Be Well health tips Archives - Page 10 of 18

reduce medication

Posted on August 22, 2014

Gentle Reader,

The recent Global Conference in Long Beach held by the company whose products I rely on to support my optimal health, reflected some big picture changes in our world’s approach to health. Perhaps it would be more correct to say, big picture trends in our world’s health challenges and a call to approach those challenges from a different perspective. From the Ebola outbreak in Africa to the obesity epidemic in the more opulent populations, we are experiencing greater threats to physical health and well-being across the globe. Huge sums of money go toward finding medications to cure the threats. For the first time in history, our children may not reach the ages of their grandparents and parents. While many in the US and Canada live to be 100 and even more, their health span is not keeping up with their life span because of health challenges. The research in the medical field is geared to curing illness. A staggering number of people of all ages take prescription medications, and this number is on the increase. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to reduce medication instead of increasing reliance on drugs?

What the Shaklee Corporation medical and research staff focus on is prevention. Their web site reflects this “Healthy Foundations” – “Healthy Solutions” approach, encouraging people to look at their health concerns and direct their attention and dollars to bringing their bodies and minds up to a peak level of performance through nutritional support. They might even be able to reduce medication. “But”, you might counter, “there are so many non-medical options on the market today, all screaming for your attention, and they all seem to be less expensive.”

How much is optimal health worth to you? Where is the proof that Shaklee’s “foundations” and “solutions” are more effective? I urge you to do your own research on the effectiveness topic as I did so many years ago. First, my body responded positively to the foundations program. Then I wrote to Shaklee asking for their research papers so I could read for myself how the studies were conducted, how they controlled for variables, who their test population was (did I fit that profile?), etc. My research supported what my body experienced and I was All In for good, letting all the noise of other product offerings, regardless of the price, fade from my attention.

One woman who is complaining of lack of focus and forgetfulness attributes these health failings to age. I asked her if she was OK with that progression or would consider slowing it down, maybe even reversing it. She said she was skeptical of all medicine, and that supplements seemed like the same thing to her. That got me thinking about my own health history. I started out in a medical family where the latest drug was offered for the slightest symptom and the firm belief was “better living through chemistry.” I offered her research papers so she could educate herself. She really didn’t want to continue on this downward path and was open. “But”, she added, “I won’t retain research documentation. How have these supplements affected people’s health?, was her next question.

I have pointed you to the research. Here are a couple of testimonies for you. The first is about our immune boosting supplement, Nutriferon. There are several excellent studies using this supplement. You can find them on the web. This will be especially interesting to anyone with thyroid challenges.

November 24, 2013

Shaklee testimonial on Nutriferon:

I ordered my first bottle of Shaklee Nutriferon on 4/20/2010:

When my husband was found to have COPD the first of 2013, I started giving him a double dose (4 pills) a day. Then when his tests with the pulmonary specialist started getting better numbers, he is just taking 1 dose of 2 pills a day. He still has some breathing problems but his last test showed normal numbers. He is helping himself also by walking every day and watching what he eats. I contribute Nutriferon and his change in lifestyle helped him with his condition.

I was diagnosed with having a thyroid problem 44 years ago and I have been on Synthroid ever since then. I have been faithful about getting a physical with blood tests once a year. Throughout all those years, the dosage of Synthroid has never gone down. In April, 2010 I started taking 1 dose (2 pills) of Nutriferon a day. In June, 2013, I had my regular yearly tests and the doctor lowered the dosage and after 3 months I had another blood test and he lowered the dosage again. I am now taking .123 MG a day which is what I was taking years ago. I will have another blood test in Feb. 2014 to find out if he needs to lower again. This had never happened in all the 44 years of taking thyroid medicine.

Also, I was put on Benicar 20 MG for high blood pressure in 2007 and now this year the doctor has said to split the pill and take half a pill a day.

My husband and I are going to continue taking Nutriferon, since we are convinced it is helping us with overall health. I have it on Autoship.

I want to thank Mary Reece and Joyce Brown with introducing me to Nutriferon. I started taking Nutriferon to boost my immune system and it has done so much more.

Connie Protsman, Atmore, Alabama

This testimony is about depression, one of the primary causes of prescription medication in the US. Perhaps there is another way to handle mental health challenges.

Ten years ago, I found myself in a very deep depression (even suicidal at times) as a result of situational and familial stresses. As a result of a very tuned-in nurse at the embassy (in Rabat, Morocco) who asked the right question that got me to open up and discovered that I would benefit greatly from taking anti-depressants. I started taking them January of 2004. I began with Zoloft then changed to Paxil within a few months; in addition I sought psychological support from an US-trained psychiatrist there in Rabat.

I began feeling better and more functional pretty quickly. However, within 6 months I realized I had gained significant weight. This was surprising to me because I had started teaching fitness classes again because I felt so much better, was working out very regularly and eating better! Within 10 months, I had gained nearly 55 pounds! I was, at this point, back in the US and my doctor switched me to Prozac in hopes of stopping the weight gain. It did, for the most part, but also I wasn’t able to lose any of that weight gained.

Fast forward a few years, I wasn’t really happy like I remembered being prior to my depression and I had another psychiatrist tell me that I would be on anti-depressants the rest of my life after having had 2 episodes of severe post-partum depression. This scared me! I was determined to prove him wrong…somehow. On the anti-depressants, I wasn’t able to really experience the highs of happiness and joy; the only benefit was that I was no longer experiencing the deep lows and depression, which was great.

January 2010, my neighbor reintroduced me to Shaklee (I grew up using the Shaklee cleaners and supplements due to a loving mother) and suggested that I try the Stress Relief Complex (SRC) to help me with the added stresses of 3 growing and demanding children and an ever-increasingly stressful marriage. Within 3 months, because I loved how much better the Stress Relief Complex had helped me, I started taking Shaklee’s Vitalizer pack to increase my nutrition AND started my Shaklee business! I spoke with my Doctor and told her I’d like to come off of the Prozac because of how I was feeling/doing taking the Shaklee supplements. She was, thankfully, on-board with me but made me promise to keep an RX just in case and if I experienced any bad side effects to talk to her. Within 10 months of beginning the Stress Relief Complex and adding in Vitalizer, I realized that I hadn’t taken an anti-depressant for several weeks! That was October 2010! I’ve been anti-depressant free ever since!

