1. Why Constipation Hurts Your Health
2. What Nature Wants As It Pertains To Bowel Movements
3. How To Stay Regular
4. How Much Fiber You Need And Which Fiber Supplement To Choose

Bowel movements are something that we are not really allowed to talk about in our society. It is something that many people are uncomfortable discussing other than in the confines of the doctor’s office or in very private settings. Somehow, it has become lost in us that this is a very normal, vital part of our body functioning properly, and should be as fully understood and open to discussion as our blood pressure or cholesterol. So, here is to making the topic of bowel movements and proper bowel function an acceptable part of any health care discussion.

Do you have a constipation problem? How do you define constipation? I have seen reports from doctors say that for some people it is perfectly normal, just their particular rhythm, to have one bowel movement every 3 days. In my opinion, this is not what nature wants. It is not normal, although it may be typical (but so are high blood pressure and diabetes), to have one bowel movement every 3 days.

This is what nature wants: FOOD IN, FOOD OUT. If you eat 2 to 3 meals a day then you should be having 2 to 3 bowel movements a day. Food in, food out, get it? Do you doubt me? Here’s an example: people who have dogs as pets usually feed their dogs twice a day and the dogs have 2 bowel movements a day. And if a dog went 3 days without having a bowel movement then the owner would have him to the veterinarian immediately. So why would we assume that we are any different from other animals in the animal kingdom?

So, now the issue is, what happens in our body when we are not as regular as we should be? Let’s assume that you eat 3 meals a day and have a bowel movement every other day, and let’s look at a week at a time. That is 21 meals and only 4 bowel movements. What happens to those other 17 meals? I’ll tell you, they hang around, they ferment, they turn into toxins, and those toxins reabsorb into your system. And those toxins can be responsible for all sorts of conditions, like: acne, bad breath, bloating, indigestion, brain fog, arthritis symptoms, diabetes, hormonal imbalances, cancer, etc.
What kinds of things are important to help keep you regular?
Diet & Fiber. The government recommendation for dietary fiber intake is 25 – 30 grams a day, which means you actually need more like 50 – 60 grams. Getting that from diet alone takes some dedication, including plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, grains & beans, with the emphasis on legumes, grains and beans (a banana has only 1 gram of fiber). There are many fiber supplements on the market,however, not all are good. There are three main guidelines for choosing a good fiber supplements:

1. Fiber should be full of nutrients – Many fiber products on the market are made od psyllium or some other nutrient poor fiber. Unfortunately, these fibers are constantly wanting to hold onto nutrition and thus can bind important vitamins and minerals. I recommend fiber supplements that contain ground seeds and vegetables such as flax seed, chia seeds,  rice bran, carrot, hemp seed, beet fibe, etc. One such fiber is called 4Fiber by Genesis Today. This formula is nutrient dense and thus mimics what nature intended.
2. Fiber supplements should contain a good blend of soluble and insoluble fiber.
3. Fiber should not contain harsh or abrasive irritants such as psyllium or senna.

Exercise. Getting exercise is one of the things that signals your bowels to keep moving along. My best recommendation is to walk, jog or run on a regular basis. And that means getting out and taking a walk for a minimum of 30 minutes at a healthy pace at least 3 times a week. And please don’t tell me that you get plenty of exercise at work. That is activity, not exercise. You need to walk just for the sake of walking, not walking from the parking garage to the office building.

Water Intake. One of the major reasons for irregularity is lack of fluids. And the best fluid to drink is water. It should be either filtered or bottled water, never from the tap. And here is a formula to figure out how much water you need. Take your body weight and multiply by 0.7. This is the number of ounces you need on a daily basis. So a 200 pound man needs 140 ounces, or 14 ten ounce glasses of water a day. A 140 pound woman needs about 100 ounces. This is much more than the 8 glasses a day that we have been told.

Probiotics. Probiotics are the bacteria in the gut which play very important roles in supporting immune function, vitamin and mineral absorption, fiber metabolism and control of negative organisms growth. Many things in our lifestyle impact these very important organisms such as stress, antibiotic use and chlorine in the water. There are many on the market, the formula that we use in our practice is called Enteropro and generally only requires one capsule daily for maintanence.

And what do you do about the accumulated toxins that have built up over the years? I recommend taking on an internal cleansing program consisting of herbs and fibers that will cleanse all of the organs of elimination in your body, including the lungs, kidney, liver, skin, and lymph. See the special below if you are interested in a powerful way to give your body a clean slate.

