The #1 cause of disease—and how to prevent it

I once had a conversation with a woman who proudly told me that she was happy to be in good health in her mid-50s.

This is how she described "good health":

• Her cholesterol was under control with Lipitor
• Her blood pressure stayed right around 120/80 with Lopressor
• Nexium kept her acid reflux quiet
• Imitrex worked like a charm on her migraines

THAT'S good health?

This woman is anything BUT healthy.  What she has is a chemically-induced absence of symptoms.

Sadly, people like this sickly woman are rapidly increasing in number in our society today.  Plus we’re not dealing with isolated health challenges anymore—at least one out of four of us has two or more chronic conditions which are never "cured" but just "managed" with multiple medications.
And that's our new definition for "health"--medicated for life and never really feeling good, but making drug companies rich beyond belief.

What's behind these health horrors?
While there are many reasons for our abysmal states of health, one of the most significant underlying factors is chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is the primary causative factor behind ALL of these health trends:

• Nearly 7 out of 10 of us are overweight or obese. 
• Allergic conditions (including asthma) now rank 5th among chronic diseases.
• Nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes, and estimates are that by 2025, the number of Americans with diabetes will be at least 50 million.
• Arthritis and joint disease affect 53 million people in the United States--almost 1 out of 5 people.
• Over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. 
• Our number one and two killers—heart disease and cancer—are responsible for nearly half of all deaths.    
• Nearly one-third of us have high blood pressure.

If those statistics don't scare you, I don't know what will.

Fight back
The good news is there are ways you can fight chronic inflammation and help prevent it from creating chronic disease in you.

And even if you are already affected with one or more chronic diseases, you can help mitigate their effects and even possibly reduce or eliminate the need for certain medications!

Here are four effective inflammation-fighting strategies that can help make all the difference in YOUR state of health:

1) Eat away at inflammation
These are foods that have been shown to help reduce inflammation:

• Garlic
• Onions
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Flaxseeds
• Walnuts and almonds
• Herbs and spices such as turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, oregano, basil and rosemary
• Leafy green vegetables
• Berries
• Oranges

2) Get enough Omega-3 EFAs
Omega-3 essential fatty acids are Nature's anti-inflammatory.  These are found in abundances in fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and cod.

Unfortunately, also found in abundance in these critters are high levels of mercury, PCBs, and other toxins, especially in those caught from the Atlantic…so it's wise to avoid Atlantic varieties and eat only wild-caught Pacific or Alaskan varieties.

Also, purified, pharmaceutical-grade fish oil supplements are a great way to get the Omega-3 EFAs you need without having to worry about pollutants in grocery store fish.  Just remember to talk to your doctor first if you are on blood thinners. 

3) Do the avoid-dance
Just as important as getting natural sources of anti-inflammatories is avoiding these harmful inflammation-causing foods:

• Sunflower oil, corn oil, hydrogenated oils and other processed vegetable oils
• Refined carbohydrates (sugar, flour, white bread, pastries, etc.)
• Processed, packaged foods
• Fake foods (including margarine and artificial sweeteners)
• Soda
• GMO foods (assume any packaged food that is non-organic has GMO ingredients in it)
• Meat and eggs from conventionally farmed animals, especially beef and chicken.  Strive for organic versions of these.
• Conventionally grown produce with high pesticide residues.  Try to buy organic as much as you can.

4) Support your beneficial gut bacteria
The beneficial bacteria in your gut house 70 percent of your immune system, so that should give you a clue as to how important they are.

Unfortunately, our gut bacteria populations have been under assault from things like antibiotics (from both pills we take and conventionally farmed animals we eat), refined carbohydrates, soda, smoking, lacking sleep, medication residue, and stress.

In addition, our exaggerated fears of bacteria and our efforts to wipe them out of our existence has created immune systems which have not been conditioned or developed to function as they were designed to.

Instead what we’re seeing are over-sensitive immune systems that launch an out and out inflammatory attack against harmless microbes or tissues, and this is coming out as our skyrocketing rates of autoimmune diseases and allergies.

So now more than ever, it’s crucial to help support your gut bacteria and immune system with a full-spectrum, multi-strain probiotic formula. 

It’s never too late!

No matter what your state of health is, you can be helped by counteracting inflammation in your body with safe, natural measures.

Don't procrastinate.  Do it now.

Natural remedies for Restless leg syndrome

As many as 12 million Americans are plagued by as Restless leg syndrome (RLS)--an uncontrollable urge to move their legs while trying to rest or sleep.

RLS can also occur during prolonged periods of sitting, such as on a long plane ride.

Sufferers report feelings of tingling, aching, itching or slight burning deep in their lower legs, and moving the legs usually provides relief.  Sometimes sensations are also felt in the thighs, feet, hands or arms.

Because it typically strikes at night, people who have it are often sleep-deprived and have to deal with the ramifications of that as well—including brain fog and difficulty concentrating.

Let’s take a closer look at this disturbing condition and see how you can safely and naturally get relief!

Underling factors

RLS is an inflammatory condition similar to autoimmune diseases and chronic illnesses (such as heart disease and arthritis), and heaven knows we Americans are an inflamed society. 

Nutrients play a big role too—especially magnesium.  Magnesium is your body’s natural relaxant, so it’s no coincidence that the classic symptoms of low magnesium (tremors, muscle contractions, twitches, involuntary jerks and tetanic cramps) are all similar to RLS. 

In addition, deficiencies of folate and iron have also been seen with RLS.

Also, medications can exacerbate symptoms, especially anti-nausea drugs, antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants (SSRIs) and some antihistamines.

Safe, natural ways to ease RLS

The standard treatment of RLS is medication to combat the symptoms (dopamine drugs, benzodiazepines, opioids and anticonvulsants), but the potential side effects of these drugs can arguably be as bad or worse than RLS itself and include addiction, depression, compulsive behaviors, memory loss, sleep disturbances, dyskinesia (uncontrolled movements) blurred vision and even hallucinations!

