March 2014 – It Takes Guts®

Say ‘Adios’ To Allergies

Recently, Dr. Susanne Bennett, a member of Essential Formulas’ Scientific Advisory Board, was interviewed by Dr. Manny of Fox News. Dr. Bennett talks about her 7-day method to get rid of allergies, which is the basis of her new book The 7 Day Allergy Makeover. Below is the article from Fox News, click here to watch the video of her interview.

Say goodbye to cold frigid weather and hello to warmer temperatures because spring has finally arrived!

But for many of us, the blossoming season can only mean one thing–allergies.

Instead of reaching into your medicine cabinet, consider these natural solutions to get rid of your allergies once and for all.

According to Dr. Susanne Bennett, a natural allergy specialist and author of the new book, “The 7-Day Allergy Makeover,” uncovering the root cause of allergies can stop symptoms from recurring.

“Medications only minimize the symptoms— it does not get to the root cause. Let’s go beyond popping a pill and heal the body by going in and finding out what the root of the problem is,” Bennett told FoxNews.com.

To create an allergy-free lifestyle, Bennett recommends her 7-day holistic program:

Day 1- Nutrition

The first step to restore your health from the inside out is by eliminating allergenic foods and beverages from your diet.

“I believe that what you eat has a big impact on the rest of your body because our immune system and our gut can be inflamed from the foods that we eat,” Bennett said. “Heal your gut by eliminating certain foods so you can see how your body feels without them.”

Bennett has found that many people are sensitive to dairy, gluten, sugar, fungal foods, alcohol, peanuts and eggs.

Day 2- Water

The more water we drink, the better chance we have at breaking down and flushing out harmful allergens and toxins from our bodies.

“The more hydrated your body is, the fewer allergies you will have; but drink purified water!” Bennett said.

Studies have shown that the drinking water in the U.S. contains thousands of chemicals and contaminants. Even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors the levels of containments in our water, some people may be more sensitive to potential harm caused by chemicals.

“Over time, the chemicals we ingest from our water build up and [this] puts more stress on our immune system, ultimately lowering our ability to handle allergens,” she said.

Bennett recommends using a reverse osmosis (RO) filtration unit to get 100 percent clean water that’s free of heavy metals, natural and synthetic toxins, microbes, debris and minerals.

Day 3- Air

To clean up your air, Dr. Bennett suggests three basic tips:
1) Block out what you can by shutting doors and windows on windy, foggy days.
2) Invest in a proper air filter for your home.
3) Don’t add anything that can make allergies worse like plastics and synthetics.

“We don’t realize that there are a lot of toxins in our indoor air quality, so we want to make sure that we have an air purifier to get rid of those allergy triggers like pollen and dust-mites. You don’t want the type of air purifiers that are called ionizers, you need a HEPA (high-energy particulate air filtration) [purifier],” Bennett said.

Day 4- Living environments

Keeping your home as clean as possible will help remove airborne allergens circulating around your house.

“Allergy-proof your bedroom by getting dust mite covers for your bed and pillow covers,” Bennett said. “And get rid of any allergens you can clean out like pet dander, mold from magazines and books and dust from window treatments.”

Bennett also recommends using a natural cleaner and dusting regularly.

Day 5- Kitchen

Kitchenware can also affect your allergies. When scratched and heated, non-stick pots and pans can release harmful chemicals that can affect your allergies. The safest pots and pans to use are glass, enamel and cast iron.

“Kitchens can be one of the worst allergens in the entire house. We have plastics that can actually burden our body and we have different types of pots and pans that are not as healthy as we think,” Dr. Bennett said.

Dr. Bennett also recommends buying glass containers instead of plastic.

“All plastics have the potential to leach into our food, especially if they are heated or used to store acidic foods like tomato sauces,” she said.

Day 6- Body

If allergens don’t enter our body through food, water or air, the next culprit is our skin.

Taking good care of your skin helps strengthen immunity because your body is not struggling with rashes, dirt or bacteria.

