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• Vertigo
• Acoustic Neuroma
• Meniere’s disease

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• Dealing with holiday stress
• Heart attacks and cholesterol

Types of hair loss
Alopecia is the medical name for any type of hair loss. This condition can be divided into three subtypes:

1. Genetic (pattern baldness)
2. Scarring
3. Non-scarring.

• Trauma – such as from an accident or surgery
• Toxins – infection, allergy or environmental toxins
• Deficiency – nutrients, water, oxygen, sleep, hormones or other deficiencies
• Emotional stress.

Physical exam
A good first step in discovering why we may have hair loss would be to have a thorough physical examination. Certain blood tests can demonstrate if we have inflammation; if our immune system is overactive; if our hormones are imbalanced; and if our organs can properly handle the toxins we face.

Look at your schedule
Another step to take is to examine our schedules. Are the expectations we have for ourselves reasonable? Are we eating a balanced diet? Are we getting enough sleep? These are important factors in building up our health reserves against whatever type of stress may be causing our hair loss.

Nutrients
Nutrients play an important role, too. Certainly, any good program for building nutrient reserves would include taking a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement every day. Many doctors also recommend taking Omega essential fatty supplements (such as OmegaPrime) and antioxidant supplements like Vitamin C.

A sour stomach can indicate poor protein digestion – a common cause of thinning hair. Vitamin B-12 along with prebiotics and probiotics can balance protein digestion. Thinning hair in the front of the head that is not associated with pattern baldness may indicate low thyroid function. This will probably be tested in your physical examination. The amino acid tyrosine (as found in Energy Now!) may nourish the thyroid and help protect it from stress.

I recommend Adaptogen 10 Plus as the cornerstone for building a nutrient bulwark against stress. Many people in the TriVita family who suffer from autoimmune disorders have written us to extol the benefits of Adaptogen 10 Plus. We often hear how addressing the stress component of autoimmune disorders with adaptogens brings them relief from their symptoms.

Learn More...

• Alopecia
• Understanding Hair Loss

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports...

• Alzheimer’s
• Psoriatic arthritis

This can be a difficult time of year for many people. It is the time when autumn plants bloom outdoors and mold spores bloom indoors. Both of these trigger allergic responses in people prone to allergies.

What are allergies? Why do some people get them? And how can you find relief if you have allergies?

• Mold
• Pollen
• Dust
• Animal Dander

1. Those who have allergies today
2. Those who will develop allergies tomorrow

Isolation
This means keeping your environment as allergen-free as possible. You avoid foods that may be allergy triggers as well as keep your indoor air as clean as possible. It may also mean you stay indoors when allergen counts are high.

Insulation
This means keeping your mast cells as tough as possible so they don’t “pop” too easily. All mast cells are made of good fats, such as those in OmegaPrime. In fact, OmegaPrime has specific “anti-allergy” fat called perilla seed oil. Using these fats in a high concentration (two per meal) over time will toughen up mast cells and help prevent histamine release.

• Maximum levels of Vitamin C (learn about the Vitamin C Flush) act directly to help block histamines
• Calcium assists B-12 in blocking histamine formation
• Probiotics with enzymes (such as those in Digestive Complex) help reduce mast cell triggers found in foods.

Learn More...

• Seasonal allergies
• Food allergies

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports...

• Hair loss
• Alzheimer’s

Cold and flu season is here. What do we do to stay well or speed the healing process if we are sick? Here are some great recommendations from a number of different sources:

• Wash your hands
  First, the largest contributor to infection is unwashed hands. Washing your hands with soap every few hours will reduce the chance for pathogens to gain access to your system. As important as washing your hands is making sure they are completely dry. Then, use the disposable towel to open the door out of the washroom. Many ugly microbes lurk on door handles – usually from people who have not properly washed and dried their hands.
  
