Hi.  If you have found this blog, then you are seeking the best probiotic.  I can understand your wanting to find the best.  Most people do not realize the importance of having a healthy digestive system.  If you are considering what is the best probiotic, then you also need to understand what the purpose is for a probiotic so you can realize how, in my humble opinion, the company that I am an affiliate with has the best probiotic.  For those of you that are just finding out about probiotics, let me explain what it is.  Probiotics are the healthy, or “friendly” bacteria that live in the intestinal tract. They support good health by limiting the growth of harmful bacteria, promoting good digestion and helping increase resistance to infection.

Did you know there are more bacteria cells in our digestive system than all other cells in the human body? There are 300 to 400 families of microbes in the digestive system at any given moment in time. Most live in the acid-to-neutral pH of the Small Intestines and the rest live in the alkaline pH of the Large Intestines. The majority of the microbes are probiotics – “pro” means “in favor of” and “biotic” means “life.” Others are called commensal because they do no harm, but also don’t provide any known benefit. Finally, there are always ‘bad’ bacteria in the digestive system. These are neutralized by acids, enzymes, immune complexes and probiotics.

If our digestive system is working as designed, we will have a good appetite, sweet-smelling breath, abundant energy and daily elimination of waste. When our digestive system works well we feel on top of the world!

If our digestive system is not working optimally, we will have bizarre appetite. This is often characterized by no desire for breakfast and a ravenous, insatiable appetite in the evening. We may even awaken in the middle of the night feeling as if we need to eat and yet never being satisfied with normal foods. When our digestive system is “broken” we will develop food allergies, gas, bloating, indigestion and excess stomach acid. If our DS malfunctions we will have constipation or alternating diarrhea and constipation. Plus we will have abdominal pain.

As time progresses and our digestive system becomes more imbalanced, we may experience chronic mouth inflammation (leading to sores), stomach issues (leading to GERD (gastroesophegal reflux disease), ulcers, indigestion and problems with the small intestines, pancreas, liver, gall bladder and colon. Because “bad” bacteria and yeast multiply in an unhealthy digestive system, we may start to experience chronic infections that migrate to our kidneys, bladder and reproductive systems. Chronic infections also trigger autoimmune attacks on healthy organs.

Wow!  So you can definitely see why it’s important to have a healthy digestive system.  And if you are seeking an answer on what is the best probiotic, I know you must realize that and are concerned about taking the right one.

If you look at the picture to your right, on the left hand side is what you want your intestines to look like and on the right hand side if you are not taking a probiotic and and have a typical American diet, more than likely that’s what your intestines might look like.  Why?  Well, if you are asking what is the best probiotic, I am assuming you know why but since I have learned at an early age not to assume, let me explain a little more and then I can answer your question on what is the best probiotic.

In your intestines, you have the good guys and the bad guys.  That’s the good bacteria and the bad bacteria.  Usually your body can handle a small percentage of bad bacteria.  The good guys keep them in check.  But your good guys can be destroyed by many different reasons from too much antibiotic use, too much alcohol, over consumption of sugars and other refined carbohydrates, too much stress, eating foods with pesticides, herbicides, antibiotic residues.  Well, you get the idea.  So you need to repopulate your gut with the good so you can bring your body back to a balanced state.

Now you can get some probiotic (I like to think of them as healthy bacteria) from food, such as yogurt and there are some foods that have added probiotics but you want to make sure you have the right strains and it’s of high quality.  Also many probiotics do not make it past your stomach acid.

Another consideration when choosing the best probiotic is also considering prebiotics.  What are prebiotics?  Prebiotics are a food source for probiotics, helping stimulate growth and proliferation.  We want the probiotics to grow and “create colonies”.  Happy and plentiful probiotics means a healthy gut.    I know, I know.  I too have a problem of thinking of something creating colonies in my gut, but it’s a good thing.  Especially when you think of the alternative and that’s having the bad bacteria take over.

Also digestive enzymes are very important.  Let’s say your gut is overrun with bad bacteria.  How do you get rid of the bad bacteria?  Digestive enzymes are important because they begin the healing process by removing toxic proteins and discouraging bad bacteria and yeast from breeding. And they help digest your food for more energy. Enzymes eradicate the bad bacteria by making the environment a certain PH that the bad bacteria doesn’t like.  Therefore, it stops breeding and then dies a natural death.

So if you are asking what is the best probiotic, you real question is how do I balance my digestion system.  To balance your digestion system, what you want to do is what’s called the “weed, seed and feed” program”.

1. Weed out all the toxins, like bad bacteria, parasites, fungus and yeast with enzymes and herbs
2. Seed the digestive system with beneficial bacteria (probiotics)
3. Feed the healthy bacteria with prebiotics so the probiotics can have better colonization and a long healthy life.

Is there a product that accomplishes all 3?  Yes, FloraVita.  A new product that has just been released by TriVita.  All of TriVita’s products are high quality, unique, and backed by their 10 Foundational Values.  To read more about their 10 Foundational Values, you can go HERE.

What makes TriVita’s product so unique?

First of all, it’s powerpacked with four classes of nutrients for complete digestive health:

• The HardiStrain® Probiotic Blend – delivers a potent 10 billion CFU, including 10 different friendly bacteria strains.
• Prebiotic Blend – this growth-stimulating prebiotic blend helps probiotics multiply and also soothes and boosts the defense function of the digestive system.
• Digestive Enzyme Blend – offers a suite of enzymes that break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats to help your body achieve complete digestion.
• Digestive Defense Blend – contains milk thistle and dandelion root to help soothe an inflamed and irritated digestive system. Dandelion root works with the Lipase enzyme as it thins the bile from the liver and gall bladder. Bile helps Lipase to digest fat. Bile also discourages bad bacteria and yeast from breeding. Milk thistle helps reduce the autoimmune impact from an imbalanced DS, reduces cramps, pain and bloating.
• PLUS, targeted release DRcaps™ for maximum effectiveness and no refrigeration required!

