The War Within Your Bodies And What You Can Do About it

"We are living too short, and dying too long."

Oxygen is both a necessity for life, and can also be very dangerous to the inside of our body. The same process that causes a cut apple to turn brown, and metal to rust is what causes your body to rust inside. During the process of oxygen being utilized to create energy, there is a by-product created which is known as free radicals. In it's scientific form, free radicals are charged oxygen molecules that are missing at least one electron, and desires to attach itself to another electron in its surrounding area. It is very important that the free radicals become neutralized by an antioxidant, because if it does not, it can go on and create more free radicals and damage the cell wall, vessel wall, proteins, fats, and even cause a change of the DNA nucleus of the cell. Recent medical literature has shown that many of the worst diseases we have, are a result of oxidative stress. These include cancer, diabetes, alzheimers, arthritis, coronary artery disease, parkinsons, and many others.

The Power of Antioxidants

In order to prevent oxidative stress and the major negative effects it can have on your body, you need to have more antioxidants and there supporting nutrients than the amount of free that you produce. Thankfully, we are not defenseless against this damaging process. and antioxidants are key to keep our cells healthy.





Here is a slide which shows what antioxidants and oxidation defense mechanisms are utilized.


Where and how do we get antioxidants?

We are able to get most of our antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene from fruits and vegetables that we eat. These and other antioxidants work best in synergy with one another to fight off free radicals in different parts of our bodies.

In the past, we were able to get the necessary antioxidants and minerals through our foods and diet alone, but unfortunately this is not possible anymore. There are a couple of reasons for this. The typical American diet is low in fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins and fats, and high in bad sugars, high glycemic carbohydrates, bad fats, and processed foods. In addition to our unhealthy diet, the quality of our food, has decreased drastically over the past couple of decades. According to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, there are decreased levels of six nutrients in vegetables and fruits. This report also shows that the levels of calcium, riboflavin, Vitamin C, Iron, Potassium, and Protein have declined drastically since 1950. There are many reasons for this including produce that is picked prematurely, changing climates, commercial fertilizers, and increasing carbon dioxide levels.

Thankfully, we do have help, high quality nutritional supplements are able to help our body use it's natural defense system, and healing power to keep our cells and body healthy. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium and so forth are natural substances which support natural enzyme, antioxidant and immune systems. Through supplementation, we are able to provide our body with nutrients at optimal levels. Optimal levels are levels that have been shown to provide a significant medical benefit in medical literature. For example, when our bodies receives nutrients at optimal levels LDL cholesterol becomes more resistant to oxidation, homocysteine levels, and our eyes have greater protection from the sunlight.
All supplements are NOT created equal:

When it comes to nutritional products, and supplements all products are definitely not created equal. Many companies formulate there products to RDA levels which were created during World War II, when soldiers were dying from diseases such as scurvy, rickets, malaria, and other deficiency diseases. These levels are far below what the optimal levels are. Additionally, it is also important to make sure that the product which we are taking is bio-available, and will break down in your body shortly after taking it. If a product does not break down in your body within 30-45 minutes, it will not break down at all, and will go right through your body. One of the brands that is advertises widely, is known to be referred as bedpan bullets (Think from A TO ZINC.)

Here are some things that are ESSENTIAL for you to look for in a product:

• Optimal Levels of Vitamins and Minerals
• Look for studies to show that the product is bioavailable, or do your own bio availability test.
• Look for a product that is formulated to Pharmaceutical grade standards, and does not contain any hidden toxins. Many products are formulated to food grade standards, and what you see on the bottle is not really in the bottle.
  

Our bodies natural defense and healing system are amazin.g, and is able to do amazing things with the help of healthy foods, and optimal supplementation.

Sources:

Dr Ray Strand: www.raystrand.com/nutritional-medicine.asp, www.raystrand.com
What your Doctor doesnt know about nutritional supplements may be killing you.

Usana Health and Freedom Newspaper

Toxic Skin Care and Formaldehyde

As the summer is approaching, and we expose more of our skin to the air and sun, it is important to learn about how to keep our skin healthy and beautiful.


