Millions of people suffer with chronic sinus conditions everyday. Being in the natural health industry this is one of the most frequent problems that people come in seeking help. I have found Bromelain and Quercetin very effective for prevention of many miserable sinus symptoms including congestion and sinus headaches. Both Bromelain and Quercetin work by keeping the sinus membranes from becoming inflamed.

Bromelain is an enzyme from pineapple that has amazing generalized anti-inflammatory properties. Many people also will use Bromelain inflammation of the joints and arthritic conditions. But Bromelain is particularly effective for reducing inflammation in the sinus membranes. Usually1000mgs two times daily is effective.

Quercetin is a citrus bioflavonoid that has been shown to naturally inhibit histamine release. It works as natural anti-histamine without the side effects of Benadryl like medicines. When histamines are released the sinus membranes become irritated and inflamed and breathing becomes difficult. Usually 1000mgs two times daily is effective.

From a naturalistic approach to sinus problems these two nutrients are the best things going.

Allergies, Nutritional Supplements Hide

If you are a man and you are waking frequently at night to urinate, or you feel like you have to urinate more often than you once did, or you fell like you cannot quite able to empty your bladder when you urinate then you are experiencing prostate enlargement.

In 90% of the cases prostate enlargement is benign and not cancerous. Saw palmetto berries are4 amazing effective for treating this annoying problem. Saw Palmetto is cheap and without side effects. Don’t let your doctor immediately try to get you on some prescription medication with potential side effects. Try Saw Palmetto for a month first.

I recommend a standardized extract. They usually come in little soft gel capsules. Natures Way makes a very effective and popular Saw Palmetto extract. If you are experiencing severe symptoms I would double up on you dosage for a few weeks until your symptoms diminish and then go down to a one a day maintenance dosage.

Anti-Ageing, Nutritional Supplements, Prostate, Saw Palmetto Hide

Fish oil and Cod Liver oil are both great sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3’s are essential fatty acids required by the body in order to fight against many diseases. Usually these fatty acids are not present in most people’s diet because of the under consumption of fish and over consumption of vegetable oils.

The main difference between fish oil and cod liver oil is that cod liver oil is high in vitamin D. The cod liver oil has the advantage of providing vitamin D, which is necessary for most of us in the United States in the cold months of winter, when we don’t get very much sun exposure on our skin in order to make vitamin D.

Many people get confused about the difference between fish oil liquid and cod liver oil. You can consider cod liver oil as fish oil+. The 2 are the same except that cod liver oil contains natural vitamin D and A.

For people who already take a multiple vitamin that supplies Vitamin A and take supplemental Vitamin D I recommend a fish oil. And for those people that don’t take any additional supplements I generally recommend cod liver oil.

Either one of these sources of omega 3 fatty acids is one of the best things you can do for your health. The list of benefits is ever growing and truly amazing.

ADD, Anti-Ageing, Fish Oil, Nutritional Supplements, Omega 3 Hide

There are many people who cannot us pharmaceutical anti inflammatory drugs because of gastrointestinal problem associated with them or because of elevated liver enzymes that anti inflammatory drugs can cause. These drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen sodium.  Over the years I have found turmeric, also known as curcumin to be a very effective alternative to these pharmaceuticals.

Inflammation is one of the biggest factors in pain and illness today. The more we can control inflammation in our bodies the better of we will be. We will live longer and feel better. There is much current research pointing to the belief that generalized inflammation is one of the main reasons for general physical aging and ageing related conditions.

Turmeric needs to be used at least twice each day and sometimes 3 times each day to keep inflammation under control. It is not an immediate fix like an aspirin or ibuprofen, but if you use it regularly for a week or so you will begin feeling a lot less discomfort and pain. It is particularly effective for joint and arthritic type conditions.

Anti-Ageing, Inflamation, Nutritional Supplements, Turmeric Hide

What determines the quality and bioavailability of a particular type of protein? The answer is the amino acid structure of the protein itself. Let me explain.