1. The Foundation Program for Intermediate/Advanced Nutrition Programs
2. Learn About Coenzyme Q10
3. Learn About Our Choice Bone Mineral Formula
4. Learn About REAL Vitamin C

So you already know that you should be on a multi-vitamin, an omega-3 fatty acid and a digestive enzyme. So, what’s next? First, let me list the specific products that we suggest for the intermediate/advanced program:

Foundation Program for Intermediate/advanced:

1. Pure Encapsulations Nutrient 950 3 Capsules Twice Daily
2. Wholemega by New Chapter
3. Tyler Similase Digestive Enzyme

Now let me discuss some of the supplements that many people can benefit from. These products are generally considered optional add-ons to the above mentioned foundation program. I will provide a thorough description of each supplement.

1. CoQ10 - Coenzyme Q10 is called ubiquinone by scientists because it is so ubiquitous in the body being found in significant quantities in every living cell. The cells concentrate the coenzyme Q10 within the mitochondria in order to catalyze the production of energy through the burning of oxygen. CoQ10 is such an important cofactor that when levels are not optimal the cells begin to lose their function and disease settles in. At a 75% deficiency your body can no longer sustain life and you die. The organs that are most vital to our survival are usually the ones that are the first to suffer. This occurs because these organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys and immune system all require the most energy to function. Incidentally, you will find very high concentrations of CoQ10 in a gelcap for best absorption. Certain medications such as statin drugs and certain blood pressure medications decrease the body’s ability to produce CoQ10. If you are on these medications, you may require much higher doses in order to prevent a deficiency. Of these meds, the statins are the greatest culprit. You may require 300-400 mg to prevent disease. In recent months a new, advanced form of CoQ10 hit the market called ubiquinol . This form of CoQ10 absorbs better and may get into the mitochondria more readily where it can do its most good.
2. Progena Osteo Plus - This formula contains all of the minerals necessary to feed the bone building cells. By providing the right forms and doses of calcium, magnesium, boron, silica, and other trace minerals this formula will support healthy bones and joints. The sophisticated nutrition enthusiast understands that the bones require more than just calcium alone. In fact, the bones are equally dependant on minerals and proteins such as those minerals listed above. Progena has formulated a product that combines calcium and magnesium at nearly 1:1 which is optimal for our diet which is highly biased towards calcium.
3. Food Souced Vitamin C - Vitamin C is a very important nutrient in our body. At some point in our evolution, we had lost the ability to produce this vital nutrient as we became dependant on vitamin C in our diet. Vitamin C probably plays thousands of important roles in our bodies and thus tops the list of important nutrients. The vitamin C that works best in the body is not the ascorbic acid found in most health food supplements. In fact, the ascorbic acid is not vitamin C, rather it is the protective shell of the vitamin C molecule which is comprised of bioflavonoids, minerals and enzymes. To get the full benefit of true vitamin C, you will want to get your vitamin C from food sourced products such as a supplement called Pure Radiance C by the Synergy company.  This is a concentrateof various fruits and herbs that contain high levels of true whole food C.

1. What is the first key to staying healthy?
2. The power of enzymes
3. 7 steps to flawless digestion

The key to maintaining health is a properly functioning digestive system. Simply put, your body must be able to take something from the outside world, break it down into its smallest parts, and absorb those parts to be able to build and repair. It is at the very moment that your body stops doing this that disease or illness begins. Secondary to that, if there is a backup in the sewage system of your body then digestion cannot work properly.

Your stomach actually has two parts. The upper part, also known as the “Cardiac Stomach” is basically a warm, moist chamber where food sits for about 20 minutes after being eaten. While sitting there food enzymes begin to break the food in your stomach down. All foods coming directly from nature are equipped with the proper enzymes to break themselves down. Leave a piece of raw meat out on the counter and it will start to degrade…part of that process is caused by the enzymes going to work. This is the very reason “aged” beef is tender, it is already breaking itself down. Once the food has sat in the upper stomach for a period of time, it drops to the lower part where the body then does the rest of the digestion work, mostly from the work of the liver and the pancreas.

Ideally, this process is a fifty-fifty proposition. Half of digestion is done by your body and half is done by the enzymes that are in the food. But what happens with most of us? Zero percent gets done by the enzymes and we expect our bodies to do all of the digestion work. This happens because the food that we eat no longer contains the enzymes. There are four things that we do to food that kill the enzymes; 1) cooking food over 118 degrees, 2) processing food, 3) microwaving food, and 4) drinking carbonated beverages.

When you ask your body to do all of the digestion work there are 2 important things that may result. First, the food you eat does not get digested completely. Second, and maybe more important, your liver and pancreas become overworked, stressed, and they start to ignore all of their other functions. The liver is responsible for clearing toxins from the body and processing cholesterol. The pancreas is responsible for the body using sugar appropriately and efficiently. Adult Onset Diabetes was rarely seen in this country until we started eating a processed food diet. Now, doctors feel it is only a matter of time before everyone ends up with sugar problems.

