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contents Issue 61 | Nov / Dec 2008
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Editor’s Healthlines
By Carol Crenna The myth of moderate exercise
10 Listen to Your Gut: Healthy Digestion
By John Austen Learn about your detox organs
12 Homeopathy for Kids’ Colds and Flu By Stephenie Farrell Safe ways to get them through the season
14 Summer Warmth in Winter
By John Austen Saunas add relief to the season
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16 Raw, Sprouted Foods for Optimal Health
By Brendan Brazier Get the most from the food you eat
18 Why is Alignment Important?
By Dr. Christian Guenette Part I: locomotion and movement
20 The Importance of Milk Thistle for the Liver
By AJ Keillor Free your liver of toxins
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22 Holmes on Making Sustainable Homes By Carol Crenna Mike Holmes builds smart homes
24 Skin SOS
By Carol Crenna Help for aging skin in winter
26 Choosing a Protein Powder By Vince Ziccarelli Do you get enough protein in your diet?
28 Recipe for Health
By Tracy Holly Turkey meatballs
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30 Special Delivery: A Healthy Pregnancy By Sophia Stewart healthy head start
Give your baby a
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VISTA Publisher’s M A G A Z I N E
Publisher:
Trent Nellis
Editor:
Carol Crenna
Marketing Director & Associate Editor:
Shelly-Lynn Nellis
Copy Editor:
Rose Lee
Art Director:
Cindy Hughes
Graphic Design:
Chris Hart
Vice-President, Sales:
Paul Airut tel (778) 222-7775 e-mail paulairut@telus.net
Contributing Writers: Alain Prud’homme, AJ Keillor,
Allison Tannis, Brendan Brazier, Bruce Schennum, Carol Crenna, Chelsea Danchuk, Dr. Christian Guenette, Cory Holly, Dr. Claude Gallant, Dr. Edward Group, Franco Cavaleri, Francois Moncourt, Greg Seaman, Joel Thuna, Joanne Carr, Jolie Root, John Austen, Marva Ward, Mark Schneider, Michelle Kwon, Ruza Jelinkova, Serenity Aberdour, Sophia Stewart, Stephenie Farrell, Susan McLoughlin, Stefan Kuprowsky, Tracy Holly, Tricia Coleman, Vince Ziccarelli VISTA Magazine publishes bi-monthly issues and is distributed through the health food retailers of Canada. Send all questions, comments, and inquiries to: VISTA Magazine 13256 55A Avenue Surrey, BC CANADA V3X 3B3 Tel (604) 591-9991 or (877) 905-7771 Fax (604) 591-1989 e-mail vistamag@gmail.com www.vistamagonline.com VISTA Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and advertisers and do not necessarily reflect those of the VISTA Magazine publisher, editors or staff. Readers are encouraged to consult with their health professional before embarking upon any exercise, medical or nutritional changes. Contents of VISTA Magazine are copyright 2008, all rights reserved. VISTA Magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without written permission of the publisher. To subscribe to VISTA Magazine and receive delivery to your home or office bimonthly, send $39.95 plus GST = $41.95. Include your address and we’ll ship you our next issue. Single copies are also available for $6.95 plus GST = $7.37. Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement #40025872
word “One Million Acts of Green”
We have arrived at the end of another year, a year that has seen global financial issues that have affected all aspects of our daily lives. With the cost of living increases including essentials like food and fuel and the instability of financial markets, life in North America has become increasingly more difficult. During times of financial turmoil it is our natural instinct to cut back and to try and reduce our life expenses. We have found a way for you to ease some of your financial woes and at the same time do something spectacular for yourself, your family, your city and your country. CBC and The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos want to mobilize Canadians to do One Million Acts of Green. In partnership with Cisco, the idea behind the campaign is that one small act can make a big difference. An Act of Green is an opportunity to help the environment. It’s you reducing your greenhouse gas emissions. It’s your contribution to fighting global warming. It may be something as simple as changing your light bulbs - swapping out the old ones for the new twirly ones, or installing a lowflow showerhead. Or it could be something big like building a windmill to help power your home or covering your roof in solar panels. Either way, it’s up to you. It’s about bringing people together to help the environment. It’s about reaching One Million Acts of Green, one act at time. Young and old, parents and kids, small towns and big cities, we want to create an exciting grassroots initiative. All you have to do is go to this website: www.onemillionactsofgreen.com and register one act – or more. Their green calculator, designed by GreenNexxus, will determine the impact of those acts on the environment. They’re asking everyone to get involved: schools and universities, cities and communities, business, politicians, and even celebrities. George and The Hour are challenging other CBC programs to go green, including CBC News, Kids’ CBC, Steven & Chris, Living, and CBC Sports. But most of all, you. Together we can make an impact. Together we can make our lives, our communities, and our environment greener. VISTA’s readership is approximately one million readers per issue. Surely with a little effort we can help them reach their goal. For a list of suggestions of acts of green see their website. This is a cause worthy of our attention. Let’s all take advantage of this opportunity to do something positive for ourselves and the environment and finish this troubled year off with a bang! Source: green.cbc.ca
ISSN #1715-8214 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Magazine Fund toward our editorial costs.
Trent E. Nellis, Publisher To contact Trent Nellis via e‑mail, write to thepub@shaw.ca
Health Action Network Society
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VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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Issue 61
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contents
www.vistamagonline.com
32 Got a Cold? Stuffed-Up?
By Allison Tannis from sinusitis
Get natural relief
34 Prostate Health
By Michelle Kwon Learn about its health problems and solutions
36 A Dermatologist Repairs Damaged Skin
By Dr. Madalene Heng Help for scarred skin
38 Holiday Survival Guide
By Michelle Kwon Better alternatives to holiday treats
40 Digestive Enzymes for our Demanding Lifestyle
By Dr. Gordon Chang Help for harried eating schedules
54 Help to Calm Canker Sores
By Bruce D. Schennum What are they and what to do about them
57 Let it Flow: Colon Cleansing By Dr. Edward Group A better way to clean your insides
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Sprouting Ornamental Seed Provides Stamina By John Austen Chia seeds are a nutrition powerhouse
42 Aiming High: Olympian Karen Cockburn
60 Healthy Holiday Gift Giving
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62 Signs of the Time: Anti-aging Secrets
By Carol Crenna Interview with the trampoline medalist and flag bearer
Your Immune System Fights Serious Disease By Michelle Kwon Help your immune system heal cancer
46 Vibrations Build a Flexible Body
By John Austen Increase circulation, mobility and bone density
48 Winter Health 101
By Joel Thuna Simple ways to ward off viruses
50 Detoxify to Revitalize your Body
By Chelsea Danchuk Increase your detox organs’ defences
52 Sports Nutrition Update
By Cory Holly What should nutritional smoothies include?
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By Carol Crenna giving all year long
By Alain Prud’homme Collagen is your body’s youth builder
64 Holiday Health Help
By Dr. Claude Gallant Vitamin D and fibre help you stay on track this season
70 Can you prevent low back pain? By Ruza Jelinkova Vitamin D and fibre help you stay on track
72 Use Mother Nature to Fend off Father Time
By Sophia Stewart Vitamin D and fibre help you stay on track
74 Restoring your pet’s coat from the inside out
By Franco Cavaleri Your pet’s skin and fur show signs of poor nutrition
Lessons That My Father Taught Me
By Dr. David Suzuki Wisdom about life from David’s dad
68 Green your computer use By Michael Bloch footprint
Lightening your computing environmental
69 A Silver Lining to the Financial Crisis By Greg Seaman
Gifts that keep
Living the way past generations did
Editor’s Healthlines
VISTA M A G A Z I N E
Carol Crenna, rhn
board o f adviso r s
The myth of moderate exercise
T
Dr. Michael Colgan, PhD, CCN
Dr. Gloria Gilbère
Dr. Christian uenette, DC G
Cory Holly, DN
Dr. Stefan Kuprowsky, BSc, MA, ND
Tomás Nimmo
Dr. Terry Willard, ClH, PhD
Dr. Zoltan Rona, MD
he accepted advice of getting 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week isn’t enough to spur any real change in your body weight or shape. Research from the University of Pittsburgh found that if you want to see real results, you need a lot more, and if you’ve got over 20 pounds to lose, exercising at least an hour at a time is required. Burn rubber, burn blubber. The study from the University of Pittsburgh followed 200 overweight women for two years and found that those who lost and kept off 10 percent of their weight were exercising twice as long as the others, and the biggest losers were active 68 minutes a day, five days a week (about 55 minutes a day more than before the trial began). As a result, these women were burning an extra 1,848 calories a week. Motivation to move. Most of us know that physical activity makes us healthy and youthful, and reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. But knowing the benefits doesn’t get us moving. What are the obstacles? First, we’re deluding ourselves. Many people over-estimate their activity level, or still think they do what they did years ago. Look in the mirror to update your self-image and determine how much exercise you are actually doing now, considering life and work changes. When you say that you’re active, compared to whom exactly? At your last workout, could you not have pushed yourself an extra 10 minutes? Be your own parent. If you’re feeling apathetic about dragging yourself to the gym or playing with your kids outside, force yourself to do it. It’s called “loving discipline,” and is no different than teaching your child why they can’t watch TV when they have homework or to get to bed on time – consistent, caring discipline creates guidelines which then become habits. Humans, like all other animals, are prone to conserve energy at all costs for survival. But we don’t have to run from predators or catch food anymore, so we don’t use that conserved energy. The human body, which hasn’t changed in 100,000 years, was made to work. That’s why we have to push ourselves to go through the pain of exercise to reach our goals and ignore the laziness instinct. Light a fire under your butt. Jump-start your body in the morning by exercising instead of drinking coffee, which will energize you for the entire day. Don’t call it exercise; call it your “new favourite activity.” Commit to an activity that you like to make working out a treat. Consider only allowing yourself to read a “junk food magazine” (celebrity gossip or fashion) when you’re at the gym. If you’ve worked out four times in a week, give yourself a healthy treat, like strawberries in December. Burn without busting. Write exercise goals into your daily planner. You’re far more likely to complete them if you write them into your schedule four to five days a week. Once they’re written down, that important appointment time can’t be cancelled. Create special days of the week like “Dancin’-in-the-Street Day,” where you find a new music artist that you like each month and listen to it on your run, or “Evil Elevator Day,” when you only take stairs, no elevators, where ever you go. There is always one hour per day that you can replace what you do (like watching reruns on TV or coming back empty-handed after shopping) with exercise. Use a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone approach to fitness: get off of the bus a few stops earlier or park a kilometre away from your destination and walk; take a yoga class with a friend instead of having a coffee visit; or walk your kids to and from school each day. No confidence in your ability? What do you do well? Play an instrument? Cook? How good were you when you first started? Didn’t you keep it up until you learned how? Consider your job. How did you get there? Why didn’t you keep doing your first job forever? Didn’t you set a goal and see yourself being successful in a better job? A successful athlete’s daily choices about how to spend their lunch hour, whether to have a second drink at the bar or go home to get a good night’s sleep, or whether they chat on the phone for an hour instead of going to the gym all add up. They don’t hope that things will change; instead, they stay focused until it does. Don’t hibernate this winter. It’s estimated that 75 percent of weight gain happens from November to February, and the holidays aren’t the only culprit. Lack of sunlight makes your body produce less of certain brain chemicals including mood-boosting serotonin. Don’t let bad weather be your excuse to cocoon – take your outdoor workout indoors to a gym, climbing facility, pool or dance studio.
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Listen to Your Gut: Healthy Digestion By John Austen
W
ithout proper digestion, your body won’t absorb and use all of those healthy foods you’re eating and the nutritional supplements that you’re taking. So what is proper digestion and how do you get it? Digestion starts as soon as you fork in your food or swallow supplements, beginning in the mouth and ending in the rectum. At many spots along the way the chemical and mechanical food-in-waste-out process can get bogged down. Prolonged poor digestion disturbs your intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients from food, fight foreign bacteria and eliminate it through the colon. It also causes symptoms including: gas, bloating, acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea, food sensitivities, irritable bowel, weight gain, headaches, backaches, fatigue, bad breath, body odour, irritability, skin problems and sciatic pain. Don’t let a digestion problem get worse simply by avoiding it or thinking it’s “normal.” And don’t rely on medications for relief, which only cover the symptom rather than addressing the cause, and may make the problem worse. Even the strongest constitutions will eventually show the strain if you choose not to listen to your body’s cries for help.
not be absorbed efficiently, leading to diarrhea, gas and bloating. When the intestinal cells are damaged, there also may not be enough enzymes available to digest food.
How do you improve your digestion?
What is digestion?
After food is chewed and then broken down with acid in the stomach, it enters the small intestine, where the most important part of digestion – absorption – begins. More digestive processes occur in the intestine’s duodenum than in any other area. As the food moves down the intestinal “disassembly line,” it gets digestive juices that further break down the proteins, carbohydrates and fats into molecules small enough to seep into the bloodstream. Then, in order for food to become part of you, it has to get through your intestinal lining. The lining of the intestines is only one cell thick, but has trillions of microscopic projections that help absorb nutrients which are then pushed through to your bloodstream. Because the lining is thin, nutrients are easily absorbed but it is also easily injured by irritants and toxins. When this happens, food can-
whole body. There, good bacteria keep harmful bacteria in check and ferment the soluble fibre in food to nourish the colon and stimulate healing. The colon is susceptible to a continual buildup of toxic material. Impacted feces, dead cells, mucus, parasites, harmful bacteria and worms all pose health problems because your colon “backs up,” and these poisons enter the bloodstream. Processed foods, pasteurized milk, white flour, sugar, preservatives and other chemical ingredients contain toxic elements (or lack healthy fibre) and slowly clog the colon. This causes an impacted film to form, which decreases the digestive tract’s ability to absorb nutrients and lowers metabolism. If you don’t continually keep the system clean, your health will suffer. Many practitioners believe that everything from diabetes to cancer is caused by an impacted colon.
straycat Photo
By the time the food has completed this process, most of the nutrients have been absorbed. What’s left enters the colon. Little digestion occurs in the colon, but it isn’t just your waste disposal. It plays a vital role in your well-being, and in fact, your body is only as healthy as your colon. It regulates the body’s water balance, and healthy water balance in the colon leads to healthy stools. Having several smaller, soft stools a day rather than the North American norm of one large bowel movement shows that your colon is healthily balanced. Billions of bacteria reside in the colon and contribute to the health of the
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Beyond medications, there are natural, simple ways to drastically reduce “tummy troubles.” First, clean up your diet. Whole fresh fruits, vegetables and grains provide the fibre required for healthy digestion, and drinking lots of fresh water is vital to move food through your system and increase fecal elimination. Second, prevent or alleviate problems by cleansing your system of debris. Colon cleansing or detoxification has been used for centuries to maintain healthy digestive balance. Although there are many detoxification tonics and inner cleansing kits available at health stores, many only target one organ or use harsh ingredients that can damage the delicate balance of the intestinal tract. Choose products that restore digestive health in a gentle but effective way using herbs such as milk thistle, blessed thistle, persimmon leaves, malva leaves and marshmallow leaves. In healing your digestive tract, you will not only lose unwanted weight and other uncomfortable symptoms, but will also enable your body to absorb the vitamins and minerals in food and supplements, increasing your energy and overall health.
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Homeopathy for Kids’ Colds and Flu By Stephenie Farrell
W
inter is underway and the kids are back to school. Every day that they are there, your child is exposed to new germs and viruses, making him or her more susceptible to sickness. But don’t worry – safe, effective homeopathic medicines decrease your child’s susceptibility to illness, can treat colds and flu, and will improve their well-being. Homeopathic remedies for relief for very specific cold symptoms include: • Aconite is useful for colds that begin rapidly after exposure to cold, dry weather. The child may be restless and wake up with a dry, hoarse cough that seems to become worse when they feel cold or drink cold water. Symptoms are worse at night. • Allium Cepa is used when there is profuse, watery discharge. The nasal discharge irritates the child’s nostrils and/or upper lip and their eyes may be red and produce lots of tears. The child will feel worse in a warm room and better in the open air. These symptoms may be accompanied by violent sneezing, a dull headache and a tickling cough made worse in cold air. • A child needing Euphrasia has copious burning tears and nasal discharge. The eye symptoms are worse in the open air. The nasal discharge, often accompanied by sneezing, is worse at night, while lying down, and in windy weather. After a day or two of discharge, the cold moves to the larynx, creating a cough and hoarse voice. The cough is worse in the daytime and is improved by lying down. • Pulsatilla is helpful when the child has thick, yellow or greenish mucous. The nasal congestion is worse at night, especially after lying down. The child feels worse in a warm room and better in the open air with gentle motion. They may have a dry mouth but aren’t thirsty. This type of child is typically emotional, sensitive and clings to parents for attention and sympathy. • A child whose cold worsens with the slightest motion may need Bryonia. This is often called the “grumpy bear” remedy because the child may be irritable and want to be left alone. The symptoms may also include a headache and dry mouth with ceaseless thirst. Homeopathic remedies for flu, which is more severe than a cold, are also very specific: • Belladonna is used when there’s rapid onset of flu symptoms accompanied by a high fever. The child is usually tired, may seem glassy-eyed and lethargic, have a flushed face and dilated pupils. Their head may be hot to the touch, though hands and feet may be cold. Symptoms are typically worse around 3:00 pm. • Bryonia may be the best remedy when the onset of flu is slow and the child has great thirst with a hacking cough. Typically, the child will be irritable and may want to cover up and lay still, and could become a little ”grumpy bear” when forced to move. •
and complains of chills running up and down the back. The most characteristic symptom is lethargy. They may moan with achy muscles, appear listless with heavy eyelids and typically feel worse in the morning. • If the first symptom your child develops is vomiting and/or diarrhea, then Arsenicum may be the best remedy. They may fuss and be restless, chilly and thirsty. Typically, the child may wake up late at night with exacerbated symptoms. • Eupatorium Perfoliatum may be indicated when the child complains of severe aching in their bones, when the child is intensely thirsty and the aching precedes chills and fever. Although restless, they may feel worse with motion. Symptoms may be worse in the morning and in cold air. • When the child produces thick green nasal discharge, then Kali-Bichromium may be a good choice. They may have a loose-sounding cough, and wake up at night from cough and congestion. Choose a low potency homeopathic remedy such as a 6C. The higher the potency, the more specific you have to be about matching the symptoms correctly. Using a lower potency also allows for more frequent repetition of the remedy. A good rule of thumb is to give one dose of the remedy every hour up to three doses, or until there’s a 50 percent improvement in symptoms. If symptoms persist or worsen, seek the advice of a homeopath. If your child tends to have many recurrent colds or infections, constitutional homeopathic treatment is effective to help decrease their susceptibility. Also remember that a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, good quality protein and essential fatty acids is important for their overall health, and to both prevent and help relieve cold or flu. Hydration is important and often overlooked. Make sure they drink enough water since fevers and extra mucus production can cause dehydration. If you’re seeking supplements, look for zinc gluconicum, which has been shown to reduce the duration of colds by almost 50 percent, and, of course, vitamin C to help boost resistance to infections. Encourage rest, since this is when healing happens. It may be difficult for your child to sleep for long periods if they’re stuffed up or coughing, but read to them, rock them and keep stimulating activities to a minimum to encourage the deep rest they need to recover. Stephenie Farrell, DSHomMed, is a recent honours graduate of the Toronto School of Homeopathic Medicine. She has a practice in Guelph and Hamilton, Ontario. Stephenie can be reached at stephenief@rogers.com.
A child needing Gelsemium will want to be covered, and feels achy
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Make Sure Your Little Explorer Stays Active All Winter!