All protein is comprised of amino acids. The more complete the amino acid profile determines how complete, or incomplete a protein source is, and the quality of that protein source. Some proteins are missing complete amino acids therefore they are known as incomplete proteins. Each amino acid within a protein plays a particular role in our overall health. If certain amino acids are not consumed for long periods of time dietary inadequacies can occur leading to health problems.

All vegetable sources of protein are incomplete proteins. They must be grouped with other proteins to make a complete protein. This fact is one of the complicating factors in following a strict vegetarian diet. Smart vegetarians need to pay close attention to assure they are getting their amino acid needs met. Soy, rice, hemp, and other plant based protein powders are structurally the worst proteins you can buy for yourself. If an individual is using them for there main protein source they are missing certain key amino acids in their diets.

Animal based proteins are complete proteins. Egg white and whey protein powders are certainly the best proteins on the market. But I do favor whey over egg white, and here is why. Even though egg white is a complete protein and is not missing any particular amino acid, it is has lower levels of certain amino acids than whey. Therefore whey is a more complete protein than egg white. Egg white is good, but whey is better.

Diet, Nutritional Supplements, Protien Hide

People ask me often what supplements I personally use, keep in mind I am a 45 year old male and the program would need to be adjusted for each individuals own personal needs. I have broken this list into 2 segments, one is supplements I think everyone should or could be taking, this I have labeled the “Base Program”, I think this program is a great start for anyone who is serious about their health. The other, which I have labeled “Health Specific”, is the supplements specific to my own personal health needs. The last entry is a once a week Testosterone Enathate injection that is used for hormone replacement. Look under “Hormone Replacement Therapy” in this blog to see more information on this important subject.

Base Program

Good Multi-Vitamin                                       2 a day formula

Vitamin C                                                       2000mgs

Vitamin E                                                        400IU

Vitamin D                                                       2000IU

Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinol)                            100mgs

Omega 3(Fish Oil)                                          1 teaspoon

Resveratrol                                                      125mgs (super antioxidant)

Health Specific

Saw Palmetto                                                  160mg extract (for prostate health)

Glucosamine/Chrondroitin                              1500mgs/1200mgs (for joint health)

Niacin                                                              2000mgs (cholesterol reduction)

DHEA                                                             25mgs (hormone replacement)

Pregnenolone                                                  25mgs (hormone replacement)

Testosterone Enathate                                     200mgs weekly (hormone replacement)

Well, there it is. The goal is not to live forever, but just to feel good for as long as possible. And to this point it is definitely working. I will keep you posted.

Anti-Ageing, Antioxidants, Coenzyme Q10, Fish Oil, Nutritional Supplements, Omega 3, Testestorone Replacement Therapy, Vitamin D, Vitamins Hide

Which is a better source of your important omega 3 fatty acids? I am asked this question almost everyday. Let’s explore the main differences between them.

Obviously, fish oil is from an animal source, and flax seed oil is from a vegetable source so if you are a vegetarian I guess the decision is easy. But, for those of us that are not strict vegetarians what do we do?

The beneficial components of all omega 3’s are EPA and DHA. Fish oil has both of these components in it naturally occurring. That means that our bodies have to do nothing to make it into a bioavailable nutrient. It is in its usable state naturally and this is a good thing. Flax on the other hand does not have any EPA or DHA in it naturally. Instead, flax must be converted into these fatty acids within our bodies. The studies that I have read do suggest that that conversion does taker place, but my question is in what quantities EPA and DHA are we actually ultimately getting through this biological conversion. I personally don’t see how that can be fully calculated with any accuracy.

I like the fact that when you pick up a bottle of fish oil liquid or soft gels you can look on the label and see exactly how much of these nutrients are contained within. You cannot do the same with flax because it does not contain any EPA and DHA. Therefore unless you are a strict vegetarian I favor fish oil over flax oil for your omega 3 source.