“There are about a million bugs growing on our skin so it’s important to wash our body properly- and that means no two-minute showers,” Bennett said. “I recommend a full cleanse by washing and scrubbing your body with a mild probiotic soap and cloth that will exfoliate your skin.”

Bennett also suggests showering before you go to bed to wash off the pollen, dirt and smog from your body before getting settled into your clean bed.

Day 7- Emotional health

A stressed and worn-down body has a more difficult time dealing with allergens.

“You don’t find an allergic person that is a calm person. People who are allergic and sensitive are more agitated and overwhelmed- you know life is a little more difficult. So what I suggest is calming your nervous system down with various tools such as deep breathing and going out and being in nature,” Bennett said.

To help your body relax, she also suggests creating a daily routine and making large to-do lists manageable by breaking them down into smaller lists for specific tasks.

Got Strong Bones?

It has been a mystery in the United States for years. With our high consumption of diary products, why is it that we still have an incredibly high incidence of osteoporosis? Scientists in Asia, where both osteoporosis and diary consumption have historically been quite low, may have found a major clue.

It turns out that the calcium we consume through milk and supplements is not always absorbed or used to build bone. In fact, without a healthy probiotic population in the gut and the presence of other bone-building co-factors like Vitamins D and K2, magnesium, zinc, and essential fatty acids, calcium can pass right through the body undigested. Even worse, excess calcium turns into unhealthy deposits in the soft tissues and arteries. Turns out, parents bargaining with their kids to get them to drink large amounts of milk may not have always been in the child’s best interest.

However, this does not mean that we should stop consuming calcium all together, because there are many benefits to having healthy levels of calcium in the body. There are simple dietary adjustments that can alter the body’s internal chemistry in favor of building strong bones. Recent research done exclusively on Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics® found that when women ages 48 and older took this probiotic supplement for at least eight weeks, their bone density was 36% higher when compared to those who didn’t take the supplement.

“Scientists suspect that probiotics help the body properly digest calcium,” said William Schoor, Vice President of Essential Formulas, the US distributor of the probiotic supplement used in the study. “The friendly bacteria also manufacture some of the vitamin co-factors needed for bone-building including B6, B12, K, and folic acid.”

It’s a surprising side benefit of probiotics, which are frequently touted for supporting digestive health and immune response. Derived from a fermented vegetarian blend, it is actually a whole food that contains probiotics, prebiotics (substances that feed probiotics), and organic acids. Scientists have noted that it is important to provide both probiotic and prebiotic components for the GI tract to enhance calcium uptake. Such dramatic results might not occur when using freeze-dried probiotic supplements.

In addition to probiotic and prebiotic supplementation, Dr. Natalie Engelbart, founder of Your Top Life and Alternative Health Solutions in Flower Mound, Texas, encourages women to consider increasing magnesium intake for better bone health. “Magnesium regulates calcium absorption into our bones, and ensures that calcium deposits don’t wind up in the soft tissue. The proper balance for our body is a ratio of 2:1 calcium to magnesium. But if you have been deficient in magnesium due to high stress, or from taking calcium rich supplements or foods, you may want to increase your magnesium intake even more.”

These dietary tips are encouraging to the 8 million American women who are diagnosed with osteoporosis and the approximately 24 million others who have a high risk of developing it. Once again, prevention is key. Not only should mature adults make sure they keep up on probiotic and vitamin supplementation for bone health, they need to pass those habits along to the next generation!

It takes guts®… to have strong bones!

Can Bacteria Fight Obesity?

Why are some people fat? It’s not just a question that fat people ask themselves, but also one that drives much medical research because obesity increases the risk of serious illnesses including heart disease and diabetes.

A study recently published in Science adds gut bacteria to the list of possible causes of obesity.

The intestine is home to trillions of microbes that help the body break down and use food. The particulars of the mix have been found to vary significantly from person to person, even among identical twins.

