TriVita and Your Health

Is this another claim for an Alzheimer’s Cure? No, it’s just the results of a scientific study.  I’ll give you the facts and you can judge the results for yourself.

These results were reported by Dr. Scott Conrad and they are from a 2008 British study conducted over a five year period involving 107 adults between the ages of 61 and 87.

If your life has ever been touched by this terribly debilitating disease, the memory loss, confusion and erosion of the mind and body is heartbreaking to witness. I stood helplessly by and watched my grandmother become a shadow. She was no longer with us, she was afraid and alone and there was nothing I could do. It broke my heart. That was almost 15 years ago and still there is no cure and the incidence of Alzheimer’s is growing at an alarming rate.

But, out of this study comes some encouraging news.  There are some hopeful steps being taken in the fight against Alzheimer’s, and one in particular involves Vitamin B-12. The small but significant study I mentioned in the first paragraph was conducted at the University of Oxford, England.

The study reached this dramatic conclusion, ‘People with lower levels of B-12 were six times more likely to have brain volume loss, also called brain erosion, than those with higher B-12 levels. Since brain erosion is one of the results of Alzheimer’s, the finding led researchers to suggest that B-12 may protect against brain erosion, which is linked to reduced mental function.

The question asked by the researchers was simple; ‘What’s the link between Vitamin B-12 levels and Brain Erosion?’  To find the answer, according to results published in the medical journal Neurology, participants underwent annual blood tests, MRIs, physical exams and memory tests. None of the study subjects had any mental impairment when they began the project.

Five years later and the results were in, all of the participants had B-12 levels in the normal range, however, the differences in brain volume was significant between those in the low end of the normal range and those in the high end of the normal range. Significant brain erosion was six times more likely for those with the low normal B-12 levels.

The medical community has known for some time that people with Vitamin B-12 deficiencies can experience symptoms caused by decreased mental and nerve functioning. These symptoms can include mental confusion, forgetfulness, mood swings and even psychotic behavior. What’s new here is the connection between Brain Volume, Vitamin B-12 and diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Good enough for me to sit up and take notice, how about you?

TriVita’s HCY Guard contains Vitamin B-12 and also helps to lower dangerous homocysteine levels, which also can often lead to dementia, Alzheimer’s and other grave conditions.

To find out more about TriVita’s products, go here or if you’d like to find out how you can earn an additional stream of income, call me on 856-264-7802.

Es Riggins
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13160615

Technorati Tags: "brain erosion", alzheimer, b-12, Dr. Scott Conrad, hcy, TriVita, Wellness

Many people shared the same complaint: fatigue. People feel tired. What are the reasons for the epidemic of fatigue? What are some strategies for coping with low energy? What mindset may help us change the course of relentless fatigue before it is too late?

The message of fatigue
Feeling tired is a communication sent by our body to our consciousness telling us we need to rest – just as hunger is the feeling we get when we need to eat. Learning to listen to these messages will help us achieve and maintain optimum health. Listening to fatigue by resting is at the heart of Essential #3: Sleep Peacefully. Typically, a good night’s sleep will erase fatigue (it may take several nights). Cultivating the habit of sleeping 7 ½ to 9 hours every night – depending on our level of fatigue – will ensure that we feel fresh at almost any time and also help us have a healthier immune system.

We especially need rest:

* If our immune system is fighting an infection or trying to balance itself in an autoimmune condition
* After an injury or exposure to a toxin from outside or inside our body
* If we have deficiencies of water, oxygen or certain nutrients such as Vitamin B-12
* When experiencing the overwhelming tiredness that comes with emotional distress

We experience chronic fatigue when resting doesn’t relieve our feelings of exhaustion. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is diagnosed when symptoms persist for more than six months. CFS is often a sign that we have pushed ourselves too hard for too long: we have been so deficient, so toxic and so stressed that we have collapsed our ability to cope with even daily demands. Our immune system and our nervous system are so damaged in CFS that they may take years to repair – if healing is even possible.

