What is Ayurveda, Amalaki and Zrii?
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a 5000 year-old system of natural healing that has its origins in the Vedic culture of India. Although suppressed during years of foreign occupation, Ayurveda has been enjoying a major resurgence in both its native land and throughout the world. Tibetan medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine both have their roots in Ayurveda. Early Greek medicine also embraced many concepts originally described in the classical Ayurvedic medical texts dating back thousands of years.
More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body mind and spirit.
Zrii synergistically combines Amalaki with six other herbs and fruits, including Haritaki, Tulsi, Turmeric, Ginger, Jujube, and Schizandra. Blended in a base of pomegranate, pear, and grape juice. Zrii is packed full of antioxidant, bio-available Vitamin C, free-radical scavenging Polyphenols, and bioflavanoids and natural enzymes. This unique formulation is designed to promote cellular rejuvenation, immune function and increased vitality.
Amalaki
Amalaki is a small tree that’s native to tropical southeastern Asia, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Mascarene Islands. Also known as Indian gooseberry, Amalaki bears a small round fruit (about ½ to 1” in diameter) that’s one of nature’s richest sources of antioxidants. In fact, its juice has about 20 times more vitamin C than orange juice. Research has shown that the fruit has both antibacterial and antiviral properties.
In the Ayurvedic healing tradition, Amalaki is considered the most powerful rejuvenating medicine. In Sanskrit, Amalaki means “the sustainer,” and it’s used to nourish the blood, skin, liver and bones. It’s frequently recommended for a wide variety of debilitating conditions.
Amalaki fruit is extremely nutritious and well known among Ayurvedic practitioners for being the only food that contains five of the six essential tastes (rasas): sour, sweet, bitter, pungent and astringent. It lacks only the salty taste. This is a valuable property because in Ayurveda, a balanced diet needs to contain all six tastes at every meal to create optimal health.
Zrii
Zrii (zree) is a Sanskrit word meaning light, luster, splendor and prosperity. And is based on 5000 years of Ayurvedic tradition, made of 7 components that are synergistic and have been scientifically tested.
Zrii is the first product endorsed by The Chopra Center for Wellbeing™, a world-renowned health and wellness center recognized as the world's premier authority on integrating the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda into modern daily life.
Deepak Chopra MD, his co-founder, David Simon MD, as well as other Ayurvedic Physicians, and Western scientists were instrumental in the formulation of Zrii.
Zrii is a powerful, new liquid nutritional drink, rooted in the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda. Widely considered one of the world's most rejuvenating super foods, Amalaki forms the basis of this delicious, functional beverage.
The 7 Components of Zrii
Amalaki is the keystone of Zrii's formulation because it is the botanical for cellular rejuvenation. But we are not the first to see its benefits. For centuries, this small fruit, which grows in the fertile soil at the base of the Himalayas, has often been considered the most effective source for, among other things, promoting cellular rejuvenation, enhancing immune function, and increasing vitality.
More recently, many of these miraculous benefits have been explained, as scientists and nutritionists around the world have documented its properties and unique makeup. However, we still use only the purest, whole-food source of Amalaki found anywhere in the world, grown where it originate, fed by the cleanest air and water on the planet. Furthermore, the fruit is wildcrafted, a harvesting technique where the Amalaki is taken from trees as they are found in nature, hand-picket according to the ancient techniques.
Ginger: For more than 2,500 years, ginger has been used to treat ailments and please the palate. Today the edible portion of the perennial plant is used worldwide in a variety of ways. In France they use it to flavor a liqueur and the United Kingdom produces a ginger flavored wine. In the Middle East, ginger powder is used as a spice for coffee and in the West, we use ginger to satisfy our sweet tooth in gingerbread, ginger ale, ginger snaps - even ginger candy.
Generally ginger is used to improve digestion, absorption and assimilation. In addition, ginger has been used frequently for dyspepsia colic, to ease the pain from arthritis, has blood thinning and cholesterol lowering properties that can help treat heart disease, and can be an effective treatment for nausea. Gingerols have shown evidence of aiding the movement of the gastrointestinal tract and have antibacterial, sedative, antipyretic, and analgesic properties
.
