5 Tips for Back to School Health!

Staying healthy requires effort and time, but the change of pace and stress of back to school season makes it seem especially hard to keep up with healthy habits! Despite the increased contact you and your little ones will have with chewed pencils and unwashed hands, staying ahead of the health curve doesn’t have to be a struggle! Here’s what you need to do to stay on top of back to school health:

Keep Their Tummies Happy!

Parents know that health starts on the inside, but each day we discover another way that our gut health and gut flora impact immune health! This is true for your little ones, too, and that’s what puts DNA Miracles Chewable Probiotics at the top of our back to school health and wellness list! Containing five billion colony forming units from five carefully selected bacterial strains, DNA Miracles Chewable Probiotics help ensure your child receives the full benefits of the selected probiotics! Each probiotics strain used in DNA Miracles Chewable Probiotics has a unique, proven role to help support your child’s digestive health, immune system, and optimal bacterial balance.

Give Their Antioxidants a Boost!

Antioxidants aren’t just important for adults; they provide astounding benefits for growing children, as well! Between hectic schedules and picky eating habits, it’s difficult to ensure that your children are getting complete antioxidant protection from their foods alone, which makes DNA Miracles Isotonix® OPC-3 an essential product for your back to school health routine! Available in both the traditional isotonic form and a delicious OPC-3 chew, DNA Miracles Isotonix® OPC-3 supports your child’s heart health using amazing ingredients, including the highly-researched, clinically-studied plant extract Pycnogenol®! This product provides benefits such as strong antioxidant defense, powerful free-radical scavenging, and brain health support to give your little miracles something both parents and pediatricians can agree on.*

Fill the Nutrient Gaps!

As much as you adore the little things that make your little miracles unique, their unique and ever-changing taste can be one of the patience-testers (they did like carrots yesterday, right?) that makes it hard to keep up. While there are many options to help support your child’s nutritional needs, it’s important to trust that the supplement you’re giving them works for their unique needs. Enter: DNA Miracles® Isotonix® Multivitamin Plus! Unlike traditional children’s multivitamins, this specially formulated multivitamin supports the needs of children needing particular nutritional support in the areas of digestive, neurological and metabolic health.* Not only does DNA Miracles Isotonix Multivitamin Plus provide children with necessary nutrients needed to grow and stay healthy, but it provides a carefully selected blend of vitamins and minerals chosen for their exceptional bioavailability!

Suds Up Safely!

Splishing + splashing is a staple of every bathtime routine, and it’s great to end their long days with fun and a tub full of bubbles! After picking up germs from the playground and their playdates, your DNA Miracles® Natural Kids bath time products are essential for sudzing away all of the day’s not-so-friendly bacteria. This extension of DNA Miracles’ natural topical line is filled with nourishing ingredients that cleanses skin with extra-gentle ingredients while the bubbles provide endless entertainment. From a Bubble Bath to Shampoo + Body Wash to the Natural Kids Conditioner, special lightweight formulas mean you can get your little ones squeaky clean without worrying about DEA, parabens, dyes or synthetic fragrances!

Keep Your Home Shining Bright!

Kids need a safe and clean environment to grow up in, but navigating the countless cleaning products in-stores can seem like a daunting task after looking into some of the scary ingredients. Thankfully, there’s no need to worry about the DNA Miracles® Home Solutions Bundle! The perfect solution for all busy parents, your Home Solutions Bundle contains:

• DNA Miracles Home Solutions Nursery + Playroom Cleaner
• DNA Miracles Home Solutions Bottle + Dish Soap
• DNA Miracles Home Solutions Spot + Stain Remover
• DNA Miracles Home Solutions Fruit + Veggie Wash

…all formulated to keep your home squeaky-clean! To get started, all you need to do is drop a pack into a bottle, fill with water and in one minute you’ll be ready to clean. Each product is specially formulated to be safe for use in the rooms where your little bundles of joy spend time, but tough on dirt and grime.

Stress and Gut Health: Digestive Enzymes To the Rescue

Just thinking about all of life’s obligations and deadlines can leave your stomach in knots — and for good reason. Too much stress directly affects the delicate balance of your microbiomes! While a lifestyle overhaul might be a great fix, it isn’t always an option for those of us with busy lives, and that’s where digestive enzymes come in!