Since then I was able to lose ALL of the weight I’d gained, plus more, using the Shaklee weight management system, continuing my multivitamin use, Stress Relief Complex as needed and adding in extra B-Complex!

More recently, I’ve learned about the benefits of increasing vitamin D3 and extra calcium if depression /anxiety also causes increased muscle tension. I’ve been able to help many women come off of their anti-depressants naturally and now, help members of my own family with nutritional support with similar issues.

*Always talk to your doctor about your plans; get their support and seek professional counseling as needed, as well as increase your own personal support network of trusted family and friends.* I have also made thorough use of a therapist for counseling purposes as needed and continue to seek support from her as needed! All things considered – for myself and others who’ve tried this approach — nutritional therapy and counseling services have made the most difference when combined!

Happier and Healthier than ever! –CK Gaush, April 2014 www.ckgaush.myshaklee.com

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving!

Betsy

206 933 1889

If you have had a significant health benefit from using Shaklee supplements, resulting is getting off medications, please let me know. Others would like to hear your story.

100 years of innovation

Posted on August 17, 2014

Gentle Readers,

Celebrating 100 years of product innovation, on the eve of our 100th anniversary of uniting science & nature, Shaklee introduces 4 newproducts. I am writing from the annual Global Conference in Long Beach, CA, where Shaklee begins the celebration. Ninety-nine years ago, Dr. Forest C. Shaklee recognized the degredation of American foods and the increasing inability of our raw food sources to build health. The roller mill threw away the core of the wheat kernel—and its vitamins—in favor of white flour. New chemical fertilizers took over the agriculture. Dr. Shaklee developed Vitalized Minerals to fill in the gaps in his chiropractic patients’ nutrition. This breakthrough innovation in 1915, preceded the discovery of vitamins.

In this same spirit of scientific breakthrough, the Shaklee scientists and advisors continued to introduce products for the health of the environment and all of us. This short list highlights a few innovations.

General nutrition supplement (Vitalized Minerals 1915)

Environment (Basic H, 1960),

Skin-care without toxins (Enfuselle 1998)

Immune support (Nutriferon (2005),

Anti-aging cellular help for the DNA (Vivix 2008).

Leucine-based fat loss program (180 Turnaround Weight Management 2013)

This year, the eve of our 100^th anniversary of uniting science and nature to improve health, Shaklee introduces 4 new products:

MindWorks | 3X improvement in memory, focus & reaction time versus a control group and supports long-term brain health

Over time, neural connections in the brain become less efficient, impairing our ability to recall, think, and respond. A key nutrient in MindWorks, Chardonnay grape seeds–but only one tiny aspect of that grape seed–was shown in multiple clinical studies to significantly enhance memory, sharpen focus, and improve reaction time within 6 hours.

Protects against age-related mental decline, the loss of brain mass beginning at age 21.

Key nutrients in MindWorks were shown in laboratory studies to promote the formation of new neural connections and in a clinical study to reduce brain shrinkage rate by 30% over two years (based on study of 223 adults with mild cognitive impairment).

MindWorks key nutrients were shown in laboratory studies to effectively cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. Blood circulation is critical for delivery of oxygen and key nutrients to the brain. It is linked to neural activity. Contains B vitamins and calcium both of which help circulation. Also supporting circulation is our carefully selected guarana extract which has been extensively tested—guarana has long been used traditionally by Amazonian Indian tribes. It helps improve cognitive performance and contains less caffeine than a medium cup of decaf coffee.

MindWorks also comes with a month of CogniFit, a brain training program – a $12.99 value, free.
MindWorks is included in the Healthy Solutions Regimen with Vivix and OmegaGuard and the Healthy Solutions Plus Regimen

with Vivix, OmegaGuard and Nutriferon, both of which are eligible for free membership with new join orders. New people can also get free shipping (up to $20) when they join by September 30.

Blood Pressure | Help retain healthy blood pressure

Our Smart Heart program now includes Blood Pressure, a vitamin and herbal formula that helps create healthier blood vessels. It contains nitrates from spinach and beets, quercitin, vitamin c and magnesium. After you take a Blood Pressure tablet, your body converts the vegetable nitrates into nitrous oxide which help relax the blood vessels.

Your complete supplement support for heart health includes Blood Pressure, CoQ Heart, OmegaGuard and Cholesterol Reduction Complex. Rather than an allopathic approach to high blood pressure and developing heart disease, these four products may help prevent the need for medication.
Vitalized Immunity™ |

Drop, Fizz, Drink Boost Immunity — Drop, Fizz, Drink
Boost Immunity

Ideal for everyday immune support, and when you’re facing stress, pollution, poor nutrition or busy schedules. If you have been slipping a packet of Air-born in your cart as you check out of the grocery or drug store, you might want to compare labels and choose Shaklee’s new immunity boost: no artificial flavors, a broad combination of natural ingredients in addition to vitamin C. Try it out to see if changing brands makes a difference. Remember Shaklee offers you a money back guarantee.
Vitalized Immunity is naturally sweetened with Monk Fruit, and contains as much vitamin-C as 16 oranges. It includes a proprietary blend of 19 vitamins, minerals, and herbs.

Helps support your immune system*
Delicious effervescent formula
Provides nutritional support your immune system

Vitalizing Protein™ Vanilla and Chocolate| Optimized nutrition for sustained energy

A Protein shake plus 80 nutrients in a convenient strip

I am super excited about this new addition to our protein offerings. 180 shakes can be confusing to the person who doesn’t need to lose weight. My introduction to Shaklee included Energizing Soy Protein. Back in 1985, soy protein on a daily basis made all the difference in my health when added to the Vita Lea, B, C, Calcium, Alfalfa and Herb Lax. It was, and still is, the protein shake every morning that contributes to that satisfied energy-producing feeling all day long. Now Shaklee offers Vitalizing Protein, 15 grms. of protein (23 when mixed with non-fat milk or soy milk), fiber, vitamins including antioxidants to mix and drink with your Vitalizer strip every day. If you want the complete meal, buy 2 cannisters a month (15 servings in each). If you are a snack kind of person, add one scoop to your yogurt or coffee in the morning and the canister will last all month.
Vitalizing Protein is included in the Healthy Foundation Regimen along with Vitalizer. The Healthy Foundation Regimen is eligible for free membership with new join orders. And new people can also get free shipping (up to $20) when they join by September 30.

