Health Choices for Life Blog

May 10, The Essential Supplements

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:51:07 GMT

Essential supplements are those that are mandatory to help prevent chronic deterioration of health. They must be taken seriously and taken daily.

Apr 30, CoQ10: Energize Me

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:44:58 GMT

CoQ10, often mistaken for an enzyme, is a vitamin-like cofactor. We all need it but do we need to supplement it?

Apr 6, Cancer Prevention is a Lifetime of Smart Choices

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:58:59 GMT

Cancer prevention has been sorely lacking in the war on cancer and early detection is still in the realm of

Mar 31, What is Cancer?

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:06:45 GMT

"What is Cancer" has been the subject of medical research for decades. Answers are finally starting to come

Mar 31, Cancer treatments: Burn, poison it, cut in out!
Is There Anything New Out

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 15:12:19 GMT

Cancer treatments are improving but after 38 years and $40 billion dollars, victory is nowhere in sight.

Mar 23, Have You Hugged Your Gray Matter Today?

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 01:35:23 GMT

The Human Nervous System page of the Healthy by Nature website covers the brain as well as the other components of our nervous system in great detail.

A recent submittal from Kaitlyn Cole, a writer for www.OnlineUniversity.com, invited us to examine her treatment of the gray matter in the brain. The article appears in the Online University blog under the title, "25 Facts You Should Know About Your Gray Matter".

The presentation is a great combination of originality, simplicity and creativity all wrapped up in one very informative package about this mysterious stuff we call gray matter. Take a look at it by clicking the link below and while you are there, see what the Online University is all about. It could open up a new world for you.

Jan 29, Spirulina

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:20:56 GMT

Spirulina, a member of the blue-green algae family, is acutally a cyanobacteria. It has health benefits that seem impossible but then this is one of nature's miracle super foods.

Jan 29, Chlorella

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:25:45 GMT

Chlorella, a fresh-water algae, has so many healthful attributes that it is hard to know where to start. It is best known for its detoxification abilities but it is hard to find something that it can

Jan 29, Pond Scum:
A Storehouse of Health

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:03:47 GMT

Pond scum is that smelly, messy, gross green slime found growing in our ponds, lakes and waterways. We call it algae but others call it a gold mine of health. Is it right for you?

Jan 29, Astaxanthin

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:47:57 GMT

Astaxanthin is the carotenoid that gives puts the pink in salmon and flamingos. It will keep us in the pink as well if we just take it. You will not believe its benefits were even possible in a sup

Jan 8, Glutathione...the Miracle Anti-oxidant You Never Heard Of

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:54:30 GMT

Glutathione is vital to health and made naturally by our bodies if all the right building blocks are present; most of the time they aren't. Find out what it can do for you.

Jan 8, Magnesium Supplements

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:31:58 GMT

Magnesium supplements aren't for everyone. They are vital to life but readily available in numerous good whole foods. If supplementation is called for there are numerous factors to consider.

Jan 8, Resveratrol: To Health and Long Life

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:25:07 GMT

Resveratrol is a wonderful polyphenol flavonoid that has tremendous antioxidant benefits but is not as well known as it should be. Best of all, the most enjoyable source is red wine or red grapes.

Jan 7, The Phytonutrient...Ubiquitous and Essential.

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:09:13 GMT

A phytonutrient is a huge class of compounds found throughout the entire plant kingdom. Come meet the family.

Dec 4, Yes, There Are Essential Sugars!

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 01:35:56 GMT

Essential sugars are complex sugars described as the new frontier in health and nutrition.

Dec 3, Essential Amino Acids...Can't Have Proteins Without Them!

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:57:56 GMT

Essential Amino Acids are needed to synthesize new proteins...no essential amino acids, no proteins, no health!

Dec 3, Benefits of Green Tea Extract

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:24:20 GMT

Green tea extract offers numerous health benefits. For starters, it has been shown to improve memory, clear out free radicals, burn fat, boost the immune system, lower cholesterol, protect your liver

Dec 2, Zinc Supplements

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:43:09 GMT

Zinc supplements may be a good idea but toxicity can creep up quickly. When supplementing zinc, it must be done with care.

Dec 2, Selenium Pros and Cons

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:35:50 GMT

Selenium is a trace mineral which our bodies absolutely need. It is plentiful in the food supply and deficiencies are rare. It should only be supplemented under certain special circumstances.

