Archive for February, 2009
Quality Control At NOW Is A Good Thing
In June of 2007, the FDA issued Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) for Dietary Supplements by publishing them in the Code of Federal Regulations – 21 CFR Part 111.The cGMP Code describes how manufacturers must comply with cGMPs.
As soon as they were published, NOW foods up a team of individuals from different departments to compare the new FDA cGMP with their current procedures to see where additional work might be needed.After reviewing their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to verify any changes that were needed to meet the new FDA standard.
They revised and updated some processes and then had an external auditor review their work and provide an objective opinionBecause NOW Foods goes to such great lengths to become fully compliant with the new cGMPs is why I trust their products.
Many seniors take NOW Omega-3 1000mg Fish Oil and have never worried about the quality of their products. They can be found online so the cost is less than in a store.
I invite you to check out this and the other supplements they offer. Just click on this link to supplementstogo.com
L-Arginine Improves Blood Vessel Health
 An amino acid, L-Arginine (LA) was first discovered in 1886. It plays a role in detoxifying the body by helping to shed ammonia from the system. For the elderly it also helps keep your muscles healthy, and athletes use it as a performance enhancer also. The body produces it on its own but sometimes not in great enough quantities which is why there are L-Arginine supplements available.
A new study printed online December 3, 2008 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has concluded that LA may help with blood vessel health in diabetics. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., affecting 24 million Americans, and costing our healthcare system billions of dollars each year.
In the study, researchers analyzed data from 13 trials with a total of 589 patients. The data concerned the role of LA in conditions that included coronary artery disease, heart failure, kidney failure, patients with high cholesterol, and patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).
The researchers found that L-Arginine supplementation had the greatest effect in older patients (over 55) with low elasticity in their blood vessels.
After reviewing the data the researchers suggested that people with blood vessel problems are likely to benefit from taking L-arginine supplements and that “This beneficial effect seems not to be dose-dependent when the dose of L-arginine ranges from 3 to 24 grams per day.â€
Zinc Needed By Seniors To Fight Infections
As we age the amount of zinc that we get declines. It is also understood that Zinc is rich in antioxidants and plays a role in stabilizing cell membranes within the immune system. A recent study which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that elderly people are more susceptible to infection, in part because they do not have enough zinc in their system.
This study of 50 seniors (ages 55 to 87) received either zinc gluconate supplements (providing 45 mg of elemental zinc per day) or a placebo for 12 months. In addition to tracking the number of infections, like colds and flu, they also tracked the blood levels of immune cells, oxidative stress markers, and plasma concentrations of zinc.
The results were compared to a group of younger adults, and when the study started the older subjects had significantly lower blood levels of zinc, higher generation of inflammatory cells, and higher oxidative stress markers in their blood. Afterwards the researchers concluded that the number of infections, generation of inflammatory cells, and oxidative stress markers were significantly lower in the zinc supplement group than in the placebo group.
The author of the study, Dr. Prasad said. “Deficiency of zinc is very widespread in all ages throughout the world and may even be as prevalent as iron deficiency anemia, affecting nearly one billion people.â€
He also noted that zinc inhibits copper absorption, and can cause anemia and bone-marrow suppression if taken long-term in large amounts without copper. People taking zinc more than a few weeks, with the exception of those with Wilson’s disease, should also take a copper supplement providing 2 or 3 mg per day.
The Answer Is: For A Healthier, Leaner Lifestyle
The question is: What is the benefit of taking CALOTREN CAPSULES as a nutritional supplement?
Calotren is an all natural nutritional supplement formula that supports maintaining your bodies optimum balance for healthy weight. The protein collagen hydrolysate is easily digested and supplies your body with very important nutrients to help your body to maintain collagen production while helping to build lean muscle.
It feeds your body nutrients which allow it to support itself in maintaining or increasing your lean muscle tissue, which helps your body to burn fat and sugar more effectively, as well as supporting your body’s natural metabolism.
Body builders have known for years that increasing lean muscle tissue allows your body to burn more calories while at rest, so if you don’t increase your calorie intake, increased lean muscle tissue can result in burning more calories.