Introducing Hyland’s Sniffles ‘n Sneezes 4 Kids Winter doesn’t need to be a constant struggle with illness. This all natural, homeopathic medicine offers kids relief from the uncomfortable symptoms of the common cold - from sneezing and sore throat to runny eyes, runny nose and headaches. Sniffles 'n Sneezes 4 Kids is formulated especially for children ages 2-12 and features Zincum Gluconicum, an active ingredient proven to shorten the duration of colds by nearly half. After all, exploring requires a lot of time and energy and we want your kids to have plenty of both.
Safe. Natural. Effective.
www.vistamagonline.com
Summer Warmth in Winter By John Austen
As grey, rainy or snowy day fol‑ lows grey, rainy or snowy day, you are probably feeling the urge to get away, particularly before the holiday mayhem hits. Through technology, you can travel to a warm climate right inside your home, free of stress‑ ful air travel and Canadian dollar declines. This does not refer to dangerous UV sun beds or even fluorescent light therapy to combat sea‑ sonal affective disorder, but a health enhancing sauna.
system and cardiovascular health, and increasing circulation and oxygen supply to damaged tissues. It may even help to heal serious and chronic disease. The sweating process it produces carries away deeply imbedded impurities and dead skin cells, leaving the skin glowing and immaculately clean. Increased blood circulation draws the skin’s own nutrients to the surface, improving tone, texture and colour. If you suffer from skin ailments such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and burns, there have been reports of remarkable
Most people have experienced the warmth of a sauna at least once, but often associate it with a pampering indulgence for relaxation. Some people, however, incorporate it into their lifestyle, knowing the many other benefits that saunas offer for the stresses and illnesses of today’s world. Within the past five years there has been a dramatic increase in the use of far infrared saunas. Infrared sauna rooms have had their benefits documented by many studies from naturopathic doctors. These doctors highly recommend their use for general health maintenance and therapy. The high temperatures of these saunas open clogged pores through perspiration, eliminating harmful toxins from the body through the skin. Infrared heat penetrates one and a half inches (3.8 centimetres) into the body, and this soothing heat is absorbed into muscles, fat cells and joints. The infrared heat is used to treat people who suffer from an overload of heavy metals, stress, arthritis or poor complexion and is even used in hospitals to nurture and give warmth to premature babies. It is also useful for general immune
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results after using an infrared sauna regularly. The radiant heat provides pain relief from minor injuries and some chronic conditions such as back pain. Muscles tend to relax when tissues are warm, offering greater flexibility, ease of joint stiffness and better range of motion. We all know that weather affects moods. Sunlight breaking through clouds can lift your spirits, while a dull day may make you feel a little gloomy. For most of us these shifts in mood don’t affect our ability to cope with daily life, but some people are vulnerable to a type of depression that can last until spring. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can be debilitating, affecting your personal and professional life, and seriously limiting your potential. SAD is thought to be related to variations in light and circadian (daily) rhythms. Symptoms include food cravings, weight gain, fatigue, tendency to oversleep, difficulty concentrating, irritability, anxiety and avoidance of social situations. Some far infrared saunas incorporate full spectrum lighting, which is the closest thing to natural sunlight, and a lifesaver for SAD or just those with winter blues. Just as lying in the sun gives you that overall feeling of warmth, spending 30 minutes in a sauna also leaves you feeling relaxed, but with no damaging ultraviolet rays. You also have the added advantage of perspiring at a lower, more comfortable temperature than with traditional saunas and steam rooms. In addition, a single sauna session will burn up to 600 calories, which can be very welcome during this indulgent time of year! Free standing, pre-built infrared sauna rooms are safe and cost effective. They are also very energy efficient; power consumption is one third that of most traditional saunas. They’ll make you feel and look better, so that you’ll be ready to face the New Year with renewed energy and spirit.
www.vistamagonline.com
Raw, Sprouted Foods for Optimal Health By Brendan Brazier
A
s a society we are inundated with an abundance of nutrient-deficient foods. Eaten primarily for convenience, processed and refined foods have resulted in an overall decline in health and elevated medical costs. Processed foods are typically high in refined carbohydrates, yet lack vitamins and minerals. As a result, we have to consume considerably more of these foods to shut off the “hunger signal.” To make matters worse, these products are rich in calories, refined sugar and starch. The regular consumption of these foods is one of the greatest reasons for obesity in North America. Due to our insatiable desire for quick energy on the go, our streets are crammed with coffee, doughnut and fast food establishments. This solves the convenience problem and provides a short-term energy solution through stimulation, rather than nutritional satisfaction. These foods offer nothing to reduce the “payment” that the body will inevitably endure if this route is regularly taken. Consumption of stimulating, nutrient-deficient food can only occur for so long before the body becomes either exhausted or sick.
Getting the most from your food
Without efficient absorption and assimilation by the body, even healthy whole foods will have limited usable nutrition. Fortunately, the way to ensure that you are getting the most energy value out of your food is actually simpler than you might think. As a general rule, the less that has been done to your food, the better its return will be. Raw, plant-based whole foods are ideal because their enzymes are intact. Enzymes are a key component to ensure maximum energy return from the foods you eat. Enzymes are the necessary catalysts for almost all biological processes to occur, and digestion is one of the main biological processes affected. When foods are cooked and processed, many of these important nutritional enzymes are destroyed. Where nutritional enzymes are missing, the body must generate its own to compensate for the unnatural food’s shortcomings before the food can be absorbed, creating more work and subsequently more stress for the body. There is evidence to suggest that consuming cooked, processed foods for many years may actually exhaust the body’s enzyme-producing glands, resulting in poor digestion and assimilation of food later in life. This is one possibility for rapid signs of aging and disease; food is no longer nourishing the body the way it once did, simply because it’s not being digested properly anymore.
Raw food = “cost-free” energy
For long-term health and vitality it is important to understand the difference between energy obtained from stimulation versus energy derived from proper nourishment. Generally, the more processed a food is, the more of a stimulating affect it will have on the nervous system, leading to adrenal fatigue. In contrast, the more natural and whole a food is – raw and sprouted being the best – the less stimulating and more nourishing it will be. Whole, raw foods provide “cost-free” energy, meaning sustainable energy that does not have to be “stoked” regularly with processed carbohydrates, refined sugars or caffeine in order to last. Ironically, many so-called
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“energy foods” are the biggest energy draining culprits. While convenient, many energy bars, for example, offer little more nutrition than candy bars. Like shopping with a credit card, stimulating the adrenal glands may provide you with more energy in the short term, but you will pay for it (with interest) in the future. Conversely, enzymatically alive, raw whole foods provide “cost-free” sustainable energy and vitality, not quick bouts of stimulation. “Cost-free” energy producing foods are: • whole – unprocessed and unrefined (nothing added and nothing taken away) • raw and rich in naturally occurring enzymes • alkaline or alkaline-forming in the body • high in natural vitamins and minerals • best in sprouted form Sprouts: the ultimate energy food Sprouted foods offer unparalleled net energy yield compared to all other foods. Enzymatically alive and nutrient packed, sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional of all foods tested. Besides your typical bean, Brussels and alfalfa sprouts, some examples of sprouted foods include sprouted almonds, sprouted flax seed and sprouted buckwheat. Rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, phytonutrients and enzymes, the nutritional value of sprouts was discovered by the Chinese thousands of years ago. In North America, numerous scientific studies are confirming the benefits of sprouts in a healthy diet. When a seed sprouts, it is literally digesting its own protein and starch and creating amino acids (new protein) in the process. It is also substantially increasing vitamins, minerals and protein while decreasing calories and carbohydrate content. Because of this process, sprouted seeds are essentially a “predigested” food, meaning that they can be more efficiently used in the body than non-sprouted seeds. Less food is required while more nutrients reach the blood and cells than with non-sprouted foods. Since the increased protein content of sprouts is in the most digestible form of all proteins (amino acids), the body is able to put a large amount of this protein to use. Buckwheat, for example, is one of the best ingredients to sprout since roughly 20 percent of its makeup is protein, rendering it exceptionally amino-acid-rich when sprouted. Also, since buckwheat is technically a seed and not a grain, it is gluten-free. The sprouting process does much of the energy conversion for the body, providing one less step in the digestive process, and as a result, provides a greater “net gain” of food. In contrast to this, consuming cooked, processed and isolated proteins that the body must break down before they can be recognized and used results in a significant loss in efficacy. As described in my book The Thrive Diet, the net gain of food is a term given to the energy we are left with from food once digestion and assimilation have taken place. Whole, raw, sprouted foods provide the absolute best energy gain possible through nourishment and not stimulation. Brendan Brazier is a professional Ironman triathlete, two-time Canadian 50 km Ultra Marathon Champion and bestselling author of The Thrive Diet (Penguin, 2007), which includes 100 balanced, plant-based, whole food recipes. Learn more at www.thrivediet.com.
VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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Why is Alignment Important? Part I: Locomotion and movement – a mechanical model By Dr. Christian Guenette
I
f one was to compare the human body with a simple machine, they would find many similarities. Just like a machine, the body has moving parts that are designed for locomotion (such as joints, muscles and ligaments), a fuel-distribution system providing energy to the system (circulation and digestion), an on-board computer to regulate all of the systems (the brain), and an electrical system that connects this computer to the rest of the body (the nervous system). When everything is working properly, the performance of this human machine is optimized and damage is minimized. Alignment is a key factor to ensure proper functioning in all of these areas. First and foremost, proper alignment is important when considering the physical properties of movement and locomotion. Like any machine that has moving parts, the alignment of these parts and how they relate to each other is crucial not only for function, but also to prevent premature mechanical breakdown from abnormal wear and tear. If two parts of any machine come together to form a joint, their alignment and construction will determine which desired movement patterns are possible. The elbow, for example, is constructed in such a way to allow for movement in a single plane, making it a simple hinge joint – very stable, but limited. The hip, on the other hand, is designed to allow for multiple planes of movement, consisting of a ball and socket construction – very mobile, but more susceptible to imbalance and instability. Regardless of the joint’s design, it is only with proper alignment that the movement between the two parts will be accomplished with the greatest ease. When discussing the importance of alignment in the entire human body, we must first consider the fact that humans are constructed with a total of 360 joints, making the study of moving parts much more complicated. In addition, we must also be aware that while in a standing position (the normal position for locomotion), the function of any one joint will be dependent upon the position and function of any joint located above or below it. The alignment at the knee, for example, will be dependent upon the functional positioning of the ankle and/or the hip. Similarly, the functional alignment of the neck cannot be considered without also considering the positioning of the lower back. This relationship of multiple movable units in the body is also known as the “kinetic chain.” It is important that this kinetic chain be considered when assessing bodily function or dysfunction. A mysterious new pain in your knee, for example, may be caused by a long-standing misalignment in your foot that you are unaware of. For this reason, your chiropractor should take the time to examine your entire body in a number of different body positions, regardless of which area you feel is most painful. This typically allows for a more thorough analysis of the functional relationships of one area of the body to all others and is more likely to help determine the cause of the problem. If he or she does not do this, I suggest that you consider another
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therapist. Although chiropractors specialize in the anatomy and physiology of the joints in your spinal column, they are also well-educated about the entire body and are therefore qualified to assess and treat the mechanical interrelationships of all of your body’s individual parts. What happens when the joints go out of alignment? Physical trauma such as acute sprains or strains and chronic misalignment are two very common causes for joint derangement. Most of us will experience the effects of one, if not both, of these harmful conditions at some point in our lives. The problem with misalignment is this: any time moving parts come together, there is potential for friction between the approximating parts. If this friction is excessive, it can lead to mechanical wear and tear. When this kind of excessive friction occurs in the joints of the human body it can lead to arthritis – the inflammatory response that happens when the body tries to prevent further damage. Following acute physical trauma, the joint will usually become swollen, red and painful for up to 72 hours. This is normal, and represents the body’s attempt to initiate healing by immobilizing the joint to promote rest and increasing circulation in the area to provide the necessary components of tissue repair. If a person is mindful enough to get the proper rest and nutrition during the initial inflammatory response, most minor injuries are quick to recover. Unfortunately, sometimes the strain on the joint is too great, or occurs over a prolonged period of time. In either of these situations, the body’s self-regulatory system may become overwhelmed and may not be sufficient to repair the problem on its own. In these cases it is recommended to visit a joint specialist (a chiropractor or osteopath) to identify and correct joint restriction and misalignment. At our clinic we use chiropractic manipulation to alleviate joint strain, but also employ a number of very effective muscle-therapy techniques, including Trigenics® and myofascial release. As the supporting tissues become relaxed and balanced, the likelihood of the joints maintaining their proper alignment is much improved. How long does it take to get better? There are a number of factors that will influence the number of treatment sessions required to decrease the strain and improve your alignment. These factors include (but are not limited to) the severity of the injury, the chronicity of the problem, the cause of the misalignment and the number of tissues involved in the injury. Once you have had your initial consultation, the doctor should be able to give you a reasonable estimate for the type of treatment required and the number of sessions it will take to achieve your goals for recovery. Look for Alignment: Parts II and III in upcoming issues of VISTA Magazine. Dr. Christian Guenette owns Back2Health Chiropractic in Vancouver, BC. His clinic is the first in Western Canada to incorporate Trigenics® treatments which, when combined with chiropractic adjustments, constitutes the “missing link” in mind-body medicine. For more information, visit www.back2health.ca.
VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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The Importance ...AND of Milk Thistle 4 for the Liver By AJ Keillor
C
leansing or detoxing are trendy words for a natural, bi-annual tradition that has been practised for hundreds of years. Each spring and fall, similar to how you clean out your house, people also clean out their bodies by doing an inner cleanse. Cleansing helps your body’s own detoxifying processes to clean out built-up toxins better. Think you’re so pure? You may be surprised at how dirty you are.
Toxin overload
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There are stronger chemicals, more air and water pollution, and increased levels of radiation today than at any other time in the history of mankind. Toxins are in the air you breathe, the food you eat, the water you drink, and the cosmetics and toiletries you use. Toxins enter your body through your mouth, nose and skin. They end up in the blood where your body has to somehow sift between toxins and nutrients. Toxins are more than a nuisance to sift through; they also cause damage to your blood vessels, organs and skin. As a result, your body works hard to eliminate these toxins from your blood. So which body system has the daunting task of sorting toxins from nutrients? The liver. It is your main detoxing organ, and it may need help.
The liver
The liver is the largest organ in your abdomen. It is also one of the most impressive. The liver can filter one litre of blood each second. In addition to pulling toxins out of your blood, the liver can also neutralize toxins, produce hormones and metabolize fats. As a result, it is one of your most important organs. However, if your daily routine exposes you to processed and refined foods, excess amounts of sugar, pesticides, cosmetics containing heavy metals or other toxins, your liver may be overworked.
An assistant
Your overworked liver needs a helping hand. Just like an assistant can help you get through the many file folders building up on your desk,
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the herb milk thistle can help your liver handle an overload of toxins in your blood. Milk thistle extract is well-known as a liver supporter. The active component of milk thistle extract is silymarin. Silymarin causes a change in liver cells, making them less penetrable to toxins. In other words, silymarin prevents the toxins that your liver is filtering from causing damage to your liver cells. Silymarin also has the ability to stimulate healing of the liver. Did you know that your liver can regenerate up to one half of itself? The liver really is an amazing organ. If it has been working overtime to deal with prescription drugs, alcohol, pesticides, excess sugar or any other toxins, it may need nutritional and herbal support.
Getting started
Silymarin, the active compound in milk thistle, is found mostly in the seed of the plant. However, some products have less potent levels of silymarin than others. According to clinical trials, an effective milk thistle extract should contain 80 percent silymarin — look for this amount on your cleansing product to ensure your liver is properly supported. The many different cleansing kits available at health stores focus on one or all four of the main detoxification organs in the body: liver, bowel, skin and kidneys. Ensure that the liver is included for a comprehensive detox programme.
Think you’re pure?
If you think that your body doesn’t have any toxins, consider the following: 1) your body naturally generates toxins (free radicals) as by-products of normal, everyday reactions. Free radicals damage your cells and can lead to inflammation, joint or blood vessel damage, disease and wrinkles. 2) Microbes (including bacteria and yeast) live on and in your body. Bad microbes can build up in your body causing inflammation and disease. Still feeling pure? Clean up this spring – both inside and out. Some signs and symptoms of toxicity: headaches, joint pain, wheezing, sore throat, frequent colds, immune weakness, irritated eyes, insomnia, mood changes, fatigue, skin rashes, bad breath and constipation.
VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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Holmes on Making Sustainable Homes By Carol Crenna
“If you’re going to do something, do it right the first time,” says Mike Holmes.
It’s a credo instilled by his fa‑ ther, who taught him both the right way and the wrong way to tackle home improvements. Mike Holmes’ award-winning Holmes on Homes show has been the number one viewed programme on HGTV Cana‑ da for several years (and also airs in the US, UK and Aus‑ tralia). He’s appeared several times on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was recognized in the House of Commons as “an accomplished master build‑ er with a social conscience.”
M
ike’s goal is to bring integrity back into the building industry with true craftsmanship that is environmentally and economically sustainable. Mike, who travels extensively to lecture at industry events, was re-
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VISTA Magazine Issue 61
www.vistamagonline.com cently in Vancouver promoting environmental design. VISTA was there to get his advice.
The lighter shade of pale green
Mike states, “There is confusion about what constitutes ‘green’ construction. There are light shades and dark shades of green. A lot of builders talk about it but the proof is in the finished product, and most don’t come close to even the light shades. Just because you put in a better washer, fridge and toilet doesn’t mean that you have a green home.” Mike stresses that research is vital to decide which products are not just better but are the best choice, whether it’s a fixture or foundation. He talks toilets: “We waste 13 percent of our fresh water in the home flushing the toilet. The original 21 litre flush toilets were reduced to12 litres, and then 6 litre models, and now there’s a powerassisted 3.5 litre toilet. But since it uses power it’s actually not that green. Not all 6-litre designs are good, either. Kohler’s 6 litre toilet flushes like it’s turbo charged, whereas many others have to be flushed twice to get the desired result.”
air is trapped within the material like a blanket, but moisture will reduce its effectiveness and may create mould. Sprayed foam insulation – urethane-based insulation sprayed into wall crevices – provides more R-value in the same space than any other insulation.
Concrete advice
Mike states, “Construction uses more of the Earth’s natural resources than any other human activity. We’re not going to stop building, so one of our best options is to use concrete.” Concrete is an ideal building material because it is made of natural materials (water, sand, gravel and lime cement), it’s 100 percent recyclable, and creates less construction waste. It is non-toxic (unless unnecessary chemical plasticizers or retarders have been used), and water repellent, so doesn’t need sealants or even paint. It is also energy efficient because it has a “high thermal mass,” – meaning it slows heat or cold transfer – so concrete walls will keep your house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. As a result, you can increase your natural light with more windows, which in turn saves on energy costs of lighting.
intensive to manufacture, have a short life-span, go straight to landfills where they’re slow to decompose and reflect 2 percent of the heat that our
“We waste 13 percent of our fresh water in the home flushing the toilet. The original 21 litre flush toilets were reduced to12 litres, and then 6 litre models, and now there’s a power-assisted 3.5 litre toilet. But since it uses power it’s actually not that green.”
How much more expensive is it to build a green home?
Mike claims that it’s only 10 to 20 percent more, because a truly environmental home should be small. “We build houses that are from 1,500 to 2,000 square feet because I don’t believe in building anything bigger. I’m against two storey homes – a bungalow is much more energy efficient. Insulation is one of the most important factors in environmental design, in addition to using products that are designed ecologically from cradle to grave, meaning they don’t harm the environment from the beginning to the end of their life.”
