Terry Allison

B12 B12 is a basic vitamin that many people need for good health and works with Nopalea to help fight inflamation.

1. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

How To Beat Holiday Stress
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

There are four insults that cause imbalance in our body and mind, trauma, toxins, deficiencies and stress. There are 10 Essential tools that we have in our immediate control to combat the forces of stress.

The best definition for stress of any kind is change. Stress can be from changes outside our body, like temperature, sunlight, noise, etc., from inside our body, like hunger, dehydration, lack of rest, etc., or even from our own thoughts, like social expectations, time pressures, financial worries, etc. With so many changes occurring around the holidays, and on so many levels, it is always wise to talk about holiday stress as a special cause of imbalance.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The destructive power of stress
The term stress was originally used as an engineering term. It describes the destructive forces acting on specific structures. For instance, stress was the term used to describe the effect of weight on a bridge. Stress describes not only the weight on the bridge, but the combination of destructive forces trying to tear the bridge apart, like weight, wind, temperature extremes, etc.

Is that not the way people feel when they are under stress? Do you not feel like you are being pulled in every direction until you are pulled apart? Stress is a good description of the distress of our mind and body brought on by internal and external demands.

The healing power of homeostasis
Humans are remarkably resilient. We adapt to new situations with relative ease. This is because of a body process called homeostasis. If stress is pulling us apart, homeostasis is putting us back together. As long as homeostasis has access to all of the resources it needs we will never feel the destructive power of stress.

The key is to have all of our 10 Essential resources available all of the time,

To be optimally oxygenated and hydrated.
To be perfectly rested and nourished.
To feel completely supported and able to cope with any emotional demand at any given moment.

A reservoir like this will allow homeostasis to draw resources from our bank account and use them to satisfy the many demands placed upon us.

It you are lacking in any demanded resource, a special function of homeostasis will be engaged. I like to call it the Robin Hood function. It allows our body to rob one area to support another area. This is often seen in the special stress adaptation called fight or flight. Fight-or-flight response is like emergency spending with credit cards. This kind of behavior may help you get through the crisis, but sooner or later the debt must be repaid.

In the Robin Hood function of homeostasis, the debt comes at an extreme price. It is not uncommon for a body under stress to sacrifice an entire organ or organ system to maintain balance in another system. For example, osteoporosis is more common in people under extreme stress because their bones are robbed to supply nutrients needed for the stress response. Homeostasis must be maintained, even if this is at great sacrifice.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Holiday stress?
With this image in mind it is no wonder that people feel pulled apart around the holidays. There are just too many changes and too few resources available to meet the demands of homeostasis. Stress pulls us apart and our health suffers.

Since health resources are accumulated slowly and spent rapidly, it makes sense to re-classify holiday stresses as just plain stress! The methods for dealing with any kind of stress are the same no matter what time of the year it is, nutrients and nurturing.

Anti-stress nutrients include the stress-busting effects of Vitamin B-12 and adaptogens. They serve to reinforce homeostasis like an economic stimulus package for our nervous system. If you feel stress pulling you apart, take more of these two special anti-stress nutrients.

Nurturing your health comes from vigorously applying the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness. Plan ahead and budget your energy for times when demands are greater and you face more changes than usual. In the end, do not be afraid to say no. It can literally be the difference between maintaining balance through homeostasis or being pulled apart by stress.

Take Control of Your Health

Take care of yourself every day of the year
Vigorously apply the 10 Essentials
Make sure you take an abundance of nutrients,
Sublingual B-12 and Adaptogen 10 Plus
A multi-nutrient complex like Wellavoh Men and Women or VitaDaily AM-PM
An Essential Fatty Acid complex like OmegaPrime
Recruit emotional support. Do not be afraid to ask for help
Remember the Stress Protection Pack,
Sublingual Vitamin B-12
Adaptogen 10 Plus

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

Posted by
Terry L. Allison, Sr., #13134349 1 Star
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member
Skype: allisonmarketinggroup
Phone: 859-858-9246
Creator of Tomorrows Home Business Social Community

2. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Help Reduce Symptoms of Autoimmune Disorders
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

Your immune system is designed to protect you from infections, toxins and even stressful situations. Knowing this makes it very difficult to diagnose autoimmune conditions, conditions where the human immune system begins to attack normal, healthy cells. What are common conditions of autoimmunity? How can the symptoms of these conditions be reduced?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

What are autoimmune disorders?
Autoimmune conditions are so common that practically everyone knows someone with one, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis. About 75 percent of all autoimmune conditions occur in women. These diseases are common during childbearing years. Men also get autoimmune disorders, about as frequently as young girls and older women do.

They begin when some trigger sends the immune system into battle. After vanquishing the enemy, the immune system begins to attack any tissue that even looks like the enemy. You see, the immune system is extraordinarily accurate in identifying invaders. However, during an epidemic or raging infection, the immune system reduces the number of proteins needed for identification, thereby making it harder to identify the enemy. Now, any cell that shares even a few identifying characteristics as the invader will be killed.

Multiple Sclerosis

One of the most common triggers for Multiple Sclerosis, MS, is the herpes virus, HHV-6. This is a very common virus. In people with MS, the immune system fails to identify the herpes virus as distinct from normal, healthy nerve tissues. The immune cells attack the virus and then your nerves. The virus protects itself by becoming dormant, waiting to catch the immune system off guard, until it can breed again. Your nerves are never dormant. They bear the full attack of your immune system.

Herpes viruses are notoriously hard to destroy. Your immune system may respond to an infection by over-reacting, creating enough specific antibodies to kill the virus, plus enough non-specific antibodies to kill anything that looks like the virus. The problem is that a protein chain on the outside of your nerves looks similar to a protein chain on the outside of the virus. Your immune system may begin to rip holes in the nerves trying to tear away the misidentified protein. This can lead to the debilitating symptoms that characterize MS, including numbness or tingling in the extremities, muscle weakness, poor coordination and even paralysis.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

We usually think of white blood cells when we think about the immune system. White cells are certainly a prominent part of the immune system. Less obvious are immune system proteins that communicate between white blood cells called interleukins. Interleukins, Il, tell your body how to react in harmony with the immune system to give it the best opportunity for success. For instance, white blood cells and lymphocytes may battle a sinus infection. The interleukin Il-6 triggers you to sneeze and makes your nose and eyes flood with water.

In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, CFS, another herpes family virus often triggers the production of interleukin-1. Il-1 is responsible for all the flu-like symptoms people experience with CFS. For instance, if we inject Il-1 into a normal, healthy person, they immediately get a low grade fever and aches and pains over their entire body. They get tired and sleepy and they have gastric distress. These are symptoms, not of an active virus, but of an overactive immune system. This is why CFS is generally classified as an autoimmune disorder.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Reducing the symptoms of autoimmune disorders

Autoimmune disorders are all different, but they have basic similarities

Autoimmune disorders can improve with a balanced diet and rest.
Autoimmune disorders can improve with stress reduction.
Almost all autoimmune disorders respond to Vitamin B-12 and Essential Fatty Acid, EFA, supplements.
Vitamin B-12 is used to repair the holes in your nerves caused by your immune system. The cell outside your nerve, called a Schwann cell, patches the holes with B-12, similar to the way a road crew uses asphalt to repair potholes in the road.
EFAs make the immune system work smarter, not harder. They help the identification process discriminate better because many of the identification proteins are coded in fat. If you have an abundance of healthy EFA you will identify good, healthy body tissues from invaders. Further, EFA helps to reduce inflammation.
EFA can benefit women of childbearing age somewhat more than other women or men. That is because women of childbearing age make more hormones than men or young girls or older women. Good hormones are made from good EFA. An abundance of EFA helps make good hormones which help protect against autoimmune disorders.

Take Control of Your Health

Get your rest. Get at least 7 and half to 9 hours of sleep every night.
Avoid the push-crash cycle. Set a pace that you can maintain on your worst days and do not try to catch up by overdoing it on days you feel less bad. This can start a vicious push-crash cycle that can be very discouraging. Budget your energy!
Reduce stress. Deep breathing reduces stress. Three deep breaths can break the cycle of tension. Ten minutes of deep breathing cuts stress hormones in half. Twenty minutes of deep breathing restores hormone balance and gives you deeper sleep to restore your mind and body.
Plan a balanced diet. Be sure to include lean proteins, whole grains and of course, plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Exercise within your limitations. Work with your health care provider to develop a program that works for you.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

Posted by
Terry L. Allison, Sr., #13134349 1 Star
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member
Skype: allisonmarketinggroup
Phone: 859-858-9246
Creator of Tomorrows Home Business Social Community
http://terryallison.com

3. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Are Prescription Medications Affecting Your Body?
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

What causes a medication side effect? Sometimes it is caused by the toxicity of the medication. However, there is a much more common reason.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Often, uncomfortable and distressing results from medications are nothing more than signs of nutrient deficiencies. You see, drugs need nutrients in order to work. When they run out of nutrients they will not work as effectively and begin to create side effects. Nutrient depletion then creates its own set of symptoms and the downward spiral continues.

Common drug interactions

Statins. A really good example of the way a medication for one symptom may create a problem in another region of your body is medications that reduce cholesterol. Among the most famous cholesterol-reducing drugs are statins. These drugs exhaust the cells of the enzyme that makes the cells work, CoEnzyme Q-10. When CoQ-10 is gone, cells die. CoQ-10 is most abundant in muscle cells and brain cells. That may be one reason why people taking statin medications complain of fatigue, muscle aches and pains, plus mental fogginess and inability to think clearly.

Acid reducers, gout and diabetes medications. Another good example includes medications that reduce stomach acid. These drugs fit into classes called Proton Pump Inhibitors, PPI, and Histamine, H-2, Blockers. Both medications reduce the uncomfortable symptom of excess acid. Also, both classes of medication inhibit Vitamin B-12, leaving you with a foggy head, no energy and a poor mood. PPIs and H-2 Blockers also deplete folic acid, leaving people at risk for anemia, neural-tube birth defects and poor detoxification. They deplete calcium and beta-carotene, leaving you prone to osteoporosis and loss of night vision.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other medications that deplete Vitamin B-12 include colchicine for gout and practically all of the medications for type 2 diabetes. Further, medications for type 2 diabetes deplete magnesium and CoQ-10.

NSAIDs. The most common nutrient deficiency in the industrialized world is Vitamin C. The most common medical diagnosis in the industrialized world is arthritis, commonly treated with NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin. All NSAIDs deplete Vitamin C.

Oral contraceptives. Oral contraceptives, like birth control pills, also deplete Vitamin C. And, they deplete magnesium and riboflavin: two nutrients associated with relief from migraines.

Bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonate medications for osteoporosis immediately deplete calcium from your bloodstream. In a short time your reserves of Vitamin D, phosphate, magnesium and potassium may also be depleted. Symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency include chronic bone pain, and signs of mineral deficiency include muscle weakness and cramps. These side effects are also commonly associated with taking bisphosphonate medications.

Antidepressants. Lastly, many people in this stressed-out world are now taking antidepressants. Some of these medications deplete Essential Fatty Acid reserves, so supplementation with Omega EFAs is very important. EFA deficiency is associated with attention deficit disorder, depression and bipolar disorder. You can see how an EFA deficiency may lead to depression and medications for depression may lead to a more severe EFA deficiency. Antidepressants also deplete CoQ-10, Vitamin B-6 and Vitamin E, three nutrients long associated with autism and Alzheimers disease, and relief from depression.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

What to do
This is only a brief look at nutrient depletion from medications. If you are on any prescription medication, take time to learn about the potential nutrient deficiencies that may be created by it. Most of these deficiencies are addressed in our Healthy Foundation package. Others will need to be added depending on your prescription.

Nutrients make medications work better with fewer side effects. Nutrients and nurturing make YOU work better with the best outcome, energy and enthusiasm to live a life of purpose!

Take Control of Your Health

Use Foundation nutrients daily
Sublingual B-12, B-6 and folic acid
Vital C Tablets and Crystals
OmegaPrime essential fatty acids
A multi-nutrient complex, such as Wellavoh or VitaDaily AM/PM
Add CoQ-10 if you take
Statin medications
Drugs for type 2 diabetes
Antidepressants
Remember, nothing you take is as powerful as what you do. Learn and Live the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness
Breathe Deeply
Drink Pure Water
Sleep Peacefully
Eat Nutritiously
Enjoy Activity
Give and Receive Love
Be Forgiving
Practice Gratitude
Develop Acceptance
Develop a Relationship with God

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

4. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Correcting a deficiency could help mental function
by Dr. Scott Conard

Is someone in your life struggling with attention problems? Does he or she tend to be over-active or too impulsive? Such behaviors are recognized more and more as legitimate mental health issues, and the role played by Vitamin B-12 is also gaining recognition.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

First, let us look at just what these health issues are. Attention and focus problems can show up as a range of behavioral issues, sometimes a combination of inattentiveness, over-activity and impulsivity. While most research into this area has focused on children, studies have suggested that the symptoms continue into adulthood in up to 50 percent of adults who had the condition in childhood.

Of course, some of the behaviors we are talking about are to be expected in children, but when several symptoms occur that exceed the normal range for a childs age, a clinical diagnosis may be made. If you are a concerned parent or grandparent, you should be aware of the signs and symptoms. Attention disorders are not restricted to children. While these issues are long-term, adults can often better control their behavior, and disguise their symptoms.

Symptoms to watch for
The symptoms that make up attention and focus disorders can be broken down into three specific areas, inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Inattentiveness

Does not pay attention to details, or makes careless errors in work or school assignments
Has trouble maintaining attention in work or play
Does not seem to listen when spoken to
Does not follow through, fails to finish schoolwork, chores or workplace duties
Has trouble organizing tasks and activities
Resists activities such as schoolwork that require sustained mental focus
Tends to lose items needed for tasks or activities, such as toys, pencils or books
Is easily distracted
Is often forgetful

Hyperactivity

Has restless hands or feet, or squirms in a seat
Leaves a seat when staying seated is expected
Runs around or climbs in inappropriate situations
Has trouble playing quietly
Is often excessively active or talkative

Impulsivity

Blurts out answers before questions are finished
Has difficulty waiting his or her turn
Interrupts or breaks into others conversations or games

While the cause of attention disorders is not yet pinpointed we do know this. It is one of the most commonly-diagnosed behavioral problems. As much as 5 percent of school-aged children have this disorder.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

B-12 has proven brain-boosting power, vital to mental wellness
There are prescription drugs available to treat problems with attention and focus. But as you may know, these powerful drugs can have serious side effects.

There is strong clinical evidence to support the link between essential nutrients and vitamins, particularly Vitamin B-12, and mental function. Studies have shown that a B-12 deficiency may decrease levels of substances needed to transmit nerve signals. This reduced ability to transmit nerve signals has shown up in brain tests conducted on children with attention disorders. In people of any age, this problem with nerve signals can lessen or damage mental functioning.

So, in addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise, I recommend that everyone get enough essential vitamins like B-12. One of the best ways to make sure that you or a loved one get enough B-12 is to take TriVita Sublingual B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

5. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Getting A Grip On Osteoporosis
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

A new report on osteoporosis told us something we should have figured out a long time ago: people get weaker as this disease advances. Medical investigators have demonstrated that the grip strength in peoples hands decreases at the exact same rate that bone mass decreases. How does that work? How and why do people get osteoporosis? And how can we help prevent, forestall, delay and even reverse it?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

What causes osteoporosis?
We make new bone every day. We also dissolve old bone that has lost its structural integrity. New bone in, old bone out. We stay healthy as long as we make more bone than we delete. We make the most bone of our life during adolescence. By age 24 we have usually reached peak bone mineral density, or BMD. By age 30 the amount of bone we make is just about equivalent to the bone we lose. By age 40, in general, we are losing more bone than we make.

This general rule is true for most people, but not all people. Some continue to make more bone than they lose for decades after they reach peak BMD. What do they have in common? More important, how can we be like them?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Dos and do nots of bone health
Some things speed up bone loss. These triggers for osteoporosis fall under the same four causes of all human imbalance, trauma, toxins, deficiencies and stress. For example, fractures, falls and accidents in children herald osteoporosis when they become adults.

Toxins. Toxins strongly linked with osteoporosis include tobacco and alcohol as well as medications that reduce stomach acid, antidepressants, thyroid medication, drugs for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, etc. Many soft drinks, sodas, and even coffee contain toxins linked with osteoporosis.

Deficiencies. Deficiencies are another area of special interest in preventing and even helping treat osteoporosis. Magnesium, phosphate, calcium, boron and fluoride have all been linked to bone health. B vitamins in the methylation family, B-12, folic acid, B-6 and Biotin, are low when homocysteine is high. The higher the homocysteine, the more likely we will have osteoporosis. A sedentary lifestyle also leads to bone loss. Humans are meant to move! The less we move, the less we will be able to move as muscle loss and bone loss mirror our activity level.

Hormone imbalances are another deficiency that triggers bone loss. Testosterone, estrogen and parathyroid deficiency are strongly linked to osteoporosis. These are themselves based in a deficiency of sleep, exercise, Omega essential fatty acids and an excess of stress. Melatonin deficiency is a recently discovered cause of bone loss. Deep breathing, Wellness Essential number 1, can significantly increase melatonin levels while reducing the impact of stress on thinning bones.

Stress. Stress causes the fight or flight reaction, triggering the release of massive amounts of hormones from your adrenal glands. These hormones steal minerals from your bones and lead to bone thinning. Stress also suppresses other hormones, like testosterone and parathyroid hormone, and creates a virtual deficiency. Stress is a hidden trigger for osteoporosis. No treatment of bone loss or prevention strategy is complete unless it directly and successfully addresses the role of stress in osteoporosis.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Getting a grip
That leads us back to the beginning of our article about a new discovery that tells us about the correlation between grip strength in our hands and bone strength in our hips and spine. The weaker your grip, the thinner your bones. So, how are you doing? Is your grip strength better this year than last year? If not, plan a strategy to build strength in your muscles and bones though appropriate supplementation and vigorous application of the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.

Take Control of Your Health

Supplement appropriately
VitaCal-Mag D for maintaining bone health
Bone Growth Factor for those who have, or are at risk for, bone loss
OmegaPrime for hormone balance
Adaptogen 10 Plus for stress
Essential D because we need it!
Detoxify gently
Stop smoking, drinking alcohol, soda and coffee
Start eating fruits and vegetables
7 servings daily for women
9 servings daily for men
Exercise daily
Aerobic activity for 30 minutes or more
Resistance training 2 to 5 times weekly

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

6. B-12 Vitamins

B12 Vitamins

60 Seconds to Energy
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

Sometimes we feel an irresistible wave of fatigue washing over us and we are compelled to stop and rest. Often, this is a consequence of a lifestyle that is just too hectic. Stress wears us down. Fatigue is the language of our brain, body and particularly our immune system. It is telling us, slow down, take it easy.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

When rest must wait
The way our body reacts to acute stress is through a process called fight or flight. It describes an inborn mechanism of survival. You see, we are designed to survive. If we are in a situation our brain decides is dangerous, our adrenal glands secrete adrenaline to gear us up for fighting or fleeing.

The danger is that we react this way if the situation is real or imagined. For example, we react with fight or flight responses when we see a dangerous snake. But we also react the same way if we think we see a dangerous snake. It is all the same to your brain. So, your adrenal glands prepare your body and mind.

When we are confronted with a dangerous situation it is not the time to sit and rest. This is a time of action, fight or flight. Rest must wait in circumstances like this.

Modern-day confusion
When was the last time you felt threatened by a dangerous snake, a snarling dog, or, oh my, a lion, tiger or bear? I will venture a guess that this has not happened in a while and does not happen very often. Yet, if you are like the rest of us living in the civilized world, you probably feel stressed quite often, maybe even daily.

The stress we face today is chronic stress. It comes from time urgency, performance standards, deadlines and expectations. It is created by our own thoughts and our polluted, noisy, hectic environment. The stress is rarely acute. It is chronic. The danger is rarely imminent. It is assigned a sense of urgency by our own mind.

Stress is often only real in the culture we have created or co-created with our peer group.
Still, it is our reality. And until we can co-create another reality with more rainbows and butterflies and fewer lions, tigers and bears, we need to create strategies for the times when rest must wait.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

60-second energy

Deep breathing
If you are stressed, pause and take three full, deep breaths. This will often break the cycle of adrenaline and allow you to return to normal functioning. You can do this in less than 60 seconds! Practice deep breathing for 10 minutes, twice daily and 20 minutes before bedtime.

Hydration
If you feel grumpy, pause and drink two full glasses of pure water. Grumpiness is often a sign of dehydration. You can often do this in less than 60 seconds. Calculate the water your body needs every day, half your body weight in ounces, and focus on drinking the majority of this amount early in the day to support detoxification.

Sleep and Sublingual B-12
When you reach the point where you just can not think anymore, then you need more sleep. The stress you feel may actually be causing your brain to shrink! Sublingual B-12 can often help restore clarity for now and allow you to plan better sleep tonight. Although it takes several minutes for the Sublingual B-12 to dissolve, you can start the energy cycle by simply slipping a little pink pill under your tongue. The people with the highest amounts of Vitamin B-12 in their bloodstream often experience the least brain shrinkage as they age. Perhaps better sleep and more B-12 can help you deal with your daily stress before it shrinks your brain!

Finally, remember that this reaction to stress is called fight or flight. To flee means to get away from the source of danger. Historically, we flee by walking, running or swimming away from danger. In my world I have added bicycling! So, to discharge our stress and recharge our energy we need to walk, run, swim or bicycle daily as a stress management strategy. These may not be socially available in your circumstances. What is available? Energy Now! With Energy Now!, people often have the spark they need to manage stress now and enjoy physical activity later.

Take Control of Your Health

Listen to the message of fatigue. Your body is talking to you.
See stress differently. Most dangers are imaginary.
Take time to wind down daily. Mindful meditation is a healer.
Use Sublingual B-12 for greater mental clarity.
Use Energy Now! for physical endurance.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

7. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Are you missing more than B-12?
By Dr. Scott Conard

If you struggle with excess weight and low energy if you just do not have the vigor to live your life fully. The problem could be that you are missing something important. I am not talking only about Vitamin B-12, but the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness. As we began exploring in last months VitaJournal, a deficiency of Vitamin B-12 is not an isolated problem. Rather, it signals a lack of one or more elements of a great life, the physical, emotional and spiritual must-haves on which TriVita is built.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

As I mentioned in the previous column, a B-12 deficiency among the patients in my practice is often a gateway condition. It triggers other problems, and people start to spiral downward in their self-care and overall wellness. This month, explore with me how B-12 is connected with Essentials numbers 4 and 5, Eat Nutritiously and Exercise.

Essential number 4. Eat Nutritiously.
Ideally, we get our Vitamin B-12 from foods like fish and meat, dairy products, fortified cereals and beans. However, several factors can prevent us from absorbing all the B-12 we need, including age, dietary choices and taking certain medicines.

For example, if you habitually eat the wrong foods, say, ones loaded with starch or refined sugar, you could gain excess weight and develop diabetes. Then you have to take diabetes medicine to offset your food choices. And the diabetes medicine can block the absorption of B-12. There is the spiral, unhealthy choices feeding off each other to make us unwell. Incidentally, being obese is no indicator that someone may be getting enough Vitamin B-12. Some vegetarians, for example, eat a lot of honey or coconut, which can make them fat, but still B-12 deficient.

A healthful diet alone may not give you all the B-12 you need, but it will help fuel your body and mind so that you have the energy to live life to the fullest.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Essential number 5. Exercise.
Enjoying physical activity is critical to vibrant health and a great life. But here is how interwoven B-12 is with our well-being. How can you exercise if you do not have the energy? We know that healthy levels of B-12 do so much to give us energy, so we enjoy rejuvenating sleep, drink lots of water and enjoy the benefits of exercise. People with a B-12 deficiency tend not to exercise, but not just because they may be low on energy and motivation. It is more a case of nerves being affected. Here is how

You might have tingling in your legs because the nerves to your legs have insufficient B-12. That tingling could deter you from getting the exercise your mind and body crave. In another scenario, in some people who get chemotherapy for cancer, the absorption of B-12 can be blocked. One of my family members who had cancer was successfully treated with chemotherapy. However, her physician forgot to tell her to take Vitamin B-12, and she ended up with numbness that would not go away. The nerves were too badly hurt. I recommend that anyone getting chemotherapy ask their specialist about taking B-12 while undergoing treatment.

Again, health spirals downward.