Coping strategies
We have a marvelous function inside us called homeostasis. This interesting word describes the struggle of maintaining balance. Just as an acrobat on the high wire appears to be still or motionless (stasis), our internal chemistry appears to be balanced every single moment of every single day with amazing consistency. We can’t see the effort the acrobat must contribute to maintain balance but we know intuitively that it must be extreme. Now, imagine the extra stress of wind, temperature, humidity, air quality, light and noise from the outside world. Next, imagine the added stress of low oxygen, dehydration, poor sleep, incomplete nutrition and lack of appropriate fitness. There are many, many elements trying to pull the acrobat off the wire just as there are many, many elements pulling you down as well. Homeostasis describes the extreme effort of your body, mind and spirit every moment to keep you balanced.

Fatigue is a sign of failure of the homeostasis mechanism. It is the message to stop what you are doing and attend to yourself for fear of falling off the high wire, so to speak. The 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness are the tools that put you back in balance. They combat fatigue and help you develop a rhythm of energy that can be sustained every day. Set a pace in life that can be maintained indefinitely. Nourish and nurture yourself with the 10 Essentials to support homeostasis and erase fatigue.

Change your mindset
The era we live in is called “post-industrial revolution.” It describes a cadence in life that is more appropriate for machines, not for humans. Machines don’t get tired – people do! If we are to hear the message of fatigue and respond appropriately, we simply must learn to listen as humans, not machines. We need to resist many of the stresses of modern life. We need to embrace the mindset that people are more important than things.

People matter! Learn the rules of nourishment and nurturing that govern human health and place these as a priority in your daily life. Make sure you are cared for first and then you will be in a position to care for all of your duties, responsibilities, obligations and commitments. Learn to listen to the message of fatigue before you run out of energy. Value the amazing gift of homeostasis by living a life of balance.

This change of mindset is the first step to erasing fatigue.

To find out more about TriVita’s products, go here or if you’d like to find out how you can earn an additional stream of income, call me on 856-264-7802.

Es Riggins
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13160615

Technorati Tags: adaptogen, cfs, chronic fatigue, energy, fatigue, Nopalea, optimum health, sleep, sublingual b-12, Wellness

What are Nitric Oxide Supplements?   Nitric Oxide, or NO in scientific circles, is one of the most important molecules in our body. Not unlike a policeman directing traffic at a busy intersection, NO directs the communication between the busiest cells in the body: brain cells, blood cells, immune system cells and from all body systems where communication is most critical. Nitric Oxide is so important that no organ in our bodies could function without it.

An important study confirms that Adaptogen 10 Plus helps raise nitric oxide levels, essential for good health.

In 1998, three scientists were awarded the Noble Peace Prize in Medicine for discovering Nitric Oxide’s function in our bodies. Nitric Oxide keeps our blood pressure normal, helps us to think clearly, helps our bodies to fight off infection, prevents the development of blood clots and  atherosclerosis. Many ‘diseases of aging’ are simply a deficiency of Nitric Oxide.

A team of scientists lead by Nathan S. Bryan, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, recently tested Adaptogen 10 Plus for Nitric Oxide activity and confirmed the incredible value of Adaptogen 10 Plus. If you’re seeking nitric oxide supplements then you need to look at Adaptogen 10 Plus.

Dr. Bryan supervises cardiovascular research in the heart health field. His field of specialty is Nitric Oxide, how to get it and how to keep it. The patients in Dr. Bryan’s research center suffer from a host of Nitric Oxide related disorders, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, an seemingly endless list of maladies. In every case, Dr. Bryan sees that the patient benefits more the higher they can raise the Nitric Oxide level. Restoring Nitric Oxide production in the body, has become one of the main strategies in treating and protecting against many diseases.

Dr. Bryan and his research center discovered that Adaptogen 10 Plus contains natural Nitric Oxide metabolites that help to restore normal Nitric Oxide biochemistry within our bodies. This important benefit is in addition to its high antioxidant capacity and adaptive stress molecules. Our bodies gradually, over time, lose the ability to produce Nitric Oxide at sufficient levels to maintain optimal health. Stress, pollution, nutrient deficient diets also deplete our Nitric Oxide reserves. A healthy diet, sleep, exercise and the rest of TriVita’s 10 essentials contribute to Nitric Oxide activity and to good health.  That’s why many people who are smart in health and nutrition are seeking nitric oxide supplements and taking a look at Adaptogen 10 Plus.