Luckily there are some safe, natural and very effective ways you can help to ease RLS—without running the risk of dangerous medication side effects.

Here are some measures you can try:

Curb inflammation

Ease inflammation by eating anti-inflammatory foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking plenty of water. 

And most importantly, take advantage of Nature’s potent anti-inflammatory—Omega-3 essential fatty acids!

Many Americans are dangerously low in these inflammation-fighting powerhouses due to our typical refined food diets and heavy reliance on grain-fed animals—which are high in inflammatory Omega-6 EFAs, while lacking Omega-3 EFAs—and we have the inflammation to prove it!

But a top-quality fish oil formula like VitalMega-3 can help make sure your Omega-3 EFA supply is where it should be to effectively combat inflammation. 

And now is the perfect time to put the anti-inflammatory power of VitalMega-3 to work for you during our buy 2 get 1 free special!

Get enough magnesium

Food sources of magnesium including dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, milk, meats, avocados, yogurt, bananas and dried fruit.  

If you want to consider supplementation, the recommended dose is 500 mg a day in the form of magnesium carbonate or magnesium oxide, as those forms have the greatest potency.

Get sources of folate and iron too

Sources of folate include Includes beef, liver, leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli and whole wheat.  Recommended doses for supplements are 400 mcg per day.

Iron-rich foods include beef, fish, poultry, shellfish, eggs, leafy greens, potatoes, lentils, beans and milk.  Supplement doses are typically 15-25 mg/day for men and 18-30 mg/day for women.

Other forms of relief

Some additional ways to help relieve RLS that many sufferers have benefitted from include leg massages, hot baths, and heating pads or cool packs applied to the legs before bedtime. Acupuncture, exercise and yoga have also been used with success.

A Relaxis™ pad, which can be placed at the site of discomfort when in bed and provides 30 minutes of vibrations (counter-stimulation) that taper off after 30 minutes, has also been recommended for individuals with RLS.

Also, vein problems have been associated with RLS.  If you are prone to varicose veins or other vein problems, consider consulting with a venous specialist to see if it is an underlying cause of RLS for you.

Last but not least, although this may sound like an old wives’ tale, many people swear that putting a bar of soap under their bottom sheet prevents restless leg syndrome and nighttime leg cramps.  I personally know at least two people who have had success with this.  Although it can’t scientifically be explained, it’s worth a shot!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia

Your key to great health…for life!

Ours is a “quick fix” type of society.

I see this when people talk to me about their health issues—they want to feel better INSTANTLY and impatiently wait for my answer.

And they get deflated when I inform them that there’s no quick fix—they didn’t get to be this unhealthy overnight, and things can’t magically turn around overnight either!

If what I’m describing sounds like you, listen up.

Today I will help those of you who are looking to find a path to better health.

I can’t promise it will work instantly, but I bet you’ll see some significant improvements much quicker than you think…and they will LAST.

It will take a little effort on your part, but believe me, that will be quickly overshadowed by your excitement over how much better you can feel…for LIFE.

Ready? 

Here’s what you must do:

TAKE CARE OF YOUR GUT

That’s right.

Here’s why your gut is where it’s at in terms of creating optimal health:

Your first line of defense

Your gut is like a sentinel—it’s your primary line of defense against the outside world.  It lets the good stuff (food and nutrients) IN while keeping the bad stuff (wastes, toxins, carcinogens, dangerous bacteria and viruses) OUT.

And if your gut is not able to carry out its duties, it’s not a matter of if but merely when will you suffer the consequences.

If your gut was not able to carry out digestion, you’d start suffering nutrient deficiencies pretty quickly.

That can mean things like anemia, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, imbalanced hormones, low energy, brain fog and inflammation.

Plus you may be taunting your immune system with poorly digested food molecules in your bloodstream and triggering allergies or food sensitivities.

Immune housing

Most people don’t realize this, but your gut is where most of your immune system resides.

Although immune cells are found in your lymph nodes, bloodstream, and virtually all areas of your body, about 70 percent of them live in your gut.

So it only follows that the health and strength of your immune system is largely dependent on a healthy, strong gut environment.

Mental health in “both brains”

There is a series of chemical and electrical signals that continuously pass back and forth between the central nervous system (your brain) and the gastrointestinal system (your gut).  What affects one directly affects the other.

The brain-gut axis is the reason why you feel butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, or get diarrhea when you're worried or upset. 

It's also the reason conditions like anxiety and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) frequently occur together.

So if the health of your gut is challenged, in addition to digestive problems, it can very well trigger anxiety or depression too.

Inflammation and heart disease

When your gut wall becomes too leaky due to poor digestion, toxins and disease-causing bacteria have an "open door" to seep into your bloodstream.

Then an inflammation and disease-causing cycle begins:

1. First, your immune system reacts to toxins in your system, seeing them as dangerous invaders.  When it detects them, it sends out an SOS to your repair team (cholesterol and white blood cells) to get the inflammation cycle going.
2. Toxins can also sail through your bloodstream, become lodged in your tissues and remain there for YEARS, all the while continually igniting an inflammatory response.
3. Toxins can also generate oxidative damage to your cells which keeps the inflammation cycle going.

This is the perfect recipe for chronic inflammation in your blood vessels and in many cases heart disease.

The inflammation can also manifest itself as conditions like arthritis, migraines, asthma, eczema, psoriasis, low back pain, fibromyalgia and more.

Take good care of yours and it will take care of YOU

Hopefully you realize that you MUST take care of your gut if you ever want any measure of decent health.

The good news is, that’s not hard to do!

All you need to do is use the "4 R’s to a healthier gut" approach: 

1. Remove
2. Replace
3. Reinforce
4. Repair

1- Remove

This involves removal and avoidance of things that can harm your gut including:

• Foods that you are sensitive to
• Cigarette smoke
• Soda
• Excessive alcohol
• Refined carbs-- sugar, flour, white rice and all things made with them
• Antibiotics, oral contraceptives and acid reducers—talk to your doctor about alternatives or see if a healthier diet can help reduce your need for certain drugs (more on that below)
• Regularly lacking sleep

2- Replace

Step 2 is to help reverse an unhealthy gut environment by replacing and repopulating your supply of beneficial bacteria, and this is done with a probiotic supplement.

