Filed under: Health
Autumn is a time for harvesting, where the fruits of the fields are gathered to sustain us as we prepare for the long winter. This September almost our entire month is in Mercury retrograde, which calls for a “time out” or you could say a “time in”. Mercury retrograde is all about slowing down to catch up with oneself long enough to reflect, reconsider, realign and restore our intentions. It is a contemplative time for your heart and soul to harvest the riches of your experiences from the past. Sometimes we have to slow down and hit the rewind button and review what has come before and claim what we may have missed the first time so we can move forward in our lives in a way that is truly powerful. Did we plant our intentions wisely and care for them properly to bear the fruits of our vision in all areas of our lives? Ask yourself. Is my garden filled with bountiful and healthy experiences that are aligned with my highest truth and expression of my best self? Or do I have a neglected “life crop” wilting from lack of care?
In a time like this where there is so much focus on the “weeds” in our world; unemployment, foreclosures, debt, lack of medical coverage, loss of connection to loved ones, it is easy to feel discouraged about harvesting the vision. We are really being asked to let go of our attachments to the “things”, the routines and the lifestyles that we thought brought us happiness. It is time to let go of the many ideals that run us, it is the perfect time to review what is really meaningful to you and that which is not sustaining you any more. We must remember to hold onto our power of choice and recognize by making clear choices we direct our thinking, feeling and actions to match our values. So where do you want to put your attention and what is your intention, are they aligned with your Spiritual truth?
This Autumnal equinox along with Mercury retrograde could be the perfect time for our whole culture to wake up to the deeper messages we are receiving from the rhythms of nature and the planetary influences. It is time to weed your garden and gather the seeds for next season’s planting. It is time to get really clear about what is dying or fallen away and what is really meaningful and worthy of reseeding. Which of your intentions are bearing healthy fruits and which intentions are suffering from neglect? How do you tend your garden? And is it sustaining you? Where do you feel at home and happy in your heart and soul? Are you living life in a way that matters most to you? Finding our way into the winter is not about leaving harvested fields barren. It is about going into the season of winter knowing your own inner truth and vision to prepare your seeds of intention for your next years planting.
Be Well & Live on Purpose
Denise Diani
Certified Hand Analyst & Life Coach
Santa Cruz, California, 95060
Ph: (831) 247-6230
Email: ddiani-friedman@comcast.net
To assist you in your journey to wellness-based living, the Alternative Health Connection offers an in-depth database of articles. You’ll find an abundance of information on topics ranging from alternative and complimentary practices and therapies to information on health conditions, natural health, nutrition and self-care. We are constantly adding to our library of articles, so visit often and tell your friends about this rich body-mind-spirit resource. Our library is a reflection of our wellness provider community. If you’re an alternative health professional and would like to submit articles as a contributing member, please write in to us.
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Filed under: Health
Practical Uses of Eye Movement Integration
NLP Practitioners and trainers agree:
When I took the NLP practitioner training twenty some years ago I remember utilizing the different eye movements to detect which representation system a person was using at any time and to elicit the use of a particular rep system by having the person look in the direction aligned with that rep system. Eye Movement Integration makes another entirely practical use of this famous NLP observation.
Some years later at an Educational Kinesiology workshop I learned how to use cross-lateral eye movement to help balance and integrate left and right hemisphere processes: While holding your head still, follow the movement of your finger tip with your eyes. First, move the finger up to the left and down to the right 8 times, then up to the left and down to the right 8 times; making an X movement.
At an advanced NLP training I learned the EMI process which was the X movement with a box around it; made by moving the eyes from left to right at visual level, then up right to down right, down right to down left, and finally down left to up left. This process activated and exercised the whole brain and all the rep systems.
Over the years I have used this X and Box exercise in many ways that you may also find useful in daily life in your psychotherapy practice, training situations, group facilitations as well as personal situations.