Dec 2, Focusing on Vitamin B12

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:50:10 GMT

Vitamin B12 is a member of a triad with B6 and folate. They work in harmony and slight any one of them and risk cardiovascular disease or worse.

Dec 1, Focusing on Folate

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:05:16 GMT

Folate or folic acid must be supplemented for several reasons; cancer, cardiovascular disease and pregnancy to name three. Get the complete story here.

Dec 1, Vitamin D3
Getting to Know You

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:23:30 GMT

Vitamin D3 is one of the most important vitamins for health maintenance. Why are we so deficient in it?

Dec 1, A Word About Vitamin Supplements

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:13:07 GMT

Vitamin supplements still create a lot of confusion. Let's bring some clarity to the issue.

Nov 29, L-arginine:
Do Your Heart a Favor

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:59:33 GMT

L-Arginine is a vital, conditionally essential amino acid. It is plentiful in numerous foods and requires supplementation only under certain conditions.

Nov 28, Grape Seed Extract

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:22:06 GMT

Grape seed extract is a powerful antioxidant with very broad health benefits. As a preventive or alternative medicine treatment, it is a powerhouse.

Nov 28, Reactive Oxygen Species

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:26:24 GMT

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) is the term given to encompass the various classes of free radicals. It is important to understand ROS in conjunction with antioxidants in order to be smart about antiox

Nov 27, Enzymes Make Things Work

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:03:17 GMT

Enzymes are produced naturally in the body from raw food. Under normal conditions, healthy individuals are unlikely to need supplementation.

Nov 27, Cinnamon Supplement: The Spice of Life (and Health)

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:45:17 GMT

A cinnamon supplement is an excellent way to experience the health benefits of this aromatic spice.

Nov 27, Turmeric: A True Multi-tasker

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:34:05 GMT

Turmeric is a multitasking miracle worker in health maintenance with implications for some truly catastrophic diseases. It is a staple ingredient in Indian cuisine and we can benefit greatly from the

Nov 26, Soil Depletion
Bitter Harvest of a Monoculture

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:37:34 GMT

Soil depletion refers to farmland barren of trace minerals and nutrients required to grow life sustaining produce.

Nov 26, Farm chemicals
Name Your Poison

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:35:48 GMT

Farm chemicals kill pests and weeds and make crops grow but do we really want to eat them with our food?

Nov 26, Processed Food and Nutrition

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:33:17 GMT

Processed food gives it a longer shelf life but what's the point? Food that has been commercially processed is best left on the shelf.

Nov 26, Drug Induced Nutrient Depletion

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:29:40 GMT

Nutrient depletion is a little known side effect of over half the common drugs prescribed today.

Nov 26, Empty Calories
Deficient Nutrition

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:25:38 GMT

Empty calories refers to food with a nutritional deficit; a compromised nutritional content. What happened to the nutrition in food?

Nov 26, Understanding Bioavailability

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:20:57 GMT

Bioavailability refers to how much of a nutrient actually gets absorbed and used by the body. Choosing the right supplements is just the beginning; knowing how to use them is where the rubber meets t

Nov 26, Omega-3 and Inflammation

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:12:21 GMT

Omega-3 is a fatty acid that is essential in keeping the inflammatory response under control. Quenching the fires of inflammation is deceptively simple but there are cautions to observe.

Nov 26, Green Harvest

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:02:05 GMT

Green harvest with respect to food crops means that it is picked before it is ripe in order to survive a long transit time to market. What is the significance?

Nov 25, Smart supplementation
Think of it as Health Insurance

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:33:49 GMT

Smart supplementation is the first pillar of a healthy life. It supplies what is missing in today's food chain.

Oct 3, Free Screening for Food Matters DVD

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:14:43 GMT

The 78 minute documentary film, Food Matters, may be one of the most important film releases of the century. The producers of the film, have set up a free online screening for the public through October 8th. Be advised that watching this DVD could be a life-changing, life-saving experience. If you are not prepared to take responsibility for your own health, best to take a pass. After Oct. 8th the doors close for the free viewing. Also through October 8th, they are offering the DVD for sale at a 50% discount. The URL for the screening is: http://www.FoodMatters.tv/ScreeningEventCinema. You can copy and paste it into your browser or just click the "more info" link at the bottom of the blog and it will take you there. Watch the film in full-screen mode for better viewing. To visit the company, Food Matters, and read the reviews on this DVD and see all of their other remarkable health related DVD offerings, click on Food Matters. It will take you to the "Food Matters" section of our Affiliate Marketplace where you can click on the Food Matters banner and be taken to their online store.