Now as far as probiotics go, Super Shield multi-strain formula is your ticket for helping to restore a healthier flora balance.

Research studies have shown that it is important to use more than one strain of probiotic bacteria when tackling dysbiosis (harmful bacteria overgrowth).

Super Shield’s 13 strains of top-quality probiotic species each has their own “specialty” in how they help support gut and overall health.

3- Reinforce

Reinforcing a healthy gut environment means nourishing your friendly bacteria and having more smooth digestion to help keep your intestinal tract healthy and avoid waste buildup.

This involves eating foods that nourish your friendly flora like fresh vegetables, fermented foods and fiber-rich foods, plus keeping ALL of your meals easier for your system to digest.

The Great Taste No Pain system can guide you on how to construct easy tasty meals that are easier for your system to digest and help encourage more regular BMs. 

Plus the recipe book gives you loads of ideas for preparing delicious foods that help nourish you AND your intestinal flora!

And if you're gluten sensitive, Great Taste No Gluten is for you instead.

4- Repair

The final step is to help repair any intestinal damage that you may have from harmful bacteria and medications. 

One key nutrient for gut repair is L-glutamine--an amino acid that is available in supplement form in most health food stores.

In addition, Omega-3 essential fatty acids can help stabilize irritated intestinal tissue and encourage healing.  Fish oil supplements are a convenient way to get Omega-3 EFAs--and if you're looking for a high quality fish oil formula, VitalMega-3 is here for you!

VitalMega-3 gives your body a healthy daily dose of the Omega-3 EFAs EPA and DHA that are highly recommended by most experts, in the ideal 3:2 ratio.

It’s your GOLD

When it comes to helping to create and maintain great health, your gut is your GOLD—so treat it like the precious gift it is and it will return the favor many times over.

The overmedication of Americans

Sadly, our state of “health” in the US is anything BUT health.

Currently 70 percent of us take one prescription medication per day, half of us take at least two, and 20 percent take five or more drugs every single day!

That’s not to say that medications aren’t needed at times—they certainly have helped many people.

But when it’s the norm and not the exception to be medicated every day, something is seriously wrong.

What’s more disturbing is that the class of drugs that has recently shown the greatest increase is mind-altering, body-numbing drugs—ADHD drugs, anti-anxiety drugs, painkillers and antidepressants.

Let’s take a closer look at these, as well as explore ways you can safely and naturally help create REAL health in your body.

ADHD drugs

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in seven children in the US is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by the time they turn 18, and that includes one in five high school boys. 

At least 70 percent are prescribed ADHD medications like Adderall or Ritalin.

Plus ADHD drugs have also become “cognition enhancers” among college students and young professionals—many of whom have not even been diagnosed with ADHD.   

Naturally prescriptions for these have exploded.  48.4 million prescriptions for ADHD stimulants were written in 2011, up 39 percent from 2007.

If you think these drugs are “mild,” you couldn’t be more wrong.

They're Class 2 narcotics, regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as a controlled substance.

Here are some of their side effects:

• Permanent brain damage
• Increased cancer risk
• Changes in personality, depression and suicide
• Bipolar illness 
• Aggressive behavior or hostility 
• Psychotic symptoms (hearing voices, hallucinations, paranoia) 
• Sudden death 
• Stroke 
• Heart attack 
• Increased blood pressure 
• Slowed growth 
• Seizures

Let me remind you that at the same time these drugs are being taken in record numbers, we’re also seeing increasing acts of violence and shootings in our schools, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

Anti-anxiety medications

Benzodiazepines--including Valium, Xanax, Klonopin and Ativan--are used to treat anxiety, mood disorders and insomnia. 

According to the World Health Organization, 11 percent of women aged 45‐64 were on an anti‐anxiety drugs in 2010, and 5.7 percent of men.

But the most disturbing trend was seen in children aged 10‐19—their use increased by almost 50 percent from 2001 to 2010!

Side effects from benzodiazepines include drowsiness, dizziness, change in sex drive/ability, hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, slurred speech, loss of coordination and memory problems.

Anxiety medications can produce a very strong physical dependence in as little as 14 days, and can cause life-threatening withdrawal seizures. 

Plus benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed along with opiates—narcotic painkillers such as morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl—which can increase your risk of death! 

Both benzodiazepines and opiates are sedatives that slow down respiration and therefore the death risk is multiplied when the two are combined. According to the CDC, the combination of benzodiazepines and opioids accounts for about 30 percent of all opioid-related deaths.

Prescription painkillers

Our use of painkillers has increased 600 percent from 1997-2007!

By the year 2010, the US, with only 5 percent of the world’s population, was consuming 99 percent of the world’s hydrocodone (Vicodin), along with 80 percent of the oxycodone (Percocet and OxyContin), and 65 percent of the hydromorphone (Dilaudid)!

Sadly, overdoses have increased as well. 

According to the CDC, from 1999-2010, deaths from prescription painkiller overdose shot up 400 percent among women and 265 percent in men.

Plus painkillers can increase your risk of depression. 

Antidepressants

The list of antidepressant side effects is staggering and includes nausea, nervousness, headaches, sleepiness, sexual dysfunction, dizziness, digestive problems and weight gain. 

Plus studies continue to show that antidepressants do not work as advertised.  Most disturbingly, they can cause suicidal and homicidal tendencies, as well as deterioration into even more severe mental illness.

And if you don’t think that there’s even a remote connection between these “side effects” and the increasing acts of random violence we’re seeing in this country, then there’s a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.

What you can do

The ray of hope in this grim situation is that there’s plenty you can do to help create a state of health, safely and naturally, so that you are less likely to need prescription drugs to begin with!

Here are three effective steps you can take:

1)  Have a nutritious diet of real foods

Nutrient deficiencies are behind many mental and physical problems.