If we actively live the 10 Essentials, we can do so much to truly experience wellness in all aspects of our lives. As the medical spokesman for TriVitas Sublingual B-12, I urge you to consider letting this remarkable vitamin help enrich your journey. And I hope you look for next months column as we examine the emotional and spiritual connections that link B-12 with good health and a great life.

Scott Conard, M.D., founded TienaHealth, an organization of medical doctors in primary care practice who emphasize healthy lifestyles to maintain wellness. Dr. Conard is considered a national expert on disease prevention. TienaHealth also conducts clinical trials.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

8. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Not Getting Enough Vitamin D During the Winter Months
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

Make sure you get healthy amounts of it year-round

Practically every day another benefit of Vitamin D is revealed. Vitamin D is created when our skin is exposed to sunshine. It is also present in our diet, mainly in cold-water fish and dark green vegetables. It is primarily responsible for transporting minerals to our bones and keeping them strong. A primary symptom of Vitamin D deficiency is sore bone.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

I want to talk about Vitamin D and its relationship to brain health. This is in response to a recent newspaper headline that read, Vitamin D Linked to Parkinsons disease. Now, as you read that title, do you think the article is reporting on the benefits or the dangers of Vitamin D?

Vitamin D and Parkinsons
You will not have to wait until the end of the article to find out. Vitamin D is beneficial in protecting against Parkinsons disease. In fact, low levels of Vitamin D are associated with

Neurological diseases such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers
Autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis
Metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

Vitamin D is formed when sunlight strikes the skin and interacts with cholesterol. Its main purpose is to shuttle calcium and other minerals to the bones.

Vitamin D enters the brain tissues surrounded by healthy fats. Just as Vitamin D is necessary for proper calcium absorption into the bones, Vitamin D aids in the delivery of good fats into the brain where they serve as building blocks for healthy brain structure.

Vitamin D, a messenger
Information is carried by a number of messengers inside your body, including proteins and fats. Vitamin D can also act like a messenger, telling the cells how much work to do.

This may be compared to building a house. Proteins give specific instructions in the same way a carpenter may decide how best to connect walls and windows and doors. Fats may serve as the building materials for the entire house. Vitamin D serves as the general contractor to determine how much building should be done at any specific time.

We certainly need proteins and protein complexes of Vitamin B-12 to create the structures making up our brain. We also need the fats found in OmegaPrime to serve as raw materials and general information on brain repair. We need Vitamin D to help develop our brain when we are young and to repair it as we age.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Why you need to work harder to get your wintertime supply of Vitamin D
We get Vitamin D from sunlight, foods and supplements. Because we are exposed to less sunshine in the winter than in the summer, we need to be more vigilant about supplementing with Vitamin D and exposing our skin to sunshine whenever practical. Most doctors who recommend Vitamin D explain that cold and flu outbreaks during winter are directly related to Vitamin D deficiency.

Use TriVitas VitaCal-Mag D, TriVitas Bone Growth Factor or Leanology capsules, whichever supplement is most appropriate for you, to help make up for the lack of winter sunshine.

Take Control of Your Health

Get 20 minutes of morning or evening sunshine
Expose at least 40 percent of your skin to direct sunlight
Avoid midday sun. Never burn!
Eat wild-caught cold-water fish as appropriate
Eat dark green leafy vegetables
Take a Vitamin D supplement such as
VitaCal-Mag D
Bone Growth Factor
Leanology capsules
Take healthy foundation nutrients
Multiple vitamin/mineral
Sublingual B-12
OmegaPrime
Vitamin C

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

9. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Which B-12 Supplement Is Right For You?
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

Question. TriVita has several Sublingual B-12 supplements. Which one should I take?

Answer. It depends on your needs.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Need for Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 is an essential nutrient. You cannot thrive without it. You need Vitamin B-12 to make healthy blood, healthy nerves and a healthy brain. Vitamin B-12 insufficiency is implicated in a number of common conditions, from allergies and ADHD to bipolar disorder and Alzheimers disease. Along with iron and Vitamin C, Vitamin B-12 is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies among seniors. You may actually be protected from a shrinking brain with healthy levels of Vitamin B-12.

There are three ways of looking at need in Vitamin B-12

Disease. If your blood levels are low in B-12 you may be diagnosed with a medical condition called pernicious anemia. This is a serious health condition that is often caused by the inability to properly absorb B-12.
Complete B-12 metabolism. Is the B-12 you are taking doing what it is supposed to do? If so, your homocysteine levels will be low. If not, your homocysteine levels will be high, even though your blood levels of B-12 are also high. B-12 along with folate, Vitamin B-6 and biotin are still needed as long as homocysteine levels are too high.
How you feel. Are you mentally sluggish? Do you feel better when you take B-12? If so, you can continue to take B-12 simply to feel better because there is no toxicity associated with taking B-12.

Types of B-12
Vitamin B-12 is made from the mineral cobalt by beneficial bacterial in the soil and inside living organisms. When scientists make Vitamin B-12 for use in supplements, it is done in the same way. The parent form of B-12 is cyanocobalamine, cyan- means blue, the color of cobalt. Cyanocobalamine nourishes your entire body, and your liver uses cyanocobalamine to make other forms of Vitamin B-12. One of the major children of cyanocobalamine is methylcobalamine. Methyl-B12 is used in detoxification, especially homocysteine detoxification.

There are many other types of B-12. However, as long as you have cyanocobalamine, your body will make the other types as it needs them. The exception to this rule occurs when a person has been poisoned with toxins such as mercury and lead or when a genetic imbalance prevents them from completely converting B-12.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The type of B-12 for you
Most people over 30 need to take a B-12 supplement. The only certain way to get B-12 into your system quickly, besides injecting it, is to absorb it sublingually, under your tongue. Even people under 30 may take B-12 if they feel stressed, suffer from allergies or asthma, are sad, blue or tired. Vitamin B-12 is also helpful in people with ADHD and other nervous disorders, not as a medical treatment, but as a support for healthy blood, nerves and brain.

TriVitas Sublingual B-12 is awesome in these circumstances. Or you may want to step up to TriVitas Super Sublingual B-12 which is faster-acting and longer-lasting, with three times the Vitamin B-12. If your homocysteine levels are high, or if you have a family history of heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis, or Alzheimer's disease, HCY Guard may be best for you.

This should help you see the need for Vitamin B-12 as well as give you the tools you need to decide which one, or ones, you need!

Take Control of Your Health

Use Sublingual B-12 or Super Sublingual B-12 if
You are over 30
You have any type of digestion issue
You have low energy
You have poor moods
You need to improve your memory
Use HCY Guard if
You have elevated levels of homocysteine
You are exposed to environmental toxins
You have low kidney function
You need detoxification

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

10. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

HCY Guard
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

Back in 1932 a protein called homocysteine, or HCY, was discovered. It was seen as a valuable tool used by your liver to build important proteins. Many years later, HCY was discovered inside of every cell in the human body. It was seen as a valuable tool used by your DNA to build healthy cells.

When there is too much HCY in your bloodstream it is associated with many horrible diseases, like heart attacks, stroke, Alzheimers disease, osteoporosis, etc. When there is too much HCY inside your cells, the DNA mutates. High levels of HCY inside your cells are linked with cancer.

To keep HCY levels low we need two things

Specific vitamins
Special amino acids

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Vitamins neutralize HCY
In 1966 Dr. Kilmer McCully correctly identified the vitamins needed to metabolize homocysteine and, therefore, protect against health catastrophe

Folic Acid
Vitamin B-6
Biotin
Vitamin B-12

These vitamins are also needed to start the process of creating protein. Protein is the building block of muscles, bones and nerves. You cannot be healthy without adequate protein. You cannot build the protein into something useful without homocysteine.

But an excess of homocysteine reflects a deficiency in these four vitamins. As reported in Dr. McCullys work, adding these four specific vitamins for just pennies-per-day can help reduce homocysteine by 25 percent in two years.

However, more is needed than just vitamins. In TriVitas HCY Guard, we added amino acids to B vitamins and were able to reduce elevated homocysteine by 35 percent in just 6 weeks!

Amino acids neutralize HCY
Amino acids build healthy tissues and are also necessary for keeping them clean, detoxification. A specific family of proteins called sulfur-bearing amino acids help keep us safe from toxic metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead. Mercury may have increased by 400 percent in our environment in just the past few years. The most common sources of mercury include coal and fuel-fired energy plants and automobiles, as well as fluorescent lights.

Sulfur-bearing amino acids defend us from a toxic world. We also need them to help keep homocysteine levels in check.

Methionine. The amino acid methionine can be called the mother of all proteins because of its vital role. Methionine is the foundation for everything your body does, like growth, repair, digestion and detoxification. Like I said, everything! Not a single piece of DNA can function without methionine. It is the foundation of everything in the human body.
Cysteine. Cysteine keeps your kidneys, lungs and muscles healthy.
Lysine. Lysine helps you recover following exertion and helps your immune system suppress illnesses.

These three sulfur-bearing amino acids defend us from a toxic world. They also help keep homocysteine levels in check.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Putting it all together
Eventually, Vitamin B-12, B-6, folic acid and biotin help you create a healthy heart, brain, bones and immune system. How? By helping the primary sulfur-bearing amino acids, like methionine, cysteine and lysine. These amino acids balance HCY, as well as chase away toxic metals before they can damage your delicate internal organs, your brain and bones.

The B vitamins make HCY Guard work. Sulfur-bearing amino acids make it work better and faster. You get better results in less time. Still, we should remember that elevated homocysteine is telling us a story about our body, too few nutrients, too many toxins, especially mercury and other heavy metals, too much stress and not enough rest. So, learn and live the 10 Essentials for profound wellness. Get your blood tested annually for homocysteine. Practice wellness with a sense of purpose every day for a happy, healthy life!

Take Control of Your Health

Have an annual medical check-up
Test homocysteine, cholesterol, HDL, LDL and C-Reactive protein
Regularly check your blood pressure
Reduce stress and increase nutrients
Increase B vitamins and amino acids for HCY reduction
Increase Omega-3 and Betalains for CRP reduction
Exercise 30 minutes most days of the week

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

11. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Your World is Spinning! It Could Be Vertigo
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

There are two times when your world will spin. When you are in love, and when you have vertigo! Since there is no cure for being in love, this Weekly Wellness Report will cover the remedies for vertigo.

Benign vertigo
Vertigo is not usually a sign of a serious disease. It is typically transient, meaning that it comes and goes, and resolves on its own without medical care. The most common cause is an upper respiratory infection such as a sinus infection. Most people who suffer with vertigo learn instinctively to sit up slowly and avoid quick movements of the head.

If benign vertigo is associated with allergies, Vitamin C is in my personal opinion an absolutely awesome antihistamine. Using the VisionGuard.

A certain type of tumor called an acoustic neuroma may cause vertigo. These are rare tumors, but the incidence of acoustic neuroma seems to increase with cell phone usage. The evidence for this link is weak but troubling. Certainly, we should take appropriate precautions when using cell phones while scientists further investigate the link between cell phones and acoustic neuromas.

Menieres disease
An extremely persistent type of vertigo is Menieres disease. It is vertigo associated with ringing or buzzing in the ears, or tinnitus, and hearing loss. Menieres is a progressive disease. Trauma, toxins, infections and other causes may trigger Menieres. Rapid medical intervention is needed to determine the exact cause of this condition. When the cause is removed the condition may improve.

Unfortunately, damaged nerves heal slowly. Vitamin B-12 may help speed the repair of damaged nerves. Certainly, the antioxidant remedies mentioned above may add to the health of the blood vessels in the inner ear.

Learning to listen
The English language contains over 400,000 words, though most of us use merely 15,000 to 35,000. Our bodies, wonderfully complex and intricate, have only a few dozen words in the form of signs and symptoms with which to speak to us. Vertigo is one form of communication that indicates distress. Always consult a qualified health professional that knows the language of the human body.

Please check with your healthcare provider before starting the Vitamin C Flush.

Take Control of Your Health

For vertigo associated with
Allergies. Use Vitamin C.
Circulation. Use VisionGuard.
Menieres. Use Vitamin B-12 plus all of the above
See your doctor to determine the cause of vertigo!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

12. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Why Do We Need Folic Acid?
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

Folic acid is a B vitamin similar to folate. Folate is the B vitamin contained in plants, foliage. Folate is a dominant B vitamin in leafy green vegetables as well as in fruits.

Folate is needed to build healthy blood cells, nerve and brain cells, to detoxify, and to build a healthy immune system. People who get the right amount of folate have a lower risk of many cancers, strokes, heart attacks and nervous system defects such as neural tube defects in babies. That is why mothers-to-be are encouraged to take folic acid supplements.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The bad
Every story has an element of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The story of folic acid is the same. Taking too much folic acid over too long a time period, that is, taking folic acid like a drug and not a nutrient, can have very damaging effects on our system. Whereas low doses can reduce our risk of certain diseases and disorders, too much folic acid actually increases the risk of some cancers and other diseases. Too much folic acid mutates our DNA. The right amount heals our DNA. Continue reading this article to see how much is enough, and how much is too much.

The ugly
Much of the damage from folic acid excess is actually caused by an increase of histamine. That is a familiar word to many of us. Histamines make our eyes, ears, nose and throat red, itchy, sore and irritated. Folic acid takes essential amino acids and reshapes them into histamines. Histamines make us miserable but they are just doing their job. The function of histamines is to flood our tissues with water and dilute an irritant like pollen, or a protein from a food allergy or a toxin from our environment.

The solution to pollution is dilution!

Increasing folic acid beyond dietary levels increases the amount of histamine in our bloodstream and also increases the likelihood that we will have an over-the-top response to our toxic world. If we have a toxin, such as a grain of pollen, irritate our nose, the excessive response may be a sneezing fit and uncontrollable, miserable symptoms. If the toxin hits our digestive tract, such as a food allergy, or reproductive system, such as bad bacteria, the undue histamine response will inflame our tissues and may even trigger disease.

Histamines also trigger our immune system into a body-wide inflammatory response we call an auto-immune disease. Finally, histamines inflame our brain, triggering everything from insomnia and hyperactivity to autism and Alzheimers disease.

The good!
The benefits of folic acid, or FA, supplementation are many and fantastic. FA helps protect against birth defects when taken in the first trimester of pregnancy. FA helps reduce the risk for cancer, heart attacks, stroke, depression and bipolar disorder. FA enhances memory, reduces migraines, promotes healthy gums and improves hearing. FA is good for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, types of dermatitis and even restless legs syndrome.

Folic acid is very, very good for us!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

How much is enough?
We have agreed that people should eat their fruits and vegetables, right? Children need 5 servings daily, women need 7 servings and men need 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every single day. That will provide the 200 to 600 micrograms mcg for children of folate that people need every day. And this is a case of more is better. People can get up to 2,500 mcg of folate, including supplemental folic acid, every day.

Eat your fruits and vegetables for the powerful benefits of folate and feel free to supplement your diet with this wonderful, powerful nutrient with so many extraordinary health benefits.

Take Control of Your Health

Eat your fruits and vegetables!
Children. 5 servings daily
Women. 7 servings daily
Men. 9 servings daily
Feel free to supplement your diet with TriVitas Fruits n VegEZ

Keep your folic acid supplements balanced with B-12, B-6 and Biotin
Wellavoh 400 mcg of folic acid
VitaDaily AM/PM 400 mcg of folic acid
Sublingual B-12 400 mcg of folic acid
Super B-12 50 mcg of folic acid
HCY Guard 400 mcg of folic acid

Consider Peaceful Sleep to help reduce the impact of histamines

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

13. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Do you have pain, numbness or tingling in your hand, especially the Index finger and thumb? Does the pain or numbness get worse when you use your hand a lot? Have you lost your grip?

You may have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? How did I get it? How can I make it go away?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

What is it?
Your hand is held together by tough ligaments that do not stretch very much at all. The ligaments between the base of your thumb and little finger form a tunnel of sorts that nerves and blood vessels go through. When all is well, this is an ingenious design that protects delicate nerves and gives you full use of your hand without pain.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a phrase that describes the inflammation of the median nerve in the hand.

How did I get it?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is usually caused by constant, repetitive motion that results in inflammation. This is worse in women and people who have experienced an injury to their hand. It is also worse in people with arthritis, diabetes and people who are obese.

Aside from these triggers, let me tell you of my experience with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. People tend to have two things in common when they experience this disorder, a B vitamin deficiency, like B-6 and B-12, and a serious problem in their neck.

All imbalances in the human body classically come from four causes, injury, toxicity, deficiency and stress. With this in mind, it makes sense that such a painful disorder could be triggered by such a simple cause. Of course, life is never quite that simple. With Carpal Tunnel there may also be toxicity generated by a hormone imbalance, smoking, excessive drinking or other chemical imbalance. But in the end, all of the people with Carpal Tunnel that I have ever seen also suffer from a nutrient deficiency and neck injury. Nerve-healthy nutrients can be found in the TriVita Nerve Formula.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

How can I make it go away?
The first step in any successful program must be accurate assessment of the condition. See a doctor for a proper diagnosis. Several really scary conditions masquerade as simple Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and even simple Carpal Tunnel is not so simple!.

Begin with conservative care for your wrist and your neck as directed by a competent healthcare provider. If your neck is causing the problem, by all means address the cause! Supplement with Sublingual Vitamin B-12 and B-6 to keep the levels of B vitamins at their peak. If you are using TriVita products, use original Sublingual B-12 as it has more Vitamin B-6 in it than Super B does.

If surgery is needed to relieve your trapped nerves, find the best surgeon available. Follow their instructions closely. Most people recover completely from this condition by reducing inflammation at the nerve, preventing re-injury and addressing the cause.

Take Control of Your Health

Get properly diagnosed
Follow prescribed therapy very closely
Take your supplements
Dr. Libbys Original Sublingual B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid
Nopalea for inflammation
TriVitas Nerve Formula
Treat your neck if necessary

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

14. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Causes of Hidden Inflammation
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

Inflammation is the number one medical issue facing people in North America today. There are four sources of inflammation and each one requires a pretty lengthy explanation. Rather than presenting our Weekly Wellness Report as an exhaustive list of what may go wrong, I would like to cover

The major categories of inflammation
How you can protect yourself
Nutrients you can use to help reduce inflammation

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Cause number 1, Toxins
Toxins cause inflammation by penetrating healthy tissue in your body and hiding there. Your immune system knows they are there and responds with acute inflammation to eradicate them, even killing healthy cells to get rid of the toxins. Toxins create death when more cells die in a single day than your body can replace with healthy cells.

Sometimes this happens very quickly, as with infection from the H1-N1 flu epidemic. The virus inhabits the lungs and airways. Your body responds with immune cells which douse the viral toxin with inflammation. So many lung cells are killed in the process that the host simply cannot replace the sick, toxic cells with new, healthy cells and the patient dies.

Sometimes toxins kill more slowly, as with air pollution causing lung cancer. Inflammation kills diseased cells but at such a slow rate that a few replacement cells keep the lungs functioning. However, over time the rate of cell replacement cannot keep up with the rate of cell death and the patient dies of a chronic lung disease such as cancer or emphysema.

Toxins are produced outside our body as well as inside our body. We must insulate ourselves from external toxins and keep our body shiny and clean on the inside through vigorous application of the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness. Supplements such as Nopalea and Vitamin C can be very helpful in releasing hidden toxins.

Cause number 2, Deficiency
Your body must replace millions of cells every hour. Building healthy cells requires that we have healthy building materials in our system all the time: oxygen, water, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and many other elements. We must give our body time to rebuild with 7 and half to 9 hours of peaceful sleep every night.

If any element in your health routine is missing for even a moment, a cell will be created without critical building materials and the cell will be weak. A single weak cell will be eliminated by the acute inflammation of our immune system. However, poor nutrition day after day and poor sleep night after night will create a deficit between the number of healthy cells you have and the number of healthy cells you need to live. Chronic inflammation is the way your body deals with this deficit. It is the seedbed for infection, disease and an early death.

Pay close attention to the 10 Essentials and support your body with Healthy Foundation nutrients. A multiple vitamin/mineral supplement, OmegaPrime, Vitamin C and Sublingual B-12 are basics for wellness.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Cause number 3, Emotional Distress
Stress describes the forces trying to tear us apart, like toxins and deficiencies, gravity and weather, injuries, expectations and time pressures. These are examples of things that pull us apart. The forces trying to pull us back together, homeostasis, are seen in the 10 Essentials, like deep breathing, pure water, peaceful sleep, nutritious food, daily activity, emotional and spiritual support.

Emotional distress is based on how we appraise or evaluate changes in our environment. All changes are stressful, even good changes such as a raise at work or a new, healthy grandbaby! The changes that threaten our health and create long-term, chronic stress are those that may cause pain or loss to ourselves or to someone we care about, or that may overextend our coping resources.

Support yourself against this dangerous cause of inflammation by creating a healthy community of people around you. Use Healthy Foundation supplements to create a solid foundation for coping with daily stress. Especially consider adaptogens to build a bulwark against the onslaught of daily stress from outside, inside your body and even inside your mind.

Cause number 4, Injuries and Trauma
Acute inflammation is the normal response to trauma. Acute inflammation is characterized by pain, swelling, redness and heat. Using topical pain relief gels can expedite the repair process by supporting homeostasis during the early days following an injury.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Conclusion
There are four basic causes of inflammation, therefore, there are four basic causes of chronic disease. Work to insulate yourself from these malevolent influences with appropriate nutrients and emotional/spiritual nurturing and you will improve the quantity and quality of your life!

Take Control of Your Health

Practice the 10 Essentials each day
Use Nopalea to detoxify
Create a nutrient base with Healthy Aging supplements
VitaDaily AM-PM
Sublingual B-12
Vital C
OmegaPrime
Adaptogen 10 Plus Plus to thwart stress
Use topical pain relief gels for acute injuries

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

15. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

The Big 2 Health Issues for Women
By Brazos Minshew, Chief Science Officer

I recently took a survey of the women I know over 30 years of age. I wanted to see which health issues, beyond hormone problems, prevent women from doing the things that matter most to them as they age. Below is a discussion of the Big 2, fatigue and pain.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Fatigue
The sensation of physical and mental fatigue easily tops the list of health issues. Some of these complaints spring from the work ethic of women. A man works from sun to sun, but a womans work is never done. Often, women run out of energy before they run out of day!

Energy imbalances are like all other imbalances. They are created by injury, toxicity, stress and deficiency. Women over 30 share five deficiencies that can cause physical and mental fatigue

Vitamin C

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin D

Essential fatty acids

Magnesium

However, unrelenting fatigue may be a sign of a serious medical condition. Always have your annual medical examination and discuss the issue of physical and mental fatigue with your healthcare provider.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Pain
Pain may also be caused by injury, toxicity, stress and deficiency. Joint pain is most commonly caused by Degenerative Joint Disease, or DJD. Beyond direct injury to your joints or low back, DJD is actually a sign of water and sulfur deficiency, often caused by toxicity. Joints may literally dry out and shrink, becoming unstable and painful instead of supple and supportive.

Common toxins in our environment require dietary sulfur to detoxify them. Dietary sulfur is found predominantly in Brassica vegetables, like cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens and turnips, rutabagas and kohlrabi. These should make up several of the 7 for women to 9 for men vegetable and fruit servings you enjoy every day.

Pain and fatigue do not have to be part of aging if we address the common toxins and deficiencies that may underlie these symptoms. Eliminating toxins by using Nopalea can help, filling up deficiencies, and learning and living the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness are the keys to vitality and longevity for both women and men!

Brazos MInshew is TriVitas Chief Science Officer, in charge of formulating the best new supplements possible. He is dedicated to bringing greater health and wellness to TriVita Members. He combines an extensive background in medical science, naturopathy, and alternative treatments to create lifestyle and nutritional solutions to prevalent health challenges.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

16. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Building and Maintaining Healthy Blood
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

Symbolically and poetically, blood represents life. It is made of four basic components

Red cells. Red cells carry oxygen to the rest of the cells in your body. They should remain flexible, but certain conditions such as sickle cell anemia and diabetes cause the red blood cells to become rigid and damage the lining of your blood vessels.
White cells. White blood cells are a large part of your immune system.
Platelets. Platelets serve to repair damage when you are injured. They form blood clots to arrest excessive bleeding.
Plasma. Plasma is the fluid in which each of these cells is carried. Plasma also carries nutrients and hormones to your cells and waste products such as carbon dioxide away from your cells. Plasma is mostly water.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The essentials of healthy blood

Plasma
Low blood plasma is called hypovolemia. To have healthy blood plasma we must first have healthy hydration. We must drink pure water. To calculate how much water your body needs daily, take your body weight in pounds and cut that number in half. That represents the average amount of water in ounces that you should drink daily. I weigh about 190 pounds. Half that number is 95. So, I need about 95 ounces of water daily to help build healthy blood.

