How to Eat Clean: Part One

At Living Well, we drive home the importance of eating right to each and every one of our patients. The truth is, a well-balanced diet is the key to good health, and the first defense against disease. Not only that, but clean eating can also lead to healthy weight loss. In this three-part article series, we’ll teach you the foundations of clean eating, give you some easy-to-follow examples to take the guesswork out, and offer some advice on how to continue on your clean eating journey.

In our first article, we’ll show you how easy it is to eat clean, what foods to avoid, and where to start.

Clean eating the Mediterranean way

The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the worldClean eating can be described as eating whole foods with minimal processing, and avoiding unrecognizable (chemical) ingredients. The Mediterranean diet is the basis for many clean eating programs, simply because it’s one of the healthiest in the world. For over 50 years, scientists have studied the eating patterns of people native to the Mediterranean region and found that it’s associated with long, healthy lives with minimal chronic disease. The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, plant proteins (legumes and lentils), whole grains, olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish, and plenty of herbs and spices. The Mediterranean diet isn’t really a diet; it’s a way of life that maintains good health.

Gain a nutritional advantage

LifeCORE meal replacement can aid in weight lossWhile there’s no replacement for healthy eating, a recent large-scale study revealed the benefits of using meal replacement for weight loss. They found that participants with the most frequent consumption of meal replacements had nearly double the weight loss of those who consumed the least. That’s why we suggest LifeCORE to our clients who are embarking on the clean eating journey – it reinforces the Mediterranean dietary pattern and helps you achieve proper daily nutrition.

The clean eating basics

Not all foods are as they appear

There are a number of foods that are commonly perceived to be healthy, but should actually be avoided. This is because common foods like wheat, dairy, and soy often create negative reactions in the body as a result of a food allergy or delayed food intolerance. When these foods are avoided, most people feel better and notice improved energy when they eliminate common allergens from their diet. Make sure to talk to us about specific food intolerances, especially if testing has revealed other problematic foods.

Be sure to avoid the foods on this list:

  • Be sure to avoid these things as part of a clean eating dietOranges, orange juice
  • Corn; any creamed vegetables
  • Wheat, barley, spelt, kamut, rye; all products containing gluten
  • Tofu, tempeh, soy beans, soy milk, and other soy products
  • Peanuts, peanut butter
  • Pork, shellfish, cold cuts, frankfurters, sausage, canned meats
  • Dairy fats; milk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, frozen yogurt, non-dairy creamers
  • Margarine, butter, shortening, processed and hydrogenated oils, mayonnaise
  • Soda or soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, caffeine
  • Chocolate, ketchup, relish, chutney, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, other condiments
  • White or brown refined sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup

Reduce your sugar and caffeine intake

Limiting your sugar and caffeine will enhance your results and give you balanced energy. When you feel sluggish, it’s tempting to use sugar or caffeine to stay alert, but these quick fixes will leave you feeling worse in the long run. For a natural way to keep your energy steady and balanced, choose a small, healthy snack such as dried fruit with nuts, half a fresh avocado, sliced tomatoes with sea salt and basil, or veggie sticks with hummus.

Go organic and wild-caught

Go organic whenever possible. Look for foods (fresh, frozen, canned) that are USDA-certified organic. Select wild-caught salmon over farm-raised, and free-range and hormone-free chicken, turkey, and beef.

Be sure to stay tuned for the next article in this series, which will include a 14-day clean eating menu to take the guesswork out of what to eat to stay on track.

10 Days to Lower Inflammation

Inflammation can be a healthy response to your body’s signals to address challenges. However, inflammation can become the enemy if it’s causing your body to overreact to stressors and is creating a chronic inflammation response. When certain body parts need to be repaired, our cells release substances to stimulate the immune system to start the healing process. The 10-Day Inflammation Program will help jumpstart the healing process and put your body on the fast track to reducing inflammation and living a healthier, more active life.

Symptom checker

Do you have inflammation issues? The following are some symptoms that could be related to inflammation. Take a look and see how many symptoms affect you:

  • Use our symptom checklist to see if you might be suffering from inflammation.Minor aches and pains
  • Fatigue and lethargy
  • Swelling
  • Skin problems and irritation
  • Joint stiffness when you wake up or after you exercise
  • Excessive belly fat
  • Dark circles or bags under your eyes
  • Sinus congestion
  • Irregular bowel habits
  • Bloating, puffiness, or water retention

The solution

At Living Well, we recommend this program to our patients because it supplies your body with 10 days of high quality whole food-based and herbal-based supplements, and we see that it helps to support and maintain a normal inflammatory response within your body so you can have an active, pain-free lifestyle*.

What is the 10 Day Inflammation Program?

The program lasts ten days, and is designed to help jumpstart your body’s healing process and reset your inflammatory response.

  • The program lasts ten days, and is designed to help jumpstart your body's healing process and reset your inflammatory response.You’ll fill out a systems survey before you begin and after you finish to identify changes in your body systems.
  • Along with sticking to the clean eating guidelines of whole, unprocessed foods like vegetables, fruits, and lean protein, you’ll also enjoy whole food supplement shakes while staying away from refined carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners, sugar, chemical additives, processed meats, fried foods, caffeine, and soft drinks.
  • You’ll take a simple protocol of whole food and herbal supplements throughout the day.
  • You could experience weight loss, improved sleep quality, reduced cravings, more energy, and less joint pain throughout the day.

Is the 10 Day Inflammation Program right for you?

Reducing the effects of inflammation is the key factor in supporting and improving your overall function. A healthy inflammatory response system is important as we age. The combination of today’s sub-optimal dietary and lifestyle habits make it vital to support the body’s inflammatory response. The program is designed to start your journey to a renewed level of health and wellbeing, but as with all health and dietary programs, you should make an appointment with us first to discuss any limitations you may have before starting.

