Health and Wellness With a Cherry on Top – The New Superfruit

Before a workout

Runner who drank a glass twice a day for a week before a strenuous race had significally less muscle soreness afterward than those who drank a placebo juice. Previous research has suggested that drinking cherry juice helps muscles recover better from a strength-training workout.

Before Bed

A new study in the European Journal of Nutrition found that adults who had two daily glasses of tart cherry juice slept 39 minutes longer, on average, and spent significantly less time awake in bed compared to those who drank a non-cherry based fruit cocktail. For better zzz’z, researchers advise having a glass 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime.

Any OMG time

Cherries and their juice are a rich souce of powerful class of antioxidants called anthocyanins, “Studies suggest that eating cherries has the potential to lower heart disease risk.

OMG! Catching a Cold by Having a Cold?

While mom may have warned that you would catch a cold from going outside in chilly weather with a wet head or without a jacket, experts say it’s a myth. “Bad weather does not cause colds,” says Carl Olden, MD, a family practitioner in Yakima, Wash., who explains that Alaskans and Canadians living year-round above the Arctic Circle have no more winter colds than folks who live in Australia. “These are old wives’ tales from an era when we had no ability to treat fever or other complications of infection. Folks created myths to explain what happens to protect their children from getting sick.”

Cold Weather Myths
Cold weather’s association with colds probably evolved from confusion, similar to beliefs about the origin of malaria. “Bad air around swamps was once believed to cause malaria,” says Anatoly Belilovsky, MD, a pediatrician in Brooklyn, N.Y. “Mosquitoes, also plentiful in swampy areas, actually carried the disease. Cold air and respiratory disease are connected, but the connection is more complicated than just ‘cold causes colds.'”

On the contrary, cold weather appears to stimulate the immune system, according to a study by the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, says Dr. Belilovsky. “Researchers examined the immunological responses to cold exposure and found that acute cold exposure, such as going outside without a jacket, actually appears to activate the immune system.” This occurs in part by increasing the levels of circulating norepinephrine, one of the body’s hormones, which works as a natural decongestant.

Weather as an Indirect Cause of the Cold
While simply stepping outside in cold weather without a jacket doesn’t cause a cold, hypothermia (the lowering of the body’s core temperature) suppresses immunity, which can lead to colds. “Most cold symptoms are produced by the body’s immune system physically responding to the rhinovirus,” says Belilovsky. “So, someone with a stronger immune system in the cold will produce more [mucus], while the one with the weaker immune system will sniffle longer, but less dramatically.” The person with the weaker immune system probably will have more complications, such as sinusitis or ear infections, Belilovsky adds.

Cold weather may be indirectly responsible for colds, however. Vasoconstriction — when blood vessels close to the outside of the body, such as those found in the nose, narrow — leads to dryness. “This dryness compromises the nose’s ability to filter infections,” Belilovsky explains. “On returning to warm air, rebound vasodilation occurs, where your hands get pink and your nose starts running as blood returns to it.” The cycle continues if the runny nose is severe enough to cause mouth breathing. Bypassing the nose’s ability to filter inhaled air, combined with dry indoor air, allows the inhalation of virus-bearing mucus, which may trigger colds and lower respiratory infections.

Cold-Induced Asthma
“Cold-induced asthma can certainly masquerade as a recurrent cold when it is not severe enough to produce acute attacks,” Belilovsky cautions. People may think that going outside with a wet head or no jacket solely causes a cold, but people in the early stages of an illness may actually feel hot. As a result, they may go outside without proper clothing and return with a full-blown fever. This makes it appear that the cold weather triggered a cold, when it fact it had already been under way.

~ Source: Everyday Health

Healthy Icecream for Hospital Recovery Patients

Though they are in the business of healing patients, hospitals and long-term care facilities are rife with germs and bacteria that can hinder a patient’s road to recovery. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), two million patients per year pick up infections in U.S. hospitals. About 90,000 die as a result of these deaths, with approximately 70% caused by bacteria that are resistant to at least one antibiotic. Those figures were a compelling factor in the creation of HHice Cream Probiotic Defense, a “healthy hospital” frozen yogurt mix developed by NEWtritious, a relatively new startup food and beverage company based in Los Angeles, CA.