  
• Clean surfaces
  Next, disinfect surfaces that are shared by many people. For instance, public telephones bring you within kissing distance of hundreds or even thousands of people. Who knows what their hygiene habits are? In a typical day we may be exposed to germs from as many as 150 countries or more!
  
  
• Reduce stress
  Reduce stress during this season. Stress decreases the effectiveness of your immune system. Your immune system may begin to overreact or not react in time to stop an infection when you are under stress. The source of the stress really does not matter. For instance, job stress and an injury may seem like entirely different stresses to your mind but they are treated exactly the same way by your body.

What determines if you get sick or not?
To better understand viral infections we need to look a bit deeper into medical research. In the book, The Promise of Sleep, William Dement, MD describes a routine where live rhino viruses are cultured and people are routinely infected. Yet, not all of them get sick. Some people actually feel better after the virus has been introduced.

Viruses have existed on earth far longer than humans have. We exist in the same time and space constantly. You even have many, many thousands of live rhino viruses in your nose right now! Why aren’t they causing an infection? It has to do with an argument that occurred 150 years ago between Louis Pasteur and Antoine Bechamp.

Pasteur and Bechamp were physicians in France. They were keenly aware of the same things you and I experience every year: during the cold and flu season, some people get sick and some people don’t. Pasteur spent his life looking for what makes sick people sick. Bechamp spent his career looking for what keeps healthy people healthy – and how we can be like them! They settled their argument with the discovery that illness visits people with poor habits much more frequently than those who care for their health.

It turns out that microbes prefer to wreak their havoc on people with compromised immune systems. Dr. Dement discovered that simple things will make you vulnerable to infection with a cold or the flu, such as:

• An imbalanced diet
• Alcohol and caffeine consumption
• An argument with someone you love

He noted that the greatest contributor to wellness or illness concerning these infections is the amount of sleep that we get. Just as Pasteur and Bechamp discovered more than a century ago, our health revolves around a healthy lifestyle more than the virulence of a microbe.

Help protect against seasonal illness
The phrase that describes our vulnerability or resistance to disease is “biological terrain.” The terrain or landscape of our health is made up of our genetics, our environment and, most importantly, our lifestyle. Vigorous application of the 10 Essentials yields the healthiest, most sickness or illness-resistant terrain. Skipping even one of these principles will change your terrain and leave you vulnerable to infection.

• A base of healthy nutrients
  Establishing a base of healthy nutrients can provide us with a very resilient terrain. The more dense the base is, the more sickness or illness-resistant our terrain will be. Taking a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement every day is an excellent start. Almost all physicians recommend an Omega-3 supplement as well. If your terrain is being remodeled by stress, you may need adaptogens to help you keep from getting sick. Indeed, the long-term studies of adaptogens in Russia clearly demonstrated that these plants help your body resist infections and aid in healing.
  
  
• Vitamin C
  Vitamin C is a favorite for protecting against the common cold. Russell Jaffe, MD, former director of the National Institutes of Health, recommends a loading dose of Vitamin C: one teaspoon of Vitamin C crystals every 15 minutes until you “flush.” By this, he means a complete bowel evacuation. After the flush, he recommends a daily serving of Vitamin C (for one month) that is equivalent to 75% of the amount it took you to flush. This should really improve your terrain!
  
  
• Echinacea
  Echinacea is used in a similar way. Significant medical research from Germany suggests that an hourly dose of Echinacea will help reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of a virus infection. Taking a gram of Echinacea every hour for three days may even reduce chances of an infection that has already begun. Continue taking Echinacea three times daily for up to two weeks afterward to protect against a relapse.

What are the best ways to protect against virus infections from colds and flu? Build up your terrain with the 10 Essentials, and reduce your exposure through hand-washing and other sanitary procedures. If your lifestyle has become so hectic that you become vulnerable, aggressive nutrition can restore balance to your immune system. If you feel a bug coming on, traditional remedies such as Vitamin C and Echinacea may be the final bulwark between you and a serious infection.