TriVita has tested FloraVita ensuring it does not dissolve in your stomach acid.  Also, with 4 products in one, you are getting the most benefit.  Prebiotics lay the groundwork for probiotics, as prebiotic fibers help probiotic bacteria establish colonies but providing a food source. Probiotics also have a marvelous impact on the rest of the body and brain as they coordinate the immune system of the digestive system. Prebiotics and probiotics work together to improve digestion and elimination.  And and TriVita uses a dry-preservation technology to ensure viability and targted release capsule technology that is acid resistent for maximum effectiveness.  And it’s shelf-stable with no refrigeration required.

I love working for a company that produces products that help people on their wellness journey.  So if you are asking, what is the best probiotic, Try TriVita’s new product FloraVita today and I’ll send you a bottle of Nopalea which is a great companion to FloraVita as it also helps to detoxify your body.  When you place your order, as long as you have a phone number or email provided, I will contact you and send you your bottle of Nopalea.

Click HERE to find out more about FloraVita

Click HERE to find out more about Nopalea

And TriVita also has a wellness center where you can research on many of the health challenges you or your loved ones may be facing.  To visit TriVita’s wellness center, you can click HERE.

Wishing you the best in health and wellness!

Kathy

Katherine Smith

It’s that time of the year again.  Yes, you may be thinking holidays and seeing friends and family and eating good food and you would be correct.  And in fact, the next blog I will be writing will focus on how not to overeat during this time.  But in this post I will be focusing on a more important topic . . . cold remedies.

Did you know that according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Americans suffer 1 billion colds annually?    Will you be one of them or are you already and found this blog because you were searching on cold remedies?  If you knew how to reduce your chances, would you take the steps?  If so, then continue reading and I will share with you great timely information on cold remedies as well as how not to get one in the first place.

First, let’s focus on how not to get the cold so you don’t have to worry about any cold remedies.  A cold is a minor infection of the throat and nose. Although colds are usually mild, they are the leading cause of doctor visits and job and school absenteeism. More than 200 different viruses are known to cause symptoms of a cold, although rhinoviruses and coronaviruses cause the majority of colds. Cold symptoms usually last about 1-2 weeks but if you take advantage of the cold remedies that I suggest hear, it could make your life a little easier during that time.

As much as I hope you do not get a cold because I know how miserable that is, after I share with you some ways of preventing a cold, I will share with you some cold remedies because the odds are against you on not getting one because colds are extremely contagious. A cold is transmitted by droplets of fluid that contain the cold virus. These droplets become airborne when an infected person sneezes, coughs or speaks. You contaminate yourself by inhaling these droplets or touching a surface that the viruses have landed on and then touching your eyes or nose.  So that office buddy of yours who thinks they are so dedicated that they come into work with a cold – tell them to stay home and get better (in a nice way), and of course share with them the cold remedies recommended here.

To prevent getting a cold, take these simple precautions:

• Avoid close contact with people who have a cold – To the extent possible, avoid crowds, and try not to shake hands with people who obviously have a cold or flu.
• Wash your hands often – The largest contributor to infection by a trigger virus is unwashed hands. Equally as important as washing your hands is making sure they are completely dry. Then, use the disposable towel to open the door out of the washroom. Many ugly microbes lurk on door handles — usually from people who have not properly washed and dried their hands.
• Do not touch your nose, eyes or mouth. This will help you avoid infecting yourself with germs you may have picked up.
• Disinfect surfaces that are shared by many people. For instance, the telephone brings you within kissing distance of hundreds or even thousands of people. Who knows what their hygiene habits were? In a typical day we may be exposed to germs from as many as 150 countries or more!

Seems simple enough, right?  Another way to prevent colds is to build up your system with the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.  Click HERE to watch the video that explains more about these important essentials.

Now let’s say that despite your best efforts, you do come down with a cold.  Here are some suggested cold remedies.  The first important one is to make sure you have a cold, not the flu.  Antibiotics will not cure a cold. In fact, you cannot cure a cold. But, certain things can help you reduce your discomfort. Some of these cold remedies seem pretty basic but don’t ignore them.  These include:

• Drink at least eight glasses of water and juice a day. This will help keep you hydrated.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine. These promote dehydration.
• Avoid smoke. It irritates an already sore throat and intensifies a cough.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Use a humidifier – an electric device that puts moisture into the air.

Another important factor when considering cold remedies or even preventing a cold is to consider how much stress you have in your life.  Chronic stress is like slow poison.  Current research shows that stress can suppress your immune system, perhaps opening the door to a number of infectious diseases. There is particularly compelling evidence linking stress to colds and the flu. Although we are continually exposed to such trigger viruses, our immune system normally neutralizes their impact. But when a person is under emotional distress, these defenses can fail.

Your immune system may begin to overreact or not react in time to stop an infection when you are under stress. The source of the stress really does not matter. For instance, time pressure and an injury may seem like entirely different stresses to your mind but they are treated exactly the same way by your body.

So to prevent a cold or great info for cold remedies are adaptogens.  Did you know that adaptogens build a strong defense against stress? Certain adaptogens such as Eleutherococcus have been proven to shorten the frequency, intensity and duration of trigger viruses that cause colds.  Now those are great cold remedies.  Where can you get Adaptogens?  See below for my recommendation.