Blood plasma contains proteins and fats. For healthy plasma, eat healthy proteins and healthy fats.

Red blood cells
Red Blood Cells, or RBC, carry oxygen by means of a special molecule called hemoglobin. Low RBC volume or a low volume of hemoglobin is called simple anemia. A more serious, persistent form of anemia is called pernicious anemia. Both simple and pernicious anemias require an abundant supply of folic acid, Vitamin B-12 and dietary iron. Chronic anemia also responds to resistance or strength training exercises.

Blood derives oxygen from breathing deeply. To support proper oxygen balance in the blood and cells of your body, practice breathing deeply for 10 minutes, 2 or 3 times daily and 20 minutes at bedtime.

Platelets
A deficiency of platelets will cause you to bleed too freely if you are injured. In fact, this type of condition, called thrombocytopenia or ITP, may cause you to bleed even without an injury! Thrombocytopenia may be a sign of a simple infection or a serious disease. However, ITP may also be associated with insomnia and a low-fat diet. For healthy platelets, get your sleep and eat healthy fats.

White blood cells
White Blood Cells, or WBC, come in many varieties. WBC fight infection with inflammation. A high WBC count, then, is a sign of infection, the type of WBC can often tell you what kind of infection you have. Bioflavonoids in the quercetin family called Betalains can help focus the activity of your WBC and make them more effective.

A low WBC count, called leukopenia, is often a sign of low stem cell production in your bone marrow. The common function of your WBC is responding to infection and injury. So, a reduced production of stem cells will yield a low level of WBC and an increased risk of serious infection, also, a reduced healing response.

Low WBC count is also associated with various viral infections that target the immune system. It may be caused by a vitamin deficiency, especially Vitamin B-6 and Vitamin B-12, excessive stress, toxicity from various causes and certain cancers.

Conclusion
Building healthy blood cells and delivering those cells to where we need them is dependent on The 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness. Special nutrients can help build elements of our blood. In the end, blood is life. Without healthy blood cells and plasma, we will simply never have the wellness we desire and deserve!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Take Control of Your Health

See a doctor immediately for any blood disorder
Practice the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness
Breathe deeply and drink pure water
Sleep peacefully, eat nutritiously and enjoy activity
Also consider
Leanology Nutritional Shakes as a protein supplement
OmegaPrime to supply healthy fats
Sublingual B-12 for folic acid, B-6 and B-12
Nopalea to help the body regulate inflammation and help with cellular health
Adaptogen 10 Plus to help the body reduce stress and promote optimal cellular health

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

17. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Body Systems 101
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

You and those you love are affected by the decisions you make every day. Healthy decisions eventually become healthy habits. Health is built on healthy habits as you practice them day by day. Your future is built on your health.

Every dream you have, every hope and aspiration, as well as every duty and responsibility in your life, depends on you getting healthy and staying healthy. Remember, it is as inevitable as gravity. A body deprived of nutrients and nurturing will get sick.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Which nutrients do I need to take?
Humans were designed to get their nutrients from foods. Eating Nutritiously is an Essential for Wellness. Supplementing with whole food nutrition, such as TriVitas Fruits 'n VegEZ respects this design, as does whole-food based supplements like Wellavoh and VitaDaily AM/PM. In addition to these Healthy Foundation supplements, other nutrients are needed. Here is a brief description of the most common nutrient deficiencies and the signs that can help you determine if you may be deficient

Vitamin C
Among the greatest deficiencies in the diet of people over 50 is Vitamin C. Signs of Vitamin C deficiency include

Weakness
Weariness
Unhealthy gums
Nosebleeds
Bruising
Slow healing

Vitamin B-12
Our ability to absorb Vitamin B-12 declines as we age. Supplement your diet with TriVitas Sublingual B-12 daily. Remember, after age 30 our brains literally begin to shrink. The more B-12 we have in our bloodstream, the less brain erosion we may experience.

Signs of low B-12 include

Mood and memory problems
Mental fatigue and poor concentration
Irritability
Poor circulation
Un-refreshing sleep

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Omega-3 fatty acids
Speaking of brain erosion, our brains are primarily made of fat. The most common signs of Omega-3 deficiency include mood disorders, such as depression and Attention Deficit Disorder. Other signs that we may need more Omega-3 include hormone imbalance in women and men, immune system imbalance such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and chronic fatigue.

Vitamin D and Magnesium
Vitamin D comes from both dietary sources and healthy sunshine exposure. It is activated by exercise. Vitamin D is responsible for hardening your bones. Signs of Vitamin D deficiency include poor blood sugar balance, chronic pain and clumsiness.

Magnesium is found abundantly in plant-based foods, such as sea vegetables, nuts and seeds, avocados and leafy green vegetables. Signs of deficiency include

Tinnitus, ringing in the ears
Migraine
Poor muscle recovery following exercise

Because Vitamin D and magnesium usually cooperate in nature, we put them in cooperative supplements such as VitaCal-Mag D and VitaDaily AM/PM. They are available in higher levels in Wellavoh, Bone Growth Factor and Leanology Capsules. With osteoporosis at epidemic levels, we need more Vitamin D and magnesium to help support healthy bones!

Essential D provides pure Vitamin D and cofactors to make it work in our polluted environment.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Healthy foundation program
To feel better today and healthier tomorrow, we all need to cultivate healthy habits every day. This includes eating nutritiously and taking our supplements to make up for the deficiency in our diet. Select a multi-nutrient complex, an appropriate B-12 and a magnesium/Vitamin D supplement suited to your needs. Add Vital C and OmegaPrime to build the healthy foundation your lifes purpose demands!

Take Control of Your Health

Take a multi-nutrient complex
Wellavoh for Men and Women
VitaDaily AM/PM
TriVita Kids Multi-Vitamin
Fruits 'n VegEZ
Add a Sublingual B-12
Sublingual B-12, B-6 & Folic Acid
Super Sublingual B-12
HCY Guard
Take Vital C
A teaspoon in the morning
A tablet at bedtime
Add OmegaPrime for healthy fats
Consider special needs for extra nutrition
VitaCal-Mag D or Bone Growth Factor
Essential D
Leanology Capsules

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

18. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

What Are Blue Zones and Why Are They Important?
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Science Officer

I recently read a book called Blue Zones by the National Geographic Explorer, Daniel Buettner. It was fascinating. Mr. Buettner used a scientific approach that studied the communities in the world where people lived longer, to at least age 100, and reported the highest levels of well-being. He came up with 9 commonalities, i.e., habits they practiced, which led to their Wellness.

Let me share with you those commonalities, plus information on a blue zone we have right here in the Sonora Desert!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Where are these Blue Zones?
Some of the Blue Zones Mr. Buettner studied are in Sardinia, Italy, Okinawa, Japan, Loma Linda, California, Nicoya, Costa Rica, and Icara, Greece. Please understand, Blue Zones are not the only places in the world where people live to be 100. But in these Blue Zone communities, in particular, there are higher incidences of people reaching 100 years of age and beyond.

Blue Zones are not magical places. Instead, they are communities where specific habits and practices combine in just the right way to foster greater longevity and wellness. So what are these habits?

9 Habits, 10 Essentials
There is a list of primary habits that make up the collection of Blue Zone longevity secrets. They are called the Power-9. As you might expect, the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness encompass these same points, and even perhaps explain them a bit better, too. The Power-9 are

Move naturally
Know Your Purpose
Down-shift, stress management
The 80 percent rule, only fill your stomach 80 percent full at mealtimes
Plant Slant, primarily a vegetarian diet
Wine at 5, our Italian friends celebrate happy hour with 2 glasses of wine daily
Family First
Belong, nearly all centenarians were devout worshippers
The Right Tribe, a collection of emotionally healthy friends

We can readily see the nature of the 10 Essentials of Health and Wellness in comparison to the Power-9. For example, rather than saying that we should have an emotionally healthy Tribe of friends, the 10 Essentials teach us how to be an emotionally healthy friend. Give and Receive Love. Be Forgiving. Develop Acceptance. Practice Gratitude. Invaluable principles indeed!

Still, the Power-9 are an excellent set of habits that can help you improve and enrich both the quality and the quantity of your life years. Mr. Buettner, in true scientific fashion, even assigns a number of years you can expect to gain from adding each new habit to your lifestyle, e.g., 8 years added to your life by eating a plant-based diet.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Nurturing and Nutrients
The Blue Zones book says that you can add at least 4 years to your life as you realize your sense of Purpose. I especially appreciate that someone besides the TriVita Wellness Community recognizes the importance of Purpose as life benefit. As it has been said, It can add years to your life, and life to your years. The disciplines of health, such as getting enough sleep and eating nutritiously, are really only sustainable if we have a powerful sense of Purpose driving us.

The same is true of getting the nutrients we need to correct deficiencies, support detoxification, reduce the impact of stress and break the cycle of inflammation. If a person has a clearly defined sense of Purpose, they will craft a program of Foundational Nutrition to get them where they want to go.

This is what we learned from the Pima people right here in the Sonora Desert. Though they lack the genetics to reach 100 years of age, the Pima living in their traditional culture live nearly 50 percent longer than those living in our civilized culture. Compare that to the 20 percent to 30 percent lifespan improvement of the other Blue Zones and you can see how the Purpose-driven, anti-inflammatory lifestyle of the Pima helps them create their own, personal Blue Zone.

We can travel on the same journey as our Pima friends. By realizing our Purpose, learning and living the 10 Essentials for Wellness, and supporting our journey with appropriate nutrients, we can create our own one-person Blue Zone and stake our personal claim for a life of Passion, Mission and Purpose!

Take Control of Your Health

Claim your sense of Purpose
Learn and Live the 10 Essentials
Breathe Deeply
Drink Pure Water
Sleep Peacefully
Eat Nutritiously
Enjoy Activity
Give and Receive Love
Be Forgiving
Practice Gratitude
Develop Acceptance
Develop a Relationship with God
Take your Foundation Nutrition daily
Vital C, 1 teaspoon in the morning; 1 tablet at bedtime)
Sublingual B-12, original, Super B or HCY Guard
Omega Prime, 1 per 50 pounds of body weight
VitaDaily AM/PM or Wellavoh multi-nutrient complexes
Essential D
Help reduce Inflammation and the impact of Stress
Nopalea
Adaptogen 10 Plus

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

19. Anti-Inflammatory Product

Anti-Inflammatory Product

Nopalea defends your body against dangerous toxins that ...threaten cellular health
...lead to inflammation
...and trigger a whole host of diseases
Here is how it helps the body thrive.

The power of Betalains
Harnessing the power of Betalains, a rare and potent class of antioxidants that flourish in the Nopal cactus, Nopalea delivers scientifically proven health benefits.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Detoxify your body
Every day, we are exposed to toxins in our air, water and food, and even toxins created by our own bodies. Nopalea combines its Betalains with other antitoxic ingredients to combat these poisons where they strike us first, right inside the trillions of cells in our bodies.

By increasing the activity of CYP 2E1, a special enzyme that neutralizes daily toxins, Nopalea protects your cells and vital organs, especially your liver, against the carcinogens, hormone disruptors, respiratory toxins, developmental toxins and neurotoxins that are responsible for one quarter of all the worlds diseases.

Reduce inflammation
When toxins assault your system, or when injury or infection strikes, your body responds with a complex biological process commonly referred to as inflammation. If this inflammation goes unchecked, it can lead to a wide variety of disorders, from stroke to arthritis to heart disease.

Nopalea specifically targets signs of inflammation in your body and reduces them quickly. Its Betalains and other anti-inflammatory ingredients work directly on the fluid surrounding your cells. There, they draw off the toxins and excess water to reduce inflammation and rebalance the cellular environment.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Protect against premature aging
Your skin is a miraculous covering that protects you from harm. Pollution, toxins, radiation and other potentially damaging influences are kept out of your body by your skin, in which vital organs are protected inside. One of the first signs of aging is thin, sagging, withered skin that is easily damaged.

Nopalea rushes to these damaged areas to shore up your protective layer. The Betalains in Nopalea fill in the gaps of your cells, including the cells in your skin, and return them to the firm, robust nature of young cells, at any age. By providing a healthy environment for the cell, Betalains keep it from withering.

More health benefits
Want even more reasons to drink Nopalea? Scientific research shows that Nopalea also helps the body to

Increase energy
Boost the immune system
Protect against fluid retention
Neutralize free radicals

Nopalea ... drink it and thrive. I did. Anti-Inflammatory Product

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

20. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Is Homocysteine Your Titanic Iceberg?
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

If the word homocysteine is new to you, let us step back a minute and talk about the Titanic. Yes, the cruise liner that sank after hitting an iceberg in 1912. Imagine what would have happened if the captain of that ship changed his course before the icebergs appeared. Would the outcome have been different? My point is this. The earlier you change your course with respect to your health, the better your chances for a healthy life! And that is why it is important to know about homocysteine, HCY, sooner rather than later.

Homocysteine, HCY, has been studied in medicine behind the scenes for more than 40 years. Excessive levels of HCY have been linked to many serious conditions, from heart attacks and stroke, to osteoporosis and Alzheimers disease. We know that low homocysteine equals a low risk of disease. We also know that TriVitas HCY Guard may help your body reduce homocysteine 35 percent in just six weeks for most people. How does this affect you?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Protection is the key
According to major medical studies, the risk of disease goes up as HCY levels go up. Further, the nutrients in TriVitas HCY Guard, when added to a lifestyle program, were found to help people avoid illness over time.
Sadly, many people with advanced heart disease wait until they are too close to the iceberg. For them, it is often too little, too late. Still, 40 years of medical research tells us that changing the course of our health journey earlier, before a serious health crisis occurs, will result in a healthier life.

How HCY kills
Homocysteine is a fraction of protein like a sliver of broken glass. When it gets into your bloodstream in high concentrations it slices the delicate lining of your blood vessels. When the tissues supplied by these blood vessels lose circulation, they will die. If this happens in your heart it is called a heart attack. If it happens in your brain it is called a stroke, or brain attack. Arteries damaged by homocysteine may spasm under stress.

Basic nutrients from a healthy diet improve HCY levels in the bloodstream. TriVitas HCY Guard contains specific nutrients, such as Vitamin B-12, B-6, folic acid and biotin, which further help to reduce HCY levels and the destruction HCY causes to your bones, blood vessels and heart, as well as your delicate brain cells.

Additional nutrients in HCY Guard such as Choline, Inositol, CoEnzyme Q-10 and Dimethylglycine keep the HCY levels down over time. The protein Methionine promotes a healthy HCY cycle, and other proteins such as Lysine, Taurine and Cysteine remove roadblocks to healthy HCY elimination. These roadblocks may include lead, mercury and other toxins.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Reduced homocysteine by 35 percent
In 2004 we undertook a study of HCY Guard. Our research partner in this study was Mark Mattie, M.D., Ph.D., of Bridgeport University and Yale University. The results of our study demonstrated that the complete ingredients found in HCY Guard helped the body reduce homocysteine an incredible 35 percent!

Remember, HCY Guard is protection, not treatment. Health only comes from healthy living. As captain of your ship, you simply cannot afford to wait until you see icebergs to change the course of your health. Have your homocysteine levels tested frequently. If they are low, keep them low with TriVitas Sublingual B-12. If they are too high, help reduce them by taking HCY Guard, the only supplement proven in university studies to help reduce HCY by 35 percent!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

21. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

How to Keep Your Heart Healthy
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

Death is Natures way of saying, Slow down, take it easy
Ahh, to slow down for a moment To go through life relaxed instead of pedal-to-the-metal!

We call the cycle of chronic stress Fight or Flight. It describes the reaction of our nervous system when we are confronted with a life-threatening circumstance. Our nervous system governs homeostasis, which controls our hormones, sugar balance and energy production. Our nervous system controls our heart and vascular system as well.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The gas, the brakes
Our car is equipped with an accelerator to make it go and brakes to make it stop. Our nervous system is divided into two separate systems that function in much the same way. The sympathetic nervous system reacts and responds to stimuli from outside our body such as noise, cold and heat. It reacts to pain or even the threat of pain and loss. It reacts when you are tickled. It is sympathetic to emotions such as fear and anger.

Our parasympathetic nervous system works to bring us back into balance when stressful circumstances are past and the hormones of stress start to drop. The parasympathetic nervous system runs everything in your body, heart, brain, immune system, digestion, reproduction, everything!

The sympathetic nervous system may tear your body apart to try to solve a momentary crisis. The parasympathetic nervous system builds your body up and allows you to heal when the crisis has resolved.

We need to put the brakes on stress or it will put the brakes on our life!

Hormones, stress and heart attacks
If our body is parasympathetic-dominant we experience all the colors of life from an optimum state. Our breathing is relaxed, our digestion is complete and our circulation is wide open. Our thyroid is busily building up our muscles, bones and organs and our heart is cooperating by ensuring a nutrient-rich supply of blood.

If our body is sympathetic-dominant it is stressed. Our thyroid cannot complete its building function so our brain pumps out more and more stimulating hormones. Our liver releases huge amounts of sugar and cholesterol. Our blood pressure increases and our heart rate increases as nutrients are choked off from non-Fight or Flight systems, such as breathing, reproduction and digestion.

One of the most vulnerable of all systems to sympathetic dominance is the cardiovascular system, your heart and blood vessels. If they have been constricted for too long because of stress, they will lose their ability to return to normal when you relax. Soon, semi-permanent changes will occur in these systems as we become accustomed to stressful living.

Running the engine of your car at top speed exhausts your fuel supply very quickly. Running your body in sympathetic dominance exhausts your nutrient reserves as well. This is especially true of your antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as Vitamins C and B-12, as well as essential fatty acids that serve as the primary fuel for your heart.

When your car runs out of fuel, it sputters and dies. It is the same way for your heart!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

What to do

Deep breathing
Unlike your car, your body is designed to heal given the right circumstances. We can switch our nervous system to parasympathetic dominance by practicing deep breathing. Take breathing breaks for 10 minutes, twice daily. Practice deep breathing for 20 minutes before sleeping. This is a major step toward relaxing. Keep it up every day and in four to six months your cardiovascular system can begin to heal.

Activity
Enjoy low-stress exercise for at least 30 minutes daily. This will open your blood vessels and even help your body to build new blood vessels.

Nutrients
Use antioxidant nutrients such as Vital C and eat antioxidant-rich foods at every meal. Use anti-inflammatory supplements: Cholestria to help raise HDL, good cholesterol, and help reduce inflammatory LDL, bad cholesterol, and HCY Guard, homocysteine is a very inflammatory toxin! And fuel your heart with essential fatty acids from OmegaPrime.

Take your foot off the gas with anti-stress exercises. Put more fuel in your tank with nutrients and nurturing. Slow down a little, or Nature will send you an unwanted message!

Take Control of Your Health

Recognize the danger of stress. Do not trivialize it!
Practice deep breathing
10 minutes, twice daily
20 minutes at bedtime
Enjoy activity, 30 minutes daily, most days of the week
Eat fruits and vegetables as well as Vital C for antioxidants
Use Cholestria to help increase good cholesterol and help reduce bad cholesterol
Use HCY Guard to help reduce toxic homocysteine
Eat healthy fats and OmegaPrime to help nourish your heart

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

22. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Improve your Digestive Health
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

Digestive complaints are among the most common reasons for doctor visits. And, among the top-selling medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, are remedies for digestive disorders such as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, GERD, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS. Why do we have such an abundance of digestive problems these days? What can you do if you are plagued with poor digestive health?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Different people, different needs
First, we need to recognize that we are all different. Also, we need to look for the ways that we are alike. This is crucial in discovering why you may be experiencing indigestion.

We are different in that every person on the planet has different fingerprints. Even genetically identical twins have different fingerprints. So, the lifestyle that works for one person may not work for another. Even the lifestyle that promotes health for you at age 30 may be damaging to your health at 50. To drill down even further, the foods that satisfy you in the winter may disturb your digestion in the summer.

Do not try to squeeze yourself into a one-size-fits-all plan. Instead, be curious about how your body responds in different situations and learn to listen when it speaks to you.

Humans are similar in many ways. The human diet may vary widely, but the essential ingredients of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and water are universally required for human health. Some have suggested that the best diet derives 40 percent of the total calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein and 30 percent from fats. Other experts recommend a different distribution of nutrients based on specific needs. It may take some trial and error to find out how your specific needs are similar to others and how they are different.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Specific diets
Proper food combining is one approach to easing digestive upsets. Although not everyone responds well to this approach, many people with IBS and GERD do. Eating according to your blood type is another approach. Again, not all people respond well to this approach but many people with IBS and GERD do. I say many because even within these groups there are individual adjustments needed depending on the seasons of peoples lives.

Here are several other diet approaches that may help your digestive health

Weed, seed and feed

We need to weed out the foods that bother us. Another similarity between people with GERD and IBS is in the way their nerves energize their digestive tracts. Nerves carry information back to our brain. Areas such as our fingertips are more sensitive because they have a greater concentration of nerves. People with IBS and GERD often have many more nerves in their digestive tissues than those who do not have these disorders. This makes it even more important to reduce irritating foods to prevent the discomfort of information overload. To identify the foods that bother you, keep a detailed food diary and make small modifications, tracking any reactions and adjusting your diet accordingly.

We need to seed the digestive tract with B-12 to grow healthy stomach and intestine cells. We have found that people with digestive troubles always seem to take Vitamin B-12, and now we know why. Poor digestion limits the amount of B-12 you can break down. Low levels of B-12 lead to increased levels of homocysteine in the digestive tract, even when blood levels of homocysteine are normal! Homocysteine is an inflammatory protein that causes extreme irritation to delicate digestive tissues. Reducing inflammation and irritation allows for a healing environment in your digestive system. Vitamin B-12 helps this process.

Feed your internal environment with pre-biotics and pro-biotics. The human digestive tract contains over 300 species of bacteria. They serve as part of our immune system and also help to ferment and break down certain nutrients. We need to support our digestive bacteria with pre-biotics and pro-biotics. These are specific nutrients that feed good bacteria, without feeding bad microbes.

You need to feed the good microbes and help them flourish. This will improve digestion, reduce inflammation and improve your immune system. Every good farmer knows that the health of the soil determines the health of the crop. And, good crops resist bad bugs.

Complex problems
There is no cure for many digestive difficulties. Often, GERD and IBS fall into the no known cure category. That may be because these functional maladies are normal responses to abnormal environments. Develop an environment that soothes your digestive tract instead of irritating it. Find out what your system prefers. Cultivate respect for what makes you different and learn to listen to your body.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Take Control of Your Health

Select fats that do not irritate your system
Choose foods high in soluble fiber including plenty of fruits and vegetables
Combine starches and proteins in a way that works for you
Be sure to drink plenty of water every day.

To calculate your daily water needs, use the simple formula below. Cold water may irritate your stomach so try to drink water that is room temperature.

Example. A 150-pound person would need to drink about 75 ounces of water per day. 150 divided by 2 equals 75 ounces

Breathe deeply for at least 20 minutes every day to help relax
Take B-12 at least once daily
Take pre-biotics and pro-biotics to help with digestive health

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

23. Anti-Inflammatory Product

Anti-Inflammatory Product

How Nopalea aids the body in healing
Its Betalains, come to the rescue
Betalains, pronounced bay ta lins, are a rare and potent class of antioxidants that flourish in the Nopal cactus fruit. Nopalea harnesses the power of this desert Superfruit and its Betalains to bring you scientifically proven health benefits.

These Betalains have been scientifically proven, in hundreds of studies, to help the body detoxify itself and reduce inflammation.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

More about those amazing Betalains
Betalains are the pigments that give the Nopal cactus fruit its vibrant pink color. But that is just the beginning. They are also natural antioxidants, and they are found only in a few of the worlds plants. And among these plants, the Nopal fruit is the leader, by far, as it contains one of the highest amounts of Betalains in all of nature.

How Betalains help with your wellness
When you drink Nopalea, its Betalains enter your system and begin to restore your bodys vitality at the cellular level. They do this by helping your body reduce the toxins surrounding its cells, which allows more essential nutrients to reach each cell. As a result, your cells are better fed and energized to repair and replace damaged tissues and reduce the reactive inflammation, keeping it from becoming chronic and leading 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.1
Reduce bad cholesterol. Betalains strongly reduce oxidized LDL cholesterol.2
Protect cells from toxins. Betalains protect many types of cells, especially brain cells, from toxins known to trigger tumors.3
Protect your liver. Betalains provide significant protection from toxins that directly affect your liver.4

But getting those precious Betalains can be difficult.

