Category: health

What is with all the recalls on medical devices, medical treatments and natural supplements? Is anyone really doing their job? Is enforcement too lax or is it too onerous causing companies to cheat to merely get a razor thin profit? Under regulation, over regulation, corporate malfeasance, criminal behavior, class action lawyers – what gives? Not long ago, this became a conversation of debate at our think tank.

One think tanker mentioned that there were some rather unfortunate hip-replacement recalls a few years back. Yes, I have heard of the hip recalls they spoke of and have watched a YouTube Video graphic of the problem. Terrible, I mean how can they recall a hip? Ouch. I have a steel rod in my leg from a motorcycle accident many years ago – it basically ruined my running career even if my high-performance athletic days were over pretty much by then.

What is bad is that it is obviously pre-existing and I never took it out, because I couldn’t spare the down-time from my business and being self-employed, well, I’ve never really had the time to take it out, now I don’t even know if it is safe too, plus I am deathly worried about the MRSA and I don’t trust hospitals anymore – not to mention costs, skyrocketing health care insurance, etc. – anyway, what I am saying is I can relate, with the problem aspect of your ‘problem-solution’ concept.

Well, if that sounds bad consider the challenges with vitamin supplements? Even if the FDA did enforce regulations in that space – I still see the challenges with the FDA and supplements and the controversies there. I worry too that too many supplements are now being made in China or with ingredients from there, that scares me, and the FDA only has one office in all of China. If so the vitamin sector would die, and people would be without.

I asked one of our think tank members if he was worried that with the long-haul process of getting things approved that it could slow down natural supplement companies turning all that over to big pharma, and thus, eliminating choice to the consumer – if all natural supplements had to go through the FDA?

One member suggested that certain natural supplements be looked at for special cases such as a natural lubricant, or a mixture of natural supplements with various drugs or in addition to treatments – because I see that as a very wise thing, especially as we learn more about enzymes, proteins, and we just need a little boost somewhere to get the patient over the hump of their ailments so the body can take over and make it right again. Think on this.

More and more people are going for brain enhancing products. Gone are the days when brain supplements were used only by the elderly to boost issues such as memory. Brain supplements come with lots of benefits, making them very popular among all age groups. Some of the benefits you can expect from your brain pills include reduced mental fatigue, increased focusing ability, improved memory and recall, thought clarity and improved overall brain health. People using the pills also enjoy higher processing speeds by the brain and the impressive ability to bounce between ideas and thoughts.

There are so many reasons as to why you may consider going for the brain pills. Whatever your reasons may be for the supplements, it is important that you do your best in decision making and usage to get the most from your supplement. Here are a few tips that can help you in getting the best from the brain pills you choose.

Tip 1 – Get familiar with the ingredients

One of the best ways of telling what your smart pills will do for you is to check on the ingredients. There are so many ingredients used in different brain pills and they come with different benefits to the brain. Whereas some will increase circulation within your grain to promote cell membrane fluidity, others may increase neural communication through increased nerve ending growth rate. Find out what the ingredients in your supplement do to improve your mental wellbeing so that you are able to select the best pills for the kind of results you expect.

Tip 2 – Source your pills from reputable brands and suppliers

You will find popular brain pill brands in the market and you can settle for those to enjoy maximum benefits. You also want to ensure that you buy them from suppliers you trust so you do not end up with counterfeit pills that will do little to your brain. If possible, buy the supplements directly from manufacturers or authorized dealers so you enjoy genuine top quality products in the end.

Tip 3 – Follow the directions of use

Your manufacturer knows the product better and you should therefore ensure that you follow the directions for use to the letter. High dosages do not translate into faster results so make sure you stick with the directions offered.

Tip 4 – Get a go ahead from your doctor

This is very important, especially for those not in good health or physical condition. Your physician can offer helpful guidelines on what smart pills are best for you and how to actually use so you do not end up making your condition worse.

Tip 5 – Drink plenty of water

The truth is brain supplements increase blood flow to your brain. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day makes it possible for the supplements to work effectively and also minimizes possible side effects. Dehydration is a leading cause of reduced brain performance so be sure to stay hydrated all through.