Insulate your wallet
Mike advises investing in the best quality and safest insulation that you can afford; it will pay for itself in the long run. Insulation is rated by its R-value (a measure of “thermal resistance” or how well it resists heat loss). The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power. Air movement and moisture carried in the air are also insulation factors. Insulation works because
“Although it takes a lot of energy to make concrete, and costs more for production and transport, it lasts for a heck of a long time,” says Mike. “It can be poured into molds of any shape or size, and can be any colour or pattern so it can be used for everything from countertops to interior walls to flooring.” Concrete is also healthier – in addition to not requiring toxic chemicals, building without using traditional framing and insulation also eliminates all air borne dust – important for allergy or asthma sufferers. Although labour costs will be high and finding a contractor to build a concrete house can be tricky, concrete will reduce your energy bills, home insurance and maintenance. “If you were the third little pig who was smart enough to build a concrete/brick house that wouldn’t blow down, yours would outlive every other house on the market,” says Mike. “It means spending your money right the first time.”
Putting a roof over your head
Mike also believes in green roofs. Instead of using very environmentally-unfriendly asphalt shingles – which are petroleum-based, energy-
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VISTA Magazine Issue 61
cities generate each year – he thinks we should build flat roofs that grow grass, collect rainwater, and provide a place to have a beer and barbeque in the summer! Concrete roof tiles are also a green option. They have ideal thermal and radiant properties, are recyclable, reduce construction waste, and, because of their long lifespan, concrete or clay tiles reduce the amount dumped in landfills. This is an important point, as over 30 percent of the garbage in any given landfill is construction waste. Holmes on Homes has produced its sixth and final season as Mike begins other projects. Mike explains, “After taping shows 365 day a year, three to five shows at a time, and housing almost 100 families, I want to go to the next level. My new show is called Make it Right in New Orleans, and I’m working with Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation to build a home for a family that lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. It will be an energy efficient, hurricane and moisture-resistant green design built above the flood line.” The shows will air across Canada in early 2009. He has also launched his own development company to build homes that “will not burn down, fall down or mould, and that are totally environmentally friendly.”
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Skin SOS By Carol Crenna
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inter weather can be rough on the skin. As soon as the temperature drops and the wind begins to blow, your facial skin gets dry, flaky and rough, increasing the severity of wrinkles and lines. Some research finds that this is partly due to the fact that less blood comes to the skin’s surface, naturally moving closer to your vital internal organs to keep them warm. That means fewer nutrients go to the skin, which leaves it dry and susceptible to the elements. You probably also get less fresh air in the outdoors and spend more time indoors in dry, re-circulated heat. In addition to buying a humidifier, taking essential fatty acids and drinking lots of water, consider homemade masks, cleansers and moisturizers to help stave off wrinkles and keep skin youthfully firm and soft. Head to the grocery aisles instead of the cosmetics counter to protect your skin and buy fresh food ingredients for facials that are quick to make and easy to apply. All dried up? Oil-producing sebaceous glands keep skin soft. During the winter when skin lacks oil or moisture, the cells in the outer layers shrink and curl at the edges, which gives the skin a rough, dry appearance. A facial especially for dry skin can be made with avocado and papaya, which have moisturizing properties due to their respective fat and enzymes. Simply combine one half of an avocado with one third of a papaya (mashed, with the extra liquid drained) in a blender and dab it on your skin. Raw, unprocessed honey helps heal damaged skin by promoting cell growth and can also be added to the mixture. Organic tomato paste’s acidity offers a gentle exfoliant that will make your skin softer and smoother and is mild enough for dry skin. Smooth it on your face, leave it on for five minutes and then rinse it off. Tomato paste is also rich in skin-nourishing vitamins A, C and E, and the antioxidant lycopene, which may help protect skin against damage from UVB sunlight. Oily but aging? Although you want to cleanse the skin of its extra oils, don’t overdo it, especially in cold weather, as cleansing with soap strips away good and bad oils. Because fats bind to each other, many moisturizing oils can actually be used instead to remove makeup and cleanse the face. Dab evening primrose oil, almond oil, shea butter or even yogurt (which has fat that is said to bind to unwanted oils) on a cotton pad and gently wipe it over the face. Certain foods can also help control oil production without over-drying the skin. Combine crushed strawberries and sour cream, apply it to your face for a few minutes and then wash it off. Strawberries contain vitamins A, C and E, antioxidants that protect and help to rejuvenate skin. The fat in sour cream will protect delicate skin from the exfoliating properties of the strawberry seeds and help to cleanse away oily toxins. For a heavier exfoliant, corn flour picks up oil from the skin, but doesn’t take away needed moisture, and can be used in a preparation with egg whites. Combine a tablespoon of corn flour with the white of one egg and smooth it on the face. After it dries, wash it off with warm water, using circular motions to allow the granules to exfoliate the skin and help circulation. When daylight hours are shorter and you begin to feel like hibernating, your face tends to show the lack of sleep. To soothe puffy or tired eyes, try chamomile or green tea, which contain potent anti-inflammatory compounds. Place brewed and cooled chamomile or green tea bags on your eyes for a few minutes to reduce swelling. Add moisture, not chemicals. The theory of natural skin care is to use ingredients that your body can recognize. Most commercial skincare products contain unnatural ingredients. Although our mothers and grandmothers may have slathered their faces with Vaseline to protect their skin in winter, they could have used pure plant-based oils which are more effective for moisturizing than petroleum-based products. Shea butter, unprocessed
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sunflower oil, almond oil and extra virgin olive oil all contain anti-inflammatory ingredients to soothe skin. Lemon oil, when applied topically, may prevent wrinkling and aging by inhibiting enzymes that break down skin cells, while the fatty acids in evening primrose oil are thought to plump skin by stimulating collagen production. Get set, glow. You’ve probably heard about non-surgical face lifts – here’s a few that you can prepare at home. They don’t offer permanent results, but reduce the appearance of fine lines and smooth the skin, and are perfect to complement the other types of non-surgical facelifts available. Eggs are rich in amino acids that tone the skin and smooth out the fine lines. Combine two egg yolks with a teaspoon of sugar. Whisk the egg yolks until firm and add sugar. Apply on the face and leave on for 30 minutes, and then wash off. Kiwi fruit contains vitamin C, which increases the collagen production, regenerates the outer layers of the skin and improves the elasticity. Mash one ripe peeled kiwi with a fork, strain the juice from it and combine with a teaspoon of honey. Dab it on your face and leave it for 30 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Lemon, which is an essential oil known to help oily skin, is an excellent antiseptic, and, like kiwi, contains lots of vitamin C. In a blender, puree the peel from half of an organic lemon with a little water. Smooth it on the face and leave on for a few minutes, and then rinse off. Skin care doesn’t have to be complicated. Pamper your skin with aesthetics salon-like facials that you can make at home all winter.
VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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Choosing a Protein Powder By Vince Ziccarelli
A
re you eating enough protein? In my nutrition practice, I often encounter clients that are confused about what protein powder they should be taking. The first suggestion I make is for them to assess their nutritional needs, and to determine if their intake of protein is lower than it should be. I find that clients that are very physically active and also have a lifestyle with many responsibilities are finding it difficult to eat enough food, including protein sources, and have imbalances in their protein intake. According to the latest position statement from Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine, protein requirements for athletes range from 1.2 to 1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. For a typical male athlete weighing 70 kilograms, 84 grams to 120 grams of protein daily would do the trick. Given an ideal mixed diet, where an individual consumes adequate amounts of foods from all the whole food groups (fruit and vegetables, grains, dairy and meats), it would be easy to attain 114 grams of protein daily. Unfortunately, some people are skipping meals, avoiding certain protein-rich foods due to intolerances or dislikes, trying to lose weight and or eating processed foods with poor nutritional quality. Some potential signs of protein-calorie malnutrition include unexpected weight loss, low energy levels, anemia, thinning hair, poor immune function, slow wound healing, poor muscle tone and weak muscle strength. Selecting a high quality protein powder supplement can be an excellent way to fill in the nutritional void. If you are having challenges to eat healthily, or you suspect that your protein intake is inadequate, then it may be wise to either change your diet for the better, or supplement sensibly with a high quality protein powder. Since there are many types of protein powders available, the best approach is to look for a product unique to your needs that tastes good and is of the best nutritional quality. When looking for quality, purchase a product from a reputable company that has a site license. This will ensure that it is manufactured to the best golden standards of quality control.
Whey protein, hemp protein, rice protein or soy protein powder — what should you have?
In terms of the type of protein powder to choose, determine which protein food sources from your diet are inadequate, and select a protein to increase those levels. For example, if you enjoy eating plenty of animal source proteins such as meat, fish, skinless poultry and dairy foods, then it would make sense to supplement with a vegetarian source of protein such as soy protein, hemp protein or rice protein powders. Plant proteins will provide you with other plant-related nutrients that have health protective qualities. On the other hand, if you are lacto-ovo vegetarian, or if you tend to
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avoid meat sources of protein, then a high quality whey protein powder may be a good protein supplement to increase levels of this form of high biological value protein in your diet. If you suffer from a type of food sensitivity or allergy, which typically involves proteins found in wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, seafood and nuts, then a low allergy potential protein would be the ideal supplement for your needs. Generally speaking, rice and hemp protein powders are considered to be low allergy potential proteins, and would therefore be the best choice for those with sensitive guts.
How much protein powder do you need?
The next question that many people have regarding protein powders is how much to take. The answer is dependent on a person’s dietary patterns. In general, the recommendations for protein food intake are up to three servings daily of meat, fish or poultry, and two to four servings daily of dairy.* If you are very active and only consuming two servings of meat, fish or poultry daily, which provides roughly 21 grams of protein per serving (keeping in mind that there are other substances in meat, fish and poultry that are not protein), then you could supplement with a serving of a protein powder providing approximately 21 grams of protein. Most protein powders will provide up to 25 grams of protein per serving, but double check to be sure. This will bring your protein intake up to three servings. Consider the number of servings that will work best with your dietary intake. To better determine your protein requirements check with a registered dietitian to assess your nutritional status and to customize a nutrition plan that meets your needs. The “take home message” is simple, as it is with all areas of sensible nutrition. Whenever you’re deciding to supplement, choose those supplements that help to complement your diet and act as nutritional insurance. Whether you need to increase your intake of plant protein a notch or you are dealing with food intolerances, there is an appropriate protein powder for you. * Please take note that the Canada Food Guide lists the following serving sizes which have been used in this article: One serving of milk is 1 cup, of yogurt is ¾ cup, of cheese is 50 grams or 1 ½ ounces. One serving of cooked fish, poultry or lean meat is only 75 grams or 2 ½ ounces or ½ cup, one serv‑ ing of eggs is two, of beans and other legumes is ¾ cup, and of nut butter is 2 tablespoons. Vince Ziccarelli, MSc., RD, FICN is a leading Canadian nutrition specialist and has a nutrition practice in Vancouver and Port Moody, BC. His website is www. nutritionwellness.ca.
VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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Recipe for Health
Turkey Meatballs By Tracy Holly
I
t’s that time of year when turkey is abundant in stores, but you may have run out of creative ways to prepare it. Turkey meatballs can be enjoyed as an appetizer, potluck party dish, or a topping for your favourite pasta and sauce. They are also ideal for freezing when you have had your fill of the festive bird. I buy a whole organic turkey breast and thigh at a specialty shop and have the store’s clerk grind it for me to ensure that it’s fresh. Compared with other meats, turkey has fewer calories, less fat, less cholesterol and very little sodium. Turkey is a good source of protein for any bodybuilder or fitness buff with a biological value (BV) of approximately 83 when cooked. Most of the fat in turkey is in the skin, and most of the fat in the meat is in the dark meat (which is 38 percent fat) as compared to the white meat (which is 22 percent fat with the skin removed). The meat fibre is easier to digest than other types of meat, which makes it a good choice for individuals that may have digestive problems. If you follow the “Eat right for your blood type” healthy diet regime, turkey is beneficial for all blood types. I don’t add bread crumbs to these meatballs. It isn’t necessary since the meatballs have a nice consistency without them, and I have found that breadcrumbs are usually just added as a filler to stretch out the amount of meat used. I use both fresh ground turkey breast and thigh because the breast alone may make the meatballs a little too dry, but by all means, use just the turkey breast if you wish. This recipe can be baked in the oven or sautéed on the stove top, and makes approximately 30 small meatballs.
Turkey Meatballs 3 lbs of freshly ground turkey breast and thigh 2 organic cage free whole eggs 1 tbsp Mrs. Dash salt-free original 1 tbsp garlic powder ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese ½ cup fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese 1 tbsp oregano Sea salt to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and mix with hands thoroughly to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the meat. Shape the turkey mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a large greased baking sheet and put into the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until meatballs are not pink inside. Alternately, gently sauté the meatballs in a frying pan with olive oil to brown all sides and then add to spaghetti sauce and simmer for two hours or more. Serving suggestions: Turkey meatballs as an appetizer should have a side dish of a dipping sauce such as tsatziki or hummus. Make a green salad with oil and balsamic vinegar to accompany pasta with turkey meatballs and sauce.
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Tracy Holly is the executive director of the Cory Holly Institute and a CSNA (Certified Sports Nutrition Advisor) master. She is the author of The Athlete’s Cookbook and Sports Nutrition for Kids, and writes for national health magazines. Visit www.coryholly.com for more information.
VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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Special Delivery: A Healthy Pregnancy By Sophia Stewart
P
regnancy is a joyful event, and along with baby showers, outfitting the nursery, and planning the years to come, it inspires many women to think more carefully about their health – both for themselves and their unborn child. Birth rates for older women have increased dramatically in the past decade (but haven’t matched 1960’s levels when the birthrate for women 40 to 44 was twice the current rate). Not surprisingly, more first babies are being born to older mothers – women over age 30 accounted for 24 percent of all first-time mothers in 2000, and that statistic has grown substantially since then. In their enthusiasm to have the best possible outcome, many women turn to multivitamins and other nutritional aids, particularly those who are over 30. And since more multiple births occur in older mothers, rising steadily for women over 40, concern over the health of the unborn child becomes even more acute. In 2000, 40 percent of all births to women 50 and older were twins or triplets, increasing 74 percent from 1980 to 2000 due to invitro and other fertility methods. (From US’s National Center for Health Statistics) Research backs their support of a multivitamin. Mothers-to-be who take a multivitamin with folic acid before and during pregnancy protect their child from cancer, according to a study in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (Goh et al., 2007, vol. 5, no. 81; 685-691). Canadian researchers analyzed data from seven studies between 1994 and 2005 and found that children whose mothers had taken a prenatal multivitamin with folic acid had a 27 percent reduced risk for pediatric brain tumours, a 39 percent lower risk for leukemia (which accounts for one-third of cancers in children), and a 47 percent reduced risk for neuroblastoma (the numberone infant cancer, and fourth most common in children). Folic acid also drastically reduced neural tube birth defects, which affect the brain and spinal cord. Researchers weren’t certain which other components of the multivitamin offer protection against cancer. However, iron was considered another important nutrient to help both mother’s and baby’s blood carry oxygen. In addition to eating a diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, essential fats and lean protein, a multivitamin ensures optimal levels of vitamins, minerals and enzymes to help support you and your baby. Digestive enzymes help your digestion during this vital time and offer better absorption of the nutrients. A “supergreens” supplement, popular in dehydrated food powder form and containing normally difficult to obtain plant foods such as alfalfa, green barley and spirulina, has been found to be safe and beneficial to increase your energy level and offer a boost for an extra healthy birth. They are rich in antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins, essential fatty acids and amino acids (the building blocks of protein). Including protein-rich foods at meals and snacks, especially at breakfast and before bedtime, will stabilize your blood sugar so you feel better during the day and sleep better at night. Eat fish two or three times weekly to get omega-3 fatty acids that are important for your baby’s vision and brain growth. In addition to the vitamins that we all know as well as our alphabet – A, B, C, D, E – essential minerals also play a vital role in the body, especially for muscles, the brain and the nervous system, and combine with amino acids to produce co-enzymes that control energy production and
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growth. In some supplements, amino acids are bound to minerals in a process known as chelation, which mimics the form in which most minerals are found in food and so may be better absorbed into the bloodstream than inorganic forms of minerals. Calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron are all important for female adults and for a developing child. You need a minimum of 1,000 milligrams a day of calcium during pregnancy to help build your baby’s bones and teeth and protect your own bones from osteoporosis. Your iron needs to double during pregnancy because your body makes more hemoglobin, the oxygencarrying part of red blood cells, and babies draw on their mothers’ iron stores to create reserves of their own until they start eating iron-rich foods. Iron absorption in your gut is usually a very inefficient process, which is why multivitamins usually include vitamin C and vitamin B components, especially folic acid and vitamin B12, to greatly increase iron uptake. Copper is sometimes added because it enables iron to be incorporated into the hemoglobin in your blood, and molybdenum is included because helps the transport of iron. Silicon, chromium and selenium are also important additions. Minerals and vitamins are partners of enzymes, and are necessary for enzymes to carry out their specific functions. With the help of minerals and vitamin co-enzymes, digestive enzymes regulate how foods become nutrients that tissues can use and so are also good supplement options. Most mothers-to-be want to eat healthfully during pregnancy, but it can be difficult if your body is craving ice cream and chocolate. Remember that “eating for two” means you need only an additional 300 calories a day to gain the 25 to 35 pounds throughout pregnancy that is recommended. The best gift you can give your baby (and yourself) is eating properly. Taking a prenatal multivitamin supplement, avoiding alcohol and gaining a healthy amount of weight by eating “calories that count” are all part of a successful pregnancy.
VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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Got a Cold? Stuffed-Up? By Allison Tannis
Catching a cold is a fairly mis‑ erable experience, but when it becomes worse and complica‑ tions arise, life can be simply wretched. Sinusitis, one of the most common diseases of the upper respiratory tract, is a painful complication that can result from the common cold.
S
inusitis is inflammation caused by bacteria in your nasal passages that cause severe head pain and difficulties breathing. Sufferers are stuffed-up and yet find little relief from ineffective prescription medications. Clinical research on the success of natural alternatives for sinusitis may make it easier to breathe a sigh of relief.
What is sinusitis?
Sinusitis is an infection or inflammation of the mucus membranes that line the inside of the nose and sinuses. Sinuses are hollow spaces, or cavities, located around your eyes, cheeks and nose.When a mucus membrane becomes inflamed, it swells, blocking the drainage of fluid from the sinuses into the nose and throat, this causing pressure and pain. Stuffed-up sinuses are wonderful breeding grounds for bacteria and fungus, which lead to sinusitis.
How it develops
In a healthy body, membranes of the sinus, nose and throat are bathed with a moving layer of mucus that traps and carries away incoming contaminants. The mucus is propelled by cilia (small hairs on the membrane’s surface). When a virus, such as the cold, evades the immune system and infects a cell, it can cause an increase in mucus production and reduce the flow of the mucus layer. The inability of the mucus layer to move allows other bacteria and fungi to inhabit the membrane, causing an infection resulting in sinusitis. The main symptoms of sinusitis are a runny or stuffy nose and facial pain and pressure. Other symptoms can include yellow or greenish discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat, and pain and tenderness around the sinuses.
Treatment
Sinusitis can clear up on its own. Although a cocktail of antibiotics, decongestants and other pharmaceuticals are commonly used, it may be ineffective. A study of patients suffering from acute sinusitis found that they experienced no significant reduction in the course of the disease with the use of antibiotics versus placebo. Other studies have confirmed that antibiotics are not effective for sinusitis. With this news and the growing concern about the overuse of antibiotics, it is exciting that research has discovered a natural, effective solution to sinusitis in an herb called pelargonium sidoides.