What about vitamins?  Are they a good part of cold remedies?  Can vitamins shorten infections?
Vitamin C and Echinacea are favorites for protecting against and even treating rhino virus infections. Russell Jaffe, MD, former director of the National Institutes of Health, recommends a loading dose of Vitamin C: one teaspoon of Vitamin C crystals every 15 minutes until you “flush.” By this, he means a complete bowel evacuation. After the flush, he recommends a daily serving of Vitamin C (for one month) that is equivalent to 75% of the amount it took you to flush.

More cold remedies include Echinacea, which is used in a similar way. Significant medical research from Germany suggests that an hourly dose of Echinacea will reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of a virus infection.  So that’s another one to consider for cold remedies.  Taking a gram of Echinacea every hour for three days may even “abort” an infection that has already begun. Continue taking Echinacea three times daily for up to two weeks afterward to prevent a relapse.

When considering cold remedies, know that if you become infected, aggressive nutrition can restore balance to your immune system. Adaptogens and traditional remedies such as Vitamin C and Echinacea may shorten the course of an infection and provide quick relief.

So to recap, to take Control of Your Health

* Wash your hands every few hours and dry them thoroughly.
* Aggressively apply the 10 Essentials; most especially, get your sleep.
* Take a healthy foundation of nutrients:
o A multiple vitamin and mineral supplement
o An Omega-3 fatty acid supplement
o Sublingual Vitamin B-12
o Stress-busting adaptogens
* Use traditional remedies:
o Echinacea hourly for three days, then three times daily for two more weeks
o Vitamin C flush — 75% of “flush” amount daily for one month

I hope these suggestions for cold remedies have been helpful and even more important the suggestions to prevent colds.  And for any friend or co-worker that you come into close contact with who has a cold, of course, keep your distance <smile>, but let them know about these cold remedies.

Wishing you the best in health and wellness!

Kathy

There is much concern in the air regarding the radiation leak from the nuclear reactor in Fukushima, Japan.   So many people are now seeking more information online on what is radiation.

As our Chief Science Officer, Brazos Minshew, has shared, when considering what has happened with our collective experiences with Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and other nuclear accidents, our concerns are valid and it’s important to understand what is radiation.  So what to do and what is radiation and what does it do to our body?
By reviewing this information,  we will be in a better place to see how we can minimize any potential damage.

What is radiation?
“Radiation” describes what happens when a wave or particle leaves a source and travels a distance away. Light, for example, leaves a light source like the sun or a light bulb and travels to an object. Then, light reflects off the object and travels to our eyes and we can see. Light can travel great distances.

Nuclear radiation in a power plant occurs when particles are emitted from a radiation source. This radiation may be harnessed to generate electricity. Most of these particles are contained inside a nuclear reactor. If they are released into the atmosphere, they continue to emit waves of energy. Unlike light, a radioactive particle is quite heavy and the energy it releases travels only a short distance away.

When considering what is radiation, another concern is how harmful is radiation?
This is a key question.  As many people are seeking to find out what is radiation, they are also trying to under how harmful it is.  A radioactive particle releases energy within a specific distance from the particle itself. The further away from the particle the energy goes, the weaker it gets. Think of a glowing ember from a fire: the further away from the ember you get, the less affected by the heat you will become. The damage caused by an ember blowing from a crackling campfire down the back of your shirt (ouch!) is far different from the effect of the same ember from a block away, a mile away or an ocean away.

Nuclear particles are like embers from a nuclear bonfire. If they blow into your lungs they will “cook” the delicate lung tissue around them. If they contaminate your food they will burn the delicate lining of your digestive system. These nuclear embers will smolder and cook any of your body tissues where they alight: from skin to thyroid, from bones to brain.
The fire in the tissues caused by nuclear radiation is fueled by imbalanced atoms, called “free radicals.” A free radical is an atom that is as unbalanced as a four-wheeled car with only three wheels. Free radicals create havoc wherever they go. Antioxidants are like well-stocked tire dealers: they “donate” an extra wheel to any imbalanced car (they donate an extra electron to any free radical). In the case of nuclear radiation, antioxidants limit the amount of smoldering fires and cooked tissues.

So what is radiation?  Now you know what radiation is and right away we can see that anti-inflammatory supplements such as Nopalea™ may help the body reduce the damage caused by radiation. Also, the extreme antioxidant power of Adaptogen 10 Plus® will donate millions of electrons to balance free radicals (Adaptogen 10 Plus is like a tire dealer with millions of wheels to donate to any imbalanced car). Adaptogen 10 Plus is a good remedy for daily radiation exposure.

Two other special nutrients are in Adaptogen 10 Plus: natural iodine and sodium alginate. Iodine does not stop radiation from getting inside your body, but it occupies many iodine receptors in your thyroid and other tissues. Iodine acts like customers in a restaurant: It “takes up all the seats” so radioactive iodine has no place to sit and smolder. The natural iodine in Adaptogen 10 Plus can fill many of the seats!

Sodium alginate is a seaweed fraction that attaches itself to radioactive particles that may contaminate your food. If a radiation particle falls on your food and you eat it, sodium alginate will grab that particle and surround it with a thick foam or mucous. Adaptogen 10 Plus contains several seaweed sources rich in sodium alginate.

Adaptogen 10 Plus contains healthy levels of potassium, which displaces radioactive cesium in much the same way that iodine protects against radioactive iodine. It also contains an abundance of natural calcium chloride which may work to displace radioactive strontium.

How much is enough?
There is no toxicity to Adaptogen 10 Plus; you can take more if you want. This may be a case where “more is better.” Let its iodine help protect your thyroid, its sodium alginate help protect your digestion, and the potassium and calcium help displace other potentially harmful elements. Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief Science Officer recommends at least an ounce per meal as a way to neutralize free radicals and, especially, to supply sodium alginate for any potentially compromised foods. (Children can take it too and he recommends the same serving size for children as for adults.) Be sure to consult with your health care provider if you have any specific questions.