If you are already getting Vitalizer in a monthly auto ship, you might want to consider adding the Vitalizing Protein for the best foundation. Dr. Shaklee used to say, “if you take my Vita Lea and Protein for a month and don’t feel better in some way, I’ll give you your money back.” Many people take me up on this challenge.

I will have a taste-and-try party at my house in West Seattle on Thursday, Sept. 4. 7:15 – 8:30. Let me know if you would like to join us. We will watch some videos about the products and the science beind them, plus try the new shakes and the Vitalized Immunity. We always have a great time, so join the fun.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

206 933 1889 to RSVP

Betsy@hihohealth.com

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

avoid mosquito bites

Posted on August 8, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Since this is the season when mosquitoes terrorize our back yard suppers, I want to offer some suggestions for how to avoid mosquito bites

without resorting to DEET and other highly toxic preventative applications. For people who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis, even a mosquito bite can produce a flare-up. Luckily, I have not had an increase in osteoarthritis symptoms because of insect bites.

Natural ways to prevent mosquito bites:

Eliminate or treat standing water on your property—Good to do in your own back yard.

Mosquitoes are attracted to standing water, where they breed – thus the best way to avoid attracting them is to reduce the amount of standing water on your property. Here are some suggestions on eliminating standing water:

* Regularly clean and treat swimming pools
* Frequently change the water in wading pools, bird baths and other water containers
* Keep ditches, drains and culverts free of debris so water can drain properly
* Repair leaky pipes, outside faucets and failed septic systems
* Mow your grass short

Another option for standing water is mosquito dunks, which float in water and slowly release Bacillus thuringiensis v. israelensis (BT). BT is toxic for mosquitoes but considered safe for humans. An organic nursery is almost certain to have mosquito dunks and you can also often obtain them at local regular nurseries, hardware stores. You can also use Shaklee’s Basic H2 or other surfactant i.e. dish soap. A drop or two will change the water surface and the mosquito larvae cannot develop. Basic H2 is safe for the environment. I am not sure about other surfactants.

Plant mosquito repelling plants.

Bug-repelling plants such as marigolds, tansies, Thai lemon grass, citronella

grass, oregano, chives, catnip and garlic are excellent, natural mosquito repellents. Below is a suggested anti-mosquito planter:

Use mosquito repelling oils

Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is considered to be one of the most effective natural mosquito repellents, providing comparable protection to low concentrations of the toxic mosquito repellent DEET.

Other effective mosquito repelling oils include:

Oil of Citronella. The oil of citronella found in outdoor candles, torches and skin products provides a natural and fragrant way to keep mosquitoes at bay. Note: there is a chance that citronella can cause skin irritations in children and people with sensitive skin, especially if applied incorrectly.

Soybean oil (provided that you can find an organic non-GMO source). A study conducted by The New England Journal of Medicine found that soybean-oil-based repellents protected against mosquito bites longer than all other botanical repellents tested.

Lavender oil. Fragrant lavender oil repels mosquitoes and it can be found in a variety of natural skin care products.

A non-authorized use of Basic H2 is mosquito repellant. I dab a few drops of the concentrate on my hair, forehead, neck, all exposed parts of the body and on thin material that a mosquito could penetrate. I worked well for me on a recent hike in a mosquito-laden area. It is amusing to watch the mosquitoes hover a half inch away from my chest, repelled by some bitterness in the Basic H2.

Mosquitoes were not too bad at Jug Lake because of a light breeze

Other tips for eliminating and avoiding mosquitoes

1. Avoid being outside during dusk and dawn hours when mosquitoes are most active. The whole point of this post is to make it possible for you to be out at this time without getting bitten.

2. If you’re going to be outdoors for a long period of time, wear light colored long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes and socks that cover your skin. Tightly woven materials are best. Plus, be sure to wear light colored clothes, since mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors.

3. Avoid wearing fragrances (other than the oils listed above). Mosquitoes are attracted to fragrances, so it’s a good idea to avoid wearing perfumes and scented products while you’re outside.

4. Eat plenty of garlic. Garlic is released through the pores of your skin and the scent makes it harder for mosquitoes to find you and less likely to stay on your skin. Shaklee makes a non-smelly garlic that retains the potency of real garlic.

5. Take plenty of B Complex vitamin supplements. One of my customers was distraught that her 6 year old could not play outside with his friends in the summer dusk because of his high susceptibility to mosquitoes. She added 6 of Shaklee’s B Complex to his diet and he was able to play outside without getting any mosquito bites. I have not tried any other B’s, but I know Shaklee’s is effective for most people. I personally take 6 every day.

Thanks to my friend and high school classmate, Sammye for forwarding this article to me from The Best Years in Life. Their bi-line is Education, not Medication.

Whether insect bites set off autoimmune reactions like arthritis or not, avoiding mosquito bites will make your summer evenings more comfortable.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

206 933 1889

to shop go to www.grandmabetsybell.com/shop-shaklee-products/

Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness

Antibiotics

Posted on August 1, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Seventy years ago when I turned 7, an add in Life Magazine read “Thanks to penicillin…he will come home.” Antibiotics dramatically lowered the incidence of death on the battlefields of WWII from infection. The miracle created by chemist, Alexander Fleming and the mass production of drugs reversed certain death to probably life. My parents -as nurse and physician-worked through New York City’s flu epidemic, the horrors of infection during surgery and the fear for their three small children with the polio virus running rampant. They embraced Better Living through Chemistry with open arms. So did the farming industry; chickens and pigs and beef all grew faster and fatter with antibiotics.

Collateral damage has made the news. Books have been written about the dangers of bacterial resistence to antibiotics. The first voices against over use of antibiotics came as early as the 1970s but the manufacturers of these wonder drugs refused to cut their profits in favor of promoting more moderate usage. My brothers and I used antibiotics on our Holstein dairy cows and our meat chickens, following the instructions from the agricultural bulletins handed out to 4H members. (My brother thought growth hormones would be good for him, too, and swallowed a vial meant for the chickens! He was 12.)