If you are in good physical condition or underweight, Calotren encourages your body to reach its highest level of vitality, without additional undesirable loss of lean muscle mass, which frequently occurs during calorie-restricted “dieting”.
Remember, fat is stored energy. In our youth we have a faster metabolic rate which assists our bodies in producing energy to build muscle, bone and maintain good health while we sleep. As we get older, this process slows down. Our bodies no longer function in this manner or produce the collagen or amino acids required to keep our skin looking radiant or our bodies tight and strong.
Calotren is effective in maintaining a healthier leaner lifestyle because it is primarily protein. This protein is basic to body structure and is actually the most prevalent protein in the body. It’s also important to our muscular strength, flexibility, resiliency, and the ability of our joints and connective tissues to absorb impact.
The protein formula in Calotren is important in maintaining our youthful appearance by promoting supple, wrinkle free, non-sagging skin on our faces and all other areas. It’s also important in maintaining our muscles, the sufficient support of body organs and keeping our blood flowing through resilient and responsive arteries, capillaries and veins.
Since this protein is a major constituent of all of these tissues, maintaining the levels is very important to our health. This protein, which is already broken down into its modular components by enzymes are quickly absorbed and used by the body when taken orally. From there they help to build up and strengthen the muscle tissue, which is turn is going to begin to burn off the excess fats and sugars more efficiently.
A 90-Day Program is recommended to ensure optimum results and strengthen the muscle tissue.
So to summarize the benefits of Calotren and why it will help you on your way to a healthier happier lifestyle consider these points:
It’s safe, all natural (without caffeine or stimulants).
No ephedrine or amphetamines to interfere with any medications and no known side effects.
No muscle loss, helps tone existing muscle and strengthens joints
Assists in building lean muscle which results in loss of body inches
Helps increase energy & stamina by burning off excess body fats and sugars more efficiently.
Helps shorten work-out recovery time
Helps reduce wrinkles and age spots
No strict dieting or exercise necessary
Promotes an overall sense of well-being
On a 3-month program 50% see positive results in the first month
P.S. Did I mention that CALOTREN CAPSULES Â are Shipped Free when ordered online from WCN?
Healthy Foods On A Budget
If you spend any time at all in the grocery store, chances are you’ll spend a lot of money. Food costs seem to be increasing al the time. In 2008 the Bureau of Labor Statistics said prices were 7.5% higher than in 2007. That was more than two times the rate of medical cost increases. Many couples spend between $150 and $200 per week at the Grocery Store.
Even though food costs more, you don’t have to sacrifice nutrition. Experts say there are plenty of low-cost highly nutritious foods, and a few you should put on your next grocery list.
The majority of us have been hit with the budget crunch when trying to balance the cost of food with all the other expenses.
Meals are now planned more carefully than in the past. We check for coupons in the neighborhood paper, flyers, and online looking for discounts and savings. Studies are showing many of us are buying less expensive processed foods in order to save a little money, but this can be unhealthy. Some alternative healthy foods have been identified by scientists and dietitians that can help in balancing our diet as well as the budget.
First consider the tomato. They are low cost all year round and you don’t have to grow them yourself. They are already in the can with extra herbs and spices built in. Researchers at Ohio State have determined that cooking tomatoes concentrates their power to fight diseases like cancer. The lycopene found in tomatoes is a powerful antioxidant, so tomato soup, pastes, or spaghetti sauces are a cheap healthy idea.
Because meat is so expensive we can supplement the tomatoes with beans. They are a great source of protein and much cheaper than steak which is one of the most expensive foods in the store. Meatless chili comes to mind. Something else that gets overlooked in our diet is pinhead or steel oats.
These maintain all of the nutrients from the whole grain oat and are a rich source of soluble fiber, protein, and vitamins, as well as other nutrients like selenium, thiamin, phosphorous, and manganese. These will also lower our cholesterol.
Finally stock up on some cheap, dry pastas, or macaroni and cheese, to make the most of leftovers. Add some broccoli, or leftover meat, and you’ve got a quick and inexpensive dish.