For example, kids diagnosed with ADHD have been shown to be deficient in magnesium, iron, zinc and vitamin B6.

Many people with depression are deficient in B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, zinc and magnesium.  Plus Candida overgrowth has been linked to depression, and that’s caused by eating too many refined carbs.

Plus the excess acid wastes created by a poor diet can trigger the inflammation that’s behind the chronic pain that people on opioids suffer from.

So having a nutrient-rich diet can go a lot farther than you think in helping to make you feel better in body and mind!

The Great Taste No Pain health system can show you how to enjoy delicious nutritious foods and help promote better digestion!

You’ll get easy to understand instructions that show you why eating nutrient-packed real foods and having efficient digestion is SO important, and learn how easy it is to create delicious meals that are far less of a burden on your system.

2) Bring your gut into balance

The Standard American Diet is murder on your friendly gut flora.  Over time, this can affect your absorption of essential nutrients, as well as contribute to anxiety and depression.

Plus medication residue in your intestinal tract also throws off your flora balance. 

Eating nourishing real foods can help rebuild your flora, but for many people, that's not enough...especially if you've had a typical diet or have taken medications for a long time.

That's why repopulating your supply of friendly microbes with a multi-strain probiotic supplement like Super Shield can be so helpful.

Super Shield's 13 strains of friendly flora each have their own unique job in terms of how they help enhance your health.  More strains means a wider variety of protection against sickness! 

3) Get enough Omega-3 essential fatty acids

A deficiency in Omega-3 essential fatty acids is a leading cause of inflammation and pain, as well as poor mental functioning!

So it's crucial to make sure your Omega-3 supply is what is should be.

The best ways to do this are to eat more fatty fish as well as take a fish oil supplement.

VitalMega-3 is a potent pharmaceutical-grade fish oil that delivers a full 1,000 mg. of the necessary EPA and DHA essential fatty acids in every daily 2-capsule serving.

VitalMega-3 can help bring your Omega-3 EFA level to a more healthful range, as well as pamper your brain with the ever-important DHA that it desperately needs.

Medications do have their place in our society, and sometimes they are necessary.

However, you must DO YOUR PART to make sure your body and mind function like they are supposed to! 

And if you are on medications, by helping to promote better overall health, you may be able to talk to your doctor about reducing your dose, or eventually weaning off them altogether!

Wouldn’t that be nice?

Stay away from these inflammatory foods

If there’s one thing we’ve got an abundance of in this country, it’s inflammation.

We’ve got the statistics to prove it!  Chronic inflammatory conditions are responsible for seven out of 10 deaths in the US each year.

Although inflammation is part of the body’s natural healing process, millions of people are in “inflammation overdrive” and have crossed the line where inflammation is harmful—not helpful.

It’s easy to see why—some of the common sources of chronic inflammation include:

• Stress, anxiety and depression
• Certain medications (such as statins)
• Poor sleep
• Persistent infection or virus
• Being overweight or obese
• Lacking exercise
• Allergies
• Toxins such as mercury and pesticides

Heaven knows one or more of those factors apply to most Americans—overweight or obesity alone affects two out of three of us.

But arguably the most widespread source of inflammation is our DIETS!

Let’s look at five of the most dangerous inflammatory foods, and how you can start using the power of nutrition to reduce chronic inflammation safely and naturally.

1- Acid-forming foods

A food is considered to be acid-forming to the body if its residue upon digestion is acidic.  (Similarly, if the residue is alkaline, it’s considered an alkaline food.)  An excess of acid waste in the body over and above what we can effectively eliminate or neutralize can stir up inflammation.

Several foods, although acid-forming, are also very nutritious—including meat, eggs and dairy.  These foods are healthful and simply need to be balanced out by enough alkaline vegetables to buffer the acid.

However, the truly “bad” acid-forming foods include refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, white rice, sugar, etc.), soda, packaged and fast foods.  These provide no appreciable nutrition (other than perhaps synthetic add-ins), they actually rob your body of essential minerals and they feed harmful microbes and yeasts in your gut. 

2- GMO foods

The process of genetic modification of foods produces proteins that are completely foreign to your body and may potentially provoke your immune system into overreacting.  In addition, they can impact your friendly intestinal flora, leading to an environment that favors dangerous microbes.

3- Factory farmed meats

Instead of being allowed to freely graze in pastures rich in anti-inflammatory Omega-3 essential fatty acids, factory farmed animals are instead fed a grain diet which is high in inflammation-stirring Omega-6 EFAs.  The problem is multiplied when the grains fed to the animals are also genetically modified because what is given to the animals ends up in you (see #2 above).

4- Gluten

Due to hybridization, we have created a gluten molecule that is more inflammatory than previous varieties.  In addition, the amount of gluten in our wheat is nearly double what it was even 50 years ago.  Gluten is a very dense, sticky protein that is inherently hard to digest—and now our bodies must deal with a lot more of it, and a more inflammatory version of it. 

5- Bad Fats

Bad fats include highly processed fats, rancid fats, trans-fats, and any type of unnatural fats.  These fats cause inflammation, trigger the development of free radicals and contribute to practically every disease.

Natural ways to help fight inflammation

In addition to avoiding the inflammatory foods mentioned above, here are four ways to put the power of natural health to work against inflammation in your body:

1) Help buffer the acid with alkaline foods

Alkaline foods include most vegetables (other than potatoes and corn) and most fruits.  Try to make at least half of your plate alkaline foods, and eat a big tossed salad every day.

What you drink matters too.  So if Jimmy Carter was President the last time you drank anything but coffee, alcohol, soda or Red Bull, it’s time to work in some water.  Strive to drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of filtered water a day.

2) Get enough Omega-3 essential fatty acids

Omega-3 EFAs are Nature’s anti-inflammatory, but as I mentioned in #3 above, our foods don’t have the Omega-3s they used to.

In addition to eating fatty fish, a fish oil supplement like VitalMega-3 can help make sure your body is getting what it needs.