That is why I take an inflammation fighter. Take the Wellness Challenge

The average U.S. or Canadian diet is typically devoid of Betalains. The main reason for this is that Betalains are only available from a few types of plants, like the Nopal cactus, beets, Swiss chard and a few weeds and fungi.

Furthermore, not all Betalain producing plants are equal. Plants produce Betalains to protect themselves from harsh environments, so the harsher the environment, the greater the Betalain production. That is why, among all of the worlds plants, the Nopal cactus has the highest concentrations of Betalains. It lives in the brutally inhospitable conditions of the Sonoran Desert.

So if inflammation is the problem, then Nopalea is a natural solution.

1.Antioxidant Betalains from cactus pear, Opuntia ficus-indica, inhibit endothelial ICAM 1 expression. C Gentile, L Tesoriere, M Allegra, M A Livrea, P DAlessio Dipartimento Farmacochimico, Tossicologico e Biologico, Universit� di Palermo, Italy.
2.Allegra M, Tesoriere L, Livrea MA. Free Radic Res. 2007 Mar 41 3 335 through 341.
3.Lee MH, Kim JY, Yoon JH, Lim HJ, Kim TH, Jin C, Kwak WJ, Han CK, Ryu JH. Phytother Res. 2006 Sep 20 9 742 through 747.
4.Galati EM, Mondello MR, Lauriano ER, Taviano MF, Galluzzo M, Miceli N. Phytother Res. 2005 Sep 19 9 796 through 800.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

24. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Remember These Signs of Failing Memory

A fat, healthy brain thrives on Sublingual B-12 and Nopalea
By Dr. Scott Conard

Do you suspect that a memory problem has developed for you, or someone in your life? While it is normal to sometimes forget where you put your car keys, be alert for the signs that something more serious is occurring. It may be time to consult a healthcare professional if

Memory loss is disrupting daily life. If tasks that used to be routine, such as balancing a checkbook or bathing, become difficult, action should be taken.

Lapses are becoming more frequent. It is not normal to forget where you parked every day, or to forget appointments over and over.

You easily forget well-known things. Forgetting the name of a close friend or relative could be significant. Other potential tip-offs of trouble could be forgetting entire conversations, frequently repeating yourself or asking the same questions more than once in the same conversation.

There are signs of confusion. As I have been writing in the VitaJournal for years, memory, energy and mental clarity are key benefits of supplementing with TriVita Sublingual B-12. More recently, a growing body of research has linked an actual reduction in the size of our brains to low levels of B-12. That loss of volume, along with inflammation, is the enemy of a fully-functioning, full-sized brain. Of course, that is where the anti-inflammatory benefits of Nopalea combine with Sublingual B-12 for a powerful combination.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Brain erosion, B-12 and inflammation
Our brains do become smaller over time. Normally, this loss of volume begins after age 30. After age 50, it can become severe. In fact, some 25 percent of our brain volume can erode by age 60. And this may have to do with our inability to absorb Vitamin B-12 as we age. Studies have indicated that the people with the highest level of B-12 in their bloodstreams have the lowest level of brain erosion. So, this is a good indicator that a relationship exists between low brain volume and low levels of B-12, and higher brain volume is linked with higher levels of B-12.

What is more, with people who are clinically diagnosed with cognitive, mental, decline, research has shown that sudden, profound memory loss often is directly tied to brain inflammation. In one of the fastest-rising brain conditions affecting mental function, there are three characteristic aspects. People can retain normal mental function if they have two of these aspects, but sudden, severe memory loss is triggered only when inflammation, the third aspect, is present.

With people living longer lives we have seen a significant increase in our lifetime in the number of people suffering from mental decline. What is of equal concern is that often we see people being stricken at younger and younger ages. We know there is a direct correlation between B-12 levels and mental decline, and also a link between brain inflammation and mental decline. So now you can understand why, along with Sublingual B-12, Nopalea, which helps the body reduce inflammation, can be so vital to preserving and maintaining brain health.

In addition, as my colleague at TriVita, Chief Science Officer Brazos Minshew points out, we can not ignore the role that Omega-3 essential fatty acids play in brain health. In fact, just about half of our brains are made of Omega-3, so it is important to make sure that we get enough of this good fat through healthy eating and supplementation. I suggest TriVitas OmegaPrime.

Remember! When memory seems to be failing, consult your healthcare provider. And consider TriVita Sublingual B-12 and Nopalea together as important steps toward helping you be sharp, and to stay that way.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

25. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Getting the Sleep You Need
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Officer

What is stealing my brain?

There is a thief on the loose. It is stealing the ability of people to be healthy, think clearly and live a satisfying life. It is called sleep deprivation.

There are four common causes of disease, trauma, toxicity, deficiency and stress. Severe sleep deficiency affects more than 70 million people in North America, about 25 percent of the general population or 1 in 4 people. Episodes of mild sleep deficiency affect just about all of us. Sleep deficiency has been directly linked to more than 70 diseases and conditions, including

Heart attacks
Stroke
Cancer
Diabetes
Obesity

Since sleep deficiency is a cause or contributor to a poor quality of life and so many horrible diseases, does it not make sense to do what we can to ensure peaceful sleep?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

What is normal?
Men and women should go to sleep between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. and wake between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. They should sleep between 7 and a half and 9 hours every night. It should take between 5 and 15 minutes to fall asleep and you should remain asleep all night. Sleep should be peaceful. There should be no thrashing, teeth-grinding, snoring or fitful sleep. Nightmares and night terrors are not normal. They should be investigated and resolved if they occur commonly. You should dream, but you may not always remember your dreams.

How do I know?
Many people have a sleeping disorder and do not know it. A bed partner may be a good source of information about sleeping habits, but there are two good signs of disturbed sleep requiring intervention

Fatigue. Fatigue is obvious, right? If you sleep all night and wake up feeling tired it means there is a problem. If you are sleepy throughout the day, have difficulty concentrating and tend to doze off if you sit still, then you are obviously sleep deficient, no matter how many hours you actually spent asleep.
Hunger. Hunger is different. There is a balance between hormones that promote hunger and those that make us feel that our appetite has been satisfied. If you sleep well you should be hungry in the morning. If you sleep poorly you will not be hungry for several hours after you wake up. If you sleep well you should have no difficulty controlling evening hunger. If you sleep poorly you will be an uncontrollable eating machine in the evening! Evening hunger is often a sign of poor sleep.

...And my brain?
As we age, there is a tendency for our brain to actually shrink. Adequate amounts of sleep, Vitamin B-12 and Omega-3 DHA can help reduce this tendency and conserve your brain volume as you age. Perhaps even more important than the size of your brain is the ability to think. Sleep helps here, too.

A study published in Nature in 2004 gave problem-solving puzzles to people who had adequate sleep at night, people who slept during the day and people who were sleep deprived. The test was very interesting because you had to solve eight different puzzles. The puzzles were not obviously linked, but were connected by a hidden rule requiring a special human trait called insight.

The human brain functions differently than animal brains. One of the unique qualities of humans is the ability to re-think and restructure our approach to problems based on abstract observations. We can gain this kind of insight by connecting things that do not obviously appear connected and use this abstract knowledge to improve our circumstances.

People who sleep better at night have twice the insight of those who are either sleep deprived or who sleep during the daytime. Our brains simply work better when we sleep peacefully at night.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Sleep requires nutrients
Sleep is a very energy-intensive process. For peaceful sleep, we should take our foundation nutrients to fuel the process of sleep. If we are having difficulty getting good sleep, try TriVita Peaceful Sleep, one of my favorite formulas!

Sleeping peacefully is a way to thwart the thief that is stealing the health of people all around the world. What is more, sleeping peacefully may just be the cure for a generation of people lacking true insight!

Take Control of Your Health

Make sleep a priority. Set aside time for optimum sleep
Limit caffeine to morning only, if at all
Turn down lights in the evening
Turn off computers, television and video terminals
Practice deep breathing for 20 minutes at bedtime
Take foundation nutrients to fuel sleep
Use TriVita Peaceful Sleep to help re-establish a normal sleep routine

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

26. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Which B-12 Supplement Is Right For You?
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

Question. TriVita has several Sublingual B-12 supplements. Which one should I take?

Answer: It depends on your needs.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

There are three ways of looking at need in Vitamin B-12

Take the Wellness Challenge.

This should help you see the need for Vitamin B-12 as well as give you the tools you need to decide which ones you need!

Take Control of Your Health

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

27. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Energy and Metabolism
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

The World Health Organization, WHO, states, Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It is the ability to lead a socially and economically productive life.

Does that describe you? Or, like many people in North America, are you just too tired to think about being socially and economically productive?

If you feel too tired to do much more than read this article, do not feel alone. Up to 85 percent of the people that visit a doctor for any reason also complain of being chronically tired. It seems that we are in the middle of an energy crisis that has nothing to do with petroleum production!

When we talk about energy we need to distinguish the difference between the ability to survive and the feeling of being energetic. We must admit that even the sickest person is converting nutrients to energy in order to survive. Yet, we want to do more than survive. We want to feel energetic. We want to have the energy to dream and then have the energy to live those dreams. We want to feel our best every day. Is that possible?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Eating for energy, fats, protein, and carbohydrates
As I mentioned, energy comes from the way our body burns nutrients such as fats, protein, and carbohydrates. These nutrients must be metabolized. The word metabolism is from a Greek word that describes the process of creating energy from food. This description gives us the first hint as to how we can create and sustain an energetic feeling, by balancing our diet every day.

A balanced diet must include

7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables, for adults
30 plus grams of high quality protein
20 to 35 grams of fiber daily

Sugars from the foods we eat provide us with ready energy, but it does not last very long. Proteins are converted to energy at a much slower pace and provide us with a more stable supply of energy, five times as much energy per gram as sugar.

However, when it comes to providing energy, fat is the undisputed champion. Fat provides us with stamina. It burns slowly and steadily up to 8 times longer than sugar. So for stamina that lasts all day and into the evening hours, select foods high in good fats.

Many experts say that we should get as much as 30 percent of our total calories per day from fat. This may mean more than 70 grams of fat for a 2,200 calorie per day diet. That is a lot of fat! But do not reach for the French fries just yet. You see, all foods contain fat. Fat is as important for plants as it is for humans. So, select fats from foods that are known for high energy, such as vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes, and certain types of fish.

Take Control of Your Health

Try these nutrients for extra energy
Fat burners such as Indium Sulfate, Chromium, Alpha Lipoic acid, Folic acid and Biotin.
Proteins that increase metabolism such as l-Phenylalanine and l-Theanine.
B-vitamins that nourish the nervous system, especially B-12, DiMethylglycine, DMG, and Trimethylglycine, TMG.
Antioxidant plants that increase metabolism such as Green Tea, Gymnema Sylvestre, Cinnamon, and Ginseng.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

28. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Your World is Spinning! It Could Be Vertigo

Benign vertigo
Vertigo is not usually a sign of a serious disease. It is typically transient, it comes and goes, and resolves on its own without medical care. The most common cause is an upper respiratory infection such as a sinus infection. Most people who suffer with vertigo learn instinctively to sit up slowly and avoid quick movements of the head.

If benign vertigo is associated with allergies, Vitamin C is in my personal opinion an absolutely awesome antihistamine. Using the VisionGuard.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Menieres disease
An extremely persistent type of vertigo is Menieres disease. It is vertigo associated with ringing or buzzing in the ears, tinnitus, and hearing loss. Menieres is a progressive disease. Trauma, toxins, infections and other causes may trigger Menieres. Rapid medical intervention is needed to determine the exact cause of this condition. When the cause is removed the condition may improve.

This is important! Please check with your healthcare provider before starting the Vitamin C Flush.

Take Control of Your Health

For vertigo associated with
Allergies use Vitamin C
Circulation use VisionGuard
Menieres use Vitamin B-12 plus all of the above
See your doctor to determine the cause of vertigo!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

29. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases

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 todays 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.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

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 TriVitas 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.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

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!

Take Control of Your Health

Remove household cleaners from your living space
Keep clear of chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides
Select certified organic foods when possible
Take a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement
Eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids
Salmon, tuna, herring and other fatty fish
Walnuts, especially English walnuts
Take an Omega EFA supplement
Help your body reduce inflammation with Betalains found in Nopalea
Protect yourself from emotional distress with B-12 and adaptogens

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

30. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Allergies, Asthma and Your Environment

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?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

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 do not. And certain people experience asthma while others do not. 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.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

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 do not 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.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

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!

Take Control of Your Health

Drink pure water
Eat nutritiously
Practice deep breathing at least 20 minutes every day
Take high levels of OmegaPrime to help strengthen delicate cells
Take Super Sublingual B-12 to help your body reduce histamine formation
Use Nopalea to help your body reduce inflammation
Take CoQ-10 for greater energy
Use Vital C to detoxify your body
Get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week
Get 7 and a half to 9 hours of sleep per night

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

31. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Regain Energy with Healthy Habits
By Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

A full 85 percent of the people I saw in clinical practice 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 number 3, Sleep Peacefully. Typically, a good nights sleep will erase fatigue, it may take several nights. Cultivating the habit of sleeping 7 and half 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.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

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 does not 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 not 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.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

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 do not 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.

Take Control of Your Health

Learn and live the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness
Take VitaDaily AM-PM to support your good health
Help detoxify with Nopalea
Help reduce stress with Adaptogen 10 Plus
Enjoy lasting energy with TriVita Sublingual B-12
Change your mindset. Change your life!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

32. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Simple Solutions to Indigestion
By Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

Last year, we spent over 5.1 billion dollars for just one popular acid indigestion medicine. This price does not even include all the dozens of other prescription and non-prescription medications on the market. These medications are designed to treat the symptoms associated with digestive problems. But what causes indigestion in the first place? Also, are there any natural strategies for relieving the many digestive disorders we face today?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The four primary causes of indigestion

Stomach Trauma. This type of trauma is pretty common, usually resulting in a hiatus hernia. With this type of hernia, the stomach is pushed up through the same hole in the diaphragm that the esophagus is routed through. Surgery or manual reduction, literally repositioning your stomach, is usually needed to repair the condition.

Digestive Toxins. These are very common. Sources of dietary toxins include
Contaminated foods
Allergy to wheat, and other gluten-containing grains
Overconsumption
Junk food
Poor food combinations

The key to solving this problem is to be sensible about your food choices. Avoid allergens and eat only food that is hygienically prepared. Select high water-content fruits and vegetables, 5 servings daily for children, 7 servings for women and 9 servings daily for men. These foods tend to be naturally high in fiber and low in toxicity. Also, add a small serving of high-quality protein to the diet. And avoid dietary extremes like consuming a gallon of jalapeno peppers on a dare. I'll never do that again! With all foods, chew them completely to a liquid consistency before swallowing. All these things will help reduce the toxic load on the stomach.

Critical Deficiencies. The deficiencies that cause indigestion are usually related to fiber, Vitamin B-12, beneficial bacteria and digestive enzymes. Poor diet, stress, antibiotics and other medications are common causes of these deficiencies. The risk of experiencing critical deficiencies also increases with age and the number of medications you take.

Stress. Stress is by far the most common cause of digestive complaints. When under stress, the homeostasis body process responds by taking energy away from digestion and pouring it into the fight or flight mechanism. A simple way of remembering this process is that stress works to pull your body apart and homeostasis works to put it back together.

When stress interferes with the digestion process your stomach responds by releasing less pepsinogen, a hormone, in response to a food stimulus. In turn, this prevents enough pepsin, an enzyme, from forming to cancel out the excess hydrochloric acid in your stomach. This results in a condition we commonly call acid indigestion.

The poorly digested foods may sit like rocks in the stomach for hours before they are released into the small intestine. The starches may also ferment and cause gas and bloating. Furthermore, bad bacteria and parasites in food that were not killed by stomach acids may start to grow in your intestines and cause an infection. The immune system responds by creating allergy complexes.

Inflammation from both allergic reactions and infection may affect the pancreas and gallbladder. In addition, stress-induced inflammation in the small intestines will create more inflammation in the large intestines. Plus, chronic stress often triggers a host of other digestive conditions such as irritable bowel, colitis, gallbladder disease and pancreatitis.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The solutions to indigestion

Reduce stress
Resolving poor digestive health first begins with reducing your response to stress. Deep breathing is my favorite approach to stress management. Simply taking three deep breaths can break the cycle of chronic stress. Ten minutes of deep breathing is even better as your stress levels are often reduced by 50 percent. After 20 minutes of deep breathing your brain will begin releasing the hormones that repair your body, including your digestive tract. Practice deep breathing 10 minutes before each meal and 20 minutes at bedtime.

Eat the right foods
Food selection is important. High-fiber and high water-content fruits and vegetables are the foundation for good digestive health. Chew your foods until they are completely liquified before swallowing. Many nutritionists advise against eating starchy carbohydrates and proteins at the same meal. For example, steak and potatoes would be a poor food combination. Most adults cannot digest milk products so anyone unable to tolerate dairy should avoid it. Also, gluten-containing grains, wheat, rye, oats, etc., should be avoided by people with gluten sensitivity.

Take the right supplements
We should always remember to address the problems root cause. If it is chronic stress, then stress reduction is the best strategy. You can bolster your defense against stress with Vitamin B-12, necessary for digesting protein, and adaptogens.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Stress-related digestive problems, even those with genetic roots, can often be solved with these stress-management techniques. Be sure to always address these problems in cooperation with your health care provider. And remember, there is no problem, no matter how dire or complex, that cannot be improved by a vigorous application of the Ten Essentials.

Take Control of Your Health

Deep breathing to reduce the effects of stress
10 minutes before each meal
20 minutes at bedtime
Improve your diet
High-fiber fruits and vegetables
Chew food until it is liquid
Combine foods appropriately
Avoid food allergens and junk food
Adaptogen 10 Plus before each meal
Reduce the impact of stress on digestion
Sublingual B-12 daily
Essential for protein digestion

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Start a health and wellness business. Here is your webinar invite for more information: Webinar Invitation.

33. B-12 Vitamins

Follow-up on B-12 Vitamins at Tomorrow's Home Business Community

Original Article Posted at B-12 Vitamins

Lower Your Risk of Mental Decline
By Dr. Scott Conard

There is new reason to feel good about your brain health if you supplement with Vitamin B-12. Yet another study has recently been published that supports the link between B-12 and staying mentally sharp.

The study, published in the journal Neurology, concluded that people who get plenty of Vitamin B-12 have a significantly lower risk of developing a brain disorder that involves memory loss, confusion and other serious symptoms of mental decline. The researchers, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, wrote a conclusion with which I heartily agree. This study provides even more strong evidence about B-12s role in helping to protect against memory loss.

Here are the details. Blood samples were taken from 271 people from Finland who were involved in a CAIDE study. It translates as Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia. They ranged in age between 65 and 79, and none had any symptoms of mental decline when the study began seven years ago.

During those seven years, 17 of the study participants developed clinically-diagnosed mental decline. Significantly, the scientists found that no matter what the age, gender, body mass or blood pressure of all the people involved, it was their levels of B-12 that had a direct link with lowering their risk of problems with mental function.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Be good to your brain, B-12

Of course, as an advocate of B-12 for maximum mental function, I am thrilled to see medical science offering still more evidence of what a powerhouse this vitamin is. The clinical support for maintaining high levels of B-12 has been steadily building over the past couple of years.

That is one of the many reasons that when patients come to me with mood, memory and energy complaints, I advise them to supplement with the form of B-12 that gives maximum absorption, TriVita Sublingual B-12. Because it dissolves under the tongue, Sublingual B-12 goes directly into your bloodstream in a formula that helps you enjoy

Sustained mental energy and stamina
Greater mental focus and alertness
Improved memory and concentration
Better mood and sense of well-being

If you or a loved one would like to feel more energized, focused and upbeat, I urge you to try TriVita Sublingual B-12. Even if you give yourself all the healthy advantages of smart eating and exercise, you could be suffering a B-12 deficiency. Some of the most common risk factors for insufficient levels of Vitamin B-12 include stress, age, taking certain prescription medications, a vegetarian lifestyle, stomach surgery or disease, and digestive problems.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Even the young are at risk

We know that as we age, our bodies are less able to absorb all the B-12 we need from food. But here is something we did not know until fairly recently. Even young people are not immune from this absorption problem.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at B-12 blood levels among participants in three age groups, 65 and over, 50-64, and 26-49. They all had approximately the same levels of B-12 deficiency. That is right. People as young as 26 turned out to be as B-12 deficient as some people over 65!

Over the last few years, other studies have shown that B-12 deficiencies are associated with a range of health problems, from brain shrinkage to memory loss to attention disorders. I hope the latest research from Scandinavia gives you more reason to start, or stay with, your Sublingual B-12 regimen. And if you have made a wellness resolution for 2011, I congratulate and support you on your journey.

Reference
B12 Fraction May Lower Risk of Alzheimers. Homocysteine and holotranscobalamin and the risk of Alzheimers disease, a longitudinal study. Neurology 2010, 75:1408-1414. See it at, www.medpagetoday.com/tbprint.cfm?tbid=22815

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

34. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

The Effects of Addiction
by Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

There is much talk within the medical community about the nature of addiction. Is it a disease and, if so, does it have genetic roots? Are addictions strictly physical or are there psychological and moral dimensions to it? The answers to these questions depend to a large extent upon who you ask.

The cause and effects of addiction
In nearly all of the Weekly Wellness Reports, I strive to uncover and explain the root causes of disorders and address them at this base level for truly effective relief. Because there are so many opposing views of addiction, let us start by discussing changes in behavior and chemical changes in the brain and body.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

All addictions have certain things in common

They become the focus of a persons attention
They interfere with stewardship of health, time and resources
They elicit a pleasure response in the brain that tends to escalate over time. This means the addict needs larger doses just to get the same effect. As time progresses, the brain simply does not give the same pleasure response to the addiction as it did in the beginning. When this happens, a person may continue the addictive behavior not necessarily to get pleasure, but just to avoid the pain of withdrawal.

Some common addictions that fit this model include drugs, prescribed or recreational, tobacco, alcohol, sugar and foods in general. Drugs, whether prescribed or recreational, also fit the model. But substances are not the only addictions. Behaviors can also fit the addiction model.

For instance, work can become an addiction. So can procrastination, anger, exercise, stress, video games and text messaging! Virtually anything can become an addiction if it becomes the focus of a persons attention, interferes with daily life and becomes more intense over time. The results of addiction are always the same

Relationships suffer
Resources dwindle
Quality of life is lost.

The physical effects of addiction
When a person repeats an addictive behavior the brain literally and physically changes to accommodate the addiction. However, there are several ways we can address these physical effects.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Omega-3 fatty acids
Our brain is made mostly of fats, three-fourths of it! Two-thirds of the fat in our brain is DHA, an Omega-3 fatty acid. We get DHA directly from fish oils and our bodies make DHA from flax oil and perilla seed oil. Some addictions can alter the fat content of the brain and reduce brain volume. Rehydration with an Omega fatty acid is needed to help assist in this pattern. I suggest several grams of OmegaPrime daily to help re-hydrate the brain.

Vitamin B-12
Accelerated metabolism in any specific area of the brain. For instance, the area most impacted by an addictive behavior can result in the brain becoming scarred and riddled with pockmarks resembling potholes in the road. It will begin to shrink in a process called brain erosion. Vitamin B-12 can help protect against brain erosion and promotes repair in the brain. TriVitas Sublingual B-12 has exceptional absorption to help maximize recovery results. A person in recovery may need three lozenges daily, spread throughout the day, to help the brain recover.

Vitamin C
The brain and body use Vitamin C in the repair process in at least three ways

Detoxification. This occurs in the brain, the liver and in the lymphatic system. There is a way to calculate the maximum amount of Vitamin C your body can use to assist in detoxification. Increases brain-specific antioxidants. Vitamin C increases glutathione, the mother of all brain antioxidants. This protects delicate brain tissues from damage caused by toxins and stress. Promotes chemical balance in the brain. Vitamin C also helps balance the brains chemistry by facilitating detoxification. Chemical imbalance is a key trigger in addictions.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

A balanced lifestyle
The 10 Essentials of Health and Wellness provide the elements needed for a healthy lifestyle. Learn and live these important principles as an aid in the struggle with addictions. I can guarantee that to the extent these Essentials are practiced, health will improve no matter how severe the addiction.

In the final analysis, whether addiction is a disease or not, a person can recover. This may require medical and psychological care, family and spiritual support and a strong desire by the addicted person to improve their condition. The end result for the recovering addict will be physical, emotional and spiritual health both for today and for tomorrow!