Enzymes are compounds within your body and within the food that catalyze or speed a chemical reaction. Some chemical reactions in the body would occur so slowly that they would not be able to sustain life without these vital enzymes. As enzymes deplete, the body’s chemical metabolic reactions slow and tissue repair and building is interrupted. There are two main types of enzymes in the body; digestive enzymes and metabolic enzymes. We already touched on the digestive enzymes, now let’s discuss metabolic enzymes. The metabolic enzymes are responsible for repair and maintenance of the body. The problem is, both the digestive and metabolic enzymes draw from the same enzyme building blocks. If your body is forced to produce more of the bulky digestive enzymes there will not be enough building blocks then the metabolic enzymes suffer. This is why eating raw food is so important and why it is equally important to use digestive enzyme supplements with cooked food.

There are a number of other things that can also improve digestion. So here are my tips for proper digestion:

1. Sit down while you eat (and this coming from a pharmacist!).
2. Take 10 long, deep breathes before eating. This will reset the nervous system so that blood flow is diverted from the extremities to the digestive tract where you need it most.
3. Chew your food completely before you swallow.
4. Do not “preload” your fork with your next bite of food until you are done with the current mouthful.
5. Do not drink even moderate amounts of fluids while you are eating (this only dilutes your digestive juices).
6. Concentrate on your food with appreciation while you are eating instead of the television or newspaper.
7. Consider taking a digestive enzyme with each meal. The plant based digestive enzyme that we use with great success is calledTyler Similase.

1. The Missing “Activity Secret” for a Raging Metabolism
2. A Special Tool That You Can Use to Keep Your Metabolsim Stoked All Day

Call me an optimist but I am going to assume that if you are considering yourself a seasoned practitioner of the wellness lifestyle, you already workout 4-5 times a week. In this section I am not going to waste time preaching to the choir about the benefits of activity and exercise. Instead, I am going to spend our brief time together teaching you an advanced technique that is designed to supercharge your metabolism all day long. If my assumption is correct then you exercise for 30-60 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week. During this 30-60 minute period, your metabolism elevates as the energy manufacturing engines get firing. What happens after your workout is complete? Well, depending on the intensity of the workout, the metabolism can be elevated for a few minutes or a few hours before it returns to normal. What if we could increase your metabolism all day long instead of just for two to three hours during and after your workout?

So let’s get into this amazing technique, it’s simplicity is going to blow you away! All you have to do to take advantage of this powerful technique is get up and do 2-3 minutes of oxygenating activity every 30-60 minutes or so. By getting up out of your chair and doing thirty jumping jacks, a few minutes of jogging in place, some push ups or chair squats you will boost your metabolism, activate fat burning enzymes, burn up sugar and keep those energy producing engines of your cells firing away. Here is the magical piece of the principle,your metabolism doesn’t immediately return to normal once the activity stops. It takes about 30 minutes for your metabolic engines to get the signal to back to baseline. At that point you kick them back up by doing 2-3 more minutes of activity. More magic happens, metabolism is the key to feeling energetic. By activating your metabolic pathways regularly throughout the day you will energize and oxygenate all of your tissues. The bottom line…you feel much better! You may also sleep better.

Now let me tell you about my greatest obstacle in putting this technique to use. When I first started practicing this technique I would find myself getting caught up in my work and forgetting to do my 3 minutes of movement. I was still much more active, but I was not utilizing this principle to its potential. So, I did some research and found a tool that is so simple and so ingenious that I wished that I had thought of it first. This product got me up and moving every 35 minutes on the dot! The product is called The Invisible Clock II. This tiny pager-sized timer can be set to have a repeatable countdown that either vibrates or beeps to alert you that it is time to move. I set the repeat timer and every 35 minutes it beeps or vibrates to remind me to spark my metabolism with 2-3 minutes of activity. I have felt more energetic and creative throughout the day, probably due to the increased circulation to the brain.

Think & Grow Healthy
Getting your mind involved in promoting health.

We simply can not separate our thoughts from our physiology. You must make your mind healthy to allow your body to heal. How do you do this? If you are an angry person, learn to smile. If you are a worried person, learn to trust. If you are a dishonest person, learn to tell the truth. Your mind and spirit must be in harmony to achieve optimal health. In a moment, I am going to tell you about my all time favorite book for helping to control worry.

Healthy mind, healthy body. This is as much a law of nature as the law of gravity. It has been my experience that someone who spends one-half their time with a negative mental attitude will experience approximately one-half the health of someone who spends the majority of their life under the blanket of a positive mental attitude. If you follow any of the steps listed here, follow this one. If you live with a positive mental attitude, I guarantee that you will have dramatic improvements in your health! No matter what ailment you may have, a positive mental attitude will provide relief in one way or another.