Stress and Anxiety Reduction
When an individual is experiencing stress symptoms or anxiety I find that what they are usually doing internally is running an auditory/visual tape loop of their worst fear over and over, causing a strong negative kinesthetic response. Using the Eye Movement Integration pattern shakes up this dysfunctional loop and allows all of the mind’s resources to attend to the problem. Example: Joe was referred to me by an associate in a nearby city. When we talked on the phone he was in bad shape. He had been with a hi-tech firm for many years which was going through a traumatic reorganization. He did not get along with his new boss and his job was being phased out. At 55 he felt unprepared to search for new employment, yet the existing situation was stressful with a ‘no win’ ending.
I couldn’t fit him into my schedule for a week, so I gave him the instructions on how to do the EMI process, having him do it while we were on the phone. He noticed that his field of vision seemed to expand and that he felt more hopeful.
Once we began meeting to strategize his job search, looking at and transforming his limiting beliefs and behaviors, we continued to use the EMI in the session whenever he became fearful and again at the end of the session to organize and integrate his learning.
It became a process he used daily during his successful transition to a new position within the large company.
Breaking tense situations and integrating information in groups
When facilitating meetings or conducting trainings I find that EMI is an effective “break”. When emotions start to flare during negotiations or group discussions I use it to help the participants expand their perspectives and calm emotions.
Believe it or not, it is an easy “sell” to get any group to try it. I simply explain that the technique is a way to balance right/left brain functioning and to calm things down. I then demonstrate it on myself and invite the entire group to follow suit. They figure as long as I am willing to make of fool of myself in front of them, they might as well give it a try!
I’ve had people tell me that the group has continued to use this process to take breaks and at the conclusion of meetings on a regular basis—it’s become their positive anchor.
Personal uses
Whenever I am going through a particularly stressful time in my life, or I am preparing to take on a new endeavor that might cause some anxiety, I use EMI twice daily. When I awaken in the morning and before I get out of bed, I’ll do several iterations of the X and box and then again throughout the day when I take a break or before I go to sleep. It invigorates my thought processes and calms my nerves.
I also use it with a client who is elderly and to whom changes come with trepidation and confusion. When I do the EMI with him he seems to feel more positive and resourceful about his transitions and sometimes comes in only to chat and have the EMI process done!
I tell people it is the easiest, cheapest antidepressant and anti-anxiety drug around. Give it a try!
Tricia Hancock, cht
Clinical Hypnotherapy
Mindful Based Living
627 Capitola Avenue
Capitola, California, 95010
Ph: 831-247-0148
Email: Tatcapitola@aol.com
The Alternative Health Connection is your partner in finding natural solutions to radiant health and balanced living. We are delighted to bring you a localized community calendar to assist you in connecting with alternative health events, seminars and workshops, searchable by city and zip code. So whether you’re looking for events in your hometown or looking for wellness activities while you’re in Santa Fe on business, we are your event connection!
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Filed under: Health
Yoga and Tai Chi as Pathways to better Health
For an investment of 20 minutes each morning, the payback is reduced stress, a sense of calm and peace, improved strength, limberness, better immune function and lower blood pressure.
It’s not too good to be true. The investment is practicing yoga or tai chi, which were developed and revised over many centuries. The October issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter includes an in-depth Special Report on Yoga and Tai Chi, covering health benefits, differences between yoga and tai chi, tips for learning postures and poses, simple stretches, how breathing enhances energy, and resources to learn more.
An important advantage of yoga and tai chi is that they combine key elements of exercise — aerobic, strength training, core stability, flexibility and balance — into unified approaches. Certain benefits, particularly stress reduction, can be seen in as little as one day. People report better sleep and improvements in digestive health within the first few days. Better digestive health can mean better bowel function and decreased constipation. Practiced regularly, yoga and tai chi may help reverse some effects of aging, such as restricted and narrowed movements.
After 10 to 12 weeks of regular sessions, practitioners often notice significant health benefits in other areas. For example, a study of yoga and people who experience migraines found that those doing yoga had less frequent and less intense headaches than did those taking medication.
In addition, those who practiced yoga saw improvements in anxiety and depression. Yoga and tai chi can improve bone density and cardiovascular health and decrease blood pressure.
The best way to learn yoga or tai chi is by taking a class or working with a qualified instructor. These classes, which teach the art of breathing, meditation and posing, are offered at many health clubs and senior centers and through community education.