Call us today to see if the 10 Day Inflammation Program is right for you!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Aspirin and Tylenol Linked to Kidney Failure

Reference: New England Journal of Medicine, December 20, 2001;345:1801-1808

Individuals who have kidney disease or other ailments who regularly take aspirin or acetaminophen may be boosting their risk of developing kidney failure.

Aspirin and tylenol have been linked to kidney failureResearchers report that such patients who were regular users — those who took these painkillers at least twice a week for 2 months — were two to three times more likely to have the beginning stages of chronic kidney failure, compared with individuals who did not use these painkillers on a regular basis.

This study and others have found that the risk is minimal in those without pre-existing kidney disease.

Individuals who used either drug regularly were 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with chronic renal failure, compared with individuals who did not use these painkillers. The risk rose in tandem with the amount of either drug taken over a lifetime, the investigators found.

In looking at only participants with diabetes — a major underlying cause of kidney failure — regular aspirin and acetaminophen use were still linked to an increased risk.

The results support those of other studies that have found an association between regular use of painkillers and an increased risk of chronic kidney failure in susceptible individuals.

The results are consistent with exacerbating effects of acetaminophen and aspirin on chronic renal failure, practically regardless of accompanying disease.

Our Comments

About 15% of the people on dialysis today are there as a result of the damage that Tylenol and/or aspirin did to their kidneys. In addition, about 20% of those with heart failure are also the result of taking NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as aspirin, Tylenol, etc. These drugs may also be associated with diverticular disease of the colon.

Pain is actually a wonderful gift – it tells us that something is wrong. Pain is a clear signal given to us to provide immediate feedback from our body so we can take appropriate action to correct the problem. To mask the pain with drugs makes about as much sense as turning off a fire alarm so you won’t hear it when your house is burning down. The alarm is warning you that if you don’t take action, damage is imminent.

Worldwide research now tells us that many diseases that we once thought were from genetics or poor lifestyle causes (eating junk food, etc.) are really caused from infection. If you have any type of pain, it may be important to begin the use of both immune system builders, such as whole, pesticide-free colostrum as well as natural anti-infective agents, such as olive leaf extract, hyssop, virgin coconut oil, wild yew extract, and many others.

Rocket Launched Energy!!!

Sustained performance!!!

A healthy breakfast is essential for sustained energy.At Living Well our primary aim is to help our patients sustain a steady, high octane source of energy throughout the day. We do this through a series of techniques and approaches to maximize the individual biochemistry we are working with.

Do you know what the most important meal of the day is? Of course you do, however many people fail to apply this simple but very critical step in your day to day energy habits. This jump-starts the metabolism and gets the energy pump flowing therefore sustaining your productive output.

I recommend to my patients that if a person would only consume breakfast lunch and dinner to maintain their blood sugar and fill the gaps with intermediate snacks between 10am and 10:30am and 2 to 3:30 in the afternoon they would have a more sustainable energy throughout their day. Studies have been shown that those who skip breakfast and eat the exact same lunch vs those that consume breakfast will be one third less productive in the mid afternoon hours. Are you sleepy after lunch? Maybe it’s because you’re skipping the most important meal of the day……your breakfast.

Bruising, Bleeding Gums and Strokes

Bruising – Bleeding Gums – Strokes
Vitality, health and well being depend upon the delivery of healthy, nutritionally rich blood throughout your body, but without a healthy circulatory system, blood health does not matter – one must have both.

Every cubic inch of your body is rich with arteries, veins and lymph circulation. A pound of your body has up to two miles of circulatory tissue. Keeping all of this microscopic “plumbing” in good working order is the key to vascular health. Just like the plumbing in your home, when your vascular “plumbing” is sick it either “leaks” or “clogs”. Leaking plumbing is the focus of this Issue of The Nutritional Essentials.

Bruises, bleeding gums, and strokes could be the results of nutritional deficiency. Bruising, bleeding gums, and hemorrhagic “bleeding” strokes are all signs of an unhealthy “leaking” vascular system. While bruising and bleeding gums do not seem life threatening, they are definite indicators that “the plumbing is leaking” which can lead to greater health concerns, such as stroke.

Each year, 84,000 Americans are victims of brain bleeding, the deadliest form of stroke. Of these, 31,500 die within a month of their stroke, and most who survive are left with significant disability, making stroke the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. Since bleeding strokes are seen more frequently in younger patients, the condition is especially tragic as people are struck down in the prime of their lives.
Families, friends and victims of these vascular accidents cry out for help. What could be the cause of this? Why are these conditions on the rise? What is the answer? How could this have happened? He was so healthy! And now this!

Healthy “plumbing” is the result of perfect cooperation between healthy connective tissue making up the vessel walls and healthy blood that feeds and repairs that very same tissue.

While congenital variations of tissue structure and strength are factors in some vascular accidents and strokes, the prevention of bruising, bleeding gums and vascular leakage depends upon choices we make every day.

The food we choose to eat, the toxins we are exposed to that cause nutritional deficiency and the whole food supplements we consume all impact our health. 1, 2, 3
Important note: Once bruising, bleeding gums, frequent bloody nose, or stroke appear it is likely you have had a condition of nutritional deficiency for a long time, sometimes a very long time. The body must remain in a state of nutritional deficiency for an extended period of time for symptoms of any condition to develop. Don’t wait for early signs of vascular leakage to appear! Begin today to prevent possible strokes and cerebral vascular accidents.

Prevention is the key!

The health of the vascular system depends on the integrity of the arteries, veins and capillaries. Vascular Health Building blocks are found in foods rich in vitamin complexes, bioflavonoids, essential fatty acids and calcium. Let’s review their role in preventing bruising, bleeding gums, bloody nose, or stroke.
Bioflavonoids, (the vascular fragility factor), sometimes known as Vitamin P, increases capillary strength, maintains the integrity of the capillary walls and decreases the risk of bleeding.
Vitamin K is vitally important to a healthy blood clotting mechanism. Vitamin K supports capillary integrity and is helpful in the production of fibrin, a connective tissue protein responsible for proper clotting.4

Lifestyle Choices are a Key to Vascular Health

Vitamin T is a nutrient found in sesame seeds that supports healthy blood and platelets. The synergy of platelets and clotting factors activated by calcium initiates the blood clotting process.
Calcium supports connective tissue such as blood and blood vessels. Calcium initiates blood clotting by activating platelets and clotting factors.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects the fat soluble vitamins and their carriers, and balances the actions of the vitamin K complex.
This combination of Vascular Health building factors helps to build strong vessel walls to prevent leakage, build healthy blood for appropriate clotting times and assists in the modulation of vascular inflammation.