VitalMega-3 contains 1,200 mg of Omega-3 EFAs in every 2-capsule serving, including 600 mg EPA and 400 mg DHA—the “golden stars” of Omega-3s.

3) Get enough Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to depression, pain, overall inflammation, weak immune functioning, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune diseases, cancers and more.

Unfortunately, it’s a common deficiency, especially for people living in the northern climates, people who shun the sun, the elderly, people with digestive issues and people taking statins.

Dr. Salerno’s Vitamin D-K Factor can help ensure that your body has the levels of this crucial nutrient that it needs.

Vitamin D-K Factor includes 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 (which is the preferred, natural form of vitamin D) and 45 mcg of vitamin K—to provide additional bone health support.

4) Exercise regularly

Studies show that exercise has powerful effects in reducing inflammation, which in turn can significantly lower your cancer risk, among other things.  Plus exercise shrinks fat cells, which automatically fights inflammation by calming your body's immune system.

No more excuses. Remember, we make time for the things we want to do, and excuses for what we don’t.

Stop being an excuse-maker when it comes to exercise. Instead get your doctor’s nod of approval and get moving.

Put these natural measures to work for you in the fight against inflammation and all its harmful effects. Believe me, your body will say thank you!

The underlying cause of most diseases

Oftentimes someone who has been diagnosed with a disease will say that their condition “just appeared out of nowhere.”

Trust me, nothing could be farther from the truth. 

Disease is instead C-R-E-A-T-E-D over time. 

And the single most significant factor that will determine whether your number will come up in the disease lottery is how overloaded your immune system is.

The more you neglect, stress, challenge and taunt your immune system, the less it will be able to protect you from illness. 

Plus you can also run the risk of your immune system going haywire and making you sick by itself!

Trouble is, many of us are abusing our poor immune systems much more than we realize. 

Let’s look at this concept of immune overload and look at ways you can help support your immune functioning.

Immune overload

Unlike your other bodily systems that you can easily pinpoint (like your heart and blood vessels, your lungs or your GI tract), your immune system is EVERYWHERE inside you.

It’s in all your cells, your gut, your bloodstream, your lymphatic system, your organs—everywhere. 

And when it’s functioning like it should, it’s protecting you with the strength of an army against sickness and disease.

But it has its limits…and when it gets overloaded, that’s when trouble starts.

Two of the most common causes of immune overload are:

• Stressors that challenge the immune system
• Nutritional deficiencies

Here’s the scoop on those:

Stress—the different types

There are three different kinds of stress—physical, emotional/mental and environmental—and each has a negative effect on your immune system.

Physical stressors include any kind of infectious agent—a virus, harmful bacteria, parasite or fungus.

 

They also include things like chemical substances we take in--all drugs (OTC, prescription and recreational) and alcohol, plus temperature changes and physical inactivity.

Emotional/mental stressors include stress from jobs, relationships, family challenges, tragedies (death, divorce), schoolwork and overbooked calendars.

Environmental stressors are the largest, most uncontrollable category of stressors.  They include things like:

• Air and water pollution
• Chemicals in food from radiation, pesticides, herbicides, artificial flavors and preservatives 
• Lawn chemicals
• Heavy metal exposure from contaminated water, vaccines, amalgam fillings, wood stains and pipes
• New building chemicals (from paints and carpets)
• Vehicle exhaust
• “Off-gassing” from chemicals on hardware stores shelves

Nutritional deficiencies

Your immune system must have adequate nutrition in order to function and protect you.

That means getting a variety of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and phytonutrients from real foods.

But the nutrition issue is a double-edged sword. 

You see, not getting needed nutrients is bad enough, but if you aren’t eating real foods, that likely means you are eating processed or fast foods.

Not only do these “foods-stuffs” not nourish you, but they can feed the harmful bacteria in your gut (where 70 percent of your immune system resides).  Eventually the harmful bacteria can overpower your friendly flora, which can hamper your immune functioning.

In addition, they can also lead to poor digestion, which can result in badly digested food molecules seeping into your bloodstream and taunting your immune system into overreacting.  (This is how many allergies and food sensitivities are created.)

Are YOU overloaded?

Now that you’ve seen all the ways you can overload your immune system, you’re probably wondering where you stand.

Well, if you have allergies, an autoimmune condition, get repeated infections and viruses or have a chronic disease, immune overload is practically a GIVEN!

Here are five ways you CAN make a difference in the health of your immune system and encourage it to function more like it’s supposed to. 

The Five Immune Overload Reducers

1- Avoid bad bacteria "chow"

Avoid fast food, processed food, sugars, refined carbs and excessive alcohol consumption.

All of these feed the harmful bacteria in your gut, which makes it easy for them to crowd out your friendly flora and hamper your immune function.  

2- Chill out

Stress causes your body's protective mucosal barrier to become less effective at defending against dangerous pathogens. 

There are many ways to help de-stress: Meditation, regular exercise, taking up a hobby, counseling, deep breathing, prayer, adopting a pet, volunteer work and seminars, to name a few. 

3- Nourish the good guys

It's crucial for the health of your immune system (and your overall health) to eat a nutritious diet that can be efficiently digested.

When you focus on consuming good carbohydrates (like whole grains, vegetables and legumes), get enough fiber, and have healthy sources of fats and proteins, you not only encourage better digestion but also you help nourish all of your immune players! 

The Great Taste No Pain health system can help make this a snap for you.

In Great Taste No Pain, I show you how to choose good, healthy sources of carbs, fats and proteins, and how to structure meals that are more easily digested by your system. 

I also explain the dangers of refined, processed foods and bad fats that are literal poisons to your body (and deadly to your immune system).

4- Take a high quality probiotic supplement

If you want to ensure a strong "gut army" you need to recruit enough troops.

And Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula is as good as it gets for recruiting the force you need.

Two of the powerhouse strains in Super Shield probiotic formula, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus acidophilus, have been shown to be extremely effective in fighting dangerous microbes.