Stress + Your Microbiomes

As you might already know, the standard American diet of overly processed foods negatively affects the microorganism balance in our systems. But stress can have the same effect, maybe worse, creating a recipe for an unhappy digestive system.

With new research showing that daily stress can negatively affect healthy bacteria in your gut, the next step is understanding how that happens.

The way this occurs is when elevated stress levels cause your brain to enter a state called flight-or-fight mode. This impacts the blood flow to your gut which is why you may remember experiencing a poorer digestive and immune health during periods of your life when you’ve been overly stressed!

The Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology also published a recent study showing that consistent stress can alter the amount and diversity of your good gut flora, but a healthy balance and quantity of flora helps maintain a barrier keeping unhealthy intruders at bay. When these microbes are weakened, you can become more susceptible to illness, exhaustion, and nutritional deficiencies!

What Are Enzymes?

First things first,  proteins are made up of amino acids. They are powerful catalysts, responsible for every chemical reaction that goes on in our body from our muscles and bones down to tissues and cells.

There are two types enzymes in the body: digestive, which help us utilize the nutrients in foods; and metabolic, which are responsible for bodily reactions such as energy production and detoxification. Since we’re here to focus on digestive enzymes, here’s a quick breakdown:

• Proteases: aids in digesting protein
• Amylases: aids in digesting carbohydrates
• Lipases: aids in digesting fats

How Digestive Enzymes Support Gut Health

In order to break down food efficiently and effectively, your body needs a sufficient supply of these digestive enzymes. But, the gut becomes less efficient with age, stress, and poor diet and we may begin to produce fewer digestive enzymes causing our bodies to miss many of the nutrients we need.

Now, you could commit to living a completely stress-free life and eating a perfect diet every single day and your gut would definitely thank you! But how realistic is that? The truth is, we’re all busy.

We’re all going to end up eating on-the-go (probably too quickly!) and overwhelming our schedules because there simply aren’t enough hours in the day! Thankfully, you have another option: supplementation!

By supplementing your diet with digestive enzymes and probiotics, you can help counteract a fast-paced, high-stress lifestyle! 

Isotonix provides one of the best digestive enzyme/probiotic products with the best delivery system on the market to deliver that support right where you need it!

Available in stick packs for on-the-run use or a bottle to keep at home, Isotonix Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics is an isotonic-capable food supplement made from a combination of DigeZyme® and Lactospore® to replenish the digestive enzymes and probiotics that are so essential to good digestive health. Vegetarian, gluten-free, and free from GMO’s, Isotonix provides an easy way to support a healthy gut so you can live your life without worry!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug. products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

WELLMUNE WGP® – THE INGREDIENT YOU NEED FOR COLD/FLU SEASON

WELLMUNE WGP® 

 THE INGREDIENT YOU NEED

By: Crystal Shelton

The immune system is the body’s line of defense against harmful substances. Through its varied mechanisms and work of immune cells, it works to attack and keep out those foreign and problematic organisms that can cause sickness and disease. Based on a number of clinical studies, the ingredient called Wellmune WGP® could help give your immune system an added boost!

What is Wellmune?

Wellmune is a natural yeast beta glucan derived from a proprietary strain of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It works to support immune cells, which are part of the body’s natural defenses. Beta glucans are naturally found in foods such as baker’s yeast, shiitake mushrooms, and cereal grains, like barley, oats, rye, and wheat. Wellmune is a yeast beta 1,3/1,6 glucan. Using a proprietary process, Wellmune is extracted from the cell wall of a proprietary strain of baker’s yeast. Highly purified, Wellmune is naturally gluten-free.

How does Wellmune work?

When Wellmune is ingested, immune cells in the gastrointestinal tract take it up and transport it to the immune organs throughout the body. While there, the immune cells called macrophages digest the Wellmune into smaller fragments and slowly release them over a number of days. As they are released, the fragments bind to specific receptors (CR3) on neutrophils which are the most abundant immune cells in the body.