HHice Cream, which debuted at Natural Products Expo West, is designed to deliver “viable and potent probiotics along with a beneficial serving of vitamins and minerals,” and provides “much-needed supplementation” in the form of a cooling soft-serve to coax patients—especially pediatric and geriatric patients—who are reluctant to eat in the hospital. The product’s marquis ingredient is GanedenBC30, a patented strain of probiotic bacteria Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086, which according to the company may help enhance immune system response while supporting gut health.

“Each cell of GanedenBC30 contains a hardened structure, or spore, which is similar to a seed,” explained Michael Arlen, founder and president of NEWtritious. “This spore or seed, serves as a natural protective shield against the strong acids in your stomach to arrive alive and then thrive in your intestines—their intended target. GanedenBC30 is designed by nature to survive and thrive so more probiotic cells can help support your immune system.”

To ensure its probiotic would perform as expected NEWtritious sponsored research at the University of Reading in the U.K. on its proprietary strain BC30. In vitro fermenters (continuous culture) were used to assess the persistence of BC30 in the background of a complex mixed microbiota, and modern molecular based technologies were used to assess microbial changes in the fermenters. The researchers found BC30 to be “effective at persisting in the reactors for the duration of the experimental period,” with no negative effects of supplementation determined.

The researchers also reported that their co-culture work showed that BC30 could exert anti-microbial activity against C. difficile, C. perfringens and Listeria monocytogenes (to varying degrees). And in a culture system designed to favor C. difficile growth, the probiotic demonstrated the ability to repress the pathogen. “In the human situation where persons at risk of C. difficile associated diarrhoea are likely to be taking antibiotics, the BC30 sporulation is almost certain,” the researchers reported. “We propose that both the level of growth (i.e. number of vegetative cells) and phase of growth (i.e. log phase, late log phase, or sporulation) are important factors in the expression of anti-microbial compounds from Bacillus probiotics. We also suggest that the (unique among probiotics) bi-modal lifecycle of BC30 may lead to antimicrobial activity in distal regions of the gastrointestinal tract. This is an important facet given the prevalence of gut disorders in the left side of the large intestine.”

NEWtritious is promoting the product for its ability to “deliver active cultures more effectively than yogurt,” citing an independent lab study that simulated a gastric environment with a pH of 2.0 for two hours during which GanedenBC30 delivered more than 10 times the live cells than common probiotic yogurt cultures.

Mr. Arlen said GanedenBC30 does not adversely influence HHice Cream’s taste, mouth feel, texture or color. “HHice Cream is both appealing and delicious, and can be the perfect solution for those having difficulty swallowing or suffering from alimentary tract inflammation due to chemotherapy or surgery,” he said. “It also provides an enjoyable way to deliver nutrition to children during their hospital stay, as well as healthcare professionals on the go.”

 In addition to Vanilla, 3 D Chocolate (Deep Dark Dutch) and Tart, hospitals can purchase flavored syrups or powders that blend with the Tart Mix for an assortment of soft-serves varieties including: Almond, Banana, Blueberry, Coconut, Green Tea, Kiwi, Lemon Ice, Lychee, Mango, Mint, Passion Fruit, Peach, Pistachio, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Strawberry and Strawberry Banana. – Nutraceuticals World Now

Canned Foods + BPA = Heart Disease

If you have high levels of the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) in your urine, you may be at an increased risk of heart disease, according to new data from a long-running British health survey.

People who developed heart disease also tended to have higher urinary concentrations of BPA, a somber finding that, while not proof that BPA causes heart disease, raises serious questions about why the chemical is still being so widely used across the globe.

Does BPA Exposure Cause Heart Disease?

Much of the research on BPA — the ubiquitous toxic chemical used in plastics, canned goods, dental sealants, paper money and more — has involved animals, leading skeptics (usually those in the chemical industry) to say the effects may not necessarily be the same in humans.

Well this latest study involved humans, and the results still indicated that exposure to BPA may be correlated with an increased risk of heart disease.

Researchers noted the findings mirrored those found in other large health surveys:

“Associations between higher BPA exposure (reflected in higher urinary concentrations) and incident CAD [coronary artery disease] … over ten years of follow-up showed similar trends to previously reported cross-sectional findings in the more highly exposed NHANES respondents.”

In the NHANES study, published in 2010, U.S. adults with the highest levels of BPA in their urine were more than twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease as those with the lowest levels.Those researchers noted:

“Higher BPA exposure, reflected in higher urinary concentrations of BPA, is consistently associated with reported heart disease in the general adult population of the USA.”