Today Americans experience an unprecedented number of deaths –23,000 fatalities each year and 2 million sick–directly related to antibiotic resistent bacteria.

Debra Daniel-Zeller published an article in this month’s Puget Consumer Coop newsletter in which she takes a close look at the microbial world being altered and victimized by antibiotics. I had no idea that microbes, including bacteria, were one of the first life forms on the planet. They inhabit outer space, living 22,000 feet above the earth and influence the weather. They inhabit the ocean. They form 70-90 percent of the cells in and on our bodies. More than 500 types of microbes live in the human gut. Ms. Daniel-Zeller mentions microbe

clostridium difficile, a little bugger that antibiotics don’t kill, that lies in wait in the body for up to 2 years and comes back to haunt our good health. We need a balance of microbes. Antibiotics wipes out some upsetting the balance.

Everyone is worried about the disappearance of the honeybee. For the past 50 years, farmers have been using an antibiotic in the hives to treat foul-brood disease. Now the bees carry several antibiotic-resistant genes, adversely effecting their metabolism.

beeinformed — foulbrood disease in the hive

One of the reasons it is so hard to lose weight, it turns out, is because the very antibiotics used to fatten animals, fatten humans. You may or may not take antibiotics but you are getting them in the meat and chicken you eat. There is a direct correlation between rates of obesity in states where the highest number of antibiotic prescriptions are written. (New England Journal of Medicine) Let’s face it, thin people have a rich diversity of gut bacteria functions, unlike low diversity in fat people.

All bacteria in the gut become shell shocked and put up defenses when an antibiotic comes along. Vulnerable bacteria die and their functions no longer benefit us. Seventy percent of our immune system cells are found in the walls of the gut. When these cells die off, the walls of the gut become permeable.

It is probable that various autoimmune disorders such as Lupus, MS, asthma and even simple allergies result from the breakdown of our gut’s bacterial barrier. Chrone’s disease and celiac disease are on the rise, possibly due to early and frequent use of antibiotics.

Antibiotics are not going away very soon. While they have been banned in animal husbandry in the EU and Russia, the US agricultural, meat and dairy industries remain “self-regulating”, i.e. no government regulations. Five US cities have passed resolutions supporting statewide and national bans on non-therapeutic use of antibiotics. This is a start.

Personally I am convinced that my diagnosis of breast cancer at the age of 34 was influenced by my parents’ enthusiastic use of antibiotics at the slightest sign of the sniffles. Such was their delight in these miracle drugs. When situational stress put an extreme burden on my immune system, I did not have the defences to correct the DNA damage that may have resulted in cancer growing cells. I will never be able to substantiate this theory, but articles like this one in the PCC paper shed more light on how overuse of antibiotics allows disease states to start.

Want to stay healthy and avoid these diseases? Want to lose weight? Here are three things you can begin now.

1. Take no antibiotic unless it is certain you are suffering from a bacterial infection.

2. Eat only organically grown meat and chicken which have no antibiotics (or hormones) added to their feed or injected into their bodies.

3. Take supplemental probiotics daily to help populate your gut with friendly, beneficial bacteria. I appreciate the quality of Shaklee’s Pre and Pro biotics, Optiflora. For more information on this product, please visit my Resources page.

Since this is a blog about arthritis, I have to add this: losing even 10 pounds will make your joints happier and less painful. Changing your diet away from antibiotic laden foods might be your missing weight loss link. Thinner bodies, healthier guts, less inflammed joints.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving

Betsy

206 933 1889

www.EmpoweredGrandma.net (my travel adventures, both spiritual and physical)

www.HiHoHealth.com (shopping for Shaklee products)

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

OTC pain meds

Posted on July 24, 2014

Gentle Reader,

The aftermath of my bike crash calls into question two of my closely held beliefs: OTC pain meds are bad for you; keep moving, no matter what. I was on the dunes path at Long Beach, WA with twelve Finneys of all ages. Nothing like a little crowd around the beginning of the last section of trail to get a person off kilter and into the sand. My recovery seemed fine while at the beach because I was icing and taking a lot of Shaklee Pain Relief Complex and doing nothing. (My granddaughter reminds me that I split some wood with a heavy ax.) The pain worsened, keeping me awake at night. Coughing hurt unbearably. I went to my doctor. Dr. Pepin knows I am not a willing patient. He is working hard to play the role of a team member in my health care. He makes a special effort to honor my preference for natural healing practices—acupuncture, massage, individual training and supplements. He sent me for an x-ray.

When I got home, My Chart contained the message that I had broken the 9^th rib on the left side, but only a hairline fracture. In his notes, he suggested more icing and anti-inflammatories. I decided to take Aleve. I took another one 8 hours later. I took a third 8 hours after that. I iced off and on for the next 36 hours. Everything improved. The depression in the muscles beneath the broken lower back rib normalized. The muscles on the opposite side calmed down to normal. I slept soundly, happy that pain did not disturb me. It seemed like a miracle.

What is so bad about NSAIDS? What do they do? Why have I resisted taking them so consistently?

It turns out when taken for a brief time (2 – 10 days), anti-inflammatories calm down injured muscles allowing healing to take place. The danger with these drugs appears when taken habitually over a long period of time to manage chronic pain. The NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) intercept 2 enzymes called Cox 1 and Cox 2 that are involved with inflammation. Inhibiting Cox 1 has the side effect of damaging the stomach lining, causing bleeding. Advil, Motrin and Aleve are the most popular of these non-specific anti-inflammatories and regularly cause damage to the stomach lining when taken over a long period of time.

The risks from taking NSAIDS, besides internal bleeding, are most severe for people who have heart conditions. People with stomach problems should avoid them. For healthy people with no blood pressure or other heart issues, taking NSAIDS for a few days to bring down inflammation carries low risk and brings much relief.

I am satisfied that taking NSAIDS for a few days to help the immediate problem is a good thing for my body and does not put me at risk.