Turmeric: Native to tropical South Asia, Turmeric - often misspelled as Tumeric - thrives in temperatures between 20 and 30 degree Celsius with plenty of rain. After a process of boiling and then drying Turmeric in hot ovens, rhizomes are extracted from it, ground into a powder and used as a spice and dye. Curcumin, its active ingredient, has a peppery flavor and smells similar to mustard. Turmeric is used in many food products and can usually be found in curry powders.
Turmeric has demonstrated ability to compliment circulation and digestion. In India, it is used as an antiseptic to treat burns and cuts and Ayuvedic doctors value Turmeric for its fluoride. The United States National Institutes of Health is conducting four clinical trials to determine if curcumin is an affective treatment for pancreatic cancer, Alzheimer's and colorectal cancer. Curcumin has been used for thousands of years as a sage anti-inflammatory and may be an effective treatment of psoriasis. Finally, Turmeric has demonstrated some ability to help slow down the spread of some cancers.
Tulsi, also spelled Tulasi and referred to as Holy Basil, is an aromatic plant and, beyond its many culinary purposes, has particular spiritual relevance as well. Some Hindus consider a household incomplete without a Tulsi plant and still others provide structural spaces within the home especially for the Tulsi. In other spiritual practices, Tulsi is used to make necklaces.
Medicinally, Tulsi has been known to enhance digestion and intestinal health. The plant's extracts are also used in remedies for colds, headaches, stomach ailments, inflammation, heart disease and malaria. Resent studies suggest that Tulsi may be effective as a painkiller and may help reduce glucose and cholesterol levels. It also has antioxidant properties.
Schizandra is a famous tonic historically consumed by Chinese royalty and by Daoist masters. Schizandra is renowned as a beauty tonic and is considered to e a youth preserving herb. It is also said to be a powerful tonic to the brain and is believed in China to improve memory. For the body, it is known to improve overall strength.
Schizandra may also help mental function and memory. It is used in many tonic formulations as an astringent, while in traditional Chinese medicine it is use to resist infections, increase skin health, and combat insomnia, coughing, and thirst. Modern Chinese research suggest the Schizandra has a protective effect and may help people with chronic illness.
Jujube is a small tree or shrub with thorny branches, green, shiny leaves and edible fruit that, when mature, resembles a date (which led to the nickname Chinese Date). Jujube fruit has been cultivated for over 4,000 years and can grow in a wide range o temperatures - although hot summers are required to successfully produce fruit.
Jujube is known to calm nerves. By grounding the fruit to a powder, small amounts can be used to promptly reduce the effects of stress and purify the blood. In addition, the compound called Ziziphin found in Jujube leaves can suppress the sweet taste in humans and Jujube fruit helps soothe the throat.
Haritaki: All seven typed of Haritaki fruit have their own unique look, flavor and benefits as well as anthraquinone-like (laxative) chemicals, tannins and astringents. Haritaki fruit is part of triphala, the three-fruit formula in Ayurveda. It is generally administered in triphala form rather that by itself to draw upon its tonic effects.
Haritaki has been shown to nourish tissues, particularly the heart, liver, and kidney. It is used to treat diseases of the eye (both internally and externally). In addition, Haritaki, by blocking the ability to utilize sugars, may help to eliminate bacteria and have cholesterol-lowering qualities.
The health benefits are nothing short of miraculous.
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Here is what people are saying about Zrii:
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"Since taking Zrii for the past 2 months I have noticed that my energy level is phenomenal. Previously I was not able to walk up and down the stairs, especially down with the osteoarthritis in both of my knees without pain. I can now not only walk up and down the stairs, I have joined the gym and am exercising. Needless to say I am very thankful for this wonderful health supplement that I have been introduced to and I plan on continuing to take it every day."
Thank-you
June VanderMolen
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"As an insulin dependent diabetic on an insulin pump, one of my issues is of course, blood sugar control. My blood sugar control is now amazing and Zrii is the only difference I have made in my daily regimen."
Thanks for everything.
Karen Scott
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"I personally suffer from very bad acid reflux and since taking Zrii I have noticed a tremendous reduction in symptoms. I haven't had to use any medications, not even the over the counter stuff."