And Super Shield's 11 other potent strains help keep your intestinal flora in a healthier balance, ready and able to fight off harmful microbes and support your intestinal wall.

Note: If you are on immunosuppressive drugs for an autoimmune condition, be sure to talk to your doctor about probiotics or any other supplements you take. 

5- Get enough B12

In addition to helping your body generate energy and keeping your thinking sharp and clear, vitamin B12 is also essential for a strong immune system.

Problem is, many people are deficient in B12 and don't know it.

And even if you eat food sources of B12, it’s not always easily absorbed in the GI tract.

The best way to help make sure you have enough is to supplement with an oral spray form of B12--like Hydroxaden 2.5.

Each daily dose gives you a full 2.5 mg of B12, comprised of two of the best forms--hydroxocobalamin and adenosylcobalamin (the form of B12 most used by your brain).

Recover from immune overload!
By giving your immune system the nutritional support it needs as well as de-stressing, you can help YOUR internal army protect you and keep you feeling great 365 days a year.

10 Tips to stop stress eating

I once saw a funny quote about stress eating that said:  Don’t judge me by my grocery cart.  You have no idea the kind of emotions I’m trying to eat away.

Sadly for many people, stress eating is anything but funny.  It’s a frustrating cycle that is SO hard to break and takes a hefty toll on your health.

But when you understand what is going on with stress eating and take effective steps to overcome it, you can start to break out of that vicious cycle and feel MUCH better.

Let’s first look at…

The price of stress eating

Stress eating takes its toll on your health in many ways, starting with your weight. 

Since most stress eaters reach for refined carbohydrates, not only can this cause you to pack on the pounds, but the repeated influxes of glucose into your bloodstream can eventually make you a candidate for insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.

Plus excess glucose in your bloodstream can irritate the internal layer of your blood vessels and increase your risk of hypertension.

In addition, the sugar from refined carbs feeds the harmful bacteria in your intestinal tract.  This can lead to digestive problems like gas and bloating as well as impair your immune system functioning (since your gut houses 70 percent of your immune system).   

The cycle of stress eating seems pretty straight-forward—get stressed, crave carbs, eat carbs, feel better.

But here is what is really going on:

It’s all in your hormones

Back in our caveman days, when faced with the stress of an enemy or vicious animal, our bodies would release adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones would raise the heart rate, dilate the blood vessels and mobilize fat and carbohydrates as quick energy for the "fight or flight" reaction.

Once the stress was over, adrenaline would subside, but cortisol would remain high to help refuel the body and bring it back to balance.

As a result you’d get a HUGE appetite that would drive you to replace the carbs and fats you used up.

Now our modern day stresses more emotional and psychological. But your body's hormonal reaction to those stresses is the same.

So that’s why the intense cravings are hitting you, especially for carbohydrates.

The effects of chronic stress

When you're under chronic stress, your cortisol levels are raised and remain high. This creates a buildup of abdominal fat (our primitive energy supply)—so that’s when you may see the emergence of a spare tire or muffin top.

In addition to GI symptoms, depressed immune function and blood sugar problems, chronic stress can also cause low thyroid function, impaired memory and concentration, adrenal fatigue and eventually chronic illness.

Break the stress eating cycle

Clearly, it's essential to break the cycle of stress eating and chronic stress.

First and foremost, you’ve got to address what is causing your stress and do as much as you can to eliminate it.

And as far as stress eating goes, here are 10 strategies for safely and naturally conquering those cravings and fighting the physical effects of stress:

1) Wait 10 minutes before caving

If you can distract yourself by answering an email, doing a load of laundry, making a phone call, feeding the cat or running an errand, your craving may pass.

 2) NEVER skip meals

Hunger can trigger intense cravings for sugar, so be sure to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. If you are busy and miss a meal, snack on protein foods like meat, cheese or nuts.

3) Eat fruits and vegetables

Fresh produce is full of antioxidants and phytochemicals that eliminate the free radicals caused by stress.

4) Support your adrenals

Being in a prolonged state of stress and adrenal overload depletes your body of its vitamins and minerals.  Plus your cells become unable to function properly, hypoglycemia can set in as well as an overall weakening of all of the major organs of the body.

Dr. Salerno’s Adrenal Factor can help provide the nutritional support you need to keep your adrenal glands healthy and help prevent adrenal burn-out.

5) Turn off the TV and computer

TV and computer ads expose you to endless numbers of food commercials that are specifically designed to trigger cravings.

6) Get enough Zzzz’s

Fatigue and sleep deprivation lead to carb cravings because glucose is our primary source of energy, and carbs are converted rapidly to glucose. 

The average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep per night.

 

7) Move your body—more than to the refrigerator and back

Exercise counteracts stress and cravings by releasing endorphins, the hormones that produce calm, feel-good feelings.

It's not necessary to join a gym or buy expensive equipment.  Even brisk walking is fine, and nearly everyone can do that.  Get your doctor’s OK and get moving.

8) Drink enough water

Many people mistake thirst for hunger, so what may seem like a craving could be your body telling you to drink more water.

You should aim to drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses water a day. 

9) Eat foods with anti-stress nutrients

These include foods with Vitamins A, B6, C and E as well as potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc. Here are some good sources of each:

•     Vitamin A: Carrots, sweet potatoes, greens, bell peppers
•     Vitamin B6: Bananas, salmon, potatoes, chicken, turkey and spinach
•     Vitamin C: Strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, oranges, cauliflower
•     Vitamin E: Sunflower seeds, almonds, olives, spinach, blueberries, greens
•     Potassium: Yams, spinach, avocado, lentils, winter squash, bananas
•     Magnesium: Black beans, navy beans, salmon, spinach, sesame seeds, halibut
•     Calcium: Greens, sesame seeds, dairy
•     Zinc: Lean beef or lamb, turkey, green peas, shrimp, sesame seeds

10) Support your gut health

Stress throws your intestinal flora balance completely out of whack and compromises your immune system. This makes you susceptible to every bug, cold, virus or infection around, and weakens your body’s ability to fight diseases like cancer.

