Are you tired of the dreaded diet cycle? With issues like:  the famine response (I’m starving!), the yo-yo effect (I’m losing muscle along with fat), or the simple fact that weight loss just won’t work for you?

The overweight and obesity rates here in the United States are higher than ever. This is fact – and it’s not good because it can make you sick. We are seeing more kids overweight and obese as well and they are having adult health problems as kids.

Did you know that ‘DIETS‘ can actually be the cause of overweight and obesity?  Is that why your diet isn’t working?

And did you know that some people are both obese and malnourished at the same time. How can that be?

Listen to the following PODCAST - a discussion of the real story behind weight gain, obesity, weight loss, dieting, and some real solutions you will want to hear about as part of your search for something that will finally work for you!

Click to listen:

Best Health Foods For Weight Loss

This podcast was brought to you from the 56+ years of Shaklee science, research and clinical studies.

To read more about the content from the podcast, visit http://antiagingbydesign.com/fat-and-inch-loss; and to learn more about best health food for weight loss, visit:  CINCH INCH LOSS.

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One of the most important times in a woman’s life nutritionally is when she is pregnant, and passing the nutrition she takes in to a growing baby. Which prenatal vitamins are best becomes an essential question to both mother and baby. You should note that no prenatal vitamin will provide all the nutrition that a mother-to-be and the baby need. Plus, a woman should focus on a healthy diet because simply taking a vitamin won’t make up for a bad diet.

If you think all prenatal vitamins are alike, you’re wrong. We know that there are differences. For example, there are studies that showed only 3 out of 9 prescription prenatal vitamins provided the amount of folate that was stated on the label. If the ingredients are not released and absorbed in your body, you can’t get the benefit. The reason this can happen is that vitamins are not regulated by any governing body. It is up to an individual company to make sure their product will get absorbed in your body.

Unfortunately many women think that a prescription vitamin is better than a non-prescription, maybe because the doctor orders it. The reality is that what’s more important is the ingredients in the vitamin, the quality of those ingredients, the delivery system in your body so that you will absorb the full amount that is stated on the bottle, and personally, I feel that a natural vitamin is an essential requirement.

Synthetic vitamins are made made in a test tube in a lab, to resemble the real thing. The problem is that this can be toxic to the body and can do more harm than good. It’s not real food you get when you take synthetic vitamins. There are no enzymes in synthetic vitamins and there can be side effects. Recent studies have shown that synthetic vitamins can actually be harmful to a women’s health.

It’s important to note that vitamins only have to be 10% organic or natural to say it on the label. The problem with that is the other 90%. The heating process used in making this type of vitamins results in weak enzymes, and unwanted components can include low quality raw materials, and harsh binders and fillers.

Whole Food Vitamins

Natural, unaltered, whole food supplements is the best answer when you ask, which prenatal vitamins are best. This type of vitamin retain all enzymes so that you get nutrition that is as close to nature as possible – that feed and actually improve cells. Natural, unaltered vitamins are balanced and able to be absorbed by your body. The most reputable brands will be able to show that their vitamins contain safe, high quality ingredients that get absorbed.

From Shaklee:

One of the difficulties in offering a prenatal vitamin is that one product may not meet the needs of individual mothers to be. A customized selection of Shaklee supplements will provide nutrition that is superior to most prenatals on the market. If one checks labels, one will find that many off-the-shelf and even prescription prenatal vitamins contain artificial colors and/or flavors. Shaklee, of course, formulates its supplements without these artificial and unnecessary ingredients.

As a general rule, nursing mothers and pregnant women need higher amounts of several essential nutrients than women who are not. Such higher level nutrients include protein, calcium, vitamin B, and vitamin A to name a few.

Two options:

1:  Vitalizer* + extra B-Complex (to make sure mom gets enough folic acid) — and extra calcium and/or iron if doctor recommends it
2:  Vita-Lea+Iron, extra B-Complex, and consider CarotoMax (for extra vitamin A) and Fish Oil — and extra calcium and/or iron if doctor recommends it

Also consider protein shakes (Either Meal Shakes or a serving of Cinch meal shake prepared as directed, and used as part of healthy breakfast or midday snack provides a mother and her growing fetus with an additional 270 calories, 24 grams of high quality protein and 6 grams of fiber).

Here’s what Shaklee Vita Lea has (and why I used it for four very healthy pregnancies):

• contains all essential 12 vitamins and 7 minerals in proper balance
• contains 27 whole vegetable sources which are readily absorbed by the body
• contains live phytochemicals and the live enzymes not found in synthetic vitamins
• contains 100% of the RDA of Biotin

And here’s what Shaklee Vita Lea doesn’t have:

• no chemicals
• no herbicides
• no pesticides
• no sugar
• no artificial colors, flavors or additives of any kind

Cinch Meal Bars or Snack Bars could be added as convenient snacks (not meal replacements) to make sure the extra calories needed during pregnancy are packed with good health and nutrition.