Adaptogen 10 Plus was designed to help the body offset the amount of free radical activity we all experience daily. It was not designed as a shield for nuclear fallout. Still, daily servings of Adaptogen 10  Plus can help protect us from an increase in free radical activity.

Take Control of Your Health

* Stay indoors where your air is filtered
* Drink pure water from outside a contamination zone
* When outside, wear long sleeves and a large hat
* Eat nutritiously from certified organic farms
o Peel all fruits and vegetables until contamination is resolved
* Increase antioxidants, organic iodine and sodium alginate

Wishing you the best in health and wellness,

Kathy

Katherine Smith
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13158176

Attention has been focused once again on how to calculate your BMI because of an  exclusive post published on Shine on March 23, 2011. First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about how she was surprised to learn that her daughters’ BMI numbers were “creeping upwards.”

For those of you not aware of BMI, it stands for Body Mass Index. Many people use the term but really don’t know the meaning of it, nor how to calculate BMI.  BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. It is calculated by dividing body weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. That’s a lot of math! If you are seeking to learn how to calculate BMI, to make it easier, use TriVita’s online BMI calculator by clicking HERE.

• Once on the page, click on “Body Mass Index.”
• Enter your height (in feet and inches) and your weight (in pounds). The program will automatically calculate your BMI and explain the results.

It is considered by many health care professionals to be a reliable indicator of body fat for people. And, it’s also an inexpensive and easy-to-perform screening tool that may help indicate possible weight-related health problems.

Also, the relationship between the BMI number and body fat is fairly strong; however the correlation varies by sex, race and age.   When determining how to calculate BMI, Look for these variations:

• At the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat then men
• At the same BMI, older people on average have more body fat than younger adults
• Highly trained athletes have a high BMI because of increased muscularity, instead of increased body fat.

Also, after you have figured out how to calculate BMI and your now know your number, If your BMI is between 25 and 30, you should seek ways to lower BMI using diet and exercise. A BMI reading over 30 indicates an unhealthy condition. You may be at risk for serious medical problems. A change in your diet and exercise program is strongly encouraged.

More and more people are seeking how to calculate BMI, and when wondering why this has started to become a problem, experts believe that rising rates of obesity among children and adults may be attributed to a combination of the following:

• Increasingly sedentary activities such as:

• Watching TV
• Using a computer
• Driving long distances (for example, commuting)
• Working long hours at sedentary jobs

• Conveniences which reduce physical activity (think “drive-through” banking)
• Lack of safe playgrounds for children
• Increased consumption of soft drinks and other “market-driven” factors that encourage overeating, such as:

• • Larger portion sizes in restaurants
  • Increased sizes of individual food items (such as soft drinks, candy bars, bagels)
  • Increased prevalence of vending machines
  • Greater number of food choices
  • Pervasive marketing of high-calorie foods
  • Marketing strategies that encourage ordering larger serving sizes

• Emotional overeating, triggered by increased stress

• Repeated dieting

• Greater acceptance of obesity in certain cultural groups

Although a number of complex cultural and environmental factors contribute to the obesity epidemic, in the majority of cases, the equation is basic: too many calories consumed and too few calories expended (too little activity) leads to obesity.

If you came to this page seeking how to calculate BMI and you discover that your numbers reflect the need to manage your weight, try TriVita’s Leanology® Weight Loss System is designed to encourage people to achieve and maintain a healthful body weight by development of habits known to produce lifetime weight control.

Moreover, Leanology creates the best possible opportunity for true wellness by confirming the benefits of nutrients and nurturing for weight management and all of life’s challenges.

Take Control of Your Health

* Plan a balance of calories and activity for lifetime weight control
* Eat the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables daily:
o 5 for children
o 7 for women
o 9 for men
* Plan aerobic activity most days
* Do resistance training 2 to 5 times per week
* Supplement with Leanology to support the four stages of weight loss:
o Energy and Metabolism: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help increase metabolism and energy to support your body’s ability to burn more calories at rest.
o Cortisol and Stress Management: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help to limit cortisol production in your body; cortisol is the stress-induced hormone that can lead to abdominal fat.
o Appetite Control: Leanology Appetite Control Chews help reduce the natural hunger signals in your body to minimize cravings.
o Blood Sugar Control: Leanology Nutritional Shakes help your body use the nutrients you eat as energy, rather than storing them as fat.

I hope that this information has been helpful and I think it’s great that the First Lady has brought this to our attention again, because it’s something that is important for us as we strive to live healthier lives.

To find out more about TriVita’s other products, you can go to www.trivita.com/13158176

Wishing you the best in health and wellness,

Kathy

Independent TriVita Affiliate Member Katherine Smith #13158176

It’s January and most people have probably already broken one of their goals but that’s okay because you can just start again.  It doesn’t have to be January 1 to start your goals.  One of the most common goals is seeking the best way to lose weight.

During the holidays especially, there are plenty of opportunities for overindulgence: lavish dinners, tantalizing treats, etc. Sometimes the lure can be difficult to resist – resulting in making a new year’s resolution to find the best way to lose weight.

By implementing a realistic plan that is the best way to lose weight, losing those holiday pounds – and even lifetime weight control – can be well within your reach.

So what is a realistic plan?  It’s a plan that is within your reach, something you can see yourself doing on a day to day basis.  You need to give careful consideration that you would give to any serious endeavor.  Many of you I am sure have heard that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

When considering the best way to lose weight, you may prefer to start with an exercise program and then add in the dietary changes. Or you may want to do it the other way around. If you’re really motivated, you may want to start both the exercise and diet segments simultaneously.  Yes, that’s right.  Exercise.  That does go hand in had with the best way to lose weight.