Traditional Chinese Medicines are popular today because people want an all-natural approach to treating their ailments. These are supplements that have been used for centuries with a lot of success. Each can be very helpful to you, especially if you are a chronic sufferer that has not found any relief anyplace else, this could be a great solution for your problems.

1. Ginger

Ginger is popular for being a treatment for indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, menstrual cramps, and flu-symptoms, just to name a few things that this can be used to help. This is a popular suggestion today for people to help treat nausea and may even help prevent heart disease, cancer, and a supplement for arthritis.

2. Ginkgo Biloba

This is a supplement that you are probably familiar with these days, as it seems to be a top ingredient in many all-natural supplements on the market. It can be associated with helping a variety conditions such as memory loss, dementia, and anxiety.

3. Ginseng

Ginseng is another well-known supplement on today’s market. This is popular as an immune boosting supplement and has been added to some drinks available on the market.

4. Goji Berry

This is really a rising star in the market today of supplements. It has shown some promise in helping conditions such as inflammatory diseases and cardiovascular diseases, as well as helping against vision-related issues. It also has properties that could prevent cancer and having neuroprotective properties.

5. Thunder God Vine

When used properly, this plant can help with arthritis, reduce joint swelling, and relieve pain. It can have some nasty side effects if it was used improperly.

6. Sweet Wormwood

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, sweet wormwood has been believed to help treat symptoms like fever, dizziness, headaches, and other issues. It can also be used to help treat malaria.

7. Danshen

Also known as salvia miltiorrhiza, this supplement is a popular choice for helping you for your circulatory and heart health. It is a popular choice in China for this purpose.

8. Ziziphus Jujuba

There have been a couple of different uses for this fruit in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It can help to aid digestion as well as being a painkiller or sedative. It can help with anxiety, with some studies showing it is just as effective as some anti-anxiety medicines on the market.

9. Chinese Hawthorn

This is a berry that can be used to help with your heart health. It can also help to help control lipid levels.

10. White Mulberry

This fruit has been shown to have anti-diabetic properties because it can reduce the level of blood sugar levels. It can also benefit heart health and has inflammatory properties.

11. Chinese Skullcap

This supplement has shown promise in helping with cardiovascular and cognitive health. It can also help with longevity and has flavonoid compounds.

12. Jatamansi

This supplement has shown some promise in preventing, convulsions and epilepsy. There are still studies being performed on this medicine to show how effective it really is.

Testosterone has something of a curious relationship with the general public. Though all of us know it has a role in the development of our bodies (more so in men than in women), its role in our health later in life is widely misunderstood.

As we enter puberty, testosterone levels shoot up by as much as 30 times their previous levels, developing our bodies into their adult forms. After early adulthood, it’s natural for testosterone levels in the human body to decline slightly year on year.

In some people, testosterone levels can fall below normal levels, leading to symptoms like decreased muscle mass, lethargy, increased body fat and, in men, erectile dysfunction. For serious cases of low testosterone, visiting the doctor for hormone replacement therapy is recommended.

All of us can benefit from more mild forms of testosterone replacement though. Here’s four huge benefits of increasing your testosterone levels:

1. Less fat and more muscle

Studies have repeatedly found higher levels of testosterone are responsible for increased muscle mass. Because muscles require energy to sustain themselves, this helps to control weight, leading to a stronger and leaner you. By combining testosterone supplements with strength and weight training, you’ll see strong gains over training alone.

2. A healthier heart

We don’t need to tell you how important your heart is, but what you might know is the vital role that testosterone plays in keeping both it and your blood healthy. Testosterone helps red blood cell production through the bone marrow, but its real benefit is in the heart.

Testosterone has been found to increase the width of healthy arteries in your heart, helping to maximise blood flow and, therefore, performance. A recent study of 83,000 men also found that testosterone treatments reduced heart attack risks by 24 percent and stroke risks by 36 percent.