Santa Cruz County yoga studio
The Center for Yoga and Personal Growth
Capitola Ca
716 Capitola Ave Suite I
Capitola Ca
831 685-3596
To assist you in your journey to wellness-based living, the Alternative Health Connection offers an in-depth database of articles. You’ll find an abundance of information on topics ranging from alternative and complimentary practices and therapies to information on health conditions, natural health, nutrition and self-care. We are constantly adding to our library of articles, so visit often and tell your friends about this rich body-mind-spirit resource. Our library is a reflection of our wellness provider community. If you’re an alternative health professional and would like to submit articles as a contributing member, please write in to us.
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Filed under: Health
During my studies I came upon the quote “food, rest and exercise are free medicine”. I never forgot it. It reminded me that health is often taken for granted as we go about our daily lives. We take the necessary steps to make sure that our bills are paid on time, that we have enough gas in the car, that we spend enough time with our children or spouse. Yet we often don’t pay the same attention to our health – our most important asset. We ignore the messages that our bodies send us to slow down, eat the right foods and wait until the point that it’s necessary to see a doctor to “fix it”.
We have become a very convenience-based society, with everything packaged “to go” so that we have more time to get all of the things we think we need to get done each day. So we often eat on the run, or consume prepared meals and rarely take the time to sit down and eat a healthy, freshly prepared meal. There is a pill for practically anything that ails you that will magically take care of your signs and symptoms. There are power foods, power drinks, and diets galore to bring you that perfect body or temporary state of well-being. But eventually it wears off, we return to the same state we were in before and possibly even worse.
With the onset of the internet, social media and technology at our fingertips 24 hours a day, it’s become even more difficult to find time to get outside or exercise because we are sitting behind a computer or waiting for the next message or new bit of information. We are in a constant state of anticipation and frenetic energy that often leaves us with poor sleep habits, digestive issues, fatigue, headaches, neck and back pain.
It is up to us to set up the parameters as to how much we will take on each day, how much rest we need and how to maintain the quality of our health. No one else knows our body better than we do. We all have individual physiologies and histories that make us unique. We have to stop relying on others to feed us, inform us, diagnose us and facilitate our daily activities. We need to go back to the basics and use the tools that are readily available to us. We need to pay attention to our health on a daily basis and give our bodies the nutrition, exercise and rest it needs to operate efficiently so we can lead healthy and productive lives.
Pamela Wake
Nutritionist
San Diego Integrative Health and Wellness
12526 High Bluff Drive, Suite 300
San Diego, California, 92130
Ph: 760 715-5301
Email: pwake14@mac.com
The Alternative Health Connection is your partner in finding natural solutions to radiant health and balanced living. We are delighted to bring you a localized community calendar to assist you in connecting with alternative health events, seminars and workshops, searchable by city and zip code. So whether you’re looking for events in your hometown or looking for wellness activities while you’re in Santa Fe on business, we are your event connection!
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Filed under: Health
We generally think hearing is simple. You either hear, or you don’t. It turns out hearing involves a complex combination of processes. Also, hearing is not listening. Hearing is the passive act of registering sounds. Listening is an active process of tuning in to what is important and tuning out what is not important, among other things. We have all been in situations where we heard someone speak but what they said didn’t register. We heard, but we weren’t listening. Remember tuning out boring teachers in school, or parents wanting us to do chores? Listening can be adversely affected by childhood ear infections, trauma, stress, sound sensitivity or the long-term impact of toxic noise.
Hearing and listening combine in what is called auditory processing. If auditory processing skills are not working together in perfect harmony, it can be difficult to process or interpret sounds. An example is the ability to hear the difference between “ba” and “da.” Poor listening can diminish the brain’s ability to understand sound. The resulting auditory processing problems can lead to various challenges.
Auditory processing problems are common in people with learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, speech difficulties, Down’s Syndrome and autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger’s. Other areas related to auditory processing are memory, balance, coordination, concentration, rhythm, musical ability, language learning, sensory integration, sound sensitivity, and more.