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 for a healthy life:
o 5 servings for children
o 7 servings for women
o 9 servings for men
o Add high quality protein to your diet
o Drink plenty of water

These are easy steps that you can accomplish today!

Exercise is the key to 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 to find something you enjoy. I recommend that you start with three forms of activity to prevent 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:

* Aerobic exercise is defined as any activity that increases your need for oxygen. Aerobics make you breathe harder.

* 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.

You need both types of exercise every week.

I am sure at this point you are saying, yes I have heard this – diet and exercise but I am still not able to lose weight and that’s why I am searching for the best way to lose weight.

Well, I am very excited to share with you something else that can help you – the missing piece of the puzzle.  I have walked in your shoes and I also was not able to lose weight and then it was this one extra component that I added to my routine that was the “tipping point” for me.

The company I work with has supplements that are backed by science and more importantly, it worked for me.  They actually have a 3 step system depending on what you are trying to accomplish and you can pick and choose what’s best for you but combined with diet and exercise, it was the best way to lose weight for me and IT WORKED!

Supplements are important in a healthy weight loss strategy. In many people they represent the critical difference between success and failure. However, you must always remember that they are supplements; they supplement a diet and exercise program. Use them wisely as an important part of your total wellness program.

The supplements are called Leanology and it supports the four stages of weight loss:

• Energy and metabolism: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help increase metabolism and energy to support your body’s ability to burn more calories at rest. Leanology Nutritional Shakes provide low-calorie, high protein energy to support healthy metabolism.
• Cortisol and stress management: Cortisol is the stress-induced hormone that can lead to abdominal fat. Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help to limit cortisol production in your body. The focus here is to stop cortisol before it starts. Protein, such as those in Leanology Nutritional Shakes, can break the cortisol cycle once it starts – especially if taken first thing in the morning. Many physicians specializing in weight loss recommend a high-protein breakfast at 7 a.m. to regulate the cortisol cycle.
• Appetite control: Leanology Appetite Control Chews help reduce the natural hunger signals in your body to minimize cravings. Leanology Weight Loss Capsules contain glucomannan and other botanicals to send a “full” signal to your brain.
• Blood sugar control: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules focus more than half of their ingredients on blood sugar control. Leanology Nutritional Shakes taken between meals keep your blood sugar rock-solid. Leanology Shakes also help your body use the nutrients you eat as energy, rather than storing them as fat.

Finding the best way to lose weight is possible and within your reach. Follow these simple steps diligently – that’s the real key!  Also, take Leanology to “supplement” your weight loss program. And, don’t forget your supplements for foundational nutrition, because calorie restriction may often mean nutrient restriction. Weight loss is a metabolically intense journey and we need all the nutrients we can get to build healthy metabolism. Still, the goal is worthwhile and the progress is measurable day by day!

So if you’re interested in finding out more about what can help you for the best way to lose weight, go to:  www.leanology.com/13158176

Wishing you the best of health on your wellness journey.

Kathy

Katherine Smith
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13158176

The guidelines for healthy cholesterol have changed. New targets have been established that tell us that perhaps our efforts to manage cholesterol and other blood lipids have been inadequate and lower cholesterol naturally. This is especially true when we consider the target for LDL (low density lipoprotein), the so-called “bad” cholesterol.

Why should we be concerned with our LDL level? How did we get into such a deplorable state when it comes to managing our cholesterol? How can we use this information to improve our health?

What is LDL?
Low density lipoproteins (LDL) are often considered to be a “bad” form of cholesterol. But this is an extreme mischaracterization of a very beneficial fat in our blood. You see, your body makes important things out of LDL: brain cells and nerves are shielded with LDL cholesterol-based fats. And hormones in your bloodstream and inside your cells are made from LDL cholesterol. So, LDL is not really “bad,” just misunderstood!

The dark side of cholesterol metabolism occurs when a person over-produces LDL and when LDL particles become sticky, oxidized and inflamed. This is one cause of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which leads to heart attack and stroke, peripheral artery disease (PAD) and other diseases of your blood vessels which is why people want to lower cholesterol and more people are seeking to lower cholesterol naturally.

Why cholesterol is “high”
We also make hormones from good cholesterol. Most doctors recommend over 1,200 milligrams of Omega-3 fats for building healthy hormones and reducing “bad” cholesterol. OmegaPrime® contains beneficial Omega-3 fats. You may find that you need more OmegaPrime every day to build cholesterol into trophic hormones.

Estrogen, progesterone, DHEA and testosterone are examples of trophic hormones. They are made of the same substance: cholesterol. If your body is unable to convert cholesterol into these hormones you may see your blood levels of cholesterol rise. You can bring your cholesterol down and your low hormones up by supporting cholesterol-to-hormone conversion. We can help support healthy hormone metabolism with supplements such as OmegaPrime, Vitamin E, Balanced Woman® and Prostate Health Formula so you can lower cholesterol naturally.

The most critical balance of hormones occurs between insulin and glucagon. When we sleep too little, when we are stressed too much and when we eat too much sugar – especially high fructose corn syrup – our insulin levels stay too high for too long and cause insulin resistance. High levels of insulin cause the liver to release high levels of cholesterol and LDL. Oxidized LDL inflames, gets sticky and clogs arteries.

Glucagon is a liver hormone that balances blood sugar and lowers cholesterol and LDL. We support glucagon metabolism with adaptogens for stress and Leanology® capsules to sustain healthy blood sugar. We assist with LDL “stickiness” by using robust levels of Vitamin C. We help your body reduce inflammation with Betalains found in Nopalea™.