To learn more about which prenatal vitamins are best, visit:  SAFE, NATURAL, WHOLE FOOD VITAMINS – GUARANTEED

*2 Vita Lea tablets are in each strip of Vitalizer

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When you think about how to naturally boost immune system, you might want to consider that your immune system is primarily located in your intestines.  So it makes sense that if you keep your intestines healthy, your immune system will do its job.

When you think about how to naturally boost immune system, you might want to consider that your immune system is primarily located in your intestines. So it makes sense that if you keep your intestines healthy, your immune system will do its job. In our bodies we have both good and bad bacteria, and the goal is to have the good bacteria take up more real estate.

The good bacteria in your intestines is key to fighting off anything that threatens to invade and make you sick. Your body needs an abundance of this good, or friendly, bacteria. Did you know that we begin our life as infants with 85% good bacteria and only 15% bad. Then life happens and due to many lifestyle factors such as our diets, medications, and illnesses cause those numbers to reverse themselves later in life.

The more bad bacteria in our intestines, the less room there is for good bacteria. Sometimes you have to take an active role to increase the friendly bacteria. You can do this by consuming a natural food supplement called a probiotic, that comes from greek word meaning ‘for life’.

Boost Immune System Naturally

The key to a supplement is that you need cultures of LIVE microorganisms – that will improve your beneficial or healthy bacteria. LIVE bacteria is key because it doesn’t help to consume dead bacteria. And this is where the problem with supplements happen.

The probiotic supplement needs to release this LIVE friendly bacteria in your intestines. If it releases in your stomach, it may not survive the acidity there and be able to deliver the good bacteria to your intestines. In testing of probiotic supplements, many only delivered 10% of what was stated on the bottles since the delivery system of the ingredients did not function in the intestines.

Bacteria is essential for life, and particularly a higher quality of life. They help break down the food that you eat so that it can be utilized properly in your body; give you the nutrients to help you be healthy.

Good bacteria improves colon health and helps prevent cancer, boost immune system, aid in bowel regularity, and aid in the metabolism of fats and sugars. If your intestinal tract is not healthy then the food you put in it, regardless of the quality, is going to be compromised because it is not going to be digested and processed properly.

Your intestinal tract is 25 to 30 feet long as an adult, with 100 trillion live bacteria. This is about ten times the total cells of our body, and account for about 2 lbs of your body weight. Your intestinal tract is the second largest organ in your body, second to lungs. And it is comparable to the size of a tennis court! During a normal lifetime 60 tons of food will pass through your intestinal tract.

Good bacteria stimulates the immune system, protects you from invading bacteria and viruses, and aids digestion and assimilation of food. For a long time the importance of good bacteria has been neglected by doctors, and the medical focus was placed on other factors that lead to gastro intestinal disorders.

Diet, climate, aging, medication, illness, stress, infection, geographic location, race, socio-economic circumstances can all upset the balance of the bacteria in your body. Probiotics can manipulate the composition of your bacteria, but need to be ingested regularly for continuous health benefits.

In addition to probiotics, there is a prebiotic powder that helps increase the live, good bacteria you are adding to your intestines. What is unique about prebiotics is that the bad bacteria in your body won’t eat it. Bad bacteria likes processed foods (that have low or no nutrition anyway). But the good bacteria won’t eat processed foods, preferring prebiotic ingredients for their diet.

When you get your intestinal tract in good shape you can maximize the food you eat and nutrition you take in because your intestines are doing their job in your body. Dietary supplementation with probiotics is gaining a lot of popularity throughout the world. It may be the most natural, safe and common sense approach for keeping the correct balance of good and bad bacteria. Probiotics may just be a fairly simple answer to your question about how to naturally boost immune system.

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Are you thinking about What To Do On Earth Day to make a contribution to the environment where we live, work, and play?  As important as our earth is to our everyday lives, it would be great if everyone does something – even something very small that collectively adds up to a big contribution.

Today we are learning more and more about living with toxins and chemicals – and the effects that can have on our own health, as well as damage the environment.  In an effort to live in a more non-toxic home, there are simple changes we can make that will give us immediate health benefits and also impact our earth.

What cleaners poison the most children and adults?

Household bleach is the cleaning product most frequently cited for child ingestions – 40% of reported poisonings.  Laundry detergents, automatic dishwashing detergents and general household cleaners were also frequently reported ingestions.  Many of the home cleaning products sold in stores contain potentially harmful chemicals, toxins and fumes.

The risks of chronic, long term exposure to chemicals in home cleaning products is worrisome.  The details are in this audio about toxins in home cleaning products and other personal care products.

Click to listen:  

An alternative to cleaning with bleach would be to clean with a safe germicide cleaner that is effective against a broad spectrum of harmful pathogenic organisms.  A disinfectant that is nonflammable, biodegradable & non-toxic.

Shaklee Basic-G cleans, disinfects and deodorizes in one easy step.  Just mix 1 teaspoon in a 16 oz spray bottle, or mix 1 tablespoon to a gallon of water.