:: Imidazolidinyl Urea And DMDM Hydantoin

These two chemicals are just two of many preservatives that release formaldehyde. They are called formaldehyde-donors. It is a colorless liquid or gas with a pungent, distinctive smell. It is utilized in the manufacturing of synthetic resins that are used in adhesives for plywood, particle board, coatings for paper and textiles, in molded plastics and for sound insulation. It is extensively used in the textile and apparel industries to:

• Produce fabrics, so that they are permanent press
• Make fabrics waterproof
• Enhance the colorfastness of dyes
• Formulate fabrics that are fire retardant

Any materials treated with a formaldehyde-based resin emit formaldehyde gas until it is rinsed out, washed, cleaned or shampooed. If anyone tells you that the gas will dissipate when the resin finishes “curing”—that will take months or years.

Formaldehyde is also utilized in disinfectants, drugs and cosmetics, as a tanning agent for leather, as a laboratory and photographic chemical and in embalming fluids.


Formaldehyde is used in so many beauty products, that the expression, “well preserved” isn’t too far-fetched. The Safe Cosmetics Campaign is doing its best to fight against its use, but this particular chemical is a specialist in masquerading with different names. It may appear on the label of your product under various names such as these:

• Paraformaldehyde
• Benzylhemiformal
• 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diol
• 5-bromo-5-nitro-1, 3-dioxane
• Diazolidinyl urea
• Quaternium-15
• DMDM Hydantoin
• Sodium hydroxymethyl
• Glycinate
• Methenamine

A European Union Working Group on Cosmetics discovered that these formaldehyde releasers can off-gas a portion or even all of their formaldehyde content to the air. Formaldehyde as an ingredient in cosmetic products is restricted in Europe as well as in Canada.

Research has revealed that even low levels of formaldehyde can have health effects. Low levels of contact may irritate the eyes, nose and throat; cause skin problems, severe breathing problems. OSHA regulates formaldehyde as a cancer-causing substance. Since this article is in regard to skin, these are the skin problems you may encounter when using a product with formaldehyde:

•Skin blisters
•Fingernails that may turn brown and soft
•Skin that become red and cracked
•Skin that may dry out
•Irritations that deteriorate with heat and sweat

Formaldehyde is used in nail treatments and polish, moisturizers, eye make-up, lip make-up, shaving products, shampoos and even a couple of baby shampoos.

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BOTTOM LINE:

1) Avoid Imidazolidinyl Urea and DMDM Hydantoin (chemical preservatives) at all cost for they release formaldehyde upon degradation. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.
2) Sense Beautiful Science products do not contain added chemical preservatives so they do not contain Imidazolidinyl Urea nor DMDM Hydantoin nor any formaldehyde-releasing preservative agent. :)

Take care of your skin, it is your first defense against the environment.

Marie Bertrand
SkinScience Clinic
www.skinscience.md

Source: Toxic Cosmetics (2007)

Toxic Skin Care

Imidazolidinyl Urea And DMDM Hydantoin

These two chemicals are just two of many preservatives that release formaldehyde. They are called formaldehyde-donors. It is a colorless liquid or gas with a pungent, distinctive smell. It is utilized in the manufacturing of synthetic resins that are used in adhesives for plywood, particle board, coatings for paper and textiles, in molded plastics and for sound insulation. It is extensively used in the textile and apparel industries to:

• Produce fabrics, so that they are permanent press
• Make fabrics waterproof
• Enhance the colorfastness of dyes
• Formulate fabrics that are fire retardant

Any materials treated with a formaldehyde-based resin emit formaldehyde gas until it is rinsed out, washed, cleaned or shampooed. If anyone tells you that the gas will dissipate when the resin finishes “curing”—that will take months or years.

Formaldehyde is also utilized in disinfectants, drugs and cosmetics, as a tanning agent for leather, as a laboratory and photographic chemical and in embalming fluids.