Learning to listen
We should think of high cholesterol as a message from our body that something is wrong.  You want to lower cholesterol naturally but you should also learn to listen to your body by taking stock of your lifestyle in comparison to the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness:

• Are you keeping the impact of stress on your body in control? You do this by daily exercise of 30 minutes or more, sunshine in the morning and deep breathing exercises for peaceful sleep at night.
• Do you drink enough water and eat up to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables daily?

We can balance our cholesterol and meet the new guidelines for LDL through vigorous application of the 10 Essentials, meticulous supplementation and appropriate medical care.

What is Wellavoh and How Can Nutrients Help Relieve Stress?
Well, let’s first define Stress. Stress is defined as change that is seen by your body or mind as a threat – large or small, imaginary or real – or a change in your environment that triggers a rapid use of your reserves. Stress creates a demand on your resources. Soon, these resources become exhausted and you get sick.

Distress can come from your environment, your body or your mind. Rather than being just a single event, stress accumulates over time from all three sources. It strangles the joy and pleasure from your days and nights. It makes you miserable, and then it makes you sick. Once you are sick, stress keeps you from responding as well to medical care. Yes, stress is a killer!

Nutrients to the rescue
The opposite of stress is homeostasis. So, while stress is constantly trying to pull you apart, homeostasis is constantly working to put you back together. Homeostasis is the priority process your body uses to combat stress.

Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential for homeostasis. If we have the nutrients we need at the moment we need them, we will thrive! Conversely, if we do not have the proper nutrient base in our system every day we will suffer loss of energy, poor mental performance and an increased risk for disease.  That’s why you want to know more about Wellavoh!

Supplements
The word supplement means an addition to something to make up for a deficiency. All supplements are an important addition to a healthy diet. They make up for the deficiency we face because of poor nutrient density in our foods. They also help out when we miss the mark of diet perfection.

Supplements are no substitute for good dietary choices. We simply must commit ourselves to eating a healthy diet. As you review your food choices for the past week, ask yourself, “Did I eat the right amount of fruits and vegetables every day?”

* 5 servings for children
* 7 servings for women
* 9 servings for men

If you can say “yes” – congratulations! If you are like most people you did not reach that goal. And, if you are like most of us, you did not eat all of your fruits and vegetables from an organic source; so, the fruits and vegetables may have been of low nutrient value.

We need a multiple nutrient supplement every day to serve as a foundation for health and to combat the nutrient demands of a stressful life.

A new supplement – Wellavoh!
Staying on top of our nutrient reserve is important. Our body makes millions of new cells every day – heart cells, brain cells, bone and blood cells. Stress kills millions of vulnerable cells every day. Every time a cell dies it should be replaced. If you do not have the right amount of nutrients to construct a new cell, you will either make an incomplete cell or none at all. The outcome is bad in either case; so, we really need to keep all nutrients on board at all times. This is why TriVita created Sonoran Bloom™ Wellavoh™ (wel-lah voh), a new multi-nutrient complex for men and women.

The destructive forces of stress come from inside and outside your body. The nutrient complexes of Wellavoh can help you build a bulwark against stress as it tries to pull you apart. Wellavoh supports homeostasis as the innate wisdom of your body tries to keep you functioning at your peak.

One more reason…Danger Will Robinson!!!  Read this and see why you are not just effecting yourself but future generations!
Perhaps an even more important reason exists for maintaining a robust supply of nutrients in our system daily. According to a recent report, chemical switches on our DNA are activated by nutrients. If a single nutrient is missing at the critical moment it is needed, one of these chemical switches will fail. This results in a change in our DNA that promotes disease – for up to three generations of our children! So, it is vital that we and our children have our nutrients available every day to reduce the impact of stress while promoting vitality today, health tomorrow and a solid wellness foundation for generations to come!

A blood clot causes concern because the most common type of both stroke and heart attack is ischemic disease and that’s caused by a blood clot.  Over 300,000 people in North America die each year from stroke. Another 700,000 die each year from heart attack.  Damage occurs when the blood clot reduces – and then totally blocks – circulation in an artery. The tissue nourished by that artery begins to die almost immediately.

The nature of blood clots
A blood clot causes a seal for a leak of the blood vessel is injured so many people consider Blood clots a miracle when they occur in the right place at the right time. What happens is when a blood vessel is injured it sends out chemical distress signals that cause platelets to seal the leak. Platelets are small, white cells that are normally very slippery. They become sticky when the lining of the blood vessel (the endothelium) is damaged.

1. The endothelium sends chemical messages to the platelets.
2. The platelets send chemical messages to attract fibrin proteins.
3. Fibrin proteins are like string that becomes very sticky and ties the groups of platelets together. This is an immature or “white” blood clot.

If the leak is not sealed by this “white” clot, larger red blood cells are tied to the platelets by fibrin to form a “red” clot.

Blood clots in the wrong place – at the wrong time
A Blood clot causes problems when these clots happen in the wrong place at the wrong time. For example, one probable cause of migraine headaches is inappropriate communication between blood vessels and platelets. If a single blood vessel cramps or spasms it can signal platelets to become so sticky that they restrict circulation in the rest of the brain. Ischemic strokes and heart attacks are often caused by mature red clots breaking free of the injured area and blocking arteries in the heart or brain.

Interestingly, a blood clot causes blockages that can occur in any area of the body. For instance, a person can have a “stroke” that injures the lungs or kidneys. Deep vein thrombosis in the legs is the exact same kind of vascular disease that causes stroke or heart attack.

The key to preventing damage is to make sure that the clots form only when and where they are supposed to. This is only possible with accurate communication between the endothelium in the blood vessels and the clotting mechanisms in the red blood cells, platelets and fibrin. Simple nutrients can have profound effects on improving this communication – and I make several suggestions later in this report.