Auditory processing ability can be improved by listening to specially engineered music through headphones. How? Like hearing, music is processed all over the brain. Music-based auditory stimulation programs train or re-train auditory processing systems to accurately process sound. Filtration and sonic effects are used to exercise the ear and create new neural pathways in the brain.
When listening improves, learning and communication improve.
The Listening Program® is an affordable, effective home-based listening system that can bring about lasting change. With TLP, children and adults with learning/attention difficulties, autism spectrum disorders, developmental delays, auditory processing problems, sensory integration and perceptual challenges have experienced profound improvement. For individuals who have hearing loss, TLP can improve the functional use of their remaining hearing. TLP can also help seniors with balance and coordination issues.
TLP is produced by Advanced Brain Technologies, and combines decades of clinical research in several fields, including neurology, physiology, psychoacoustics, auditory processing, music theory and more. The method builds on the work of respected leaders in these fields, such as ear, nose and throat physician Alfred A. Tomatis, MD (1920-2001). Dr. Tomatis helped identify the relationship between certain sound frequencies and their effect on functions of the mind and body. Dr. Tomatis found that certain zones of sound frequencies affect different abilities.
Frequency Zones
Zone One - Sensory Integration: targets the lower frequencies to affect *Balance *Coordination *Rhythm *Muscle Tone *Body Awareness *Sense of Direction *Laterality *Right/Left Discrimination.
Zone Two - Speech & Language: targets the mid and higher frequencies to affect *Concentration *Memory *Speech *Language *Vocal Control.
Zone Three - High Spectrum: targets the higher frequencies to affect *Energy *Intuition *Ideas *Ideals *Spirituality *Creativity *auditory Cohesion *Voice (improved speaking and singing).
TLP is designed to address these zones, systematically providing auditory stimulation that, when customized for listeners by a TLP Provider, can help improve their ability to function in a number of ways.
TLP can be used on its own, and is also an excellent complementary therapy used in conjunction with speech therapy, voice therapy, sensory integration, occupational therapy, physical therapy, behavior modification and more.
Ariana Lise Newcomer is a Certified Provider-BC of The Listening Program. Visit Ariana’s site, www.IndigoSoundWorks.com, for more information about TLP, voice coaching and massage therapy with Ariana, or call her at 831-419-4724. Visit www.thelisteningprogram.com for further information about TLP.
To assist you in your journey to wellness-based living, the Alternative Health Connection offers an in-depth database of articles. You’ll find an abundance of information on topics ranging from alternative and complimentary practices and therapies to information on health conditions, natural health, nutrition and self-care. We are constantly adding to our library of articles, so visit often and tell your friends about this rich body-mind-spirit resource. Our library is a reflection of our wellness provider community. If you’re an alternative health professional and would like to submit articles as a contributing member, please write in to us.
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Filed under: Health
You may think that hunger is all in your stomach and that dieting is all in your head. But nutrition experts know that hunger is regulated by a complex system of chemicals that send signals between your brain and your body.
The cells in the hypothalamus communicate with cells in other parts of the brain to coordinate the release and uptake of chemicals that help regulate how much and what you eat. Food triggers the brain to turn the desire to eat into the act of eating. How a food smells, what it looks like, and how you remember it tasting excite chemicals within your brain.
The breakdown products of foods — amino acids from protein, fatty acids from fat, and glucose from carbohydrates — regulate hormones such as insulin, which affect the process at a cellular level. They send messages to the brain telling it that fuel is needed.
When the body needs nourishment, neurotransmitters are released. One neurotransmitter called Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is important in sending messages to various parts of the brain.
Scientists have recently identified two chemicals — ghrelin and leptin — circulating in the blood that communicate with NPY.
- Ghrelin and glucose: According to the theory, low levels of glycogen and low blood sugar levels stimulate a spike in ghrelin and NPY’s activity in the hypothalamus. As NPY is stimulated, your desire for sweet and starchy foods goes up. And when ghrelin rises, so does appetite.
While you sleep, your glycogen and blood sugar stores are used up, causing the brain to release NPY. Skipping breakfast increases NPY levels so that by afternoon, you’re set up for a carbohydrate binge. This craving for carbs is not the result of a lack of willpower; it’s an innate biological urge at work.