BPA is so pervasive that scientists have found that 95 percent of people tested have potentially dangerous levels of BPA in their bodies … and heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States. BPA is clearly not the only factor involved in heart disease, but given its widespread use – and the fact that it is even commonly found in the umbilical cords of babies in utero — any negative impact it makes on human health could prove disastrous.

BPA Also Linked to Obesity, Insulin Resistance, Reproductive Problems …

BPA is an endocrine disrupter, which means it mimics or interferes with your body’s hormones and “disrupts” your endocrine system. The glands of your endocrine system and the hormones they release are instrumental in regulating mood, growth and development, tissue function, metabolism, as well as sexual function and reproductive processes.

Some of the greatest concern surrounds early-life, in utero exposure to BPA, which can lead to chromosomal errors in your developing fetus, causing spontaneous miscarriages and genetic damage. But evidence is also very strong showing these chemicals are influencing adults and children, too, and leading to decreased sperm quality, early puberty, stimulation of mammary gland development, disrupted reproductive cycles and ovarian dysfunction, cancer and heart disease, among numerous other health problems.

For instance, research has found that “higher BPA exposure is associated with general and central obesity in the general adult population of the United States,” while another study found that BPA is associated not only with generalized and abdominal obesity, but also with insulin resistance, which is an underlying factor in many chronic diseases.

Plastics are NOT the Only Route of Exposure to BPA …

Many people have stopped carrying plastic water bottles and using plastic utensils and food containers in order to avoid BPA. As public knowledge of BPA in plastics has grown, a slew of BPA-free plastics  have also hit the market, making it easier to choose products that do not contain this toxin.

However, wise as it may be to limit your use of plastic products, this will not be enough to protect you from BPA’s dangerous effects. BPA is found in the lining of nearly all canned foods and beverages, and it turns out this source of exposure could be increasing your BPA levels alarmingly. In one study, eating canned soup for five days increased study participants’ urinary concentrations of BPA by more than 1,000% compared to eating freshly made soup.

The researchers believe canned goods may be an even more concerning source of exposure to BPA than plastics, and if the above finding that increased urinary levels of BPA are linked to heart disease are confirmed, it’s logical to assume that eating canned goods could increase your risk of heart disease significantly because of the exposure to BPA!

As one of the world’s highest production volume chemicals, BPA is incredibly common in food and drinks packaging, as well as in other places you probably wouldn’t expect, like receipts. A study in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry found that of 13 thermal printing papers (the type often used for receipts) analyzed, 11 contained BPA.Holding the paper for just 5 seconds was enough to transfer BPA onto a person’s skin, and the amount of BPA transferred increased by about 10 times if the fingers were wet or greasy.

Handling paper currency is another likely route of exposure, as in a study published in Environmental Science and Technology, researchers analyzed paper currencies from 21 countries for the presence of BPA, and the chemical was detected in every sample.They also measured the transfer of BPA from thermal receipt paper to currency by placing the two together in a wallet for 24 hours. This dramatically increased the concentrations of BPA on the money, which again suggests that receipts are highly contaminated.

Is it Possible to Avoid Having Your Health Damaged by BPA?

BPA is all around us, that’s true, but steps are slowly being made to phase out its use. BPA has been banned in baby bottles in Europe and the United States, for instance, and in response to consumer demand, some companies are also following suit.

It’s important to make an effort to support the companies that have already removed BPA from their products, or those that offer products that never contained it (such as baby toys made from natural fabrics instead of plastic). If enough people refuse to buy BPA-containing goods, companies will have no choice but to get this toxin out of their products.

For information on companies that are making efforts to explore BPA-free packaging or have already begun phasing BPA out of their products altogether, see the report Seeking Safer Packaging: Ranking Packaged Food Companies on BPA by the environmentally oriented investment firm Green Century and As You Sow, a non-profit working toward increasing corporate social responsibility. Of course, it’s also important to boycott the common sources of BPA that are still in production, such as:

• Canned foods and soda cans
• All BPA-containing plastics

• Certain tooth sealants
• Certain BPA-free plastics (which can contain similar endocrine-disrupting chemicals)
• Receipts and currency (while you can’t “boycott” these, seek to limit or avoid carrying receipts in your wallet or purse, as it appears the chemical is transferring onto other surfaces it touches. It would also be wise to wash your hands after handling receipts and currency, and avoid handling them particularly if      you’ve just put lotion or have any other greasy substance on your hands,      as this may increase your exposure)

One final tip: certain “friendly bacteria” have the ability to break down BPA, as well as reduce your intestinal absorption of it.  So one way to help protect yourself from the adverse effects of inevitable BPA exposure is by eating traditionally fermented foods, such as raw grass-fed organic kefir, organic fermented veggies, like sauerkraut or Kimchi, or taking a high-quality probiotic supplement.