The residual effectiveness of Basic-G lasts up to three days after application.  Compare that to Chlorine (bleach) used as a disinfectant – and effective no more than one hour.

Basic-G is safe wherever disinfectants are used.  Kills up to 99% of bacteria – even AIDS virus (HIV).  Learn more about Basic G on this page:  Safe Germicide.

If you don’t have a solution to What To Do On Earth Day, consider changing the cleaning products in your home.  Collectively people who try to live more chemical free can make a huge, positive difference for our planet.

Until April 30, 2012, you can order Shaklee cleaners at the above link and receive a Free Membership (saves you the $19.95 membership fee) that qualifies you for 15% off all Shaklee products – on your first order and every order after.  There is no minimum purchase required.  Shaklee is offering Free Memberships with any order until April 30, 2012.

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(Allium sativum)

Nature’s Wonder Drug?

Garlic may have more universal recognition than any other herb that is in use today, anywhere in the world – so how can garlic supplements benefits help you if you aren’t consuming enough garlic in food form? Some of us cook a lot with garlic and there are many that either don’t like to handle it or for some reason simply don’t use it much in their recipes.

If you aren’t getting garlic in your daily diet, you are missing out on a lot of health benefits. The other side of that is if you prefer to take garlic in supplement form, you need to do your homework and find a brand that processes it in a way that either doesn’t destroy the nutrients or adds unwanted chemicals during the processing.

Garlic Benefits

Garlic is a member of the lily family and has been prized for over 5000 years, dating back to Egyptian pharoahs and ancient Chinese emperors who treasured it for its health benefits. Did you know that Egyptian slaves received a daily ration so they could continue to build their pyramids? The garlic bulb has been handed down through the centuries as a preventive medicine and cure-all that many medieval folk healers claimed would even ward off vampires, witches, and other unwanted imaginary creatures.

Daily usage of garlic supports your body in ways that no other herb does. The strong odor of garlic is primarily due to the allicin in it and sulfur containing compounds that account for most of its medicinal properties. Research studies have shown that the potency and the effectiveness of garlic is greatly affected by the processing method. This is why we suggest doing your homework on a garlic supplement before taking one. The brands that deodorize improperly, such as drying garlic in the sun for 18 months or using chemicals like alcohol can product products that are significantly less effective in terms of the health benefits they will provide.

The New York Times reported:  ”In a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers show that eating garlic appears to boost our natural supply of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is actually poisonous at high concentrations — it’s the same noxious byproduct of oil refining that smells like rotten eggs. But the body makes its own supply of the stuff, which acts as an antioxidant and transmits cellular signals that relax blood vessels and increase blood flow.”

A little history about garlic being associated with broad spread anti microbial activity against bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi and also quite impressive for a little bulb: all the way back in the mid 1800′s, Louis Pasteur noted its antibiotic properties and Albert Schweitzer, MD, treated with it in Africa. In studies the anti microbial effects were compared to commonly used antibiotics including penicillin, azithromycin and tetracycline. The same studies demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting the growth of some bacteria that had become resistant to one or more of the usual antibiotics.

You Might Benefit From Using Garlic If You Have Any of the Following Challenges:

As an anti-fungal, garlic has been shown to be more potent that several of the prescription anti-fungals. Herbalists recommend garlic for specific ailments like: colds (especially recurring), coughs, flu, chronic bronchitis, whooping cough, ringworm, asthma, intestinal worms, fever, and digestive, gall bladder and liver disorders.

Garlic is the most beneficial in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, including providing several actions that help reduce total serum cholesterol while increasing HDL – the good cholesterol. HDL is a protective factor against heart disease.

Garlic has been shown to help decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people with high blood pressure and help reduce the risks of heart attacks in people who have heart disease.

Garlic is the best anti-clotting herb, with 9 different anticoagulant compounds.

It can help with altitude sickness.

It helps babies nurse better.

The anti-inflammatory action helps reduce the inflammation of arthritis.

Garlic can be used to treat yeast infections.

How To Take Garlic

Given all the health benefits and medicinal properties of garlic, it is an herb that everyone might want to consume every day. Most of the studies associated with garlic for health purposes are based on having 3 to 8 cloves per day. That might seem like a lot to you. Like anything that is healthy, some is better than none.

The Shaklee supplement, Garlic Complex, includes garlic that has not been deodorized, so the potency and effectiveness of the ingredients is strong. The rosemary and spearmint that are included in the formulation mask the odor so that people who eat Shaklee garlic can be close to you without being offensive! Two tablets are equivalent to one clove of garlic.

To learn more about Shaklee Garlic Complex, click:  Garlic Supplements Benefits.

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Michael J. Fox may be the most recognized person who currently suffers from Parkinson s.

The research for natural treatment for Parkinson s Disease (PD) is most watched by people suffering from this debilitating, aging disease, and their families. Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder of the nervous system.  Striking mostly those over 50 it also strikes those much younger. People with Parksinon’s can live long lives but the constant trembling, jerking, twitching, stiff legs and difficult movement makes for a difficult life.