We all can agree that losing weight is a challenge. Many healthcare professionals argue over the cause(s) of obesity: is it nature or nurture? Saying that the problem is “nature” (genetics) may make us feel like victims. Saying it is “nurture” (behavior) may make us feel guilty, like we are real failures. How can we come to terms with the obesity challenge? We can "lose the labels" and deal with weight loss in a positive and constructive way..

Remember, we are unique; we are “one of a kind.” We need a program that speaks to us as individuals because what solves the problem for us may not exactly be what someone else needs. However, one strategy that helps everyone in the weight-loss struggle is to create a deficit between the calories we eat and the calories we burn – fewer calories “in,” more calories “out.” This simple formula will give us the best chance for success with weight loss.

• Many health experts recommend fresh fruits and vegetables daily
  • 5 servings for children
  • 7 servings for women
  • 9 servings for men
• Add high quality protein such as seafood, poultry or lean red meats to your diet every day
• Drink plenty of water

1. Aerobic exercise is defined as any activity that increases your need for oxygen. Aerobics make you breathe harder. You need at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. Some examples include walking, swimming and an exercise bike. If you’re new to exercise, start out slowly and get your doctor’s OK. As the weather gets cooler, look for indoor alternatives like a brisk walk at your local mall.
   
   Aerobic exercise can balance hormones, relieve anxiety and depression, and mobilize your energy for the great works of your life. Aerobic exercise speeds up your metabolism.
   
   But where does metabolism originate? It comes from your lean body mass – your muscles! That is the domain of resistance training.
   
   
2. Progressive resistance training is defined as any exercise where the load to the muscle is increased by some mechanical means – weights, bands, springs and many other methods. The key is to progressively increase the weight or resistance over time. This results in more lean body mass and less fat mass. If you increase your muscle strength, you increase the “engines” that produce muscle energy. Nothing builds metabolism (muscle energy) as well as progressive resistance training. You can get useful training tips at your local library or by going online.

• Fat burning capsules – Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help increase metabolism and energy to support your body’s ability to burn more calories. Plus, they help limit cortisol production – the stress-induced hormone that can lead to abdominal fat.
• Snack replacement chews – Leanology Appetite Control Chews* contain ingredients that are clinically proven to help curb the appetite and contain fewer calories than other snacks.
• Nutritional shakes – Leanology Nutritional Shakes can be used as a low calorie meal substitute; they provide a healthy balance of wholesome carbohydrates, proteins, good fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

However, you must always remember that these are supplements; they supplement a healthy diet and exercise program. Use them wisely as an important part of your total wellness program.

*Canadian Members - Leanology Appetite Control Chews are available by calling our Wellness Consultants at
1-800-991-7116.

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports...

• Memory
• ORAC/Antioxidants

You’ve probably heard the expression, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This means that taking small actions now is better than doing nothing and then having to deal with a big problem later. This is especially important when it comes to your health because health disasters can be extraordinarily difficult to resolve.

With an infinite number of possible diseases how do you know which “ounce” of prevention is needed for your life? To start, ask yourself these questions:

Common (mis)behaviors
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the most common causes of death in North America are:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Cancer
• Respiratory disease
• Accidents
• Diabetes

• Tobacco
• Poor diet
• Physical inactivity
• Alcohol
• Infections
• Toxins

• Don’t abuse tobacco or alcohol
• Do eat a healthy diet
• Engage in physical activity
• Take steps to protect yourself from infections and toxins.

• How long did they live?
• What were their health challenges?
• How can I help avoid similar challenges?

• The 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness to create the physical, emotional and spiritual health you need for your many life purposes.
• Quality supplements to create the energy you need to succeed and as a bulwark against sickness.
• Use each moment of every day to fuel the fires of your own life purposes.

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports...

• Weight Loss
• Memory

1. What are the common behaviors that lead to disability and premature death?
2. What are my risks as an individual?
3. What strategies can I use to reduce my risk and improve my vitality?