Lifestyle Choices are a Key to Health

To establish and maintain a healthy vascular system one must live a lifestyle which reduces toxins known to deplete the body of nutrients, while eating plenty of organic whole foods high in Vascular Health Building nutrients. Regardless of whether you are recovering from a cardiovascular disease, from bruising, bleeding gums, bloody nose or wisely want to prevent future problems, my advice is the same:

  1. Avoid processed foods made from sugar, flour, unhealthy fats and chemical additives which deplete the body of nutrients.
  2. Reduce environmental toxins in your kitchen, bath, garage and medicine cabinet. That’s because these toxins consume antioxidants and other health resources and lead to nutritional deficiency.
  3. Eat healthy whole foods high in antioxidants, organic minerals and vitamin complexes found in fresh vegetables and fruit.
  4. The assimilation of nutrients requires healthy digestion and absorption. Even the best quality food does no good without proper digestion. (See TNE-3)
  5. Eat healthy fats to enhance your assimilation of vitamins and minerals while boosting your production of natural anti-inflammatories.
  6. Take whole food concentrate supplements from Standard Process high in Vascular Health Building nutrients. Ask me which ones are likely to help you!
  • Cyruta Plus©—introduced in 1950, Providing a wealth of natural Vitamin P (the vascular fragility factor) Cyruta Plus’s healthful bioflavonoids support conditions of bruising, broken blood vessels, bleeding gums.†
  • Chlorophyll Complex – introduced in 1948 is fat- soluble, organic chlorophyll made from alfalfa, buckwheat, pea vines, tillandsia, sesame seeds, carrots and soybean plants. This whole food is a complex source of the fat-soluble antioxidant vitamins A, K, E and F, lecithin and an organic mineral source of magnesium, iron, potassium, trace minerals. A natural source of vitamin K, Chlorophyll Complex supports capillary integrity, is helpful in the production of fibrin (important in the clotting mechanism.) †
  • Calcium Lactate since 1947 this vegetarian source of calcium has been well known for its easy assimilation by the body. Calcium supports connective tissue which blood and blood vessels are both classified. Calcium initiates blood clotting by activating platelets and clotting factors. Most all vitamins have some role to play in the regulation of calcium, especially Vitamin F, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin K which are all found in Chlorophyll Complex and Cyruta Plus.†

† 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. They are to support your health.

1. Van Guelpen, B et al, Folate, vitamin B12, and risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke: a prospective, nested case-referent study of plasma concentrations and dietary intake. Stroke. 2005 Jul;36(7):1426-31.
2. Fung, TT et al: Prospective study of major dietary patterns and stroke risk in women. Stroke. 2004 Sep;35(9):2014-9.
3. Sauvaget, C et al: Vegetable and fruit intake and stroke mortality in the Hiroshima/ Nagasaki Life Span Study. Stroke. 2003 Oct;34(10):2355-60.
4. Vermeer C et al: Beyond deficiency: potential benefits of increased intakes of vitamin K for bone and vascular health. Eur J Nutr. 2004 Dec;43(6):325-35.
5. Prentice CR Acquired coagulation disorders. Clin Haematol. 1985 Jun;14(2):413-42.

The Truth About Antioxidants

Flawed theories about antioxidants

Scientific “truth” is a relative thing. What is believed to be true at one moment can change with a new discovery. While the earth was considered flat for centuries, mankind now knows that it is round and that the sun, not the earth, is the center of the solar system.

The antioxidant/free radical theory of health and disease is likely another example of flawed theory. Newer research and a deeper understanding of earlier discoveries are changing the current theory of the role of antioxidants in health. Even though millions of people believe that free radicals cause disease, and that taking high potency antioxidants will restore health, the truth is that taking high potency antioxidants cause more harm than good. While a proclamation like this seems to go against commonly held beliefs, you will learn that such beliefs are like the “flat earth.”

The real truth about antioxidants

The accepted myth is that antioxidant extracts are important substances to consume in high volumes because they slow the aging process by neutralizing free radicals. The truth, however, is that antioxidants simply are nature’s way of protecting the important nutritional value of foods until such a time as the food is consumed.

A brief history of the antioxidant theory

Antioxidants alone do not build health.In the 1950s, a theory of aging was promoted which stated that free radical atoms were the cause of accelerated aging. The chemist who proposed this theory, Dr. Harmon, experimented on rats with a preservative called BHT that had antioxidant properties. While none of the rat populations showed an increase in maximum lifespan, the overall population did show a statistical increase in average life span. From these humble beginnings, the antioxidant theory began to take hold in the minds of the scientific community, and drug companies began the search for antioxidant chemicals.

Fifty years later

Today, advertisements abound promoting the mythical virtues of antioxidants, while the scientific community is now beginning to abandon them. Dozens of research projects have failed to show any benefit from antioxidant extracts added to the diets of sick people. In fact, some research has shown that ingesting antioxidant fractions may actually increase the likelihood of health degeneration.

What do antioxidants do?

Antioxidants are nature’s way of protecting the nutritional value of foods until they are consumed. Antioxidants are an integral part of wholesome foods. But they are only a part of the food – antioxidants alone do not build health. The truth is, whole foods that are high in antioxidants are also very high in many healthful nutrients – nature put the antioxidants in to protect the nutrients!