Kim
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"I have boundless energy, and sleep soundly at night. I'm Pain FREE now with Zrii. No more pain and stiffness in my hip as a result of a fall 8 years ago."
Meg Allen, St. Louis
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"I no longer suffer with the pain of Fibromyalgia, and the energy is almost spiritual."
Sandy W.
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There's just so much more information that it would be impossible for me to put it all here.
You will want to watch the video and get all the details about this incredible health product by clicking here!
Dangers of the Drug Femara
Taken from their ad in a popular magazine
Doctors removed my lump, not my Spirit.
Femara is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of post menopausal women with hormone receptor early breast cancer. The effectiveness of Femara in early breast cancer is based on an analysis of disease-free survival in patients treated for a median of 24 months and followed for a median of 26 months.. Follow-up analyses will determine long-term outcomes to both safety and
efficacy.
Ask your oncologist if Femara is right for you.
Side effects; bone fractures, vaginal bleeding, headache, vaginal irritation, vomiting, dizziness/light headedness, osteoporosis, constipation, endometrial Proliferation Disorders, Endometrial Cancer, other Endometrial Disorders, myocardial infarction, Cerebrovascular/TA, Angina, Thromboemboic Event, other Cardiovascular, Second Malignancies.
**** Margie's comments **** The side effects did not affect every one who took the drug. But if it happens to you that is what you must adjust to.
I write these to make you aware of the need for each person to read ALL the small print. Then discuss them with your doctor. Be part of the process not just a follower.
10 Steps to Happiness - Naturally
Are you happy? Or not as happy as you would like to be?
Ask your self what do you really want out of life for yourself!
My Wonderful Grandmother always said that when she got out of bed each day she asked herself this question. Do I want to be happy today or sad?
She always wanted to be happy. She was the most happy person I have ever known. Despite raising her children alone, due to leaving an abusive husband way back in the early 1900's.
She was dearly loved by all her children, grand children and great grandchildren. They would argue who got the right to have Grandma stay with them.
- Be more outgoing. Be less anti social. When you laugh with other people in a movie house, for instance, you laugh much harder than when you watch a movie alone.
- Make a list of things you are grateful for. This might seem silly but it works. Counting your blessings is a major step in being happy.
- Think of every little thing that happens in your day as a positive experience. No matter how small.
- Think of doing things that will give you happy memories. If you have to choose between redoing the bathroom or taking a vacation, take the vacation. What sort of happy memory will you have about the bathroom. I have never forgotten the letter a son in Vietnam wrote to his family. Thanking them for all the good times his family had given him and how grateful he was that they chose these happy times. He said he remembered them always making a decision between something material and having fun with the family and they always too the fun.
- Look at life as a comedy. Watch funny TV programs. Read funny things. Smile at the quirks of life. If something that seems serious today can be laughed at a later time, laugh at it now. My husband and I had a saying when something serious would come up. He had serious eye condition. We had 4 children. We would say, "Well Warren isn't blind and I am not pregnant!!!"
- Think of a place for you to go where you can be calm and peaceful. When a problem hits, thing of this place in your mind and go to it. Really make this place in great detail. Colors, sounds and people.
- Optimistic people have more fun and live longer. Pessimist worry and fret and stew and are always putting happiness off so they can wallow in there pessimism. Look around at other peoples problem and you will realize that yours are not all that bad.
- Think back to your childhood. What made you happy? What made you laugh? Do those things now.
- Tell people you love them. Do small, nice things for others. Write that note, make that phone call. Give up that negativity and your body will be glad.
- Celebrate something everyday. No matter how big or small. Do not say, oh when we.. get the money, or the time or whatever. Celebrate today. It is all we really have.
Plan for tomorrow but Live for today.
Bottled Water - More Than 30% Comes From A Public Source
I am 81 years young and remember drinking from public fountains. They were everywhere. Free water. Now it is bottled water everywhere.
What to buy, what not to buy. In the United States we drank over 8 BILLION gallons of bottled water in 2007 and that increases yearly.
It is easy to carry around. Tastes better than tap water. And far healthier than canned, sugar filled sodas.
But is it safe? Is the convenience out weighing the environmental impact?