Take Control of Your Health

Practice deep breathing for at least 20 minutes daily
Drink one half ounce of water per pound of body weight
Sleep 7 and half to 9 hours every night
Eat 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables daily
Exercise moderately for 30 minutes most days of the week
Nourish healthy relationships
Supplement with the nutrients that can help with the effects of addiction
OmegaPrime
Sublingual B-12
Vitamin C

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

35. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Allergy or Toxin?
By Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

More and more people are experiencing allergies and suffering with the symptoms they bring. In past Wellness Reports we have discussed how histamine receptors trigger inflammation in the four tissues they populate, the airways, the digestive and reproductive tract, our brain and our immune system. Histamine is very inflammatory and easily triggers runaway inflammation.

In this discussion we will look specifically at histamines, toxins and allergies. We will also get a chance to discuss ways to help reduce the impact of allergies and their annoying symptoms.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Allergy or toxin?
The symptoms of allergy may be more obscure than you think. For example, sneezing may be an allergy symptom, but muscle pain, insomnia and acid reflux may also be signs of allergy. These are signs of excessive histamines.

The symptoms of toxicity may also be more obscure than you think. For example, headaches, joint pains, colitis and poor coordination may be signs of toxicity. So may skin eruptions.

Your body has a unique detoxification system. It comes with many fail-safe mechanisms. A toxin may simply be detoxified and rendered harmless, usually by the liver. This is often accomplished through enzymes with the help of antioxidants. These poisons may be turned into useful tools, such as when blood toxins are turned into bile to help us digest fat from our diet.

Some toxins are difficult to detoxify. They may be stored permanently in fat. Other toxins and allergens are stored temporarily in water in the lymphatic system. This is why people get puffy with allergies or toxicity.

Another technique for ridding your body of toxins is excretion through your urine, colon, lungs, breath, about 75 percent of all body toxins are eliminated by breathing deeply, and also through your skin. Toxins that come out through the skin leave distinct blemishes. They may become infected and leave scars. Allergies that affect the skin have a different appearance, usually as large, water-filled blisters or hives. These are signs of excessive histamines.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

How do I know?
How can you tell if you are having an allergic reaction versus a detoxification reaction? Easy, histamines elevate your pulse rate.

Do this. First thing in the morning, before you have a drink of water, before you brush your teeth, before you do anything else sit quietly for a few minutes and count your pulse rate. Count it for a full minute and write it down. Now, ingest the substance you want to test and continue to sit quietly for another 5 minutes. Practice some deep breathing to keep yourself relaxed and calm. At the end of 5 minutes, count your pulse rate again. A substance that is good for you will not elevate your pulse rate. Or, if it does, it will not be much, 2 to 4 beats per minute. If you are allergic to the substance it will elevate your pulse rate a lot, 6 to 8 beats per minute for a mild allergy, 8 to 12 for a moderate allergy and more than 12 for a significant allergy.

You can use this technique with any food or other substance to which you suspect you are allergic.

A word about Nopalea
Over the past few years I have addressed concerns people have while taking Nopalea. Usually, these issues are related to detoxification, and Nopalea is known to promote detoxification, especially of the wastewater in your lymphatic system. Your body may attempt to push these toxins out through your skin, leaving bumps and blemishes. These are not signs of allergy. They are signs of rapid detoxification.

If you experience skin bumps or blemishes, I recommend discontinuing Nopalea for three days, and then taking the pulse test to see if it is a true allergy or merely rapid detoxification.

Remember, anyone may be allergic to anything. So, theoretically, someone may be allergic to Nopalea. But, it is not very likely. More often, skin reactions to Nopalea are detoxification reactions rather than allergy.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

What to do...
If you are allergic to Nopalea, if your pulse rate increases more than 6 beats per minute within 5 minutes while sitting quietly, you may use systematic desensitization to reduce the allergy. Discontinue using Nopalea until the symptoms disappear, then add 1 ounce of Nopalea to 1 quart of pure water and drink this early in the day. Nopalea contains Betalains and Betalains are used to reduce allergy symptoms. You may also supplement with Vital C, a teaspoon in the morning and a tablet at bedtime, and Super B to help reduce the excessive histamine response.

If you are detoxifying too rapidly, if your pulse rate does not go up, or if it only goes up 2 to 4 beats per minute, simply reduce your serving size to a level that is comfortable for you. It will take longer to break the cycle of inflammation, but you will not have to endure the discomfort of pushing toxins out through your skin.

In the end, we are responsible as individuals to learn to listen to the messages from our body. I hope this tool helps you further develop this dialogue with your body now that you know how to tell an allergy from detoxification!

Take Control of Your Health

Use the pulse test on the foods you eat most often
Increase deep breathing
Maximize water consumption
Get adequate sleep and reduce stress
Reduce your exposure to toxins. Go green!
Take Nopalea to help break the cycle of inflammation
Take B-12 to help slow histamine formation
Take Vital C to help dissolve histamines and improve detoxification

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

36. Maniac Marketers' Present

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Self-discipline Is the Price Tag of Leadership in a Work at Home Business -- Part 4.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Maniac Marketers' Conference is held every Thursday.

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

37. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

Down the hatch! Digestion and Your Health
By Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

As people, we love to eat. All of our most cherished and joyous celebrations surround food somehow. And judging from the expanding waistlines of many folks in North America, we must be the happiest people on Earth!

But what happens to food once we have eaten? How do our bodies absorb the nutrients from food?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The tools of digestion
Your digestive tract is really, really long. For instance, your small intestine is about as long as four times your height. Your large intestine is about as long as you are tall. But all of this surface area is needed to properly digest and metabolize your food.

Your intestines are teeming with trillions of bacteria, most of them friendly! These bacteria are needed to help your body utilize vitamins and minerals. The vitamins and minerals from your food are often not in the most desirable form. They must be converted by bacteria, acids, enzymes, and hormones, and go through several other steps in order for you to maximize their value.

Digestive system basics
Digestion can be broken down into the following steps

Digestion really begins with anticipation as your brain triggers the feeling of hunger. Hunger is associated with a family of hormones that turn on when your blood sugar drops and turn off when your stomach expands, especially when what you take in has viscosity or thickness to it. That is one reason why water will kill your appetite, but not for very long. It just does not have the thickness from fiber and fats that you need to turn off your hunger for extended periods of time.
You feel the sense of hunger and begin to anticipate satisfying your needs with certain foods you crave. When you see and smell those foods your anticipation is heightened and you begin to secrete digestive juices to prepare to receive those foods. Your mouth may water. Digestion starts in your mouth when you chew foods and mix them with saliva. It is important to thoroughly chew your food in order to neutralize the starch found in absolutely everything you eat, even so-called low carb foods. That is one reason why some people gain excess weight. They just do not chew their foods well enough to neutralize the carbs.
When you swallow, your stomach is already prepared to receive the food. A hormone called pepsinogen is waiting to bond with hydrochloric acid and produce an enzyme called pepsin. This is how most proteins and Vitamin B-12 are digested. Any imbalance from aging, stress, or illness will cause indigestion and reduce your ability to digest protein and B-12.
After about a half hour the food begins to pass through the stomach into your small intestine. At the same time, your pancreas secretes enzymes into your small intestine to meet this bolus of food. The starch has been neutralized by chewing and the protein and B-12 have been prepared by your stomach. Now, special enzymes from the pancreas convert these nutrients for transport, amylase for the starch and protease for protein. Most of the magic of digestion occurs in the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. This is also where fats meet with bile salts and recycled fiber from your liver and gallbladder and begin their process of fat digestion.
Most vitamins are absorbed in the stomach and first part of the small intestine. Proteins, fats, and other nutrients are absorbed throughout the intestinal tract. Minerals, especially iron and calcium, are absorbed in the large intestine as the last drops of water are taken out of your food.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

For good digestive health, you must eat nutritiously. Include water, fiber, probiotics, Vitamin B-12, proteins, healthy carbohydrates, and healthy fats in your diet. It is also important to note that digestion can be impaired by stress. So, consider ways to reduce your stress, and supplement your diet with adaptogens to protect digestive health from the effects of stress.

And do not forget the joy of eating. Joy is really a sign of acceptance. Acceptance is essential for emotional health as you mentally digest the experiences of the day.

Take Control of Your Health

For optimal digestive health, adults need about 30 grams of fiber every day and water intake equivalent to about 1/2 their body weight converted to ounces
Fiber. Increased fiber stabilizes blood sugar and leads to regular elimination of toxins and waste. More fiber equals lower disease risk and improved detoxification. Eat plenty of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables every day. Children should eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. Women should eat 7 servings. And men should eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
Water. Water is essential for the health of all your body systems. To calculate your daily water needs, use the simple formula below.
Example. A 150-pound person would need to drink about 75 ounces of water per day. 150 divided by 2 equals 75 ounces

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

38. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

The ADHD and B-12 Connection

Read how TriVita Sublingual B-12, B-6 and folic acid helps with this condition
by Dr. Scott Conard, M.D.

First, let us look at just what ADHD is. ADHD can cover several behavioral problems, inattentiveness, being over-active or too impulsive, or a combination of these. While most research into ADHD has focused on children, recent research suggests that the symptoms continue into adulthood in up to 50 percent of adults who had the disorder in childhood.

Some ADHD-type behaviors are to be expected in children, but when several symptoms occur that exceed the normal range for a childs age, a diagnosis of ADHD may be made. If you are a concerned parent or grandparent, you should be aware of these signs and symptoms. ADHD is not restricted to children. It is a long-term condition, but adults can often better control their behavior and disguise their symptoms. ADHD symptoms are grouped into two categories

Inattentiveness
Hyperactivity and impulsivity

Some children with ADHD may have a combination of these symptoms.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The symptoms that make up ADHD, lack of attention, surplus of activity and impulsive behavior

Inattentiveness

Does not pay attention to details, or makes careless errors in work or school assignments
Has trouble maintaining attention in work or play
Does not seem to listen when spoken to
Does not follow through, fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or workplace duties
Has trouble organizing tasks and activities
Resists activities such as schoolwork that require sustained mental focus
Tends to lose items needed for tasks or activities, such as toys, pencils or books
Is easily distracted
Is often forgetful

Hyperactivity

Impulsivity

Blurts out answers before questions are finished
Has difficulty waiting his or her turn
Interrupts or breaks into others conversations or games

While the cause of ADHD is not yet pinpointed, we do know this. It is one of the most commonly-diagnosed behavioral problems. As much as 5 percent of school-aged children have this disorder.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The brain-boosting power of B-12, proven vital to mental wellness, essential to healthy lives
There are prescription drugs available to treat this disorder. But as you may know, these powerful drugs can have serious side effects. There is strong clinical evidence to support the link between essential nutrients and vitamins particularly Vitamin B-12, and mental function. Studies have shown that a B-12 deficiency may decrease levels of substances needed to transmit nerve signals. This reduced ability to transmit nerve signals has shown up in brain tests conducted on children with ADHD. In people of any age, this problem with nerve signals can lessen or damage mental functioning.

Other research indicates that those who have a B-12 deficiency can have mental and physical problems, including inability to focus, and forgetfulness. So, in addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise, I recommend that everyone get enough essential vitamins like B-12. One of the best ways to make sure that you or a loved one get enough B-12 is to take TriVita Sublingual B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid.

Millions of people take Sublingual B-12 daily, and it could not be easier. You just place a pill under your tongue and let it dissolve. This ensures that you get maximum absorption of B-12 into your bloodstream, for maximum benefit. TriVita Sublingual B-12 provides over 100 percent of the daily recommended intake of B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid. What is more, it is manufactured strictly to Dr. Libbys original, patented formula, and produced under pharmaceutical-grade scrutiny.

We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to do all we can to promote optimum health. I encourage you to enjoy and share the proven benefits of Sublingual B-12.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

39. B-12 Vitamins

B-12 Vitamins

A Great Life Takes 10 Essentials
By Dr. Scott Conard

Are you sleeping poorly? Not eating right? Feeling draggy and disconnected from life? The problem could be more than a deficiency of Vitamin B-12. You could have a deficiency of the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness. Yes, starting this month, I want to look at how B-12 is so inter-twined with TriVitas bedrock principles.

As the medical spokesman for TriVitas Sublingual B-12, I know two things for certain

A great life takes having all 10 Essentials working for you.

A B-12 deficiency leads to a process of gradually going away physically, emotionally, socially, and then possibly even spiritually.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

In my practice, I often see B-12 deficiency as a gateway condition: it triggers other problems, and people start to spiral downward, becoming disengaged from the process of caring for themselves. If you do not really live the 10 Essentials you might question this, but bear with me. Let us look at the first 3 Essentials, and I will show how they are connected with getting enough B-12.

Breathe deeply.
When do we breathe deeply? When we exercise, say, taking a walk. When you have a B-12 deficiency, you feel physically tired and fatigued. So what does this do to the chances you will go on that walk? It decreases them dramatically. You will probably just watch TV or maybe read a book. Let us face it, a 20-minute walk per day is not likely to happen when you are B-12 deficient.

When we do not breathe deeply, when we do not focus on bringing in cleansing air and breathing out toxins, our health begins to suffer, and soon the quality of our life begins to suffer. When a B-12 deficiency translates into a deficiency of Essential number 1, you can not be as aware of your body and your health as you might be. These two deficiencies feed off each other to put you on that downward spiral.

Drink water.
The reality is that many people who are B-12 deficient do not drink a lot of water, but not because B-12 has anything directly to do with water. It is because drinking more water makes acid reflux worse, and acid reflux and B-12 deficiency are often correlated. You see, when you take an acid-reducing pill that neutralizes stomach acid, they are called PPIs, or proton pump inhibitors), Vitamin B-12 absorption often decreases, depriving your body of the B-12 it needs.

If you are not drinking a lot of water because of acid reflux, and, or taking a PPI, you may have a B-12 deficiency.

Sleep peacefully.
Vitamin B-12 is very much related to how the central nervous system and the brain are functioning. As you become more B-12 deficient, your brain function decreases in many ways. For example, you feel tired and run down, so you are not as active as before during the day, which often leads to poor sleep. Another example, your B-12 deficiency may create memory problems, so you might forget to eat regularly, or to eat healthy foods, so your body sputters along on less healthy fuel, and you do not sleep well.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

It is ironic and sad. People who lack B-12 might think they have got a life-threatening disease, but in truth it can be cured. What they are experiencing is the snowball that the B-12 triggers. If you are fatigued and take afternoon naps, you will not sleep well at night. The result? You get inadequate sleep during the night, you take more naps, you are less likely to exercise, cook healthy meals and, or make a list of healthful foods to buy. Again, your health spirals downward.

Can you better understand now why I am so passionate about Sublingual B-12? In next months VitaJournal, we will explore more ways that this powerhouse vitamin is entwined with good health and a great life. In the meantime, I urge you to live the 10 Essentials, and let Sublingual B-12 help enrich your wellness journey.
Scott Conard, M.D., founded TienaHealth, an organization of medical doctors in primary care practice who emphasize healthy lifestyles to maintain wellness. Dr. Conard is considered a national expert on disease prevention. TienaHealth also conducts clinical trials.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

40. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

How Well Are You Sleeping?

Sleep is essential to both health and longevity. Sleep is the only time your body has to repair and rejuvenate. Millions of people suffer from sleep deprivation, resulting in weakened physical and mental health, fatigue and a lack of mental alertness. Sleep deprivation causes cellular damage, and limits the production of enzymes and hormones you need to keep your cells healthy and prevent premature aging.

No sleep. No health. No good!
It is estimated that 74 percent of adults experience sleeping problems a few nights per week or more, and 39 percent get fewer than seven hours of sleep per night. Over one-third of all adults are so sleepy during the day it interferes with daily activities. In such a busy society, full of demands on time, sleep becomes a low priority. I strongly recommend that adults obtain an average of seven and a half to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

How well do you sleep?

Falling asleep, and staying asleep
It should take between 5 and 15 minutes to fall asleep. If you fall asleep more quickly, you may be suffering from sleep deprivation. Either you are not sleeping long enough or you are not sleeping well enough. If it takes between 15 and 30 minutes to fall asleep you are probably over-stimulated and under too much stress. If it takes over 30 minutes to initiate sleep on a consistent basis you may have serious insomnia. It may be wise to see a sleep specialist. The nutrient formula, Peaceful Sleep, could be helpful.

Waking once a night is not usually a problem, if you return to sleep rather quickly. If you remain awake then there is a more serious problem. People who wake after an hour or two and sleep fitfully thereafter are often found to have imbalanced blood sugar. GlucoManage can often be helpful. If you sleep well for a few hours and find yourself wide awake at 3 a.m., you may have compressed sleep. The nutrient formula, Peaceful Sleep, may be helpful.

If you are a woman going through menopause, you may find yourself waking up from night sweats. In order to maintain a peaceful nights sleep, your body will usually respond to a combination of Balanced Woman, OmegaPrime and VitaDaily AM-PM.
The sleep/hunger connection
Sleep is supposed to be refreshing. A good nights sleep is usually indicated by morning hunger. If you are hungry right away, you probably slept pretty well. If it takes more than 30 minutes for your stomach to start asking for breakfast, you may not be getting the most from your rest. It is a sign of very poor sleep quality if it takes hours to get hungry.
Snoring
Now we come to a very delicate problem, snoring. Snoring may be caused by structural defects in the sinus cavity, allergies or even nasal polyps. I said it may be caused by these factors, however, it is usually caused by obesity.

According to many sleep experts, snoring is related to the problem of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is an early warning sign of Type 2 Diabetes. Therefore, snoring may be the first sign of movement toward Type 2 Diabetes.

A frightening aspect of snoring is that you get much less oxygen in your bloodstream. Less available oxygen means that your brain is being deprived of oxygen. People who snore lose I.Q. points every year until the problem is corrected. So, if you feel unable to concentrate, or if your memory is failing, check to see if you are snoring. If you are, then by all means find out why! Treat the cause of this problem immediately. If snoring is caused by obesity, reduce your body fat. No one can afford to lose I.Q. points!

Take Control of Your Health

Caffeine, alcohol and smoking all interfere with sleep
Food. Eat a light supper and a small snack near bedtime
Stress. Take time to wind down before going to bed
Activity. Exercise in the morning or at least 2 hours before bedtime
Temperature. Keep your bedroom cool
Light. Avoid having any light in your bedroom, even your alarm clock light can disrupt sleep
Noise. Use a fan if you need white noise to fall asleep
Routine. Establish sleep rituals that help you prepare for sleep

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

41. Maniac Marketers' Present

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Self-discipline Is the Price Tag of Leadership in a Work at Home Business -- Part 2.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Maniac Marketers' Conference is held every Thursday.

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

42. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Is Restless Legs Syndrome or Bruxism Affecting Your Sleep?
By Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Medical Officer

In the past we have discussed many serious sleep issues. In this report we will discuss two more sleeping disorders that are relatively common. These disorders respond to nutrients and self-care. Because they run in families, the disorders may indicate a genetic requirement for more of certain nutrients than the average person needs.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Restless Legs Syndrome
The first sleep disruption is Restless Legs Syndrome, RLS. This neurological disorder is characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them. The sensations are typically worse during periods of inactivity and usually strongest at night. This disorder affects other nerves as well. For instance, many people experience the same sensations in their arms.

As mentioned, RLS responds to nutrients and other conservative forms of care.

Biotin. The B vitamin biotin is involved in promoting nerve health. It also improves blood sugar metabolism. There is a strong connection between Diabetes and RLS. When given biotin supplements in relatively large doses, symptoms can improve and may even disappear within a few months. This may be because of improved blood sugar, healthier nerves or some other mechanism. People with RLS are really not as concerned with why biotin works. It just does, and that gives them relief!
Vitamin B-12 and folic acid. RLS also responds to Vitamin B-12 and folic acid. The levels of these vitamins found in TriVitas Sublingual B-12 and HCY Guard can help still the limb movement. However, there is not enough biotin in either of these supplements to correct a biotin deficiency. More biotin will be needed.

You can find this increased level of biotin in Peaceful Sleep. These supplements provide blood sugar control and enough biotin to help many people with RLS. Certainly, the one-two punch of B-12 and Peaceful Sleep will provide you with an abundance of these nutrients, and can help relieve RLS for many.

Remember, the Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins and minerals is a mathematical average for average people. Some individuals have greater nutrient needs programmed genetically. These special needs may be demonstrated in bizarre symptoms, such as Restless Legs Syndrome.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Bruxism
Bruxism is the unconscious grinding of your teeth or tightly clenching your jaw. This often happens when you are asleep but it may also happen while you are awake. Many have thought of this condition as a psychological habit because it occurs most frequently when a person is under stress. However, there may be another explanation of this stress connection.

Stress increases metabolism as your body prepares for fight or flight. You use up more nutrients as fuel for the stress response. Now, imagine that you were trying to get your nutrients by eating food grown in deficient soil, processed in high heat and packaged in sodium. Do you believe that you are getting all the nutrients you need from this type of diet? You are absolutely not getting enough nutrients by eating the Standard American Diet, SAD. Any stress you face pushes you into deficit spending in your nutrient reserves. Nutrient deficiency is common and serious in many people in North America. Stress amplifies this problem.

Calcium and Magnesium. Calcium is a mineral that is in short supply in the American diet. Calcium is crucial in the tense and relax cycle of muscle contractions. Without calcium, a muscle is not able to contract. That is why emergency room physicians will give intravenous calcium to people having a heart attack to encourage the heart to contract and relax more normally. Calcium allows a muscle to tense and then relax. Magnesium is the escort for calcium as it journeys into and out of the muscle cells. The nutrients to begin supplementing with when a person experiences Bruxism are calcium and magnesium.
Pantothenic acid. An abundant B vitamin in your body is called Pantothenic acid. Panto is a prefix meaning everywhere. Pantothenic acid needs to be everywhere, all the time. This need is dramatically increased during times of stress. If we are following the SAD as mentioned above, we will not have enough Pantothenic acid to deal with stress. This may result in Bruxism for some.

Peaceful Sleep contains calcium, magnesium and Pantothenic acid. Supplementing with Peaceful Sleep may be enough to completely stop the clenching and grinding of Bruxism.

People are different and so are their nutrient needs. Some people require more Pantothenic acid than can be accommodated in a blend such as Peaceful Sleep. You may have to take a single Pantothenic acid supplement. You need a lot of Pantothenic acid all the time, especially when you are clenching your teeth from stress.

For so very many problems there are simple solutions to be found in proper nutrients and nurturing. The key to wisdom in this respect is accepting that we are not all alike. Learn to listen when your body speaks to you through symptoms. Live the 10 Essentials for ultimate wellness. Sleep peacefully as a foundation for all the great things you have to do!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Take Control of Your Health

Although many of todays foods are nutrient-deficient due to farming and processing techniques, it is still important to eat the most healthful diet possible. Below is a list of food sources for the nutrients discussed in my article.

Calcium
  Plain yogurt
  Cheese
  Milk
  Sardines
  Collards
  Spinach
  Okra

Vitamin B-12
  Beef liver
  Mollusks
  Clams
  Fortified cereals
  Beef
  Eggs
  Milk

Magnesium
  Brazil nuts
  Halibut
  Spinach
  Almonds

Folic Acid
  Beef liver
  Black-eyed peas
  Spinach
  Asparagus
  Green peas
  Broccoli

Pantothenic Acid
  Avocado
  Yogurt
  Chicken
  Milk
  Sweet potato

Biotin
  Beef liver
  Eggs
  Yeast
  Wheat bran

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

43. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Good Sleep Equals Good Health
By Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

The process of sleep places a very high demand on our energy reserves. So much work must be accomplished while we sleep, innumerable cells must be replaced or repaired, the immune system must be balanced, hormones must be balanced and emotional distress must be resolved and integrated.

To accomplish all of this work we must have several ingredients that dictate our ability to achieve and maintain peaceful sleep.

We need sleep rituals to trigger the cascade of events that initiate sleep.
We must have the nutrients we need to sustain the sleeping process.
We need an appropriate environment for sleep.

With these elements in place we have a good chance of sleeping peacefully!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Sleep rituals
More than 100 years ago a Russian physician named Ivan Pavlov discovered that our nervous system changes our entire metabolism in response to our habits. Specifically, Pavlov measured the increase in stomach acids when dogs heard the footsteps of their feeder! Your nervous system will recognize sleep rituals and begin preparing for sleep.

A sleep ritual is something you do every night to send a message to your body and brain that you plan on sleeping soon. Your body responds to these triggers by preparing for sleep. It is exactly like your stomach getting ready to digest a meal when we begin preparing it. The sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the food trigger digestive juices. Sleep rituals trigger your brain in the same way and you begin the process of sleep.