Wellmune supports the activity of the neutrophils and prime them for their normal activity in the body, including promoting immune health. It also supports the activity of phagocytic cells, which engulf and destroy foreign bodies, thus promoting immune health. Clinical studies have shown Wellmune’s benefits for immune health in the categories of upper respiratory health, cold and flu, allergies and compromised immune systems from exercise and stress. There have been a total of nine clinical studies on Wellmune that show Wellmune promotes a healthy immune system. The molecular structure of Wellmune WGP, with its beta 1,3/1,6 branch points, is responsible for its unique biological activity.

You can find Wellmune in Isotonix Immune & DNA Miracles Immune

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AND DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

Bone & Joint / October 19, 2017

By: Amanda Blount

It is around this time of the year where Daylight Saving Time means you can start getting excited about an extra hour of sleep, but it comes with a drawback: your exposure of sunlight decreases. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble, necessary nutrient that our skin synthesizes when exposed to the sun. With the sun is the major natural provider, a decrease of sunshine due to shorter days and cooler weather means that winter can be a serious problem for people with vitamin D deficiency.

Depending on your location sunlight may be an issue. Through sunlight exposure, the body is designed to change vitamin D into a substance called 25-hydroxyvitamin D.  Your body must have vitamin D to absorb calcium, promote bone growth and regulate other body functions. But, winter months can be harsh enough to keep people indoors, limiting your body’s ability to produce the calcium you need for optimal health.

Due to the winter season, the body’s ability to produce the ideal vitamin D levels may already be subdued.  This is a concern because you become at risk for a weakened immune system, rickets, or the development of bone abnormalities such as soft bones and fragile bones if your body doesn’t get adequate vitamin D.

While being mindful of UV radiation, thirty minutes of sun exposure to the face, back, or legs at least twice a week can provide you with a sufficient amount of vitamin D.  If you find yourself in a place where direct sunlight isn’t a possibility, there are two alternate methods of fulfilling your body’s vitamin D needs. These include food and supplementation. Foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D are fatty fish, eggs yolks, liver, and cheese. They are perfect to add to your diet during the colder, cloudier months of the year.

If you follow a plant-based diet or simply aren’t getting enough vitamin D from your dietary intake, you may need to look to supplementation and fortified foods. Cereals, yogurt, and orange juice are commonly found with added vitamin D, and there are a number of types of non-dairy milk that offer fortified options as well.

Vitamins D2 and D3 two great forms of vitamin D to look out for, although D3 is more commonly recommended because it is the naturally occurring form of vitamin D found in the body.  While time-of-day doesn’t seem to have much impact on the absorption of this supplement, it is fat-soluble which means your body will make better use of it if taken with a meal.

As Daylight Saving Time approaches, don’t forget to be sure you’re getting the vitamin D you need for optimal health this holiday season!

Aloe Juice and Gut Health

The benefits of aloe juice have been revered for centuries. Aloe juice helps soothe and lubricate the stomach lining, stimulate the immune system and restore GI tract health by gently cleansing and stimulating new cell growth. Aloe is an excellent supplement for addressing gastrointestinal conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcers, GERD, Acid Reflux, Ulcerative Colitis or Constipation. Long-term use of commonly prescribed drugs like PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) traditionally used for gastrointestinal conditions can have many negative side effects. Acid-blocking drugs cut acid production too much causing the inadequate breakdown of food, resulting in the inability to effectively absorb calcium, vitamins and minerals in the digestive process. This can adversely affect the balance of the entire body system and in some cases lead to osteoporosis. Withdrawal from PPI’s can lead to severe rebound acid secretion, a complication that can force users to become dependent on them.

Unlike prescription medications aloe juice can be used long-term with no side-effects. Because of this and the added benefits to the entire digestive tract and immune system it is the very first product I use to improve the condition of the digestive tract.

Many who have suffered with acid reflux so severe that they could not sleep lying on their back have received almost instant results using 2-4 ounces of Ultimate Aloe juice every day. Ultimate Aloe won the International Aloe Science Council award for the highest amount of polysaccharides. Many aloe products on the market are not concentrated and do not have enough active ingredients to be effective.

nutraMetrix Ultimate Aloe Juice

• 

• Ultimate Aloe Juice soothes and calms the GI tract

• Polysaccharides act as anti-inflammatory agents to help renew and rebuild a healthy GI tract.