Every brand had labels with enticing pictures and slogans. All trying to convince us that bottled water is better regulated and safer than tap water. Some does come from pure sources, such as sparkling springs. But over 30% comes form a municipal source. That's right, tap water.
One popular brand comes from a well that is located near a hazardous waste site, and is being sold to many bottlers. One said it came from "pure Glacier Water but really came from a public water supply.
Do you realize in most states you are paying more per gallon of bottled water than for a gallon of gas?
In 1999 the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) tested over 103 brands of water. They found 1/3 contained bacterial or chemical contaminants, including carcinogens, in levels exceeding state or industry standards.
Two brands they tested were contaminated with phthalates, a chemical used to make plastic softer and are found in cosmetics, fragrances, shower curtains, and even baby toys.
Male fetuses that are exposed to high levels of phthalates during critical developmental periods, can have mal-formed reproductive organs, including undescended testicles. And may be linked to low sperm counts.
Storing bottled water in hot places and high temperatures can make the plastic in the bottle leach into the water.
Leaving bottled water in the car, exposed to high temperatures changes the chemical equilibrium. Same goes for pop or soda stored that way.
Bottle water affects the environment. Virgin petroleum is used to make the plastic bottles. Fossil fuels are used to burned to fill the bottles and distribute them.
And these bottles are usually not recycled just throw away or dumped on our beaches, lakes etc.
What to do?
To get the chlorine out of tap water, fill a gallon container and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours to let the chlorine dissipate
into the air. That's what I do.
Distilled water carries the same problem as stated above. It can be pure but of course has no minerals in it.
Store water in glass. That helps.
A water cooler is made of polycarbonate, it has the potential to leach BPA, a chemical that can cause neurological problems, among other things. And I doubt the offices ever clean the water cooler..
Look for the NSF logo on the bottles.
No regulations have change since so I am sure these conditions are there today in out bottled water.
Dangers of the Medication (drug) Vytorin
Prescribed for lowering bad cholesterol
(As always I take it word for word from an ad in a large health magazine.)
"Vytorin treats the bad cholesterol.
Studies show it lowers bad cholesterol more than Lipitor alone.
Important information. Vytorin is a prescription tablet and is not for everyone, including women who are nursing or pregnant or who may become pregnant, and anyone with liver problems.
Unexplained muscle pain or weakness could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect and should be reported to your doctor right away.
This is because on rare occasions, muscle problems can be serious, including muscle breakdown resulting in kidney damage.
Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol or ever had liver problems. You can also be subjected to headaches.
Also you may get allergic reactions including swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing (which may require treatment right away. Rash, hives, joint pain, alterations in some laboratory blood tests, liver problems, inflammation of the pancreas, nausea, gallstones, inflammation of the gall bladder.
This is NOT a complete list of side effects. To get more contact your pharmacist.
Reduce The Risk of Alzheimer's
Did you know that over 4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease?
This comes from the behavioral sciences of Johns Hopkins Hospital
It hits most of the people over 65. It develops over a period of years, decades, and even before symptoms are obvious the brain damage is going on.
There are things you can do to reduce the risk.
Eating the right foods does play a large part in this. Your brain depends on the health of your arteries and your heart, so life style changes could affect both your heart and your arteries.
You must keep you blood supply to the brain glowing. So lose weight if you need to and eat foods low in fat, saturated fat especially.
Changing your diet and exercising can help you do this. Keep your blood pressure down, do this naturally by diet, exercise and food changes.
Take a baby aspirin daily. Check with your doctor before taking it.
Do you smoke? Quit it. Smoking impairs circulation
Physical exercise improves circulation
Protect your head from injuries. If you have an injury to the head that caused you to lose consciousness for a few minutes it raises the risk of Alzheimer's later in life.
Depression can be the beginning of Alzheimer's. Depression puts you at more risk of stroke or other vascular disease, which makes your platelets in your blood more sticky and it disrupts your heart rhythm.
Your memory part of your brain is known to shrink in depressed people.
Eat an antioxidant-rich diet. Citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes are a few. For more send me an email with Alzheimer's in subject field.
arthritislady@cureyourarthritis.com
Alcohol of any type has been associated with lower rates of heart disease and may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.