A key ritual leading to successful sleep is light control. Remember, we were designed to abide by seasonal changes in light. When the sun goes down we need to accept that the day is ending rather than artificially extending it with lights. This especially includes the artificial light of television and the computer monitor.

Try a warm bath and a light snack at bedtime. Brush your teeth and take your evening nutrients, nothing stimulating, nutrients should be specifically nourishing to the sleep process. Deep breathing exercises are especially helpful to foster deep sleep.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Nutrients for sleep
All nutrients support sleep in one way or another. However, two nutrients shine when it comes to achieving and maintaining sleep, the mineral magnesium and the vitamin biotin. Magnesium relaxes our muscles and naturally turns down the adrenaline that goes hand in hand with stressful days. Biotin stabilizes blood sugar and mobilizes protein, carbohydrate and fats for the restoring element of sleep.

Antioxidants such as CoEnzyme Q-10 or listed as CoQ-10, Vitamin C and Vitamin E can be helpful at bedtime to support proper oxygen delivery to your brain, heart and other tissues. Anti-stress botanical preparations called adaptogens can also be useful at bedtime to dial down the influence of stress on your sleep cycle.

Peaceful environment
The most important set of rituals for peaceful sleep involves the sleeping environment, our bedroom. We simply must make our bedroom a sanctuary for sleep. If we customarily do stressful things in our bedroom such as watch TV, balance our checkbook, argue with our spouse or even read the newspaper, our nervous system will come to associate the bedroom as the place where we do not sleep!

Make sure your sleeping environment is cool, quiet and dark for the best quality of sleep. Many sleep experts recommend a temperature of 68 degrees Farenheit, a white noise generator to block out sound, and less than eight total watts of light for the best sleep.

Conclusion
Sleep Peacefully is the third of the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness. Yet, the majority of us in North America do not get the 7 and half to 9 hours of sleep recommended by health experts. Most people who sleep substantially less than this experience a variety of unpleasant symptoms. The most common are

Headaches
Mental confusion
Irritability
Malaise
Immune deficiencies
Depression
Fatigue

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Complete sleep deprivation can lead to hallucinations and mental collapse.

The best way to improve sleep involves making lifestyle changes. Establish sleep rituals so your nervous system knows when to trigger the sleeping process. Take the appropriate nutrients. Eliminate caffeine and sugar from your diet. And create a sanctuary for sleeping in your bedroom, avoiding stimulating activities before bed.

Take Control of Your Health

Accept sleep as essential to wellness
Prepare for sleep with appropriate rituals
Take nutrients that nourish sleep
Magnesium and biotin
Antioxidants such as CoQ-10, Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Adaptogens as appropriate
Create a sleeping sanctuary
A stress-free zone
Cool, quiet and dark

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

44. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Tips for Getting a Good Nights Sleep

Have you been tossing and turning and wondering if you will ever fall asleep? You are not alone. More than half of adults have trouble falling asleep. Learn why sleep is so important and what you can do to get some.

Here Is Why
During sleep, the body repairs itself and revitalizes organs and muscles. In addition, sleep is important for proper functioning of the immune system and the nervous system. Lack of sleep can result in

Increased feelings of stress
Impaired memory
Shortened temper
Lower motivation
Slower reflexes
More mistakes

Take the Wellness Challenge.

But a good night sleep can be elusive. A survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that 60 percent of adults have problems falling asleep at least a few nights a week.

Here Is How

Keep regular hours. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning, even on weekends.
Develop a sleep ritual. Whether it is taking a hot bath, drinking a cup of herbal tea or reading a book, doing the same things each night just before bed cues your body to settle down for the night.
Exercise regularly. Exercise can help relieve tension. But be careful not to exercise too close to bedtime or you may have a hard time falling asleep.
Cut down on stimulants. Consuming stimulants, such as caffeine, in the evening interferes with falling asleep and prevents deep sleep. Instead, have a cup of herbal tea, which is non-caffeinated, before bed.
Do not smoke. Smokers tend to take longer to fall asleep, awaken more often and experience disrupted, fragmented sleep.
Drink alcohol in moderation. You may fall asleep faster, but drinking alcohol shortly before bedtime interrupts and fragments sleep, leading to poor quality sleep.
Unwind early in the evening. Deal with worries and distractions several hours before going to bed. Make a list of things you need to do tomorrow, so you will not think about them all night. Try relaxation exercises, like slow rhythmic breathing.
Sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation. It is difficult to get deep, restful sleep on a bed that is too small, too soft, or too hard.
Create a restful sleep environment. A dark, quiet room is more conducive to sleep. Sudden, loud noises or bright lights can disrupt sleep. A room that is too hot or too cold can disturb sleep as well. The ideal bedroom temperature is between 60-65 degrees Farenheit.
Use the bedroom only for sleep. Do not use the bedroom for things like paying bills, watching television or discussing the problems of the day.
Make sleep a priority. Say yes to sleep even when you are tempted to stay up late. You will feel healthier, refreshed and ready to take on the day!

Remember that in some cases, restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea can cause poor sleep quality. If you have questions about either of these conditions ask your doctor.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

45. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Sleep. Are You Getting Enough?

The elderly do not need as much sleep as younger people.

Bleary-eyed drivers can stay awake better by cranking up the car stereo and rolling down the windows.

Nighttime shift workers eventually readjust to their late hours.

Boredom makes you tired.

They are all false. But if you got them wrong, you are not alone. A telephone survey of 1,027 people conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that 85 percent failed a simple 12-question quiz on sleep. Not only did they flunk the exam, but two-thirds of those polled also reported sleeping difficulties.

It is astounding that you can go through your whole education learning about proper nutrition and hygiene but not getting adequate sleep, said Thomas Roth, PhD, Health and Scientific Advisor of the National Sleep Foundation as well as director of the Sleep Disorders Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Only once did my children get taught about sleep in school. It was the night before a state exam, and the children were told to get a good nights sleep in preparation. That is it.

Most of us need eight hours of sound sleep to function at our best, and good health demands good sleep, explained Roth. The problem is that Americans are averaging only about seven hours of sleep a night. One in three gets only six hours a night. People have no idea how important sleep is to their lives, he stated.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The Function of Sleep
Why IS sleep so critical to our well-being?

If resting in bed were all it took to recharge body and mind for the coming day, insomniacs could take in their favorite late night television and start the next day fresh. But surprisingly, it is not how much sleep you get that is important. It is the level of sleep you achieve that truly restores you, body and mind.

Sleep can be divided into two crucial phases

Non-rapid eye movement, NREM, sleep takes up 80 percent of the average dreamers night. The earliest phase of NREM sleep begins with general relaxation of muscles. This relaxed state eventually culminates in the deepest sleep level when it appears that protein synthesis, growth hormones, immune function, and the mind are given a boost. Delta waves, the slowest and largest waves, signal the onset of this most rejuvenating sleep level, which constitutes 50 percent of an adults sleep time.
Rapid eye movement, REM, sleep takes up about 25 percent of an average sleepers night. Dreams that occur during REM sleep might provide, in a sense, a sorting through of free-floating information. Prolonged REM deprivation has been linked to excessively anxious or emotional behavior that dissipates once more regular sleeping habits are achieved. REM sleep is thought to be the most important period for mental revitalization.

Risky Consequences From Sleeplessness
According to the National Sleep Foundation, an estimated 35 billion dollars is lost yearly in productivity, sick leave, medical expenses, and property and environmental damage because of sleep deprivation and untreated sleep disorders. It is more than a simple matter of dragging yourself through the day. On-the-job dozing can dearly cost the sleep-deprived worker and those around him. For example, the environmentally disastrous 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska reportedly involved the sleepiness of the tankers third-mate.

The problem also hits much closer to home. Driver fatigue has been identified as the greatest accident risk factor affecting motor carriers. Furthermore, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 100,000 crashes per year are caused by drivers nodding off behind the wheel and that thousands die as the result of such accidents.

The National Sleep Foundations poll even found that 23 percent of those questioned had dozed off while driving some time in the past year. It would seem that people know not to drive drunk but not to refrain from driving tired. Rolled-down windows, the cars blaring stereo, and a strong cup of Joe is not going to restore all the alertness necessary for safe driving. If your eyes are closing on you, the only surefire way to save your life as well as others is to pull over to the side of the road and give in to sleep.

In addition to productivity and safety consequences, research shows that people who are chronically sleep deprived may also be more likely to suffer from

Depression
Cardiovascular disease, e.g., coronary heart disease, stroke, heart attack, hypertension
Decreased enjoyment in life
Poor work performance, leading to increased absenteeism and decreased number of promotions

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Is Lifestyle the Culprit?
How is it that there is an epidemic of sleepiness so severe in the United States that it kills people regularly? In the first decade of this century, prior to the widespread usage of electricity, Americans basically bedded down at nightfall. Since then, they have lived increasingly longer days. They also lead driven lifestyles, attempting to balance successful career and home lives. The exhausting modern schedule leaves little time for the luxury" of sleep.

Todays lifestyle is so busy that people often do not have the time to recognize the symptoms of fatigue unless they are at a task that bores them. This has given rise to the notion that boredom brings on sleepiness. In truth, boredom only brings sleepiness to your attention.

Who Is Most Affected?
Late shift workers. Not only do Americans give up a good nights rest in an attempt to keep up with the hectic pace of the electronic age, many, including late-shift healthcare, military and public safety workers, nuclear power plant operators, medical residents, and long-haul truck drivers, are building daily schedules against the bodys natural circadian rhythm. That rhythm dictates that the longest period of sleepiness occurs during the hours of 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Thus, people who work the late shift lose out on the time that the body is programmed for the deepest and most beneficial sleep.

Older adults. The elderly, too, cope with a special set of difficulties that keeps them from getting the sleep they need. Aging brings on a host of health-related problems that interrupt sleep, such as pain from arthritis, medications with side effects that disturb rest, or depression brought on by the discomforts of the aging process. More than any other population, the elderly rely on medications that keep them up at night. Moreover, a more sedentary lifestyle does not allow for the expenditure of energy that results in restful sleep. Last, a slowing of what is known as delta wave activity in the brain does not allow for the same degree of deep sleep per night as enjoyed in youth.

But none of this means that the elderly do not need as much rest as everyone else. The combination of conditions that change the sleep habits of the elderly only indicates that they need to alter their sleep habits so that they get enough shut-eye.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Crib Sheet
In general, people are so used to going without enough sleep that they do not recognize that their sleeping habits make sound slumber unlikely. Following these simple tips will help you settle down for a good nights rest. Do the following to improve the quality of your sleep as well as to get more restful sleep

Avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and exercise at least four hours before bedtime. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants, and alcohol, though a depressant that makes falling asleep easier initially, interferes with deep sleep later on during the night.
Exercise also acts as a stimulant, but a workout earlier in the day can improve nighttime rest.
Leave worrying outside the bed. If you stay awake worrying about things you have to tackle the next day, write out a list of to-dos to take the pressure off. Then put the list aside to deal with the next day.
Keep other activities out of the bedroom. Do not confuse your bedroom with your family room. Keep your television viewing and Net surfing out of your sleeping quarters. You need to associate your bedroom with sleep and not activities that will keep your mind engaged.
Do not try to force yourself to sleep. You will just lie awake staring at the clock. After 20 minutes of wakefulness, go to another room to read or watch TV. Return to your bedroom only when you have become tired enough to sleep.
Temperature counts. Keep your bedroom set up for a restful nights sleep with a comfortable mattress and proper temperature setting. A too-hot or too-cold room can keep you awake.
Reduce noise levels. Apartment-dwellers with noisy neighbors or those on heavily trafficked streets can block out noise with a fan or sound-simulating machine that mimic nature sounds, such as the ocean or rain.
Avoid stimulation before sleeping. Try not to engage in anything that will give you a second wind just before bed, such as viewing an action-packed movie or sitting in a brightly lit room. Instead, try listening to soothing music or reading.
Slow down. Do not hurriedly get ready for bed at the last minute. Brush your teeth and wash yourself a while in advance. Try to stick with an early-to-bed, early-to-rise pattern. That way, you will not go to bed too late during the work week and need an alarm clock each morning to wake you out of a sound sleep.

If you are troubled with chronic difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep, see a doctor. You may discover, for example, that what seems like simple snoring is actually sleep apnea. Apnea is a treatable condition that repeatedly rouses an estimated 18 million Americans from their dreams during the night.

Other sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome, unpleasant sensations in the legs combined with irresistible urge to move, and narcolepsy, sudden and involuntary episodes of sleepiness, should also be discussed with your physician.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

46. Maniac Marketers' Present

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Self-discipline Is the Price Tag of Leadership in a Work at Home Business -- Part 1.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Maniac Marketers' Conference is held every Thursday.

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

47. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

I can finally get a nights rest! Mark H., Scottsdale, AZ

I am a retired Army Green Beret of 15 plus years and a normal nights sleep is not something I was accustomed to all of those years. Now I work security so my hours are very long and late. My broken, irregular sleep patterns kept me from feeling good and affected my ability to work at my best. Other sleep aids left me feeling groggy with a sleep hangover, but every time I take Peaceful Sleep, I sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed. I can finally get a nights rest!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

48. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Getting the Sleep You Need

What is stealing my brain?

There is a thief on the loose. It is stealing the ability of people to be healthy, think clearly and live a satisfying life. It is called sleep deprivation.

Heart attacks
Stroke
Cancer
Diabetes
Obesity

Since sleep deficiency is a cause or contributor to a poor quality of life and so many horrible diseases, does not it make sense to do what we can to ensure peaceful sleep?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

What is normal?
Men and women should go to sleep between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. and wake between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. They should sleep between 7 and half and 9 hours every night. It should take between 5 and 15 minutes to fall asleep and you should remain asleep all night. Sleep should be peaceful. There should be no thrashing, teeth-grinding, snoring or fitful sleep. Nightmares and night terrors are not normal. They should be investigated and resolved if they occur commonly. You should dream, but you may not always remember your dreams.

Fatigue. Fatigue is obvious, right? If you sleep all night and wake up feeling tired it means there is a problem. If you are sleepy throughout the day, have difficulty concentrating and tend to doze off if you sit still, then you are obviously sleep deficient, no matter how many hours you actually spent asleep. Hunger. Hunger is different. There is a balance between hormones that promote hunger and those that make us feel that our appetite has been satisfied. If you sleep well you should be hungry in the morning. If you sleep poorly you will not be hungry for several hours after you wake up. If you sleep well you should have no difficulty controlling evening hunger. If you sleep poorly you will be an uncontrollable eating machine in the evening! Evening hunger is often a sign of poor sleep.

People who sleep better at night have twice the insight of those who are either sleep deprived or who sleep during the daytime. Our brains simply work better when we sleep peacefully at night.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Take Control of Your Health

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

49. Maniac Marketers' Present

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Vision as the Indispensable Quality of Leadership in a Work at Home Business -- Part 4.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Maniac Marketers' Conference is held every Thursday.

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

50. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Losing Those Summertime Blues

There is an old song with the lyrics, There aint no cure for the summertime blues. Now, the grammar may be atrocious, but the song recognizes a particular type of the blues that hit many during the summer months. Let us talk about what it is and how we may actually be able to find a cure for the summertime blues!

SAD
A condition associated with wintertime is called SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, affecting our emotions in this case. People experience SAD when they do not get enough sunshine. The remedy is pretty simple, more sunlight. Nutrients that can help with SAD during wintertime include Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D and the herbal adaptogens, especially Rhodiola rosea.

Summertime blues may often happen for a similar reason, too little sunlight. We discovered a particularly severe cluster of people suffering with SAD in developing lands of the Middle East. It seems that the heat is so intense during the summer months that people spend long hours, days, weeks, even months indoors without ever seeing the sun. No sunshine during any season produces SAD.

With most of us living and working indoors these days, we may be disposed to SAD even though the cure is right outside our door!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Help for the blues

Sleep
Essential number 3 of the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness is Sleep Peacefully. A good nights sleep actually begins with at least 20 minutes of early morning sunlight. Many healthcare providers recommend an hour or more of early morning sunshine, both as a launching pad for peaceful sleep and as a cure for the blues, summertime or wintertime!

Vitamin B-12
As mentioned, Vitamin B-12 can assist in many cases because it nourishes the nerves and brain. TriVitas Sublingual B-12 is highly and quickly absorbed. And if allergies are keeping you inside during summer months, consider Super Sublingual B-12. It contains three times the amount of B-12 as our regular B, and many people have reported allergy relief after a short time taking it.

Vitamin C
Speaking of allergies, the ascorbate in Vital C helps break down the histamines that are triggered by allergies. Use the Vital C Flush to determine your maximum daily portion of Vital C and add it to your arsenal of protection from allergies. Vital C also helps support the immune system, detoxify your body and support collagen production in your skin to keep it healthy and protected from too much sun.

Vitamin D
Since the nerves and brain also contain Vitamin D receptors, Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. We may also benefit from supplementing with TriVitas Essential D. This is especially true if we are plagued with chronic pain, any kind of pain, anywhere in the body, but especially in the low back, may signal that we have a low level of Vitamin D.

Adaptogens
As mentioned above, the adaptogens really help lift the spirits. This is especially true of the adaptogen Rhodiola rosea. In previous Weekly Wellness Reports, I have discussed the power of this adaptogen in restoring balance to a brain distressed by chemical imbalances. That is what adaptogens do. They restore balance. Consider them as a tool to help restore balance anytime you experience emotional distress.

Exercise
By far the best medication a person can take for the blues is exercise. Oh, if only we could get the benefits of exercise in a pill! I guarantee it would be the best-selling drug in history! According to the Mayo Clinic, the number one benefit of exercise is that it lifts your mood. It also gives you more energy and promotes better sleep. Exercise is essential for health and wellness. As you progressively define your purpose in life, you will discover that great purposes require great health. Great health cannot be achieved without exercise, so take your medicine!

The cure?
So, perhaps this really is a cure for the summertime blues, appropriate nutrients and nurturing. Make it your goal to get some early morning sunshine and exercise, to sleep peacefully at night and give your body the nutrients it needs to support health and wellness every day.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Take Control of Your Health

20 minutes to 1 hour or more of morning sunshine
20 minutes to 1 hour or more of daily exercise
7 and half to 9 hours of peaceful sleep every night
Sublingual B-12 to help lift your spirits
Super B to also help with allergy relief
Vital C to help support your immune system, resist allergies and detoxify
Essential D for brain and nerve health
Adaptogen 10 Plus to bring your system back into balance

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

51. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Is Lack Of Sleep Dragging You Down?

Myths regarding sleep and how more Zzzzs can improve your health

With todays hectic world, it is no surprise that 50 percent of all adults do not get enough sleep. Making a habit of putting off sleep can lead to fatigue during times you should feel awake. This is called problem sleepiness. It is crucial to get the right amount of quality sleep for your health. That is why Sleep Peacefully is one of our 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Sleep myths that should be put to rest

The body and mind shut down during sleep.
Sleep, like any other activity, is an active process. There is no evidence that indicates that any bodily organs or systems shut down during sleep. In fact, some brain activity increases dramatically.

Sleeping less than the amount needed each night will not have an effect on daytime functioning.
Sleeping even just an hour less than recommended each night will begin to accrue a sleep debt. As this debt accumulates and becomes too great, it can cause dramatic effects on daytime performance, including normal movement and brain function.

The body will adjust to different sleep schedules.
The body has a biological clock that controls a persons sleep and wake schedule. It is no coincidence that people get sleepy at nighttime when it is dark outside and they wake up to the morning sunlight. When a person tries to change their sleep cycle, his or her biological clock will still attempt to function according to normal day and night time.

People need less sleep as they grow older.
People need the same amount of sleep as they grow older, but unfortunately, they often are not able to get the amount of sleep they need. Older adults are more easily disturbed by light, noise and pain than younger adults. And, older adults are often more likely to have medical conditions that contribute to sleep problems.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Sleep benefits are abundant
Sleep helps your body and mind in many ways. For starters, it helps organize memories, strengthen your learning skills and improve concentration. Good sleep, especially when you actively dream, regulates mood as well. Sleep can also help boost the immune system, rest and repair the nervous system, and release hormones that help regulate body functions.

The sleep cycle
Understanding sleep stages and the sleep cycle can help you sleep better. When you fall asleep, your mind moves back and forth from restorative sleep and alertness to dreaming. The stage in which you are actively dreaming is called REM, Rapid Eye Movement, sleep. Non-REM sleep involves four stages that range from light to deep sleep.

Stages of sleep

Stage 1 is drowsiness. The muscle activity slows down and you are easily awakened
Stage 2 is light sleep. The eye movements stop, body temperature decreases and heart rate slows down
Stage 3 and 4 is deep sleep. Blood flow decreases to the brain in this stage, and works to restore physical energy. Immune function increases during these stages. It is difficult to be awakened in this stage, and when awakened, feelings of grogginess and disorientation can occur.
REM sleep is dream sleep. Breathing is rapid, irregular and shallow. The heart rate increases and blood pressure rises. In this stage, your eyes move back and forth.

Stages of Sleep Chart

Passing up sleep can lead to difficulties concentrating, memory lapses, loss of energy, fatigue, lethargy and emotional instability. Before you decide to stay up extra hours this week, or pull an all-nighter, you might want to sleep on it!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

52. Anti-inflammatory Product

Anti-inflammation Product

Remember These Signs of Failing Memory

A fat, healthy brain thrives on Sublingual B-12 and Nopalea
By Dr. Scott Conard

Memory loss is disrupting daily life. If tasks that used to be routine, such as balancing a checkbook or bathing, become difficult, action should be taken.

Lapses are becoming more frequent. It is not normal to forget where you parked every day, or to forget appointments over and over.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Brain erosion, B-12 and inflammation
Our brains do become smaller over time. Normally, this loss of volume begins after age 30. After age 50, it can become severe. In fact, some 25 percent of our brain volume can erode by age 60, and this may have to do with our inability to absorb Vitamin B-12 as we age. Studies have indicated that the people with the highest level of B-12 in their bloodstreams have the lowest level of brain erosion. So, this is a good indicator that a relationship exists between low brain volume and low levels of B-12, and higher brain volume is linked with higher levels of B-12.

With people living longer lives, we have seen a significant increase in our lifetime in the number of people suffering from mental decline. What is of equal concern is that often we see people being stricken at younger and younger ages. We know there is a direct correlation between B-12 levels and mental decline, and also a link between brain inflammation and mental decline. So now you can understand why, along with Sublingual B-12, Nopalea, which helps the body reduce inflammation, can be so vital to preserving and maintaining brain health.

Remember. When memory seems to be failing, consult your healthcare provider. And consider TriVita Sublingual B-12 and Nopalea together as important steps toward helping you be sharp, and to stay that way.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

53. Maniac Marketers' Present

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Vision as the Indispensable Quality of Leadership in a Work at Home Business -- Part 3.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Maniac Marketers' Conference is held every Thursday.

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

54. Anti-Inflammatory Product

Anti-inflammatory Product

Nopaleas Nourishing Bioflavanoids
by Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

There is an old saying, You are what you eat! That is very true. Each cell in our body is comprised of elements we extract from our food. If we eat a healthy diet, we will build healthy cells. If we eat an imbalanced or deficient diet we will build imbalanced cells. It is really that simple. We are what we eat!

Nopalea contains a family of bioflavonoids, plant compounds known for their antioxidant activity, called Betalains. Nopal fruit from the Sonora Desert contains all 24 known Betalains. These are orphan nutrients. The main family of Betalain-containing fruits and vegetables is now extinct. How can we be sure that Betalains are recognized by our body since they have not been seen in the human diet for thousands of years?

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Bioavailability
Foods that are absorbed during digestion and carried into the bloodstream are called bioavailable foods. If they are good for us they are called bioactive foods. If they neither improve our health nor detract from it, they are called bio-neutral foods and if the foods we eat are toxic for us, they are called biocidic foods.

The question we have is, how do we know that Betalains from Nopal cactus fruit are bioavailable and bioactive? The answer is provided by research from Palermo, Italy.

What you eat
Professors at the University of Palermo Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology have been involved in the study of Betalains from Nopal cactus species around the world. They are primarily responsible for identifying the different types of Betalains and their activity. Recently, these Betalain experts answered the question of how efficiently Nopal Betalains are absorbed. The answer to this puzzle helps us understand the bioavailability and bioactive nature of Betalains.

Recently, Poke berries have been shown to contain Betalains, but Poke berries are quite toxic and not used as a food. Betaxanthins, a form of Betalains, found abundantly in Nopal cactus fruit were almost completely absorbed.

