Professional Strength Greens with Capros®

Submitted by Innate Response Formulas

Renewal Greens, by Innate Response Formulas, is a professional strength greens drink that has clinically proven benefits, boasting absolutely no fillers of any kind. It is a completely grain-free and dairy-free formulation, making it ideal for gut health protocols and detoxification. A unique feature of Renewal Greens is that it contains Capros, a superfood derived from Indian gooseberry that has proven to support cardiovascular health.

Clinically Proven Benefits
Capros (Phyllanthus emblica) is traditionally used in Ayuervedic medicine to support healthy skin because of its effective detoxifying and rejuvenating capabilities. Capros has recently been shown to inhibit the activity of collagenase, an enzyme that breaks down and degrades collagen. Capros protects the skin’s collagen, an important factor in maintaining healthy skin and protecting the skin from premature aging. It also protects against oxidative stress by serving as a powerful and broad-spectrum natural antioxidant. Capros, combined with a broad phytochemical blend helps restore pH balance to the body and provides cardiovascular support.

The Ideal Greens for Promoting Gut Health
To maximize digestive health, a greens formula should be made without grains such as corn, gluten, rice, or fillers. Gluten and similar proteins found in grains can be difficult to break down. Cereal grains tend to have proteins that are high in the amino acid “proline.” These prolamines (proline-rich proteins) are tough to digest, resulting in gut irritation.
Another sign of a good greens formula is the absence of lectins, a group of proteins commonly found in cereal grains (even those that are gluten-free), soy, and legumes. The digestibility of lectins varies greatly from person to person, but for some, certain lectins are not broken down in the normal digestive process. This leaves large, intact proteins in the gut, leading to irritation and nutrient absorption difficulties.
Dairy provokes an inflammatory response in the gut, spikes insulin levels, and has an acidifying effect on the body; therefore, it should be avoided in a greens formula.
The ideal greens formula contains digestive enzymes and probiotics to support gut health and the overall health of the digestive system.

Great Taste Without Compromise
Compliance can be difficult when it comes to changing long-standing diet and exercise preferences. If you are not getting enough vegetables and fruits in your diet, a greens drink is an excellent way to introduce vital nourishment into your daily routine. Renewal Greens is packed with over 40 different fruits, vegetables, and botanicals per serving — specifically formulated to increase daily nutrient intake. Renewal Greens has no added sugar — just the pure, wonderful taste of a variety of organic foods and herbs. It is completely free of anything synthetic or artificial, and is gluten-, lectin-, and dairy-free. Renewal Greens is also casein- and whey-free, and the probiotics included are grown from lactose-free sources. Suitable for vegans and vegetarians, Renewal Greens products are vigorously tested for herbicides, pesticides, and heavy metals to ensure a potent, pure health solution. As a part of the product development process, Renewal Greens has been compared to other greens powders in blinded tests and it always comes out on top, cementing it as the best-tasting professional-strength greens product available.

Healthy Mouth = Healthy Person

Submitted by Everyday Throat Spray

Seasonal allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to pollen from flowers, weeds, and trees, causing the body to release an inflammatory substance called histamine. The symptoms from these allergens include sneezing, nasal congestion, coughing, and irritation in the throat.

A good throat spray can help alleviate allergic irritation, with ingredients such as osha root and echinacea. Throat spray can also relieve a sore throat from a cold, remedy bad breath, and prevent periodontitis, a condition that can lead to more serious health problems such as heart disease.

A Natural Solution
Everyday Throat Spray is an all-natural, certified-organic throat spray that was designed to address everything from bad breath to a sore throat. The secret to Everyday Throat Spray is its very unique formula which was made in conjunction with a medical herbalist. For throat sprays to be effective, they need to be used on a regular basis, so we took care to create a flavor that tastes great. The following ingredients in Everyday Throat Spray address all aspects of treating infections, viruses, and inflammation to maintain good oral health.

Colloidal Silver
Colloidal silver has been known as a remarkably effective natural antibiotic for centuries. It aids in killing unwanted bacteria to help keep the mouth, gums, and throat healthy and fresh.