So it's essential to make sure your body has the levels of beneficial bacteria that it needs to counteract the effects of stress and keep you healthy.

In addition to eating foods that nourish your army of good guys (like fresh vegetables) it's helpful to supplement with a potent probiotic product.

Like Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula.

Super Shield's 13 strains of potent beneficial bacteria are feisty and ready to claim their place on your intestinal walls, helping to fight off harmful bacteria and pathogens and beef up your immune system.

In addition, these good guys can also help enhance nutrient absorption, which is critical to help avoid food cravings.

When you can safely and naturally counteract stress eating, you can make a tremendous difference in your health and weight well into your golden years!

Why you should ditch antibacterial products

We Americans are a major germ-adverse society.

Dispensers of hand sanitizers or wipes are everywhere.  Plus the sales of antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizing gels have exploded over the last 10 years.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to minimize your chances of getting sick.

But not only are these “germ-fighting” products not all they’re cracked up to be, but they’re making the situation worse and making it more likely that you will, in fact, get sick!

Here’s what I mean…let’s first look at:

Your awesome immune system

Your immune system is an intricate network of cells, tissues and chemical messengers that is designed to protect your body against sickness and disease.

You develop natural immunity as your immune system “learns” which bacteria and other microbes are dangerous “foes” and a threat to your health.  It develops a “memory” and remembers what it learned so it can protect you in the future when faced with that “foe” again.

Developing immunity is a very complex, multi-step process that starts by exposure to the microbe or substance through a bodily orifice—such as the mouth, airway, skin or genitals.  Then the millions of players in your immune system go through an impressive series of steps to learn and recognize what you have just ingested, and most importantly, to destroy it now and in the future. 

But when this perfectly designed process is interfered with, that’s when your immunity is not developed as it should be (or at all).

Fewer bacteria = weaker immune systems

By attempting to completely wipe bacteria out of our existence, we are cutting our own throats.

First of all, bacteria are extremely intelligent and will always out-evolve whatever is trying to destroy them.  That’s why we’re seeing increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are becoming more and more deadly.  If they can outsmart antibiotics, they can easily get past our antibacterial hand soap too.

Plus by trying to germ-proof our world, we are not exposing our immune systems to bacteria and microbes and allowing them to develop natural immunity—instead we are in effect encasing our immune systems in a sort of “plastic bubble,” preventing them from functioning as they should, and as a result making ourselves MORE susceptible to illness in the long run!

Why antibacterial products are not the answer

Not only are antibacterial products a player in the “rise of the superbugs,” but some of the ingredients commonly used in these products are being shown in studies to potentially be harmful to your health.

About 75 percent of liquid antibacterial soaps use a chemical substance called triclosan. It’s also been used in hand wipes, hand sanitizer gels and even kitchen cutting boards as we attempt to decimate the bacteria in our environment. 

But the use of triclosan in these products has never been fully evaluated by the FDA…which means there are potentially millions of guinea pigs out there.

And unfortunately, studies are showing that it may be harmful.  A number of studies have found that in animals, triclosan appears to interfere with the body's regulation of thyroid hormone.  If this carries over to humans, it may potentially lead to health issues such as infertility, obesity and cancer.

In addition, there's evidence that children with prolonged exposure to triclosan have a higher chance of developing allergies, including peanut allergies and hay fever.

Parabens are also a concern.  These substances are found in many personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soaps and hand sanitizers.  Common names include: ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben.

Parabens are linked to endocrine disruption, skin irritation and cancer.

And last but not least, antibacterial soaps have not been shown to be any more effective than plain old “regular” soap and water!

A smart approach

Instead of putting forth futile efforts trying to eradicate bacteria and germs from your environment (while you make them stronger and you sicker!) a smart approach is to keep yourself clean the good old fashioned way and pamper your immune system so it can develop and protect you!

First of all, washing with soap and warm water is all you need to clean away germs and bacteria from your hands.  Work up a good lather and wash for 20 seconds.

And to pamper your immune system, nothing beats the top three immune-supportive supplements—vitamin D, probiotics and vitamin B12! 

Here’s the scoop on each of those:

Vitamin D:

Vitamin D helps regulate your immune system activity by helping to prevent excessive, inflammatory immune responses (such as those seen in allergies and autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s, colitis, Type 1 diabetes and Graves’ disease).

Your body produces Vitamin D when you’re exposed to sunlight.  But since many people shun the sun and others have limited sunlight (such as those in the northeast), supplementation is wise for most people.

And one of the top vitamin D supplements in existence is Dr. Salerno’s Vitamin D-K Factor!

In addition to getting 5,000 IUs of vitamin D3 in each capsule, you’ll also get 45 mcg of vitamin K2 which provides additional support for healthy bones and a strong cardiovascular system too!

And now is the perfect time to put the immune-supportive power of vitamin D to work for you, because Vitamin D-K Factor is $5 off per bottle!

But don’t delay! Because this special offer ends on Sunday,June 21st at 11:59 pm EST.

Probiotics:

Since 70 percent of your immune system resides in your gut, it's essential to make sure that you have a healthy population of beneficial bacteria lining your gut wall. 

For a probiotic supplement that can help beef up your supply of these microscopic good guys, Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula is as good as it gets.

One of Super Shield's 13 superior friendly bacteria strains, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, has been shown to stimulate immune antibody production.

In addition, Super Shield also contains Bifidobacteria Lactis, which has high adhesion to human mucus.  That means it will stick to your colon wall, which helps keep dangerous toxins and bacteria from leaking out into your bloodstream and making you SICK.

Vitamin B12:

Vitamin B12 is crucial for the formation of red and white blood cells, which help boost your immune function. 

But B12 is it’s not always easily absorbed through the GI tract...so you may be getting far less than you think, even if you take B12 pills.

So supplementation with a form of B12 that bypasses the shortcomings of the GI tract can be helpful to many people.

Your ticket here is an oral B12 spray like Hydroxaden 2.5.