Now let me think out loud about my other closely held belief: Keep Moving under any and all circumstances. This week I have not hiked, gone to yoga practice, worked out with my trainer or done much of anything. I did walk around Green Lake, a 3 miles meander on the flat, and twice I walked to the West Seattle Junction, down and up a hill, repeated in the opposite direction, about 2 miles total. Moving, yes; pain free, pretty much. At least pain free around the injured area. But after a dozen steps, chronic pain kicked in: hips, knees and lower back. I found myself questioning the value of moving, especially since moving causes pain.

It turns out that Not moving is lethal.

Bone Loss

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, our bones require applied stress for them to grow. Bone stress sends a signal to the body to build bone density. If you don’t stress your bones by exercising, you can suffer from low bone density, which can turn into a case of osteoporosis. Also, if you never exercise and stretch your joints, your arthritic joints will stiffen over time and their adjoining tissues will weaken, causing more arthritis.

Muscle Loss

Your bones need stress exerted on them to grow, and so do your muscles. A muscle’s fibers need to tear for it to rebuild itself larger and stronger. So as you may already know from experience, if you don’t use your muscles, you “lose” them.

Increased Risk of Disease

Muscle loss caused by inactivity makes your metabolism slow down. Your metabolism is the rate at which your body converts food and drink into usable energy. If you have a slow metabolism, your body ends up storing a lot of the food and drink energy instead of using it to get your body moving. This storage leads to weight gain and puts you at a higher risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, depression and anxiety, according to Harvard School of Public Health.

Weaker Immune System

According to MayoClinic.com, without regular aerobic exercise, your immune system weakens. This makes it harder for your body to fight viruses such as the flu and the common cold. So if you never exercise, you’re likely to find yourself getting sick more often.

Keep Moving will remain my closely held belief. Since the pain I experience when I move is chronic, caused by arthritis, I will continue to use Shaklee’s Pain Relief Complex. Its herbal formula is a pain path inhibitor (Cox 2 and 5 Lox) but does not interfere with Cox 1. Therefore there is no risk to the stomach or to the heart.

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving,

I promise I will. Join me.

Betsy

Comments? I love to hear them.

Thanks to Lindsay Haskell of AZ who blogs about health, fitness, culture and fashion.

Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness

Holy kitchen

Posted on July 11, 2014

Gentle Reader,

I opened the quarterly Earth Letter from Earth Ministry to read the lead article, “The Work at Hand”. It’s about making a holy kitchen. Let me explain. The author’s name, Carol Flinders, did not ring a bell until I came across a reference to “all the things we said in Laurel’s Kitchen” and I was flooded with emotional memories. In 1973, it had been a couple years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer, had the mastectomy and continued merrily on my way. I deftly covered up the deep dread about a recurrence of cancer. I was 36 years old.

What are the odds we can change their diet easily?

With four little girls to feed and a diet of Fruit Loops, Velveeta cheese, Chitos and Oreo cookies, day old Wonder bread and ice cream to consider, I slowly explored the possible dietary contributions to developing cancer. Laurel’s Kitchen fell into my lap. I remember tearfully reading Carol’s introduction. I was just like her in my innocent acceptance of advertised foods, packaged cake mixes, a meat heavy diet and cutting costs on everything. Our milk came from powder. I secretly ate whole packages of day old sugar donuts on the way home from the grocery store.

The dietary changes seemed necessary if I was going to prevent future cancers. They came slowly and the children didn’t like them. They traded my homemade brick-bread sandwiches for their classmates’ Wonder bread when they could. Vacations at my mother’s began with filling the cart with sugared cereals and steak.

I had no idea how to get enough protein into my body before I met Laurel, and ended up in the doctor’s office so anemic, they ran blood tests to see if the cancer had metastasized into the blood.

Gradually my entire life style changed to include fresh foods, far less meat, and more exercise. I didn’t enjoy good health, free from frequent colds, however, until I added supplements made by Shaklee. That was when I met my own Laurel, Jayme Curley, who introduced me to a peaceful life style and good food as well as foundational supplementation to fill in the gaps and bring me up to a high level of wellness.

Today we are surrounded by the Laurel’s kitchen choices in our high-end health food grocery stores. A small percentage of the population has made a shift in their relationship to food. But what about everyone else who hasn’t responded to something that leads them to make these dietary discoveries? In her Earth Letter article, Carol calls us to be pioneers, people who choose a different kind of life.

She encourages us into the kitchen preparing a balanced appetizing meal with unprocessed foods, even when it takes a chuck of our day. She quotes a friend, “I don’t know, really, what changed. I just know that one evening I walked in there grim as usual, determined to get it over with, and instead I found myself relaxing—accepting that I was there and willing to do it as well as I possibly could. And even since then, it’s been completely different.” It’s recognition that what goes on in the kitchen is holy making it a holy kitchen.

She ends her article: “Perhaps, though, the real point is not so much to find the holy places as to make them. Do we not hallow places by our very commitment to them? When we turn our home into a place that nourishes and heals and contents, we are meeting directly all the hungers that a consumer society exacerbates but never satisfies…that home becomes a genuine counterforce to the corporate powers-that-be, asserting the priority of a very different kind of power.”

My own take away is that we are not striving for “being good” and avoiding the guilt of “I ate badly today.” We are embracing nourishing others and ourselves from a deep place of gladness. Perhaps being pioneers means showing the way to others.

Peacefully preparing good food day in and day out has not been easy for me. I am part of the “hurry-up and get stuff done” life we all inhabit. Years after the cancer, when my daughters were all away at college or beyond, one sent me a beautiful hand painted card with a sunset over a meadow and these words “The slower you go/the more you get done.” I wrote a little poem in gratitude.

Mom Says

The slower you go

the more you get done.

The note writ large comes in a card

from one of several daughters

grown up and gone away

I stare at the words on paper

and remember days of kneading bread

the phone in one ear

a child in the other

lists, meetings, clamor, time

ticking, running

running late

I learned then to pay attention

show up to the bread

to the friend

to the child

one thing at a time

I must have repeated

slow down

for all my daughters

for myself

stop doing three things at once

make chopping onions

a zen practice

She sent my words back to me.

I need them again.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving.

Betsy

Please, leave your comments.

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

control arthritis pain

Posted on July 3, 2014

Gentle Reader,

I am back from a glorious trip to the East Coast for a college reunion, then to England to visit friends and do a long walk through Yorkshire and Westmorland. You can read about these meanderings at www.EmpoweredGrandma.net.