Further, anti-inflammatory Betalains protected fats from being oxidized and turned into bad fats. Methyl linoleate, ML, is a common fat used in manufacturing detergent and other products. It can become carcinogenic, cancer-causing, if it oxidizes.

Betalains protected ML from oxidizing. This antioxidant activity hindered the formation of inflammatory chemicals. Betalains slowed down the domino effect of toxic, rancid fats from becoming carcinogenic before they ever started!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Remarkable results
Research continues around the world into the potent anti-inflammatory, anti-toxin action of Betalains from the Sonora Desert. The more we learn, the more remarkable Betalains become. Now we have conclusive proof that Betalains are readily recognized by our body though we may have never consumed them before our first serving of Nopalea. Further, we see that Betalains are both bioavailable and bioactive.

If we truly are what we eat, we can improve the health of our cells, help our body reduce inflammation, oxidation and the impact of toxins by taking Nopalea.

Take Control of Your Health

Health comes from healthy habits
Breathe Deeply
Drink Pure Water
Sleep Peacefully
Eat Nutritiously
Enjoy Activity
Give and Receive Love
Be Forgiving
Practice Gratitude
Develop Acceptance
Develop a Relationship with God
Take Nopalea to help protect against toxins, inflammation, oxidative stress and premature aging

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

55. Anti-inflammatory Product

Anti-inflammatory Product

Nopalea Frequently Asked Questions
by Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

Over the past year, we have received a number of interesting questions about Nopalea. Below are some of the questions and my responses.

Q. How much Nopalea should I take?
A. That depends. How much inflammation do you have inside you? You can not put out a forest fire with a single pail of water. You can not break the cycle of inflammation with a single serving of Nopalea.

We need to meet the level of inflammation in our body with an equivalent force of anti-inflammatory Betalains from Nopalea. We must quench inflammation with a Nopalea Loading Phase, NLP.

When taking Nopalea for the first time, drink 3 ounces, twice daily for the first 30 days. Then, use your intuition to judge how much Nopalea you should continue to take. Do you feel like you need more? Then take more! Do you feel that the cycle of runaway inflammation has resolved? Reduce it to the amount you crave, usually 1 to 3 ounces daily. Let your body decide!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Q. Is it safe to take Nopalea with my medications?
A. There are no known conflicts between Nopalea and medications. Nopalea is a fruit juice. the juice of the Nopal fruit from the Sonora Desert. It is low calorie and low carbohydrate, so it must be calculated as any other food in your total dietary intake of these macronutrients.

Some of the older blood thinners are more easily adjusted if a person is not eating vegetables or fruit or drinking juices during the calibration phase. Your doctor or pharmacist will give you specific instructions if this pertains to you.

Always ask your health care team if you are in doubt or have questions. However, TriVitas Medical Advisory Board has examined Nopalea closely. In general, there are no known conflicts between Nopalea and medications.

Q. Should I continue to take my other supplements while taking Nopalea?
A. Yes. There is a rule in wellness called cause and effect. It means that for every effect, such as inflammation, there must be a cause. Causes of inflammation include trauma or injury, deficiencies, toxins and stress. Deficiencies that cause inflammation include oxygen deficiency, sleep deprivation, insufficient water and imbalanced nutrients. Nutrient deficiencies, such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies, cause inflammation. We address the downstream effect of inflammation with Nopalea. We address the cause of inflammation with appropriate supplementation and by close adherence to the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.

Q. Does Nopalea contain any sugar, artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors?
A. No. The fruit of the Nopal cactus naturally tastes sweet. Agave has been added as well. Agave is a succulent cactus from the Sonora Desert that concentrates a syrup or nectar in its root. We juice the Nopal fruit and filter the Agave nectar as the chief ingredients in Nopalea. We have also added many other fruits and vegetables to enhance both the flavor and function of Nopalea.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Some of the vegetables we added to Nopalea have a slightly bitter taste to them. The sweet leaf Stevia cuts the bitterness completely! So, I use a microscopic amount of Stevia to neutralize the bitter notes.

There are natural colors in Nopalea. They are made from the skin of cherries because cherries have an intense red similar to Nopal fruit. There are also natural flavors in Nopalea. These are made by distilling the aromatic oils and phenolics, compounds that give plants their aroma and color, from the fruit. Seasonal harvests of Nopal fruit vary from year to year, but natural flavors and colors keep our product more consistent than many other natural products. With Nopalea, you always know what you are getting!

Take Control of Your Health

Enjoy activity daily to reduce the effects of trauma
Insulate yourself against toxins with Healthy Foundation Nutrients
Help remove toxins passively with Nopalea
Fill up deficiencies.
Breathe Deeply
Drink Pure Water
Sleep Peacefully
Eat Nutritiously
Take Healthy Foundation supplements
Reduce the impact of stress through healthy emotional and spiritual harmony

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Posted by
Terry L. Allison, Sr., #13134349 1 Star
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member
Skype. allisonmarketinggroup
Phone. 859-858-9246
Creator of Tomorrows Home Business Social Community
http.//terryallison.com

56. Anti-inflammatory Product

Anti-inflammatory Product

Allergy or Toxin?
by Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

More and more people are experiencing allergies and suffering with the symptoms they bring. In past Wellness Reports we have discussed how histamine receptors trigger inflammation in the four tissues they populate, the airways, the digestive-reproductive tract, our brain and our immune system. Histamine is very inflammatory and easily triggers runaway inflammation.

In this discussion we will look specifically at histamines, toxins and allergies. We will also get a chance to discuss ways to help reduce the impact of allergies and their annoying symptoms.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The symptoms of toxicity may also be more obscure than you think. For example, headaches, joint pains, colitis and poor coordination may be signs of toxicity. So may skin eruptions.

How do I know?
How can you tell if you are having an allergic reaction versus a detoxification reaction? Easy, histamines elevate your pulse rate.

You can use this technique with any food or other substance to which you suspect you are allergic.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

If you experience skin bumps or blemishes, I recommend discontinuing Nopalea for three days, and then taking the pulse test to see if it is a true allergy or merely rapid detoxification.

Remember, anyone may be allergic to anything. So, theoretically, someone may be allergic to Nopalea, but, it is not very likely. More often, skin reactions to Nopalea are detoxification reactions rather than allergy.

Take Control of Your Health

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

57. Anti-inflammatory Product

Anti-inflammatory Product

The Nopalea Loading Phase
by Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

You can not put out a forest fire with a single pail of water. Likewise, you can not break the cycle of inflammation with a single serving of Nopalea.

We need to meet the level of inflammation in our body with an equivalent force of anti-inflammatory Betalains from Nopalea. We must quench inflammation with a Nopalea Loading Phase, NLP.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The cycle of inflammation
Inflammation in your body is like a campfire. When properly contained it is useful for warming your body and cooking your food. However, when even a single ember escapes the hearth and remains unquenched, it can smolder and spread until it burns down an entire forest!

The cycle of inflammation begins with injury or trauma, toxins or poisons, deficiency or stress. When inflammation is controlled and balanced, it facilitates

Repair of the injury.
Elimination of the toxins and poisons. Relief for many forms of deficiency and stress. For example, controlled and balanced inflammation relieves blood and oxygen deficiency in areas of poor circulation.

Runaway inflammation persists long after the cause has been removed. It continues to smolder and spread until something breaks the cycle. With fire, usually a little water will quench an ember before it causes a forest fire. With runaway inflammation in our body, we need anti-inflammatory nutrients that will remove the cause as well as the effect of inflammation.

However, the same amount of water that quenches a single ember will not douse the flames of a forest fire. The same level of anti-inflammatory nutrients that will balance daily trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress will not put out the fire of runaway inflammation.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

The Nopalea Loading Phase
We are a people on fire. We typically have runaway inflammation raging in one or more places of our bodies. We suffer from this because so many of our health problems stem from this very condition. And if our inflamed condition is greater in size and intensity, the greater our response will have to be in order to put out the fire.

That makes sense, does it not? I mean, if you have a forest fire of inflammation you can not put it out with a single pail of water. The same is true with our health. If we have been suffering from major inflammation over a long period of time, we need a REALLY SIGNIFICANT RESPONSE to put out the fire.

We need a Nopalea Loading Phase.
The Betalains in Nopalea are anti-inflammatory. As such, they put out the fire of inflammation. But how much Nopalea do you need? That depends. How big is the fire you are trying to put out?

For maintenance, the label suggests drinking 1 to 3 ounces a day. This amount is needed every day just to fight the inflammatory effects of our diet, air and water pollution, and even everyday stress. But you need to take more in the beginning to break the cycle of inflammation. Here is how the Nopalea Loading Phase works

Pre-Evaluation. Before taking Nopalea for the first time, record your level of pain and rate the discomfort you feel. Also, look at things you may not readily associate with inflammation. For example, how well are you sleeping? Write it all down.
Complete the Loading Phase. Drink 3 to 6 ounces of chilled Nopalea every day for 30 days.
Post-Evaluation. After 30 days, assess how you feel in comparison to before you started the Loading Phase. Most people find a significant difference and I am sure you will too.

Keep following the Loading Phase directions until the cycle of inflammation is extinguished in your body. Remember, only YOU know how much Nopalea you will need or how LONG you will need to continue the Loading Phase. Trust your intuition.

If you think you need more, take more.
If you think you need to continue the Loading Phase beyond 30 days, then keep doing it.

Trust your instinct because only you can tell when the cycle of inflammation in your body is broken.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Restoring balance
Nutrient deficiencies create inflammation. That is why it makes enormous sense to take a full serving of Healthy Foundation nutrients to support our bodies firefighting efforts. Furthermore, each of the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness is also anti-inflammatory in nature. So if we fail to abide by these timeless, natural laws, we could very well be fanning the fires of the inflammatory problems we are ultimately trying to overcome. It is important to remember that once you have subdued the flames of runaway inflammation, you need to follow Nopaleas maintenance regimen to help prevent any smoldering inflammatory embers from re-igniting again.

Take Control of Your Health

Follow the Nopalea Loading Phase. Drink 3 to 6 ounces of chilled Nopalea daily for 30 days. But also consider
Drinking a greater amount each day if you feel that your body needs it
Extending the Loading Phase beyond 30 days if you feel it will help
Take your Healthy Foundation nutrients every day
Practice the 10 Essentials for greater wellness

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

58. Anti-inflammatory Product

Anti-inflammatory Product

Ways To Improve Your Memory
by Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

OK, I will admit it if you will. I have forgotten the names of people while I was talking to them! I have lost my car keys, misplaced my glasses and turned the wrong way on my drive home.

How about you? Does it seem like your memory is playing tricks on you as you age? Well, there are reasons for that and very few of these reasons are related to diseases such as dementia and Alzheimers.

How to make a memory
Your memory is an amazing miracle. Every second your brain processes billions of bits of information from your five senses. You may consciously perceive only a very small percentage of this information because one function of your brain is to filter out unimportant information. The things you remember will usually be advantageous to you. For instance, remembering your wedding anniversary date or remembering where the speed trap is on your drive home.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Memory is classed into two basic groups

Short-term. Short term memories are quickly forgotten when they are no longer important. Long-term. Long-term memories may be divided into recent and distant.

Practicing or rehearsing can improve your memory by moving more information into long-term. For instance, when I am distracted by stress I will not be able to remember where I left my car keys. That information was deleted from my short-term memory. However, if I consciously say, I am hanging my car keys on the hook, I am far more likely to remember where they are.

How to keep a memory

Reduce stress
Stress kills your memory. The stress system is designed to ensure survival. It helps us fight off a snarling dog or flee from a snarling bear. As important as that is, humans do more every day than merely survive. If you want to have a good, healthy memory, do all you can to reduce the need for fight or flight stress responses.

Learn something new
As mentioned, practicing or rehearsing something enhances memory. So does learning something new. You see, memory is facilitated through the billions of neurons and synapses in your brain by patterns, retracing old patterns as well as creating new patterns. The more new things we master and the more connections we create, the better our overall memory will be.

If you want to remember your anniversary, start learning a foreign language. If you want to remember important names, learn a musical instrument. The more you learn, and the more you connect the old with the new, the better your overall memory will be.

How to nourish a memory
Certain nutrients help the memory to remain sharp. These nutrients fall into two basic categories, those that create brain structure and those that nourish brain function.

Your brain is made mostly of fat. And the majority of that fat is an Omega-3 called DHA. So, to have a healthy brain we need healthy fats like OmegaPrime. Your nerve cells convert some fats into functional nerve proteins called myelin. Formation of myelin requires dietary protein and Vitamin B-12. So, for healthy brain structure and function we need Omega-3 fats, healthy dietary protein and Vitamin B-12.

When the memory is activated, it creates heat in the brain. To fuel the memory, quench the heat and repair the daily wear-and-tear on your brain, you need antioxidants. Certain antioxidants target brain function specifically. An excellent antioxidant formula that is also anti-inflammatory is Nopalea. The Betalain bioflavonoids in Nopalea also help improve circulation by fortifying healthy arteries.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

What do you remember?
To recap. Occasional memory lapses usually indicate you are distracted by stress. Rehearsing things you want to remember and practicing new things you have learned can help you avoid stress-induced memory lapses. Because new behaviors create new pathways in your brain, learning something new such as a new language or musical instrument can improve your overall memory.

Stress kills your memory. Nutrients such as Omega-3, Vitamin B-12 and anti-inflammatory antioxidants such as those found in Nopalea can help rebuild and restore your ability to remember. With all of these tools at your disposal, you have access to the power of a healthy memory.

Take Control of Your Health

Reduce stress
Increase physical activity and mental activity
Learn something new
Rehearse before an important event
Practice and review the things you want to remember
Learn something new. Yes, I know I repeated this, but repetition is the mother of retention
Nourish your memory with
OmegaPrime
Super Sublingual B-12
Nopalea

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

59. Maniac Marketers' Present

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Vision as the Indispensable Quality of Leadership in a Work at Home Business -- Part 2.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Maniac Marketers' Conference is held every Thursday.

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

60. Anti-Inflammatory Product

Anti-inflammatory Product

Are There Alternatives For Water?
by Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

Healthy Living Essential number 2 is Drink Water. Many people do not follow this Essential for one reason or another. Some use water alternatives instead. But I can tell you, with full conviction, that there are NO alternatives to water! You must drink water and you must drink it in abundance.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Pros and cons of water alternatives
Let us look at some of the positive and negative aspects of so-called alternatives to water

100% fruit juice contains some vitamins, minerals and a lot of sugar. In fact, a 16-ounce glass of fruit juice contains about 50 grams of sugar and 220 calories. Fructose, or fruit sugar, reduces the rate at which we absorb fluid and can actually make you thirstier, leading to over-consumption of calories from juice.

Sport drinks often contain fructose or sucrose syrups, flavorings and colorings. The electrolytes, sodium and potassium are helpful for endurance-type exercise or activity, but not necessary for everyday exercise. A 16 ounce sport drink has roughly 30 grams of sugar and over 100 calories.

Energy drinks contain vitamins, amino acids, a lot of sugar and caffeine. Although advertised as providing more energy, what they really provide is more calories and caffeine. Added caffeine can be temporarily energizing, but often leads to a rapid dip in energy and can be potentially habit forming. An eight ounce energy drink has about 115 calories and 80 milligrams of caffeine.

Fitness waters waters are laced with an assortment of nutrients, herbs, flavorings and or sweeteners. These enhancements are usually too insufficient to have any meaningful impact on your health, plus these waters can be costly. As for calories, they can contain anywhere from 10 to 100 or more calories in a 16 ounce drink.

Carbonated beverages such as regular or diet sodas can be high in sugar or artificial sweeteners and caffeine. Colas are also high in phosphates, which bind with calcium and weaken bones. Regular soda can contain up to 200 or more calories for 16 ounces.

Coffee, tea and lattes are also very popular. But along with the caffeine, they often contain added sugars and fats which can add up to as many as 450 calories for a 16 ounce drink. Since most caffeinated products provide very few nutrients, it is typically advised to keep intake low.

Flavored waters are waters with a touch of natural flavoring. By itself, this is fine. Unfortunately, however, many flavored waters contain sugar, some even have more than a can of soda pop, or caffeine and other additives, all of which should be avoided.

In contrast to the water alternatives above, we can get water that is good for us from food. Many fruits and vegetables, for example, are high in water content as well as antioxidants, which is a nice plus. The guideline for consuming the right amount of fruit and vegetables is 5, 7 or 9 servings daily, depending upon our size and gender.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Healthy ways to spice up your water
In summary, we now know two things. First, there are no real alternatives to water. They all have too many drawbacks. And second, water is essential to good health. It helps the body both detoxify and fuel metabolism for energy.

But these two findings present a problem for all of the people who feel that water is just too boring to drink on a regular basis. They are likely to wonder, Are there ways to make my water taste better? And are there drinks besides water that can help support my bodys detoxification and metabolic processes? The answer is YES. You can use the recipes below to spice up your water while adding extra detoxification and metabolism support

Nopalea Splash. Take 6 ounces of naturally carbonated spring water and add 1 ounce of Nopalea to it for a hydrating, detoxifying and refreshing beverage that naturally helps reduce inflammation.
Tea Time 10 Plus. Take 6 ounces of either hot or cold green tea and add 1 ounce of Adaptogen 10 Plus. You can get the health benefits of green tea coupled with the stress-busting effects of adaptogens.

Water, the life-essential beverage
At birth, water can make up as much as 80 percent of a babys body weight. Yet at death, for adults in their 70s and 80s, water often makes up less than 40 percent of the body weight.

Water is life. And in a sense, dehydration equals death.

Drink Water and claim the health benefits of this life-giving liquid!

Take Control of Your Health

Calculate your water needs using the simple formula below

Work with your body
Drink 2 glasses of water when you get up in the morning
Drink 2 glasses of water per hour until your needs are met
After 3 p.m., drink only small amounts of water as needed
Eat brightly colored, high water-content fruits and vegetables
5 servings for children
7 servings for women
9 servings for men
Try mixing Nopalea with sparkling water
Try adding Adaptogen 10 Plus to hot or cold green tea

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

61. Inflammation Hot Spots

Anti-inflammatory Product

Inflammation Hot Spots
by Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

The process of inflammation starts with injury, toxicity, deficiency or emotional distress. One particular deficiency that causes inflammation is a genetic deficiency called MTHFR. This deficiency is relatively common, perhaps the most common genetic deficiency in North America. It is related to the way we manufacture proteins. A sign that we have MTHFR deficiency is elevated homocysteine.

MTHFR deficiency creates pools of homocysteine that ignite inflammation like bonfires in specific tissues of your body. The strategies for reducing this inflammation depend greatly on where the bonfire starts. And, like many forest fires, inflammation often features multiple fronts that require different strategies for quelling its flames.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Burning brain
The delicate tissues of the brain are common victims of inflammation from an MTHFR deficiency. Elevated homocysteine feeds the fire that melts fragile neurons. Movement disorders like Parkinsons disease and dementias such as Alzheimers disease are associated with elevated homocysteine. Further, inflammation in the brain associated with MTHFR and elevated homocysteine are also implicated in autism, ADD/ADHD, bipolar depression and schizophrenia.

MTHFR deficiency is addressed by increasing folates in the diet. Folates describe a B vitamin from foliage, leafy green vegetables. Actually, all fruits and vegetables contain some folate. Eating the optimum amount of folate can go a long way to filling the deficiency associated with MTHFR and elevated homocysteine. Remember, the optimum number of servings for fruits and vegetables is

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

Make sure you eat vegetables of every color, eat a rainbow!

Supplements such as HCY Guard provide nutrients that help re-methylate homocysteine in the presence of this MTHFR deficiency. Inflammation is normalized by the anti-inflammatory Betalains found in Nopalea. Essential fatty acids and EFA supplements such as OmegaPrime serve as primary building blocks for a healthy brain. Also, Omega-3 EFA, Betalains and ECGC polyphenols in Energy Now! serve to help the body protect DNA strands and create stem cells that are needed to repair delicate, fragile brain tissues.

Burning bones
Bones are living tissue. Osteoblast cells lay down a matrix of collagen proteins and build minerals around it. Collagen provides tensile strength for the bones and minerals provide compression strength for the bones. Homocysteine shatters this matrix and melts the collagen in your bones, and elsewhere, resulting in brittle bones. Further, without collagen, minerals cannot form and the bones become porous. The end result is often osteoporosis.

Folates and plant hormones such as Vitamin K found in leafy green vegetables help reduce the impact of MTHFR deficiency and increase the opportunity for osteoblasts to make healthy bone. Healthy bones also require significant amounts of Vitamin D. Sunshine is the best source of Vitamin D, however, in North America it is not always possible to get enough healthy sun exposure to meet our Vitamin D needs. Supplements such as Bone Growth Factor and VitaCal-Mag D can help give us the nutrients we need for healthy bones. HCY Guard can help the body reduce inflammatory homocysteine and Betalains from Nopalea can help reduce the impact of inflammation.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Burning blood
MTHFR deficiency was discovered when scientists began searching for the reasons why heart disease and stroke seemed to cluster in certain families. It was discovered that these families shared a genetic deficiency that required far more folate than their diet provided. Folate deficiency depletes Vitamin B-12 and compounds the homocysteine problem. Homocysteine ignites LDL, bad cholesterol in the bloodstream and creates the inflammation at the root of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and stroke.

A high folate diet focusing on leafy green vegetables can fill this deficiency. Supplements such as HCY Guard, Nopalea and OmegaPrime can help the body ease the fire in the delicate tissues lining the blood vessels. According to the VISP study, Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention, this comprehensive strategy can fill the deficiency created by MTHFR, put out the fire fueled by homocysteine, and reduce the likelihood of heart attack and stroke.

Conclusion
Inflammation hot spots build fires around your body in places like your brain, your bones and your heart.

A high folate diet can fill the deficiency that causes these body bonfires.
Safe daily sun exposure along with exercise and peaceful sleep can help build a solid foundation for wellness.
Appropriate supplementation can help satisfy the needs created by MTHFR while putting out the fires of inflammation and creating vigorous cells for health today and a healthier tomorrow.

Take Control of Your Health

Eat 5, 7 or 9 servings of fruit and vegetables
Eat a rainbow, include leafy green vegetables
Supplement appropriately
HCY Guard to help reduce inflammatory homocysteine
Nopalea to put out the fire
OmegaPrime for a healthy brain and heart
Bone Growth Factor for healthy bones
Sleep peacefully every night and enjoy activity every day

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

62. Maniac Marketers' Present

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Vision as the Indispensable Quality of Leadership in a Work at Home Business -- Part 1.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, August 18, 2011

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

63. Maniac Marketers' Present

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Developing People, Your Most Appreciable Asset in a Work at Home Business -- Part 4.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, August 11, 2011

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

64. Maniac Marketers' Present

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Developing People, Your Most Appreciable Asset in a Work at Home Business -- Part 3.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, August 4, 2011

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

65. Maniac Marketers' Business Conference

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Developing People, Your Most Appreciable Asset in a Work at Home Business -- Part 2.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, July 28, 2011

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

66. Maniac Marketers' Conference

You are cordially invited to Maniac Marketers' Business Presentation

Discussion of Developing Your Most Appreciable Asset in a Work at Home Business -- Part 1.

Presenter: Terry Allison, Sr

Maniac Marketer's Conference Room

Thursday, July 21, 2011

9 p.m. (Eastern); 8 p.m. (Central); 7 p.m. (Mountain); 6 p.m. (Pacific)

Password: prophet

67. Anti-Inflammatory Product

Anti-inflammatory Product

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
by Brazos Minshew, TriVitas Chief Science Officer

Do you have pain, numbness or tingling in your hand, especially the Index finger and thumb? Does the pain or numbness get worse when you use your hand a lot? Have you lost your grip?

You may have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!

Take the Wellness Challenge.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? How did I get it? How can I make it go away?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a phrase that describes the inflammation of the median nerve in the hand.

Aside from these triggers, let me tell you of my experience with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. People tend to have two things in common when they experience this disorder, a B vitamin deficiency of B-6 and B-12, and a serious problem in their neck.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Take Control of Your Health

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Posted by
Terry L. Allison, Sr., #13134349 1 Star
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member
Skype: allisonmarketinggroup
Phone: 859-858-9246
http://terryallison.com

68. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

I get a great nights sleep without waking up groggy or tired

Louis R., Member, Port Chester, NY

Every night before I go to bed, I take two of TriVitas Peaceful Sleep. It works quickly, and I get a great nights sleep without waking up groggy or tired. It is wonderful. Thanks, TriVita.

Peaceful Sleep works fast, in as little as 30 minutes!