Working smarter, not harder
A blood causes a person to have a stroke when the blood vessels, platelets and fibrin are getting the message to clot in the wrong place at the wrong time and blood thinners force platelets and fibrin to ignore clotting signals from the endothelium.  When a person is having a stroke these drugs are life-saving because  One new class of drugs triggers the release of nitric oxide to open the blood vessels. Nitric oxide also helps the blood vessels, platelets and fibrin proteins communicate clearly. To prevent blood vessel miscommunication in the first place, high nitric oxide levels are needed.

Nitric oxide is made from nitrogen; nitrogen comes from fruits and vegetables. Eating up to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day will make your clotting system very smart! Plant-based foods have been proven to improve your health – including the health of your circulatory system.

Smart nutrients

Adaptogen 10 Plus®
Dr. Nathan Bryan, cardiologist and specialist in nitric oxide communication, recommends Adaptogen 10 Plus to help increase nitric oxide. Adaptogen 10 Plus also helps protect against stress. Stress alone – without any help from cholesterol – causes blood vessel spasms which may result in blood clots. So, a good first step in improving the health of your circulatory system is to eat your fruits and vegetables every day and take whole-food supplements like Adaptogen 10 Plus.

OmegaPrime®
Essential fatty acids such as those in OmegaPrime can help keep the platelets from getting sticky at the wrong time. Dr. Dwight Lundell, cardiologist and specialist in bypass surgery, recommends the Omega-3 EFA in OmegaPrime as a prime tool to help protect against inappropriate clotting. We need 1–4 grams of Omega-3 every day (2–6 OmegaPrime soft gels).

HCY Guard®
Dr. Kilmer McCully, cardiologist and specialist in vascular health, recommends the protective nutrients found in HCY Guard to help your body reduce homocysteine (HCY). HCY is one culprit in forming clots at the wrong place and time. Taking a single HCY Guard sublingual lozenge daily can help your body reduce homocysteine up to 35% – in as little as 42 days!

Other nutrients such as Vitamin E, turmeric and ginger, and Vitamin C all provide information for your blood clotting system to work smarter. Smart nutrients are the key to making good decisions about where and when to activate this miraculous system!

Nopalea also helps to reduce blood clots.  Nopalea is TriVita’s breakthrough wellness drink.  Nopalea is based on the Nopal fruit from the Sonoran Desert, rich in betalains.  Betalains are natural antioxidants—and they’re only found in a few of the world’s plants, and the Nopal fruit isn’t just included in this small group of special plants, it actually leads the group by containing one of the highest amounts of betalains in all of nature.

When you drink Nopalea, you take these betalains into your system, where they begin to restore your vitality on a cellular level. By helping the body reduce the toxins surrounding your cells and enabling essential nutrients to reach each cell, the betalains in Nopalea can reduce the inflammation in your body that leads to disease.  Scientific research shows that betalains help to reduce the risk of blood clots.  Betalains protect the thin lining of your blood vessels; this helps reduce the inflammation that makes your blood sticky and leads to clots.

A blood clot causes concerns but when you eat right and take control of your health, then the blood clot is there at the right time in the right place where it’s needed.

Take Control of Your Health

* Eat the appropriate servings of fruits and vegetables daily:
o 5 servings for children
o 7 servings for women
o 9 servings for men
* Exercise at least 30 minutes most days.
* Take Healthy Aging Pack smart nutrients
o With HCY Guard if homocysteine is an issue.
o Add Adaptogen 10 Plus if stress is an issue.
* Drink Nopalea and Thrive!

* Remember, call 9-1-1 if you suspect you are having a stroke!

If you’re interested in high quality nutritional supplements like the ones mentioned on my blog, you can to go to: www.havingplenty.com.

And if you’re interested in being involved in a Wellness Opportunity, take a look at www.trivitacactus.info.

Wishing you much health and wellness

Kathy

Katherine Smith
TriVita Independent Affiliate Member 13158176

What is Homocysteine?  Homocysteine (HCY) is a tool used by your body to modify protein. Specifically, homocysteine carves up the amino acid methionine into smaller amino acids. Each of these amino acids has important functions. The “leftovers” from this construction project are not thrown away. Instead, your body recombines the debris back into methionine again.

Methionine is the protein that serves as the foundation for all other proteins. It’s like concrete: You can build a small cottage or a large skyscraper on the same concrete foundation. You can build brain cells, heart cells, bone cells, and healthy cells for your entire body on the protein methionine. Homocysteine is responsible for crafting that foundation. While homocysteine is an excellent tool for your body, too much of it can be fatal.

That’s why many people are concerned about their homocysteine levels and what many people may not realize is, it’s in the genes.  There is a common gene defect among people in North America. It is called an MTHFR defect. It allows homocysteine to escape into the bloodstream and literally shred your arteries, causing a stroke; tangle your brain cells causing Alzheimer’s disease; shatter your bones causing osteoporosis; and inflame your heart, causing a heart attack.

Another common genetic defect is MTHFD. It allows homocysteine to run amok inside your cells. This can lead to cell mutations and even cancer.

So what if you check your homocysteine levels and you find out it may be a problem.  Is there a solution?  Supplemental nutrition is very effective in most cases. TriVita’s HCY Guard® was designed specifically for high HCY. One study on TriVita’s HCY Guard found that HCY levels could be reduced by 35% in just 6 weeks!

In fact, if people have a problem with their homocysteine levels, they may not realize it can be caused by genetics but it can also be caused by poor nutrition. When a person has an active genetic defect they require intense nutrition to offset the imbalance caused by the gene mutation.

Vital amines such as the Riboflavin family of B vitamins combine with antioxidants to help reduce the activity of cellular homocysteine. One study found that the specific antioxidant ECGC (the antioxidant found in green tea) stopped the trigger DNMT (an enzyme) from releasing homocysteine inside the cell. People consuming large amounts of ECGC have reduced DNMT and have fewer cases of cancer.