The great modern day philosopher, Napolean Hill said it best when he said,“Every negative event that happens in one’s life holds with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit, simply seek out that seed in every negative experience you have.”

Many people have no idea how their mental state impacts the physical body. There is now an entire science that studies how the mind can impact the immune system, it is called psychoneuroimmunology. It has been known since the early 1900s that the mind impacts the body in many ways. One day I stumbled upon an old book for sale called How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, written by Dale Carnegie. This book is over 65 years old and I believe it to be one of the best books ever written on the subject of worry and mental state. He focuses a number of chapters on the discussion of how the mental state impacts health and gives many examples and techniques for changing your thought process. This book is an absolute must read.

1. Produced in FDA Approved manufacturing facilities
Now we are not huge fans of the FDA when it comes to their process of drug analysis and approval, however, we do acknowledge and accept their process of certifying manufacturing plants as being up-to-spec in relation to pharmaceutical and nutritional production.

2. Follow GMP Standards
In recent years there has been a lot of press around good manufacturing procedures (GMP), specifically with nutritional supplements. These products proudly sport the GMP insignia as though that is all that is necessary to prove the product is of high quality. GMPs are the pharmaceutical guidelines that dictate the procedures for producing medications. The press jumped right on the bandwagon, making statements like “look on your bottle for the GMP insignia for good quality products.” Although it is a step in the right direction, there is still a lot more to consider when looking for product quality. It is technically possible to encapsulate dirt while following GMP standards. You could then honestly put the GMP symbol on the bottle.

3. Independent Certificates of Analysis
The FDA comes through again by keeping tabs on independent laboratories. By having the end product tested by an independent lab, you get another certification that what is on the label is in the bottle. This is the extra step that most companies do not go through due to the extra expense.

4. Raw Materials and Standardization
When we look for the best brands, we look for products that use the raw materials and standardization used in the actual studies. If those brands are not available we then look for a product that standardizes to the same level as the product in the research. This requires a lot of time hunting down and studying research articles.

5. Proof is in the Pudding
Only when a product has passed the previous four steps do we use it in our practice. We then monitor results and if it works consistently, then we use it. If it doesn’t work, then we scrap it.

Next let’s talk about some of the more important supplements for you to learn about. The role of the multi-vitamin is to provide a security blanket of nutrition to cover deficiencies of the Standard American Diet (S.A.D) Today’s foods, including the fruits and vegetables, do not contain sufficient amounts of nutrition to allow our bodies to function at optimal levels. Likewise, a multiple vitamin that contains the minimal levels of vitamins and minerals set by the RDA does nothing to assist you in the achievement of “Optimal Health”. The One-A-Day formulas of the world fall into this category. The multiple vitamins found in the local pharmacies are typically of very poor quality because of both the dosage and forms of the nutrients provided. A lot goes into finding a good quality multi-vitamin. In all of our research we have found only a few multi-vitamins worth carrying. The Multi T/D is our most basic multi and a great orientation to natural products. It contains sufficient levels to rev up the cells without overwhelming your system. The one capsule twice a day dosing assures compliance and ease of use.

The use of a digestive enzyme is a simple step to improving your digestion.The enzyme that we have used in our practice is the Similase digestive enzyme. This is a vegetarian enzyme that will help you digest your entire meal from meat to veggies. We suggest 1-2 capsules per meal depending on your response and the size of the meal.

Omega-3 fatty acids are the most important nutritional supplement on the market today because they are so deplete in our diet and they play such an important role in our body. If you are on a strict budget, this is the supplement to start with. Research has shown that supplementing your body with omega-3 fatty acids can help:

1. Lower triglycerides (Ann NY Acad Sci.1993;683:337-340)
2. Improve psoriasis (Clin Exp Dermatol.1992;17(3):159-162)
3. Prevent blockage of arteries after angioplasty (Arch Intern Med.1993;153(13):1595-1601)
4. Helps control blood sugar (Diabetes Care.1998;21:494-500)
5. Prevents angina (Atherosclerosis.1987;64(1):13-19
6. Decreases risk of sudden death (JAMA. 1998;279:23-28)

These are just a small sampling of the studies on omega-3 fatty acids. We will be posting a lot more research on omega-3 fatty acids in the very near future.