~ Source: Dr. Mercola

OMG! Crying Is Good For You

Why we cry Humans most likely cry to solicit help and comfort, and sometimes to ward off aggression from others (female tears can stop men from being mean). It has these functions in helpless, dependent babies, and we have little reason to assume that this trait changes as people get older.
Why it feels good It’s possible that there is some physiological benefit to crying, such as stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is important for relaxation. Shedding tears may also release opioids, natural chemicals that affect our feelings of pleasure, and oxytocin, a hormone linked to bonding, feelings of trust and stress reduction. The largest benefit, however, comes not from crying itself but from the comfort and support others offer in reaction to our tears. All of that said, occasionally controlling your tears isn’t likely to harm your health. But continually suppressing emotions can sap your body of energy and potentially cause physical symptoms.
Why women cry more First, the male sex hormone testosterone seems to inhibit crying, while the female hormone prolactin may lower the emotional threshold. Plus, women may be exposed to more emotionally charged situations, such as caregiving, and tend to be more empathetic. Finally, men are often expected to control their tears.
Tears of joy—a myth? Some experts doubt whether we ever cry for positive reasons. Very often, during a happy moment we allow ourselves to reflect on less joyful times. For example, during a reunion, we may actually cry for all the time that we missed each other. And while getting married is often a positive event, at the same time it is the end of a certain phase in life and this could cause tears of sadness. Another theory is that very positive emotions may also evoke a kind of helplessness. You are simply at a loss as to how to express your extreme joy. This inability to adequately convey your feelings might result in tears. — Ad Vingerhoets, Ph.D., clinical professor of clinical psychology at Tilburg University in The Netherlands

Capture This Cleanse to Release Loose Ends – Seasonal Beauty

Rain or shine, clear or smoggy, our bodies are profoundly affected by the rhythms and cycles of seasonal changes. As we metaphorically awaken from the slumber and hibernation of winter, we often realize that we have put on a few extra pounds.

Spring arrives, and after months of overindulging in heavy comfort foods, our clothes are fitting tighter, our anxiety is high and our energy levels are low. This prompts us into a desperate search for a way to drop weight instantly. Out of sheer panic, many opt for a trendy, over-the-counter liver or detoxification cleanse. In my experience, this has only caused me to abandon the mission halfway through or binge immediately afterward.

The danger of sudden or drastic shifts in diet is that they can actually toxins are released from the fat stores, they stream into our blood, and can cause nausea and headaches. For this reason, moderation and frequency are key components to success.

Now for the good news: The spring season brings lighter, crisper foods, which helps the body cleanse itself and shed the unwanted winter excess. However, it won’t happen overnight or all by itself.

The spring season symbolizes rebirth, life growth and purity. Let’s give our bodies the time and attention they deserve at this time of year, because when the seasons change, we change. Seasonal spring foods offer exactly what the body needs for  this season: fruits, sprouts and greens. Fruits with high water content hydrate the body, flush out the winter load and provide sugars as an energy source. Fresh, healthy greens and sprouts are high in vitamins and mineral, aid digestive function and are helpful in the weight loss process. They should be included in your diet on a daily basis.

Simple is better. Although the body naturally cleanses itself and eliminates waste through the skin, kidneys, respiratory system and gastrointestinal track, our bodies are bombarded with more artificial stimulants, pollution and chemicals than it is able to handle. These toxins accumulate. A moderate plan releases toxins at a slower rate. Any extensive or extreme detoxification program should be done under a doctor’s supervision.

Challenge yourself to a three-day do it yourself cleanse. This simplified detox is a great way to refocus and recommit to the goals and resolutions that you made at the beginning of the year. A week prior to cleansing, gradually reduce your intake of sugar and artificial sweeteners, white flour, dairy, alcohol, salt and caffeine, while increasing your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. This prepares you for the change, both mentally and physically.

3-day cleanse

Upon rising: Drink 1 cup of hot water with lemon; sit in silence for 10 minutes.

