisfied after a full night of rest. In addition, mounting evidence shows that melatonin acts as a powerful antioxidant, meaning it may benefit the body’s immune system.
Each capsule of Melatonin Extra contains 3 mg of melatonin (derived from non-bovine sources), combined with Ginkgo biloba concentrate (standardized to 24 percent glycosides), Ginkgo biloba leaves (may aid circulation to the brain), Eleuthero (a famous adaptogen known to have a calming effect on the nervous system) and 30 IU (100 percent Daily Value) of vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol).
CAUTION: Melatonin should not be taken during the day; it may cause drowsiness. It is not recommended for use by children, teenagers or pregnant or lactating women. Do not take this product when driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery.
Adults: Take 1 capsule 30 minutes prior to bedtime.
· Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well. Be sure to support your adrenal glands with nutrients like Mineral Chi Tonic and Adrenal Support.
· Keep the temperature in the bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes and particularly the upstairs bedrooms too hot.
· Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan need to produce melatonin and serotonin.
· Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier.
· Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter may have effects on sleep. In most cases, the condition, which caused the drugs to be taken in the first place, can be addressed by following these recommendations.
· Avoid caffeine. A recent study showed that in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and therefore they can feel the effects long after consuming it. So an afternoon cup of coffee (or even tea) will keep some people from falling asleep. Also, some medications, particularly diet pills contain caffeine.
· Alarm clocks and other electrical devices. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from the bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet.
· Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make people drowsy, the effect is short lived and people will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing.
· Lose weight. Being overweight can increase the risk of sleep apnea, which will prevent a restful nights sleep.
· Avoid foods that you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for dairy and wheat products, as they may have effect on sleep, such as causing apnea, excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, and gas, among others.
· Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom or at least minimize the frequency.
· Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating sleep.
· Try a Lavender Bath. Use 2 cups Epson Salts and 8-10 drops NSP Lavender #3907-8 for adults. Soak for 20 minutes.
· Keep your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and to think of the bed as a place to sleep.
· Have your adrenals checked . Scientists have found that insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, August 2001; 86:3787-3794). Support your adrenals with herbs like HY-A or HY-C. For adrenal burnout work with Nervous Fatigue Formula, Mineral Chi Tonic, Adrenal Support.
· If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by your health care professional. The hormonal changes at this time may cause problems if not properly addressed.
· Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed, and wake up, at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning. 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is the optimal time to sleep.
· Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes everyday can help you fall asleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can do it.
· Establish a bedtime routine. This could include prayer, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the day's tensions.
Insomnia Blend for Oils
Combine essential oils in a spray bottle and spray over bed or in a diffuser and diffuse overnight. Or add to the bath water when combined with Epsom Salts.
· Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
· Wear an eye mask to block out light. As said above, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can help to block out the remaining light.
· Put your work away at least one hour (but preferably two or more) before bed. This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.
· Try taking NSP's Herbal Sleep before bedtime. Herbal Sleep promotes proper nervous system function by supporting restful sleep and providing soothing and calming properties.
The combination consists of:
- Valerian root
- Passion flower aerial parts
- Hops flowers
If these tips do not work for you, you may want to look deeper to the roll the thyroid and adrenals play in sleep as well as the roll of the liver/gallbladder. If sleep is an issues for you and you are still not able to get a good nights sleep feel free to call and set an appointment so we can look deeper into why your are not sleeping well.
You can e-mail Paige at Paige@mynsp.com or visit her at her web site at
www.naturalhealthanswers.com or www.mynsp.com/naturalhealthanswers
To schedule an appointment you can reach Paige at 303.757.8673.
Initial consultations are $75
Health Consultation + Blood Work Analysis $195
Rechecks begin at $30
This information is for educational purposes only and should not be used to
diagnose and treat diseases. If you have any health problems consult a
health practitioner before embarking on any course of treatment.
Little Known Facts About Changes In Our Diet
Little Known Facts About Changes In Our Diet  To say that Americans are obsessed with dieting is an understatement! Pick up any magazine, tune-in or turn-on any source of advertising and you're bombarded with the latest diet schemes and food fads. More often than not, they are endorsed by some familiar Hollywood celebrity, or promoted using some other clever technique. It's no mystery that the weight-loss industry has built a thriving empire. In America, for example, we spend about 35 billion dollars every year on an assortment of wei *ght loss products and plans. In addition, we spend another 79 billion dollars for medication, hospitalization, and doctors to treat obesity-related problems. Even with this, the obesity epidemic continues to spread. Sadly, we have become the heaviest generation in our Nation's history. The National Center for Health Statistics reports that we have some very good reasons to be concerned about our weight-gain. Americans, for example are packing-on the pounds faster than ever before and weight-related medical problems are taking center stage. Diseases like heart disease, diabetes and yes...even certain forms of cancer have all been linked to obesity. Here are a few of the surprising statistics about our weight:
- A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. That's up approximately 8 percent from overweight estimates obtained in a 1988 report.
- The percent of children who are overweight is also continuing to increase. Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost 9 million are overweight. That's triple what the rate was in 1980!
- Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese. At present, 31 percent of adults 20 years of age and over or nearly 59 million people have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater, compared with 23 percent in 1994.
(The BMI is a number that shows body weight adjusted for height. For adults, a BMI of 18.5 - 24.9 is considered normal. A BMI of 25.0 - 29.9 is overweight and 30.0 or above, is considered obese.)
Modern life both at home and at work has come to revolve around moving from one "seated" position to another: whether it's television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we seem to be broadening the scope of our inactive endeavors.
At times, life seems to have gotten almost too easy! For entertainment, we can now just sit-down, dial-up our favorite TV program or DVD movie and enjoy hours of uninterrupted entertainment...
And all those simple calorie burning activities that were once a normal part of our daily routine not so long ago? Long gone! You know the ones I'm talking about...activities like climbing stairs instead of using escalators and elevators. Or, pushing a lawn mower instead of riding around on a garden tractor. And what about that daily walk to school? Now, our kids complain when the school bus happens to be a few minutes late getting to the bus stop!
Along with the convenience of our affluent lifestyle and reduction in energy expenditure, have come changes in our diet. We are now consuming more calorie rich and nutrient deficient foods than ever before.
Here are a few examples of what we were eating in the 1970's compared to our diet today (information is taken from a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):
- We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption has jumped 45 percent since the 1970s, from 138 pounds of grains per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat flour is consumed as whole wheat.
- Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but only because the U.S.D.A. includes French fries and potato chips as a vegetable. Potato products account for almost a third of our "produce" choices.
- We're drinking less milk, but we've more than doubled our cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source of saturated fat in our diets.
- We've cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so that overall, we're eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did back in the 1970s.
- We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than milk, compared to the 1970's, when milk consumption was twice that of pop.
- We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has increased 32 percent.
- Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, people are consuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies.
- In 1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11 percent of the average person's calories. Now, this number has ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as much as 20 percent for American teenagers.
The days of the wholesome family dinners so near and dear to our hearts, where we all sat around the kitchen table to discuss events of the day, are now a part of our sentimental past. They have been replaced by our cravings for take-out and fast-food. We have gradually come to accept that it's "OK" to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger serving portions mean better value.
And, since I have been throwing-out statistics, here's one more: Americans are consuming about 300 more calories each day than we did twenty years ago. We should actually be eating less because of our decreased activity level, but instead are doing the opposite!
Decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits will become a permanent part of your life!
Begin to explore your values and thoughts and other areas of your life where change may be required, and then take action. Begin slowly, but deliberately to make improvements in the areas you identify. And remember, it has taken a very long time to develop your habits, and it will take some time to undo them…so be patient!
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