- The leptin link: After eating, leptin levels increase and inhibit the firing of NPY, so you feel full. If it has been a while since you’ve eaten, your blood levels of glucose are low and therefore leptin is low, and ghrelin is high.
The circulating levels of ghrelin peak at different times depending on when you have your heaviest meal. People who eat big lunches show ghrelin peaks at a different time than people whose main meal is at night.
In addition, these processes are at work:
- The galanin-fat connection: Galanin is released when fat stores need filling up. In the evening, galanin levels tend to rise, which may be nature’s way of making sure that people have enough calories to last them through the night.
- CCK: When you eat, food enters and fills your stomach and then travels to the intestinal tract. As the food is digested and the body’s cells are fed, a chemical called cholecystokinin (CCK) is released, turning on feelings of fullness and turning off the appetite.
Researchers think that certain conditions, such as anorexia and bulimia, may affect many appetite-control body chemicals, including CCK. In bulmics researchers think that either the CCK mechanism doesn’t work properly or the body’s chemical systems become so desensitized that the person eats huge quantities of food quicker than the brain is able to signal satisfaction and fullness.
The opposite effect may occur in anorexics — the CCK mechanism is so oversensitized that they feel full after only a few bites of food. When bulimics and anorexics start eating normally, their CCK systems usually normalize.
Tricia Hancock, cht
Clinical Hypnotherapy
Mindful Based Living
627 Capitola Avenue
Capitola, California, 95010
Ph: 831-247-0148
Email: Tatcapitola@aol.com
The Alternative Health Connection is your partner in finding natural solutions to radiant health and balanced living. We are delighted to bring you a localized community calendar to assist you in connecting with alternative health events, seminars and workshops, searchable by city and zip code. So whether you’re looking for events in your hometown or looking for wellness activities while you’re in Santa Fe on business, we are your event connection!
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Filed under: Health
Radiant health for the New Year is available and affordable with Advanced Light Therapy
Advanced Light Therapy sessions are natural and completely safe. Light Therapy stimulates the body’s own natural healing and rejuvenation processes boosting the entire body’s energy level. It improves antioxidant status and combats free radical damage.
During Light Therapy sessions many clients report states of blissful well-being. Your mood is uplifted, which alleviates mental fatigue and increases mental clarity. Light therapy also increases the production of the body’s human growth hormone (HGH) levels which regenerates the skin, bones, and major organ functions, enhancing vitality and enthusiasm for life.
Repair and regenerate the brain and central nervous system
It takes only 30 minutes to ‘jump-start’ the body’s own synergistic, natural healing and anti-aging processes. With every light session, the unique proprietary light technology naturally encourages brain-wave activity that will take you from your ordinary thinking state-of-mind, to pleasant body-mind integration, to deeper, intuitive insight and meditative calm, and finally to the wave state in which profound, physiological stress release and natural brain cell regeneration occurs.
Advanced Light Therapy provides three kinds of light healing sessions:
Boost your immune system, and rejuvenate your body with a ‘Rejuvenation’ session
The ‘Rejuvenation’ session energizes and rejuvenates the entire body at the cellular level by enhancing the body’s ATP production (the body’s fundamental energy), helping repair and rejuvenate skin, organ tissue and nerve cells throughout the body. It also gives the immune system a significant boost helping the body fight off disease, promoting health and well-being.
Significantly improve sleep quality and brighten your mood with a ‘Blue Wave’ session
The ‘Blue Wave’ session dramatically improves sleep patterns, and insomnia, as it naturally promotes your body’s serotonin production and self-regulation of adrenalin and melatonin. It also helps reduce seasonal affective disorder( S.A.D) or winter blues.
Experience pain relief and stress reduction with a ‘Relief’ session
The ‘Relief’ session helps reduce physical aches, pains and stress. It dramatically speeds healing and reduces inflammation throughout the body while improving blood flow to tissues and organs, increasing oxygenation and helping remove toxins.