What is pelargonium sidoides?
ranplett Photo
Traditionally used by tribes in South Africa, pelargonium sidoides, a plant from the geranium family, was discovered by an Englishman suffering from tuberculosis in the late 19th century. Word of a medical treatment for
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respiratory infections in South Africa led him there, where he was apparently cured. By the 20th century, a drug from pelargonium sidoides was being widely used in Europe to treat pulmonary tuberculosis until it was later replaced by synthetic anti-tuberculosis drugs. Today in Europe, pelargonium sidoides extract is the second bestselling over-the-counter product and the most commonly used cold and cough therapy. To date, pelargonium sidoides has been subject to over a dozen clinical trials that have found it to be effective for the treatment of the common cold, bronchitis and other upper respiratory illnesses. It is no surprise that researchers have investigated pelargonium sidoides’ effectiveness for sinusitis. Convincing clinical research shows that pelargonium sidoides extract can reduce the severity and duration of sinusitis.
The studies
Two clinical trials were randomized, placebocontrolled and double-blind, and involved a total of 375 adult patients with confirmed acute sinusitis. The studies found that 60 drops of pelargonium sidoides extract three times per day for 21 days resulted in almost complete elimination of symptoms. The unfortunate individuals taking the placebo only experienced a 43 percent reduction in symptoms. Those taking the extract in the studies were back to work two and a half days earlier than their placebo counterparts. In addition, there were no adverse reactions or side effects experienced with the use of the extract in these studies. There is more good news at the root of this story. Since sinusitis can be a complication of having a cold, it is important to note that pelargonium sidoides has been shown to be clinically effective at stimulating the immune system and reducing the severity and duration of a cold. The lack of evidence for the ability of antibiotics to treat sinusitis, combined with the possible risks of antibiotic treatment had left people stuffed-up and frustrated. However, the ability of pelargonium sidoides extract to keep a cold – a potential cause of sinusitis –at bay and to reduce the severity and duration of sinusitis make sufferers breathe a little easier.
Allison Tannis, BSc, MSc is a nutritional scientist, author of books and writer for several Canadian publications.
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Prostate Health By Michelle Kwon
T
he prostate is a walnut-sized gland that forms part of the male reproductive system. The gland is made of two regions enclosed by an outer layer of tissue. The prostate is situated in front of the rectum and just below the bladder, where urine is stored. The prostate also surrounds the urethra, the canal through which urine passes out of the body. The likelihood of developing benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), which is a non-cancerous enlarged prostate, increases with age. BPH is so common that it has been said that all men will have an enlarged prostate if they live long enough. Prostate enlargement is present in many men over the age of 40 and more than 90 percent of men over age 80. As the prostate enlarges, the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the gland to press against the urethra like a clamp on a garden hose. The bladder wall becomes thick and irritated, and begins to contract even when it contains only small amounts of urine, causing more frequent urination. Eventually, the bladder weakens and loses the ability to empty itself, and urine remains in the bladder. Both the narrowing of the urethra and partial emptying of the bladder cause many of the problems associated with BPH. Although the prostate continues to grow during most of a man’s life, enlargement doesn’t usually cause problems until later in life. An enlarged prostate rarely causes symptoms before the age of 40, but approximately half of men in their 60s and as many as 90 percent in their 70s and 80s will experience some symptoms of BPH, which include: • • • •
A hesitant, interrupted, weak urine stream Urgency and leaking or dribbling More frequent urination, especially at night Straining to urinate
Statistically, one in eight men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. Don't let statistics decide your fate for you – there are many ways to reduce the risk of prostate problems including cancer through proper diet, exercise and nutritional supplements. For those considering the use of natural health products, there are specific herbs that can be helpful. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study using a combination of the herbs saw palmetto and nettle (240 milligrams daily) for the treatment of the urinary tract problems in men, symptoms improved significantly during a two-week period compared with placebo. Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is very beneficial for prostate health. Benign prostate enlargement appears to be triggered by abnormally high levels of the male hormones testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in prostate tissue. Saw palmetto reduces absorption of these hormones within the prostate gland, while also reducing inflammation and swelling. All three actions serve to relieve bladder obstruction. Nettle leaves have traditionally been used to treat snakebites, asthma, arthritis and urinary tract inflammation. In Germany, drinking nettle leaf tea is popular for alleviating bladder infections and other inflammations of the lower urinary tract for both men and women. Two other herbs that may also be effective are juniper and birch. The British Herbal Medicine Association (BHMA) indicates juniper berries for the following uses: the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia states that orally it is effective for chronic or acute cystitis (inflammation of the urinary tract); Medicaments a Base de Plantes pharmacopoeia states that juniper has been traditionally used orally to stimulate the renal elimination of water “as an adjunct to diuretic medicines in minor urinary disorders.”
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Citing birch as a remedy, The German Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia (Bradley, 2006) mentions a clinical study performed at 258 urological practices in Germany that administered a dry birch leaf extract for two to four weeks to 1066 enrolled patients with urinary complaints. Over 90 percent of the physicians were said to assess the efficacy of birch leaf as “good or very good.” Natural health products are considered very safe and effective solutions to help you maintain prostate health. Be proactive and do some research before trying products to ensure that they are appropriate for your own symptoms. No one cares more about your personal health than you.
VISTA Magazine Issue 61
A Dermatologist Repairs Damaged Skin By Dr. Madalene Heng
D
uring my career in dermatology, I have seen all kinds of skin problems. Among the most devastating are the scars that follow injuries from burns and severe scalds. When I was working at a burn unit in Auckland, New Zealand, we used to rush patients who had been severely burned into the operating room, remove the dead tissue and graft the wounds with skin taken from the thighs in order to prevent keloidal scarring that regularly accompanied the healing phase of such wounds (keloidal scars are elevated, expansive and continue to grow). When these keloidal scars occur from an injury to the face, they are usually deforming, and distort facial features. They can also cause functional problems when located in other areas, such as preventing the head from turning sideways if there are thick bands of scar tissue between the chin and the chest, or preventing fingers from either straightening or making a fist because they are encased in thick strands of scar tissue. In these cases, patients need to have special operations called Z-plasties in order to move their necks, or to extend or flex their fingers. (Since straight-line scars draw attention easily, multiple Z-plasties can break up the scar into smaller units, making the scar less noticeable.) The operations are lengthy, with long periods when the patient is immobile in plaster casts, and final results that leave much to be desired. Frequently, the scarring recurs despite repeated surgery, often resulting in chronic ulcers that cannot heal because of poor blood supply in the scarred tissue. To add insult to injury, these patients also have multiple scars from their thighs and abdomen, which served as donor sites for their skin grafts. In my work as a physician I have found that scarring in my young acne patients, though less dramatic than that encountered in burn patients, is just as devastating to their self-image and confidence, making a recluse of many individuals. Although the scars tend to improve over the years, the pitted scars are permanent reminders of the acne in their adolescent years. Another life-changing and chronic skin disorder is psoriasis. Although it is completely unrelated to scar tissue, its treatment shares similarities, which I will mention later. Psoriasis patients frequently suffer from thick scaly plaques
that can cover most of their scalp, body and legs, and frequently also cover the face, hands and feet. The lesions are thick, red and itchy, which go a long way towards making these people feel like lepers and outcasts. They are constantly scratching, scattering thick, white scales over their clothes and furniture. These patients may have been chronic sufferers for over 40 years, have seen countless dermatologists, and have been told that nothing much could be done since psoriasis is a “genetic disorder.� They continue to use expensive ointments on the skin, subject themselves to phototherapy and drugs such as methotrexate, cyclosporine, soriatane and biologics, which are expensive and not free from dangerous side effects. As a dermatology professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, I spent many years investigating the cause of psoriasis. In the early 1990s, while studying psoriatic skin under the electron microscope, I found that it had much fewer glycogen granules compared to other skin disorders, including skin cancers. Glycogen is the form of sugar that is stored in the human body from food to give energy. Since the enzyme in the body that breaks down glycogen to create energy is phosphorylase kinase (PhK), we guessed that PhK may be our target in psoriasis. We found that extremely high levels of PhK existed in psoriatic skin, and that the high levels of PhK correlated with increased psoriasis. These findings were published in the British Journal of Der‑ matology (Heng MCY et al. 1994; 130:298-306). PhK is activated by any injury to the skin, including burns, sunburns, cuts or environmental contaminants). Once PhK is activated a chain of events occur to help the skin to heal. With psoriasis, the gene that sends the signal to PhK to stop enzyme processes and allow healing does not work. This results in skin problems and the formation of thick scales. Although there have been no drugs that can eliminate psoriasis, I have found success with a natural substance which is within the common but potent Indian spice called turmeric. Welldocumented as an antioxidant that can help prevent serious disease, curcumin is also a PhK inhibitor which helps to resolve psoriasis. (Heng MCY et al. British Journal Dermatology 2000; 143:937-949). It must be pointed out that in or-
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der to resolve psoriasis, it is necessary to remove the precipitating factors that cause injury, such as allergic reactions to foods or clothing, and treat the aggravating factors, which are usually bacterial and fungal infections. Drugs are used to help psoriasis recovery at a certain stage. The challenge in using drugs at this stage is that they only stop one of the two enzymes that contribute to the disease, and stopping of one leads to an increase in the other. By addressing the process at the beginning stage, curcumin blocks both enzymes. By inhibiting both enzymes simultaneously we can successfully allow the skin to return to its natural appearance. I also found that many effects of the injury chain of events, such as increased formation of scar tissue after burns, acne and surgical wounds go through the same process that trigger psoriasis. This healing attempt by the body after injuries causing scars is also associated with elevated PhK, resulting in inflammation and the production of a naturally occurring hormone capable of stimulating cellular growth called growth factor. I found that blocking PhK with topical curcumin, used early after injury, could prevent the formation of scarring in burns, acne and surgical excisions. The final step in research is application. Curcumin in a cream base did not work because the cream prevented the curcumin from absorbing, so I formulated a curcumin-based topical gel that I began using on my patients. The results were very successful on burns, acne scarring and psoriasis, and I found that the more damaged the skin the more remarkable the results. If you suffer from any of these conditions, I suggest that curcumin may help to alleviate them. I will continue to use it on my patients in addition to teaching at UCLA and UCLA-affiliated hospitals and working at the Centers for Family Health, Community Memorial Hospital, in Ventura, California. Madalene Heng MD, FRACP, FACD is a dermatologist at the Centers for Family Health, Community Memorial Hospital, in Ventura, California, a researcher, and teacher at UCLA and UCLA-affiliated hospitals.
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Holiday Survival Guide By Michelle Kwon
lise gagne Photo
A
long with “comfort and joy,” the holiday season sometimes brings discomfort after dining and joyless guilt over the fact that you’ve swayed far from your healthy eating regime. But since the festive season isn’t the time for depriving yourself, here’s some tips to help you to enjoy the offerings, but avoid holiday health hazards. Whether its heartburn, bloating or weight gain, you don’t have to tie your hands behind your back to come through the season unscathed. If the visions dancing in your head are of last year’s buffet binge, total abstinence isn’t the only way to combat your cravings. There are healthy guiltfree substitutes that are just as delicious as that high carb, high calorie, high saturated fat fare that are also easier on your digestion and won’t cause symptoms of food intolerance. Food intolerance or sensitivity is a reaction to a food that’s not as immediately serious as a food allergy, for example, to peanuts. If you have to undo your pant button because you’ve ballooned after eating a dairy product or wheat flour, you’re intolerant. If you get acne or another
skin reaction, acid reflux, dizziness, headaches, gas, bloating or constipation, you may have a sensitivity. Although it’s common, food intolerances and sensitivities often go undiagnosed. A few pesky foods cause most reactions, including wheat, dairy, corn, soy, beef and eggs. By avoiding the ones you get reactions to, your digestive system can heal and symptoms usually disappear. Celiac disease is a more serious disorder caused by an intolerance to gluten, the protein found in wheat and a few other grains. In celiac disease, the cells lining the small intestine are damaged and prevent the normal absorption of food, particularly fats. Common symptoms are severe gas and bloating. If you are a celiac, complete abstinence from grains that you react to is vital.
Party perils
How do you stay on track when faced with a party tray or a sumptuous buffet? Avoid the usual wheat crackers, crostini and croissants and try other varieties of baked treats that use different grains and even nuts and seeds. Almond crack-
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ers and sesame seed rice crackers, for example, are perfect for those with wheat and gluten intolerances. Stick to protein, which makes you feel satiated faster and offers healthy, lean calories, and avoid nachos, chips and anything deep fried or creamy. It’s much better to grab a handful of nuts such as walnuts or almonds that are high in the good polyunsaturated fats omega-3 and omega-6, work to lower your cholesterol and have healthy heart-promoting properties. Almonds contain about 20 percent protein, and one ounce offers 12 percent of your daily protein needs. Walnuts contain over 15 grams of protein per 100 grams of nuts, equivalent to 100 grams of chicken. How do nuts help keep you satiated? A study published in Experimental Biology (2005) showed that almonds not only help you feel fuller longer, they appear to help block absorption of carbohydrates, and even block their own fat from being absorbed because of the way they are digested by the body. These mechanisms may help to explain why research is showing that almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat, do not lead to weight gain. Researchers at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (2006) found that overweight female subjects who ate two servings of almonds (300 calories worth) per day for 10 weeks did not increase their weight. They concluded that the women found the snack to be filling, and so ate less at other times of the day. What else can you do to avoid party pitfalls? Fill a small plate each time you go to the food table, rather than using a napkin and taking a handful, so you can take mental inventory of how much you’re eating. Spend time socializing rather than sampling. Forget the all or nothing approach – “I’ve already blown it by eating one; I might as well have the entire tray.” Judging serving sizes at a party or holiday meal is difficult, but start by using your stomach, not your eyes, as a gauge. Instead of making a b-line to whatever catches your eye, scan the table first to fill up and slim down with the healthiest options that are available. If you’re the host, stock up on holiday snacks that all of your guests, even those with sensitive stomachs and food intolerances, can enjoy. Be sure to check the ingredient list on the bag or box to avoid the culprits often responsible for sensitivities which are listed in this article. Just remember that if you make healthy choices 90 percent of the time during the season and not such good ones 10 percent of the time, you won’t be off track when the party’s over. References available from VISTA.
* 1 cup/8 fl. oz. USDA reduced fat milk, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A vs. 1 cup/8 fl. oz. Almond Breeze® Original Flavor
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Digestive Enzymes for our Demanding Lifestyle By Dr. Gordon Chang
Let’s be realistic: how many adults today eat healthy bal‑ anced meals at regular times on a daily basis? If you’re a parent, you likely have re‑ sponsibilities with your kids’ schedules or their grandpar‑ ents’ care and end up sacrific‑ ing your own healthy eating to meet their needs. Being single doesn’t necessarily mean that you have any more time avail‑ able if you fill your hours with work or social obligations, and may end up skipping meals or grabbing an unhealthy snack when you can fit it in. If you are an older adult, preparing regular healthy meals may be a challenge, and your digestive abilities have declined so the foods that you eat don’t nour‑ ish as well as they used to. So what can you do to improve your diet and digestion? Consider supplementing with digestive enzymes to help improve your body’s absorption and metabolism of nutrients from foods. Digestive enzymes are protein molecules
lise gagne Photo
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What kind of digestive enzymes should you look for? That depends on your specific health needs, but generally, a multi-enzyme formula that is capable of helping you digest a wide range of foods including proteins, starches, complex sugars/sucrose, fat, milk and cellulose is best.
normally produced in the gut by our bodies. These enzymes are responsible for the breakdown of complex foods – proteins, carbohydrates, fats and complex sugars – into their component parts, which can then be absorbed and used by our bodies. Proteins such as meat are broken down into simple amino acids. These amino acids are used to produce very specific and complex proteins that are required by our bodies to function properly. Carbohydrates (pasta, for example) are broken down into simple sugars such as glucose which are then used to provide energy for the brain and muscles. Fats are also broken down into simple fatty acids that are used as building blocks for cell walls and for energy. Our bodies produce these digestive enzymes naturally, but as we grow older we produce less of these enzymes, and it is a little-known fact that men generally produce less natural enzymes than women. If you have food intolerances or allergies, a lack of digestive enzymes can lead to more serious health issues. With a decreased ability to produce the quantity of digestive enzymes necessary to break down your food, undigested food can be passed into the large intestine. The bacteria that normally live in the large intestine will eat this undigested food and cause gas, bloating and intestinal pain. Supplementation with digestive enzymes will minimize the amount of undigested food reaching the large intestine, resulting in a reduction in the amount of gas and toxins produced by the bacteria. What kind of digestive enzymes should you look for? That depends on your specific health needs, but generally, a multi-enzyme formula that is capable of helping you digest a wide range of foods including proteins, starches, complex sugars/sucrose, fat, milk and cellulose is best. It also eliminates the need to purchase a variety of specific enzymes sold separately. Look for enzymes that have a higher potency and that are active over a very wide pH range (from an acid pH found in the stomach to an alkaline pH found in the small intestine). More importantly, the enzymes should provide their maximum activity in and around the normal human body temperature (37°C), which is stipulated on the bottle. If you notice that you are bloating, belching, have indigestion, flatulence or other digestive disturbances, consider taking natural digestive enzymes with your meals to improve your digestion – and your social life! They may not help you to schedule your time better to eat proper meals, but they will help the food that you do eat to be better absorbed so that its nutrients will nurture your very busy body.
Dr. Gordon Chang holds a PhD in physiology and biomedical engineering from the University of Toronto. He also has two years post-doctoral experience in biochemistry and has contributed numerous articles to VISTA.
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Aiming High: Olympian Karen Cockburn By Carol Crenna
VISTA: Where do you get your motivation to train from? Karen: The reason why you train in a sport is because you become passionate about it. Motivation comes from inside. I love going to the gym, even more so now that the pace is relaxed and I can listen to my body to know when areas are bothering me, rather than having to push it. VISTA: You are an enviable 5-foot, three-inches and 120-pounds. Do you have to watch what you eat? Karen: I watch my diet carefully because it’s easier to jump higher on the trampoline when you’re light and lean. Also, when you’re in a sport judged by visual appeal, you have to have a physically nice line to score well. I eat very healthily, including lots of salads and not many processed foods. I make smoothies but don’t eat protein powder or protein bars. I prefer to get all of my nutrition from natural, whole foods. I eat five to six small meals each day. My trainer demands that I eat protein and whole grain carbs within 15 minutes after my workout because he says that I will lose everything I’ve just worked for if I don’t replenish my body properly. VISTA: Is it difficult to stay healthy during the Olympic Games when you’re under stress and feel jetlagged?
Karen Cockburn has been called a “silent war‑ rior,” as her strength and determination are not at first revealed in her quiet, unassuming nature. Only months after having surgery on her knee she won the silver medal in trampoline at the 2008 Olympic Games, becoming a rare Cana‑ dian athlete to win medals in three consecutive Olympic Games. The North York, Ontario, na‑ tive was also selected as Canada’s flag bearer for the closing ceremonies in Beijing. VISTA spoke with Karen about her experiences.
Karen: We are told to drink lots of water on flights. We have to force ourselves to go to sleep and wake up in the new time zone as soon as we land, with no naps. There is a concern at every Olympic Village about germs carried from one athlete to another, so hygiene and sanitization is strictly enforced. We are diligent about washing our hands with antibiotic soap before grabbing anything in the cafeteria, and the bedrooms are kept very clean. That said, the day of the closing ceremonies I was extremely ill, and I had to drag myself to a press conference first thing in the morning. But I didn’t care how I felt, I was not going to miss carrying that Canadian flag! It’s quite common for athletes to pick up viruses after the Games. You’ve been strict with yourself for so long; there has to be balance. It becomes a huge party as athletes finish their events and the village relaxes. VISTA: What type of training do you do? Karen: Before the Olympics, I trained two to four hours per day on trampoline, and was in the gym from four to six hours per day, three or four times per week, for cardio and weight training. When you include making proper meals per day and physiotherapy and other treatments, it has been a full time job to keep my body in top working order. VISTA: Do you really squat 225 pounds? Karen: It is important to strengthen the legs and the core for this sport. You absorb a massive amount of G-forces into your body when you spring up high and then sink into the trampoline. All of my teammates are tiny so people are impressed that we squat so much weight. Our trainer tailors the programme specifically to improve trampoline skills but also to correct muscle imbalances. When you’re always doing one type of exercise with a certain motion you tend to overdevelop certain muscles which can lead to injuries.