That means a very moderate amount of alcohol.
Red wine according to a Danish study of 1,800 people age 65 and over, those who had at lease a glass of red wine a week had a significantly lower risk of developing this disease, due to red wine containing antioxidants.
Dementia Can be Frightening, What to do?
Science has not found a shield against the ravages of dementia, but you can put the odds in your favor.
Brain cells are damaged by molecules called free radicals. Brain cells cannot repair themselves from their own DNA, during aging.
When your arteries narrow and stiffen it decreases the flow of blood to some areas of the brain. This results in mini strokes.
This blockage can kill small pockets of brain cells. And this may impair brain function.
50% of these changes are found to be caused by environmental factors, which mainly means your choice of lifestyle decisions.
One study of over 6500 men and women who ate fish at least once a week had 70% less risk of getting Alzheimer's.
This is due to the Omega-3, fatty acids found in some fish. Salmon, sardines. Herring, trout, and mackerel and canned tuna are great.
Have 4 ounces of fish at least 4 times a week. Fish oil supplements might not be as effective as the whole fish.
Your brain makes its own antioxidants to neutralize brain-damaging free radicals. They work much better when adding other nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta-carotene.
One glass of wine, beer or liquors a day has been shown to protect the heart. We are talking moderate drinking. Over one glass the damaging effects of alcohol on brain cells outweigh the benefits,
Women should not exceed one drink a day. It may also increase their risk of breast cancer according to some studies.
Regular exercise helps your circulation and protects the brain from slow deterioration.
Brisk walking at least 3 times a week for those over 65 can cut the incidence of Alzheimer's by 1/3. Jogging by 54%.
Mentally challenging work can also reduce the risk and slow memory losses.
Both exercise of the body and the mind increases blood flow to the brain, which makes you more resistant to disease and increases connections among nerve cells.
The brain is just like every other organ in your body, it ages better, with better function when used regularly
If you are worried about Alzheimer's you might ask your doctor about a test for your homocysteine levels.
Restless Legs Syndrome - Are the Benefits Worth Taking the Drug Requip?
Taken from their ad from a health magazine.
Night after night, the urge to get up and move kept me from falling asleep.
Restless Legs Syndrome.
It is recognized as a medical condition.
One that's shared by nearly 1 in 10 US adults. Most people experience its symptoms in the evening..
Requip helped me make peace with my legs.
- The compelling urge to move
- Disturbing sensations in the legs
- Moving offers temporary relief
- Trouble resting or falling asleep
People who suffer fro RLS often describe their leg sensations as creep, crawly, tingling, tightening. Getting up and moving their legs offers some relief, but the symptoms always come back. Only a doctor can determine if you have Restless LEGS SYNDROME
Requip is the first FDA-approved treatment for RLS. Taken daily, no-habit-forming prescription Requip helps relieve the symptoms of moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome.
Important safely information. Requip tablets may cause you to fall asleep or feel very sleepy during normal activities such as driving. Or to faint or
feel dizzy, nauseated, or sweaty when you stand up.
Tell your doctor if you experience these problems or if you drink alcohol or taking other medicines that make you drowsy.
Also tell your doctor if you or your family notices that you develop any unusual impulses or behaviors, such as pathological gambling or hyper sexuality.
Side effects include nausea, drowsiness, vomiting, and dizziness. Hallucinations have been reported.
People with Parkinson's disease show that they may be at an increased risk of developing melanoma, a form of skin cancer, when compared to people without Parkinson's disease.
Requip is one of the medicines prescribed for Parkinson's disease.
Do you really want any of the above side effects?
There could be better way. Take a look at a product I found that helps me - Syn-flex . If you have any questions, contact me.
Stress is a very powerful emotion. It can make a healthy person sick, a happy person depressed; basically, if you let it, it will take the life and soul right out of you.
I came across a video on the internet the other day with Deepak Chopra speaking about Releasing Emotional Toxins.
Not being able to find it anywhere in print, I sat down at my computer and played, re-played, and re-played the video for over 30 minutes so that I could write it down to be able to share it with family and friends.