Hydroxaden 2.5 is a convenient way to get supplemental B12.  Just 5 sprays under your tongue provides 2.5 mg of B12, and since it's designed to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the mucus membranes in your mouth, the concerns with GI tract are avoided.  

 

Engage the power of your body’s natural sickness-fighting and prevention capability and I’m sure you’ll see a difference in how YOU feel.

Surprisingly effective arthritis relief

Although aging is the subject of many funny jokes, the sad truth is the “golden” years for many people are full of the pain, stiffness and limited mobility of osteoarthritis.

Let’s talk about this painful affliction, see why pain medications can make it worse, and explore natural alternatives to feel better and even encourage new cartilage growth!

The two types

There are two types of osteoarthritis—primary and secondary.

Primary osteoarthritis is the more common one and is the result of wear and tear of daily life.  As the years tick by, we incur degenerative changes in our joints and damage to our cartilage. 

Eventually the cartilage gets very hard and bone spurs form which causes joint deformities.  This leads to increasing levels of pain as well as restrictions in your activities and mobility.

With secondary osteoarthritis, there is a precipitating factor that triggers the degenerative changes like a fracture, trauma or surgery.

The numbers are growing

According to the CDC, an estimated 50 million adults in the US reported being told by a doctor that they have arthritis, and by 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans ages 18 years or older are expected to have arthritis.

And it's not limited to adults either! 

An estimated 294,000 children under age 18 have arthritis—that’s one in every 250 children in the US.

How medications can worsen osteoarthritis

Unfortunately, although medications can help ease arthritis pain, over time they can cause side effects and even make the condition worse.

Many people need to take 2-4 grams of aspirin a day to get relief, and with ibuprofen, many people are taking 12-20 capsules a day.  Doses that high are approaching toxicity and are a tremendous stress on your liver.

The common side effects from NSAIDs are usually tinnitus (ringing in the ears), stomach irritation, bleeding in the GI tract, headaches and dizziness.

But things can worsen over time.

Taking ibuprofen and other common NSAIDs long-term triples your risk of strokes and increases the likelihood of a heart attack, according to a study recently published in the British Medical Journal.

Plus here’s the real kicker--long term use of NSAIDs can lead to complete degeneration of the joint cartilage.

A number of studies have shown that both aspirin and the other NSAIDs inhibit your body’s ability to synthesize collagen, and they actually accelerate cartilage destruction.

Fight osteoarthritis safely and naturally

There are many safe, natural answers to help ease the pain, plus even slow or reverse the degenerative changes associated with osteoarthritis!

Here are some strategies that can help you feel a whole lot better…fast!

1- Stop eating for pain and inflammation

The sad truth is that many people have a diet that encourages pain and inflammation. 

Our Standard American Diet (SAD) is heavy on fast food, soda, coffee and processed/packaged foods--ALL things that create acid waste accumulation in your body and trigger a state of inflammation.

But just as you can create inflammation with your diet, you can also just as easily help curb it!

You simply need to balance the acid and alkaline foods in your diet, plus promote better digestion and elimination of inflammation-causing acid wastes.

I'll show you exactly what to do in the Great Taste No Pain and Great Taste No Gluten health systems.

Both Great Taste No Pain and Great Taste No Gluten show you how to structure alkalinizing meals that not only taste unbelievably delicious but are also much easier for your system to digest.

That can mean less gas and bloating, more regular bowel movements, less acid waste buildup and inflammation...

...AND fewer arthritis pains!

And remember--now is the perfect timeto try Great Taste No Gluten because it’s 50% off!

2- Get enough of Nature’s anti-inflammatory—Omega-3 EFAs

An imbalance of Omega-6 and 3 essential fatty acids is also a major source of inflammation in your body.  Many people have too many inflammation-stirring Omega-6 EFAs and too few anti-inflammatory Omega-3s.

To help turn this around, cutting back on Omega-6-rich foods like corn oil, processed and fast foods, grain-fed meats and margarine is step one.  This will naturally help lower your Omega 6:3 ratio to a healthier range.

And at the same time, it's important to raise your intake of Omega-3 EFAs.

In addition to eating natural sources of Omega-3 like fatty fish, walnuts and flax seeds, you can help replenish your Omega-3 supply with a pharmaceutical-grade Omega-3 supplement like VitalMega-3.

VitalMega-3 is a pure, super-potent fish oil formula that delivers an inflammation-fighting 600 mg. of EPA and 400 mg. of DHA (the "shining stars" of Omega-3 EFAs), plus Vitamin E which has been shown to help stimulate formation of cartilage and enhance joint flexibility. 

3- Get enough Vitamin C

Vitamin C is probably best known for cold prevention. but it can also reduce the risk of cartilage loss by repairing damaged connective tissue and improving collagen synthesis too!

Vitamin C foods include: Tomatoes, peppers, citrus fruits, strawberries, cauliflower, romaine lettuce, green beans, celery, spinach, asparagus, broccoli and pineapple.

Recommended daily supplement doses are 1,000 – 3,000 mg of vitamin C.

4- Get regular exercise

Exercise is crucial in halting and preventing osteoarthritis.

Arthritis patients who do strength-training report significantly less pain compared to non-strength trainers.  Gentle stretching and yoga can improve flexibility and increase range of motion.

And water activities can take stress off your joints, block pain sensation, loosen stiff joints and strengthen muscles.

5- Consider glucosamine sulfate supplements

Glucosamine is a compound that stimulates your cartilage cells to produce glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which hold your joint tissues together.

Plus as its name suggests, glucosamine sulfate also provides atoms of sulfur which makes collagen stickier and can in turn make your joints stronger.

Many people have gotten significant relief from glucosamine sulfate supplementation, to the point where the relief was as good as or better than using NSAIDS (without the side effects to boot)!

Be sure to look for glucosamine sulfate to ensure you're getting the added benefit of the sulfur.  1,500 mg. a day divided into 3 doses is the recommended dose.

See how much better you can feel when you safely and naturally help your body control inflammation and encourage strong, healthy cartilage!