RIBOFLAVIN AND PARKINSON’S DISEASE

In a study conducted in Brazil, 31 patients with the disease were examined, and all were found to be deficient in vitamin B2, or riboflavin – even though their dietary sources of the vitamin were adequate. Researchers were intrigued enough to ask those patients to take 30 milligrams of riboflavin every eight hours and to stop eating all red meat. (We can’t say for sure why the scientists felt it was necessary to eliminate red meat from the diet, but preliminary research has found that many Parkinson’s patients often have trouble digesting animal protein.)

After six months of supplementation, the patients’ motor function increased nearly 30 percent and blood tests indicated that all were no longer riboflavin deficient. There were no harmful side effects.

In addition to riboflavin the entire B-complex of vitamins can be beneficial, which is something always recommended when taking extra quantities of any individual B vitamins. After six months red meat can gradually be allowed back into the diet by increasing the riboflavin dosage in order to sustain the improvement in motor function.

Learning About Parkinson’s

Devastating for the million or so Americans suffering from PD is the fact that not only is there no cure but medication is only somewhat effective – true even of the one most commonly used, levodopa/carbidopa (brand name Sinemet). Finding the right drug often involves trial and error and these drugs have numerous side effects including digestive distress, headaches, fatigue and – ironically, even more uncontrollable movement.

The frustration on the part of patients and doctors alike has been replaced by cautious optimism thanks to a gene therapy experiment involving just 12 patients at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Doctors injected copies of a synthesized gene associated with production of a chemical GABA, deficient in PD patients. The hope is that increasing GABA levels might help calm the overactive brain circuitry that triggers some PD symptoms – and indeed within three months of the gene insertion procedure, patients’ symptoms, especially tremors, stiffness and walking problems, began to improve, and the benefit remained at least stable throughout the one-year study.

Neurologist William Weiner, MD, director of the Maryland Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore says that while acknowledging these gene therapy study results are encouraging, this new and innovative research is preliminary, noting that caution is warranted since there’s a long history of research on PD with lots of promising developments and discoveries that went nowhere. Dr. Weiner adds that even though study patients showed continuous symptom improvement, there’s not yet actual proof that the gene therapy caused a specific biological change. Certainly it’s an exciting development, but the possibility that it will turn into a treatment option for PD patients is still, unfortunately, a long way off, he says.

OTHER AREAS OF RESEARCH

Researchers are also studying two other areas – the first is a possible association of PD with narcolepsy, a disorder that causes sudden onset of daytime sleep and nighttime sleeplessness. By examining human cadaver brains, a UCLA and Veterans Affairs Department research team discovered that PD patients lack sufficient quantities of a brain peptide called hypocretin. This was of great interest because the same group had previously identified lack of hypocretin as the cause of narcolepsy. Dr. Weiner’s take on the study: Although sleep problems – including insomnia, frequent sleep waking and REM sleep disorder – are common among people with PD, this research, too, is in an early stage.

There is also new research on the use of Co-enzyme Q10 (commonly called CoQ10), a powerful antioxidant. The Parkinson’s Disease patient community has been enthusiastic about CoQ10, based on the rumor that it slows disease progression – but in reality, (meaning those running the studies) the research has been equivocal. A large National Institutes of Health (NIH) study investigated the effects of 1,200 mg of CoQ10 a day for PD patients: Its stated conclusion was that CoQ10 might slow functional decline. Another study, based on double that amount, will soon be undertaken by NIH to investigate how 2,400 mg/day of the antioxidant affects symptoms. Even though research to date has been “equivocal” we don’t think you can go wrong adding COQ10 since it is good for many other things where the research is “unequivocal”!

The most recent Parkinson’s breakthrough comes from an animal study, reported just a few months ago. This Canadian study suggests that Parkinson’s disease (PD) may disable an enzyme called Prx2, which is necessary for the elimination of harmful elements produced within cells. Researchers believe that the buildup of these unwanted elements might contribute to the progressive degeneration of neurons in the areas of the brain that control voluntary movement.

Whether or not protection of Prx2 turns out to be a key step in sidetracking the mechanism that drives Parkinson’s, European research suggests that a dietary modification might prove to be a significant part of PD prevention.

[In regard to my own health, I believe there's not a downside in adding whole food natural supplements such as Co-enzyme Q10 to my diet.  Check with your doctor, but in most cases there are not side effects when taking the nutrients discussed in this article - only side benefits.  And if it takes five or ten years for the scientists to tell us that these nutrients are going to be beneficial, why wait that time.  Why not get a jump start and feed your body the nutrition NOW.]