3. Stronger bones

In training, bone strength plays a vital role in ensuring you don’t hurt yourself as you increase your load. In men, bone density decreases as testosterone levels drop, making bones more prone to failure and osteoporosis. Research has found that testosterone replacement can increase bone density, helping to support your muscles and organs, boosting athletic performance. Since we know that there are many benefits a healthy level of testosterone can bestow on men, then the question to ask is how to slow down the decline of testosterone as we get older? You can find this out at beautyhealthage.com/how-to-increase-testosterone and work on it to boost your testosterone level in order to slow down the physical aging process and get back, at least to some extent, the virility and manliness of our younger days. Wouldn’t that be just great?

4. Increased libido

Without getting too graphic, as men age and their testosterone levels start to fall, so does their libido. It’s a natural process, but one which causes a great deal of distress. Testosterone naturally increases sexual response and libido, though its effects in people without hypogonadism may be limited.

Pre workout supplements are gaining popularity among gym goers around the world. The aim of pre training supplements is to take your workout to the next level, utilizing various ingredients to increase energy, strength, and endurance. If you are someone that likes to spend their time in the gym pushing as hard as you can and need a little boost, a pre workout is probably a great option!

When searching for the right supplement, you want to make sure you cover all the bases that can help you in the way you like to workout. For example, if you only do cardio, you don’t need ingredients like Creatine that are meant to increase maximal strength. Or, if you only lift weights, you probably don’t need ingredients that are meant to improve your VO2 max.

Why You Need A Pre Workout

Most of us go to the gym with the purpose to get better every time. If you don’t want to improve your performance and don’t want extra energy in the gym, then a pre workout isn’t for you. However, for those of us that want to improve our physical fitness beyond our current levels, a pre workout can lead to more success.

Common ingredients increase strength, endurance, energy, blood flow, concentration, and even more! As we all know, nutrition is the most important part of increasing your performance in the gym. Once you have nailed the perfect diet for performance, you can still take your workout to the next level. There are quite a few ingredients that have been researched to provide many benefits compared to placebo. Things like Caffeine, Creatine, Beta Alanine, Citrulline, and Alpha GPC all have shown very promising research to improve your gym efforts!

What To Look For When Shopping

You can’t just go to the supplement store and randomly pick a supplement and hope it works. Instead, you should do a little research to find out what ingredients would produce the best results for you. Like I mentioned earlier, a strength-based supplement wouldn’t be very useful for cardio workouts.

One of the easiest ways to find out which product would be best for you is to read some reviews online on each of the products. Read reviews in which the reviewer tells you how and why they used the product and find a match with what you need the supplement for.

Alternatively, you can actually just research common pre workout ingredients. There are plenty of websites, articles, and blog posts out there dedicated to maximizing your pre workout supplementation. I’ve already named a few ingredients earlier in the article. That can be a great starting place!

Go Put In Work!

Now that you know the benefits of a pre workout, it’s time to find the right one for you and hit the gym hard and often! Trust me, the energy and performance boost that you will find with pre training supplements is like no other! You can ascend to the next level of fitness if you add a pre workout to a great training and nutrition plan!

Do you go to the gym on a regular basis? Do you have an office job? No matter what type of work you do, you need energy to keep yourself going. Although diet and exercise carry a lot of weight, taking energy supplements is a great way of getting an energy boost in a natural manner. Let’s go through some amazing benefits of supplements.

Benefits of energy supplements

First of all, it should be kept in mind that energy supplements have a great impact on your energy levels. For instance, they can help you boost your lifestyle. Given below are some of the major benefits that you can enjoy if you take these supplements on a regular basis.

They are healthier

Compared to the classic energy boosters, energy supplements are lot healthier. Most people opt for coffee to get the required energy boost. While coffee may help you improve your focus, the results don’t last longer and you may feel uncomfortable. At times, you may even experience unpleasant crashes.

Apart from these, these drinks are rich in sugar and lots of other additives that you may not want in your diet. On the other hand, energy supplements are a great source of sustained energy that is good for your overall health.

