1. phthalates It is used in perfumes, nail polishes and shampoos to preserve scent and color. Phthalates disrupt the endocrine system and can even interfere with the development of male fetuses and infants. Look for products that are labeled “phthalate-free” or “DEHP-free”

2. parabens This is a preservation found in conditioners, hair gels, makeup and sunscreen. Parabens have been linked to increased breast cancer risk. Look for products that are labeled “paraben-free”

3. fragrance A catch-all term for thousands of chemicals used in scented cosmetics. They can disrupt hormones, or cause allergy symptoms or skin irritation. Look for products that are labeled “fragrance-free”

The products I use? These are safe and chemical free.

I know their products are pure, safe and effective…

BUT…I bet you have all seen supplements when you are out shopping that cost just a couple of dollars.

Are these supplements good? and Safe?

How bad can they be?

The answer is – pretty bad!

The events of  a couple of months ago illustrate just how bad.

On March 2nd, 2010 the makers and sellers of fish oil supplements were sued by the Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation in California for not telling consumers that their products contained toxic levels of PCBs.

It is somewhat scary, I think, that the FDA did not initiate this action and force the manufacturers to take their contaminated products off the shelves.

Instead an environmental consumers group sued them for not including PCBs on the label! California proposition 65  requires a warning label whenever a product contains toxic ingredients.

The defendants in this lawsuit were Omega Protein, a Houston-based company that is the world’s largest producer of omega-3 fish oil, and the many companies that they produced fish oil for – companies like Rite Aid, CVS, GNC, Now Health Group, Pharmavite, Solgar and Twinlab.

And those aren’t the only ones. The Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation only tested 10 omega-3 supplements manufactured by Omega Protein to date and have found PCBs in all of them. They plan to continue testing and to add other companies to the lawsuit if their products are also contaminated.

Even scarier is that many of the labels on these products said that the omega-3 supplement was treated to reduce or remove PCBs. As a consumer you were lead to believe that they were safe!

The bottom line is that the manufacturer probably didn’t test for PCBs and neither did the companies selling their omega-3 supplements to the consumer.

The alternative – that they tested the products, knew that they were contaminated with PCBs and sold them to the public anyway – is even worse.

So what can you do as a consumer?  There are 3 things:

1) Choose an established company that has a reputation for quality and integrity.

2) Make sure the company requires pharmaceutical grade quality controls.

3) Make sure the company has many published clinical studies on their products that prove both safety and effectiveness.

One company that meets those qualifications is Shaklee.  Shaklee runs rigorous quality control tests on every one of their ingredients and on their finished products.  They also have published over 70 clinical studies on their products in peer-reviewed scientific journals. They are unique in the industry.

When toxins are dumped from our cells into the blood they are carried to the liver for removal. The liver removes the toxins from the blood and sends them to the intestine in what is called bile. In the intestine the toxins get attached to the soluble fiber and is carried out of our bodies.

In the article “Fiber, Why It Matters More Than You Think”, it states:
“If we don’t eat enough soluble fiber, our bile, instead of being ushered out of the body and then replaced with fresh bile produced by the liver, is repeatedly recirculated in our system. In the process, it becomes more concentrated with toxins, which, in turn, can lead to all sorts of inflammatory diseases such as gallbladder disease, intestinal inflammation, and even skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis.”

So if you have a low fiber (soluble fiber) diet it can increase the toxicity of your body.

This article shows why some people get gallstones, why you may have high cholesterol – and the importance of soluble fiber.

One of the problems in getting soluble fiber is that many products do not differentiate between soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Often times they just put on their label “fiber” so you don’t know what kind you are getting!

Here is a great source for soluble fiber – Just one delicious shake has more soluble fiber in it than 6 bowls of Kashi!

Research shows you should take them every day. Multiple studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish-oil) can reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 68% and are also effective at fighting other inflammatory diseases like Alzheimer’s and Arthritis.

Remember… it’s all about inflammation!

Most fish-oil supplements contain toxins, however, and should be avoided.

Good Morning America had a report showing that the top 10 selling fish-oil supplements were tested and found to contain elevated levels of PCB’s, including: GNC, Solgar, Rite Aid, Nature Made, Walmart, Walgreens, and others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xyMx8qNmeA

Why is that important? Because PCB’s were outlawed decades ago.

Why? Because PCB’s cause cancer!

Lawsuits have been filed against these manufacturers.

The “experts” on the show recommended you choose the one with the least amount of PCB’s!

What? Why not choose one with NO PCB’s?

Many of these fish-oil products contain mercury as well.

That’s why I totally trust the  science behind this company

If you want all the benefits of fish-oil without the dangerous toxins this is your best option.