Whole foods are good for our health and should be consumed often. Fruits and vegetables have many vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, some of which are antioxidants. But this inherent goodness is not due to antioxidants; the goodness of fruits and vegetables themselves are coincidental with antioxidants.

Antioxidants alone do not promote good health.Remember this important concept:

Whole foods are greater than the sum of their parts. And as Dr. Royal Lee stated 60 years ago, the antioxidant factors in foods seem to be there to protect “the more important factors” – the nutrients of the food. Scientific studies now demonstrate that he was right all along.

Increase Antioxidant Rich Whole Foods

First Step – REDUCE exposure to toxins

  • Reduce or eliminate any and all toxic chemicals around your home such as non-biodegradable chemical cleaners, solvents, aerosol sprays, pesticides, and perfumed products.
  • Eliminate foods that contain fake or damaged fats, additives, preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors.
  • Reduce inflammation in your body by supporting your digestive and immune systems.
  • Reduce the load of toxins in your body through periodic purification.
  • Quit smoking and avoid second-hand smoke and smog.

Second Step – INCREASE whole foods

  • Blueberries are rich in Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and other phytochemicals..Eat fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants and other phytochemicals – and a lot of them – 9 or more servings per day!
  • Eat organic foods as much as possible – they have up to 30% more antioxidants and up to 97% more phytochemicals on average.
  • Enjoy a wide variety of antioxidant and phytochemical-rich foods. The more colorful the better! Good examples are blueberries, plums, broccoli, strawberries, and red cabbage.
  • Supplement with whole food concentrates known to be high in natural antioxidants because that is where the important known and as yet unknown nutrients vital to health are found.

We recommend supplementing with high quality whole food concentrates from
Standard Process such as:

  • Wheat Germ Oil – Introduced in 1939, it is one of the richest sources of complete vitamin E complex. This whole food antioxidant protects, stabilizes, and repairs cell membranes and is beneficial in numerous metabolic processes.†
  • OPC Synergy® – One of the strongest natural phytochemical-rich whole food products available, OPC Synergy® contains a combination of grape seed extract (including Masquelier’s® Original OPC), buckwheat, red wine extract, green tea extract, and bilberry.†
  • SP Green Food® – Research suggests that we should consume five to nine servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily in order to meet the nutritional demands of our bodies. SP Green Food is one way to assure your body receives the phytochemical benefits of whole food complexes with their synergistic cofactors to support immune system response, antioxidant protection, and detoxification activities.†
  • Cruciferous Complete® – Kale and brussels sprouts contain phytonutrients that protect against cell damage.
  • Cataplex® A-C-P – This combines the vitamin complexes of A and C with the vitamin P complex. The vitamin P complex, a bioflavonoid sometimes known as rutin, is essential for the successful absorption of vitamins A and C, the healthy function of capillaries and connective tissues, and immune system support.†
  • Cataplex® A – Introduced in 1934, Cataplex A contains whole food concentrates of the vitamin A complex including beta carotene.†
  • Cataplex® C – The vitamin C complex has long been recognized as an important nutritional compound essential for supporting the immune, cardiovascular, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and blood building systems.†

Harman, D (1956). “Aging: a theory based on free radical and radiation chemistry”. JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGY 11 (3): 298-300..
Harman, D (1972). “A biologic clock: the mitochondria?”. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY 20 (4): 145-147.
Howes, R (2006). “The Free Radical Fantasy – A Panoply of Paradoxes” Ann.N.Y.Acad.Sci.1067:22–26(2006)
† 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. They are to support your health.

Gall Bladder, A Vital Organ That is Being Removed At Alarming Rates

The Galling Statistics Need a Simple Remedy

Gall Bladder Syndrome is one of the most expensive, easily preventable conditions affecting Americans, causing a reported 3,000 deaths and over 800,000 hospitalizations annually. Over 500,000 people undergo surgery for gall bladder disease each year! Amazingly we bring this on ourselves, and with a few key lifestyle changes this condition could be virtually eliminated.

American Diet is the Cause

The American lifestyle of unnatural foods, refined sugar, white flour and unnatural fats contributes to gall bladder disease. Follow that lifestyle and someday you too may be one of the unfortunate people who suffer a truly avoidable disease syndrome.

What are the warning signs?

  • Belching
  • Gas
  • Indigestion
  • Pain between the shoulder blades
  • Pain in the abdomen (on right) under ribs and next to the belly button
  • Bloating shortly after meals
  • Intolerance of fatty foods
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Constipation

What is the Gall Bladder?

The gall bladder contains bile which is produced by the liver and aids in the breakdown and assimilation of fats. The gall bladder holds and concentrates bile until a meal comes along for which the bile is necessary.

Up to 95% of the secreted bile is reabsorbed – virtually all of the organic compounds in bile are taken back to the liver for later use. In addition to these organic compounds, the bile contains toxins and other waste products of metabolism which are released by the body through the bowel.

What Does Bile Do?

  • Bile emulsifies fats, beginning their digestive process.
  • Bile improves the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamin complexes: A, D, E, K and Essential Fatty Acids.
  • Bile helps bowel tone and stimulates healthy bowel movement.
  • Bile carries certain toxins away from the liver and out of the body through the bowels.

Bile Duct

Bile is carried from the gall bladder to the intestines through a tube called the bile duct. Gall Bladder Syndromes nearly all involve some type of restriction of the flow of bile through this tube. For example, pancreas health is very much involved with bile duct health. When the pancreas has been working overtime helping with refined sugars, carbohydrates and proteins, the pancreas can swell. Pancreatic swelling can restrict bile flow which affects proper digestion and causes symptoms. Additionally, toxins concentrating in the gall bladder are known to scar the bile duct and further reduce the healthy flow of bile.

Natural Approach to Gall Bladder Health

Hundreds of thousands of people have their gall bladder removed every year, yet 25-43% of post- surgical patients continue to have similar pains and digestive complaints after the surgery. That means gall bladder removal may not be the answer to gall bladder pain. In fact, for those people surgery is only a short-lived attempt to resolve a lifetime of symptoms of indigestion.