Essential Fatty Acids are a critical part of any general health program. During the course of the war on heart disease fat became a key focus of the healthcare establishment. Before long fat and cholesterol were being stricken from our kitchens, replaced with liquid plastics we call margarines and spreads. Eggs were soon being tossed from the refrigerator replaced by a milk carton shaped fat-free egg substitute. The result was an upward surge in the incidence of heart disease as well as a downward surge in the quality of life of the American public. They were still dying of heart disease, the only difference was that their last meal now consisted of a bland egg substitute fried in a liquid plastic and washed down with a glass of milk byproduct. Fat is critical to optimal health, as a matter of fact you cannot achieve “optimal health” without the right kinds of fats in the diet!

I will simplify the discussion of fats by pointing out the two main types of fat, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Although the omega-6 fats are villainized as the “bad fats” they are only bad because we eat them in excess while neglecting the omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-6 fats come from vegetable oils, conventional beef and chicken, farm grown fish and certain nuts (peanuts, cashews, etc.) Omega-3 fatty acids are found in range-grown or grass-fed beef and chicken, flax oil, perilla oil, wild caught cold water fish and nuts such as walnuts. Because of the deficiency in the omega-3 fatty acids in the foods we eat, it has become necessary for the typical American to supplement with the healthy omega-3 fats.

The omega-3 fatty acids are important for the normal functioning of nearly every system in the body. For a more detailed description of essential fatty acids see the article Healthy Fats. If you need to cook with oil, the best cooking oil available is MacNut Australian macadamia nut oil. This oil protects the food from oxidation during the cooking process and enhances the food with powerful antioxidants and heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.

If you have any questions about which product to use, please contact our pharmacists. Below are described our most popular omega-3 supplements:

	Popular Omega-3 Supplements
	Product Highlights When do we use this product? Flax Oil Flax Seed Flax oil is a vegetarian source of an essential fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid (ALA). This fatty acid is utilized by the body to form other important essential fatty acids (EPA/DHA). This is a great supplement for those who want to avoid animal sources of EFAs. The minimum dose for benefits to be realized is usually one tablespoonful daily or about 9 capsules. If you have a higher fat intake or a history of heart disease or diabetes should consider adding fish oil to ensure that your body gets all the essential fats it needs. Because of the volatile nature of flax oil, we use only Barleans brand flax oil. This company specializes in the proper extraction and storage of flax oil. They also offer a special flax oil called “High Lignan Flax Oil” which may offer additional benefits to women. EPA/DHA (Fish Oil) Cold Water Atlantic Fish Fish oil is a great source of two omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. These two essential fatty acids seem to play a role in protection of the blood vessels, heart, brain, immune system, etc. This product is used with people who have a significant risk of heart disease. Current research has shown fish oil to be a powerful protector of the blood vessels and heart through various mechanisms. Fish oil is an accepted treatment for high triglyceride levels. Because people suffering from heart disease have a need for higher levels of EPA and DHA, fish oil is the product of choice. Suggested dosage can range from 4-9 caps daily.

Below you will find the three products that we most commonly suggest for people starting with natural products.
	Multi T/D – High potency Two-A-Day Multi-Vitamin Now that you are in the Your Prescription for Health community, it is time for you to go into your medicine cabinet and throw out the Centrum(R) or any pharmacy-bought one-a-day multi. You are going to learn why as you read on. For now, just trust us. This multi is a great starter multi. It contains all the right natural forms of the nutrients and in much healthier doses than one-a-day formulas.
	Similase Digestive Enzyme This is a plant sourced digestive enzyme that will help you draw more nutrition out of your food and supplements. The enzymes in this formula will help you break down you carbohydrates, fats and proteins so that body can absorb the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. People generally feel healthier and more energetic as their bodies get nourished. 1 Capsule with each meal.
	Your Prescription for Health Super Omega-3 Fish Oil Enteric Coated We specially pick this formula because it is a potent and pure fish oil that is enteric coated so that there is never any fishy taste, even in people with less than optimal digestive systems. We suggest that you take 2 capsules twice daily, this sounds like a lot but fish oil is the most important supplement of all.

	Start your Supplement Program, now.
	Most people who reach this page are ready to get started right away with a nutritional supplement program. If your goal is just to learn more about health, then click the “Next Step” at the bottom of the page. It is our experience that supplements speed the achievement of a healthy lifestyle and dramatically magnify the results of any health program. To encourage you to jump in and get started we are making this OFFER at a huge discount on our most popular starter program! This will be the only time that this discount will be offered on a starter program. If you choose to move on, you will be able to get the same products at our usual 20% discount later. This is a ONE TIME discountavailable only to new subscribers to our newsletter. Once you leave this page it is gone for good. If you want to move on without taking advantage of this offer click the “Next Step” link at the bottom of the page. If you order right now, you will have 60 days to try the program. If you are not completely satisfied, you can return the empty bottles for a full refund. So, don’t miss out on this one time opportunity, choose the button below.