Here are five good reasons why:

• First, they go to the deepest waters off the coasts of Japan to find the purest fish possible
• Then, they use a TRIPLE MOLECULAR DISTILLATION process to REMOVE ALL IMPURITIES
• This unique process actually CONCENTRATES the beneficial Omega-3’s, making them even more potent.
• This fish oil contains ALL 7 Omega-3’s (no other product does)
• You get 1000 milligrams of important EPA and DHA in a single serving

What are the Health Benefits of high-dose fish-oil?

• Reduces inflammation – which leads to heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, and more
• Makes blood and blood vessel walls ‘slippery’ to prevent
• build-up of plaque
• Helpful for those with ADD and ADHD (DHA is an omega-3
• that is critical for proper brain function)
• Reduces dangerous triglycerides
• Aids in weight-loss
• Balances hormones

What about Fish?
Fish contain a lot of toxins. For this reason, higher amounts of fish-oil are not possible through fish alone.

Also — fish ‘muscle’ (what we eat) does NOT contain a high concentration of omega-3s. That’s why supplements are the best option –but you should also try to get fish twice a week — it’s a great source of low-fat protein.

What about Flaxseed?
Flaxseed and other plant sources of omega-3s are not as concentrated. They offer a fraction of the amount that marine sources offer. In addition – it is a complicated process for the body to ‘convert’ the plant fatty acids into omega-3’s.

Diabetics cannot make this conversion at all.

How much is enough?
The experts recommend 2.5 grams per day as maintenance. Those with chronic illness would bump up to 5+ grams per day (always start small and build up slowly).

What if I’m on Blood Thinners?
Studies show that adding fish-oil when already taking blood thinners – does NOT change the time it takes for blood to clot. However, you should consult your doctor

So – take your fish oil – but beware of where you buy it.  I highly recommend getting your fish oil here.

Here are some steps to take to lower your LDL cholesterol
1. Limit saturated fats (from meats and full-fat dairy)
2. Avoid trans fats (found in many margarines, commercial baked goods, and fast foods.
3. Get your oats or other soluble fiber. Soluble fiber blocks the absorption of cholesterol from the intestine into the bloodstream. Other great sources of soluble fiber include barley, beans, peas, eggplant, apples, and citrus fruit.
4. Eat nuts. Nuts lower both total and LDL cholesterol. They also contain an amino acid – arginine – that makes blood vessels more flexible. Watch out how many you eat, tho. Nuts are high in calories.
5. Choose olive oil. It is rich in monounsaturated fats which lowers LDL and may also raise HDL when used in place of saturated fats. Olive oil may be one reason why people who eat a Mediterranean diet – loaded with this healthy oil, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and seafood – have lower rates of heart disease.
6. Exercise – aim for 30 minutes a day.
7. Have a little dark chocolate. It’s rich in flavonoids, antioxidants that help keep bad LDL cholesterol from forming plaque in your arteries. Select dark chocolate with the highest percent cocoa and for the most benefit, look for cocoa that is not Dutch or alkali processed.

The cells in our body actually extract cholesterol from the blood as it is needed and if there is any left the liver helps the body excrete it.

So why the concern about cholesterol?  Our body makes all the cholesterol we need to be healthy.  The problem comes when our diets are overloaded with saturated and trans fats that is found in meat, dairy and some processed foods.  The liver turns that excess fat into excess cholesterol.  We also take in cholesterol from some foods (like eggs) but high blood levels of cholesterol is mostly a result of eating an excess of the wrong kinds of fats, not dietary cholesterol.

OK – now comes in LDL (low-density lipoprotein).  When cholesterol is sent into the bloodstream it needs to hook up with a fat-transporting protein – LDL.  So the more harmful the fats, the more cholesterol produced and the more LDL needed to transport it.  So when you have a high LDL, it is because you are taking in too much of the wrong kinds of fats.  And too much of this (LDL) can result in the formation of plaques.

So what is HDL?  This helps shuttle cholesterol out of the body.  These lipoproteins carry cholesterol from other parts of the body back to the liver and out of the body.  HDL helps keep cholesterol from building up in the walls of the arteries and acts as an anti-inflammatory that reduces the likelihood of clots and dilates the blood vessels.

Then there are triglycerides.  When you take in more calories than you need, the excess is turned into triglycerides and stored in the fat cells for later use.  So if you consistently eat more than you need – you may have high triglycerides.

There are many things you can do ‘naturally’ to have healthy cholesterol numbers.  My next post will give you some steps to take to work on getting good cholesterol numbers.

One way is to clean your kids toys in a solution of bleach and water.  They then show you a child chewing on the toy after it has been ‘rinsed’ off.  Please don’t do this.  Think of the health and safety of your child.

