TriVita and Your Health

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

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In one of my previous posts, I discussed the toxins that come into our body through our drinking water. What happens to these toxins when they enter our body? Can toxins lead to liver or kidney disease? What are some early signs of liver and kidney toxicity?

Early warning signs
Your liver and kidneys cooperate with another detoxification organ: the lungs. Signs that your liver and kidneys are struggling and pushing the toxic overload through your lungs can include:

• Breathing problems
• Bad breath
• Frequent lung and sinus infections
• Allergies.

Toxicity in the liver and kidneys affect another organ of detoxification: your skin. If your detoxification system becomes overloaded, your body will try to compensate for this overload by pushing some of this waste out through your skin. Early signs of this include:

• Itchy skin
• Bad-smelling perspiration
• Discolorations.

Eventually, you might even experience a breakdown in your skin when it can no longer handle this toxic load. A good example of this: When someone with diabetes has a toxic level of glucose, cracks can appear in the skin of the feet.

What about kidney/liver disease?

Kidneys
Kidneys filter your blood and ensure that proteins and minerals are in the right balance. Too many proteins from an unbalanced, low-carb diet may injure the kidneys. Too many minerals, such as too much phosphorus from soft drinks will injure your kidneys, and too much sugar will damage your kidneys beyond repair.

So, for good, healthy kidneys:

• Drink pure water
• Eat a balanced, healthy diet
• Avoid concentrated sugars.

Many toxins can destroy the kidneys, such as toxic levels of homocysteine and glucose. Still, one of the most common kidney toxins is aspirin, so it should be taken in moderation.

The liver
Many of the toxins excreted by the liver are either absorbed (taken out of your body) by fiber or reabsorbed into your liver. This is why it is so important to eat a high fiber diet and supplement your diet with fiber when needed.

Many toxins can destroy the liver, such as those from alcohol and hepatitis virus. However, the number one reason for liver transplants is acetaminophen toxicity. That’s why I suggest minimizing consumption of any products containing acetaminophen.

Toxic minerals such as lead and mercury can damage both the kidneys and the liver. Protect yourself from these serious diseases by isolating yourself from common toxins and insulating yourself with nutrients and fiber.

Fiber and detoxification
Our liver has a four-step process for detoxification.

1. First, toxins enter the liver, typically from the intestines. They are changed in the liver by an enzyme called CYP, which stands for cytochrome. In the first stage of detoxification the CYP enzyme makes the toxin expand and creates a large surface area – like a sponge.
2. The second stage is to douse this sponge-like toxin with antioxidants and other special nutrients.
3. The third stage is to convert this fat-based sponge to a water base so that it can be attached to fiber.
4. The fourth step in detoxification is to push the fiber and the toxin out through the colon.

Now you can see why fiber in our diet is so important. To properly detoxify we must have at least 30 grams of fiber in our diet every day. In many cultures, people ingest 60 grams or more of dietary fiber every day. These groups have the absolute lowest cholesterol on the planet, as fiber helps detoxify cholesterol as well.

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