In an effort to isolate the contribution of gut bacteria to weight, researchers led byJeffrey Gordon, of Washington University in St. Louis took the bacteria from pairs of identical and fraternal twins, each with one obese twin and one lean, and put it in previously germ-free cloned mice. (We glossed tastefully over the matter of the fecal transplant.)

The results indicate that bacteria does in fact play a powerful role: The mouse that got the obese twin’s bacteria grew fat and developed metabolic problems linked to insulin resistance, even when fed only low-fat mouse chow.

The researchers then housed the fat and thin mice together, allowing their gut bacteria to mix. (Mice housed in the same cage typically eat each other’s droppings.) The thin bacteria beat out the fat bacteria in the obese mice, and they became thin again.

So is obesity purely a question of gut bacteria? No such luck. The “thin” bacteria, specifically a group called Bacteroidetes, was only able to triumph when the fat mice were eating low-fat mouse chow. When they were fed a higher-fat food meant to mimic a typical American diet, obese mice kept the obese twin’s gut bacteria — and the excess weight.

“Eating a healthy diet encourages microbes associated with leanness to quickly become incorporated into the gut. But a diet high in saturated fat and low in fruits and vegetables thwarts the invasion of microbes associated with leanness. This is important as we look to develop next-generation probiotics as a treatment for obesity,” said Gordon.

It can’t be long before we see Bacteroidetes and other potentially thinning “probiotics” for sale in the supermarket next to green tea.

But, buyer beware, the mouse studies are far from conclusive. The next step for Gordon and his team will be growing microbes in the lab and mixing them to nail down which combinations have which metabolic effects.

“There’s intense interest in identifying microbes that could be used to treat diseases,” he said.

Especially diseases that make us fat.

This is an article taken from Longevity and Health. To view the original article click here.

The Fast Effects of Fast Food

We all know what it feels like to crave a big, juicy burger and an order of crispy fries. How convenient that this “gotta-have-a-burger-and-fries” feeling usually occurs when we are in a hurry and a drive-through is located just minutes away. On the way to the fast-food joint, we try to justify our value meal by telling ourselves that “moderation is key” and that we will work out and burn off the calories later. Then, the moment finally arrives when your scrumptious meal is just seconds away. You pull-up to the drive through window and spit out your order. “Hi, I would like an order of poor brain function, a side of indigestion and heartburn, a larger cup of moodiness, and constipation, please.”

The truth is, there is no such thing as moderation when it comes to junk-food. Nutritionists have warned about the long-term effects of fast food for decades, however, they have just recently discovered that the negative effects of fast food take root much more quickly than they originally thought. In fact, the consequences of eating fast food begins almost immediately, and every time you hit up a fast food restaurant, you leave a little less healthy. A new study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology indicates that damage to the arteries occurs pretty much immediately after just ONE junk-food meal. The study compared the effects of a junk-food meal and a Mediterranean-based meal on the inner lining of the blood vessels of 28 healthy, non-smoking men between the ages of 18 and 50. The men’s endothelial function, the ability of blood vessels to dilate, was measured after a 12 hour fast and 2 hours after each meal, one of them being junk-food with 15g saturated fat and 0g Omega-3’s and the other being a Mediterranean-based meal with 8g of saturated fat and 2g of Omega-3’s. Almost immediately after eating a fast food sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich, the men’s arteries dilated 24% less than when the subjects were in a fasted state. Poor endothelial function is a significant precursor of atherosclerosis, which is when the arteries become hardened, causing blood flow to be blocked. This study provides evidence that endothelial function declines after consuming only one junk-food meal, so imagine the arterial damage that occurs from consistently consuming fast food! That “value meal” just dropped way down in value, huh?