One of the ingredients in bleach is Sodium Hydroxide.  It causes 75% of all caustic injury to the esophagus of kids under the age of 5.  It can also cause

• burns in tissues – eyes, skin, mouth and throat
• chronic skin irritation
• irritation to the respiratory tract
• liver and kidney damage

What they also don’t tell you in that commercial is that bleach will only kill those germs for about 1 hour.  You can probably get just as good results, without the health hazards by washing the toys in soap and water.

Protect your kids.  Don’t use Bleach!

For more information go to “Are You Giving Your Child Toxins Each Day”

According to the 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, intakes of vitamins A, C and E, along with calcium and magnesium are especially low in the diets of Americans

Generous intakes of antioxidant vitamins have been associated with reduced risk of some chronic diseases, in the same way that generous intakes of fruits and vegetables have been associated with similar health benefits

The March of Dimes and the Centers for Disease Control encourage women of child-bearing age to take a multivitamin with folic acid daily as part of a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle practice to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects.

The Alpha Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Trial (ATBC) suggest a protective effect of vitamin E in the prevention of colorectal and prostate cancer.

The Women’s Health Initiative Study (WHI)  showed an increase in hip bone density and trend toward reduced hip fracture rate in those supplementing with calcium and vitamin D.

The Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS)  showed a decrease in the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration with supplementation of antioxidants and zinc.

There are numerous studies showing the benefits of nutritional supplementation. This can be a form of Health ‘Insurance’ for you.

Take a multi-vitamin. It is a safe, effective, affordable and reliable means of filling nutrition gaps and ensuring adequate intake of a variety of nutrients. Everyday your body is sloughing off a trillion cells and creating new cells from the nutrients you are providing. If you don’t provide what your cells need the cells can be altered, causing disease. As stated in my previous post, not all multi-vitamins are created equal. This is the one I recommend.

Yes, a multivitamin, used daily and consistently over the long-term, and combined with other smart lifestyle choices, will provide important benefits for optimal health.

The best advice is to eat your fruits and vegetables, take your vitamins, and try to adopt other healthy lifestyle habits.

To Your Health!

As Uwe E. Reinhardt, a professor of economics at Princeton University in the US, told The New York Times … “When you go to the formal health system, you very quickly lose control over what this costs you.” Yes, doctor bills, medicines, hospital costs all add up!

More and more people are finding that food supplements offer a health solution that becomes even more compelling in hard economic times.

From the April 20th Time magazine’s “Briefing” section “Recession Watch”:
“As the U.S. unemployment rate inches toward double digits, more Americans are left without health insurance and are looking for affordable alternatives in the supplement aisle. Vitamin sales rose nearly 8% this winter over the same period a year ago, according to the Chicago-based market research firm Information Resources Inc.,…. customers [are] seeking cheap ways to prevent illness and avoid expensive treatment.”

So the question is – Can food supplements keep you healthier? The answer is Yes and No. In a Landmark study done by the University of California at Berkeley, it was shown that people taking a certain supplement DID have remarkably better health. All supplements, though, ARE NOT created equal!

Here are the actual results of biomarkers from the Berkeley study:

Incidence of Disease:

In other words, Shaklee users are in dramatically better health than the other two groups and those who use the typical multivitamin supplements found in the marketplace would be better off doing nothing!

There are also an estimated 5.7 million people who have diabetes and don’t know it! and 57 million people who have pre-diabetes – an impaired glucose tolerance.

More startling is that 1 out of 3 babies born in 2000 will develop diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is 90-95% preventable. The right diet and lifestyle changes can help you in preventing this disease. This is so important, since diabetes leads to other diseases – blindness, heart disease, stroke. Pre-diabetes is 100% preventable.

What are the causes of type 2 diabetes? How many of these conditions do you have?
1. Are you overweight? Where you carry that weight is crucial. If your waist measurement is over 40″ for men and 35″ for women, you are at high risk.
2. Do you have a parent or sibling with diabetes?
3. Did you have gestational diabetes? If so, you have a 50% chance of getting diabetes later in life.
4. Did you have a baby over 9 pounds?
5. Are you sedentary – do not exercise?

To reduce your chances for developing diabetes there are 3 things you can do:
Change your diet, lower your weight and exercise
- Even a modest weight loss will reduce your chances of developing diabetes by 58%
- Increase your movement – a daily walk is great. You don’t have to go to extremes. Just start doing something more than you are doing now.
- Eat nutrient dense foods – not calorie dense. Eat low glycemic food. The glycemic index relates to how quickly the food raises your blood sugar.

So take a step – and I mean that literally too – to prevent YOUR getting diabetes.