Nutrients alternatives

These products can provide your body with essential nutrients that you can’t get in your diet. According to experts, most of these supplements are loaded with nutrients and vitamins that can be found in natural foods as well. The good news is that these nutrients are part of most supplements that are sold in the market nowadays.

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you may benefit greatly from the extra nutrients since you can only eat specific foods. Most people who don’t eat dairy products or meat may not get enough vitamins like Vitamin B12. In order to meet this deficiency, they can opt for some good energy supplements.

Anxiety and stress

These products can help you deal with stress and anxiety. In today’s world, stress and anxiety have become one of the most common psychological problems. If you are suffering from stress, we suggest that you try out some energy supplements. A special compound called pantothenic acid is found in the products that can help you reduce your stress, fatigue and tiredness.

Overall health

If you are looking for something to improve your general health, you should give a go to energy supplements. These products contain different types of compounds that can help you boost your overall health in an efficient manner. For instance, Folic acid may help you prevent negatives modifications in your DNA. As a result, your chances of getting cancer are reduced significantly. In the same way, niacin may help you improve our heart health in addition to reduce your cholesterol levels. Moreover, thiamine makes your heart, nervous system and muscles a lot stronger.

In the main stream world we live in today there is a ton of information that floods our lives on a daily basis. Not all information provided is legit especially when it comes to sales and marketing. The health and fitness industry is not exempt from this hype. The same is true when it comes to defining what nutrition and supplements are and what they are not.

When deciding what supplements you should use, you should have already decided on your nutritional goals. Supplements, although very helpful, are last on the list. In short, the list is as follows:

1. Decide your fitness goals and what you want in the next six months.
2. Tailor your diet to meet the needs of your fitness goals
3. Design or hire someone to create a workout tailored to you.
4. Commit to your goals and execute them with excitement!
5. Carefully select quality (healthy) supplements that will add to your efforts.

Now let’s define nutrition in relationship to supplements.Supplements Are Dependent Upon Nutrition

Think about the terms “nutrition” and “supplements” for a minute. Any doctor will testify that nutrition is key. It is the basis for energy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So the first thing to design is your nutritional intake.

Supplements are exactly that; supplements or supplementation. Supplements add to what you’re already doing as a healthy way of life. They fill in the gaps when you cheat or do not eat as well as you should. They should never replace nutrition. When you replace your nutrition with a supplement, you’re taking away from your body when you shouldn’t.

The next time you’re in a store or online, take a look at the types of supplements that companies are selling and you will find a label that says, “Supplement Facts” or something similar. The ingredients in the product have standards called daily values. These vitamins, minerals and nutrients have daily values or recommended daily consumption dosages. Nutrients are, “a substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and day-to-day maintenance.” Nutrition does the same thing. Therefore, if we do not have proper nutrition paired with proper supplementation we cannot support a healthy lifestyle; much less an athletic regimen.

This is why some supplements (considering they are high quality) tend not to work for people. You can not expect to run on supplements alone. However, when you balance nutrition and supplements, you will balance your body. You will see the results you’re looking for as well as experience the effectiveness of the supplement.

There are hundreds if not thousands of health recommendation’s and advice, the wrong or right diet, supplementation, what pill you should or shouldn’t take, it depends whoever you are listening to. Some are good, some have been wrong for decades and most of them only got it half right.

The body is a complex type of machinery. Let’s compare it to an engine. It needs all the right moving parts, good lubrication for the parts, air to breath, clean fuel to run on and it needs it constantly, as well the timing be right. If we would keep our body like a well serviced engine our body would run well on all cylinders, (organs.)

The body’s warning signals are like the dash lights on the care. When the red warning light come on, do you go and fix the problem, or do you just cut the wire to put out the light?

Too often we take the effortless way out, although, not always fully aware of our action, we do unknowingly too often cut that wire.

Getting the Right Fuel

Consuming a balanced diet of all fresh organic whole foods is the best fuel for your body. However, it is not possible for everyone to eat home cooked meals every day despite the best effort. Unquestionable, there is a problem with our current food supply which is lacking many things our body needs daily. To add to this problem, many make the wrong choices when it comes to selecting foods.