More and more people my age (I’ll turn 77 in three weeks), give up adventures like this one because of arthritis pain. I have serious arthritis in my knees, hips and back, but manage to continue this type of physical challenge. Others my age keep going at tennis, hiking, walking and biking. How do we control arthritis pain so the activity we love is not torture, but rather, pleasurable?

Build strong muscles to carry your joints. You can do exercises that work all the major muscle groups of the body (e.g., legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms), and work them without stressing your joints. With a trainer’s help, you can use the machines in a gym to accomplish this. I am working the a trainer at a place called Xgym in West Seattle. PJ Glassy has two other Xgym facilities in the Seattle area. Go to his web site to check it out. In 21 minutes two times a week I have gained more muscle strength than in any other program and it costs about half as much. Find a way to build muscle and the creaky joints will love the support.

“Build strong muscles,” was what my neurologist told me 24 years ago when I first injured my back. The Xgym process has done this better than anything I tried in the intervening years.

Do Stairs to build stamina and strength. If you are a woman, you want to include more “grape vine” stair climbing than straight up and down. We women have wider hips and the pressure on our knees causes uneven stress on the joint.

Do the grape vine step up and down stairs to strengthen the knees

By facing up or down the stair case side-ways, with a shoulder leading and not the nose, the muscles on the inside and outside of the knees do more of the work and the stress on the knee cap is minimized.

Balancing activities help overcome the unsteadiness that joint pain can cause. Tai Chi, yoga, Zumba and other group exercise dance are helpful. Stand on one leg and lift the other knee and hold for as long as you can. Walk backwards; side step with the grape vine step on the flat; do heel-toe walking. These all improve balance.

Resistance Exercise Helps Knee Osteoarthritis
Resistance exercise is any exercise where muscles contract against an external resistance which can come from dumbbells, weight machines, elastic tubing or bands, soup cans, your own body weight, or any other object that forces your muscles to contract. This will strengthen muscle groups around affected joints, stabilize and protect affected joints, and improve mechanics of the joints to reduce stress on the joints.

walk sideways with band around your legs above the knee

I like to take a Theraband and tie it around my legs just above the knees, and walk sideways around the living room and down the hall in a slight squat position, keeping the pelvic floor facing down. No tilting the back forward. For more information, check out http://www.arthritis.com/arthritis_exercises.

Pain is inevitable, so how do you manage it? Many of my hiking friends take an Aleve or other pain killer before the hike. I do not like taking over the counter drugs or prescription medication for pain if I can help it. So far, the Shaklee Pain Relief Complex has worked sufficiently to keep the pain from becoming unbearable. I find that slow walking in a, museum or chatting while slowing down to observe birds, flowers or talk to a farmer or other hiker, or pausing to window shop is the worse thing for my pain. If I keep going, I experience less pain. If I stop or slow down, the pain comes on with a vengeance. Is it the endorphins from movement? Is it the distraction from making the effort? I don’t know, but it is true for me that stopping or slowing down is worse. Now give me a wall or bench to sit on and I am happy to stop. One Aleve can probably take most arthritic people who hike or play tennis through the day. I put 5 – 6 Pain Relief Complex in my pocket and take one at a time at half hour intervals until the pain is lessened. What I know for certain is that moving makes me happy and forget about chronic pain.

I choose Pain Relief Complex because it is a combination of herbs that create a natural Cox 3 and 5 LOX inhibitor with no bad side effects on the stomach. Please check out my resource page for further information and click here if you are interested in trying this natural remedy for chronic pain.

Let us know your strategy for dealing with chronic pain when you are doing the activity you love and just refuse to quit.

Be well, do well and keep moving.

Betsy

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

Anti-aging

Posted on June 13, 2014

Gentle Reader,

So much determines well-being: good friends, love and happiness, nourishing food, a sense of spiritual fulfillment, a personal sense of purpose and meaning, deep restorative rest are at the top of the list. When these ingredients are present over a person’s life, they seem to have an anti-aging effect. Scientists and explorers have searched the world over for ways to slow down aging. The story behind Shaklee’s Anti-aging product, Vivix, is one story of this search.

The Vivix Story

My thanks to Dr. Steven Chaney for this story.

In 2006, Harvard scientist Dr. David Sinclair published research in the highly respected journal Nature that shocked the scientific world. His published research findings showed that a simple molecule found in red wine could switch on our anti-aging gene (Sirt 1) and slow the aging process — on purpose.

This does not mean, of course, that we can live forever. But it does mean that science now has an answer for how we age, and what we can do to slow it down.

Of course, researchers had long understood that severe calorie restriction could slow the aging process, but there was little hope that we could find a way to get the same result without subjecting ourselves to a starvation diet.

You may have seen Dr. Sinclair on 60 Minutes, 20/20 with Barbara Walters, or on PBS with Charlie Rose. You may have learned about this remarkable breakthrough in leading magazines and major newspapers from around the world. It’s big news.

Here’s the story…

To put this discovery into context, let’s turn the clock back to 1991.

Famed French alcohol researcher, Dr. Serge Renault, in a segment on 60 Minutes, (The French Paradox) reported that people in France (on a diet loaded with sugars, fats, creams, and more creams) had 42% less heart disease, and live longer than we do in the U.S.

How could that be?

It’s no secret—the French drink lots and lots of red wine, and Dr. Renault had come to believe that something in red wine fights the negative effect of fatty foods… but he wasn’t sure. Some theorized it was the alcohol. Others were sure it was the antioxidant power of red wine. They were all partially right—but they were missing the most miraculous molecule of all.

Good News Travels Slowly

Years have gone by but we now have irrefutable scientific proof that a simple molecule found in red wine has almost magical healing and anti-aging powers.

When Dr. Sinclair published his research, FORTUNE called it, “Perhaps the greatest discovery since antibiotics.” He had successfully isolated the gene that slows aging… Sirtuin.

The Breakthrough

Dr. Sinclair and his team at Harvard Medical School, tested more than 20,000 natural molecules one by one before he accidentally discovered what he calls the closet thing to a miracle molecule you can find. To his dismay, the molecule that switches on the longevity gene is called resveratrol.