Sep 26, Celiac Disease

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:37:41 GMT

Celiac disease used to be relatively unknown and baffled most doctors. Now most people know that celiac and gluten are related somehow. Learn about it, you may have it.

Sep 26, Celiac Disease

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:29:38 GMT

A new page on Celiac Disease has been added to the site and can be accessed by clicking the link below.

Gluten sensitivity and the resulting celiac disease is getting more attention lately. Although it is thought to be a genetic condition, it's incidence seems to be on the rise.

Is this merely due to more awareness and better testing or is something going on with the environment or food supply that is mutating our DNA?

Research is continuing and no doubt there will be new findings as time goes on.

Sep 26, Healthy Choices Means Longer Life

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:30:29 GMT

Healthy choices are not in our nature. Knowledge and discipline guide our choices. Learn both here to achieve optimum health.

Feb 1, What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Stronger

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:57:14 GMT

Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite. When's the last time you heard that one?

Bedbugs have become a hot topic lately. What's going on with bedbugs gives a whole new meaning to the term "superbug". Usually a superbug is what we call an antibiotic resistant bacteria like MRSA or Clostridium dificile for example.

Now it can mean real insects that are evolving before our eyes into pesticide resistant bloodsucking nighttime visitors, and I don't mean vampires.

Three evolutionary things are happening. First is that they have developed higher levels of enzymes that can rid them of poisons thus boosting their natural defenses. Second is that they are growing thicker shells that can block insecticides. Third is that they appear to have developed nerve cells that are more able to survive the effects of chemical poisons.

This is nothing less than evolution on overdrive. Bedbugs have developed the ability to withstand pesticide levels 1000 times that of a lethal dose of just 10 years ago.

They have actually stepped up certain gene activity to harness enzymes to turn toxic chemicals into water soluble compounds that can be safely excreted.

Now project this same pesticide resistance onto mosquitos, roaches, termites, ants, spiders and worst of all, crop destroying insects. In the end, the bugs might win after all.

Since they used genetics to accomplish this feat, maybe our scientists will be able to turn their genetic workings against them. Or maybe we can learn their tricks and apply them to defending ourselves against this ever increasingly toxic world we live in. Be careful, it's a jungle out there.

Dec 31, The Fattening of America... A Government Conspiracy?

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:30:53 GMT

Want to blame someone for the obesity and diabetes epidemic? Look no further than congress and the USDA. Watch the video, then do your own research and draw your own conclusion.

This 23 minute video does not need a lot of introduction, it speaks for itself. It is a "must watch" video! Watch it then make one of those healthy choices for life.

Have a healthy, Happy New Year!

Dec 27, Vitamin B12 Revisited

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:40:50 GMT

Vitamin B12, aka cyanocobalamin, is turning out to be very critical to our health.

B12 deficiency is most prevalent among the elderly and vegans and vegetarians. In the elderly, this deficiency could masquerade as the early stages of dementia in that it shows up as mild memory loss.

Vegetarians are especially susceptible since the only natural sources of B12 are from animal foods; meat and dairy.

Pharmaceuticals are often the culprit in B12 deficiency. Anything that restricts the production of stomach acid will retard B12 absorption thus anyone taking anti-acids or ulcer meds is at risk. Type 2 diabetics taking metformin will have B12 absorption problems.

The major cause however, occurs when the stomach lining loses its ability to produce a protein that binds to B12 and allows it to enter the bloodstream at the end of the small intestine.

Fortunately, B12 is easily supplemented and is stored in the liver and kidney for use as needed. The problem is in recognizing when a deficiency is present and knowing when to supplement.

The dangers of ignoring a B12 deficiency can be severe. Irreversible brain damage can occur after seven years or so of B12 deficiency. Depression, dementia, Alzheimer's, anemia, neuropsychiatric issues and even cancer and heart disease can manifest in response to a long term B12 deficiency.

So if your vegan friends or elderly family members start showing typical signs of mental aging, try the simple B12 supplement solution first and see what happens.