Disease Starts with Poor Digestion

1. Why digestion is the key to health
   
2. Why our digestion is so dysfunctional
   
3. What are enzymes and why they are so important to your health.
4. 7 Steps to better digestion

Digestion, the Key to Health

Simply put, your body must be able to take something from the outside world, break it down into its smallest parts, and absorb those parts to be able to build and repair. If digestion can’t get those building blocks to areas in need of repair, then those tissues can become diseased.

Why is Our Digestion So Dysfunctional?

1. Lack of raw fruits and vegetables. In his book, The Enzyme Factor, world renowned physician and inventor of the colonoscopy writes about his experience in exploring the colons of thousands of patients (healthy and sick). During his “explorations”, he discovered that the health of the colon was almost always a good indicator for the health of the body in general. He discovered that fruit and vegetable intake was a strong indicator of colon and overall health. He started placing his sick patients on a diet high in raw fruits and vegetables. Soon his sick patients began to feel better and better. When he re-explored the colons of his previously sick patients, he noticed that their digestive tracts were far healthier as well! He hypothesized that fruits and vegetables contain an enzyme building block, he deemed the Enzyme Factor which improves digestion and catalyzes the regeneration of the body’s 100 trillion cells.
2. Overcooking our food. Processing and heat damage or destroy the fragile enzymes that are naturally found in raw foods. This will ultimately lead to a deficiency of enzymes, vitamins and proteins.
3. Too much fluid intake at meals. By drinking large quantities of fluid with meals, we dilute the digestive juices. This results in a stomach environment that does not permit optimal digestion.
4. Eating on the run or in a stressed state. Stress of any kind can virtually paralyze the digestive tract. When we eat in a stressed state, the body diverts blood flow to the extremities and brain and away from the digestive tract.
5. Excess weight. Being overweight can cause numerous digestive problems from heartburn to gall bladder dysfunction.
6. Lack of exercise. Exercise and activity is a well-known stimulant to the digestive tract. Sedentary people commonly suffer with constipation, gall bladder problems and reflux. Activity is the catalyst of growth and repair in the body, it makes sense that the body will kick up digestion in response to exercise in order to get and deliver building blocks to the cells of the body.
7. Antibiotic use. When we take antibiotics to kill off an infection, the trillions of healthy bacteria in the gut, that are a critical component of digestion and elimination, are also impacted.
8. Chronic use of antacids. Antacid medications are used judiciously in our society. These medications were designed for short-term use while the patient recovered from a digestive event, such as an ulcer or digestive injury. Today, these medications are prescribed as a lifetime treatment for heartburn. In our opinion, this is having a catastrophic effect on the health and vitality of our population due to the fact that it prevents proper digestion and assimilation of the nutrients that we consume.

7 Steps to Good Digestion

There are a number of steps that one can take to improve digestion. So here are my tips for proper digestion:

1. Sit down while you eat.
2. Take 10 long, deep breathes before eating. This will reset the nervous system so that blood flow is diverted from the extremities to the digestive tract where you need it most.
3. Do not “preload” your fork with your next bite of food until you are done with the current mouthful.
4. Limit fluid intake at meal time. Drink fluids in between meals.
5. Concentrate on your food with appreciation while you are eating instead of the television or newspaper.
6. Consider taking a digestive enzyme with each meal. The plant based digestive enzyme that we use with great success is called Tyler Similase. This enzyme works throughout the entire digestive tract to help the body break down and assimilate the nutrients within your food.
7. Eat raw fruits and vegetables with each meal.

Consequences of Living Your Life on the Couch

The unfortunate result of common aging in sedentary people is weight gain and aging. Studies have shown that by the age of 65 we are burning approximately 500 less calories per day. That equates to 52 pounds worth of calories A YEAR! Medicine has a name for this muscle loss, it’s called “sarcopenia”.

Why Activity and Exercise is Worth Your Time

Scientists have found that you can virtually eliminate age-related muscle loss by just getting in the gym and lifting weights two or three times a week. As a matter of fact, after putting senior citizens who had lost tremendous amounts of muscle on a regular exercise program they were able to improve their strength to that of a person 20 – 30 years younger.

First Step to Getting Active

If you have become a couch potato and you want to begin the path to an active lifestyle begin simply by increasing your motion all day long. A pedometer can keep you honest about your activity level by counting your steps all day long. Your goal is to shoot for 10,000 steps every day. After you are moving again, you can begin to move faster and faster through a structured fitness program. Whenever you are trying to increase your activity it is critical that you make only small changes! As you make those changes you will sleep better, your mind will function better, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol will begin to normalize, you will literally feel 20 years younger.