Using resveratrol, Dr. Sinclair found that he could extend the life of yeastat will. This amazing news drew only mild applause from research scientist. After all, this was yeast.

Moving up to higher life-forms, he fed resveratrol to fruit flies. Bingo! It worked again. The applause grew louder and the research more intense.

Other scientists working to prove Dr. Sinclair’s findings has the same success with fish. Extending their life 70%.

Scientists are a tough lot to impress. Even with all this success, they wouldn’t get too worked up unless he succeeded in extending the life of mice.

That’s because mice have essentially the same gene that you and I have. As Dr. Sinclair explained to Charlie Rose—”We are essentially upright mice.”

Finally, the mice studies begin

And in what can only be described as a modern day miracle— mice on a high fat diet plus resveratrol—not only lived up to 30% longer—they turned into mini-olympians.

They never gained weight, and they doubled endurance. They could run twice as far as mice that were not given resveratrol—and here’s the best part… not one of them developed any of the diseases of aging. No heart disease, no cancer, no diabetes, and no strokes.

Resveratrol—the gold rush begins…

Dr. Sinclair had become the first person in history to successfully extend life on purpose. He was instantly, in scientific circles at least, an international celebrity.

His published research proving the merits of resveratrol in life extension has triggered an avalanche of scientific study around the world.

Billions of dollars are being invest by in private labs, universities, and public health agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Aging, and the United States Department of Agriculture.

It’s safe to say that resveratrol and related polyphenols have become the most widely researched natural molecules in the history of man.

Resveratrol is being shown to have a positive impact on a surprisingly large number of health issues that affect how long and how well we live. But don’t take my word for it…

See the proof for yourself. To discover the miraculous life-saving secrets of resveratrol with just the click of a mouse, (pardon the pun) go to the U.S. Government web site, PubMed.

There you will find at least 2,636 scientific papers referencing resveratrol from the greatest scientific minds of our time.

The Payoff

Because resveratrol has been proven in labs around the world to slow aging—it is a marketers dream. Within weeks after Dr. Sinclair appeared on 20/20, you could find literally hundreds of me-too resveratrol products in health food stores, and on the internet.

If you’re taking any of these products, you may be wasting your money. Even worse, the anti-aging benefits you were hoping for may not be there. Why?

Because research shows these products contain little if any resveratrol, and many even contained sis-resveratrol—a lesser form of resveratrol proven to have no health benefit at all. In other words, most are little more than marketing scams.

Who can you trust?

Shaklee Corporation has been America’s number one natural nutrition company and a true champion of pure, natural supplements for over half a century.

If it was possible to create a natural resveratrol supplement capable of getting the results Dr. Sinclair was having in his lab—Shaklee was the one company that could pull it off.

Chief scientist, Dr. Carsten Smidt took a close look at Dr. Sinclair’s research. He and his team took a look at all of the leading, so-called resveratrol products on the market and decided—you deserve better.

With the green light and a blank check from our CEO, Roger Barnett, Dr. Smidt assembled a team of more than 30 brilliant scientists with the singular goal of bringing to market, the most potent anti-aging product ever created.

Shaklee science advances Dr. Sinclair’s research

In the early stages, Dr. Smidt and his team worked with Dr. Sinclair’s team from Harvard. As the research moved forward, Dr. Smidt became convinced they could actually advance Dr. Sinclair’s science and create a product even more powerful than resveratrol.

After more almost three years of research—millions invested—and collaboration with the University of Georgia—Shaklee science has even succeeded in creating the first ever totally natural tonic that works at the cellular level to block the mechanisms of aging. It’s called Vivix Cellular Anti-aging Tonic.

My own interest in Vivix concerns the arthritis in my joints. It seems to be helping slow down the advancement of arthritis symptoms and may even have contributed to the reversal of some spinal stenosis. My hope for you is that this information makes enough sense to you to inspire you to give Vivix a try for 3 to 6 months. Perhaps you will have similar results.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

To follow my hike in England along Lady Anne’s Way, tune in to www.EmpoweredGrandma.net.

Arthritis, Be Well health tips

resveratrol for joints

Posted on June 6, 2014

Gentle Reader,

There is so much I could share about this past weekend at my alma mater, Bryn Mawr College, just outside Philadelphia on the MainLine. In keeping with the goal of this blog, I will single out arthritic joint issues and focus on possible remedies for joint pain.

Twenty-nine of my classmates came to celebrate our 55th reunion. Everyone looked great: not too many wrinkles, lovely hair, sparkling eyes. But when it came time to walk up a few stairs, joints fail and pain ensues. The cart is called to drive people where they need to go. I’m wondering if the anti-aging product I’ve been taking for ten years has helped my joints so the same is not true for me.

Have you heard about Resveratrol? It is the anti-oxidant found in red wine. Shaklee started working on producing a pure tonic that combines the resveratrol and polyphenols found in the muscadine grade about ten years ago. I have been taking my daily dose of this delicious liquid called Vivix since they made it available for sale.

There is no question that my body, like my class mates, suffers from the aging deterioration of cells that is normal for a 77 year old. It appears we do not all age in the same way or at the same rate. I have had severe osteo arthritis and spinal stenosis for years, probably brought about by factors such as stress, poor diet, and environmental toxins. I’ve worked hard on the diet part, but you cannot always eat perfectly, now can you. These factors can weaken cells’ natural defenses, lower cell energy, damage DNA, and decrease cell performance. All of these can contribute to cellular aging.

Clinical Studies show Vivix® ingredients positively impact four key mechanisms of aging at the cellular level.

Shaklee scientists conducted a study to see if Vivix could defend against cell damage.

Cell Defense

Blunts Biological Stress
A clinical study published in The Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that key ingredients in Vivix blocked a key marker of biological stress response after the consumption of a high-fat fast food breakfast totaling 930 calories.

The results were exciting, while the study had nothing to do with joints, it showed that Vivix protected cells from damage. My joints were damaged long before Vivix came along. Perhaps protection is less important than repair. Let’s see what happened with repair.

Cell Repair

DNA Protection & Repair
Laboratory studies show that key Vivix ingredients help protect against DNA damage, supporting DNA replication for healthy cell function.