What a difference a good nights sleep makes. If you have slept well you are energized, invigorated and ready to take on the world. If you have had a bad nights sleep, you are likely to be drowsy, irritable and unfocused throughout the entire day.

Do not settle for a bad nights sleep. You should also avoid habit-forming sleeping pills that leave you with a morning hangover.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Reformulated for a better nights sleep
TriVita engaged in extensive research to create reformulated Peaceful Sleep. You will love the results! Now you can fall asleep naturally, stay asleep throughout the night and wake up feeling refreshed. Unlike so many other sleep aids, TriVitas Peaceful Sleep uses natural ingredients that help promote a restful, deeper sleep, while supporting your bodys natural sleep processes.

Unique, fast acting formula. You should feel the difference in as little as 30 minutes.
No morning hangover. You will wake up feeling energized and refreshed instead of drowsy
Non-habit forming
Restores important vitamins and minerals that may be depleted because of sleep deprivation, supports your bodys natural restoration process
A Melatonin-free product

Take the Wellness Challenge.

A healthier way to fall asleep
Many sleep aids on the market can be harmful and addictive. Peaceful Sleep is the healthy alternative, containing unique homeopathic ingredients that help remove any obstacles to sleep. Other key ingredients include

GABA fuels the relaxation response by making the brain more sensitive to sedative hormones
Inositol, a B-vitamin with a calming effect
5-HTP, the immediate protein precursor for serotonin, called the sleep hormone
Lglutamine helps calm intense dreams
Passiflora incarnate, passion flower, helps deepen the sleep cycle for light sleepers, especially those with chronic illnesses

Order Peaceful Sleep today to fall asleep naturally within minutes, sleep longer and wake up feeling refreshed.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Posted by
Terry L. Allison, Sr., #13134349 1 Star
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member
Skype: allisonmarketinggroup
Phone: 859-858-9246
http://terryallison.com

69. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

What happens when you do not get enough sleep?

Are you sleepy during the day or doze off watching TV? These are common signs that you are not getting the right quantity and quality of sleep. You may also notice that

You easily gain weight or are obese
You get colds, the flu, or other infections during the year
Your hormones, cholesterol or blood pressure are out of balance
You suffer from chronic pain.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

There should be no doubt that sleep is vital to your continued good health. At TriVita, we have long recognized the importance of sleep. That is why number three in our 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness encourages you to

Sleep Peacefully
Establishing a bedtime routine will help you sleep longer and more soundly.

The simple fact is that most people need more and a better quality of sleep. In fact, sleep deprivation has become a major disorder in North America and contributes to an overall lack of wellness. Poor or inadequate sleep can lead to a variety of negative results, including

Impaired ability to use insulin, which can lead to high blood sugar
Blood pressure and cardiovascular problems
Insufficient growth hormone secretion, which may lead to obesity
Impaired immunity, which can make you more susceptible to disease

Take the Wellness Challenge.

How much sleep do you need?
Most sleep experts recommend anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep for optimum health and performance. Remember, sleep is a very energy intensive process. It takes a lot of energy to accomplish all the work you have to do as you sleep. For the best nighttime sleep make sure you get plenty of nutrients, sunlight and exercise during the day. At night make sure you have a comfortable bed.

Adequate sleep helps keep your immune system strong and your spirits high. If you are not getting a good quality and quantity of sleep, take Peaceful Sleep and enjoy more normal sleep patterns.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Posted by
Terry L. Allison, Sr., #13134349 1 Star
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member
Skype: allisonmarketinggroup
Phone: 859-858-9246
http://terryallison.com

70. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Peaceful Sleep works fast, in as little as 30 minutes!

Do not settle for a bad nights sleep. You should also avoid habit-forming sleeping pills that leave you with a morning hangover.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Unique, fast acting formula you should feel the difference in as little as 30 minutes.
No morning hangover. You will wake up feeling energized and refreshed instead of drowsy
Non-habit forming
Restores important vitamins and minerals that may be depleted because of sleep deprivation, supports your bodys natural restoration process
A Melatonin-free product

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Order Peaceful Sleep today to fall asleep naturally within minutes, sleep longer and wake up feeling refreshed.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Posted by
Terry L. Allison, Sr., #13134349 1 Star
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member
Skype: allisonmarketinggroup
Phone: 859-858-9246
http://terryallison.com

71. Anti-Inflammatory Product

Anti-inflammatory Product

Regain Energy with Healthy Habits
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita's Chief Science Officer

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 number 3, Sleep Peacefully. Typically, a good nights sleep will erase fatigue, it may take several nights. Cultivating the habit of sleeping 7 and a half 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.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

We especially need rest

We experience chronic fatigue when resting does not relieve our feelings of exhaustion. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or 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 or in stasis, our internal chemistry appears to be balanced every single moment of every single day with amazing consistency. We cannot 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.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

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 do not 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.

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

Take Control of Your Health

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Other health related articles.

Posted by
Terry L. Allison, Sr., #13134349 1 Star
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member
Skype: allisonmarketinggroup
Phone: 859-858-9246
http://terryallison.com

72. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

My favorite sleep aid is located at Health and Wellness. Here is a lot more information on sleeping pills and other sleep aid material, so you can stay well informed to help you stop suffering from insomnia. Determine for yourself why it is more important to look for alternative sleep aids and methods, rather than prescription sleeping pills.

Related links for sleeping pills, natural sleep aids and medications

General information about sleep aids, sleeping pills, and sleep medication
Taking Sleep Medications for Insomnia, Guidelines to make sure that you use sleep medications and sleeping pills safely and properly. American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Can Not Sleep? What to Know About Insomnia, An overview of insomnia and the sleep aids, sleeping pills, and over the counter sleep medications commonly used to treat it. National Sleep Foundation

When to Take a Sleeping Pill, Important questions to ask yourself before taking over the counter sleep medications or prescription sleeping pills. CNN

Myths and Facts, Myths and facts about sleeping smart. National Sleep Foundation

Natural sleep aids, over the counter sleep medications and herbal supplements
Do Drugstores Have the Cure for Your Insomnia? Taking a Closer Look at Common Treatments, An investigative article that looks at various over the counter sleep aids, including antihistamines, melatonin, and herbal remedies, and reports on their effectiveness. American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Over the counter sleep aids and supplements. What is best and safe?, Review of available over the counter sleep aids and herbal supplements. Mayo Clinic

Treating Insomnia With Over the counter Sleep Aids, Herbal Supplements, A position statement by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. American Academy of Sleep Medicine

What Are Drug Treatments for Insomnia?, General guidelines on sleep medications and sleeping pills for insomnia, as well as natural remedies. University of Maryland Medical Center

Melatonin and Sleep, Discussion of the natural sleep aid melatonins effects on insomnia. National Sleep Foundation

Valerian, A review of the use of valerian for treating insomnia and other sleep disorders. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health

Prescription sleeping pills and sleep medications
Sedatives. Summary of Recommendations, A review of current insomnia medications on the market, their side effects and a discussion of generic and brand name sleep medications. Best Buy Drugs for Insomnia, PDF provides the complete report. Consumer Reports

Medline Plus: Drugs and Supplements, Prescription and over the counter medication information from the National Institutes of Health. Medline Plus

Prescription sleeping pills. What is right for you?, Common uses of sleeping pills, sleep medications, and other effective treatments for insomnia. Mayo Clinic

Taking Sleep Medications for Insomnia, guidelines to make sure that you use sleep medications and sleeping pills safely and properly. American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Insomnia: Medications, General guidelines on prescription sleeping pills and sleep medications for insomnia, as well as natural remedies. University of Maryland Medical Center

Alternatives to sleeping pills and over the counter sleep medications
Insomnia treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy instead of sleeping pills, Discusses benefits of CBT versus popular sleep medications and sleeping pills. Mayo Clinic

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Insomnia, How CBT is used as an alternative to sleeping pills to treat insomnia. Psychology Today

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, What is CBT and how does it work as a natural sleep aid? National Sleep Foundation

Posted by:
Terry L. Allison, Sr., #13134349 1 Star
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member
Skype: allisonmarketinggroup
Phone: 859-858-9246
Sleeping Pill

73. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Alternatives to sleeping pills and sleep medications

Research has shown that changing your sleep environment and bedtime behaviors is one of the most effective ways to combat insomnia. Even if you decide to use sleep medications in the short term, experts recommend changes in lifestyle and bedtime behavior as a long-term remedy to sleeplessness. Behavioral and environmental changes can have more of a positive impact on sleep than sleeping pills, sleep aids or other medications, without the risk of side effects or dependence.

Cognitive behavioral therapy also called CBT
Many people complain that frustrating, negative thoughts and worries prevent them from sleeping at night. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that treats problems by modifying dysfunctional or destructive thoughts, emotions and patterns of behavior. CBT is a relatively simple treatment that can improve sleep by changing your behavior before bedtime as well as changing the ways of thinking that keep you from falling asleep. It also focuses on improving relaxation skills and changing lifestyle habits that affect sleeping patterns.

CBT vs. sleeping pills
A recent study at Harvard Medical School found that cognitive behavior therapy or CBT, including relaxation exercises and the adoption of good sleep habits, was more effective at treating chronic insomnia than prescription sleep medication. It produced the greatest changes in patients ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, and the benefits remained even a year after treatment ended.
Source: National Institutes of Health also called NIH

For more information about CBT, see Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

Relaxation techniques that can help you sleep

A relaxing bedtime routine. Focus on quiet, soothing activities, such as reading, knitting, or listening to soft music before bed. Keep the lights low.

Abdominal breathing. Most of us do not breathe as deeply as we should. When we breathe deeply and fully, involving not only the chest, but also the belly, lower back, and ribcage, it can actually help the part of our nervous system that controls relaxation. Close your eyes and try taking deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Make each exhale a little longer than each inhale.

Progressive muscle relaxation is easier than it sounds. Lie down or make yourself comfortable. Starting with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10, then relax. Continue to do this for every muscle group in your body, working your way up from your feet to the top of your head.

Daily relaxation to help you sleep
Learn more about relaxation techniques that can help you sleep, including simple meditation practices, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, tai chi, and the use of deep breathing to unwind and prepare for a nights rest. With a little practice, these skills can improve your sleep better than a sleeping pill or sleep aid.

Read: Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief

Exercise to beat insomnia
Studies have shown that exercise during the day can improve sleep at night. When we exercise we experience a significant rise in body temperature, followed a few hours later by a significant drop. This drop in body temperature makes it easier for us to fall asleep and stay asleep. To combat sleeplessness, the best time to exercise is late afternoon or early evening. However, it is important to avoid vigorous exercise late at night or just before going to bed as the stimulating effect of exercise and the rise in body temperature can make it harder to sleep.

Aerobic exercises are the best to combat sleeplessness as they increase the amount of oxygen that reaches the blood. Try exercise such as jogging, walking briskly, using a stationary bike or treadmill, dancing, or jumping rope. Check with your doctor first to make sure you are healthy enough for physical activity and remember to stretch before and after your workouts.

How much exercise will improve sleep?
One study by Stanford University of Medicine researchers concluded that people who performed regular, moderately-intense aerobic exercise for 30 to 40 minutes four times a week, slept almost an hour longer than those who did no exercise at all. As well as enjoying better quality sleep, the exercisers were also able to cut the time it took to fall asleep by half.

Source: National Institutes of Health

74. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Herbs and natural sleep aids

Many people with insomnia choose herbal remedies for treatment, although their effectiveness has not been evaluated by the FDA. Some remedies, such as lemon balm or chamomile tea are generally harmless. However, others can have more serious side effects and can interfere with prescribed medications, which can be dangerous. St. Johns Wort, for example, can limit the effectiveness of many prescribed medications such as blood thinners, birth control pills and some anticancer medications. Check with your healthcare professional if you are trying a herbal remedy.

Herbal sleep aids
There are several herbs thought to help sleep,including chamomile, valerian root, kava kava, lemon balm, passionflower, lavender, and St. Johns Wort. Many people drink chamomile tea for its gentle sedative properties, although it may cause allergic reactions in those with plant or pollen allergies. While there is some data showing valerian to be useful for insomnia, at high doses, it can cause vivid dreams, blurred vision, changes in heart rhythm, and excitability.

Melatonin
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone whose levels peak at night. It is triggered by dark and levels remain elevated throughout the night until light decreases it. However, most studies have not found melatonin to be beneficial when compared to a sugar pill, placebo. Some positive results have been shown in helping jet lag and night shift workers, but simple exposure to light at the right time might be just as effective. Long term effects of melatonin are unknown.

Tryptophan, L tryptophan
Tryptophan is a basic amino acid used in the formation of the chemical messenger serotonin, a substance in the brain that helps tell your body to sleep. L tryptophan is a common byproduct of tryptophan, which the body then can change into serotonin. Some studies have shown that L tryptophan can help people fall asleep faster. Results, however, have been inconsistent.

75. Sleeping Pill

Sleeping Pill

Guidelines for using sleep medications

If you decide to try sleeping pills or sleep aids, keep in mind the following guidelines. Talk to your doctor about

Other medications you are taking. This includes non prescription medications such as pain relievers and allergy medicines, as well as herbal supplements. Combining medications can be very dangerous.

Specific instructions for decreasing and/or terminating use. In some cases, stopping medication abruptly can cause uncomfortable side effects and even rebound insomnia.

Using the medications intermittently, rather than nightly, in order to decrease the negative side effects and to increase the sleeping pills efficiency when you do use them. This is not appropriate with all medications, as some cause withdrawal symptoms when stopped abruptly.

Other medical conditions that you have. Some drugs can have serious side effects for people with medical problems such as high blood pressure, liver problems, glaucoma, depression and breathing difficulties.

Remember to

Only take a sleeping pill when you will have enough time to get a full night of sleep (7 to 8 hours). Otherwise you may feel very drowsy the next day.

Carefully read the package insert that comes with your medication. Pay careful attention to the potential side effects.

Never drink alcohol near the time when you take a sleeping pill. Not only will alcohol disrupt your sleep even more, it can interact dangerously with the sleeping pill.

Never drive a car or operate machinery after taking a sleeping pill. Especially when you first start taking a new sleep aid, as you may not know how it will affect you.

Follow directions closely, starting with a very small dose and increasing gradually, according to the doctors schedule. Find out whether you should take your medication with or without food. For some medications, certain foods must be avoided.

76. Sleeping Pill

Prescription sleeping pills and sleep medications

There are several different types of prescription sleeping pills. These medications are classified as sedative hypnotics. In general, the medications act by working on receptors in the brain to slow down the nervous system. Some medications are used more for inducing sleep, while others are used for staying asleep. Some last longer than others in your system, a longer half life, and some have a higher risk of becoming habit forming. For more information about a medication, follow the link in the table to a Physicians Desk Reference review of each medication. Consult your healthcare professional if you have a specific question about a medication.

Benzodiazepine sedative hypnotic sleeping pills
Benzodiazepines are the oldest class of sleep medications still commonly in use. Benzodiazepines as a group are thought to have a higher risk of dependence than other insomnia sedative hypnotics. All are classified as controlled substances. Primarily used to treat anxiety disorders, benzodiazepines approved to treat insomnia include,

Estazolam, also known as ProSom
Flurazepam, also known as Dalmane
Quazepam, also known as Doral
Temazepam, also known as Restoril
Triazolam, also known as Halcion

Drawbacks to benzodiazepine sleeping pills
Use of sleeping medications, especially benzodiazepines, can become troublesome for several reasons,

You can become both physically and psychologically dependent on the sleep medication. You may believe that you can not sleep without it, and actually experience physical withdrawal symptoms like anxiety and rebound insomnia.

They can lose their effectiveness if used on a nightly basis, because the brain receptors become less sensitive to their effects. In as little as three to four weeks, benzodiazepines can become no more effective than a sugar pill.

The overall quality of your sleep can be reduced, with less restorative deep sleep and dream sleep.

You may experience next day cognitive slowing and drowsiness, called the hangover effect, which may be even greater than from sleep deprivation.

Even if the medication is effective while taking it, insomnia returns once it is stopped.

Non benzodiazepine sedative hypnotic sleeping pills
Some newer medications do not have the same chemical structure as a benzodiazepine, but act on the same area in the brain. They are thought to have fewer side effects, and less risk of dependency, but are still considered controlled substances. One medication in this class, eszopiclone also called Lunesta, has been tested for longer term use, up to six months.

Eszopiclone also known as Lunesta
Zalepon also known as Sonata
Zolpidem also known as Ambien

Drawbacks to non benzodiazepine sleeping pills
Generally, non benzodiazepines have fewer drawbacks than benzodiazepines, but that does not make them suitable for everyone. Some may find this type of sleep medication ineffective at helping them sleep, while the long-term effects remain unknown. Side effects include,

Morning grogginess
Drug tolerance
Rebound insomnia
Headaches, dizziness, nausea
In rare cases, dangerous sleeprelated behaviors such as sleepwalking, sleepdriving, and sleepeating

Melatonin receptor agonist hypnotic sleeping pills
This is the newest type of sleep medication and works by mimicking the sleep regulation hormone melatonin. It has little risk of physical dependency but does have side effects. It is used for sleep onset problems and is not effective for problems in staying asleep.

Ramelteon also called Rozerem

Drawbacks to ramelteon
Ramelteons most common side effect is dizziness. It may also worsen symptoms of depression and should not be used by those with severe liver damage.

Antidepressants
The Food and Drug Administration, also known as FDA, has not approved these drugs for the treatment of insomnia, nor has their use been proven effective in treating sleeplessness. However, some physicians believe insomnia is related to depression. As with all depression medication, there is a small but significant risk of suicidal thoughts or worsening of depression, particularly in children and adolescents.

To learn more on the use and dangers of depression medication, see Antidepressants

77. Sleeping Pill

Over the counter, often referred to as OTC, sleep aids and sleeping pills

The main ingredient of over the counter sleeping pills is an antihistamine. Antihistamines are generally taken for allergies, hay fever and common cold symptoms, in brand name medication such as Benadryl. However, histamine, a chemical messenger in the brain, promotes wakefulness, so antihistamine has the effect of making some patients feel sleepy. While the positive effects have not been substantiated through research, the side effects, such as drowsiness the following day, can be common and severe.

Common OTC sleep medications, with a link to Medline Plus drug information from NIH include,

Diphenhydramine is found in brand names like Nytol, Sominex, Sleepinal, Compoz

Doxylamine is found in brand names like Unisom, Nighttime Sleep Aid

Some other OTC sleep medications combine antihistamines with the pain reliever Acetaminophen, found in brand names like Tylenol PM and Aspirin Free Anacin PM. Others, such as NyQuil, combine antihistamines with alcohol.

OTC sleep aids are meant to be used for short term insomnia only. Sleep experts generally advise against the use of over the counter, OTC, sleep aids because of side effects, questions about their effectiveness, and lack of information about their safety over the long term.

Side effects of OTC sleep aids and medications
The antihistamines used in OTC sleep aids can produce common side effects, some of them severe. As with any medication, it is advisable to consult your doctor before taking over the counter sleep medication. This is especially important if you have glaucoma, trouble urinating due to an enlarged prostate gland, or a breathing problem such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Talk to your doctor if you are currently taking an antidepressant such as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or did so as recently as two weeks ago. Also check with your doctor first if you take any other drugs for depression or Parkinsons disease. Women who breast feed should avoid OTC sleep aids.

Common side effects of OTC sleep aids and sleeping pills

Moderate to severe drowsiness the next day
Dizziness and forgetfulness
Clumsiness, feeling off balance
Constipation and urinary retention
Blurred vision
Dry mouth and throat

78. Sleeping Pill

Side effects of sleep medications and sleeping pills

All prescription sleeping pills have side effects, which can vary depending on the specific drug, the dosage and how long the drug lasts in your system. Check with your healthcare professional about any concerns you have. Common side effects can include headache, muscle aches, constipation, dry mouth, daytime sleepiness, trouble concentrating, dizziness, unsteadiness and rebound insomnia.

Some serious risks of sleeping pills
Sedative-hypnotic drug products, benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines, can cause severe allergic reaction, facial swelling, memory lapses, hallucinations, and complex sleep-related behaviors. These may include sleep-walking, sleep-driving, driving while not fully awake, with no memory of the event, and sleep-eating, eating in the middle of the night with no recollection, often resulting in weight-gain. If you experience any unusual sleep-related behavior, consult your doctor immediately.

Does newer mean better and safer for sleep medications?
Not necessarily. An older medication may work just as well depending on the type of insomnia you have and other medical considerations. Older medications often have many additional years of data from patient usageand may also be more cost effective if available in generic form. On the other hand, newer medications may have differences that minimize side effects of older medications. Bottom line. Work with a healthcare professional that you trust in deciding which medication would best suit your needs.

79. Sleeping Pill

It is the middle of the night, and you are staring at the bedroom ceiling, thinking about work, or bills, or the kids. Sleep just will not come. You look anxiously at the clock again. If only you could fall asleep...

In these circumstances, it is often tempting to reach for a sleeping pill, but there are important things you need to know first. Sleep medications vary in safety and effectiveness and are rarely meant for more than short-term use. Persistent insomnia is usually a symptom of an underlying medical or psychological problem that cannot be treated with sleep medications. In many cases, making simple changes to your lifestyle is far more effective at ending sleepless nights than popping a pill.

Are sleep aids, sleeping pills, or medications right for you?

In general, sleeping pills and sleep medications are most effective when used sparingly for short term situations, such as traveling across many time zones or recovering from a medical procedure. Sometimes sleep medications are used briefly at the beginning of behavioral treatment for insomnia, especially if the sleep deprivation has been severe. If medications are used over the long term, they are best used as needed instead of on a daily basis to avoid dependence and tolerance. Working with your healthcare professional is essential to ensure you get the maximum benefit and can safely monitor potential side-effects. The trouble with sleeping pills, over the counter sleep aids, and medications.

The idea of a pill that can instantly solve your sleep problems is very appealing. Unfortunately, sleep medications don't cure the underlying cause of the insomnia, and in fact can often make the problem worse in the long run. Concerns about the use of both over the counter, otherwise known as OTC, and prescription sleep medications include

Side effects. Side effects can be severe and include prolonged drowsiness the next day, confusion, forgetfulness and dry mouth.

Drug tolerance. You may have to take more and more of the sleep aid for it to work, which in turn can lead to more side effects.

Drug dependence. You may come to rely on the medication to sleep, and will be unable to sleep or have even worse sleep without it.

Withdrawal symptoms. If you stop the medication abruptly, you may have withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating and shaking.

Drug interactions. If you are taking other medications, sleeping medications can interact with them. This can worsen side effects and be dangerous, especially with medications such as prescription painkillers and other sedatives.

Rebound insomnia. If you need to stop the medication, sometimes the insomnia can become even worse than before.

Masking an underlying problem. There may be an underlying medical or mental disorder, or even a sleep disorder, that if treated would provide more relief from insomnia.

80. Sleeping Pill

Hypnotic (also called soporific) drugs are a class of psychoactives whose primary function is to induce sleep and to be used in the treatment of insomnia and in surgical anesthesia. When used in anesthesia to produce and maintain unconsciousness, "sleep" is metaphorical and there are no regular sleep stages or cyclical natural states; patients rarely recover from anesthesia feeling refreshed and with renewed energy. Because drugs in this class generally produce dose-dependent effects, ranging from anxiolysis to production of unconsciousness, they are often referred to collectively as sedative-hypnotic drugs. Hypnotic drugs are regularly prescribed for insomnia and other sleep disorders, with over 95% of insomnia patients being prescribed hypnotics in some countries. Many hypnotic drugs are habit-forming and, due to a large number of factors known to disturb the human sleep pattern, a physician may instead recommend alternative sleeping patterns, sleep hygiene, and exercise before prescribing medication for sleep. Hypnotic medication when prescribed should be used for the shortest period of time possible.

The benzodiazepine and nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic medications also have a number of side effects such as daytime fatigue, motor vehicle crashes, cognitive impairments, and falls and fractures. In children, prescribing hypnotics is not yet acceptable unless if used to treat night terrors or somnambulism. Elderly people are more sensitive to these side effects and a meta analysis found that the risks generally outweigh any marginal benefits of hypnotics in the elderly. A review of the literature regarding benzodiazepine hypnotic and Z drugs concluded that these drugs caused an unjustifiable risk to the individual and to public health, and lack evidence of long-term effectiveness due to tolerance. The risks include dependence, accidents, and other adverse effects. Gradual discontinuation of hypnotics leads to improved health without worsening of sleep. Preferably they should be prescribed for only a few days at the lowest effective dose, and avoided altogether wherever possible in the elderly.