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VISTA: How did you get the courage to begin again after knee surgery? Karen: It took patience and a team of professionals giving the right advice; you don’t want to be too aggressive to hinder recovery but also have to push yourself even when it’s painful to increase flexibility and strength. I had an injury when I was 14 which was much more difficult since my knee was destroyed and required reconstruction, but since this injury happened during the Olympic year, I was worried. VISTA: You didn’t know whether to have surgery? Karen: The surgeon said there was only a 50 percent chance that it would help my knee, and didn’t know whether I would have enough time to recover before the Olympic trials. Since I use my knees a lot, it was a difficult decision. I spoke with former Olympic wrestler Daniel Igali who had the same surgery before the 1999 World Championships, which was his qualifying event for the Olympics. He competed three weeks after surgery and won the championship. He pushed me to have surgery, saying that I needed to feel completely confident about my body to compete. It was the right decision. VISTA: You married former training partner Mathieu Turgeon last December. Is it difficult to devote so much time to your sport and be a newlywed? Karen: Two weeks after my surgery last year I was walking down the aisle. I decided to enjoy myself and not miss anything at my wedding, so I took pain killers and danced the night away. On our honeymoon I had to wake up early every morning to do the rehab workout, and right after we got back, began intensive recovery and then training. As an Olympian, Mathieu understands the scheduling and lifestyle and is very supportive. VISTA: What would you say to inspire readers to go for their dreams?
Take Control
Karen: Find something that you’re really passionate about. I’ve always been a big dreamer who had visions for the future, but at the same time I try to live in the moment. I’ll think, “What did I accomplish today? Great! It will get me one step closer to my goal.” Setting small goals that you can attain every single day will multiply so that some day you may find yourself competing.
of your life and your blood sugar
VISTA: You were selected as Canada’s flag bearer for the Beijing closing ceremonies. What did that feel like? Karen: I was amazed to hear that I had been chosen. It was a huge honour to represent the Canadian team – a moment I’ll never forget. They would have preferred to give the honour to a gold medalist, I’m sure, but the decision is also based on which athletes are still present at the end of the Games to participate in the closing ceremonies, and several weren’t!
Sensitizes insulin receptors.
VISTA: That’s a modest answer. You had said that Beijing would likely be your last Olympics?
Helps lower blood sugar levels naturally.
Karen: It’s difficult to know. After the Olympics in Athens I wasn’t sure I would continue; four years is a long time in the future to decide what you might want to be doing in your life then. I have considered joining Cirque de Soleil and have many gymnast friends now with that organization who love it. But, although I love performing, that lifestyle is better suited for singles. VISTA: What inspires you? Karen: When on the podium receiving a medal, I know that there are so many people that should be up there too, from doctors and physiotherapists to supportive friends, parents and coach. For others, having highly positive friends around you that have the same type of lifestyle really helps you to stay on course to maintain that lifestyle.
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Your Immune System Fights Serious Disease
lise gagne Photo
By Michelle Kwon
W
hen you’ve been diagnosed with cancer or another serious disease, having a sense of personal empowerment and feeling engaged in your own healing are vital to calm your mind and body, and keep you focused on a positive outcome. Take a proactive approach by getting all of the facts and having your questions answered, particularly concerning your treatment options. Knowing all available approaches, not just the most widely accepted ones, will help you to confidently face the challenges. To support your well-being, proper nutrition including fresh, whole, disease-fighting foods, exercise in the fresh air and a community of loving friends and family are just as important to your recovery as your medical treatments. Why? Because they dramatically affect your immune system which facilitates all of the body’s healing and greatly improves your quality of life. With regard to cancer, there is growing evidence that natural approaches to support the functioning of your immune system can significantly decrease the risk of cancer recurrence and increase survival. Many researchers believe that cancer is now a disease that is not only preventable, but in many cases is also curable. Similar to heart disease a few decades ago, if you had the disease, your chances of a poor outcome were far greater than today. Through high-tech diagnostics, medical treatments, natural therapies and committing to a healthy lifestyle, a positive outcome is very possible.
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Keep in mind that not everyone is the same. To support your own healing process, you need a personalized cancer care plan that considers aspects of both your illness and your health. And although surgery plays a very important role in treatment, it doesn’t address the underlying factors that predispose you to the disease and even prevent your healing. These, once again, are immune system related. Given the side effects and inconclusive results of chemotherapy and radiation, which don’t support the immune system in its vital role, your best option may be in therapies that enhance the body’s immune protection and the way it responds to cancer cells. Dr. Mamdooh Ghoneum, PhD, Chief of Research, Department of Otolaryngology, Charles Drew University of Medicine in Los Angeles, has spent 20 years studying substances that affect immune response. He discovered that compounds found in nature may be just as effective as drugs for cancer treatment. While experimenting with extracts from mushrooms, herbs and bacteria, he stumbled across a substance that interested him enough to abandon all other projects, including government-funded research, in order to focus on it. The substance, MGN-3, is an extract of rice bran, modified by enzymes from shiitake mushrooms. In studies involving 72 patients, the efficacy of MGN-3 equalled or surpassed all commonly used immune-modulating drugs (those that effect the body’s immune response) but, in stark contrast, showed no toxicity or negative side effects. The data regarding MGN-3 was published in technical journals and presented at international research
VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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conferences, but the information remains largely unknown to oncologists and other health professionals dealing with cancer patients.
What is its role in cancer treatment?
Our immune system’s natural killer (NK) cells fight infection and disease and are considered to be the body’s first line of defence against cancer, aggressively searching and destroying tumour cells. In a healthy person, NK cell activity (how well they recognize and attach themselves to tumour cells) is from 60 to 75 percent, but in cancer patients, activity ranges from 0 to 30 percent. Most substances that affect the immune system including MGN-3 do not increase the number of NK cells, but increase their function. Dr. Ghoneum’s research suggests that MGN-3 simulates the production of chemicals that have direct anti-tumour effects and activate the body’s NK cells, and can be safely used in conjunction with conventional treatment, including chemotherapy, to decrease side effects. In fact, MGN-3 led to a significant increase in NK cell activity after only one to two weeks and increased NK activity in patients taking MGN3 correlated with increased survival rates. Conventional medicine has excellent antitumour therapies that reduce cancer cell numbers. Unfortunately, it is impossible to achieve 100 percent kill rate without harming the patient. At best, doctors are able to kill 95 to 98 percent of the cancer cells with these therapies. The patient may then be considered “in remission” and treatment is stopped. However, these remissions are frequently short-lived. Chemotherapy and radiation suppress the immune system, lowering the fighting power of anti-cancer cells. Following treatment, the few hardy cancer cells that survive may be left to replicate largely unchallenged by a damaged immune system. Dr. Ghoneum feels that the practise of “watchful waiting,” or monitoring patients in remission, wastes the opportunity to provide increased support to the immune system. At early stages of detection, or in more advanced stages when the tumour has been reduced as far as possible by surgery and/or chemotherapy, boosting the immune system allows the body to eradicate the remaining cells that have escaped. However, substances including MGN-3 cannot replace these therapies, especially in the case of advanced malignancies. In these cases, even an extremely active immune response is easily overwhelmed by the huge numbers of cancer cells present. Instead, Dr. Ghoneum recommends that cancer patients begin MGN3 at the same time or immediately following other therapies. He has found that leukemia and multiple myeloma have been particularly responsive to MGN-3 therapy.
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Vibrations Build a Flexible Body By John Austen
W
e all know that flexibility is important to keep youthfully mobile. One of the ways to keep your body fluid and flexible is through stretching, which isn’t just something you do as a cool-down from exercise or for relaxation. Stretching loosens tight muscles for injury prevention and improves posture, coordination and circulation. It also relieves chronic muscle or joint problems and quickens recovery from surgery or injury. But how do you get your body feeling fluid to be able to stretch enough to do any good, particularly if you have an injury or chronically immobile joint? Vibration training is one way to increase flexibility and improve mobility. Vibration exercise – rhythmic neuromuscular stimulation (RNS) – describes cyclical vibrations that improve the condition of the joints by stretching relatively quickly using a vibrating machine. RNS technology was embraced by scientists investigating osteoporosis and was adopted for astronauts dealing with zero gravity in space, but it is now being used by everyone from professional athletes to aging celebrities to improve circulation, flexibility, body tone and muscle strength. During vibration training the tissues are warmed up and blood circulation increases, ensuring that the muscles become more flexible. This is a perfect time to stretch your muscles because the increased oxygen level in your blood reduces the amount of time required for stretching to reach the same level of flexibility. Another benefit of having more oxygen in your blood is that waste products are removed from the body more efficiently – accumulation of these pain-causing wastes decreases and their removal from the body is promoted. As a result, the pain that sometimes occurs during stretching can be reduced so that stretching can be endured more comfortably. Poor circulation is a common dilemma for many baby boomers, causing more than just stiff joints and tight muscles, and stimulation is the key. When this technology stimulates circula-
tion, it also increases the amount of nutrients that cells absorb and stimulates cellular fluid movement. As a result, new cells are more resilient, more vibrant and function together within a healthier, longer-lasting body. Human cells go through their own life cycle. They are created, then wear out and are replaced in a cycle that varies from two weeks to seven years. Vigorous stimulation such as exercise can only affect a small percentage of these cells. Lack of mobility, bone loss, aging and degenerative disease condi-
tions can all be attributed to not enough cellular stimulation. As the living cell struggles with low oxygen, poor nutrition, toxins and stagnation of lymph fluids, the life span shortens. Vibration
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therapy is said to be able to reverse that process. This stimulation from vibration therapy has also been found to decrease bone loss or osteoporosis. According to NASA, astronauts would stand on the machine’s lightly vibrating plate for only 10 to 20 minutes each day in space to prevent muscle atrophy and bone loss. Clinton Rubin, a professor of biomedical engineering at SUNY Stony Brook and investigator for the astronaut study, states, “We believe that 10 minutes per day of this higher frequency signal is sufficient to provide a maintenance signal to bone.” “The vibrations are very slight,” notes Stefan Judex, assistant professor at Stony Brook. “If you touch the plate with your finger, you can feel a slight vibration, but if you watch it, you cannot see any vibration.” (Good Vibra‑ tions, www. science.nasa.gov). Rubin hopes that further experiments will confirm not only whether vibration therapy works for osteoporosis, but also why. It doesn’t fit within conventional wisdom, as most researchers believe that the stresses placed on bones by weight bearing exercises or strong physical exertion signal the bone-building cells to fortify bones. Rubin believes that it’s not only a few, large stresses placed on the skeleton that signal bone formation, but also many smaller, high-frequency vibrations applied to bones by flexing muscles during common activities such as walking – or standing on a vibration machine. (Good Vibrations, www. science.nasa.gov). CBS’s In Medicine Today reports that although it’s a fitness craze that celebrities including Madonna have used, it may be more than just a body beautifying fad. A study at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles found that participants who stood on a vibrating machine for 10 minutes every day for a year had surprising results in their bone density. Tiny vibrations helped the women increase bone in their hips and spine by 3 percent and adjacent muscle mass by 4 percent just by standing still.
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Winter Health 101 By Joel Thuna
E
very year a struggle is waged between the collective health of Canadians and influenza (commonly shortened to the flu). Each year both sides try to win, and both get a lot of assistance. On the flu’s side there is ignorance and fear, while on the side of our health is education, government and doctor intervention. It seems as though this battle will forever be waged because there is no known cure (natural or synthetic) for the flu, and because the flu strain changes each year it prevents us from building up immunity to it.
What about the flu shot?
Despite all the pushing by health agencies and medical associations, there remains no compelling evidence that the flu shot works against the flu. Federal agency policy requires double blind, placebo controlled clinical trials to approve drugs, but it approved the flu vaccine without any such tests. In fact, the only high quality clinical trial on the flu vaccine found it to have little effect on the most vulnerable age group in the population (people over 70). This is consistent with the findings of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, which found that in the time period when flu shots in the elderly tripled (1980-2001) there was no drop in their death rate due to the flu. Influenza is a contagious viral infection similar to the common cold, only much worse. There are over 100 types of viruses that cause a cold, but only two viruses (influenza A and B) cause the flu. New strains of flu evolve every season. Since both colds and flu are caused by viruses, antibiotics are useless and can actually make you more susceptible to future infections. Influenza is an extremely contagious respiratory illness, appearing most frequently in winter and early spring. The flu virus attacks your body by spreading through your respiratory tract. The best way to stay healthy is to do your best to avoid getting ill. Being proactive is the only way to increase your odds of remaining flu-free. The two approaches that work best are avoiding exposure from others who are infected and ensuring your immune system is healthy and able to fight off infection.
Wash up!
The flu is most often spread by contact. Someone who has the flu sneezes onto their hand, and then touches something such as a door knob. The germs can live in some cases for several
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weeks waiting to be picked up by everyone who touches the same object. Frequent hand washing kills the flu virus. If no sink is available, rub an alcohol-based hand sanitizer onto your hands.
Keep away from your face
The flu virus enters your body through your eyes, nose or mouth. Touching your face is the major way to catch the flu. Ensure that you wash your hands before you touch your face.
Drink up
Water flushes your system, and washes out waste and poisons while hydrating your body. Healthy adults need eight 8-ounce (250 millilitre) glasses each day. To supercharge your water and get even more health benefits and nutrition, add concentrated liquid chlorophyll to your water.
Get outside
Clean fresh air is important, especially in winter when central heating dries everything out and makes you more vulnerable to viruses. Staying indoors offers more opportunities for viruses that are circulating in crowded, dry rooms.
Enjoy the rainbow
We are lucky to live in an age where we can enjoy a rainbow of organic fresh fruit and vegetables. Each bright colour – red, green, orange, yellow, purple – brings a unique combination of nutrients that help balance your body and boost your immune system.
Partake in probiotics
Probiotics, which are “good bacteria,” are a simple, effective way to help your immune system combat attacks from pathogens such as yeast, mould, bacteria and viruses. Probiotics starve pathogens by successfully competing with them for nutrients that are in your digestive tract. They also lower your colon’s pH level, making the colon friendly to probiotics and unfriendly to pathogens. One of the most effective probiotics is called Lactobacillus sporogenes.
Spice up
Warming spices have the ability to help your immune system stay strong. Oil of oregano is particularly effective, being potent enough to both
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protect against, and help rid your body of, the flu virus.
Relax and sleep
Prolonged and high stress levels are damaging to your body, particularly your immune system. When you are relaxed and get enough sleep, interleukins (one of your body’s flu fighters) spring into action. The simplest way to reduce stress is
to include breathing exercises, do yoga or take walks and appreciate the beauty in the world around you. With preventative measures you can get through the season unscathed. But if the flu manages to get through your defences, stay home to recuperate (and avoid spreading it), eat healthily, stay warm and drink plenty of chlorophyll-supercharged water to feed your immune system and ensure your throat stays moist.
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Detoxify to Revitalize your Body By Chelsea Danchuk
M
any of us suffer from chronic ailments that manifest as pain, illness, inflammation and other irritating symptoms, big and small. Cold and flu season can take its toll on our bodies, as can allergies, headaches, weight gain, fatigue and other acute conditions. Whatever the issue, they all signify our bodies’ attempts to inform us of a compromised immune system, often resulting from an excess of toxins in our body. At first thought, the notion of toxins conveys ideas of industrial chemicals or hazardous wastes, seemingly too far removed from our everyday lives to have a negative affect on our health. But whether you live in a rural area or in a large industrialized city, you cannot escape exposure to more than 75,000 ubiquitous chemicals found in North America. Scientists estimate that everyone alive today carries within their body at least 700 chemical contaminants, most of which have not been well studied. Synthetic pesticides, herbicides, preservatives, fats, hormones and other manufactured chemicals are making their way into our body through our diet, environment and lifestyle choices. In good health our body’s natural defence system is resilient, warding off these invaders as efficiently as possible. However, if the influx is too great, symptoms of ill health can start to present themselves in one or many forms. Detoxification is our body’s way of reversing this overload and preventing future disease. The liver, colon, kidneys and other organs of elimination are designed to naturally detoxify the body, but they become stressed and unable to operate efficiently when our toxic “body burden” reaches critical levels. The body burden is defined as the total amount of toxic substances (both synthetic and natural) that are present in the human body at a given point in time. If the body burden persists for extended periods and the body is not able to keep up with detoxification requirements, then toxins are stored and secondary health effects can manifest. Cleansing is recommended by many natural health practitioners to reduce our body burden. Cleansing facilitates a much-needed break from
our everyday routine, positively affecting both our internal and external environment. In order to see the best results, it is important to approach the process holistically by improving and supplementing our diet, exercising and limiting stress. Removing contaminants such as alcohol, sugar, caffeine, artificial sweeteners and processed foods is the first step in detoxification, but there are other foods that are often overlooked when trying to reduce our overall body burden. Common natural food components such as gluten found in wheat and other grains, and solanine, a chemical alkaloid found in tomatoes and other nightshade vegetables are examples of foods that can be considered toxic to the body because they often cause a sensitivity or inflammatory reaction. Studies as far back as the 1930s document the relationship between food sensitivities and many different health effects (for example, fatigue, irritability and lack of focus) in both children and adults. For this reason, a specialized diet referred to as an elimination or hypoallergenic diet is recommended as part of a total cleanse programme. It removes common allergenic foods such as eggs, dairy, corn, soy, shellfish, yeast, nuts and pea-
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nuts, and other categories of sensitizing and unhealthy foods to help reduce the toxic burden on the body. This allows the body’s natural healing processes to be reignited, especially when we also begin consuming optimal nutrients in organic fruits and vegetables, wild deepsea fish, lean organic protein, whole, ancient grains, nutritional oils, and pure filtered water. Recent studies in the state of Washington found that children who consumed GMO-free, organic foods and that were not exposed to pesticides in their homes had significantly lower toxic body burdens. In addition to wise dietary choices, detoxifying supplements are critical since the organs most responsible for cleansing – the liver and kidneys – require additional support to do their job optimally. Powerful antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E, zinc, selenium, alpha-lipoic acid and coenzyme Q10 offer protection against the cellular destruction that can occur during toxin release. Methyl-donating molecules such as trimethyl glycine (TMG) and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) are also essential because they are responsible for the excretion of poisonous heavy metals. Sulphur plays a similar role, neutralizing pesticides, herbicides and many of the food additives that have accumulated in our tissues. The combination of these and various other specific nutrients presents a comprehensive formula that will aid the body in eliminating unwanted chemicals and therefore cellular stress. Following a complete detoxification programme is ideal for our health and wellness. It allows us to experience many remarkable benefits: increased energy, weight loss, improved metabolism, clear skin, slowed aging, enhanced senses, reduced symptoms of chronic illnesses, and disease prevention. Daily exposure to toxins can have an incredibly negative impact on our health and therefore cleansing is a great way to bring balance and vitality back into our lives. Chelsea Danchuk, RHN, is a graduate from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition as a certified nutritional practitioner and is currently working in the natural health industry.