If this evidence isn’t enough to convince you that convenience is no reason to compromise your health, here are some of the other short-term effects fast food has been shown to have on your body:

Poor Brain Function: In order to function properly, your brain needs glucose, which is derived from carbohydrates and other nutrients such as healthy fats and antioxidants. In a study published in Child: Care, Health, and Development, evidence shows that fatty foods can have an immediate negative impact on brain function. Researchers analyzed the fast-food consumption and test scores in math and reading of 12,000 fifth graders. It turned out, the kids who ate fast food 4-6 times within a given week tested significantly lower than those who did not eat junk-food.

Poor Exercise Capabilities: After eating fast food, rats in The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology study ran 35% less distance than rats who were fed healthy food. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, people who eat fast food often experience poor muscle strength, endurance, oxygen utilization, and coordination.

Mood Problems: “The high content of sugar in junk-food causes fluctuations in blood glucose levels,” says dietitian Chowdhary. “This makes [you] edgy, sleepy, and irritable throughout the day and leaves [you] with no motivation to be active.” The chemicals in your brain that promote positive moods, like serotonin and dopamine, rely on food and nutrients in order to function properly. Eating foods rich in antioxidants, like fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, leads to positive energy and moods, while a diet high in fast foods lacks these nutritional benefits and thus increases the risk of depression.

So, the next time you’re craving that quick and convenient fast food, ask yourself if “a large order of moodiness, a side of lost productivity,and poor endothelial function” sounds yummy. Steer clear of fast food restaurants and make your own version of “fast food” by preparing quick snacks and meals in advance that you can grab on the go. Enhancing the convenience of healthy foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains, will reduce your desire to reach for the bad stuff.

Favorites From Natural Products Expo West

This past weekend, Essential Formulas traveled to Anaheim to participate in the Natural Products Expo West trade-show. I have never seen so many natural products fanatics in one place… over 100,000 to be specific. While it was impossible to try and visit every booth, I made the rounds a few times and picked up some exceptional products that I will continue to use beyond the weekend at the expo.

It never fails… I get sick at every single trade-show. This time was no different. The first day we arrived I started to get a sore throat and feel my lymph nodes expanding. However, I decided to fight it with everything I had and I told my body “NO!” you will not get sick this time! I honestly don’t believe I would have gotten out of bed much less enjoyed the expo without the following products.

I don’t think it was a coincidence that our booth was located right in front of Emergen-C and right beside North American Herb & Spice. Combined with Dr. Ohhira’s Propolis product, these products allowed me to not just skate through the expo wanting to collapse afterwards, but to actually feel healthy and well! Emergen-C is a powder packed with vitamin C, D, B, and many other healthy supplements that you mix with water. I honestly felt better after every bottle I drank. Just one packet gives you 1000mg of Vitamin C and Zinc as well as 1000 IU of Vitamin D. And besides its benefits for your immune system, it tastes good! The next product did not taste so good… but it worked like a miracle. North American Herb & Spice’s Oil of Oregano absolutely rocked my world. After using it just one time, I could start to feel my lymph nodes draining. I tried to take it straight the first couple of times, but I just couldn’t handle the after-taste. However, mixing a dropper full in with a glass of orange juice or a bottle of Naked juice solved the taste issue. I literally felt better after every time I drank it. By the end of the weekend, I no longer had a sore throat or swollen lymph nodes, and I primarily attribute that to this “miracle elixir.” My final health savior was Dr. Ohhira’s Propolis Plus, a supplement including probiotics and packed with antioxidants.. While the former 2 products kicked in for immediate relief, this product promoted my long-term health and wellness. I am no longer taking the other 2 products, but I continue to take this product daily and know that I would relapse without it.