Formaldehyde is used in so many beauty products, that the expression, “well preserved” isn’t too far-fetched. The Safe Cosmetics Campaign is doing its best to fight against its use, but this particular chemical is a specialist in masquerading with different names. It may appear on the label of your product under various names such as these:

• Paraformaldehyde
• Benzylhemiformal
• 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diol
• 5-bromo-5-nitro-1, 3-dioxane
• Diazolidinyl urea
• Quaternium-15
• DMDM Hydantoin
• Sodium hydroxymethyl
• Glycinate
• Methenamine

A European Union Working Group on Cosmetics discovered that these formaldehyde releasers can off-gas a portion or even all of their formaldehyde content to the air. Formaldehyde as an ingredient in cosmetic products is restricted in Europe as well as in Canada.

Research has revealed that even low levels of formaldehyde can have health effects. Low levels of contact may irritate the eyes, nose and throat; cause skin problems, severe breathing problems. OSHA regulates formaldehyde as a cancer-causing substance. Since this article is in regard to skin, these are the skin problems you may encounter when using a product with formaldehyde:

•Skin blisters
•Fingernails that may turn brown and soft
•Skin that become red and cracked
•Skin that may dry out
•Irritations that deteriorate with heat and sweat

Formaldehyde is used in nail treatments and polish, moisturizers, eye make-up, lip make-up, shaving products, shampoos and even a couple of baby shampoos.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOTTOM LINE:

1) Avoid Imidazolidinyl Urea and DMDM Hydantoin (chemical preservatives) at all cost for they release formaldehyde upon degradation. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.
2) Sense Beautiful Science products do not contain added chemical preservatives so they do not contain Imidazolidinyl Urea nor DMDM Hydantoin nor any formaldehyde-releasing preservative agent. :)

Take care of your skin, it is your first defense against the environment.

Marie Bertrand
SkinScience Clinic
www.skinscience.md

Source: Toxic Cosmetics (2007)


New Article on Skincare Coming Tommorow.

Taking care of your body inside and out.

These next couple of articles are going to be about our health and well being. Our health is our most important asset that we have, and we should all make it important to learn about what it takes to obtain true health, and prevent against degenerative diseases.


"We have forgotten what it is like to die of old age in this world. Instead we die of man-made diseases that could and should be prevented. Statistics tell us that one in three Americans will die of cancer, one in three will prematurely die as a result of heart disease, and that most of the rest will die of either another form of disease or by accidental death. Only a few of us will die of old age."- Dr Myron Wentz, Microbiologist, entrepreneur, philanthropist.

• :: Phthalates

Ok, what is a phthalate? They are a group of extensively used compounds known technically as dialkyl or alkyl aryl esters of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid. There are numerous phthalates with countless uses, and just as many toxicological traits.

Phthalates moved stealthily into prevalent use over the last several decades due to the many useful chemical properties. Now they are everywhere, not just in the products in which they are deliberately used, but in addition as contaminants in just about anything. It is used in so many things now, that about a billion pounds per year are produced worldwide.

You can find phthalates in softeners, plastics, oily substances in perfumes, additives to hairsprays, cosmetics, lubricants and wood finishers. Or how about that cool “new car smell”, which becomes especially overpowering after the car has been cooking in the sun for a while—that is in part due to the strong odor of phthalates volatilizing from a hot plastic dashboard. When evening comes, the fumes cool and condense to form an oily coating on the inside of the windshield.

According to trial statistics from the Center for Disease Control, an approximate 5% of women of reproductive age from the general population are polluted with 75% or more of the level of just one of the phthalates, DBP, that may begin to damage normal reproductive tract development in their baby boys.

Phthalates show numerous toxic effects in animal studies following chronic exposure or even after short-term exposures in particularly vulnerable organisms. These consequences include: damage to the liver, kidney, heart, and lungs as well as adverse effects on reproduction, development, and blood clotting. The outcome of human exposure to phthalates has not been well examined. Lengthy dormant periods between pertinent exposures, and understated effects that are hard to detect complicate and limit the small amount of existing epidemiological studies of phthalate impacts in humans. But these restrictions do not completely expound why the impacts of phthalates on humans have not been systematically investigated.