• Aloe stimulates mucus secretion, protecting and lubricating the GI tract. It may promote bicarbonate secretion, which protects GI tissues from drastic pH changes.

• Promotes healthy epithelium (skin) growth, which helps to repair the intestinal wall.

• Buffers the GI tract, reducing acid damage. It is believed that certain components of aloe may support appropriate hydrochloric acid levels through direct action on histamine receptors.

• Contains digestive enzymes that help to break down and digest foods.

• Creates a mild cleansing effect and a mild laxative effect.

• Contains antioxidants – Antioxidant constituents such as beta-carotene fight free radicals and their damaging effects.

• Contains vitamins – vitamins A, E and B-12, zinc, magnesium, calcium and essential fatty acids.

• Stimulates the immune system. Increases the number and activity of macrophages, natural killer cells and monocytes.

• Supports healthy blood sugar levels.

Great Savings On The Digestive Health Kit… Save 22%

You are what you eat!

In today’s world of processed and fast foods combined with the less than ideal Standard American Diet, the body must work harder to break down food, absorb nutrients and get rid of waste. Maintaining digestive and immune health depends on a combination of optimal bacterial balance and maximum nutrient absorption.

Each product in the nutraMetrix Digestive Health Kit works synergistically to support digestive comfort, regularity, immune function, proper nutrient absorption and promotes the balance of good bacteria in the gut. Plus, by purchasing the nutraMetrix Digestive Health Kit instead of buying these products individually you save 22% – a $19.90 value!

Digestive enzymes are required for the body to properly absorb and utilize nutrients from food. A lack of digestive enzymes puts additional strain on your system and results in an incomplete digestive process. As you age, the body’s ability to make certain digestive enzymes decreases.

nutraMetrix Isotonix® Digestive Enzyme Formula with Probiotics is an isotonic-capable supplement designed to replenish essential digestive enzymes, contributing to good digestive health. Maintaining bacterial balance is a key component of a healthy digestive tract. The digestive tract is home to 400-500 different types of bacteria. These bacteria include both healthy bacteria (probiotics) and potentially unhealthy bacteria. Maintaining optimal digestive and immune health depends in large part on making sure the good bacteria outnumber the bad. With such tremendous diversity naturally present in the digestive tract, it is important to supplement with not just one strain, but numerous strains of probiotics, so that the most comprehensive benefit is received.

nutraMetrix NutriClean® Probiotics are 10 carefully selected bacterial strains with a unique role to help your body maintain bacterial balance and optimal digestive health. The digestive system is a primary part of immune defense, containing approximately 70 percent of the body’s immune system. Studies have shown that aloe consumed orally promotes normal digestion and supports a healthy immune system.

nutraMetrix Ultimate Aloe® is derived from whole leaf aloe and retains the qualities of naturally occurring aloe vera through a proprietary extraction process. This aids in supplying critical enzymes and removing the undesirable components such as aloin and emodin that may cause digestive discomfort. Because of this, nutraMetrix Ultimate Aloe delivers superior results you can depend on time after time

SLEEP AND WEIGHT: WHAT’S THE CONNECTION?

By:Deedra Mason, ND  nutraMetrix® | Director of Clinical Education & Research

Do you ever wonder why doctors, health experts, and your mom are always bugging you about getting enough sleep? A good night’s rest is vital for health and well-being, but essential when it comes to weight control.  Healthy weight and sleep go hand in hand.

While many dieters buy into the idea that a healthy lifestyle is as easy as watching what you put into your mouth, it isn’t the whole story but it is a great start.  True well-being understands the importance of all “fat factors” including nutrient sufficiency and sleep.

Sleep maintains a balance of the appetite hormones ghrelin and leptin. When you do not get enough sleep, your levels of ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry, increase. Simultaneously, your levels of leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full, decreases. Therefore, you feel hungrier when you are not well rested, and even after eating, you may feel less satisfied.

One target you want to hit to make sure you are doing what is best for your sleep, your cravings and your healthy weight is optimizing your neurotransmitters.   Lack of sleep disrupts the balance of our feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin (2).  This may lead to increased cravings and fragment sleep.