Gall Bladder Syndrome is associated with other serious health challenges, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. All of these conditions are associated with overeating sugar and unnatural fats, and with lack of exercise. Gall bladder surgery does not protect the patient from cancer, nor from heart disease, diabetes and obesity! For instance, research shows higher rates of colon cancer in patients who have gallstones, whether or not they have had gall bladder removal.

Unless the cause of the Gall Bladder Syndrome is reduced or eliminated – regardless of whether one has a surgical removal of their gall bladder – the problem remains.
Try these steps before you have your gall bladder removed and perhaps you never will.

Natural Approach to Gall Bladder Health

  1. Reduce or eliminate refined sugars. Take the Sugar Challenge a 21-day elimination of all forms of refined sugars, along with some helpful whole food concentrates to improve your sugar metabolism. For many people this is the end of their gall bladder problems. By merely reducing or eliminating sugars, people digest fats better and gall bladder symptoms are eliminated.
  2. Eliminate all Hydrogenated and Trans-fats. These unnatural fats cause undue stress on the body, and block normal, healthy fat metabolism, leading to discomfort and disease.
  3. Brisk walking for 45 minutes five times weekly has been shown to improve gallbladder functionExercise regularly. Brisk walking for 45 minutes five times weekly has been shown to improve gallbladder function.
  4. Consume natural foods – Salads, vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts.
  5. Drink water – not soft drinks, no, not even diet drinks. Drink fluids before the meal, not during or after the meal, as this will dilute the digestive “juices” and negatively influence your digestive process.

If Gall Bladder Symptoms Remain?

If you are able to make these lifestyle changes and still have symptoms of gall bladder problems there is very good news. By adding specific whole food concentrates to your natural daily food consumption, gall bladder function and bile flow will likely improve. Gall bladder syndrome could be a thing of the past!

What If I have had my Gall Bladder Removed Already?

The same rules apply to you – it is critical that you change your lifestyle. Do not become complacent, thinking that the surgery solved the entire problem! Research has shown gall bladder removal can increase your likelihood for colon disease. Therefore you must make the change! Eat simple natural foods and take digestive enzymes for the remainder of your lifetime to build the health of your body.

Whole Food Concentrate Nutritional Support

  • AF Betafood – Used by doctors since 1951 This whole food product made from beet leaf juice concentrate is a wealthy source of betaine. Betaine promotes the transportation and use of fats. AF Betafood effectively thins bile so it passes through the bile duct more easily, thereby improving function. Beet tops have been known for centuries to improve the function of the liver and gall bladder and this product is specially prepared with active ingredients for your Health Building.
  • Choline – Used by doctors since 1947. Choline is essential to effectively metabolize fat, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates. Experience has shown that SP Choline is been a Nutritional Essential for people who suffer severe gall bladder symptoms and/or after gall bladder removal.
  • Cholacol – Used by doctors since 1956. Provides a concentrated source of bile salts, supporting healthy absorption and assimilation of dietary fat for pre- and post-surgical cases.
  • Betafood – Since 1946 doctors have used this simple remedy for gall bladder support. Made from beet top juice and beet root – this whole food product may be just what your body needs.
  • Betacol – Used by doctors since 1947. Combining the benefits of several of the above whole food products and more. Betacol is specially designed product supporting liver and digestive support especially focused on the metabolism of fats.†

† 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. They are to support your health.

“We must remember that any disease is at first a disturbance in cell metabolism brought about by interference with cell respiration or starvation, and that to survive the way nature intended we must avoid those things which produce these adverse biochemical changes.” Dr. Royal Lee, 1958
1. Gastroenterology. 2005 Jul;129(1):105-12. Glycemic load, glycemic index, and carbohydrate intake in relation to risk of cholecystectomy in women.
2. Harvard Medical School’s Consumer Heath Information – www.intelihealth.com 3. Am Surg. 2004 Oct;70(10):863-6. Symptoms before and after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstones. 4. Am J Gastroenterol. 2005 Aug;100(8):1813-20. Cholecystectomy and the risk of colorectal cancer. 5. Arch Intern Med. 2005 May 9;165(9):1011-5. Long-term intake of trans-fatty acids and risk of gallstone disease in men. 6. J Clin Ultrasound. 2005 Jun;33(5):218-22. Effects of exercise on gallbladder volume and motility in obese women. 7. Cancer. 2005 Apr 15;103(8): 1606-14 Bile acids induce MUC2 overexpression in human colon carcinoma cells.

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Calcium Essentials – It’s More Than Bones!

When you think of calcium, most people think of bone health. Growing bones, thinning bones, the risk of breaking bones. More calcium would make bones healthy, right? Perhaps – but our body is quite complex, and the right calcium and the right synergists for that calcium are the real answers to calcium health! Let’s learn why.

Calcium is More Than Bones

Calcium is involved in over 200 metabolic reactions in the body! Although over 99% of the calcium in the body is in the bones and teeth, the 1% of calcium that is dissolved in the blood and other tissues is critical to a number of metabolic reactions in the body, including:

  1. Calcium is involved in over 200 metabolic reactions in the body.Calcium, in balance with other minerals, regulates nerve conduction and a healthy heartbeat.
  2. Calcium activates the immune system’s white blood cells to carry away undesirable microbes and support whole body health.
  3. Calcium deficiency leads to muscle spasms. Leg spasms and menstrual cramps are uncomfortable, but heart spasms could bring on a deadly heart attack.
  4. Calcium initiates blood clotting by activating platelets and clotting factors.
  5. Calcium supports ligaments, tendons, connective tissue, and skin.
  6. Calcium strengthens our skin, protecting us from the outside world.

Calcium Synergists

A synergist is something that increases the effect of something else: something that works in combination with something else to increase its effect. Whole food is a synergy of elements that work in combination with each other to enhance their mutual health-building qualities. The whole IS greater than the sum of the parts.