Breakfast: Green smoothie: 2 handfuls of spinach, 1 banana, 1 apple cored, 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil and 16oz filtered water or 1 cup of oatmeal with almond or rice milk

Snack:  1 apple or pear and a handful of unsalted raw almonds

Lunch: 1 cup legumes; 1 cup brown rice or quinoa; 1 cup steamed chard kale or spinach

Snack: 2 apples or 1 cup of celery and carrot sticks with 2 tablespoons of hummus

Dinner: 1 cup of steamed beets with brown rice; 1 cup of steamed kale, chard, collard greens or spinach

Before bed: Drink 1 cup of hot lemon water

Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Begin and end the day with 1 teaspoon of psyllium powder mixed with 10oz water. This assists the elimination process.

Detoxifying the body targets the liver (where toxins and mood-altering hormones can build up) and the colon (which hold waste). it is very common to experience an increase in energy and improved digestion, both of which lead to healthier skin and a greater ability to focus.

Regularly doing a seasonal cleanse can help us follow a lifetime of healthier eating. Mark you calendar this spring and make a commitment to prepare your body for the new season.

Here some of our great Calendula cleansing supplements (LIVER, IMMUNE SYSTEM AND SKIN & BODY) – Check them out.

~ Source: LNE

Tantalizing and Green with Envy Tamanu Oil

The tamanu nut-tree comes form the plant species Calopyllum inophyllm, which s commonly found along the shores of Southeast Asia, and grows to approximately three meters in length. Calopyllum means, “beautiful leaf” in Greek and the Polynesians tamanu is their tamanu is their “green gold” known for safely and effectively regenerating damaged skin.  Beautiful, fragrant, orange blossom like flowers bloom on the tamanu twice a year, and produce 100 kilograms of apricot sized fruit annually, translating to 5 kg of mature nut oil, which is deep green in color and carries a luxuriously pleasant aroma.

Tamanu, also known as kamani among Hawaiians, has historically been used as a topical agent for th relief of pain from sciatica,, shingles, neuraligia, rheumatism and many other skin issues, including burns, scrapes, insect bites, sores and blisters. Its use has been very popular among the Southeast Asian natives in Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Historically, one of the most highly regarded medical studies involved a woman who was admitted to St. Louis Hospital in Paris with a large, gangrenous ulcer on her leg that was not healing properly. Amputation seemed unavoidable, yet the doctors opted instead to administer tamanu oil dressings to her leg on a regular basis in the hopes that the wound would heal. Eventually, the consistent application of the oil to the woman’s leg resulted in the limb’s complete recovery. After some time passed, all that remained of the wound was a smooth flat scar. This remarkable incident that occurred years ago kicked off years of research of tamanu oil’s therapeutic and healing effects for the skin.

Although tamanu oil has proven to be effective in addressing a broad range of skin problems – the oil is found to be quite soothing, even on sensitive skin. According to Plant Resources of Tropical Africa and Chris Kilham, an ethnobotanist who researches and studies the effects of plant-based medicines, this cold pressed oil contains anti-inflammatory properties. This is due to the presence of 4-phenyl coumarin calophylloide and a group of xanthones, which explains the reduction effect it has on rashes, sores, swelling and various skin abrasions. The antimicrobial phytochemical agents like friedelin, canophyllol, canophyllic acid and inophynone are the reason for the oil’s efficacy against various human and animal pathogens, including Staphylococcus and other undesirable infections.

According to reports from research conducted in Pakistan, friedelin, one of tamanu’s antimicrobial agents, exhibited activity against various fungal diseases found in hair, skin and nails.  The presence of antioxidants that all of us look for in a skin care regimen is abundant properties, specifically inhibiting lipid peroxidation (oxidative degradation of lipids). We must not forget that our cell membranes, including those of skin cells, are made up of lipids. The presence of these compounds allow tamanu oil the capacity to promote the formation of new tissue, thereby accelerating cicatrization, increasing skin’s elasticity and suppleness, minimizing blemishes and reducing common free radicals.

The tamanu tree is a valuable element for skin protection and an effective remedy for many skin problems and health conditions. It can be credited for the beautiful, blemish free skin of Polynesian women. The substantial research that has been conducted on the tamanu tree has continuously uncovered positive data on its beneficial properties. It is time we recognized tamanu as the precious gift of nature that it truly is.

Check out some of the products we use that contan Tamanu Oil…experience  the “green gold” of beauty.

~Source: LNE