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Sports Nutrition Update
What should nutritional smoothies include? By Cory Holly
T
hirty years ago, I discovered Dr. Johanna Budwig and the healing benefits of flax seed oil when mixed with certain proteins. Dr. Budwig, a German biochemist and expert on fats and oils, identified a deficiency of lipoproteins in the blood of cancer patients. Her dietary regime included taking a special oil-protein mixture in the form of organic cold-pressed flaxseed oil mixed in cottage cheese. Her objective was to reduce excessive omega-6 fatty acid intake, eliminate trans fats and refined sugar, and provide an abundant supply of essential omega-3 fatty acids. When flax seed oil is combined with a high-quality sulphur-rich protein, the essential fatty acids (EFAs) combine with amino acids – the building blocks of protein – to form lipoproteins. This allows the unsaturated fatty acids to be immediately transported through the bloodstream. Dr. Budwig’s special diet of flax, cottage cheese and whole natural foods, when eaten for as little as three months, caused tumours to recede, anemia to vanish, and energy to be restored. In many cases, symptoms of cancer, liver dysfunction and diabetes were alleviated. This information blew me away. So I began using flax as a staple and promoted it to everyone for everything with astonishing results. Then in 1992, I discovered another incredible supplement, whey protein isolate (WPI). Finally, there was a smooth, soluble, alkaline-forming, pleasanttasting source of sulphur-rich protein. With its unique biological value and superior nitrogen retention, WPI was the perfect supplement for training and sports nutrition. Next, I added one to three tablespoons of flax seed oil to a shake consisting of WPI, filtered water and fresh organic fruit such as blueberries, papaya and banana to try and duplicate the nutrition benefits observed by Dr. Budwig. I assembled as many athletes as I could find to begin a dietary programme for them consisting of whole natural food and an oil-protein mixture (shake or smoothie) before and after exercise. Over time, every single one of my athletic clients on this protocol reported something positive: less inflammation, improved joint function and rapid recovery from strenuous workouts. Many gained additional power, strength and speed. I personally gained an extra 20 pounds of lean mass at age 35. Others lost body fat quickly and kept it off. Stubborn injuries began to heal and circulation improved. Tissue began to mend and energy was restored. To make the programme even better, we blended extra creatine, ribose, glutamine and spirulina into each shake and would also take a handful of essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes. I kept detailed records and accumulated hundreds of new client files for research purposes.
This concept became known as “shaking and taking.” More research data poured in from independent university studies to reinforce the safety and efficacy of the concept. As a result of continued promotion, the nutritional trend of adding two tablespoons of omega-3 rich oil to pre- and post-workout protein shakes with WPI was set in motion. For years I blended WPI, creatine, ribose, glutamine and spirulina into my pre- and post-workout shakes from separate containers. Now you can get pre-packaged blends for convenience that contain WPI, D-Ribose, creatine monohydrate, L-glutamine and spirulina. Used consistently for pre- and postworkouts, you’ll feel stronger and recover faster.
Whey protein isolate (WPI)
Whey protein isolate is my favourite protein because it stimulates immune function and retains more nitrogen in the cell better than any other. Unlike many other protein supplements, it is filtered and extracted without heat through a cold chilled process to preserve its naturally occurring micronutrients. I also like hemp because of its nutritional value, and it’s unfortunate that it is treated with such prejudice by government and public. If you consider both logic and science, it is impossible not to accept hemp and its many products as a great benefit to humankind. Go green with hemp protein, hemp seed oil and hemp seed butter! A protein shake consisting of the nutrients mentioned below and an oil blend (such as flax, chia, hemp and marine algae oils) will prepare your body for the stress of intense physical activity and protect it from depletion, injury and fatigue. The key word is energy – supplying your body’s biological demand to be able to train hard, train smart and train naturally.
L-glutamine
Glutamine is the most common free amino acid in the body. It is highly concentrated in the bloodstream and forms a vast intracellular pool in muscle cells. Glutamine plays a key role in muscle metabolism and immune function. Glutamine supplements can minimize breakdown of muscle and improve protein metabolism. Glutamine is important for growth, hydration, energy and recovery.
Creatine monohydrate
Creatine helps restore levels of muscle adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the absence of oxygen, providing fuel for repetitive exercise and activities that require immediate energy for maximum performance. Creatine is known
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to improve protein synthesis, muscle fibre, strength and total body power. Creatine monohydrate is supported by the most research as the most reliable and effective form of creatine.
D-ribose
D-ribose is a type of sugar created naturally in the body. It helps increase energy in the heart and skeletal muscles and can shorten recuperation time after strenuous exercise. Ribose is used by endurance athletes and weightlifters to reduce muscle soreness. Ribose has a strong history and application in cardiovascular medicine. It is a good supplement for people with poor circulation or ischemic conditions that cause a decrease in blood flow and oxygen availability to the heart and skeletal muscles. Ribose is also essential for athletes over 40.
The Cory Holly Institute (CHI) provides students and members everywhere with the most comprehensive and reliable sports nutrition education in the world. Visit www.coryholly.com for more information.
Vegetable Capsules
Immune System Support
Spirulina
Spirulina is blue-green algae that is rich in chlorophyll and a natural blue pigment called phycocyanin. Spirulina protects the liver and kidneys from the adverse effects of prescription drugs. Its middle name is Energy. Spirulina is 60 percent protein and is an excellent source of the antioxidant beta-carotene. Prepare your body for life. Sustain it with energy, minimize its wastes and help it to compensate for stress, age and routine physical exercise. Become your own “nutrition scientist” and seek the truth. Invest in the most important real estate in the world – your own body! As always, stay well…CH
Extract Formula
Powder Formula
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Premium Quality Herbs c G.M.P. compliance
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Help to Calm Canker Sores By Bruce D. Schennum
Canker Sore?
Not Anymore! Rapid Relief, Rapid Healing
R
ecurrent canker sores afflict 20 percent of us. This means that six million Canadians suffer from these small but painful ulcers. But what are canker sores? They are shallow, painful sores on the inside of the lips, cheeks, or on the gums. They begin as small, reddish swellings. Then they burst, and the ruptured sores are covered with a white or yellow membrane. The edges of the sores are still red, and look like a painful red halo. Without treatment, canker sores (which are medically called aphthous ulcers) heal in seven to 14 days. Anyone can get canker sores, but they are most common among teenagers and those in their twenties. Women are slightly more likely to get canker sores than men. Some people have one or two episodes a year; others have almost continual problems.
What causes them?
According to leading expert Brad Rodu, DDS, of the University of Alabama School of Medicine, “Researchers have looked for the reasons that mouth ulcers develop in the first place. Nobody has been able to get a handle on them.� There is some evidence about causes, though. One study done in England showed that in about 20 percent of canker sore patients, the sores were due in part to nutritional deficiencies including lack of vitamin B12 (common in vegetarians), folic acid and iron. Gastrointestinal problems such as chronic constipation also appear to be correlated with canker sores. The sores appear during times of stress, or as a reaction to hormonal imbalances in women. Pregnancy often causes remission. A tendency to get canker sores may also be inherited. Patients who have frequent canker sores can try dietary supplements, or undergo blood and allergy tests to see if they can determine a cause. There are several treatments for reducing both the pain and the duration of the sores, including anti-inflammatory steroid mouthwashes, analgesics and numbing ointments containing benzocaine. Certain foods should be avoided, if for no reason other than eating them is painful. Citrus fruits may exacerbate the sores. According to Dr. Julian Whitaker, eating yogurt with active lactobacillus cultures (probiotics) may prevent outbreaks.
Lifestyle changes for canker sores
Canker Cover
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Canker Care
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• • • • • • • •
Eat raw onions and yogurt. Avoid sugar, citrus fruits and processed food. Avoid foods containing nitrates such as bacon, ham and sausage. Check for nutritional deficiencies. Avoid chewing gum, tobacco, mouthwash and coffee. Manage stress levels. Avoid toothpastes containing sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Consult your dentist or doctor if you have a mouth sore that won’t heal.
Other natural ways to relieve these sores include a small patch that is adhered directly to them. According to a new study, this patch both protects the sores from irritants and helps them to heal. A two-year, double-blind study conducted at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, involving 248 participants showed that patches relieved the pain of mouth ulcers and shortened average healing time from nine and a half days with no treatment to only one and a half days. (Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, October, 2004, pp: 2927-2935) “The study showed that the patch healed the majority of canker sores with a single application, provided immediate pain relief, and excellent protection from irritants for over eight hours,� stated Dr. Abraham Domb, the author of the study. “This is the first treatment for aphthous ulcers that actually shortens the healing time.�
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Just for You Genacol This high quality product is a topical gel with added Genacol® microbeads designed to relieve local muscular, rheumatic and arthritic pains. These microbeads are essential and in large part responsible for the excellent results of the product. Here is why: due to the bio activity of collagen, the laboratory concentrated on developing a new technology able to adequately isolate the Genacol® in order to maximize its bioactivity only when applied. This is how they reached our goal by inserting Genacol® inside the microbeads.
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Naka’s Nutri Prevent
Nov write up-Nature’s Way of Canada New EfaGold™ Supplements-The fats of life. For each of your essential fatty acid needs, Nature’s Way provides an optimal solution. Introducing 1) Molecularly distilled, non-GMO Mega Blend liquid 2) Non- GMO, organic Super Lignan Flax oil liquid 3) Non- GMO Flax Oil liquid 4) Organic, Non -GMO Flax Protein, Fiber & Lignan Powder 5) Non-GMO Hemp Oil Liquid. Naturesway.com, 800-463-8412.
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An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure! Nutri Prevent is an effective vitamin formulation featuring the benefits of Resveratrol (100 mg), Co-Q10 (100 mg), Alpha Lipoic Acid (200 mg), Quercetin (150 mg) and B vitamins. It is an extra strength antioxidant and cardiovascular health support aid. Clinical studies suggest that increasing the antioxidant status of our blood serum may result in a reduced risk of many chronic degenerative diseases. Add Nutri Prevent to your daily supplement routine today and help to live healthy with Naka! Naka Herbs & Vitamins Ltd. (416) 748-3073 www. nakaherbs.com.
VISTA Magazine Issue 61
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Let it Flow: Colon Cleansing By Dr. Edward Group
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very day your digestive tract processes roughly nine litres of food, liquid and normal bodily secretions. A healthy body that is given fresh, natural foods handles this job fairly efficiently. But when a digestive tract – particularly the colon – is given the average Canadian diet of processed products and junk food it simply does not handle the job very well. In fact, waste can begin to accumulate within the colon and may lead to impacted feces lining the large intestine’s walls. The result: constipation, gas, bloating, irritation and an eventual decline in intestinal health, which in turn affects your body’s overall health. A healthy digestive system is an essential part of a healthy body. Although many doctors only consider intestinal health when symptoms arise, the truth is that poor functioning can affect your body in ways that most people do not associate with the colon or digestive tract. Body odour, mood swings, a weak or overactive immune system, lethargy, poor weight management, backaches and other health issues can be the direct result of a colon impacted with mucus, toxins and other waste. Add to these the discomfort and bloating of constipation and you have the recipe for a sick and miserable person who does not efficiently extract nutrients from food or eliminate metabolic and environmental toxins. The obvious solution to these health woes is to reduce your exposure to environmental toxins, especially in the foods you eat and water you drink, to exercise frequently and to cleanse your body regularly on the inside. Take care in choosing a colon cleanser, however, since the laxatives and herbal products often used for cleansing may be as harsh as the conditions they are meant to alleviate, leaving you exhausted and irritable. As a colon specialist, I hear this complaint all too often. To counteract it, I began using an oxygenbased intestinal cleanser for my patients. As far as I’m concerned, the most effective way to cleanse the entire intestinal tract and colon is with an oxygen-based cleanser. A high quality oxygen cleanser will pump enough oxygen into your bowels to literally burrow through the toxic sludge and contaminated mucus caked on the sides of your intestines. Oxygen-based intestinal cleansers offer a completely different and more effective approach to colon cleansing than most traditional remedies. The majority of natural or synthetic cleansers work through two different mechanisms: stimulation of peristalsis, which is the wave-like contractions of the bowel that move your feces, or by drawing water into the intestines to move the toxins out. While these methods may be effective in the short term, they also present possible side effects including dependency, discolouration of the bowel and electrolyte imbalance (meaning that the minerals which stimulate important electrical impulses in the body may be eliminated in the feces and therefore no longer in healthy balance). By releasing cleansing oxygen in a sustained and controlled manner throughout the length of both the large and small intestine, oxygen-based cleansers liquefy excess mucus and impaction, allowing the body to gently and effectively eliminate the toxic build-up. Because they do not directly excite the bowel muscles or attract an excess of water, the end result is a more comfortable and safer cleanse without the panicked rush for the washroom. To make the correct formulation of oxygen-based cleansers it requires a stabilized oxygen-rich magnesium compound and a citric acid activator. Once activated, the oxygen is released slowly as the magnesium travels from the stomach, through the small intestine, and then eventually through the large intestine. Fortunately, this very gradual release has been shown to encourage the growth of healthful intestinal bacteria, thereby reducing harmful, disease-causing bacteria in the bowel. Beware though – many formulas include a combination of magnesium peroxide and magnesium oxide but do not take the steps necessary to ensure the slow and effective release of oxygen. The result is a cheaper and much less effective product. As with any nutritional supplement, it is best to conduct your own research before trying it to make sure that you are investing in a high-quality product. As I have mentioned in my newest book Health Begins in the Colon, you should drink at least one litre of purified water and maintain a balanced and healthful diet each day while taking an oxygenbased cleanser in order to support the purification process. A healthy, organic diet, regular exercise and cleansing the right way can help to improve intestinal health, which means better health for the whole body. Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN is the founder of Global Healing Center and author of several health books. He is a lead researcher in advanced nutraceutical formulations.
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Sprouting Ornamental Seed Provides Stamina By John Austen
Y
ou’ve probably seen the clay animal ornaments with sprouted chia seeds covering their bodies to look like green fur. And if you’ve ever watched them grow, you know that they get a healthy, bushy “coat” quite quickly. But other than these Chia Pet novelties, you probably know little about chia seeds and their tremendous nutritional value and medicinal properties. Eating the sprouted coat off of your furry friend would have been a very healthy idea! For centuries tiny chia seeds were used as a staple food by the Aztecs. This ancient “grain” was the foundation of an advanced society renowned for its extraordinary stamina, strength and health. The Aztecs consumed these seeds
regularly and called chia their “running food” because their messengers were said to be able to run all day on just a handful. Some would run from the Colorado River to the California coast to trade turquoise for seashells and would only bring chia seeds for nourishment. Aztec warriors subsisted on chia seeds during conquests and would eat as little as a teaspoon-full when going on a 24 hour forced march. The seeds were once valued so much that they were used as currency. Unfortunately, after the conquistadors destroyed the seed’s cultivation in 16th century Mexico, knowledge of this nutritional powerhouse all but vanished for nearly 500 years. Chia seeds have re-emerged in health stores as a “new” superfood due to their rich omega-3
essential fatty acid content and generous amount of fibre – two essential nutrients that are greatly lacking in the typical modern diet.
Chia fibre
Chia’s insoluble fibre helps promote bowel regularity while its soluble fibre helps to stabilize blood sugar levels by slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose sugar which becomes the body’s energy source. How? If you put chia seeds into a glass of water for 30 minutes they will become an almost solid gelatin. This gel-forming reaction is due to the soluble fibre. Researchers believe that this same gel-forming phenomenon takes place in the stomach when
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www.vistamagonline.com food containing the gummy fibre is eaten. The gel creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, slowing the process that makes carbohydrates into sugar. In addition to the obvious benefits for diabetics, this slowing process helps to give you more endurance. Prolonging the conversion of carbs into sugar stabilizes your metabolism, diminishing the highs and lows created by glucose, and providing longer fueling effects.
The magic of sprouting Discover the power of living super seeds
Water absorption
The gel-forming reaction also shows that chia seeds have hydrophilic (water absorption) properties, with the ability to absorb more than 12 times their weight in water. This ability provides you with prolonged hydration. Fluid and electrolyte imbalances occur when large amounts of fluids are lost from sweating, vomiting, diarrhea or fever. Fluids and electrolytes support life in all the body’s cells, so they must be regulated to remain constant and balanced. Chia seeds retain this moisture, and therefore regulate the body more efficiently, and even absorb nutrients from foods better. Even those with digestion problems including acid reflux, food sensitivities and indigestion are often helped because the chia seeds’ hydrophilic properties aid the gastrointestinal tract.
For centuries tiny chia seeds were used as a staple food by the Aztecs. This ancient “grain� was the foundation of an advanced society renowned for its extraordinary stamina, strength and health. The Aztecs consumed these seeds regularly and called chia their “running food� because their messengers were said to be able to run all day on just a handful. Essential fats
Chia seeds have approximately three to 10 times the oil concentrations of most grains. Their omega-3 content plays an important role in joint and brain function, cardiovascular health and inflammation. These unsaturated fats are also essential to help absorb the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and make it easier for oxygen to be transported by the blood stream to all cells, tissues and organs. They combine with protein and cholesterol to form living membranes that hold the body’s cells together, and are essential for healthy glands – especially the adrenals and thyroid – and for healthy nerves. They assist vitamin D in making calcium available to tissues, help convert carotene into vitamin A, help they body absorb phosphorus, and contain beneficial long-chain triglycerides (LCT) that reduce cholesterol on artery walls.