Releasing Emotional Toxins
By Deepak Chopra, MD
There are at least 7 steps to Releasing Emotional Toxins
- The first step is take responsibility for your emotions. So, if you think someone else is causing your Emotional Toxicity, then you have to wait for them to change which mean you could be waiting the rest of your life.
- The second thing is to witness the emotions in your body. Think of an experience you had, an interaction with some body that was uncomfortable. The more you feel the sensation the more you get in touch with the emotion.
- The third thing is to define it. Is it anger, is it fear?
- The fourth thing is express it. Write down what happens.
- After you have expressed it then share it with a loved one.
- Then do a ritual to release it. Burn it, throw it to the wind.
- Then once you've released it then do something to bring that to a closure. Go out and celebrate.
That's how you release Toxic Emotions.
Protect Your Heart With These Miracle Fats
By: Frank Mangano
According to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention, 910,000 people will die this year from some form of cardiovascular disease. That's a staggering forty percent of all annual deaths! The great irony is that cardiovascular disease is largely preventable. Have you taken the necessary steps to heart attack-proof yourself?
There's a simple, proven and easy way to reduce the chance of you becoming part of these grim statistics, and that is to increase your intake of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
The research has continued to pour in from countless sources about the amazing benefits of the omega-3's. In fact, scientists and medical professionals alike now agree that the omega-3 fats can prevent - and even reverse - the deadly effects of cardiovascular disease and stroke (the first and third leading causes of death, respectively).
Omega-3 fats have gotten so much good press lately that you're probably already aware that you can get your omega-3 fatty acids from all types of seafood, particularly the oily fish like salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. Studies have shown that people who consume high amounts of fish improve their overall health and well being in too many ways to list.
A 17-year study of men with no history of heart disease, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that those with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were more than 80 percent less likely to die suddenly from heart disease. And the benefits apply to women as well. A 16-year study of almost 85,000 women found that those who ate fish two to four times weekly cut their risk of heart disease by 30 percent, compared with women who rarely ate fish.
A 1999 study called "Food intake patterns and 25 year mortality from coronary heart disease," revealed some very interesting findings about omega-3 fatty acids by comparing the diet of people from America to other regions of the world. The results of this study showed that in countries like Japan, where seafood consumption is high, the prevalence of death from heart attacks is much lower than in America.
Scientists believe that this is due to the fact that Asians eat far more seafood than Americans, and 85 percent of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. The same findings were uncovered with the Eskimos from Greenland, who also consume large amounts of seafood. The 1970 study found that despite eating a high fat diet, the Inuit had significantly lower incidence of heart disease.
So what is it about omega-3 fatty acids that make them so great for your heart? It boils down to the chemical composition of the fatty acids. If you looked at them under a microscope, you would see that omega-3 fatty acids are long strands of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These polyunsaturates - alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - lead to significant reduction in cardiovascular disease risk and other health benefits.
Studies show that consuming these fatty acids over an extended period of time can decrease blood cholesterol levels, cause regression of coronary heart ailments and even help in preventing the progression of colon cancer.
But despite the average American diet being low in omega-3 fatty acid consumption, there is a limit to how much you can consume safely. The recommended daily intake of EPA and DHA is approximately 650mg per day. That figure is even higher for pregnant women who should consume 1000mg of EPA and DHA per day. Because of the high amounts of mercury found in fish, however, it can be dangerous to consume the amount of seafood you would need in order to reach the optimal intake. That's why fish oil supplements are a great way to obtain your essential fats.
Personally, I use Carlson's Fish and Cod Liver Oil. I receive no payment for endorsing this brand, I recommend it simply because I believe it's the best on the market. This is due to the optimal amounts of EPA and DHA, the strict guidelines they follow for purity (keeping their oil free of chemical modification and contaminants like mercury or lead) and the addition of extra vitamin E to protect the freshness and potency of the oil.
Carlson's test their fish oil regularly for potency and purity by an independent, FDA registered laboratory and found them to be free of detectable levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, PCB's and 28 other contaminants. These are all important considerations because there is no doubt that all brands of fish oil are not the same and you really do get what you pay for.