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

There is a new technique that holds promise, though not many people are using it – deep brain stimulation (DBS). This involves surgically implanting a battery-operated device in the brain that is then manipulated to alter brain activity through low-voltage stimulation. It has proved to be very helpful, especially for patients with advanced PD whose medications have started to falter. It can prolong the length of time PD drugs are effective and enable patients to take smaller dosages, which results in fewer drug side effects. Not many PD patients have taken advantage of DBS, which may be attributed in part to a lack of awareness. It’s also possible, and understandable, that the prospect of such an invasive procedure is frightening. There are also some risks: DBS is associated with a small risk of bleeding-induced stroke (approximately 1% to 3%), infection and breakage or malfunction of the equipment. For those who are interested in DBS, it is crucial to seek out a Parkinson’s Disease center or major teaching hospital where there is a fully trained team experienced in all aspects of DBS care. For more information, go to www.parkinsons.org or www.apdaparkinsons.org.

NEURON PROTECTION

“Unsaturated fatty acids are important constituents of neuronal cell membranes and have neuroprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.” That’s how researchers at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, describe the background for their study that appears in the journal Neurology. Their objective: determine the possible protection that an intake of unsaturated fatty acids might have on Parkinson’s disease risk.

The Erasmus team used data collected from the Rotterdam Study, an ongoing research project in which dietary and medical records for more than 10,000 male and female subjects over the age of 55 are followed to investigate risk factors for chronic diseases. For the Parkinson’s study, nearly 5,300 subjects were selected. At the outset, all were free of dementia or PD, and each subject underwent a complete dietary assessment. Subjects were monitored for an average period of six years.

At the conclusion of the follow up period, 51 subjects had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The data revealed a significant link between a reduced risk of Parkinson’s and the highest intake of total fat, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).

One of the primary forms of PUFAs is very familiar to HSI members: omega-3, which is most abundant in fish, fish oils and grass-fed beef. MUFAs are found in olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

[Shaklee OmegaGuard is a pure, high quality form of omega 3's.  The way it is processed provides you with non-fishy smell and taste.]

REDUCING RISK

Without question, a diet that includes a high intake of MUFAs and PUFAs offers a wide range of health benefits. But increasing your intake of these unsaturated fatty acids is not the only way to reduce Parkinson’s disease risk.

Research from the National Institute on Aging that found “the first direct evidence” that elevated homocysteine levels increase the risk of Parkinson’s.

The same research team found that homocysteine makes human brain cells more susceptible to the deadly affects of toxins like iron and the pesticide rotenone, which are known to cause some cases of PD. In laboratory tests using human tissues, homocysteine “significantly enhanced [cell death] induced by rotenone and iron.”  Elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine have been linked with atherosclerosis as well as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Considerable research has also demonstrated that foods and supplements rich in vitamins B-6, B-12, and folic acid may help reduce homocysteine levels.

Most people who raise their dietary folate intake – by eating asparagus, lentils, chickpeas, cantaloupe, watermelon, wheat germ, most varieties of beans, and especially spinach and other leafy green vegetables – respond with a lower homocysteine reading. But if the diet doesn’t do the trick, vitamin supplements often will.

Some researchers think that PD may be caused by certain chemicals. Long-term residents of areas with industries that emit high levels of manganese have a 78% increased risk of PD and people who live in areas with factories that emit copper are at an 11% higher risk. The connection between PD and one’s exposure to the metals is not understood but the exposure seems to not only cause Parkinson’s but to accelerate the disease. Keeping your liver healthy and happy and taking Vitamin C every day can help the body to rid itself of these harmful metals before they have a chance to do damage.

Scientists continue to be baffled by what causes PD but you can see that research is being conducted in many areas. Understanding what causes PD can lead to earlier intervention and perhaps one day even prevention, though the problem will not probably get solved soon even with the money available for PD research. We may find in time that PD has many causative factors which make finding a cure more difficult. In the meantime, PD patients should be careful about headlines that promise too much, but at the same time to pay close attention to research news because real progress will definitely come.

To learn more about nutrients for your immune system, liver, and all organs of your body, visit Natural Treatment for Parkinson s.

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Herbs to relieve stress

I learn a lot from one of the Shaklee field pharmacists.  He did his pharmacy schooling in the days when there was more focus on herbs than on chemicals. After that time the pharmaceutical industry seemed to have lost interest in herbs, primarily because they can’t patent (and make enough money on) natural nutrients.  He has an impressive understanding about herbs and the wonderful benefits they can have for people who are looking for a more natural approach to better health.

Herbs can help you enjoy a better quality of life.  Some need to be consumed every day, so that you will feel the lasting effects – and some are better utilized when taken occasionally or for short durations when you are targeting a specific health challenge.  The natural remedy we are going to discuss today can be taken daily, or if you are one of the lucky ones that has only occasional stress – it can be taken on an as-needed basis.  Most people can feel the effects in 30 minutes or less.

Stress is one of the #1 complaints that doctors hear about and that you might hear about in your daily conversations.  The American Medical Association says that most Americans are under stress 97% of the time.  So chances are that you feel stress.

The AMA also says that 100% of all degenerative disease are directly related to the stress in our bodies.  Pharmacists regularly dispense prescription medications for stress such as tranquilizers and other anti- anxiety drugs.