Chia protein
Chia seeds are a very easily digested and absorbed source of protein and deliver all eight essential amino acids. This results in rapid transport of the protein to the body’s tissues to be used by cells. This efficient assimilation is important when rapid development of tissue takes place, such as during adolescent growth, to regenerate tissue during pregnancy, and to regenerate muscle in athletes doing strenuous exercise. Chia seeds are rich in calcium and contain the mineral boron, which helps the absorption and use of calcium by the body, and are high in disease-fighting antioxidants (2,500 ORAC units per serving of sprouted seeds). Sprouted chia seeds deliver all of the nutritional benefits of chia seeds in their most bioavailable form. This means that, as with other seeds, the sprouting process improves digestibility and offers better absorption of its nutrients. Sprouted chia can be eaten alone, mixed into yogurt and smoothies, sprinkled on salads and cereals and incorporated into countless recipes.
sprouted omega chia Most bioavailable chia- nutrient dense living whole food Slows conversion of carbs into time released energy Complete protein contains every essential amino acid High fibre and fat content helps control appetite Each serving provides • 3g Protein • 3g Omega 3 • 5g Dietary Fibre • Antioxidants
Available at Health Food and Supplement Stores Distributed by: Advantage Health Matters Inc. XXX IFBMUINBUUFSTDBOBEB DPN t 1SFWFOUJPO t 3FHFOFSBUJPO t -POHFWJUZ
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ORAC 2500 SERVING
Healthy Holiday Gift Giving By Carol Crenna
T
ake your time. What, in good conscience, would you put on your wish list this holiday, and what would you give to those you love? Give gifts that will make them feel good all year long. Most adults appreciate receiving a health-enhancing present, even though it may be disguised as a fun fitness item like a rebounder or a retro hoola hoop, or “gourmet treats” that are actually health food. To find the perfect gift, examine the receiver’s habits. If they’re on their feet all day, what about a foot massager? If they stare at a computer screen at work, an anti-glare screen cover or posture-improving seat cushion might be welcome. If they have dabbled in alternative remedies, perhaps they’d like an aromatherapy kit or book on healing herbs. If they enjoy spa pampering, they may appreciate massage stones and oils to experience the benefits at home. Don’t bow to holiday hype out of desperation and end up buying items that they don’t really need. Here is a gift guide with a dozen suggestions that contribute to their well-being. 1. Give them the face they had a decade ago. They might be able to avoid going under the knife with a non-surgical facelift machine, which is proven to tone and lift muscles and soften wrinkles. Using tiny amounts of electromagnetic energy delivered through a small handheld unit, facial muscles are stimulated to lift cheeks, decrease jowls and eliminate sagging around the
eyes to provide a smoother, revitalized appearance. It is also said to stimulate circulation, improve acne and reduce puffy eyes. The technology has been used safely in therapeutic devices for decades. A facial toning machine by Oxylift
comes with an instructional DVD for $179.99. For more information, visit www.oxyliftcanada. com or call 1-866-612-4145. 2. Get them to jump to it. A modern version of the skipping rope – that is ropeless – allows you to skip in limited space indoors and not interrupt the flow of your workout by getting it caught in your feet. It has two handles with twirling tails that rotate with a built-in chip that tracks your jumps and estimated calories burned. Targets can be programmed and your progress is saved in a user profile. “Talk mode” motivates you like a trainer. Skipping is used by Olympic athletes in training since it exerts less stress on knees than jogging, strengthens arms and shoulders, and ten minutes of jumping rope is as good for the cardiovascular system and burns as many calories as running an “eight minute mile.” JumpSnap is by Hammacher Schlemmer for $59.95 USD at www.hammacher.com. 3. Offer culinary gifts to the careful cook. Give them a gourmet vegetable steamer, indoor grill or juicer, along with a vegetarian recipe book to cultivate their inner extreme chef. Who knows, you might even be invited for dinner! A stainless steel juicer from Beaumark combines both a 1 litre juice pulp collector and a 1 litre container to extract the fresh, natural flavours of all types of fruits and vegetables. With a large “feed shoot,” greater amounts of whole produce can be used to make bigger quantities of juice at one time. It’s $129.99 at The Bay (www.hbc.com). 4. Motivate them to get moving. They may wonder whether you’re trying to tell them something, but if you go with them to their first personal training session, they’ll be inspired to continue. Personal trainers offer one-on-one programmes that progressively increase your skill
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in addition to offering lifestyle coaching. All have certifications and/or degrees and also have liaisons with practitioners. Specialty trainers also have certification as kinesiologists, chiropractors or nutritionists. Fitness World’s 12 gyms in BC have four-session packages from $45 to $75 per session (www.fitnessworld.ca). Premier Fitness’ 35 gyms in Ontario have trainers for $60 per session (www.premierfitness.ca). 5. Give them good vibrations. Vibrational therapy may be the easiest way to boost the health of someone who hates to exercise. This therapy dates back to the 1960s when rhythmic neuromuscular stimulation (RNS) was embraced by scientists. You simply stand on a metal base while holding on to the supportive arms of a freestanding machine that vibrates 30 to 50 times per second. Muscles throughout the body are subtly forced into action to maintain balance. Vibrational therapy gets your body shaking with benefits that are said to include muscle, bone and heart strengthening, increased blood circulation, improved flexibility, rehabilitation after an injury, weight loss, and improved physical performance. Vibra-pro machines start at $1395 (including shipping). Visit www.vibeyourlife.com or call 1-866-612-4143 for more information.
www.vistamagonline.com 8. Teach them how to say ohhmmm. If you give them a yoga mat and DVD they just might learn how to relax, or at least to sit still. Lululemon’s Super Natural yoga mat is made from natural rubber (tapped from rubber trees) rather than the usual PVC. Keep your “downward facing dog” in place with the superior grip of the open cell design, available in a variety of colours for $54. Add a DVD by Vancouver yoga instructor Eoin Finn for $24.99. Visit www.lululemon.com or call 1-877-263-9300.
6. Promise them a steamy hour. Far infrared saunas have become the hot new rec room/ home spa accessory and are also used by naturopathic doctors for detoxification and healing therapy. Infrared heat is absorbed into muscles, cells and joints to treat stress, anxiety, arthritis, poor circulation and weak immune and cardiovascular systems. You can buy Canadian-made cedar or poplar wood (with no chemical adhesives) free-standing units that are light weight, use ceramic emitters and stainless steel grills and have ergonomic backrests starting at $3295 including shipping (www.myinfraredspa.com or 1-866-612-4087). 7. Their gift basket doesn’t have to be guiltinducing. How about a Heart Healthy Hamper for the person diagnosed with high cholesterol? Wander through the aisles of a health food store to collect raw trail mix, high fibre whole grain crackers, fresh healthy dips such as hummus, omega-3 and -6 based “butter” spread, muesli, herbal teas, condiments like sugar-, fat- and chemical-free organic mustard and salsa, walnut or pumpkin oil with balsamic vinegar, and then add fresh herbs and fruit for colour. They may like them enough to start buying some for themselves. Approximate cost: $40.
It includes DVD instructions for $179.95 at www.brookstone.com. 11. Do they need time away? Consider a weekend at a health retreat. Even if it isn’t five-star luxurious, it can be memorable and even lifechanging. For 26 years, Hollyhock’s natural setting on Cortes Island, BC, has offered transformative experiences in a comfortable, safe environment where people connect with others and gain insights. Its courses include health and wellness, spiritual practises, arts and culture taught by well-known authors, educators, activists, practitioners and artists. Rejuvenating getaway packages include gourmet organic vegetarian meals, body care treatments, guided walks, guided kayaking, morning yoga, meditation, lectures and library. Four-day packages are $335. Visit www.hollyhock.ca or call 1-800-9336339 ext. 232 for more information. When making your holiday list, be sure to check it twice to make sure you are including not only good gift ideas, but ones that are good for them, too. You might even find something for yourself.
9. Do they enjoy long walks? Trekking poles, the contemporary sports-minded version of walking sticks, have become a very fashionable accessory for walking trails. Not only do they take pressure off of joints and add support to your step, they offer safety, warding off dogs and other intruders. They also come with an anti-shock system that you can customize for the varying terrain on the pole’s handles. Mountain Equipment Co-op (www.mec.ca or 1-888-847-0770) has adjustable poles with on/off anti-shock system in lightweight aluminum with a cork handle. The Komperdell Mountain Explorer poles are $80 a pair. 10. Help them conquer stress. The StressEraser is an award-winning, hand-held biofeedback device designed to calm the mind and relax the body in 15 minutes. It uses clinically-tested technology with an infrared sensor to detect a pulse rate. The user follows on-screen prompts on the device and gentle audio tones begin to slow and deepen each breath, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and long-term renewal. They can use it before bedtime or an important meeting with a timer to pre-set a time limit for each session.
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Signs of the Time: Anti-aging Secrets By Alain Prud’homme
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ost people would give a lot to gain a little control over the inevitable aging process. Physiological changes are unavoidable, of course, and decreased vision, memory and skin tone are just a few of the unpleasant reminders of getting older. Some people think that the body begins to age when you start to feel your age, which can be any time between 40 and 60. It actually starts to break down much earlier. Determining factors of feeling and looking your age depend on everything from your fitness level to genetics. Your body ages because changes occur in cells which result in their lesser functioning. Eventually, cells die as a normal part of the body’s processes; either they don’t divide like they should or they’re damaged by harmful substances in the environment or within the body (such as free radicals). To look at it in another way, whether the body can efficiently rebuild and repair itself and create new cells is dependent upon its ability to convert one body resource into another. This is a process of protein synthesis – building different types of protein which make up cells. This process requires collagen, which is a construction worker in the body’s building (and rebuilding) project. Collagen is made up of proteins that play a critical role in tissue architecture, tissue strength and cell to cell relationships. Collagen is found everywhere in the body – in skin, blood vessels, joints, muscles, hair, bone and ligaments – and is the major component of all connective tissue.
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www.vistamagonline.com Collagen provides the structure to your body, forms the cables that strengthen tendons, and makes up the sheets that support skin and internal organs. Bones and teeth are formed when the body adds other minerals to collagen. Collagen is both the material and the glue that holds your body together. Any time the body needs to build new cells, such as in the healing process, collagen plays the central role. Your body manufactures its own collagen every day, but since production diminishes with age, the available supply of collagen quickly becomes less than enough. As production of collagen decreases, the resource that your cells need and the catalyst to help build tissue are reduced. Deterioration of various body parts gradually follows. Things you have always done, like running or lifting, suddenly seem more difficult. Injuries that have never proven serious before begin to hurt. Joint pain becomes more problematic. With continued aging, your connective tissues and muscles break down due to collagen deficiency and damage. As a result, you experience a weakening of your skeletal structure. On the outside of the body, the slowing of the skin’s production of collagen becomes more pronounced. You develop wrinkles, ridges, furrows and brown spots, and your skin looses elasticity and moisture. Wrinkles and joint pain are only part of the result, of course, because collagen affects all of your cells. Since health begins inside the body, and vibrant, glowing skin is an outward expression of overall health, the secret of a young and healthy appearance is to act on the source of the degeneracy. To maintain healthy collagen, consider what you shouldn’t be doing in your daily activities. Many lifestyle factors – such as smoking, drinking alcohol or coffee, stress and even excessive physical training – can harm and also reduce your body’s collagen production. Infections, pollution, medications and drugs also deplete the body of collagen. “Sugar is responsible for nearly half of all skin aging because it inhibits the effectiveness of collagen within your skin cells,” says Nicholas Perricone, MD, professor at the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University and author of
We now know enough to empower ourselves to control some age-related conditions and look and feel vibrant into our golden years. The Wrinkle Cure. After being attacked by sugar and binding to it, collagen fibres become cross-linked and stick to each other, resulting in sagging, wrinkled skin and age spots. Nutrients obtained in foods and supplements can aid collagen and enhance the rebuilding process of your body. For example, collagen fibres have large amounts of two amino acids (building blocks of protein) called hydroxylysine and hydroxyproline, which may be important for forming collagen and providing strength and flexibility. It is logical to eat foods high in lysine and proline to potentially support collagen. Animal foods are the primary source of both amino acids; egg whites and wheat germ are good vegetarian sources of proline, and low-fat dairy products, fish and legumes are significant sources of lysine. Vitamin C has been cited as a major aid in increasing collagen, and is required to change proline into hydroxyproline and lysine into hydroxylysine (their collagen forms). Garlic and two sulphur-containing nutrients, taurine and lipoid acid, may also have the ability to support damaged collagen fibres. Phytonutrients are important in a collagen-building as well. Catechins found in green tea have shown to help prevent breakdown of collagen, and anthocyanidins found in cherries, blueberries, and blackberries help collagen fibres link together to strengthen them. We now know enough to empower ourselves to control some age-related conditions and look and feel vibrant into our golden years. Supplements and a healthful diet can help prevent or treat the issues that come with growing older. To revitalize your body, support your collagen construction crew to help rebuild every cell.
Holiday Health Help By Dr. Claude Gallant
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he holiday season is right around the corner, and you are probably planning for it. But despite your best intentions, it never seems to fail that you have to rush to do last minute shopping, even though last year you promised yourself that you would do it early this year! Your daytimer is rapidly filling up with office parties, holiday recitals and family dinners. Everywhere you go you are surrounded by festive but unrelenting music, increased traffic, line-ups, impatient crowds…which leads to stress. Meanwhile, you are probably eating too much rich food, drinking more than your normal share of alcohol and sleeping less. And you don’t really care because you are having so much fun! But right around the beginning of the New Year all that fun takes its toll, causing you to feel 30 years older that you actually are. At this busy time of year, it is easy to put aside the things that you normally do to maintain and improve your health, but you don’t have to. Incorporating a few additions that aren’t difficult or timeconsuming into to your schedule will help you to have a safer, healthier and happier holiday. The 80-20 rule is the most vital to obey during the season, meaning that if you eat healthy foods and keep to your exercise regime 80 percent of the time, you can sway from it 20 percent of the time and still maintain your health. But there are other steps to health holidaying that can be easily incorporated. Two of them are increasing your intake of fibre and treating yourself to some vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin. Fibre is an essential nutrient and a vital part of healthy eating, and helps your digestive and elimination system to stay on track, even dur-
ing festive feasting. The current nutritional guidelines indicate that healthy individuals should consume at least 26 grams of fibre each day. Looking at the numbers, the majority of Canadians only consume a third of the recommended daily amount, and the season’s offerings tend to be even less fibrous than normal. Adequate fibre intake will help normalize your blood sugar and improve digestion after a heavy holiday meal, which will contribute to your colon’s health. In addition, there is evidence that fibre may help to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels while also helping to support your immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems. But who wants to eat bowls of bran every morning? The best fibre comes from whole plants – vegetables, fruits and whole grains – rather than difficult to digest and denatured bran that is taken from the wheat grain. Participating more in inside activities and getting less sunshine during the season mean less exposure to the healing rays that are vital to human existence. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that your body naturally generates with adequate exposure to sunlight, and is also available from some foods. Several studies have demonstrated that vitamin D intake is required for maintaining adequate calcium levels. This vitamin helps your body to absorb certain types of calcium and phosphorus in order to help supply minerals for your skeleton and give you healthier bones. People with adequate intake of vitamin D are less likely to suffer from osteoporosis and joint pain. Studies show that vitamin D can also prevent colorectal, breast and prostate cancers. Therefore, it’s important to keep you healthy and active during this busy time of year.
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www.vistamagonline.com Why do we need to take the so-called “sunshine vitamin” as a supplement? The sun’s ultraviolet rays (UVB) activate 7-dehydrocholesterol, a derivative of cholesterol that is present in your skin, and converts it to vitamin D. Most people falsely believe they are receiving adequate amounts of vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, but sunlight exposure is limited by several factors including skin colour, age, latitude and time of year. The long, lazy days of summer have given way to long crisp winter nights so we don’t get enough sun (hours and intensity) in Canada to produce the proper amount of UVB and vitamin D. Don’t get me started on the UVB from sun tanning beds – they’re not only wrong, they’re dangerous – and while a sunny holiday may be a good idea, not everyone can afford one. As a result, the dilemma remains: how do I get the vitamin D that I need while staying in the country that I love all winter? With growing evidence that Canadians are vitamin D deficient, in June 2007 the Canadian Cancer Society began recommending vitamin D supplementation for all Canadians, particularly during winter months. It also recommends that adults with higher risk of vitamin D deficiency
(older, darker skinned or more reclusive people who remain covered with clothing or sunscreen) should supplement their diet with 1,000 IU per day throughout the year. The primary food sources of vitamin D are fortified milk (which provides 100 IU per cup), egg yolks (offering 25 IU per yolk) and fish oil (with varied IU). Most waistlines cannot afford 10 cups of milk or 40 egg yolks each day and therefore supplements are a better alternative. However, a word of caution: if you decide to supplement your diet with vitamin D, make sure that you take vitamin D3. The cheaper, widely available vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is approximately only one-third as potent as vitamin D as it is less readily absorbed and used by the body. Don’t let holiday stress affect your health. If you feel vital and energetic you’ll enjoy the holidays more. Try to get some rest, eat a variety of healthful foods and ensure that you get a healthy amount of fibre and vitamin D. Keep things simple where you can. Taking supplements will provide you with healthy amounts of fibre and vitamin D all year, not only during the holidays.
Editor Selects Facts About Epican Forte Extensive research conducted at Dr. Rath’s Research Institute in Cellular Medicine has proved that teamwork (synergy) of specific cellular nutrients like vitamin C, L-Lysine, L-Proline, EGCG (antioxidant compound of green tea) and other nutrients has a powerful effect on maintaining a healthy body. Together, these nutrients can enhance the body’s natural defence process, strengthen the integrity of connective tissue, help in controlling and blocking abnormal cells from spreading. Ecomax Nutrition. 1-800-668-4559, 514-344-7008, ecomaxah@bellnet.ca
Cardioflex Q10 Cardioflex Q10 is based on the unified theory of heart disease by two-time Nobel Prize recipient Linus Pauling PhD and his associate Mathias Rath. Simply put, they found that the plaqueing of arteries was caused by a nutrient deficiency that can be easily reversed. Cardioflex Q10 helps the body repair damaged arteries and dissolve cholesterol plaques. This process leaves you with strong elastic arteries and normalized cholesterol and blood pressure numbers. For more detailed info on the unified theory visit www.innotechnutrition.com/home/unified_theory or call 1-866-875-5022.
Nannosil Gel Nannosil Gel is a combination of the purest Silver & Gold available in a distilled water base. Oxygen is added and put in a silica gel to produce a non-alchol, no fragrance gel that is gentle enough for everyday use as a hand sanitzer without drying the skin, or for use on specific problems. Nannosil gel soothes burns quicker than any product we know, as well as bug bites, itchy skin, cuts and abrasions. It is safe to use on animals and children. It comes in four sizes for your convenience. 60ml, 125ml, 250ml and 500ml. Find it at www.harmonixtherapy.com or contact Terri at 416-579-9314.
LifeTime® Liquid Vitamin D3 by Nature’s Way of Canada Vitamin D intake just got a whole lot easier- with LifeTimes® luscious mixed berry liquid D3. Perfect for those who have difficulty swallowing pills or for those seeking an optimal form of absorption. Naturesway.com, 800-463-8412.
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Lessons That My Father Taught Me By Dr. David Suzuki
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ow that I’m in my 70s, I look back at the world of my childhood, with its shared phone lines, ice boxes, radio soap operas and no television, and it seems like an ancient, lost civilization. Yet the ideas and values I learned as a child seem every bit as important for today’s youth, for whom rappers, billionaires and movie stars are role models. When I was a boy, my father was a bigger-than-life figure, a wonderful storyteller who enchanted people with his outgoing personality. He was my hero. He took me camping and fishing and instilled a love of nature and the outdoors in me. When he came home from work, he always asked me what I had learned in school, and as I recounted my lessons, he seemed genuinely interested, often amplifying my information or correcting me. I loved those sessions, and I now realize that he was reinforcing my education by making me recount what I had learned. Dad was my biggest booster, but he was also my harshest critic. When I began in television, he followed everything I did. More than once when he couldn’t follow my narrative, he would call and bawl me out: “If I can’t understand what you are saying, how do you expect someone who doesn’t know you at all to follow your ideas?” To this day, I think of my father as my audience whenever I prepare a script or write a book. My mother was the rock-solid foundation of the family. She was the first up in the morning and the last to bed at night, but unlike Dad, she did it quietly. I only understood how important she was as she developed Alzheimer’s disease and I watched Dad struggle to fill her shoes. I begged him to allow me to hire help for him, but he declined. “She gave her all for me,” he said, “and it’s my turn to pay her back.” Both of my parents are now dead, and in my own dotage, I think about the important lessons I want to pass on to my children and grandchil-
dren. I’ve realized that they are the same lessons I got from Dad. I can’t help thinking they are not quaint ideas from the past but very modern ones that we need desperately today. Here are some of his wisdoms: “Respect your elders,” he told me. “But Dad,”
I protested, “Mr. Saita is a fool.” “David,” Dad remonstrated, “he has lived a long life, has had many experiences, and thought about a lot of things that you haven’t. I know he
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seems opinionated and stupid, but if you listen, even he can teach you something.” “To do well in Canada as a Japanese-Canadian,” he said, “you have to work 10 times harder, you must be able to speak extemporaneously, and you must be able to dance.” Fortunately, hard work was never an obstacle for me and I entered oratorical contests for which Dad drilled me in the art of public speaking. (I never understood the dancing advice and was not successful at it.) “Whatever you do, do it with gusto. Don’t do it in a sloppy, half-hearted way but enthusiastically, whether it’s scrubbing the floors or playing basketball. That’s how you get the most out of life.” “We all need money for the necessities in life, but don’t run after money thinking that it makes you a bigger or better man. If someone flashes his fancy new clothes or big car, pity him, because he has gone down the wrong road. Live within your means.” “You must stand up for what you believe in, but be prepared for people to be angry and to disagree. If you want to be liked by everyone, then you will stand for nothing. And remember that you are what you do, not what you say.” Today’s youth are bombarded with news about the antics of Lindsay Lohan, Amy Winehouse, and Jay-Z, and look to them for inspiration, but that’s all the more reason to listen to the words of our elders. David Suzuki is the Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation, and is an award-winning scientist and broadcaster. He is host of the television series, The Nature of Things. He founded CBC Radio’s, Quirks and Quarks and presented documentary series, From Naked Ape to Superspecies and It’s a Matter of Survival. Dr. Suzuki has received a UNESCO prize for science, a United Nations Environment Program medal and the Order of Canada.
