Healthy Homes e-News from June 2006

Warm June greetings! We’ve been enjoying beautiful weather this month. This weekend, the children played in the blow-up pool on Saturday, while Glen and I tried our hand at planting a garden – both vegetable & flower. I was very glad to have Glen helping, because I’ve never really planted a garden (that I remember). Glen has much more experience than I do. I’ll let you know how it progresses!

This month we honor the men in our lives – particularly the dads. While my news focuses on men’s health, I couldn’t resist an item for the ladies. : )

In this issue:

1. Poor Diet as Bad as Smoking for Health
2. Is Your Belly Killing You?
3. Sports Nutrition for the Weekend Athlete, Outdoorsman or Gardener
4. Black Cohosh Supplements Don’t Always Live up to Label Claims
5. Spring Specials End This Month!
6. Free Membership with 50 points – end This Month!
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1. Poor Diet as Bad as Smoking for Health (reuters.com)

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Insufficient consumption of fish, fruit and vegetables is as bad for human health as smoking, a Dutch report said.

The study, which the European Food Safety Authority says it will use when analyzing food and diet risks, concludes that most cases of serious illness and death in the Netherlands is caused by poor diet.

"Taking into account not just deaths but also years spent living with serious disability, unhealthy dietary habits cause as much health loss as does smoking," said the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

Some 75 percent of the Netherlands' 16 million people eat fruit and vegetables below the recommended level, said the report, which is a result of an extensive research into the effects of current food trends in the country. (If my household is any indication, probably more Americans eat fruit & vegetables below the recommended level. And, no, French fries don’t count!)

Each year in the Netherlands, poor diet causes about 13,000 deaths due to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, while obesity claims 7,000 lives by causing heart disease and cancer, it said.

Although this study was done in the Netherlands, I think it easily could represent American health as well. If you’re concerned about your poor diet, let me recommend these supplements:

All your basic nutrient needs in a form which your body can use. It doesn’t replace a healthy diet, but can fill in the gaps of what your body needs to be at it’s best.

Here’s what one of my new customers said this week:

“so I love the vitamins. … I definitely have noticed a dramatic difference when I take them and when I don't. My energy levels change, and I got over a cold the fastest I've ever recovered in my life!!! It was crazy!! I took a few extra vitamins of the ones I could take extra, and it was gone the next day!! WOW!!!”

2. Is Your Belly Killing You? (USA Weekend, June 2-4, 2006)

You don’t need “six-pack” abs, but doctors now know a fat gut is far deadlier than once thought, raising your odds for getting heart disease and diabetes.

The danger is visceral fat. It’s what gives you the “spare tire” or “beer gut.”

And the danger cannot be measured by the bathroom scale – instead use a tape measure. Guys, if your waist size (across the belly button – no cheating!) if 40” or more (gals: 35” or more), you need to take action now. (All honesty here – this includes me!)

Why is visceral fat so bad? First, it surrounds and inhibits the function of the most important organs in your body – especially your liver.

Second, it sets off a wicked metabolic chain reaction in your body that’s hard to reverse.

As the amount of fat around your middle increases, it slows down your body’s response to insulin – which results in your pancreas producing more insulin. This leads to high blood pressure and rising cholesterol levels. If the cycle isn’t reversed, your pancreas quits, and you have type 2 diabetes.

What can we do to stop this cycle?

1. Increase your fiber intake. Soluble fiber slows the entry of fats & glucose into the bloodstream, which means your body requires less insulin. Some high-fiber foods are: oatmeal, apples, berries & beans. Need more? Try any of the fiber solutions found here.
2. Be mindful of your caloric intake.
3. Switch from vegetable oil or olive oil in your cooking. Olive oil and avocados can help with insulin resistance.
4. Avoid anything made with white flour & sugar, which spike your blood sugar.
5. Exercise regularly - that almost goes without saying.
Consider a glucose regulator, which helps your body regulate glucose more efficiently.

3. Active Nutrition for the Weekend Athlete, Gardener or Outdoorsman

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to appreciate this brand's active nutrition products – although many do, including the US Olympic Ski and Snowboarding Team.

Find out why The U.S.S.A., Olympic Gold Medal winner Gary Hall (who, by the way, is diabetic), and other professional athletes choose this brand, check out the results of the clinical trials and find product tips here.

4. Black Cohosh Supplements Don’t Always live up to Label Claims (www.hon.ch)

THURSDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- Women taking black cohosh supplements to ease the hot flashes of menopause may not always be getting what they pay for, a new study reveals.

Black cohosh, a plant native to North America that has traditionally been used to treat fatigue, kidney problems and menstrual irregularities, has been used by menopausal women in the United States and Europe for the past 40 years. Some studies have reported that black cohosh improves menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, mood disturbances, palpitations and vaginal dryness, for up to six months.

But the compounds in black cohosh thought to alleviate hot flashes vary widely from product to product, if they are even present at all, say researchers reporting in the May issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry .

In this U.S. study, researchers analyzed 11 of the most popular black cohosh tablets and capsules available in New York City between 2002 and 2004. Using a process called high-performance liquid chromatography, they extracted, separated and identified the hundreds of different compounds within each black cohosh sample.

"We did anticipate some difference in the chemical profiles based on manufacturing and biological differences. But what was surprising was that three of the products that we evaluated didn't have black cohosh at all," said study author Edward Kennelly, of the City University of New York, in New York City. (emphasis mine)

These three supplements claiming to contain black cohosh instead contained an Asian species of Actaea . The Chinese herb is closely related to black cohosh but has not been proven effective in easing menopausal symptoms. To keep up with the increased demand for black cohosh products, supplement manufacturers may substitute Actaea for black cohosh, because it is less expensive to produce, the researchers postulated.

In their study, Kennelly and colleagues maintained that although Actaea is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, it is not clear whether exchanging it or using it in combination with black cohosh is safe or effective.

Kennelly points out that no one is sure which compounds in black cohosh relieve the redness, sweating and pounding heartbeat commonly associated with hot flashes. Triterpene glycosides and phenolic constituents are two of the compounds in black cohosh that experts think may be responsible, but the amounts of these compounds varied widely in the study.

Because of the variability in product quality and the lack of government regulation when it comes to dietary supplements, consumers interested in using black cohosh to relieve menopausal symptoms may need to try more than one brand to find one that works for them.

Or, you can go with a product you can trust – like this one. The quality control standards are so exacting, that the company rejects over one million dollars worth of raw material a year. Also, you can know what is on the label is in each and every one of the tablets/capsules inside. The label says it has 80 mg of Black Cohosh extract – and goes on to specify the latin name for the plant used (Cimicifuga racemosa), that they use the root of the plant, and that it’s standardized to contain 2.5% Triterpene glycosides as 27-deoxyactein. OK, honestly, I don’t understand what it means – except that the scientists are careful to include information on the label for those scientists/nutritionists or other knowledgeable people among us who are wondering exactly what’s going into the product.

Had the scientists above tested these products, they would have found exactly what was on the label. Which is true for every last one of this company's products.