Strength Training – How to Get Started

As I mentioned, strength training can offer huge benefits to the aging body. If you are currently sedentary and looking to get started with exercise I would suggest setting up a few sessions with a personal trainer to learn the exercises. A good trainer should be able to explain proper exercise technique and be certified by a reputable certifying agency (such as ACE or NSCA) in the fitness industry. You should start with just one session per week for the first 2-3 weeks followed by 2-3 sessions per week thereafter. If you happen to love it and want to lift weights every day well then more power to you! Just make sure to alternate body parts to allow the body to repair and rejuvenate between workouts. If you live near Owings Mills, Maryland, visitwww.personaltrainingrx.com for a personal trainer recommendation.

You can significantly decrease your risk of developing such diseases as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, depression, cancer, obesity, and the list goes on and on. Almost every condition known to man can benefit from a proper exercise program, so get started where you stand today! If you have not had a physical in quite a while just start with 15 minutes of walking daily until you get the green light from your doctor. Then you can pursue a more aggressive exercise program.

Simple rules for major benefits.

1. The Golden Rule That Takes The Guesswork Out of Eating Healthy
2. What is Nutrient Density and How to Use it to Your Advantage
3. Good Carbohydrates Versus Bad Carbohydrates – There Are No Bad Apples!
4. A Book Recommendation for Healthy Eating
5. How to Get Good Clean Drinking Water for Your Home

There are a few simple rules to follow when choosing the foods that are permitted to enter your mouth. Remember, every year all of the molecules in your body have been replaced with entirely new molecules. Those molecules will be comprised of the molecules that you put in your mouth through your food. So, it would make good sense to fill your body with healthy, living enzymes and nutrients.

This section will introduce you to natural eating, it is not a full course on healthy eating but it should give you plenty of information to get you started.

Rule number one, follow the golden rule: “Eat foods in the package that nature provides!” You don’t see orange juice growing on a tree, you see oranges growing on a tree. Follow this rule and you will be half way to a healthy diet. You see, when you drink a glass of orange juice you are getting the sugar equivalent of 4-6 oranges. This sugar has been liberated from the fiber of the pulp and is thus much more readily absorbed into the blood. Whenever sugar enters into the blood at such a fast rate it reeks havoc regardless of whether that product comes from fruit or not. It is much healthier to eat the whole orange. You will get the fiber and the extra bioflavonoids! This rule goes well beyond OJ, if you apply it to the majority of your diet, you will literally change your health in one swoop. It is THAT powerful. You don’t need to learn complex rules, count calories, or read packages, just eat REAL food from nature as often as possible.

Rule number two, nutrient density decides the quality of food. Nutrient density has to do with how much nutrition there is in a food in comparison to how many calories are present. High levels of nutrition and low calorie count make for an ideal food. Any food with low or average nutrient levels along with high calorie levels is considered unhealthy. If you eat lots of vegetables and fruits while following the Golden Rule, then you can almost never go wrong. Pick the fruits and vegetables that are the most colorful as these will have the most healthful qualities! Although you can not always guarantee the presence of vitamins and minerals, you can always guarantee the presence of healthy phytochemicals such as carotenoids by merely looking at the product. These phytochemicals are what give fruits and vegetables their vivid color.

What About Meat?

There is a lot of controversy regarding how meat impacts your health. On one side of the story you hear the high protein arguments and on the other the vegetarian arguments.
If we look at our Paleolithic ancestors, it is estimated that 45-85% of their calories came from animal sources such as fish, insects, birds, amphibians, mammals, etc. Scientists estimate the daily protein intake of Paleolithic man to be 300-400 grams of protein per day, along with 200 grams of fat.  (Sisson, Mark. Primal Blueprint)

The debate surrounding vegetarian versus omnivores living is ridiculous because it is possible to be very healthy or very unhealthy eating either way. Personally, I choose a omnivore lifestyle that includes large quantities of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. I choose lean meats and consume these lean sources of protein with most of my main meals. If you choose to be vegetarian, you must be sure to supplement with sublingual B12 and consume plenty of sources of vegetarian protein. Regardless of whether you choose a vegetarian or omnivore lifestyle, there is one rule that you must follow to enjoy optimal health…

Third, cut out refined carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, white rice, candy and sugar as much as possible. There is nothing good coming out of these foods but taste. We do not need to drop them out of our diet completely, however, we do need to significantly limit their intake. With a little self-discipline we can learn to love healthier foods like we love these nutrient poor, carbohydrate based products. If you can achieve these goals, you will be well on your way to optimal health!

If you would like a great book suggestion to get you started on the path of healthy eating I would highly suggest Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. This book really helps people understand a healthy diet and provides TONS of great health tips that you can put to use right away.