The amount of Nitric Oxide in Adaptogen 10 Plus has been shown to protect against vascular inflammation, reduce injury from a heart attack or stroke and restore Nitric Oxide homeostasis in animal models. This unique blend of of antioxidants and Nitric Oxide metabolites is essential for brain and heart health. Combining a regimen of Adaptogen 10 Plus with TriVita’s 10 Essentials will help ensure optimal health.

TriVita did all of the heavy lifting with Adaptogen 10 Plus, all you need to do to create a better tomorrow for yourself and your health is try Adaptogen 10 Plus today.

To find out more about TriVita’s products including Adaptogen, go here or if you’d like to find out how you can earn an additional stream of income, call me on 856-264-7802.

Es Riggins
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13160615

Technorati Tags: adaptogen, Health Products, nitric oxide, nutritional deficiencies, Vitamin and mineral supplements

Eastern and western health knowledge have teamed up to create TriVita’s miraculous, health-enriching Adaptogen 10 Plus.

In this unique formula, 1940’s findings on Adaptogens come together with recent findings about the health benefits of antioxidants along with today’s improved nutrient delivery systems to create a ground breaking formula, Adaptogen 10 Plus that is part of TriVita’s many nutritional premium products backed by science.

In post-WWII Siberia, 1200 Russian scientist were busily cataloging the nutritional value of over 4000 plants. Their mission was to create a natural formula that would enable their elite athletes, cosmonauts and ballerinas become the best in the world. Dr. Nicholai Lazarov, the lead scientist, is credited with discovering a category of plant that would rock the very foundations of eastern herbal medicine. These plants had the unique ability to thrive in the very harshest environments. Think about the environment we are talking about - Siberia. These plants create a homeostasis, or an internal balance, that allow them to adapt to changing climates. Dr. Lazarov called these plants ‘Adaptogens’.

Early in the 1950’s adaptogen blends were given to factory workers in controlled studies. The results of these studies confirmed what Dr. Lazarov suspected: adaptogens created equilibrium, a balance within the human cell, which allows the cells to adjust to various forms of stress. Workers who took the adaptogen blends experienced tremendous and varied health benefits.

Eastern health is rooted in meticulous observation of natures and herbal medicine and adaptogens were proven by these studies to providing these benefits. One factory was experiencing an absentee problem among their truck drivers. After the drivers were given adaptogens for several months, their absentee rate dropped by a whopping 92.5%.

Russian athletes were also given adaptogens in the 1970’s and 1980’s, when they dominated the Olympic Games. Rumors spread that the Russian teams were using steroids, when in fact it was adaptogens that helped to improve the Russians athletic performance. The athletes were able to adjust to the stress of high level competition, allowing their bodies to perform at their best.

Years later, TriVita’s™ own Chief Science Officer, Dr. Brazos Minshew, discovered the varied and amazing results of adaptogen therapies. He wanted to apply current scientific knowledge with eastern knowledge with the discoveries recorded so long ago in Siberia, and to improve on Dr. Lazarov’s results.

Dr Minshew discovered that if the adaptogens were placed in an Aloe base, the health-enhancing properties of the adaptogens would reach the body faster and more completely. This added with the immune-strengthening OptiBerry™, a proprietary blend of antioxidants extracted from berries and other prime sources of antioxidants that resulted in Adaptogen 10 Plus, a super nutritional formula that helps restore Wellness by repairing our bodies at the cellular level!

Stress is just a part of our modern daily lives, whether it is mental, physical, emotional or environmental. It’s important to be aware of the damage that stress can cause to our bodies. Adaptogen can help us to relieve the damage of stress.

Stress creates a physical reaction within our bodies that often makes us feel bad or ‘out of sorts’, repeated stress will eventually lead to physical damage to our body’s system and can eventually lead to life threatening disorders.

Adaptogens help our bodies counteract the negative physical effects of stress by adjusting to our bodies’ unique reactions. If our muscles tense, adaptogens can relax them, if our blood pressure rises or our heart races, adaptogens help to normalize them. When we ingest adaptogens, they help our bodies reach a state of homeostasis or internal balance. In Adaptogen 10 Plus, the effects of the adqaptogens are enhanced with aloe vera’s outstanding nutritional delivery system and antioxidants free radical fighting properties.

The full effects of adaptogens are not yet known, preliminary reports indicate that whatever we’re trying to accomplish, adaptogens will help us perform better physically and mentally. By their very nature, adaptogens adjust our bodies to keep them in balance, all the time.