Anti-aging light facial with every session
Each proprietary, Advanced Light Therapy session provides an ‘anti-aging light facial’. It naturally stimulates collagen production, helps reduce acne and skin-blemishes, and slows the skin aging process. A series can significantly reduce wrinkles. Look and feel more youthful in a very short time!
Adora Deva, CCHT, CMT, Reiki Master, Certified Advanced Light Therapy practitioner can be reached at:
adoradeva@got.net (831) 566-9678 www.lifespirithealing.com
To assist you in your journey to wellness-based living, the Alternative Health Connection offers an in-depth database of articles. You’ll find an abundance of information on topics ranging from alternative and complimentary practices and therapies to information on health conditions, natural health, nutrition and self-care. We are constantly adding to our library of articles, so visit often and tell your friends about this rich body-mind-spirit resource. Our library is a reflection of our wellness provider community. If you’re an alternative health professional and would like to submit articles as a contributing member, please write in to us.
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Filed under: Health
Well another flu season is coming and we get a whole new opportunity to be told how this will be the year that thousands of people are going to come down with Swine Flu and potentially die from its deleterious effects. It is therefore vital to go and get immunized! Or is it? Haven’t we heard this one before? Could there be better alternatives to this extremely new and untested vaccine? This health care professional thinks so.
If you really look at the numbers of people who are coming down with Swine Flu and how many of those are actually dieing from it, it is all rather unimpressive. The normal flu still kills many more people than the Swine Flu variety of virus. But of course it is new and sounds cool, and makes good news that we could potentially be killed by something that makes pigs sick for heavens sake! But the reality is that Swine Flu is just the flu. And Chinese Medicine has had safe and effective remedies for things like the flu for millennia. These remedies are tried and true and come without the potentially life threatening side effects of the flu vaccines.
New developments have surfaced recently in the UK from their government Health Protection Agency that has strongly link the new Swine Flue Vaccine to a deadly nerve disease called Guillian-Barre Syndrome (GBS). GBS attacks the lining of nerve cells causing problems like paralysis, inability to breathe and death. In fact in 1976 there was a similar Swine Flu scare which resulted in the mass vaccination of the American population. This resulted in more people dieing from the vaccine itself than the Swine Flu “epidemic.” There was also an eight fold increase in contracting GBS in those who were vaccinated than in those people who did not get the vaccine.
So what can you do to avoid the Swine Flu? Or any other flu strain for that matter? Follow these simple steps and you will be way ahead of the dangers people are so worried about:
- Get good rest. Sleep is when we heal ourselves. Poor sleep can lead to many different health concerns including a lowered immune system.
- Eat well. Stay away from excess sugar. It has been shown that a diet high in sugar and simple carbohydrates results in a lowered immune system.
- Wash your hands often! This is one of the most important concepts for avoiding infectious diseases. I wash mine at least ten times per day.
- Take immune building herbs and nutrients. The Chinese Herbal Pharmacopia has a lot of herbs for building the immune system during times of wellness. This is where the preventative medicine concept comes in. We know it is the flu season coming so build your immune system up before the flu season arrives! I carry herbal formulas for this purpose in my clinic and would be happy to ship them to where ever in the country you are located.
The bottom line here is that the media will definitely want to chase this Swine Flu story as long as they can. It is sensational! There are people getting infected by it all the time now, but in general people are not suffering any major health concerns as a result. The people who are actually dieing are the very young and very old, and even then they usually have some sort of debilitating condition already. They certainly do not represent the general population. Really, the vast majority of us are going to be just fine even if we do catch the dreaded H1N1 virus. And if taking the basic precautions that I described above the chances of contracting any flu will be minimal.
And when in doubt, please consider me a valuable resource. I am happy to help you in what ever way that I can. Do not hesitate to call or write with your questions or concerns.
Jim Chialtas, L.Ac., MTCM
Acupuncturist
Laurel Acupuncture
239 Laurel Street #102
San Diego, California, 92101
Ph: (619) 200-8904
Email: jim@LaurelAcupunctureSD.com
The Alternative Health Connection is your partner in finding natural solutions to radiant health and balanced living. We are delighted to bring you a localized community calendar to assist you in connecting with alternative health events, seminars and workshops, searchable by city and zip code. So whether you’re looking for events in your hometown or looking for wellness activities while you’re in Santa Fe on business, we are your event connection!