Osha Root
Osha has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it the ideal antidote for viral infections of the sinuses, throat, and upper and lower respiratory systems. It helps bring up respiratory secretions and relaxes smooth muscles, making it beneficial for coughs and asthmatic breathing difficulties.

Echinacea
Echinacea supports the immune system to reduce infections and relieve sore throats.

Ginger
Ginger helps create a feeling of warmth and well-being. It has an anti-inflammatory action and helps alleviate persistent coughs, colds and flu, and other related problems of the respiratory system.

Licorice
Licorice’s effect on respiratory problems is mainly due to the presence of glycyrrhizin in it, which acts as an expectorant and helps prevent and ease coughing. Glycyrrhizin, which is 50 times sweeter than sugar lends a subtle, sweet flavor, and acts as an anti-inflammatory and antiallergenic.

Peppermint Oil
The essence of peppermint has both cooling and warming properties, and gives a pleasant flavor to the throat spray.

Three Supplements to Prevent Insulin Resistance

By Dr. Jen Morganti

November is “National Diabetes Month”, but as a Naturopathic Doctor, I would prefer to rename it “National Insulin Resistance Month.” Focusing on this condition is the most effective way to reduce the incidence of diabetes. Insulin resistance tends to lead to Type 2 diabetes, which is primarily developed in adulthood and accounts for over 90% of diabetic cases. Bad habits, such as fast food, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking are all contributors. The good news is that it is largely avoidable or correctable through basic diet and lifestyle modifications. Type 1 diabetes, typically diagnosed at a younger age, tends to be related to genetics or autoimmune disease. In both cases, there is not enough insulin being produced by the pancreas to handle glucose in the blood.

The role of insulin, produced by the pancreas, is to shuttle glucose (sugar) to tissue cells to store for use as energy. When cells’ insulin receptors are resistant to insulin, they ignore the glucose delivery, so blood levels increase. The pancreas is programmed to respond by producing more insulin. Eventually both insulin and glucose levels become elevated and the pancreas exhausts itself, yet cells aren’t getting the energy that they require. The excess glucose in the blood must be reduced by whatever means necessary; if it can’t be delivered to cells, it ultimately converts into fatty acids and stores in tissues as fat. Insulin resistance ultimately leads to weight gain, manifesting as a “spare tire” around the waist.

To put the brakes on the insulin/glucose culmination, let’s take one step back and ask what causes cells to stop responding to insulin in the first place? One of the key culprits is excessive inflammation, which has been created by fat cells, especially when there are a lot of them. Fat secretes inflammatory chemicals (called cytokines) that cause cells to become resistant to insulin. Insulin resistance in turn triggers sugar to be converted to more fat. The cycle perpetuates itself; fat cells cause insulin resistance, and insulin resistance contributes to fat cells and weight gain.

To break the vicious cycle, we need to question where the extra fat cells came from because they are responsible for producing inflammatory chemicals. The simple answer is the Standard American Diet (SAD). Those fast, convenient, processed meals are full of saturated fat and sugar, which increase the size and number of pro-inflammatory fat cells. So the unavoidable first step towards diabetes prevention requires switching to a nutrition-packed, moderate-calorie, anti-inflammatory, whole foods diet. The result will surely be weight loss and diminished inflammation, with cells regaining the ability to respond to insulin appropriately.

After establishing a solid foundation of healthy foods, add some herbs and nutrients that act to diminish inflammation and potentially improve insulin sensitivity. The herbal extract curcumin, derived from the tasty Indian spice turmeric, has been the subject of thousands of studies. One of the known super powers possessed by curcumin is it’s antiinflammatory activity, which, among other things, may effectively improve cells’ sensitivity to insulin and lower blood sugar levels.

A second delicious spice that helps prevent insulin resistance is cinnamon extract. There have been some conflicting studies about cinnamon’s role, but on a positive note, certain cinnamon extracts have been shown to reduce secretion of inflammatory cytokines from fat cells. By decreasing overall inflammation, cells become more sensitive to insulin. Cinnamon has also been shown in studies to reduce the amount of insulin released after eating, and helps keep blood sugar levels balanced. You can benefit from adding cinnamon to food on a daily basis, and take a standardized extract in pill form.