Finally, drink your water! Few people realize just how important water intake is to your body’s health. I have seen peoples energy skyrocket, blood pressures drop, allergies improve,  and memories return to youthful levels, simply by drinking more water! Here are some tips for working more water into your lifestyle:

1. Keep a 32 oz bottle of water on your desk, sip at it all day long. If you freeze it over night you can sip at it as it melts throughout the day. If you do freeze it please be sure to fill the bottle only two-thirds the way to allow the water to expand.
2. Get a NSF certified filter for home use and USE IT! A good filter is New Wave 10-Stage Filter .

1. When Good Fruits Go Bad
2. When Refined Carbohydrates Are Ok to Eat
3. Where Dr. Atkins Went Wrong
4. How Many Meals to Eat per Day

Diet is perhaps one of the most confusing areas of health because there are so many people claiming so many different diets are the “best”. There are more different diets on the market today than ever before. Which has the best formula? Well, this question does not have a cut and dry answer because there is a lot of metabolic variance in our population. Let me give you an example. Fruit is considered very good for you as long as you eat it in the package that nature provides. Generally speaking people do not develop diabetes or get fat from eating fruits. However, if you are diabetic or heavily insulin resistant then it would be in your best interest to limit your fruit intake until your insulin resistance is improved. Not to confuse you further but many diabetics can eat fruit freely without any negative consequences to their blood sugar. The simple point is the diet that works best for you is the diet that works best for you! We can make general statements about what is most likely to be healthy but in the end you must put it to the test for yourself. So let’s start with a review of the tried-and-true principles that appear to apply to most people, we will then speak to the possible exceptions. Remember, as we move into intermediate and advanced principles, we are moving away from cookie cutter suggestions into more fluid and customizable principles:

1. Eat your food in the package nature provides. Simply put, oranges are good, orange juice is not so good. Eat fresh veggies over canned veggies. High fiber grain products generally are healthier than low fiber grain products. Simple enough…le’s move on.

2. Refined carbohydrates are generally bad…most of the time. For most people refined carbohydrates are not useful unless food is scarce. In a world of culinary abundance refined carbs are the most common cause of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. However, there is a place for refined carbohydrates amidst people who workout heavily or take part in competitive sports. When you workout heavily you can quickly deplete your carbohydrate stores in your muscles. During heavy activity, muscle is damaged and requires repair. This repair can not take place until the sugar stores have been replaced and can then fuel the repair process. By taking your refined carbohydrates directly after weight training, when your muscles are most sensitive to insulin, you can enhance recovery from activity, speed muscle repair and decrease soreness. Here is the golden nugget for people who are not competitive athletes, when you intend to have a pasta meal or some other high carb meal, try timing the meal soon after your workout. This will help with recovery and keep your blood sugar from spiking. This is especially helpful if you are lifting weights. So, this means that if you simply refuse to give up your pasta then the second best option is to make a pact with yourself that you will exercise vigorously before having your meal.

3. Eat lean protein. One area where me and the late Dr. Atkins part ways in our protein philosophies is in the quality of the protein in question and the quantity. I do not ascribe to the philosophy that you can eat bacon, butter, high fat beef, etc for every meal and still be healthy. Great sources of protein include lean beef, chicken, eggs and fish. I believe that people should lean towards a raw, vegetable and fruit rich diet. If you eat meat, you must make sure that you make an effort to enhance your intake of living plant foods to help balance your body. I also suggest eating free range meat and eggs whenever possible. So how much meat should you eat? The answer is…it depends. When you look at our closest mammal relatives you see that the apes are primarily vegetarian, although, if a lizard happens to scurry by they may pick it up and toss it in their mouth. They are what is called opportunistic carnivores. I declare myself the same. I try to eat most of my food as raw vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, however, if a filet mignon falls on my plate I will eat that too. I suggest limiting meat intake to one serving or less per day and making sure that we eat lots of fruits, vegetables and healthy nuts. If you are a bodybuilder or on a heavy weight lifting program then you may want to increase this intake. Athletes and fitness buffs should get extra protein from egg whites and whey protein shakes and smoothies to account for their extra needs.

4. Meal Frequency, how often should we eat? This is a common questions, so let’s answer it. From my research I have come to the following conclusion. Generally, most people will be healthiest with small, frequent meals. This is especially the case with people who are working out on a regular basis. If you eat meals with refined carbohydrates then make sure that you limit the portion size and only three of the five or six meals contain refined carbs. You should allow a 4-5 hour period between those refined carb containing meals. This will allow time for the body to process the carbohydrates, metabolize out the insulin and will allow the body time to burn some of those carbs away between main meals.