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Filed under: Health
They may not be laughing at vitamin supplement fanatics much longer.
According to an authoritative study published in The Nutrition Journal, avid dietary supplement users who, on average, take 17 different supplements daily were judged to be far healthier than adults who just take a single supplement such as a common multivitamin, or who don’t take dietary supplements at all.
The study, headed by Gladys Block of the University of California at Berkeley, is the first to examine measurable health parameters among consumers who take a broad array of dietary supplements, such as vitamins C, E, D, fish or flaxseed oil, lecithin, coenzyme Q10, glucosamine, B complex and others. Nearly nine in ten multi-supplement users consumed 20 or more different kinds of supplements throughout the year.
While more than half of U.S. adults take dietary supplements, nearly half of these supplement consumers take only one type of supplement, most commonly an inexpensive multivitamin.
The study compared 602 adults who took no supplements with 176 consumers who took a single supplement (usually daily or every other day, and usually a multivitamin) with 278 consumers who took a large number of different supplements.
The results of the study are startling. Instead of anticipated side effects and overdosage, researchers found the following:
Suboptimal levels of nutrients were far less common among the multi-supplement users.
Risk for disease was far lower among the multi-supplement users compared to non-users. Risk for diabetes was 73% less, coronary heart disease 52% less, and self-determined health status (report health status was rated as “good or excellent”) 74% more often, compared to non-supplement users.
Measurable health parameters were also far superior among the multi-supplement users.
An interesting finding was that blood serum ferritin levels, a marker of iron load, was much higher among non-supplement (198) and multivitamin users (205) than consumers of an array of supplements (117 micrograms per liter of blood). High iron storage levels are associated with conditions such as liver disease, diabetes, brain and heart disease as well as frequent infections.
Common one-a-day multivitamins often provide iron while users of a wide array of supplements may be taking nutrients that inhibit iron absorption, such as extracts from fruits, berries, grapes or bran.
Blood serum levels of carotenoids (beta carotene, lycopene, lutein) were
three higher among multi-supplement users than non-users, and double that of multivitamin users.
Vitamin E levels among multi-supplement users were more than double that of non-users and multivitamin users.
Multi-supplement users had significantly higher HDL “good” cholesterol, lower triglycerides and C-reactive protein, and lower blood pressure, markers of cardiovascular health, than non-users and multivitamin users.
This study may dispel a common belief that a low-dose multivitamin may be sufficient to address essential nutrient shortages.
Source: Gladys Block, et al, Usage patterns, health, and nutritional status of long-term multiple dietary supplement users: a cross-sectional study. The Nutrition Journal, 6: 30, 2007. Open access available at
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-6-30.pdf
Maile Pouls, Ph.D.
Nutritionist
Health Enhancement, Inc.
Nationwide by Telephone
Grass Valley, California, 95945
Ph: 866-333-7399
Email: drpouls@yournutrition.com
To assist you in your journey to wellness-based living, the Alternative Health Connection offers an in-depth database of articles. You’ll find an abundance of information on topics ranging from alternative and complimentary practices and therapies to information on health conditions, natural health, nutrition and self-care. We are constantly adding to our library of articles, so visit often and tell your friends about this rich body-mind-spirit resource. Our library is a reflection of our wellness provider community. If you’re an alternative health professional and would like to submit articles as a contributing member, please write in to us.
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Filed under: Health
Seven Simple Strategies for finding our way back home during these stressful times.
In such a time as this with global changes in our economy, environment and lifestyle everywhere you look, you will need to find your center and stay grounded in what powerfully feeds your soul. The collective energy can be very frenetic, fear based and overwhelming. It can start to make you feel like you are spinning out of control and feeling hopeless, looking at the world with despair from its core dysfunctions rather than seeing the possibility consciousness as the phoenix is rising from the ashes.