The only answer to this is a multi-supplement. But with a such huge amount of supplements available on the market how do you know which ones are the right ones for you? The problem, many of them out there are only marketing fads, or worse, made from synthetics and not from natural ingredients. Some of them are cheap or heavily discounted what should be a warning sign to anyone.

Affective Ingredients in a Supplement!

For the best health benefits a multi supplement should have all the ingredients to replace nutrients missing in our foods. There is no such thing as one pill that can have all that. The only way a supplement can have all ingredients the body needs daily it must come in several stages and not consist of one pill or a tablespoon of something. These stages are: Morning, Noon and Evening.

Stage one: Take in the morning; a satchel of juice, containing vitamin B-1 (Thiamine.) Helps body detoxifying, nervous system, turns fats into energy. It contains 3 MG of vitamins, B-1 per 1 oz. serving: Vitamin B 2 (Riboflavin) Provides energy to the cells, maintains healthy eyes and skin. Maintains normal memory levels. Contains 3.4 MG of vitamin B-2 per 1 oz. serving: Vitamin B-3 (Niacin) Essential for a healthy nervous system, helps digestive function, hormone production and turns fat into energy: As well, contains vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic acid) Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine) Vitamin B-12 for low blood pressure, also important to maintain a healthy metabolism and blood cells: Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) D-Biotin, Taurine, L-Theanine, Inositol and trace minerals.

These are most but not all of them contained in one satchel. A complete nutritional spectrum that works. It also has a high ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity) values that defend against free radical and a multiplicity of vitamins important for overall health. Also helps absorption which is most crucial as we age.

In a highly concentrated form in this satchel, taken in the morning are some of the most powerful major fruits and berries, such as the Alaskan blue berry, acai berry, grape seed/skin, maqui berry, aronia berry, mangosteen, pomegranate, red raspberry.

These are high in antioxidants, fight allergies, infection, skin disorders, high in trace minerals, promotes healthy red blood cells and regulates insulin production.

Stage two: Take at noon; Nitric Oxide (NO), described by scientists the molecule of life. Nitro Oxide comes in a form of liquid, 20 drops into some water, best taken after your eaten. This liquid, repairs, defends and maintains every cell of the body. Nitric Oxide also promotes health to the cardiovascular system and arteries for a healthy heart.

Stage three: Take at evening; before your meal, the powerful omega-3 to help restore your body during sleep. Most important for joint movement, it has hyaluronic acid to lubricate joints and keep the skin hydrated. Omega-3 has many other benefits for general health. Omega-3 cannot be made by the body so it must come from the diet or supplementation. The body needs roughly 1.000 MG of omega-3 per day.

If a supplement is what it says it is, there should be a website provided for anyone to do they own research. Which tells of all the ingredients, where they originate from, they quality and scientific report.

Lacking in Food

Our food today is of inadequate quality and lacking too many of the things our body needs for optimal health. Even worse, some foods are most unhealthy. It’s not just a matter of what not to eat, it’s better to focus on what to eat. Our health depends on the many choices we make.

As much as blogs and the media focus on losing weight when they discuss fitness, many people with a keen interest in health and nutrition actually want to gain weight. For those who want to create a more impressive physique by building muscle mass, you are almost certainly going to have to put on some weight.

Gaining Weight & Muscle
In a nutshell to pack on some weight and increase your muscle mass you need to:

Consume excess calories than you expend
Do heavy weight training
Eat the correct macro nutrients
Be patient and consistent
Consider using supplements

Science: Eat More Than You Burn
Simple science tells us that you will put on weight when you eat more calories than you expend. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you will gain muscle automatically by following this method you have to incorporate the other tips below to achieve this – but to gain weight and build size you will have to be in calorie surplus.

Calories are units of energy. If you eat more calories than you burn, your body will have an excess of energy, which needs to be stored. Excess calories are first converted to glycogen, a complex carbohydrate, which is then stored primarily in muscle and liver cells. When your glycogen stores are full, the energy gets stored as fat.