Shown in laboratory studies, Vivix protects and repairs DNA, which is assaulted millions of times every day. These assaults can damage the cell’s DNA, creating a “typo” that may compromise cell function and longevity.

A recent visit with my sports medicine doctor revealed a smaller than average spinal passageway for the cord to pass through. Like my father before me, my spinal cord has little wiggle room. That is the result of inherited DNA. The data suggest that DNA can be repaired by resveratrol. I am convinced that my joint health has improved instead of worsened over the last ten years. The recent MRI indicated improvement.

Could it be that resveratrol reduces joint pain? This is certainly my experience.

To learn more about Vivix and the ingredients, studies and results, click here.

Vivix is expensive. It may be worth it if you want to slow down aging at the cellular level. It certainly seems to help with joint pain and there are only side benefits from drinking a swig from the bottle every day. I would give the body 90 to 180 days before deciding Vivix has made no difference in your joint function. It is possible you will feel a positive difference much sooner. Your blood is all new in 90 days and the joints, because of lower blood flow, will take double that to show results.

There are other resveratrol products on the market, but none have the muscadine grape’s extra anti-oxidants which seems to enhance the punch provided by resveratrol. In addition, purity of product makes a difference and Shaklee scientists have been able to produce a 95% pure tonic. Less purity may result in loose bowels. Get some and see what your results are.

Good luck and keep moving, as moving is always the best single antidote to painful joints.

Be well, Do well and Keep moving,

Betsy

206 406 5940

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

anti-inflammatory plants

Posted on May 30, 2014

Gentle Reader,

If you hesitate to take aspirin or other over the counter drugs for arthritis pain, you may be interested in anti-inflamatory plants as an alternatives Two plants have been used in the East for centuries. Their properties have been annalized and verified by Western medicine. Their potency has been standardized by a few companies and you can now take advantage of the age old usage to treat your own painful arthritis symptoms.

Boswellia serrata

Extracts of Boswellia serrata have been clinically studied for osteoarthritis and joint function, particularly for osteoarthritis of the knee. Positive effects of Boswellia in some chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, osteoarthritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease have been reported. A Boswellia extract marketed under the name Wokvel has undergone human efficacy, comparative, pharmacokinetic studies. Some see Boswellia serrata as a promising alternative to NSAIDs, warranting further investigation in pharmacological studies and clinical trials.^{(from Wikipedia)}

Boswellia is a tree found in India known for its gum resin which has many pharmacological uses, particularly as an anti-inflammatory. It’s also known as Indian frankincense, salai guggal, and boswellin. Its proper botanic name is boswellia serrata.

As a side note, the Biblical incense frankincense was probably an extract from the resin of the tree, boswellia sacra.

Boswellia has been used for thousands of years to treat many types of conditions. Recent research has determined many of the conditions were caused by inflammation.

Safflower flower

Safflower is a highly-branched annual thistle-like herb that grows to a height of 3 feet producing yellow or reddish flowers. Each branch will usually have several flower heads containing 15-20 seeds per head. The dried flowers of the plant and its seeds are used commercially.

Traditionally, safflowers were grown for their seeds and used for coloring foods and making red and yellow dyes. Its flowers can be used alone or in formulas. They can be prepared as dried powder, tinctures, or decoctions (extracts).

The oil from the seed has been used externally in therapeutic massage and as a natural alternative to mineral oil for use on babies. It’s also beneficial in applications for bruises, sprains and arthritis pain

Safflower is source of several flavonoids

More recently, the plant has been identified as the source of several flavonoids with strong antioxidant compounds.

Flavonoids are any of a group of oxygen-containing aromatic antioxidant compounds that includes many common pigments that help to lower inflammation as well as counteract the damaging effects of oxidation on body tissues.

The well-known antioxidant, guercetin, is one of the flavonoids found in safflower. Quercetin has many health benefits among which it can help reduce the inflammation that results from bursitis, gout, and arthritis.

Side effects

The safflower flower is often used in conjunction with herbs with no reported interactions. There are also no reported interactions of the extract or oil with standard pharmaceuticals.

Its use in dissolving clots, however, suggests that it should not be taken with blood-thinning treatments.

Safflower and boswellia combination effective for joint discomfort

Every day, many of us push ourselves to the limit both occupationally and recreationally. In the end, our bodies, and especially our joints, pay the price. Pain is the common symptom. It’s the body’s natural warning system and it deserves a natural response.

Safflower extract and boswellia extract are proven effective and safe for relief of arthritis pain, joint discomfort, and restricted knee flexion.

When combined in a natural product that contains a patent-pending blend of both extracts. it provides long-term relief within just a few weeks and is especially helpful for relieving chronic pain. Continued use of this natural product keeps pain away or markedly reduces pain daily. [thanks to Marty Saffell] Thanks to the anti-inflammatory plants Safflower and boswellia combination, so effective for joint discomfort

A web search for other herbs that are helpful with joint pain produced this anti-inflammatory triad:

Turmeric, ginger and bromelain work as effective anti-inflammatory agents. Each works to relieve pain, stiffness and swelling. In combination, they provide a powerhouse of natural medicine. The three substances are synergistic to one another, each boosting the other’s effectiveness… You can google products containing the three herbs together. I know of no clinical trials to substantiate these claims, nor can I vouch for standardization or purity of the herbs used.

Personally, I have been using the products Shaklee makes with Boswellia serrata and safflower flower extract for a number of years to manage my arthritis pain. I can recommend Pain Relief Complex without reservation. These Cox 2 and 5 Lox pain path inhibitors do no damage to the stomach, can be taken multiple times daily with no side effects whatsoever. It is a great relief to me to find an arthritis pain reliever that does not have any damaging side effects as I took a great deal of aspirin for years to try to kill the pain in my knees from early onset arthritis. I have no knee pain today. It is wonderful to have anti-inflammatory herbs to take.

Fondly,

Be Well, Do Well, Keep Moving

Betsy

Injured at 52. Diagnosed and sentenced to a wheel chair at 55. Hiking, skiing, dancing and walking at 77. Read my story.

206 933 1889 betsy@HiHoHealth.com www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com shopping ? www.hihohealth.com