Green your computer use By Michael Bloch • During usage, only have your screen as bright as you need it. Unnecessarily bright screens really chew the juice. • If you’re going to use a screen saver, use a blank (black) screen because as animated screen savers just consume electricity unnecessarily. • When buying components and peripheral items, try to choose those that come in the least amount of plastic packaging as possible. • For your next computer, consider a notebook instead of desktop because these use over 50% less electricity of a desktop machine. • If you can afford it, buy extended warranty with your new system so there’s less likelihood of you needing to junk the computer within the first few years if an expensive repair is needed. lise gagne Photo
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omputing has changed the world – a prime example of this is the Internet. It’s hard to imagine it not existing. While computer usage can actually lessen our environmental footprint, by being able to work from home or control of farm irrigation and many other tasks for example, the energy consumption involved with casual computing and gaming is generally massive. There’s not just the actual computer usage age-related electricity consumption, but also the millions of tonnes of plastic and metal used to create the billions of computers in their various forms now on this planet. We can all do our bit in lessening our impact and the following are tips for more Earth-friendly computing, some of which will also save you cash! • When not in use for extended periods, switch your computer off at the wall to avoid phantom power load consumption. • Have your power saving/management options enabled and properly configured for periods when your computer is temporarily not in use. In Windows, this can be found in Settings/ Control Panel/Power Options.
• Do you really need a 22 inch screen? When considering your next screen purchase, balance your wants with your actual needs. • Before purchasing a new computer, consider upgrading the hardware in your current machine. Some extra RAM (memory) or a new hard drive may be all you need to restore life to your current system. According to www.greenlivingtips.com, the energy needed to churn out a new computer is enough to power a system for a decade! • Following on from the point above; it’s not uncommon for Windows to get slower as time goes on. This isn’t necessarily your machine, but software bloat. All the updates, installing and uninstalling of software and applications running in the background that you don’t really need take their toll and basically clog your machine up. This seriously impacts performance, which in turn is more wear and tear on hardware and increased electricity consumption. Consider doing a reinstallation of Windows and your software. A lean machine will sip less electricity and perform much better. •
When you do replace your current com-
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puter system, donate it rather than bin it if possible. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, e-waste is now the fastest growing aspect of the municipal waste stream. You can find places to donate your computer to on www. Earth911.org. • Consider a refurbished computer for your next purchase. These aren’t dusty old machines that have just been wiped over – they are often display models or recent purchase returns with very little wear and tear that are thoroughly checked before sale, and often have the same guarantee that new units do. You can save a tonne of cash this way!
The computer recycling problem
While putting a computer in for recycling isn’t the worst step you could take, it’s important to remember that e-cycling, or recycling of electrical components, is a bit of a minefield. Sometimes they aren’t recycled at all and in some instances your computer could be shipped to China (more emissions in transportation) where poorly equipped and impoverished people are set to the gruelling task of stripping down the systems and reclaiming some of the precious metals. It’s nasty and highly toxic work and just another instance whereby we’ve been outsourcing our pollution. If you are going to recycle your machine, check the recycler out by asking about their practises. For example, ask if the system will be stripped down locally and in safe/environmentally responsible conditions. Also try to keep as many components as you can as backups - for example, the mouse and keyboard. I learned this the hard way recently when disposing of some equipment, only to find out it wound up in landfill due to the recycler having too many computers. Michael Bloch publishes Green Living Tips (www. greenlivingtips.com), an online resource powered by renewable energy offering a wide variety of earth friendly tips, green guides, advice, and environment related news to help consumers and businesses reduce costs, consumption and environmental impact.
A Silver Lining to the Financial Crisis By Greg Seaman
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t is all too obvious how difficult the financial crisis is for the average family. But the financial meltdown is an inevitable correction which will result in a reality-based economic model and a return to healthier personal, family and social values. As we look ahead to what economic forecasters are calling a protracted recession, it’s quite discouraging and anxiety-provoking. As the scope of the crisis widens by the day, we’re seeing the global scale of the problem. The growing interconnectedness of commerce and culture is becoming more apparent. Across the globe, economists, political leaders and people in general have a shared objective – how to best navigate ourselves through this time of transition. As a child growing up in the 1950s, I remember my parents working to maintain a middle-class lifestyle. While we were proud of the trappings of success, with the model year of the car in our driveway being the yardstick of family prosperity, the values of thrift and resourcefulness were still considered essential to our family well-being. In our backyard, located modestly behind the decorative hedge and rows of peonies, were carefully laid out beds of cabbages, lettuce, peas, broccoli and other seasonal produce, tended as a matter of course. Behind the vegetable patch stood a large square-shaped clothesline that was always in use. Although we had an automatic washer and dryer, my mother couldn’t bear to waste energy when the fresh air would dry our clothes and linens for free. One of my responsibilities as a child was mowing the lawn. As a skinny little boy, I pushed an antiquated, clunky push mower to get the job done. When we finally moved to the modern age and got a power mower, my father bought an electric mower. He did not want the fuss or the stink of dealing with a gas-burning mower. While gas was cheap back then, electricity still cost less.
Just about every young boy on our street wore patches at the knees of our jeans. New clothes were reserved for Sunday church service and special events. There was pride in being thrifty. While my parents enjoyed the exuberance of the emerging post-war economy, there was still a bedrock common sense applied to all expenses, born of the cold reality of life during World War II. A few months ago, I read a survey taken in California in which 16 year old girls were asked to name their favourite activity and 71 percent named shopping as their number one choice. Just a generation ago, results of that survey would have been dancing, horseback riding, ice skating, singing or similar personal interests. With today’s escalating credit crunch, the notion of shopping as entertainment is finally falling by the wayside. Our appetite for consumer goods is slacking, and although caused by necessity rather than choice, the result is the same. As difficult as this is for business and the short-term economy, we will benefit in the long run from lower per capita consumption. Besides the economic uncertainty, of course, is the overarching concern of climate change and its myriad consequences. These twin threats require complementary solutions, as we are starting to realize that a healthy economy needs a healthy environment, clean energy and restrained resource use. Our challenge now is to recognize the opportunities during this time of transition to a more stable economy and a healthier relationship with our environment. Today we are seeing many positive changes which bode well for our future. Businesses and governments are embracing the concept of renewable resources. Scientists and researchers are reaching for green energy solutions and carbon management strategies which, just 10 years ago, would not even receive funding for study. Communities are creating shared agricultural programmes and small neighbourhood gardening
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co-ops are sprouting up in many areas. In the employment sector, green jobs have become the preferred employment choices of today’s school graduates. Although we are each affected differently by the financial crisis, we need to focus on the positive and look for the opportunities that accompany change. We can learn from the traditions of food security, thrift and modesty passed down from our parents and grandparents. We can pool resources with our neighbours, spend more time with our children in lieu of buying them more things, learn more about sustainable living practises and show our children how to put them to use. As individuals and as a culture we are on the road to learning how to live sustainably. We can each take heart that, as rough as the road may be, the destination is a worthy goal. Greg Seaman is the founder of Eartheasy.com, a website focusing on environmentally sustainable living. Greg has over 25 years of off-grid living experience, which inspires much of Eartheasy’s content. Eartheasy.com has been recognized internationally for its contribution to environmental welfare, and chosen as content provider for The Weather Network, numerous publications and media outlets.
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Can You Prevent Lower Back Pain?Â
By Ruza JelinkovaÂ
A
lmost all of us have experienced lower back pain at least once at some point in our lives. Perhaps it is time to look as some common reasons for it and how we can prevent it. Whether it is caused by using an improper pillow while sleeping or not warming up muscles prior to strenuous activity, we can certainly improve our quality of life with a little preventative maintenance. Although this article will discuss several aspects of a healthy back, the most important ones are to listen to your body, change your hectic lifestyle and focus on things that make you happy. As Cicero said: “Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body.� Exercise is the most important thing that you can do to prevent lower back pain. Exercise for the back should aim to increase flexibility, strength and endurance. The lower back, in particular, requires strong
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Be aware of your posture. Whether you are sitting, standing, kneeling or walking, you should put minimal strain on the muscles of your lower back by making sure that your posture is properly aligned.
muscles for support. Ask a personal trainer to suggest appropriate exercises for your requirements. Proper sleep position is a must. Avoid sleeping on your stomach and your back because those positions increase the lumbar curve and as a result, your pain. Sleeping on your side with your legs bent at the knees tends to minimize the spinal stress by straightening the lumber curve. Try placing one or two pillows under your knees and pulling your hips upwards to further flatten the lumbar curve and reduce the tension in this area. Be aware of your posture. Whether you are sitting, standing, kneeling or walking, you should put minimal strain on the muscles of your lower back by making sure that your posture is properly aligned. If you have gotten some exercise, slept in the right position and watched your posture, can you still suffer from back pain? Even if you are an athlete in top physical form, if you don’t prepare your body for your activity, your back can feel the effects. A proper warm-up is the key. “Warm-up” is a term that we usually associate with athletes doing particular movements to increase blood flow before a strenuous workout or sport, but anyone can greatly benefit from doing it. It is especially vital if you are planning to do an activity like gardening or shovelling snow. Spend at least three minutes doing light movements such as stretching, bending and running on the spot to improve circulation. You can also use topical creams prior to your activity that will prevent aches that you might normally experience afterwards. Products that contain a combination of ingredients including menthol and methyl salicylate, which act as anti-inflammatories, are highly advisable to enable your body to recover quickly and not feel soreness the next day. They can be applied both before and after exercise to increase their effectiveness. Athletes appreciate that the time they spend warming up and cooling down improves their level of performance and accelerates the recovery process needed before and after training or a competition. It is a common practise for them to use the “warming” creams and gels before and after, as well. For example, Michael Fletcher, a linebacker from the Toronto Argonauts has publicly stated, “In my position, I play tough and get banged up pretty hard. I use an anti-inflammatory cream before games to warm up, keep loose and stay fluid. After every practise and game I use it to get rid of pain and to recover faster from injuries.” You don’t have to be football player to see the benefits of warm-up products. If you have suffered from chronic lower back pain, have an arthritic joint that keeps you from sleeping, work a physically demanding job that puts pressure on your back, or just spent the day doing strenuous chores, you may be able to find relief. Enjoy your life more by focusing on preventing back pain through exercise, warm-up activity, proper sleep position and using safe, effective creams. Some products are applied without requiring that you touch it with your hands, which saves washing hands afterwards and wasting lotion where it’s not needed since it is absorbed quickly into your skin. In addition to all this, smile often and live by the words of Leslie Grimutter: “My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass.”
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Use Mother Nature To
Fend off Father Time By Sophia Stewart
We know that the antioxidants in fruit, veg‑ etables and other plants fight disease and dra‑ matically delay the effects of aging. We also recognize that our emotional health as we age can be improved with certain botanical nu‑ trients, and that nutrients cleanse our body’s systems, which is integral for anti-aging. But which botanical ingredients aid which aspects of aging? There are many, but this article will focus on five.
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ndividuals over 50 often need an adaptogen in their day-to-day life. In addition to being an herb that increases the body’s resistance to stress, anxiety and fatigue, an adaptogen may also be required to enhance memory. The herbs tulsi, lemon balm and schisandra are often used by herbalists as adaptogens. If you are concerned about your vascular system in middle-age, or have edema or cerebral ischemia, botanicals like blueberries, tulsi and buckwheat leaves play an important role. If your digestive system starts to become more delicate, which often occurs as you age, and you are concerned about stomach ulcers or chronic intestinal disorders, lemon balm and tulsi are good remedies. As you age, your senses – particularly your taste, smell, sight and hearing – become less acute. Botanicals including blueberries, buckwheat and tulsi aid the health of the organs responsible for your five senses. Herbs also promote youth by keeping the body’s “rivers” unpolluted – including your blood flow, micro-vascular flow and movement within the digestive, nervous and respiratory systems – which can become blocked by a sedentary lifestyle and poor digestion. Stimulating herbs like tulsi prevent neurological, respiratory and digestive toxic build-up, schisandra and lemon balm aid digestion, and blueberry extract and buckwheat leaves help increase vascular function. To provide greater well-being and vitality, schisandra and blueberries are valuable. Here is a closer look at those herbs mentioned. Blueberries: Active substances in blueberries such as anthocyanosides are constant fighters against dysfunctions of blood vessels and arteries to the brain and heart, and work continually to repair even the tiniest blood vessels. By controlling the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (a pro-
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tective “wall” which will not allow foreign invaders into the brain), blueberry extracts protect the brain from attack and help the absorption of vitamins necessary for brain function. Tulsi: Also called holly basil, tulsi is a key plant in Ayurvedic medicine. Its healing properties aid respiratory troubles, heart discomfort and skin and mouth infections, and it also has been beneficial for headaches, sore eyes and even “noise stress,” a common but often undiagnosed affliction that increases as we age. Schisandra berries: This plant was first mentioned in Chinese medicinal texts during the Han Dynasty of 206 BC to 26 AD where it was said to “prolong the years of life without aging,” and to increase energy (called “qi”). It is also thought to suppress coughs, treat fatigue and act as a sexual tonic. The latest scientific research shows that schisandrin keeps blood passageways clear and free of debris by helping carry out old protein particles to cells’ “recycling bin” and helping new proteins to be effective. It’s especially helpful during stressful situations. Lemon balm: Numerous recent scientific studies have reported similar findings to what some cultures have known for 30 centuries – this plant is for our psyche. Not only does lemon balm improve memory and cognitive functions, but it also helps to relieve anxiety and nervousness and is said to provide a feeling of joy. Buckwheat: Buckwheat doesn’t look like wheat or even a cereal grain except that it produces a grain-like seed. We enjoy eating its nutritious grain, but it is the leaf that improves blood flow due to its high concentration of rutin. Similar to the effects of rutin in ginkgo biloba, buckwheat leaves help to mend tissues in the tiniest blood vessels. In one clinical study, after only a week of rutin treatment blood flow activity increased by more than 22 percent. More efficient blood circulation means that the body will be better equipped to repair the entire peripheral system, including the ears, eyes and limbs. Buckwheat leaf extract protects against leg edema (swelling from fluid retention), for example, and helps raise the body temperature in cold fingers and feet caused by poor circulation. At a time in your life when years of experience, your highest creativity and maturity in relationships mean that you can give the best of yourself to the world, it would be a tragedy if this was prevented due to poor health. With the aid of food, supplements and exercise, you can ensure that you “live young” and realize your full potential.
VITAMIN K2 FOR BONE AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH!! Major double blind clinical studies have recently linked vitamin K2 to improved boned health, particularly in post-menopausal women. Researchers in Maastricht reported that daily supplements of vitamin K2 maintained hip-bone strength in postmenopausal women, while placebos led to weakening. In other clinical studies, the same researchers found that vitamin K2 also inhibits the calcification of the cardiovascular system and may even reverse it. New Nordic now introduces Nutra K2 Solo, in the recommended 45 microgram daily dosage, of the effective Menaquinone-7 form of vitamin K2 (from natto soy beans). Look for the Silver Tree logo - your guarantee for high quality. For more information, please call 1-800-261-4223 or visit www.newnordic.ca Available at participating health food stores and pharmacies across Canada. Also available online at www.multisupplements.com.
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Restoring Your Pet’s Coat
From the Inside Out By Franco Cavaleri
T
he rate of skin disease in our pets is continuing to rise. The cause is nutritional imbalance – poor food quality – combined with ever-increasing pollution. The model for the escalating rate of asthma in the North American human population mirrors what is developing on the skin and coats of our pets. The biological systems that cause us to experience symptoms of asthma in our airways are more abundantly concentrated in our pet’s skin cells. As a result, our companions experience epidemic levels of skin disease as the environmental toxins begin to mount, while we experience airway restriction. As much as pollutants are to blame for these reactions, they also involve biochemical reactions in our pet’s cells that we have some control over. Our pet’s diet dictates this cellular activity. Compromised nutrition produces poor cellto-cell communication all the way down to the
genetic level. Feed poor, over-processed, dead nutrition to your dog or cat and the genetic codes of your pet’s body will build a fragile biological system that is missing critical links. The inefficient metabolic activity frequently shows up as infection and inflammation on the skin. The first step to regaining control over skin disease is to improve their diet. To get control over the general inflammation (which causes the skin problems), remove sources of oxidized fatty acids from the diet such as those common to processed foods. A move to fresher, whole sources of nutrition such as the unprocessed plant and animal foods that our pets thrived on centuries ago will help improve cellular balance and tolerance to allergens and illness. The next step is to improve their body’s fatty acid balance by giving them supplements. You need to supplement their whole, fresh food with the right ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty ac-
(of healthy skin and a radiant coat)
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TURN YOUR PETS' DREAM INTO REALITY
Visit www.biologicVET.net to see how BioSKIN&COAT and BioFATS helped Bruiser (a six year old female bulldog)
BioSKIN&COAT is a natural anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory supplying a precise blend of quercetin, biotin, folic acid, zinc, vitamins E, C and grapeseed extract formulated to correct the root problem.
� Relieves discomfort from skin irritations, allergies, scratching and shedding
� Promotes a full, shiny coat Simply add naturally tasty BioSKIN&COAT to your pets’ food. When combined with BioFATS this dual nutritional product approach can provide immediate relief.
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ids to restore a neutral inflammatory response in the cells, rather than a heightened inflammatory response that causes the skin problems. The fatty acid supplement for cats and dogs must be a carefully proportioned blend offering a precise ratio between omega-3 and -6 and a precise proportion of the omega-3 DHA and EPA fatty acids. Blends with oils such as flaxseed, olive and fish oil can accomplish this. Our cats and dogs need a different ratio of essential fatty acids than the one you and I need. Supplementing with fish oils alone for their DHA and EPA contents will only serve as a Band-Aid for the problem and will provide only temporary relief. Correction of the problem requires that essential fats derived from seed oil such as flaxseed – which is a source of the essential fat called linoleic acid – be supplied along with fish oils to fulfill the essential fatty acid requirements. DHA and EPA are not considered essential fats in and of themselves. The final step to the animal’s wellness is to regain control over your pet’s allergies. Yes, pets get allergies too. Although fatty acid supplements can help control allergies and offer skin health, other natural strategies can be applied to further combat allergies. Bioflavonoids are antioxidant nutrients found in foods that are necessary to strengthen capillaries, reduce inflammation, enhance our pet’s immune system and reduce their body’s histamine production. Many natural bioflavonoids have antihistamine-like activity and can be used naturally to intercept seasonal allergies. These highly specialized bioflavonoids work through a different pathway from the fatty acid supplements. Used together in supplements, these two remedies pack a powerful punch to resolve the most vicious conditions. A natural antihistamine preparation can provide immediate relief if it’s formulated correctly; it must deliver a precise dose of the nutrient quercetin supported by biotin, folic acid, zinc and vitamins E and C. Grapeseed extract may also be added to support more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Most cases of skin disease in pets respond well to this dual nutritional product approach. Natural antihistamine and fatty acid application eliminates the need for drugs, and just like you prefer to use a natural approach, your pet will be healthiest with one, too. Franco Cavaleri, BSc. is a nutritional biochemist and a graduate of UBC involved in the latest nutraceutical research. He speaks internationally on improving human and pet health. References for this article are detailed in Potential Within: A Guide to Nutritional Empowerment, Franco’s national bestselling health guide. For more information call (1-877) 560-8440 or visit www.biologicnr.com.
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