Nov 3, National Diabetes Awareness Month

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 03:15:26 GMT

Did you know diabetes has it's own National Awareness month? I didn't either. Anyway according to the National Institutes of Health in partnership with the National Diabetes Education Program, November is National Diabetes Awareness Month.

Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that 1 in 4 people worldwide are at risk for developing diabetes. Their scientists give the reason as increasingly sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits...nothing new there.

If you happen to be one of the "at risk" people or are already dealing with diabetes, ADW (American Diabetes Wholesale) is discounting 20 of their top selling products through the end of November.

This would be a great time to stock up on supplies needed to monitor and manage this terrible disease. You can do so just by clicking on the banner below to be taken to the ADW website where you can see the sale items and place your order.

Nov 1, ......Meet the Affiliate......

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:53:02 GMT

From time to time throughout the holidays, we will be highlighting one of our valuable affiliate companies where appropriate to the season.

Today we will focus on Walkers Shortbread and a few of their special holiday offers.

Internationally renowned for the quality of their shortbread, oatcakes, cakes and cookies, Walkers Shortbread captures all the warmth and spirit of a traditional Christmas.

The comforting taste of Walkers Shortbread becomes even more enjoyable at Christmas with their fun Festive Shapes.

These light-hearted shortbreads - a bell, a star, a Christmas tree and a merry Santa - are guaranteed to bring smiles to the faces of the whole family.

Is there anybody who doesn't like Walker's Shortbread?

Just click on any one of the delicious Walker's Shortbread frames below and you will whisked to their site for browsing and ordering.

Oct 16, Winter's Coming...Crank up the Vitamin D!

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 22:06:07 GMT

Most of us are woefully deficient in vitamin D and the results can be catastrophic to our health. The current RDA for vitamin D is 400 IU which happens to be the minimun amount to prevent rickets.

The reality is that adults need a minimum of 5000 IU/day to prevent many of the epidemic diseases of today, including many cancers. Putting that in perspective, on a bright sunny summer day, our bodies can make as much as 20,000 IU/day just from exposure to the sun, which is just fine.

In order to make one of those "healthy choices for life", it is necessary to know something about vitamin D. Since nearly everyone is deficient, supplementation is mandatory.

Regarding vitamin D supplements, the important thing to know is that there are two types and the one we need is D3, or cholecalciferol as it's called. It is natural and is the same vitamin D we get from sun exposure.

The other is vitamin D2, ergocalciferol. It is synthetic and much less effective than D3.

So make the healthy choice and take vitamin D3. By the way, the only way to know for sure if you are deficient and how much is to get a blood test known as the 25(OH)D (25-hydroxyvitamin D).

Using this test, a vitamin D level should never be under 32 ng/ml, yet the medical community will usually put forth a normal range of 20-56 ng/ml. When it comes to prevention, think nutrition first.

Sep 5, Just Say No to USDA's Dietary Guidelines

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:56:00 GMT

I was wondering why the USDA would put forth a set of dietary guidelines in their various food pyramids, including the latest "My Pyramid" that pretty much guarantees that people will become fat and possibly diabetic.

The largest section of the pyramid is still devoted to refined grains, and milk, dairy and meat that are all products of the most unhealthy method of farming imaginable, the industrial animal factory. If the animals that produce our food are fed growth hormones and low-dosage antibiotics to make them fatter, faster; then it figures their output will contain those same hormones and antibiotics thus making us fatter, faster as well, plus we become antibiotic resistant in the process.

It hit me like a ton of bricks as I was reading an article titled, "Dismantlement" by Erik Marcus in "The CAFO Reader".

The real business of the USDA is the production, promotion and export of U.S. farm products, not my health and welfare. So what better way to sell more industrial farm output than to include it in their dietary guidelines and fill the National School Lunch Program with the stuff. That way whole generations of kids are indoctrinated in making unhealthy food choices, but what the heck, it's big profits for corporate agriculture and big pharma. Feed 'em fat and sell 'em drugs.

It is everyone's responsibility to learn where their food comes from, how it is raised or produced, what goes into its processing and what it does to our health. We cannot trust government guidelines and certainly can't trust big agriculture to have our best interests at heart.

Aug 20, Two Over Easy? Better Think Twice!

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:44:18 GMT

The Wright County Egg Company's 380 million egg recall reported on August 19, 2010 is merely a warning sign of worse things to come.