Natural Stress Relief Solutions

There are different herbs that have anti-stress properties and that help you relax without causing drowsiness.  When Shaklee makes an herbal product, their team of scientists go out and find several of these herbs, or nutrients, that will work together.  That almost sounds simple but in reality, these scientists may spend years researching to find the ingredients and develop the product.

They have to secure high quality sources of ingredients, they have to get the formula ‘just right’ so that it will be absorbed by your body in a way that will product the intended effect.  When you use more than one ingredient with similar properties, it can make all of the ingredients work better than any of them would work on their own.

This way that Shaklee formulates products is what I think sets them apart because people can really feel the difference in their bodies.. we get results!  So what four herbs make up Shaklee’s natural stress relief herbal?

Stress and Symptoms

Shaklee chose the 4 different herbal ingredients in Stress Relief Complex for very specific reasons:

1-  L-theanine is a unique amino acid that is found in green tea that facilitates the generation of alpha waves that are associated with a relaxed yet alert mental state.  It helps increase this alpha wave activity for mental and physical relaxation, and most impressively produces relaxation ‘without drowsiness’.

L-theanine may help with some other important healthy concerns like lowering blood pressure/=, improving learning performance, heightening mental acuity, promoting concentration, and acting as caffeine antagonist.  It also supports the immune system, and has absolutely NO downside as a supplement. That’s not what can be said about many anti-anxiety drugs.

2-Ashwagandha is an herb that has tradition for enhancing your body’s ability to adapt to stress by diminishing both mental and physical stress and exhaustion.  It has been used for more than 2000 years as a rejuvenating tonic to boost strength, stamina and vigor.

Other properties of Ashwagandha include calming you mind, countering stress and anxiety, helping you relax – again, without drowsiness.

3- Beta-Sitosterol is a a natural plant sterol that helps blunt the response of cortisol, a hormone that is produced in your body during physical stress. Chronic high levels of cortisol in your body have a negative association with long-term good health.

It also helps boost your immune function by blunting this cortisol response.  Some stress in your life is healthy, though a lot of stress can be unhealthy.  But it’s not the stress that is hurting the body – it’s the cortisol.  Plus, common ways to relieve stress are through behaviors such as drinking, smoking or overeating that all present their own health risks.

When we are able to blunt cortisol we can tolerate stress better.  Also cortisol is involved with diet -it makes your body want to store fat.  The history of the way this works goes back many years and is part of the fight or flight syndrome which produces the famine effect (thus the need to store fat).  This is not really the way we live now – we don’t hunt food (occasionally) and we have a lot more everyday stress in our lives today.

So by blunting cortisol you can get the side benefit of reducing your body’s desire to store fat, which makes this herb an appropriate part of a weight loss or weight management diet.

4- L-tyrosene is an amino acid that your body uses to make the neurotransmitters dopamine and  norepinephrine, and is important because it is related to our feeling of well-being, and  scientists have discovered through studies that levels of these transmitters decline with stress.

L-tyrosene can help elevate your mood, counter depression, reduce stress, fight chronic fatigue, stimulate your libido, boost your brain function, suppress your appetite, and help reduce body fat.  It may encourage your thyroid, pituitary and adrenal glands to function normally.  Deficiency in L-tyrosene may result in depression and reduce your ability to cope with stress.

The combination of these four herbs is a very unique formula, and the result of extensive scientific research and development to get the right balance of ingredients that work most effectively in your body.  And not only does Stress Relief Complex help you relieve stress and the bad effect it has on the body, but it also helps increase alertness and give you more energy.

Who would benefit from taking a natural stress relief herb, that has no side effects, like Shaklee Stress Relief Complex?

People who would like a more natural approach to managing the stresses of everyday life working women with children, working men with children(!), anyone who is working!!, people who feel pressure with their jobs such as those that have public speaking components or demanding deadlines to meet, athletes, entertainers and anyone in the public eye who might like some natural stress relief to take the edge off.  Last consideration:  today more than ever, people are experiencing increased stress due to recent economic or security concerns.

To learn more about Stress Relief Complex and natural stress relief along with more alertness and energy, visit:  HERBS FOR STRESS.

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This post was written on Storify.. a story telling site I discovered that lets you pull in content from around the web and put it one place.  At the end of the story (you may have to click to ‘Read next page’) there is a link to a Natural Energy Chew that has none of the dangers of some of these energy drinks.  What it does have is some nutrition that actually gives you side benefits to boosting your energy, like better focus and alertness.

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Did you know there are herbs for circulation that are both natural and do not interfere with any meds that you may be taking or any known medical conditions?  (You should always inform your doctor what natural supplements you are using.)

Are you confused about using natural herbs? There are quite a few and they can help with many different health challenges. We are going to break that down for you with a new series of articles about herbs.

First, let’s think about nutrition in general.  Your food, along with any nutritional supplements that you use, feed your cells.  So – as new cells are built the quality of the cell is a direct result of the nutrition that was given to your body.  In contrast, herbs are not nutritional supplements although they are classified as dietary supplements by FDA.