With all the focus on obesity maybe the silver lining in these economic times is to think about portion control. Not making a meal of each food group on the plate has less calories and will promote weight loss as well as stretching the budget for groceries a little further.
Keep in mind that one portion of meat is about the size of a deck of cards, and fill up on dark greens or other less expensive side items like cooked carrots or potatoes.
Here is the link to Bureau of Labor Statistics if you would like to check out the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group, http://www.bls.gov/cpi
Your Heart Matters
 Whenever you see words like coronary artery and disease, everyone gets all serious and defensive, but actually being diagnosed with CAD does not mean that you can’t live life to the fullest. It is a “wake up“ call though to take charge of your health.
The first thing to do is to learn all you can about the condition. Coronary Artery Disease is a blockage or a narrowing in one or more of the blood vessels that transport oxygen to the heart.
If you are at risk for CAD, take some time to learn which medicines and supplements are used to treat the condition and what options there are to save money purchasing them.
A low dose of aspirin helps keep platelets from sticking together and forming clots. Statins like Lipitor lower the LDL or bad cholesterol which clog the arteries. They also increase the good or HDL cholesterol which keeps the arteries clean by carrying away the excess.
Beta Blockers help lower blood pressure so your heart doesn’t have to work as hard. ACE inhibitors are another form of medication used to lower blood pressure and lessen the chances of heart failure.
If you have medical insurance for your medicine, each plan is different but choosing a generic form of the medication is cheaper than the brand name drug. Ask your Pharmacy if they have a generic medication program. Another way to save may be to order your medicine by mail for 3 months at a time instead of every 30 days.
Even if you don’t have insurance be sure to take good care of yourself. As much as possible, eat a nutritious balanced diet, keep your weight within the BMI normal parameters and get plenty of exercise. There are natural healthy supplements that can assist in weight loss, cholesterol support and essential vitamins.
Find yourself a good doctor and maybe even a cardiologist who knows how to treat CAD. Know what questions to ask them.
Keep your cholesterol under control and know why it is important to do so. Your total cholesterol should be less than 200. The HDL or good cholesterol should be greater than 60 and the LDL or bad cholesterol needs to be less than 100. Triglycerides need to be less than 150. These are made when you consume more calories than you need, and your body stores them as fat.
Understand what tests you need and which ones you don’t. If you are not at risk you don’t need an ECG, or stress test. In fact if you over test you can get false positive results and put more stress on yourself than you need. Get your blood pressure tested regularly. It should be 140/90 or lower. If you have diabetes or kidney problems your blood pressure should be 130/80 or lower.
So to summarize how to keep your heart healthy with or without CAD remember to:
Visit your Doctor
Take your medications and/or supplements
Don’t smoke
Eat good food (fruits & veggies)
Keep moving (exercise)
Manage anger and stress
Watch for signs of depression
If you’re diabetic control your blood sugars
Spring Activity For Asthmatics
Spring is right around the corner, and it’s just about time to get outdoors for some exercise even if you have asthma. Some of our best known Olympians and athletes like Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Greg Louganis both competed with asthma. In the 1996 Olympic Games it was reported that up to 17% of the athletes had a history of asthma.
Experts agree that all but those with the most severe asthma should be able to participate in sports and exercise. The key is to manage your asthma instead of letting it manage you.
Allergies and pollution can worsen the symptoms during the springtime season but they don’t have to keep you inside on nice days either. The important thing to remember when you want to get some outdoor exercise is to know what brings on an attack and what to do to control the symptoms.
If you have a regular doctor, talk to them about your new exercise program. They can tell you more about how to deal with an attack and prescribe a quick relief medicine, like an inhaler, that you can keep with you all the time.
There are even some products that can be obtained over the counter without a prescription. If you have put on a couple of pounds over the winter they can help with that also.
Keep an eye on the air quality index also. Listen to the radio, watch the television or read the newspaper to find out the latest pollution and allergy levels. There is even an online site that the Environmental Protection Agency runs at www.epa.gov/airnow that will let you know what the air quality outlook is for your area.
When the levels are high stay indoors to exercise or shorten the length and intensity of your workout. If you have pollen allergy wait until the late afternoon or after a rainstorm when the pollen levels are usually lower. Another caution would be to avoid exercising by busy roads during rush hour or in industrial areas. The worst time for pollen is normally between 5-10 A.M.