TriVita did all of the heavy lifting with Adaptogen 10 Plus, all you need to do to create a better tomorrow for yourself and your health is try Adaptogen 10 Plus today.

To find out more about TriVita’s products including Adaptogen, go here or if you’d like to find out how you can earn an additional stream of income, call me on 856-264-7802.

Es Riggins
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13160615

Technorati Tags: adaptogen, aloe, blood pressure, free radical fighting, herbal medicine, nutritional supplements, stress, TriVita, Wellness

You’ve probably heard the expression, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This means that taking small actions now is better than doing nothing and then having to deal with a big problem later. This is especially important when it comes to your health because health disasters can be extraordinarily difficult to resolve.

With an infinite number of possible diseases how do you know which “ounce” of prevention is needed for your life? To start, ask yourself these questions:

1. What are the common behaviors that lead to disability and premature death?
2. What are my risks as an individual?
3. What strategies can I use to reduce my risk and improve my vitality?

Common (mis)behaviors
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the most common causes of death in North America are:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Cancer
• Respiratory disease
• Accidents
• Diabetes

The most common reasons why people lose their vitality and eventually their lives, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, include:

• Tobacco
• Poor diet
• Physical inactivity
• Alcohol
• Infections
• Toxins

From this you can see that tobacco, poor diet, physical inactivity as well as alcohol abuse can lead to disability and death from heart attack, cancer and lung diseases. So, we’ve just answered the first question and the first step in prevention would be:

• Don’t abuse tobacco or alcohol
• Do eat a healthy diet
• Engage in physical activity
• Take steps to protect yourself from infections and toxins.

Now, let’s look at question number 2.

What are your risks as an individual?
Your family can teach you much about your risk factors for disability and disease. You should pay special attention to your closest relatives: your parents, siblings, children and grandparents.

• How long did they live?
• What were their health challenges?
• How can I help avoid similar challenges?

Please see my article on Healthy Aging and indulge me as I share my own strategy which is based on my family’s personal history. My grandfather and great-grandfather died of congestive heart failure – so I add CoEnzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) to my Healthy Aging nutrients. My father and aunt were Type “A” performance-driven people (like me!) and both developed Alzheimer’s disease. Considering this, I take Adaptogen 10 Plus mixed with Optima4 to help reduce the impact of stress while increasing brain-specific antioxidants.

What is your family history telling you? What nutrient strategies can you use to help reduce the likelihood of disease and disability? By assessing your health risks as an individual you can create a program to help you reduce these risks. I encourage you to call one of our Wellness Consultants at 1-800-991-7116 so they can suggest appropriate nutritional supplementation.

A strategy and motivation for everyone
Most of us know we need to care for our basic physical, emotional and spiritual needs and to look at our family histories for disease risk. So, coming up with the right health recommendations from these actions is usually not too big a problem.

However, there could be a big problem between “knowing what to do” versus actually doing it. If we are motivated by fear of suffering and death, we will practice prevention for awhile; but as the sense of disaster fades from our mind, we’re likely to lapse into a more “comfy” lifestyle and not maintain a preventive approach. A powerful alternative to the “fear” approach is to be motivated by our sense of purpose. This approach is much more likely to give us the greatest sustained motivation to act correctly, and thus increase the vitality and longevity of our lives.

A sense of purpose takes us away from a fear-based motivation to a desire-based motivation. With a purpose - based life, we certainly will not abuse our gift of health because that would interfere with our accomplishments. We will want to care for our health in every way we can.

To summarize, you can help improve and maintain your health by using:

• The 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness to create the physical, emotional and spiritual health you need for your many life purposes.
• Quality supplements to create the energy you need to succeed and as a bulwark against sickness.
• Use each moment of every day to fuel the fires of your own life purposes.

As Benjamin Franklin concluded, “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of.” Start putting your ounce of prevention to work for you today!

To find out more about TriVita’s products including Nopalea, go here or if you’d like to find out how you can earn an additional stream of income, call me on 856-264-7802.

Es Riggins
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13160615

Technorati Tags: alzheimer, antioxidants, common ailments, coq-10, Healthy Aging, nutrient strategies, optima4

We all can agree that losing weight is a challenge. Many healthcare professionals argue over the cause(s) of obesity: is it nature or nurture? Saying that the problem is “nature” (genetics) may make us feel like victims. Saying it is “nurture” (behavior) may make us feel guilty, like we are real failures. How can we come to terms with the obesity challenge? We can “lose the labels” and deal with weight loss in a positive and constructive way..