Herbs, such as herbs used for circulation that we are discussing today, are used for special considerations or health challenges, and should be used in addition to a good nutrition supplement program.  Your body still needs vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that you don’t get enough of in your food.

Would you rather add life to your years, or simply years to your life? Herbs have been used for many years to help give people a better quality of life.

Some herbs are great for daily use and others are used for special occasions or for special people. Some you should not take at all if there can be an interaction with a health condition you may have or a medication you are taking.

Circulation

The first herbs we will feature are for circulation. (Remember to come back often over the next few weeks or so while we post new herbal articles daily.)  Is there any bodily process more important to life than circulation? Think about it: proper function of respiration, circulation, metabolism, and elimination all depend on proper blood flow throughout the body.

Studies show that there is a 70% decrease in blood flow in the body between the ages of 50 and 70 years. Herbs that can help circulation, and in turn, all of these body processes can make a difference in your quality of life.

One thing you will find as we go forward is that we usually talk about a group of herbs together when we look at the Shaklee brand. That’s because Shaklee (almost) always has more than one herb together in a single product formulation.

What I like about Shaklee is how they use their scientists and research teams to find groups of herbs that compliment each other so that when used together in your body, the combination can help you get better results.

Shaklee Mental Acuity Plus is an herbal formula that helps improve circulation to the brain.  The brain represents just 2% of our body’s weight and yet it requires up to 20% of the nutrients you consume.  There are five different herbs plus some supporting b vitamins in Mental Acuity Plus.

Ginko

Ginko (biloba) is the main ingredient. According to the the German Commission E (an internationally recognized authority on natural products and herbal remedies), Ginko is approved for 3 primary clinical conditions:  1) memory deficit (disturbances in concentration, depressive emotional condition, dizziness, tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and headache), 2) improvement of distance and pain-free walking in peripheral artery disease, and 3) vertigo (dizziness).

Ginko can help with hearing loss due to the increased circulation to the nerves that are critical to hearing. There are no known side effects or any known interactions with medications – that’s good since pretty much anyone should be able to take it and important to know because as people age they start taking various medications and look for herbs that won’t interact with their meds.

To support Ginko, Shaklee chose 4 complimentary herbs:

1. Hawthorn since it acts as a cardio tonic, cardio protective agent for prevention of heart disease, can help lower blood pressure and prevent atherosclerosis (buildup of fat in the arteries that compromises blood flow to the brain)
2. Bilberry for its history in helping primarily with the eyes (can help improve night vision, catarcats, glaucoma, retinopathy and circulatory disorders in the eye)
3. Gotu Kola that is effective for improved memory, overcoming stress and fatigue, overcoming a feeling of heaviness in the lower limbs, night cramps and spider veins.  Gotu Kola is a favorite snack of elephants and we all know that elephants live forever!
4. Rosemary for its antioxidant properties – it has more than a dozen antioxidants. Rosemary has value in preventing alzheimers, and has such a reputation for improving memory that it is known as the ‘herb of remembrance’.

B Vitamins

There is one last component of Mental Acuity Plus: B vitamins to help promote the formation of healthy red blood cells that will more efficiently carry nutrients throughout your improved circulatory system!

To learn more about, or order, Mental Acuity Plus visit:  Herbs for Circulation.

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What is Candida?  Candida is an overgrowth of yeast in your body.  The most common reasons you get the overgrowth are when you disturb the natural balance in your body by doing things like taking antibiotics, hormones, including birth control pills, or steroid meds.  If your diet is too high in sugars and refined carbohydrates (fast foods and processed foods that we all eat) and/or too low in fresh fruits and vegetables (be honest here!) you may also experience candida symptoms.

The what you end up with is an overgrowth of yeast – remember normal levels function well with the friendly bacteria (lactobacillus and bifidus) in your body.  It’s when the yeast feeds on the extra sugars and carbs that messes up the job of the friendly, but fragile, bacteria to keep the yeast in check.  Plus your friendly bacteria are easily destroyed by medications, intestinal disturbances, and stress.

What are Candida symptoms?  Don’t let this scare you, but the list is long.  Maybe you have symptoms from one group, or possibly multiple groups – and have not been diagnosed with another illness.  It might be beneficial for you to explore getting candida cleared up and see if your symptoms go away.