Here are a few personal care products that may contain phthalates and which kind:

• Powders- (DEP)
• Fragrances- (DEHP, BBP, DBP, DEP)
• Nail Polishes- (DBP)
• Hair Preparations- (BBP, DMP, DBP, DEP)
• Skin Creams- (DEP)
• Deodorants- (DBP, DEP)
• Aftershaves- (DEP)

In August of 2000, scientists at the Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico discovered a link between exposure to DEHP and premature breast development in young girls.

In 2003, a study was done by scientists from the Centers for Disease Control, Harvard School of Public Health, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, that stated, “men with higher phthalate levels have reduced sperm counts, lower sperm motility and more deformed sperm.”

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BOTTOM LINE:

1) Never let the absence of data prove the safety of a chemical.
2) Sense Beautiful Science skin care products are free of phthalates. :)

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Marie Bertrand
SkinScience Clinic
www.skinscience.md

Source: Toxic Cosmetics (2007)

Purpose by Og Mandino

I am not on this earth by chance. I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy. I will increase my knowledge of mankind, myself, and the goods I sell, thus my sales will multiply. I will practice, and improve, and my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted. I am nature’s greatest miracle.

I recently found this quote from best selling author Og Mandino, and found it truely inspiring. Og's story of going from an alcoholic insurance salesman who could not keep a job to one of the greatest salesman in the world is truely remarkable, and an inspiration to many.

We should all view our lives as gifts from above, and strive to be the best that we can be in all that we do. Our lives are meant to be lived in abundance, joy, and to make a positive impact on the world.

Be True To Yourself

Chase your passion, not your pension-Denis Waitley


Being true to yourself means trusting in yourself, and acting in accordance with your core beliefs, and the dreams and goals which you have set for yourself. We are in ultimate control of our lives, and deserve to create the life of our dreams through health, wealth, and prosperity.

When you do things which are in alignment with your core belief system, and your core interests it does not feel like work, but it feels more like you are doing what you were meant to do. We are all. We were born into a world of abundance, and full or opportunities for each and every one of us.

The path we choose does not have to be the one in which was suggested or taught to us from our parents and society, but it has to be the RIGHT ONE FOR US, and how we want to live our lives, find what you are truely passionate about and go out and live the life you were meant to live through Freedom, Prosperity and Happiness.

To be continued.

Here is an interesting article that recently came out in the New York times. Prevention, and taking active measures to be healthy is more valuable than words can say. In addition, we begin to feel better, have more energy, and vitality, and are able to enjoy our life more as we live healthy lives.

As Economy Is Down, Vitamin Sales Are Up

Published: April 4, 2009

It was a nasty head cold that sent Kerry Parham to Cinagro’s, a health-food store in suburban Cleveland, for an $8 bottle of herbal supplements.

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Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Jacqueline Kreiss of New York shuns doctor visits but is a frequent buyer at the Vitamin Shoppe.

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Stephanie Diani for The New York Times

Monique Miedema, with her dog, Skittles, in Santa Monica, Calif., holding the Adrenal Health supplement she takes.

“If I had a job with health insurance, I probably would have gone to see a doctor by now,” said Ms. Parham, 39, who lost her clerical job at American Greetings a while back. “But instead, I’m here buying echinacea. I hope it works.”

In flusher times, Ms. Parham said, she spent $50 a month on prescriptions for her asthma, allergies and other chronic problems. Now, she pays $6 a month for over-the-counter protein supplements and oregano oil capsules. “That’s an important savings for me,” she said. “It means I can rent a movie or make the kids food that they actually like.”

A lot of consumers seem to be doing the same math. Sales of vitamins and nutritional supplements, which have grown consistently for years, have surged in recent months, rising as the stock market has fallen. People are clearly cutting back on many items, from bread and milk to designer jeans and flat-screen televisions, but they are stocking up on pills that they think can spare them expensive doctor visits.

“When you go to the formal health system, you very quickly lose control over what this costs you,” said Uwe E. Reinhardt, a professor of economics at Princeton whose specialty is health care policy. Instead of turning immediately to a doctor, “people try to initially tough it out,” he said.