When your attention is scattered so is your power. Be still, be quiet and breathe. Notice the power of your own life force and the power of “Divine expression” within you. You are the place of spirit and a space of consciousness life is happening through, so what is your deepest intent? And are you living it fully or are you distracted by your thoughts and the chaos of our times? Multi-tasking is the capacity to multi-consume and stay disconnected from your deepest truth. In such a time as this we are being asked to go back to the basics, the fundamental values in life. Where guidance comes from living in basic spiritual qualities that nurture and sustain our well-being. Sounds simple, it can be, and less is more!
On your quest to find your way in these new times you must first acknowledge that we are in a new time, learning to live in the mystery of what is possible as well as managing our “monkey minds”. If you continue to cling onto the past and resist the changes it will only get harder and more painful. If you learn to embrace and navigate these changes, by recognizing the silver lining then life becomes more fulfilling and exciting as you create space for new possibilities. We need to take control of our minds and heal the underlying lie of our “not enoughness” in this world and return to what is sustainable. It is said that just 15 seconds of conscious, focused intentional thought is all it takes to restructure your thoughts and start new patterns of consciousness. All it takes are baby steps and clear intention to start the shift.
1) Find your center and live from it. Be quiet enough to feel your connection to spirit and your innermost being, this is the Source of everything. From this place of stillness and connectedness you will recognize everything you need is waiting for you to claim it. Balance, clarity and joy live within you and will support you to move forward in your life. Meditation, journaling, prayer, a walk on the beach are all ways that can help you find your center and connection to source.
2) “Surrender” to what is, learn to let go of resistance. Let go of the fighting because what you resist, persists and over time it is exhausting. Trust that there is a bigger plan and notice how the synchronicity shows up in your life. You will be in the flow of “Divine Guidance” which is much more harmonious in your mind, body and soul.
3) Self-Care is one of the most important ways to stay connected to source and to be able to live your most powerful Life Purpose. This involves taking care of your mind, body and soul. Letting go of old belief systems or thought patterns that do not serve your growth. Sleeping well, eating well, exercising and connecting to spirit daily are all ways to nurture yourself. When we are filled up from a place of self-love then we flow with true purpose and service in the world. Then we can be the pioneers of possibility we are meant to be.
4) Connection and community is key for these times. We need to learn to trust each other and ask for help. To be able to work together to create a world that is more connected to the rhythms of nature and spirit so that we can be whole and sustainable. To teach our families and communities that the value of connection is in our ability to live in the Oneness consciousness.
5) Live with gratitude everyday. Be thankful for everything that comes your way because there is always a “pearl in the oyster”. Be grateful for your life and the people in it for without them there would be no capacity for you to grow, transform, or love yourself and others. What you appreciate,… appreciates you!
6) Living from your deepest intent. This would require you to understand that your intent arrives before you do. What are your motivations behind your thoughts, words and actions and are they aligned with truth and integrity? Do they create a win-win situation and a sense of justice for all? Take time to evaluate your deepest intent for your life in these times and notice how it is a part of the process of manifestation in your life. I recommend reading “Your Deepest Intent, Letters from the Infinite” by Rev. Deborah L. Johnson. She is a spiritual teacher and world-class leader with heart and wisdom that will carry you through theses times and into our “new world” of possibility consciousness.
7) Forgiveness is absolutely necessary in these times. Without forgiveness in life you cannot move forward, you will be stuck in the negative energy and held hostage until you can forgive. It is about shifting your relationship to the circumstance so it does not rob you of your life force, or your ability to say “Yes” to the universe. You see forgiveness frees you to be all that you can be and teaches your heart about real unconditional love for yourself and humanity.
I am grateful for this opportunity to share some helpful strategies with you on this journey of transformation. I trust they will help to ground you in your heart and remind you of ways to simplify and reconnect to the Divine Source that feeds your soul. In these times where we are at our growing edge and being stretched into the mystery of this “new world”, I encourage you to embrace all the opportunities in your space as a place for greater possibility to emerge. Thank you for reading strategies for these stressful times, and I look forward to sharing more tips in our next connection.
Be Well & Live on Purpose
Denise Diani
Certified Hand Analyst & Life Coach
Santa Cruz, California, 95060
Ph: (831) 247-6230
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