Besides avoiding what triggers an attack, select activities that are less likely to cause problems. Swimming is a great low impact aerobic exercise. You are in warm humid air in a horizontal position and can be done all year. Golf, walking, biking or hiking are also safe and good for the cardiovascular system.
If you are into working on endurance types of training, they are likelier to cause an attack, so pay closer attention. Sports that require continuous activity and strain like marathon running, basketball and soccer are probably not the best way to go.
However, regular physical activity coupled with proper nutrition and diet, are still the best things you can do for yourself and your overall well being.
So get outdoors and enjoy everything it has to offer.
The Ultimate Burn Is Back
Scientific and medical studies have proven thermogenics safe and effective when used properly. Schwartz Labs Ultimate Burn is designed for those who want to burn fat while sparing lean muscle.
The Citrus Aurantium and White Willow Bark Extract are known to be effective aids to fat burning and thermogenesis
While Ultimate Burn is a powerful tool to accelerate fat loss and reduce cravings, it is not a magic bullet. Combined with the right nutrition, exercise and proper hydration one may see outstanding results. The powerful energizers (stimulants) and other thermogenics compounds are designed to help you workout harder, longer and get better results.
Because these are pretty strong remember to follow the recommendations when taking any dietary supplement. Adults may take 1-2 daily before meals and about an hour before exercising. Do not exceed (2) two capsules in a 24-hour period.
To expand on the basics, don’t exceed 5 days per week, or use them more than 12 weeks in a row. After 12 weeks if you are still not where you want to be, wait a couple of weeks and then continue your program.
If you have a small constitution to begin with, or someone who has never taken thermogenic products, it might be a good idea to start with one capsule daily and increase the dosage after you are used to it.
Just Keep It Simple
The most basic of all nutritional supplements is Protein. If you are confused about what supplements to take, or what supplements are best for you. Well, you can’t go wrong with Protein. But there are different types of proteins and each type has it’s own characteristics. While they are all best taken at different times, they all help to build muscle. One type of protein is Casein Protein. It is Digested slowly so it is ideal for use as a meal replacement and will help to curb your hunger. It will also prevent the muscle you build from breaking down. Allowing you to hold on to your muscle gains longer. Soy Protein is lower in fat than the other types, and it is also a great vegetable source. Whey Protein is digested quicker than Casein but much slower than Soy. Whey is great when taken around the time of your workout to help heal your muscles. But you can also get a blend of Proteins that can be used to replace meals and put on hard muscle. You can find these products and so much more at SupplementsToGo.com.
Lean Out With Beverly
With having bypass surgery a while back I was laid up for a while and my fitness level dropped off after taking it easy. Even with doing cardio rehab and a lot of leg work it didn’t do a lot for the spare tire that grew around my middle. My belt size increased along with my weight and I wasn’t at all happy about it.
After about 6 months I asked a body builder friend of mine what would help me with fat loss and getting in better shape. His advice was that he had always relied on Beverly International for nutritional supplements. In his opinion they are the best and purest supplements he had ever taken, so I listened to him.
I am not a hardcore body builder like him, but I paid attention when he told me his favorite body building supplements were Mass Maker, Ultimate Muscle Protein, Lean Out, Mass Aminos, and Ultra 40 Liver Tablets.
I wanted something mainly for fat loss. My metabolism was not at its optimum because I was a lot older and it naturally declines with age. In addition as I diet my metabolism wants to slow down even more to maintain what I had gained.
What I needed was 7Keto by Beverly International. I got some and followed the directions on the bottle and found out that he was right. The result was that my metabolism sped up and my set point (The level of fat that my body constantly strives to maintain in storage) shifted in favor of a leaner more muscular physique.
I will never be a competitive body builder but I am now a believer in Beverly International supplements and why athletes are so high on their products. I tried some of the Ultimate Muscle Protein in a vanilla shake and was surprised on how good it tasted.
So there you are. That’s my story and I’m stickin to it! Like Mikey said Try it …You’ll like it!