So are you at risk?  Is there a way to tell if you have one of these common disease risks? Yes; one way is to have a genetic test performed. This is usually done by drawing enough blood to collect DNA and submitting this to one of only a few labs in North America that can perform genetic testing. A second way is to have your homocysteine levels tested. This can be performed by most medical laboratories. Ask your doctor to do this test with your annual physical.

Another consideration when checking your homocysteine levels is to look at your own family tree. Does any “first-degree” relative (father, mother, brother, or sister) have any of the conditions attributed to homocysteine? If so, you likely have the gene defect. Does a “second-degree” relative (grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins) have any of the conditions attributed to homocysteine? If so, you may have the gene defect as well.

Did you know nutrient deficiencies can mimic a genetic defect by failing to provide the minimum amount of vital amines necessary to prevent elevated homocysteine? A poor diet, illness, pregnancy, aging, and stress can place you at risk for elevated HCY. Children and adults with asthma and irritable bowel syndrome are at high risk for elevated HCY.

So if you have your homocysteine levels checked and find that you need to lower it, you need to take this seriously.

High HCY in your blood is linked to serious illness. Helping your body reduce high HCY may greatly reduce your risk for serious illness. So what can you do?  Here are several things you can do to help:

* Eat fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants – 5 servings daily for children, 7 servings for women, and 9 servings for men.
* Reduce your stress load.
* Get at least 30 minutes of vigorous activity every day.
* Supplement your diet with nutrients such as TriVita’s HCY Guard and Energy Now!.
* Defeat stress by nurturing your spirit with healthy relationships and a healthy sense of purpose.

Remember, genes are not fate; you have as much control over your genes (through nutrients and nurturing) as they have over you. Build a healthy foundation for your future by balancing your homocysteine.

Take Control of Your Health

Be sure to have your homocysteine levels tested if:

• You have a family history of:

• • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Osteoporosis
  • Cancer

• You experience gastric disturbances, breathing difficulties, or kidney issues
• You are over 50
• You are pregnant
• You are experiencing high stress levels
• You eat a poor diet
• You don’t exercise regularly

If you’re interested in high quality nutritional supplements like the ones mentioned on my blog, you can to go to: www.havingplenty.com.

And if you’re interested in being involved in a Wellness Opportunity, take a look at www.roadmaptowishes.com.

Wishing you much health and wellness

Kathy

Katherine Smith
TriVita Independent Affiliate Member 13158176

Did you know that according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 40 million people in the United States suffer from chronic long-term sleep disorders each year and an additional 20 million people suffer occasional sleep problems. There are so many people seeking answers on how to get to sleep. Health experts recommend getting 7 1/2 to 9 hours of sleep each night. How much are you sleeping each night?

Sleep is very important to your body and your brain, and it’s not just trying to figure out how to get to sleep but how to remain sleeping. When we sleep cells must be replaced or repaired and the immune system and hormones are balanced.

Many people are seeking answers on how to get to sleep because they just want the comfort of waking up feeling refreshed but what you may not know is if you don’t get a good night’s sleep, it can lead to:

• increased feelings of stress
• impaired memory
• shortened temper
• lower motivation
• slower reflexes
• headaches
• immune deficiencies
• depression and even more serious
• sleep deprivation that can lead to hallucinations and mental collapse.

So how to get to sleep? Well, there are several factors to consider.

The first is we need to have sleep rituals to start the events that will initiate sleep and you need to have nutrients to sustain the sleeping process and an appropriate environment.

I too had sleep problems and when I was researching how to get to sleep, I read that more than 100 years ago a Russian physician named Ivan Pavlov, who many of you know especially with the “Pavlov” response had discovered that our nervous system changes our entire metabolism in response to our habits. What does that mean when trying to figure out how to get to sleep? Well, your nervous system will recognize sleep rituals and begin preparing for sleep.

One of the key points on how to get to sleep is light control. A dark, quiet room is more conducive to sleep. If you don’t have that luxury, consider getting eye masks. Sudden, loud noises can also disrupt sleep. Consider getting one of the sound machines. Also, the ideal temperature is between 60-65°F.

Watch what you eat late evening. Make sure you don’t have too many stimulants like caffeine, and you want to exercise regularly but not too close to bed time.

Start establishing a ritual that your body will recognize. For example brushing your teeth at the same time each night, drinking a cup of herbal tea, taking a warm bath, reading a book. If you establish the same routine each night, you’ll start to set up the triggers letting your body know it’s time for sleep. Deep breathing exercises are especially helpful to foster deep sleep.

Another consideration when determining how to get to sleep is to take nutrients that will help you. All nutrients support sleep but two stand out when it comes to achieving and maintaining sleep. Magnesium and biotin. Magnesium relaxes our muscles and naturally turns down the adrenaline and Biotin stabilizes blood sugar and mobilizes protein, carbohydrate and fats for the restoring element of sleep.

Antioxidants such as CoEnzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10), Vitamin C and Vitamin E can also be helpful because it supports oxygen to your brain, heart and other tissues. Anti-stress botanical preparations called adaptogens can also be useful at bedtime. A friend of mine swears by it when he can’t sleep.

Find out more about how to get to sleep here and find out if you are getting enough sleep here.

If you’re interested in high quality nutritional supplements like the ones mentioned on my blog, especially more about Adaptogens, you can to go to: www.havingplenty.com.

And if you’re interested in being involved in a Wellness Opportunity, take a look at www.roadmaptowishes.com.

Wishing you much health and wellness

Kathy

Katherine Smith
TriVita Independent Affiliate Member 13158176