If you have just one day of consuming more calories than you burn, you won’t put on weight; your calorie intake will eventually just level out over a week or so. To achieve weight gain you need to consume extra calories steadily over time.

Weight Training – The Correct Way
This doesn’t mean doing 4 sets of 15 arm curls to get a temporary pump. This isolated movement, and others alike, aren’t going to get the big muscles firing, which you need if you are serious about putting weight on. Even if you are just looking to put on weight but not achieve a substantial physique, compound movements are essential. Compound strength training, such as squats, dead lifts, bench press, bent over rows, pull-up sand presses, require a larger range of motion therefore recruiting more muscle activation, meaning your big muscles suffer micro-tears, which when combined with excess calories, will grow back bigger and we all know muscle weights more than fat. I’ve found that compound sessions always make you feel hungrier after!

Of course bicep curls, calf raises, frontal raises and other isolated exercises can have their place in your weekly routine, just don’t build your sessions around them and always do your compound training at the beginning of your workout when you are the freshest to lift heavy.

Macro nutrients & Calorie Dense Foods
Gaining weight means you’re going to have to eat big, which undoubtedly means you are going to take on a bit of fat as well. Don’t despair about this, it is fine. You will always be able to shed this slight fat gain further down the line. However, this is not to say that you should be eating the biggest, fattiest burger or pizza every meal of the day. Eat big, but eat as clean as you can. The simplest way to do this is to consume calorie dense foods to circumvent excessive fat gains.

Prebiotics and Probiotics provide the right kind of nutrients in your body for healthy bacteria to win I your digestive system, it limits the growth of harming bugs, helps you to digest food and get the ideal nutrition from your diet.

Our digestive system needs help from healthy bacteria so our body can breakdown food and absorb nutrients so we can stay healthy and have enough energy through the day. We need friendly bacteria in our digestive tract specially in the lower intestine to prevent the development of diseases.

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are substances with healthy bacteria, that when is ingested stays on our digestive tract. When there is an imbalance in healthy and bad bacteria in the gut, we experience symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract and in other parts.

What are Prebiotics?

Prebiotics are substances that when you ingested them promote healthy bacteria in your digestive tract, in the colon. Prebiotics keep the microflora in the gut healthy.

So what is the difference between Prebiotics and Probiotics

The complement each other, prebiotics makes sure that there is a right environment for healthy bacteria to grow and function in your digestive system. So if you fail to take enough prebiotics in your daily nutrition, taking probiotics will not keep enough healthy bacteria in your intestines.

Yogurt and other foods that contain prebiotics and probiotics are called synbiotics.

How do I know if I have an imbalance of Prebiotics Levels

If you have unhealthy prebiotic levels in the gut, results in an imbalance of bacteria in the gut.

These are some of the symptoms you may experience:

• Diarrhea
• Fatulence
• Bloating
• Obesity
• Depression
• Influenza
• Urinary Tract infections
• Allergies
• Vaginal Yeast infections
• Skin Problems

What are some of the Benefits of Healthy Prebiotic Levels

There have been many clinical studies showing the benefits of prebiotics in adolescents, infants and adults.

Taking the right amount of prebiotics in food or supplements has many benefits:

• Decreases GI symptoms
• Helps to lose weight
• Increases your energy levels
• Promotes healthy bacteria in your tract
• Makes a balance of bacteria in your digestive tract
• Promotes the absorption of important nutrients from your diet
• Prevents Colon cancer and other types of cancer
• Promotes proper calcium metabolism and healthy bones in adolescents
• Better well being
• Prevents Type 2 diabetes

How to add Prebiotics to your Diet

If you have any symptoms of inadequate prebiotics balance and you want to stay healthy you can add some of the following foods to your diet:

• Honey
• Asparagus
• Whole Grains
• Onions
• Bananas
• Kiwifruit
• Legumes
• Artichokes
• Garlic
• Oatmeal

Taking Prebiotic Supplements

However one of the easiest ways to promote the right levels of prebiotics is to consume prebiotic supplements.