Brain/Nervous System

Anxiety

Depression

Headaches

Irritability

Mood swings

Poor memory

Poor mental focus

Dizziness

Headaches/migraines

Immune/Respiratory

Frequent infections, especially ears/tonsils

Sinus congestion

Chronic cough

Pain/tightness in chest

Environmental sensitivities, i.e. mold

Reproductive

Endometriosis

Uterine Fibroids

Cervical Dysplasia

PMS

Infertility

Loss of libido

Prostatitis

Impotence

Pelvic pain

Vaginal discharge or itching

Digestive

Colitis/ Irritable Bowel disease

Constipation

Belching

Diarrhea

Bloating/Gas

Abdominal Pain

Bad Breath

Heartburn

Mucous in stools

Rectal Itching

Cravings for sweets, breads or alcohol

Food Allergies

Redness around rectal area

Other

Acne/ skin disorders

White coated tongue

Athlete’s foot

Nail fungus

Canker sores

Burning tongue

Rash/blisters in mouth

Fatigue

Joint pain/arthritis

Muscle aches/weakness

Diabetes

Blurred vision

Spots in front of eyes

Candida Probiotics

There are natural supplements that can work well to increase those friendly bacteria and help them do their job to keep the yeast in balance.

Probiotics and prebiotics can deliver new, friendly bacteria to your body.  When you can get them delivered to your intestines while they are still live, they can make a much greater difference in elevating friendly bacteria levels.  Don’t take a supplement that can’t do this or you may only get about 10% of the effect.

Garlic is another natural supplement that helps increase friendly bacteria and reduce yeast growth.

Supplements that strengthen your immune system help make your body more resistant to growing candida, and provide benefits to your overall health so that you avoid getting body systems out of balance.

Helping Candida With Your Diet

There are ways to help candida growth with your diet, including to reduce cravings for foods that cause it in the first place.  One such way is to balance your blood sugar levels so you are not wanting to snack on sweets or carbs.

When your blood sugar levels are steady, you don’t feel hungry.  Then, if you make the conscious effort to snack on healthier options, and plan this ahead, you won’t be reaching for the junk food.  You won’t feel starved and you will have a healthy snack like a protein bar ready for when you need mid-meal food.

Paying attention to your diet and making the necessary changes to eliminate (or at least greatly reduce) sugars and refined carbs) may be the hardest part for you in your quest to reduce candida in your body.  Alpha Lipoic Acid is a nutrient that can help by balancing your blood glucose (sugar) levels naturally and reducing your cravings for these types of foods.

B vitamins, especially B-Complex (all the B vitamins together the way that you find them in nature – in your food sources), also help reduce cravings and also help balance hormones that can improve things like mood swings, nervousness, fatigue, irritability, headaches, dizziness, stress – things that can make you want to reach for the sugar and carbs!

Candida Yeast Diet

Don’t eat foods that feed yeast:  sugar (including maple syrup, honey, molasses, and corn syrup), refined carbohydrates (white flour foods – crackers, snacks, chips).

DO eat foods that nourish your body:  protein-rich foods (vegetable based, poultry, fish, eggs) and low-carb veggies (dark salad greens, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, brussel sprouts, asparagus, peppers and cucumbers).

More ways to get the yeast growth under control

Another way to balance hormones, that also helps reduce inflammation in your body that can be causing you symptoms of candida, is to take essential fatty acid supplements.  Inflammation is the root cause of many illnesses and also causes pain or discomfort in your body.

Fish oil is an Omega-3 fatty acid and many doctors are recommending it to all of their patients because we have discovered this connection between inflammation and disease, together with the fact that most of us eat many more Omega-6 fatty acids that throws off the balance that should be in our bodies where there is more Omega’3′s.

If you do need a healthy source of Omega-6 to help balance your hormones, GLA Complex is an excellent choice (women – great for PMS, menopause symptoms, improve eczema).  And last, some detoxifying might be in order, especially if you have an extreme case of candida.  Liver and intestinal detox supplements, Alfalfa, and drinking lots of water can all help.

Final words:  this overgrowth of yeast is nasty when it’s in our bodies, and getting rid of it may possible be uncomfortable for a short time.  You may experience things like headaches, fatigue or achy joints as the yeast dies off.  This is due to the toxins leaving your body and will pass.  Some of these symptoms are similar to those you are already experiencing – the goal now is to get rid of them permanently.

We use the Shaklee brand of natural nutrition supplements for several reasons:

• it is the #1 Natural Nutrition brand
• the ingredients are the highest quality
• the delivery system of the nutrients gets them to the right part of the body at the right time
• the science behind each product proves that it works BEFORE the product is ever made
• Shaklee products are 100% guaranteed to work (or your money back)

That’s enough proof for me!

Each product mentioned in this article is linked to the appropriate Shaklee natural nutrition supplement.  If you have any questions or want to discuss anything you read here, contact me at vicki@antiagingbydesign.com and let me know if you want to communicate by email or give me your phone number if you’d like me to call you.

Another option to try a few of these items AND get a free Shaklee membership that saves you 15% off all products is to order Vitalizer.  Vitalizer includes extra B vitamins, fish oil, probiotics and antioxidants, and all the vitamins and minerals that are inside multi-vitamins.  It is packaged in one convenient strip of 6 tablets you take daily.  Plus taking Vitalizer every day gives you more energy and is proven to help you build better health (we have the long-term clinical studies that tests blood levels to prove it!).  You could add a bottle of Garlic to take for an extra boost to get rid of your candida.

Don’t forget to let us know if you would like any specific topics featured here.

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