Calcium has many vitamin and mineral synergists.

  • Vitamin D improves absorption of calcium from food and promotes deposits of calcium in the bones.Vitamin D improves absorption of calcium from food and promotes deposits of calcium in the bones.
  • Healthy fats carry calcium and its fat soluble vitamin co-factors in the blood, and fatty acids control the movement of calcium through cell membranes.
  • Parathyroid hormone moves calcium into the blood; calcitonin, a hormone from the thyroid gland, moves calcium into the bones.
  • The stress of weight-bearing exercises stimulates strengthening of the bones; sedentary lifestyles (and weightlessness in space!) contribute to thinning of bones.
  • Adequate protein is needed to carry calcium in the blood and through cell membranes. Calcification of bones depends upon a strong connective tissue matrix upon which the calcium is deposited, along with numerous other minerals.
  • Most all vitamins have some role to play in the regulation of calcium, especially Vitamin D, Vitamin F, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin K.

The Bone Bank

As you can see, there are many requirements for proper calcium health. Calcium is so important that your body uses your bones as a “bank” to insure that enough calcium is always available to support these vital health functions. Some people think that all one needs for calcium health is to eat enough calcium from any source, but the truth is, organically bound sources of calcium are the way to efficiently build calcium health. Calcium needs to be “bound” or naturally integrated with the synergists which enable the assimilation, absorption and proper use of calcium WITHOUT taking nutrients from other sources in the body bank to assimilate the calcium. Only when the body has more than enough calcium to accomplish its many health-building tasks is calcium then deposited into the “bone bank” for later needs.

Osteoporosis

Too many “withdrawals” from your “bank” without sufficient deposits leads to osteoporosis. Thinning bones are a critical indicator of the need for Calcium Essentials. Let’s find out what you can do!

Spring Water

One of the easiest forms of calcium to absorb is present in spring and well water – calcium bicarbonate. Unfortunately, this naturally-occurring, healthful calcium becomes denatured when water is boiled or purified. This denaturing causes the calcium bicarbonate to become inorganic calcium “rocks” (such as the “scale” that deposits in our tea kettles), thus becoming less healthful.

Calcium Supplementation

As you can see, calcium in the right form is a nutritional essential. Too often, the calcium supplements are a “rock” form of calcium that cannot easily be absorbed, such as the calcium carbonate found in antacid tablets, coral, shells, and on tea kettles. This calcium requires your body to invest its precious nutritional reserves trying to absorb a bit of calcium, and then use more resources to convert the calcium into a form the body can use. This depletes your body’s nutritional reserves!

Healthy Diet

Make sure you have good digestive functions so you can absorb minerals from the whole foods you eat. Once your digestion is properly functioning, eat:

  • Protein to help your body absorb calcium and build a structure to support it.
  • Vegetables and fruit for minerals, vitamins, and pH balance.
  • Fats to help absorb and assimilate vitamins and minerals – calcium and its co-factors.

It’s also important to exercise and get some sunshine for 30 minutes, three times a week. The exercise will enhance your bone health, and the vitamin D from sunlight on your skin is critical for bone health.

Supplements

Supplement your food and exercise lifestyle with whole food calcium and calcium synergists.

  • Calcium Lactate – Since 1947, this vegetarian source of calcium contains the proper balance of calcium and magnesium (5:1 ratio).
  • Calcifood – A unique whole food product that builds and supports bone health.
  • CalMa Plus – This product is unique in all the world in that is combines the benefits of whole food calcium and magnesium AND includes parathyroid support. The parathyroid regulates calcium metabolism.
  • Calsol – This calcium, magnesium, phosphorus-laden whole food supplement is particularly suited for soft tissue calcium needs.
  • Cal-Amo – This product contains acidifying compounds helpful for supporting proper acid/alkaline balance. Particularly suited for respiratory and connective tissues, skeletal structures, and the immune system.†

Ask me what would be best for you!

† 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. They are to support your health.

 

 

 

Are Organic Minerals More than Rocks!

From the Pen of
Dr. Royal Lee
(1895-1967) Inventor, Scientist, Genius, Founder of Standard Process, Inc.

One of the main costs of refining foods is their De-mineralization, white sugar being devoid of its mineral components, white flour having lost most of its mineral components as well. The intricate mineral-protein complexes are also disrupted by cooking and heat . . . In the face of these abuses of natural foods, is it any wonder that mineral deficiencies and imbalances rank as high as vitamin deficiencies as causes of malnutrition?” Royal Lee 1960

There is a natural order to life on earth. The sun appears each day on the eastern horizon, bathing the earth in sunlight. From the water, air, minerals and sunshine, life flows into the lifeless earth. The air breathes life into plants, energized by the sunshine on the bright green leaves. Minerals, dissolved by the fungi of the soil, flow with the water into the roots of plants. Plants turn lifeless minerals into essential nutrients for animals and humans.
Every part of nature is orderly, organic, integrated and whole.
When one considers nature, we see that nutrients have a natural progression through the environment—from the mineral kingdom to the vegetable kingdom, then on to the animal or human kingdoms. These are referred to as “kingdoms” because they are distinct and have natural laws that govern each of them. At the same time, all of nature follows universal laws.
An example of this distinction is in the food that is appropriate for each kingdom. An animal will not eat rocks for its essential mineral needs. Directly or indirectly, animals are only fed through the plants. Animals are governed by the laws of nature, and no matter how nutritionally deficient they become, they do not break these laws in search of nutrition. Cows grazing in a field do not begin eating the dirt when the grasses are all consumed. They find another field or starve.