Fish Oil, Flax, Nutritional Supplements, Omega 3 Hide

What are the best and most proven nutrients to keep from getting colds and flues? This has become the number one question in the supplement business these days. And there are certainly a lot of opinions to be had in this area. You hear about Echinacea, Goldenseal, Elderberry, and a wide range of other “immune boosting” nutrients. For the last decade Echinacea has been all the rage, but this year it seems to be Elderberry based products that are the big fad. Let me make it clear, I am not apposed to any of these herbal products and the jury is still out on there true effectiveness. But I do believe strongly in the following nutrients, they are not fads, and are not flashy, but my decisions are truly based on lots of history and research. These are the nutrients I use to keep from getting sick, and they work.

Multi Vitamin             1 a day

Vitamin C                   2000mgs.

Vitamin E                    400IU

Vitamin D                   2000IU

Zinc                             50mgs.

Obviously, this formula is not going to prevent 100% of every possible bacteria or virus that tries to get us sick, but I truly believe it can help prevent an awful lot of unnecessary sick days. Also, if you do get sick I believe these nutrients will help to lessen the duration of the illness.

Echinacea, Elderberry, Immunity, Nutritional Supplements Hide

During the many years I have been advising people on nutritional supplementation programs I have encountered hundreds of people that say that vitamins make them nauseous.

After hearing this problem over and over year after year I began to question people and found that ninety-nine percent of them were taking there vitamins first thing in the morning often right after eating only a small breakfast. I than began to recommend that people take there supplements after lunch. Let’s face it,  most of us really don’t have the most settled stomach first thing in the morning anyways. Then we often eat a very small breakfast that really does not do much to coat our stomach. Then to go and throw a handful of often acidic supplements on top of this is a very bad idea. So, it is no wonder why so many people have stomach nausea when taking vitamins.

About 10 years ago I began to recommend taking the bulk of your supplements at lunch time, or at your second meal of the day. The reasons behind this seem obvious, first is that in general most peoples stomach is far more settled in the afternoon than first thing in the morning. Next, is that after two meals your stomach is much more coated and protected from the acids in some vitamins than after only one meal, especially when that is for many people a very small meal. In addition if you are eating smart, lunch should be your biggest meal of the day and therefore for the best nutrient absorption it makes perfect since to take your supplements with your largest meal.

So many people that I have guided have been able to take there supplements with little or no stomach upset by taking there supplements with lunch rather than with breakfast. I personally have never had problems with nausea from supplements, but have been taking mine at lunch for more than ten years now. My thinking is why risk future stomach problems by introducing acidic vitamins into your system first thing in the morning. I currently advice all my clients to take there supplements at lunch.

Nutritional Supplements, Vitamins Hide

I believe that coenzyme Q10 is one of the most important nutrients that a person can use for cardiovascular health and general longevity.  The most common form of Q10 is called Ubiquinone. Common Q10 or Ubiquinone has been available in nutrition stores for nearly 20 years now and is considered very important by most supplement experts.

When coenzyme Q10 is ingested it must be converted into the form of Q10 that is actually used by the human body. That form of Q10 is called Ubiquinol. The problem is that as people age the body’s mechanism that converts Ubiquinone into Ubiquinol begins to diminish. To the point were in your 50’s you no longer are converting your Q10 into the form that is needed within our bodies, rendering the supplements that you are tasking next to useless.

Researches have known about this problem for years and have tried to address the issue by creating a molecularly stable and marketable Ubiquinol. The problem had been that Ubiquinol was a very unstable compound. Until a company in Japan called Kaneka found a way to produce the substance in a stable and marketable way. This Ubiquinol is patented as Kaneka QH and does not need to go through this biological conversion because it is already in the usable form. Kaneka sells the Ubiquinol to all the major supplement companies for distribution.

If you are over 40 I would highly suggest switching from Ubiquinone to Ubiquinol. All products that just say coenzyme Q10 are going to be Ubiquinone. You will need to ask for Ubiquinol specifically, but it is becoming widely available by many different manufactures. The good news is that it has at least double the absorption rate as the old Q10 so half the dosage of what you were using will usually work well. I generally recommend 50mgs of Ubiquinol for the average person and 100mgs for those individuals that are using a statin drug for cholesterol or have had heart problems.

Anti-Ageing, Antioxidants, Coenzyme Q10, Nutritional Supplements Hide