The recent plethora of vitamin D research has helped establish its potent anti-inflammatory actions, so it comes as no surprise to find that vitamin D deficiency is related to increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. A few studies have suggested that supplementing with vitamin D may improve insulin resistance. Anyone struggling to fend off diabetes should take a simple vitamin D blood test, setting a goal of over 50 dl/ml. That goal becomes more achievable when supplementing with 2,000- 5,000 IU of vitamin D a day.

Ultimately, inflammation is at the root of insulin resistance and diabetes. The key to prevention is dietary modification and supplementation to aid in weight loss and decreased inflammation. Under these conditions, insulin resistance can be reversed and blood sugar levels normalized.

References:
J Clin Invest. 2006;116 (7):1793–1801
Eur J Nutr. 2011 Apr; 50 (3):151-61
Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2011; 4:205-12
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011 Sep; 65(9):1005-15

Congratulations to our Contest Winner!

Congrats to L.P. from central New York! She won a free copy of the Whole Life Nutririon Cookbook and a free consultation with Tom Malterre, CN. Here was her submission, and as she replied when asked for permission to publish her story; “This is my soapbox” .

“I have been gluten free for six years.  My first challenge was accepting the diagnosis because I had not been sick.  My doctor found it looking for an answer to another problem. To begin one has to understand that we are a society whose food is wheat based and the majority of gatherings include food.  Therefore, I am constantly explaining why I cannot eat something. It is hard to convince people that “just a little” won’t hurt. Even my own mother still says, “I can’t believe that you can’t have a little bit”.  When you don’t appear sick, then you must be OK, right?  Going along with this is finding suitable substitutions for the things that one has loved.  I like to cook and have a good sense of taste so I have done a lot of experimenting.  Lately, however many, many new items have come to market which are good but you never know until you try them. Some of the products available are not great.  I feel like a super sleuth detecting all the hidden sources of gluten.  It takes a lot time and energy.  I even had a pharmaceutical company tell me that their product may or may not have gluten so I should try it and see what happens.”

We hope this enticing cookbook will help L.P. further expand her meal options, and that the consultation with Tom helps to make her day-to-day challenges a little easier!

Share your Story for a Chance to Win a Nutritional Consultation and Fabulous Cookbook!

October is Celiac Disease Awareness Month, and to help increase awareness, NEEDS is offering a an amazing package for the winner of our contest. Write to us to share a story about how you discovered you were gluten sensitive or diagnosed with Celiac Disease, or creative ways on how you manage your gluten-free diet plan.  We will select the most interesting story, and the winner will receive a FREE Phone Consultation with Tom Malterre, CN,  author and gluten-sensitive specialist ($150 value), and a signed copy of the wonderful cookbook The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook ($22.95 value).     

Tom Malterre received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and is licensed by the state of Washington as a Certified Nutritionist. Tom travels throughout the United States and Canada lecturing at conferences on topics such as Vitamin D, Gluten Intolerance, and Digestive Health. He empowers people through classes, seminars, and private counseling with his insight and depth of knowledge on the biochemical interactions within our body and their relationship to our diet.

Click here to submit your story!
And everyone wins a free delicious recipe taken from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook for Coconut Vegetable Curry with Chickpeas below!

Coconut Vegetable Curry with Chickpeas

This quick curry can be made in a snap! Serve over brown jasmine rice for an easy weekday meal. Serves 4

 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

3 small red potatoes, cut into cubes

3 medium carrots, diced

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 can coconut milk

¼ to ½ cup water

2 small zucchini, diced

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

2 teaspoons sea salt

½ cup cilantro

1.      In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ginger, cumin seeds, and black mustard seeds; cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the seeds begin to “pop”.

2.      Add potatoes, carrots, turmeric, coriander, and curry powder. Stir well and continue to cook for another minute or so. Add the tomato paste, coconut milk, water; stir well.

3.      Simmer, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes until potatoes and carrots are almost done but still a little crisp. Add zucchini, peas, chickpeas, and sea salt; cover the pot and simmer until vegetables are tender, about another 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro.

 

Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook 2007