“None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.” - Henry David Thoreau

Healthy aging is an important topic for me as I age, and I am sure it is an important topic for you as well; no one wants to be sick as they enter their “wisdom years.” This article is about living long and maintaining optimum health.

Is that possible? Yes, it is! Even though some of our longevity depends on genetics, even more depends on the choices we make every day. Health only comes from healthy living, based on healthy choices. The best possible choices for healthy living today will give us the best chance for healthy aging – and a life filled with vitality instead of disability.

• Multiple vitamin
  Let’s start with a good, food-based multiple vitamin and mineral supplement. Everyone needs one! We need it because even if we eat a perfectly balanced diet, the foods we eat are grown in depleted soil. They simply don’t have the nutrients in them that they once did.
  
  
• Vitamin B-12
  We also need Vitamin B-12 in a form that is readily usable by the body. Vitamin B-12 deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in people over 50. Vitamin B-12 deficiency may cause everything from fatigue and grumpiness, to mental confusion and mental exhaustion.
  
  
• Vitamin C
  Vitamin C deficiency is the second most common vitamin deficiency among people over 50. It’s also something you should take every day, because your body can’t store Vitamin C. Results of Vitamin C deficiency include a sluggish immune system, poor dental health and easy bruising. Vitamin C helps your skin, bones and blood vessels.
  
  
• Omega essential fatty acids
  The most common cause of death in North America is cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association tells us that Omega essential fatty acids can help delay or prevent many heart and vascular diseases. So, Omega oils round out the basic recommendations for healthy aging.

Learn More...

• Living to 100
• Activity for your body and mind
• Volunteering

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports...

• Preventive Care
• Weight Loss

The most common diagnosis in North America – more common than the common cold – is arthritis. This condition begins when old cartilage cells are cleared away faster than they are replaced with new ones. This deficit of new cells can be likened to spending just a little more money than you deposit each month. Sooner or later, your account will be empty. With arthritis, old cells are taken from a joint faster than new cells are added. Sooner or later, the joint becomes dry.

Healthy joints
Joint spaces are filled mostly with water. There are small, magnetic proteins embedded in collagen that constantly push each other apart. This suction creates a vacuum that is soon filled with water and nutrients. Every time you move the joint, some of this water is squeezed out along with waste from the joint cells. Between movements – when the joint is at rest – it once again draws in water and nutrients.

Sick joints
Many different things can interfere with the balance of cell life and death: trauma to the joints, toxins from infections and our environment, nutrient imbalances that create a deficit in the structure of joint cells, and stress that suppresses new joint cell formation. All of these influences can slow the production of new cartilage cells and hasten the death of existing cells.

When a person lacks sufficient nutrients to make complete, healthy cells, immature and imbalanced cells will be produced instead. These may function for a time; however, sooner or later they will shatter and splinter into fractions of protein in your joint capsule. These act like slivers of broken glass. As they slice through certain “guardian” cells (called mast cells) large amounts of histamine are released and inflammation sets in. You can often hear the grinding in your joints when they become inflamed.

Nutrient rescue
To make sure our joints remain healthy we all need the right nutrients in the right amounts and at the right times. These nutrients include joint-specific proteins such as glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid, minerals including magnesium and potassium, and special fats that reside specifically in your joints. But there is another essential element to joint health: movement.

Movement is key
Remember, joints are made of living cells. Each cell must get nutrients in and waste out. But the cells have no blood supply. They have to get their nutrients by the gentle action of movement. Think of a sponge in a pail of water: If you want circulation in the sponge, you must squeeze and release it. If you want healthy joints you must move them to squeeze out the waste and draw in the nutrients. For good joint health you must move.

Learn More ...

• Osteoarthritis
• Keep on Movin': Exercise After 50
• Take the Plunge—Try Swimming!

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports...

• Healthy Aging
• Preventive Care