In this case the contamination was salmonella in eggs but it does bring to mind other recent food poisoning outbreaks such as e-coli and salmonella contaminated spinach, peanut butter, and infected hamburger produced by Cargill.

The egg recall forces us into one of those health-choices-for-life decisions, namely to continue eating factory farmed industrial eggs, switch to eggs from pastured chickens (if you can find them) or stop eating eggs altogether.

Watch the 28 minute video on filth and cruelty in the Wegman's supermarket egg farm and then make your choice.

The problem with factory farming is that, while we have animal cruelty laws that apply to our pets and service animals, farm animals are totally exempt from any protection whatsoever. It is a heartless, filthy, cruel industry focused on volume, efficiency, and profit with no regard for the health of the consumer or welfare of the animals. Corporate animal factories run by contract operators for Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, Perdue and similar food companies can do anything they please to their confined animals and never have to answer to anyone. It is time for a revolution focused on getting back to real farming, real animal husbandry and making factory farms a bad memory.

Write or call your congressmen, talk to your supermarket managers, shop your local farmers markets and make your health-choice-for-life with your fork and your food dollars. Instead of two over easy, how about a fluffy pancake with a bowl of fruit.

Health Choices for Life Blog

May 10, The Essential Supplements

Apr 30, CoQ10: Energize Me

Apr 6, Cancer Prevention is a Lifetime of Smart Choices

Mar 31, What is Cancer?

Mar 31, Cancer treatments: Burn, poison it, cut in out! Is There Anything New Out

Mar 23, Have You Hugged Your Gray Matter Today?

Jan 29, Spirulina

Jan 29, Chlorella

Jan 29, Pond Scum: A Storehouse of Health

Jan 29, Astaxanthin

Jan 8, Glutathione...the Miracle Anti-oxidant You Never Heard Of

Jan 8, Magnesium Supplements

Jan 8, Resveratrol: To Health and Long Life

Jan 7, The Phytonutrient...Ubiquitous and Essential.

Dec 4, Yes, There Are Essential Sugars!

Dec 3, Essential Amino Acids...Can't Have Proteins Without Them!

Dec 3, Benefits of Green Tea Extract

Dec 2, Zinc Supplements

Dec 2, Selenium Pros and Cons

Dec 2, Focusing on Vitamin B12

Dec 1, Focusing on Folate

Dec 1, Vitamin D3Getting to Know You

Dec 1, A Word About Vitamin Supplements

Nov 29, L-arginine:Do Your Heart a Favor

Nov 28, Grape Seed Extract

Nov 28, Reactive Oxygen Species

Nov 27, Enzymes Make Things Work

Nov 27, Cinnamon Supplement: The Spice of Life (and Health)

Nov 27, Turmeric: A True Multi-tasker

Nov 26, Soil DepletionBitter Harvest of a Monoculture

Nov 26, Farm chemicalsName Your Poison

Nov 26, Processed Food and Nutrition

Nov 26, Drug Induced Nutrient Depletion

Nov 26, Empty CaloriesDeficient Nutrition

Nov 26, Understanding Bioavailability

Nov 26, Omega-3 and Inflammation

Nov 26, Green Harvest

Nov 25, Smart supplementationThink of it as Health Insurance

Oct 3, Free Screening for Food Matters DVD

Sep 26, Celiac Disease

Sep 26, Celiac Disease

Sep 26, Healthy Choices Means Longer Life

Feb 1, What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Stronger

Dec 31, The Fattening of America... A Government Conspiracy?

Dec 27, Vitamin B12 Revisited

Nov 3, National Diabetes Awareness Month

Nov 1, ......Meet the Affiliate......

Oct 16, Winter's Coming...Crank up the Vitamin D!

Sep 5, Just Say No to USDA's Dietary Guidelines

Aug 20, Two Over Easy? Better Think Twice!

Mar 31, Cancer treatments: Burn, poison it, cut in out!
Is There Anything New Out

Jan 29, Pond Scum:
A Storehouse of Health

Dec 1, Vitamin D3
Getting to Know You

Nov 29, L-arginine:
Do Your Heart a Favor

Nov 26, Soil Depletion
Bitter Harvest of a Monoculture

Nov 26, Farm chemicals
Name Your Poison

Nov 26, Empty Calories
Deficient Nutrition

Nov 25, Smart supplementation
Think of it as Health Insurance