Nature Teaches
The Natural Laws reveal that the mineral kingdom must be “prepared” for animal and human consumption. One type of preparation is done by the vegetable kingdom. Minerals from the soil are absorbed through the roots of the plants. Plants are nourished by these minerals and the health of the vegetable kingdom is “rooted” in the mineral kingdom. The health of the animal kingdom is “rooted” in the vegetable. Even carnivorous animals eat animals that ultimately were sustained in the vegetable kingdom. The common denominator in this natural order is organically-bound minerals.
Organically-bound minerals are more than rocks and dirt. They are minerals that
are part of a whole. Organic minerals are bound to proteins, fats, trace minerals, vitamins, enzymes and as yet unknown organic nutritional essentials. Organically bound minerals are essential to the function of the plant or animal— no other form will do!
Minerals that have not become “organic” by passing through the vegetable kingdom are considered inorganic minerals. Some inorganic minerals are nutritionally essential for animals and humans, such as the calcium bicarbonate found in spring or well water. But boil or cook that water and the calcium is altered into a form which is unhealthful.
MOST inorganic minerals, however, are challenging to one’s health. Let’s learn why.

Inorganic Minerals Can Cause Nutritional Debt

Inorganic minerals which enter the body as nearly insoluble compounds require many more metabolic processes to become assimilated in the body. In other words, some inorganic minerals draw more nutrition FROM the body than they give to the body. This causes a nutritional debt. Imagine that the body is similar to a bank. Your body can store some of the nutritional essentials in your “health bank.” When vitamins or minerals or enzymes or co-enzymes are required to complete a metabolic process, the body draws from the “bank.” Continuous consumption of inorganic minerals can create a nutritional debt that leads to the breakdown in health.
Examples of Inorganic Minerals
Some so called, “supplements” are made from inorganic minerals and are not readily available for use in the body. Some examples are:
• Calcium carbonate, • Zinc picolinate, sulfate, or zinc oxide • Potassium chloride, citrate, or gluconate • Magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate • Ferrous sulfate, fumarate, or gluconate
Do you recognize any of those minerals in your supplements? If so, they may be contributing to a nutritional debt (not improving health but degenerating.)

Organic Minerals Enhance Healthy Function

Organic Minerals Enhance Healthy Function
Healthful foods are actually complex combinations of minerals, trace minerals, enzymes, co-enzymes, vitamins, fatty acids and proteins, integrated into functioning organic mechanisms. In this way nature provides completeness. The body can take from these complete nutritional complexes what it needs and store or eliminate the rest without creating a nutritional debt.
A brief list of Nutritionally Essential Minerals:

  • Calcium: Known for its important role in bones and teeth, virtually every other function of the body has some relationship with calcium such as: muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, secretion of hormones and enzymes, activation of the immune system, sending messages through the nervous system and more. Calcium needs to be in balance with magnesium and phosphorus.

 

  • Magnesium: Needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, magnesium helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

 

  • Manganese: strengthens tendons, tissues, ligaments and tissues supporting organs. Production of sex hormones is aided by manganese, which also can help reduce menstrual cramps and PMS. Manganese increases resistance and recuperative ability and, like iron, aids in oxygen transfer from lungs to cells. Manganese, also called the “brain mineral,” is important for all mental facilities/ functions.

 

  • Zinc: stimulates the activity of approximately 100 enzymes, supports a healthy immune system, wound healing, helps maintain your sense of taste and smell, and is needed for DNA synthesis. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, adolescence and for men – prostate 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. They are to support your health.
All minerals have diverse health building functions, just like calcium, magnesium, zinc and manganese. A few brief examples are:

  • Iron for healthy blood and vitality Potassium for an efficient nervous system and stable heart
  • Iodine for a healthy thyroid and energy
  • Cobalt for healthy blood and vitality
  • Copper for enzyme and energy production

What you can do to enhance your mineral health:
√ Eat plenty of wholesome, fresh vegetables and fruit. Greater consumption of fruits and vegetables provide vitamin/mineral complexes.
√ Avoid sugar, refined foods, all of these “foods” contribute to nutritional deficiency and “debt.”
√ Avoid toxins in your food, water, air and environment. Toxins require nutrients and lead to “debt.”
√ Support your health with organic minerals from whole food concentrates from Standard Process.
Standard Process offers at least 57 products that are rich in minerals. Some examples are:

  • Catalyn – The HealthBuilding Catalyst
  • Calcium Lactate – Pure vegetable, non-dairy source, made by fermentation on plant sugar. Calcium Lactate (CL) contains the proper ratio of calcium and magnesium (5:1). CL is extremely soluble, making it highly bioavailable and an excellent source for nutritional support.
  • Organically Bound Minerals – OBM is a multi-mineral food product containing potassium and a variety of alkaline ash minerals. Made from dried alfalfa juice and kelp.
  • TraceMinerals-B12 – Kelp, alfalfa, magnesium citrate,dried pea (vine) and buckwheat juices, bovine orchic and bone, defatted wheat germ, oat flour, carrot root and peanut (bran). Iron liver chelate, zinc liver chelate, copper liver chelate and cyanocobalamin. Provides an extensive variety of trace minerals which act as catalysts and cofactors in countless enzymatic processes throughout the human body.

Ask me which ones are right for you!

Beware of Taking Vitamin C For Your Health?

From the Pen of
Dr. Royal Lee
(1895-1967) Inventor, Scientist, Genius, Founder of Standard Process, Inc.

Vitamins are complexes, they are parts of enzyme systems – Like a watch which is a timekeeping mechanism – it is functional, organic, interactive – a watch is not a hunk of brass – Vitamin C is not ascorbic acid – it is more – it is complex – organic – functional – whole, not inorganic chemical parts.

Are You Really Taking Vitamin C Complex?
Ask a friend if they take vitamins and they are likely to answer,
“Sure, I take Vitamin C, when I think I am getting a cold.”
But are they actually taking a complete “Vitamin C,” and why does it matter? Aren’t all “Vitamin C” products the same? NO!! The complete Vitamin C-Complex has many actions within our bodies—fighting infection, building tissues, regulating inflammation, preventing cancer and heart disease 1, 2 —to name a few!
But are you, your family and friends taking true Vitamin C-Complex?