If you have been reading my blog consistently, you know about my beloved French Bulldog puppy, Nellie. As I was walking the halls at the expo, I spotted a booth called “Nellie’s” so of course I had to check it out. Their logo was a blonde girl holding a French Bulldog named “Nugget” (one of Nellie’s nicknames), so I bought some of their natural home cleaning products to try out. I used the laundry nuggets when I got home to do several loads of laundry and they all came out smelling fresh and clean. I will definitely continue to use their laundry products, and not just because of the name of the brand. Speaking of Nellie, I also picked up some all-natural carpet cleaning products, since she tends to have about 2000 accidents a day. This product called Bac-Out is by Biokleen, and contains live enzyme cultures to eliminate pet stains and odors. Don’t use anything without enzymes to try and clean up pet messes. Bac-Out smells clean, but not like perfume, and doesn’t just mask the smell, but actually gets it out. This product will from now on be a staple at my crazy-pet household.

Luckily for me, I got to walk around with beauty-guru Kelly Charles, who directed me to the best of the best in the beauty and body care departments. In high school, I endured a lot of ridicule for smelling like a “gordita.” AKA I stank! I literally tried everything, even prescription strength deodorant, but nothing could get rid of the “gordita” smell. I think I have finally waved goodbye (without sweat marks) to my stinky past and moved onto smelling like a fresh woman. For the first time, I tried Crystal Essence Mineral Deodorant Towelettes in combination with Dr. Ohhira’s Kampuku Beauty Bar soap, and I can unashamedly lift my arms without causing everyone around me to pass out. I use the Beauty Bar in the shower and the towelettes when I get out, and I stay smelling clean even after workouts. Not only do these products help me physically, but they put to rest my “gordita” high school reputation (I can’t believe I’m confessing this online!). My other favorite booth in the personal care department was Hyalogic. These products have completely changed my skincare regimen within just a few days. Although I obsess over skincare, I often get lazy and neglect taking care of my face. I also am notorious of switching products and never truly sticking to a regimen. I am so happy to finally have my skin care process down, and the answer I found was Hyaluronic Acid, a substance found naturally in the body. Lately, there has been a lot of buzz about Hyaluronic Acid being used in anti-aging products, and it has even been promoted by some as “the fountain of youth.” My Hyalogic skincare process goes like this: Facial Scrub in the shower, Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum after washing my face, Facial Mist throughout the day to moisturize and stay fresh, Lip Balm every time I remember it, and Cellulite Cream before bed. Most exfoliates should only be used 2-3 times a week, but this Facial Scrub is gentle enough to be used daily, which I love.

I am going to save my favorite natural foods from Expo West for another post, but I can assure you there are lots of new, natural, organic food products on the market that you will love. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and check out these great products.

Man vs. Machine

I don’t know about you, but when I walk into the gym and see 1000 different machines, I get a little intimidated. I don’t know which machine trains what or how much weight to add to them, much less how to use them! I try to watch the gym experts get on and off the machines and imitate their steps, but I just never know if I am doing it right. I’ve even hurt myself on a machine doing shoulder presses, an injury I am still dealing with 3 years later. After all this trouble, I have decided to stick with “man power” and avoid most machines all-together. If you are like me and are not an equipment expert, it would be wise to avoid the following machines because they have been known to cause the most injuries.

1. Seated Chest Fly Machine: While meant to train chest and shoulders, this machine can put the shoulders in an unstable position, placing excessive stress on the shoulder joint and its connective tissues.

Instead: Work the same muscles by doing sets of incline push-ups.

2. Smith Machine Squats: The alignment of this machine makes for linear movements rather than natural, arched movements in the chest, biceps, and legs, therefore putting stress on your knees, shoulders, and low back.

Instead: Try doing body weight squats.

3. Seated Rotation Machine: I used to like this machine, but I discovered that because the pelvis doesn’t move with the chest, it causes excessive twisting forces on the spine.

Instead: Tone up by doing some cable wood chops!

4. Seated Leg Lift Extension Machine: Talk about “all that work for nothing,” this machine strengthens a motion that your legs aren’t even designed to do! It can also strain your ligaments and tendons surrounding your kneecaps.

Instead: Train muscles in your legs that you will actually use by doing 1-legged body-weight squats.

5. Seated Hip Abductor Machine: Here’s another machine that will waste your time. While it is meant to train your outer thighs, because you are seated, it trains a movement that has no functional use and can place undue pressure on the spine.

