Healthy Notes » Nutritional Supplements http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog Helpful Hints For Living Well Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:43:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Herbs vs. Herbal Extracts? http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/herbs-vs-herbal-extracts/ http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/herbs-vs-herbal-extracts/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:03:39 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/?p=123 What is the difference between using the herbal capsules versus taking herbal extract products?

To make it as simple as possible, just think of the herbal capsules as the natural plant ground up and put inside the capsule. With basic herbal capsules there is very little control over potency or the active ingredients within the product. There is a great deal of natural variation that occurs within different parts of plants. There is also a lot of variation of potency due to growing conditions of the plant during a particular harvest season. For this reason I generally recommend herbal extract products.

Herbal extracts are precise active ingredient extractions of the plant. The quantity and potency of the active ingredients are tightly regulated and will have little or no variation from bottle to bottle. You can be confident that the bottle you purchase today will work as effectively as bottles you bought in the past. You can not always have this confidence with regular herbal capsules.

All things considered herbal extracts are going to be stronger and more precisely dosed than regular herbal pills.

]]> http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/herbs-vs-herbal-extracts/feed/ 0 Saw Palmetto Is As Effective As Prescription http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/saw-palmetto-is-as-effective-as-prescription/ http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/saw-palmetto-is-as-effective-as-prescription/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:05:28 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/?p=106 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 are amazingly effective for treating this annoying problem. Saw Palmetto is cheap, natural,  and without side effects. Don’t let your doctor immediately try to get you on some prescription medication with potential side effects. Try natural 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.

]]> http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/saw-palmetto-is-as-effective-as-prescription/feed/ 0 Cod Liver Oil vs. Fish Oil http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/cod-liver-oil-vs-fish-oil/ http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/cod-liver-oil-vs-fish-oil/#comments Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:11:03 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/?p=104 Fish oil and Cod Liver oil are both great natural 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 natural 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 two 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 natural 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.

]]> http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/cod-liver-oil-vs-fish-oil/feed/ 0 Turmeric for Inflammation http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/turmeric-for-inflammation/ http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/turmeric-for-inflammation/#comments Sun, 16 Oct 2011 07:07:50 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/?p=102 There are many people who cannot use 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 natural 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.

]]> http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/turmeric-for-inflammation/feed/ 1 Whey Protein is the Best! http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/whey-protein-is-the-best/ http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/whey-protein-is-the-best/#comments Sat, 15 Oct 2011 19:08:29 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/?p=100 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 natural 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 natural 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.

]]> http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/whey-protein-is-the-best/feed/ 0 What Do I Take? http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/what-do-i-take/ http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/what-do-i-take/#comments Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:04:39 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/?p=94 People ask me often what natural 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

Natural 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.

]]> http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/what-do-i-take/feed/ 2 Flax or Fish? http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/flax-or-fish/ http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/flax-or-fish/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:03:24 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/?p=88 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. Natural 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 natural EPA and DHA. Therefore unless you are a strict vegetarian I favor fish oil over flax oil for your omega 3 source.

]]> http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/flax-or-fish/feed/ 0 Don’t Get Sick! http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/don%e2%80%99t-get-sick/ http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2011/10/don%e2%80%99t-get-sick/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 07:07:46 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/?p=86 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.

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