Professor Reinhardt sees the growing interest in vitamins and herbs as a logical extension of the concept of “consumer-directed health care” — the idea that people will take more preventative measures if their insurance deductibles are set higher — which has been working its way from conservative policy circles toward the mainstream over the last 20 years. Critics say this approach leads to predicaments like Ms. Parham’s, with people staying sicker longer and avoiding much-needed medical treatment.

At the Vitamin Shoppe, a national chain with 414 stores, customers have been expressing alarm over health care costs and the high unemployment rate, said Tom Tolworthy, the company chairman. “The reduction of benefits associated with prescription drugs is sending people to prevention and alternative health care,” he said.

The Vitamin Shoppe has tracked a rise in new customers of about 20 percent over the last six months, Mr. Tolworthy said. That increase is at least 25 percent higher than the rise in new customers that the chain saw in the recession of 2001.

Nationally, the numbers tell a similar story. For the three months ending Dec. 28, sales of vitamins rose nearly 8 percent compared with the same period in 2007, according to Information Resources Inc., a market research company in Chicago. At the same time, sales of other health-related products — like cough and cold remedies, first-aid products and pain relievers — have been dipping, according to the Nielsen Company.

The strong sales of vitamins and supplements have continued into this year. “Our best January and February in history are the ones that just happened,” said Tom Newmark, chief executive of New Chapter Inc., a 26-year-old supplements manufacturer in Brattleboro, Vt.

Direct evidence linking the rise in sales to the recession is more anecdotal than scientific, though industry analysts said they saw the same correlation — though less pronounced — in previous downturns.

“I don’t have health insurance, so I can’t go and see a doctor because it’s very expensive,” said Jacqueline Kreiss, an unemployed hairstylist and makeup artist in Manhattan who joined the frequent-buyer club at the Vitamin Shoppe a few months ago. “The economy just really put me backward, so I started relying on the vitamins.”

Whether a testament to vitamins or the power of placebo, Ms. Kreiss, 40, said she was happy with the results. “I feel very energetic,” she said. “I feel strong again. I feel I’m in full form to go out there and get a job.”

Certainly, America’s interest in supplements did not begin with the current recession. The industry has accounted for as much as $23 billion in domestic sales annually in recent years.

Even so, the jump in sales last fall amid such widespread financial distress caught some people by surprise. “We didn’t expect that,” said Patrick Rea, publisher and editorial director of Nutrition Business Journal, a trade paper based in Boulder, Colo. “We were like, ‘What’s going on here?’ ”

Doctors caution against putting too much faith in supplements, and recent studies have cast doubt on the long-term effectiveness of products like multivitamins and vitamin E for certain cancers and heart disease. Dr. Edward L. Langston, a former chairman of the board of the American Medical Association, said he counseled his patients to take limited doses of vitamin C, but said supplements were no “panacea,” nor a substitute for traditional health care.

“A little common sense here goes a long way,” Dr. Langston said.

But science does not seem to have shaken everyone’s faith. Amy Breslin, who is 33 and studying to be a physician’s assistant, has pared back on fresh fruits and vegetables and stocked up instead on fish oil capsules and antioxidant supplements.

“Organics are expensive,” she said at a vitamin store in Los Angeles. “Supplements may be more of a bang for my buck.”

Because of consumers like her, supplement sales have been a rare bright spot for Whole Foods. “We just reported our first quarter of negative growth in our company’s history, but the supplement area is performing better than the rest of the store,” said Jeremiah McElwee, a senior coordinator who oversees supplements sales for the company.

While multivitamins and fish oil capsules have sold particularly well, many people have their own personal favorites. Monique Miedema, who is 42 and works in finance in Los Angeles, places her faith in a supplement called Adrenal Health, which its manufacturer, Gaia Herbs, describes as a mix of six herbal ingredients meant to “support calmness.”

“There was no salary increase this year, and I live in Santa Monica in a high-rent apartment,” she said. Holding up a little brown bag with her purchase, she added, “I’ve been doing this more.”