Remember, we are unique; we are “one of a kind.” We need a program that speaks to us as individuals because what solves the problem for us may not exactly be what someone else needs. However, one strategy that helps everyone in the weight-loss struggle is to create a deficit between the calories we eat and the calories we burn – fewer calories “in,” more calories “out.” This simple formula will give us the best chance for success with weight loss.

Your Diet
Very few aspects of your life are as emotionally charged as securing your right to choose for yourself. From early childhood until today, one of the most important choices you make concerns your diet. You must have choices and they must be your own. Recognize that restricting yourself from available choices goes against your very nature. A restrictive diet is doomed to failure. Select a diet that is uncomplicated and appealing to you and you will have a greater chance for success.

The first challenge we face in diet selection is committing to the discipline of thinking ahead instead of eating impulsively. So, start with something small and attainable:

• Many health experts recommend fresh fruits and vegetables daily
o 5 servings for children
o 7 servings for women
o 9 servings for men
• Add high quality protein such as seafood, poultry or lean red meats to your diet every day
• Drink plenty of water

These are easy steps that you can accomplish today! Remember, the time you spend selecting the right diet for yourself is an investment in your health and your future. Give it the attention it deserves.

Calories in – calories OUT!
We must burn more calories than we consume in order for weight loss to occur.

Exercise is the key to permanent, lifetime weight control. There is no way around it. However, exercise does not have to be a punishment; it can really be pleasurable. The key is finding something you enjoy doing. I recommend that you start with three forms of activity; this prevents exercise boredom. Add more activities every month. Get in the habit of participating in at least 30 minutes of activity every day.

There are basically two types of exercise that you need every week:
1. Aerobic exercise is defined as any activity that increases your need for oxygen. Aerobics make you breathe harder. You need at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. Some examples include walking, swimming and an exercise bike. If you’re new to exercise, start out slowly and get your doctor’s OK. As the weather gets cooler, look for indoor alternatives like a brisk walk at your local mall.

Aerobic exercise can balance hormones, relieve anxiety and depression, and mobilize your energy for the great works of your life. Aerobic exercise speeds up your metabolism.

But where does metabolism originate? It comes from your lean body mass – your muscles! That is the domain of resistance training.

2. Progressive resistance training is defined as any exercise where the load to the muscle is increased by some mechanical means – weights, bands, springs and many other methods. The key is to progressively increase the weight or resistance over time. This results in more lean body mass and less fat mass. If you increase your muscle strength, you increase the “engines” that produce muscle energy. Nothing builds metabolism (muscle energy) as well as progressive resistance training. You can get useful training tips at your local library or by going online.

Supplements for weight loss

The Leanology Smart Weight Loss System can also be an important part of your weight loss plan. For many people it represents the critical difference between success and failure in lifetime weight control. The Leanology System has three steps:

• Fat burning capsules – Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help increase metabolism and energy to support your body’s ability to burn more calories. Plus, they help limit cortisol production – the stress-induced hormone that can lead to abdominal fat.
• Snack replacement chews – Leanology Appetite Control Chews* contain ingredients that are clinically proven to help curb the appetite and contain fewer calories than other snacks.
• Nutritional shakes – Leanology Nutritional Shakes can be used as a low calorie meal substitute; they provide a healthy balance of wholesome carbohydrates, proteins, good fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

However, you must always remember that these are supplements; they supplement a healthy diet and exercise program. Use them wisely as an important part of your total Wellness program.

Take Control of Your Health

· Plan a balance of calories and activity for lifetime weight control
· Eat 5, 7 or 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
· Plan 30 minutes of aerobic activity most days of the week
· Do resistance training 2 to 5 times per week
· Supplement your weight loss program with Leanology

To find out more about TriVita’s products including Nopalea, go here or if you’d like to find out how you can earn an additional stream of income, call me on 856-264-7802.

Es Riggins
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13160615

Technorati Tags: diet, fat burning, leanology, Nopalea, nutritional shakes, obesity, snack replacement, TriVita, Weight Loss, weight loss plan, weight loss supplements

What is your experience? Does there seem to be more or less people with allergies these days? Do more or less children – and adults – seem to have asthma these days? Most people recognize that the prevalence of allergies and asthma is on the rise… and health statistics confirm it.