Instead: Do some lateral band walks and really feel your muscles working!

6. Roman Chair Back Extension Machine: Repeatedly flexing the back while its supporting weight places pressure on the spine and increases the risk for damaging your disks.

Instead: Protect your spine and try holding a bird-dog pose.

7. Roman Chair Sit-Up: This machine places the lower back in a vulnerable, rounded position, placing stress on the lower back.

Instead: Train your abs and hip flexors by holding the plank position for 60 seconds.

8. Seated Shoulder Press Machine: I have a personal vendetta against this machine, since it is the one I messed up my shoulders on over 3 years ago. The shoulder movement required by this machine doesn’t allow you to use your hips to assist your shoulders, which is the natural way to push something up overhead. This puts the shoulder joints in a vulnerable position and puts undue stress on your shoulder.

Instead: Work your shoulders and triceps by doing medicine ball throws.

Don’t get me wrong, not all machines are bad! But, it is best to either learn how to do them correctly from a professional or to use good ole man-power and body-weight when working out.

A Dog-Gone Good Recipe

You’ve heard the phrase “you are what you eat,” but you may not realize that the same principle holds true for your pets. At the Paws & Claws Holistic Animal Hospital in Plano, Texas, the foundation of every health-care plan starts with a good natural diet. This is true whether a pet is sick and trying to recover from an illness, or the pet just needs to stay healthy in order to reduce the chance of developing serious diseases later in life.

As Gayle Pruitt states in her new book, The Dog-Gone Good Cookbook, cooking for your pet should be fun and easy as well as provide a nutritious diet for both you and your pet. Included in her book are over 100 balanced, delicious recipes that are gluten-, corn-, and soy-free, in an effort to minimize any food reactions and to maximize health.

Gayle has taken all the work out of cooking for your pet, as the book provides lists of foods that dogs should never have, lists of foods that you and your pet can experience together, as well as sections for equipment and supplies, techniques, staples, ingredients to keep on hand, and natural “doggie” supplements, such as probiotics and EFA’s. The book also contains recipes for your dog only that are both raw and cooked. The Dog-Gone Good Cookbook is a user-friendly and valuable resource for sharing a hearty meal with all of your family members, including the four-legged ones!

I enjoy cooking, but cooking for just me is not nearly as much fun as cooking for others. There’s nothing more fulfilling than sitting down and enjoying good, home-cooked food in the companionship of your family and friends. And if your roommate/ family/ best friend is your pup (like my dog, Nellie), The Dog-Gone Good Cookbook will be your new constant cooking guide. The cookbook offers over 100 delicious, healthy recipes that are wonderfully nutritious for both humans and canines.

Gayle’s background in nutrition gave her the knowledge that she needed to bring her dogs back to full health by feeding them high-quality, human-grade food with natural nutrients. Gayle is a certified nutritionist and chef. In her day job, she does nutritional research and develops recipes for businesses and food companies. She also does research on the ingredients in commercial dog foods and made the decision to cook for herself and her dogs after seeing some scary ingredients in well-known commercial dog foods. Cooking delicious recipes that are nutritious as well as corn-, sugar-, soy-, and dairy-free, Gayle says that both her and her dogs’ health have improved “100%.” Dog owners who are taking care to monitor their own nutritional needs need to be advised of the same type of needs that guide their pets to vigor and good health.

Today’s recipe from the cookbook is the Brined Chicken. Not only does brining draw out toxins from the chicken, but the brine is absorbed into the tissues, making the chicken more tender and juicy. The general guide-line is 1/4 cup kosher salt per 1 quart of water.

Ingredients:

4 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt
1 whole chicken, rinsed
herbs of choice (Gayle recommends a teaspoon of tumeric, thyme, dill, etc.)

In a large pot, combine enough water with kosher salt to cover chicken; stir. Place the whole rinsed chicken in the pot and add herbs. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

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