What about flaxseed oil? You may have heard that flaxseed is a rich source of omega 3 fats. This is true. However, flaxseed oil supplements may be less effective than fish oil and here's why: Flaxseed has high amounts of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which your body must convert into EPA and DHA. However, the EPA and DHA found in fish oils are broken down more rapidly and far more effectively than ALA. Furthermore, because the average American already consumes high amounts of ALA already, supplementing with more ALA isn't always optimal.
Bottom line: It's not often that a nutritional supplement comes along that gets unanimous thumbs up from the scientific community as well as the natural health community, but fish oil is certainly one supplement you cannot go wrong with in your quest to improve your health and protect yourself from heart disease naturally.
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Frank Mangano is a natural health expert and best selling author and who teaches you how to dramatically improve your health naturally, without expensive and potentially dangerous prescription drugs.
What is Inflammation and How Does It Cause Pain?
Inflammation is a response from your immune system in response to an irritant.
For example, if you sprain your ankle, your immune system creates a protein called a Circulating Immune Complex (CIC for short).
The CIC travels down to the injured ankle and causes pain and swelling.
The pain you feel is to inform you of the injury or damage. And the swelling is protective as it prevents you from moving it and causing more irritation.
This is also your body's way of running to the problem with fresh blood, antibodies and vital cells in order to begin healing and repairing the damage.
Then what normally happens is our bodies produce proteolytic enzymes which counteract the inflammation, and things return to normal. That's why a sprained ankle as a young child heals within a few weeks at most, but can take six weeks or more for an adult of say 45.
The problem is, after around age 25, our production of these enzymes drops off almost completely so there is nothing to tell the body to stop the inflammation. These enzymes are also responsible for cleaning the blood, fighting off viral and bacterial infections and breaking down excess fibrin (scar tissue).
In addition to the decrease in production of proteolytic enzymes, there are also numerous other things that contribute to the build up of inflammation in our bodies.
Here is just a short list of factors that contribute to inflammation:
- Un-addressed pain and injuries
- Toxins and chemicals in our air, water and food
- Poor nutritional habits
- Bacterial or viral infections
- Allergies
- Prescription medications
- Auto-immune diseases
- Negative mental and emotional stress
Over time, inflammation continues to increase in our bodies causing damage to all of the tissues and organs, often without us even knowing it's happening.
If inflammation is not controlled and the body continually fights this battle, symptoms of chronic inflammation can show itself as arthritis, colitis, chronic fatigue, sinusitis, cataracts, chronic pain, hair loss heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's and dozens of other ailments and conditions.
Inflammation is what slowly kills us.
More and more research is coming out now that proves this. For example, here's a quote from a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine: "there is convincing evidence that inflammation is strongly linked to heart attacks and stroke."
And in another study published in The Annals of Neurology, the researchers concluded, "inflammation is linked to Alzheimer's and other dementing diseases." And a recent Harvard study found that "half of all heart attacks are caused by inflammation".
We know that reducing inflammation is critical to eliminating pain and preventing disease and illness, but how do you do it safely and naturally?
Here are just some of the things you can do:
- Make dietary changes
- Learn how to eliminate negative emotional stress
- Minimize the amount of junk that enters your body - and not just food but toxins and other chemicals
- Replace lost proteolytic enzymes with supplementation
- Remember, the key is to keep in inflammation under control because it does far more than just cause swelling and pain.
How To Repair A Damaged Metabolism
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
If you've caused metabolic damage as a result of following starvation diets or losing weight too rapidly in the past, it can be extremely difficult to achieve any further fat loss at all. The good news is, metabolic damage can be repaired. All it takes is the right combination of metabolism stimulating exercise and metabolism stimulating nutrition (NOT just a diet), all done consistently over time.
The big irony is that most of the diet programs that claim to help you get rid of excess weight, only end up making it harder for you in the long run because they use harsh metabolism-decreasing diets and not enough exercise (almost never any weight training).
It may take a little longer if you have really messed things up with severe starvation dieting in the past, especially if you've lost a lot of lean body mass, but it is never hopeless. Anyone can increase their metabolism.
Most people get an almost immediate boost in metabolic rate when they start the Burn The Fat program. However, the results are not going to be "overnight." Give it a little time...