What are the causes of allergies and asthma? Why are we seeing so many more people suffering from these conditions? How can we find relief from these common conditions?

Antecedents, triggers and inflammation
We say we have allergies when we experience a certain set of symptoms (watery eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, etc.) in response to a trigger such as pollen or dust. We say we have asthma when we experience breathing difficulty related to constriction in our airways and inflammation in the immune system of our respiratory tract.

Antecedents – Certain people have allergies while others don’t. And certain people experience asthma while others don’t. The difference between those of us with symptoms and other people is found in antecedents (literally “what comes before”). Antecedents may be:

• Genetic (rare)
• Trauma from smoke, chemical burns, etc. (more common)
• Emotional distress (far more common)
• Toxins from the environment that permeate our air, water and food (the most common antecedent for allergies and asthma)

Triggers – Triggers are the myriad products or processes in our internal and external environment that create symptoms. For one person, wheat triggers symptoms. For another person cat dander triggers symptoms. Almost everyone reacts to ragweed! Your symptom triggers are unique because of the way your personal, internal chemistry interacts with the antecedents that come before allergies and asthma.

Inflammation – Inflammation is the final reaction in this chain. The symptoms we experience are all related to inflammation. Examples of inflammatory mediators are histamines, prostaglandins and leukotrienes. These are strange and difficult words that are all too familiar to people that suffer from allergies and asthma.

Defense strategies
We protect ourselves through the process of insulation and isolation. It is very important to isolate ourselves from trauma, stress and toxins. It is also imperative to insulate ourselves with anti-allergy nutrients.

Vitamin B-12 (especially Super Sublingual B-12) helps your body reduce histamine formation. Nopalea helps your body reduce inflammation in the soft tissues of the respiratory tract, digestive tract and pretty well all other tissues! These represent the best strategies for symptom relief.

Triggers (allergens) are sharp, jagged proteins that are like shards of broken glass in your system. The cells lining your airways (and pretty well all other tissues) are like delicate balloons that pop when allergens attack. Fortunately, we are able to resist most of these allergens. However, the ones we cannot neutralize create real misery. Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) like OmegaPrime toughen up the balloon-like cells and make them much more difficult to pop. You will likely need two to three times the normal amount of EFAs every day for several months to achieve lasting relief from allergy triggers.

Antecedents are more difficult to address because genetics, toxins and stress are pervasive: they don’t go away. With patience, though, we can develop strategies to minimize the impact of antecedents. For example, we can breathe deeply to de-stress our mind and body. We can drink pure water and eat nutritiously to cleanse toxins from our body. This can also help protect against new poisons setting us up for allergies in the future. And we can modify our sensitivity by exercising appropriately (and safely) as well as sleeping peacefully to balance our immune system.

Conclusion
Allergies and asthma are more prevalent now than ever. We can prevent much misery by addressing the antecedents that come before these reactions, by strengthening our cells to resist triggers, and by reducing the inflammation that creates so much misery!

Technorati Tags: adaptogen, allergies, antecedents, b-12, coq-10, inflammation, Nopalea, omegaprime

We are a people on fire!

Less than a hundred years ago the common health challenges we faced were infections. With the discovery of pathogenic bacteria and the advent of proper hygiene, death from these problems became less common. Inflammation has become the new epicenter of disease, disability and death.

Inflammation and the immune system
Our immune system uses heat to destroy invading bacteria. A specialized cell called a macrophage douses the invader with inflammatory enzymes (like acids) and the heat generated in this battle destroys the invading bacteria.

Sometimes our own healthy cells become the focus for disease. This often happens because of toxic exposure. When we eat, drink or breathe a toxin, or if it is absorbed through our skin, our detoxification system works to remove it before the poison can compromise our health. Unfortunately, many of today’s poisons are simply too strong and they overwhelm our detoxification system and enter healthy cells. These cells now become the target of disease, infection and inflammation. Our immune system must treat them as hostile and use heat to destroy them.

Autoimmune diseases arise when our immune system becomes so overworked that it can no longer tell the difference between healthy cells and sick cells. It attacks all cells of a particular type equally. This body system is never able to heal and chronic inflammation sets in.