Or are you merely taking a large dose of a partial factor of the Health Building Vitamin C-Complex – ascorbic acid?

Read the labels in any market or drugstore and you might think that ascorbic acid IS Vitamin C, and that Vitamin C is nothing more than ascorbic acid. But this is far from the truth. Even Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, MD, PhD (1893-1986), the Nobel Prize winner who “discovered” ascorbic acid, believed very soon thereafter that ascorbic acid in a whole food form was the true beneficial health factor, not ascorbic acid alone.
What is Vitamin C-Complex, anyway?? Vitamin C-Complex is not merely ascorbic acid!
Ascorbic acid is only part of the Vitamin C-Complex! Let’s learn more.

True Vitamin C-Complex is a whole food complex made up of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and Vitamin P (bioflavonoids). Like all vitamin complexes, Vitamin C-Complex is an example of a working mechanism which only functions effectively when all the parts are present.

What are the parts of the Vitamin C-Complex?
They are:

  • Ascorbic acid, (commonly known as Vitamin C), an antioxidant which protects from free radical damage.
  • Bioflavonoids, (sometimes called Vitamin P), the vascular fragility factors. Most people who think they are taking “Vitamin C” are actually taking only ascorbic acid. Although ascorbic acid is found in wholesome foods, the ascorbic acid typically found in “health food stores” and drug stores is a synthetic chemical manufactured from corn syrup (sugar) and sulfuric acid. Remember, ascorbic acid found in nature is just one part of the Vitamin C-Complex.
  • Vitamins K (clotting factors)

Nature intended your body to only use very small amounts of organic ascorbic acid. MORE IS NOT BETTER.
Surplus ascorbic acid must be eliminated through the kidneys, putting unnecessary strain on these vital organs. Surplus ascorbic acid also upsets the balance of trace minerals in the body. One could say that high doses of ascorbic acid are toxic to your body. Ascorbic acid that is out of balance with organic factors found in nature is not a healthy way to get our Health Building Nutritional Essentials.
Let’s take a deeper look at some of the Health Building factors the organic, whole food

Vitamin C-Complex provides:

  • Bioflavonoids, (the vascular fragility factor), sometimes known as Vitamin P. Vitamin P increases capillary strength and decreases the risk of bleeding. Bruising, broken blood vessels, bleeding gums are all improved with healthful bioflavonoids, and bones, cartilage, ligaments and tendons are all strengthened, preventing injury and speeding the healing process. There are nearly 4000 different bioflavonoids—some of the most well-known are rutin, quercetin, citrin and hesperidin.
  • Bioflavonoids are also known to decrease the risk of developing cancer but only when consumed as whole foods.

Our Bodies Need More than Ascorbic Acid!
Bioflavonoids are true nutritional essentials that cannot be manufactured by the human body. They must be obtained from fresh fruits, vegetables and whole food concentrates high in the Vitamin C-Complex.
Research has consistently shown that when nutrients are consumed as the complete “biological action package” present in whole foods, true health benefits are achieved. In fact, Vitamin C cannot be effectively utilized without bioflavonoids being present in your foods. (See Interesting Facts about Vitamin C on this page.)

  • Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes with Vitamin C-Complex. Vitamin C found in the form of whole foods like fruit and vegetables have long been known to lower the risk of heart attack. Oxidation and inflammation of plaques deposited in the coronary arteries are triggers for many heart attacks. Components of the Vitamin C-Complex decrease oxidation of lipids and control inflammation, thus reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

We Need More than Ascorbic Acid
As you can see, when we eat an orange or other whole food high in the Vitamin C-Complex we are benefiting from so much more than ascorbic acid.
Research has shown that the maximum health benefits are derived from consumption of 800 grams of fruit and vegetables daily. Yet only a very small percentage of individuals eat the recommended 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables daily. How to make up the difference? Whole food concentrates are the answer to getting your Vitamin C-Complex Health Building factors consistently and conveniently. As you have learned – Vitamin C-Complex is a Nutritional Essential.
Ask me which of these Standard Process supplements would benefit you and your family!
1 Am J Med. 2002 Dec 30;113 Suppl 9B:71S-88S – Bioactive compounds in foods: their role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Penn State University.

2 Med Res Rev. 2003 Jul;23(4):519-34. Flavonoids: promising anticancer agents. Shanxi Medical University, China.
3 Nature 138:798;1936, Nature 137:27;1936

Cataplex C—introduced in 1934, the vitamin C complex, found in Cataplex C, is an important antioxidant and has long been recognized as an important nutritional compound essential for supporting the immune, cardiovascular, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and blood building systems. Cataplex C combines the benefits of more than 19 different whole foods high in Vitamin C- Complex Health Building factors.†
Cyruta Plus—introduced in 1950, Cyruta Plus carries several important factors; one of which is the vitamin P complex (bioflavonoids), where rutin and quercetin are members. These factors help maintain the integrity of the capillary walls. They are vital in their ability to increase the strength of the capillaries and regulate permeability and health of the cells.†
Cataplex A-C-P—introduced in 1956, Cataplex A-C-P combines the vitamin complexes of A and C with the vitamin P complex. The vitamin P complex, a bioflavonoid sometimes known as rutin, is essential for the successful absorption of vitamins A and C, the healthy function of capillaries and connective tissues, and immune system support.†
† 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. They are to support your health.

 

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT VITAMIN C
The Noble Prize and Dr. Royal Lee
Noble Prize Winner (for discovering ascorbic acid) Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, MD, PhD (1893-1986) is also credited with discovering bioflavonoids in 1935.
By 1934, Dr. Royal Lee, the founder of Standard Process, Inc. had already combined the benefits of Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids in the HealthBuilding complex known as Cataplex C.
Dr. Szent-Gyorgy discovered bioflavonoids in trying to help a patient with subcutaneous capillary bleeding. He had success with whole food “Vitamin C” with “vitamin P” included but the “pure” ascorbic acid had no effect! [Nature 138:798;1936, Nature 137:27;1936]