Within 3 weeks your metabolism will already be more efficient. Within 6-8 weeks, it's burning hot. Give me 12 weeks of consistent diligent effort, sticking with all the metabolism boosting strategies I teach, and your metabolism really will become like a turbo charged engine, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that.
What’s most important for upping your metabolism is CONSISTENCY in applying the Burn The Fat nutrition and training principles every single day.
That includes:
- Meal frequency: eat 5-6 small meals per day
- Meal timing: eat approximately every 3 hours, with a substantial breakfast and a substantial post workout meal.
- Sufficient Caloric Intake: maintain a small calorie deficit and avoid starvation-level diets (suggested safe levels for fat loss: 2100-2500 calories per day for men, 1400-1800 calories per day for women; adjust as needed)
- Food choices: Select natural, unprocessed foods with high thermic effect (lean proteins like chicken, turkey, egg whites and fish are highly thermic, as are all green vegetables, salad vegetables and other fibrous carbs)
- Cardio training: Push up the intensity a bit if you really want to get a metabolic boost. Walking and low intensity cardio is fine, but higher intensity is more metabolism-stimulating
- Weight training: The basic exercises that include the largest muscle groups or even call into play the entire body as a unit (squats, front squats, split squats, deadlifts, stiff legged deadlifts, overhead presses, all kinds of rows and core-activation exercises) will have a much greater metabolism stimulating effect than isolation exercises (concentration curls, calf raises, etc)
- The weight training is extremely important in cases of "metabolic damage" because this is the stimulus to keep the muscle you have and begin rebuilding new muscle tissue, which is the engine that drives your metabolism.
The men don't usually have a problem with the weight training, but I still hear women say they don't want to lift weights as part of their fat loss programs. Well, people who wont lift weights can expect a very, very long metabolism "repair process" if they achieve it at all.
Consistency is the key.
Nothing will undermine the "re-building" of your metabolism like inconsistency. If you stop and start, or skip meals and workouts often, you will not even get off the ground.
After your metabolism is back up where it should be, it takes continued "stoking" of the metabolic furnace to keep it there. Once you get your metabolic engine running, you've got to keep feeding it fuel or the fire will die down.
Picture an old fashioned wood burning stove...
Imagine you're in a cabin up in the mountains in the winter. It's cold in there and you want to keep the cabin warm. Can you achieve this by feeding the fire once or twice per day? Nope. Not enough fuel to burn, so not much heat is generated.
What if you just toss an entire pile of wood in the stove all at once? Will that work? Nope. Lots of fuel, but can't all be used at once... it just smothers the fire and the excess just sits there.
How about if you throw some tissue paper or crumpled newspaper in the stove, will that work? Nope - too quickly burning.
You have to keep putting small amounts of wood (the right type of fuel) on the fire at regular intervals or the fire burns out.
It's also difficult to get the fire lit again. In the case of metabolism, it's like going through that initial few weeks of overcoming inertia all over again.
Your goal is to get your metabolism burning hot and keep it burning and this cannot be achieved by missing meals, missing workouts or with sporadic, infrequent training.
I have only seen a handful of cases where all these things were done properly and there was still a longer "repair" process.
For example, one case was former ballet dancer. At 5' 5", she was previously 110 lbs and had increased to about 145 or so. She didn’t want to reach her previous 110, but find a happy medium of about 125 lbs.
I figured with 20 lbs to cut, this would be a simple and predictable process, but she had a challenging time (and I didn't know why at first).
I later found out that she had been anorexic and bulimic for many years. This had caused a lot of damage, and although she did reach her goal, it took about twice as long as we had anticipated.
The good news is, even in this extreme case, the same nutrition and training principles worked! It just took a little longer. And by the way her program included some serious training with free weights and she ate a lot more (clean) food than she had ever eaten before. No "starvation!"
That’s the power of burning the fat and feeding the muscles... Trying to starve the fat with crash diets is what causes the metabolic damage in the first place!
If you’re interested in the healthy, sensible way to take off the fat, while keeping all your muscle and actually increasing your metabolism in the process, then my Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle program can teach you how. No gimmicks or false promises. Just the truth - you have to work at it and you have to be patient.
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About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: BurnTheFat.com.