The weakest link
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. You are only as healthy as your weakest body system. How robust you are depends mostly on lifestyle choices, somewhat on your environment and a little on your genetics.

When a toxin overwhelms your detoxification process it will likely settle in your weakest system. The immune system melts these polluted cells in an effort to save healthy cells. This is acute inflammation. With chronic toxicity comes the opportunity for chronic inflammation. In the case of chronic inflammation, the immune system attacks any sick cell as well as any healthy cell that looks like the sick one. If the immune system attacks connective tissue we say a person has lupus. If it attacks the beta cells of the pancreas we say they have type 1 diabetes. If it attacks the joints we say they have rheumatoid arthritis.

These are only a few of the more than 200 autoimmune diseases. Yet they all share one common attribute: inflammation.

Putting the fire out
Inflammation arises because of:

• Toxins
• Injuries
• Emotional distress
• Nutrient deficiency

We simply must reduce our toxic exposure to reduce the chances of developing an autoimmune disorder. And we must also develop emotional coping strategies and have all of the nutrients we need in our body in the right quantity – every moment of every day. These are the first steps to reducing inflammation.

We can directly douse the fire with anti-inflammatory Betalains such as those found in TriVita’s Nopalea. A Betalain is a protein-antioxidant complex found in certain plants grown in hot climates. The hotter the climate, the more Betalains the plant needs to survive and the more we can benefit.

Nutrient strategies
According to most authorities, everyone needs to be taking a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement every day. This is even more important for people trying to tame their immune system in an autoimmune flare-up. We also need to eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and take Omega EFA supplements. These fats not only reduce inflammation but they also make your immune system work smarter, not harder. Antioxidants are critical to putting out the fire of inflammation. Betalain “protein-antioxidants” are extremely powerful anti-inflammatory nutrients. Finally, Vitamin B-12 and adaptogens form a bulwark against the blues and physical stress.

We are a nation on fire. This is at the heart of the near epidemic of autoimmune disorders we are facing. Strategies of nutrients and nurturing will help us fight inflammation and help us with what we do best: heal!

To find out more about TriVita’s products including Nopalea, go here or if you’d like to find out how you can earn an additional stream of income, call me on 856-264-7802.

Es Riggins
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13160615

Technorati Tags: Add new tag, Health Products, inflammation, Nopalea, TriVita, Wellness

A professor of mine once told me that newly graduated doctors have 100 cures for every disease. Experienced doctors often use one remedy for 100 diseases. It seems that this is proving to be quite true with our old friend, Vitamin C.

The best Vitamin C
There are many types of Vitamin C. Some supplements contain diverse minerals while others contain related ingredients like bioflavonoids. There are good reasons for each of these additions. Yet, time has not proven the fancier forms to be superior to the natural, non-acidic form of Vitamin C (sodium-L-ascorbate).

The primary pathway for Vitamin C transport into the bloodstream is through the sodium transport channel. Now, sodium has a really bad reputation because many of us put too much salt (sodium chloride) on our food. But, the fruits and vegetables we eat are naturally very high in sodium. Our blood is naturally high in sodium. In fact, the sodium content of our blood is about 32 times greater than the potassium level in our blood. It is comparable to the sodium content in sea water.

Dr. Libby’s Vital C has the best profile for absorption of this important nutrient.

New uses for an old remedy
Three articles in medical literature recently caught my attention.

• Toxins
  The first one was a two-year-long discussion about the protective effects of Vitamin C against pesticides and other environmental toxins. This is important because we dump 2.5 million tons of pesticides into our biosphere every year (Environmental Medicine part 4, Dr. Walter Crinnon).

  The discussion of Vitamin C and pesticides was published in 2007 and 2008 in the journal Toxicology and Industrial Health. It clearly shows the protective effect of large amounts of Vitamin C against common environmental toxins.

• Cholesterol
  The second article appeared in the February 2008 edition of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. It demonstrated another benefit of Vitamin C in people with elevated cholesterol. You see, Vitamin C in the liver binds excess cholesterol and drains it through the bile ducts into the intestines. Fiber in the intestines soaks up the cholesterol and carries it out of the body. If our diet does not have enough fiber to eliminate the cholesterol we will likely reabsorb it. In fact, most of the cholesterol in our bloodstream has been excreted and reabsorbed numerous times.

  Vitamin C binds cholesterol and takes it out of the liver. Vitamin C also helps protect the lining of blood vessels – making them like Teflon to sticky LDL cholesterol. Instead of damaging the blood vessels, oxidized LDL slides off the walls of your arteries and is carried back to the liver by HDL cholesterol.

• Blood pressure
  The third article came from the October 2008 Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypertension. It clearly showed how large reservoirs of Vitamin C can help reduce high blood pressure. Antioxidants (especially Vitamin C) may reduce poisons in the tissues called aldehydes – think of the poison formaldehyde as a good example. Poisons drive up blood pressure; Vitamin C helps drive down poisons and can result in blood pressure reduction.

Conclusion
Health is built one habit at a time. The more we learn and live the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness, the healthier we become. Essential #4 tells us to eat nutritiously – including the proper use of supplements. Science is firmly behind using nutrients and nurturing to improve the quality of our lives.

And find out about Nopalea that detoxifies your body and helps to reduce inflammation as well as many other health benefits.

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As we age we often begin to lose the fine motor control associated with youth. At first, this may be an imperceptible tremor that only occurs when we are trying to keep our hands very still. These “shakes” may eventually keep us from doing important things: delicate artwork, tying a fly, needlepoint or even simply signing our name.

Loss of fine motor control usually begins with inflammation in the brain. Inflammation usually begins with free radical activity: too many toxins, too much stress, not enough anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic disorder typically affecting people over age 55. The condition is caused by the death of nerve cells in certain parts of the brain, leading to characteristic problems with movement. These include a tremor in the hands, a shuffling gait, decreased facial expressiveness and trouble talking. Thinking ability may become impaired in later stages of the disease, and depression is common.

Many researchers believe that free radicals play a role in destroying nerve cells that supply dopamine (a neurotransmitter) in Parkinson’s disease. Most treatments for Parkinson’s disease work by artificially increasing the brain’s dopamine levels. Many people take levodopa with carbidopa, a drug that increases the amount of levodopa available to make dopamine.

Essential tremors
There is another kind of nervous disorder called essential tremors. Essential tremors are not caused by disease, such as Parkinson’s disease. Rather, they arise without any other signs or symptoms. Essential tremors do not progress into anything more severe; they are not related to any other condition. They exist as a fundamental defect in the part of the brain that controls motion.

Essential tremors are often called “family tremors” because they occur in higher concentrations among family members. People that are related to each other share many genetic characteristics. That means that they may also share some of the same vulnerabilities. These weaknesses only become apparent under specific stresses. So, two people with identical genetics – identical twins – may not have the same tendency toward essential tremors unless they experience the same stresses.

Tremor triggers
As mentioned, inflammation is the last thing that happens to your brain before you experience a tremor – whether it is from Parkinson’s disease or essential tremors. Anything that causes inflammation is a tremor trigger. What are the common triggers?

• Deficiency – Oxygen deficiency is very common, especially as we sleep. Practice deep breathing for 20 minutes before sleeping and take brain-specific antioxidants such as CoQ-10, Vitamin E and Optima4 at bedtime.
• Toxins – Household chemicals, refined sugar and allergens commonly trigger loss of fine motor control. Golfers and gardeners are often exposed to high levels of toxins. It seems that everyone has allergies – and sugar consumption is at an all-time high. Isolating yourself as much as possible from chemicals and allergens is crucial for brain health.
• Stress – When I ask an audience, “Do you feel stressed out?” almost everyone responds affirmatively! Stress burns out the coordination areas in your brain. Adaptogens put the fire out by helping us build a defense against stress.
• Trauma – Head injuries are common and becoming even more common. The delicate tissues of the brain are traumatized in auto accidents, injuries at work or around the home, or sports-related injuries. Trauma creates subtle inflammation that may smolder for years.

Conclusion
The cause of Parkinson’s and essential tremors is certainly different, yet the trigger is the same: Inflammation. The best hope for “cure” lies in prevention. Applying the 10 Essentials gives you protection from a rapid decline in health. And, the suggestions are easy to follow. Supplement your diet with nutrients and brain-specific antioxidants. Isolate yourself from toxins and put out the fire of chronic inflammation. Start today. The brain you save may be your own!

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