The ability to make healthy levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for optimal mood & healthy weight, also quiets food cravings and assists you in the production of melatonin for better sleep quality.  Serotonin is dependent on your dietary, or supplement levels of Vitamin D3, Magnesium, Vitamin C and B-vitamins.  (2)

There are also amino acids like taurine, glycine, and tyrosine necessary to balance your dopamine levels in the body so you can relax when you need to for a better disposition and ready yourself for sleep (3).

This approach is not just good for the late night hours, but benefit you throughout the day as well.  A healthy balance of serotonin and dopamine can help you make good choices during your day-to-day activities.  With a balance in your mind, you are less likely to choose take out or other quick and easy food options.   Without a balance, you may decide to skip your workout or become less productive at work.

You have many choices in how you support your waking and sleep cycles.  It appears the right combination of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids do some of the heavy lifting for a day with robust energy and a peaceful deep sleep.

Suggested Products:

nutraMetrix® Isotonix Essentials™ Turn Down:  features a custom blend of vitamins, amino acids and minerals all in one easy-to-use packet. The formula contains effective key ingredients to help you quiet down your body, promote mental clarity, control mental tension and support healthy sleep quality.

nutraMetrix® Isotonix Essentials™ Turn Up:  This unique energy supplement offers a synergistic blend of vitamins, amino acids and minerals designed   to boost energy in the body and the mind

Resources

1- Endocr Rev. 2005 May;26(3):439-51. ; Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2005; 113(9): 534-537

2- Bradley’s Neurology in Clinical Practice, 2-Volume Set / Edition 7 by Robert B. Daroff, Joseph Jankovic, John C Mazziotta, Scott L Pomeroy

3- Food Funct. 2015 Feb;6(2):383-93. doi: 10.1039/c4fo00758a.

The Many Benefits of Isotonix® OPC-3

Isotonix® OPC-3 is one of the most revolutionary nutritional supplements available today. Between its unparalleled formula, including the clinically-studied ingredient Pycnogenol, and the revolutionary Isotonix delivery system, there isn’t a more effective antioxidant supplement on the market today. Read on to learn more about the many benefits of this incredible product!

Isotonix OPC-3’s list of benefits is substantial. 

• Promotes cardiovascular health PLUS:
• Helps maintain healthy cholesterol and blood glucose levels
• Helps maintain healthy circulation by strengthening capillaries, arteries and veins
• Promotes healthy blood vessel dilation
• Demonstrates anti-inflammatory activity and promotes joint health

Additional Benefits

• Combats free radicals
• Helps maintain joint flexibility
• Helps reduce mild menstrual cramping and abdominal pain
• Helps support visual health/visual acuity
• Potent free radical scavenger
• Promotes healthy blood vessel dilation
• Promotes healthy nitric oxide levels
• Supports a healthy complexion
• Supports healthy blood glucose levels
• Supports healthy platelet activity
• Supports healthy sperm quality
• Promotes sinus comfort
• Supports immune health

Gluten Free - Vegetarian - No Detectable GMO - Pycnogenol

From promoting your cardiovascular health by helping you maintain healthy blood vessels and showing anti-inflammatory activity, Isotonix OPC-3 provides complete antioxidant protection thanks to its unique formula.

The power behind this advanced nutritional supplement powder comes from its formula of OPCs, or oligomeric proanthocyanidins: complex organic plant compounds called bioflavonoids that provide exceptional nutritional benefits to the human body, including antioxidant protection.

Isotonix OPC-3 includes a combination of powerful bioflavonoids that protect against free radicals. This includes Pycnogenol, a super-antioxidant that is one of the most clinically-researched ingredients in the nutritional supplements industry.

Many nutritional supplements – including other nutritional supplement powders – claim Pycnogenol as an ingredient, but only Isotonix products – including Isotonix OPC-3 – have exclusive worldwide rights to the isotonic form of the super-antioxidant Pycnogenol.

The isotonic form of a nutrient – the defining characteristic of Isotonix nutritional supplements – is of vital importance. Traditional tablets and capsules can take hours for the body to digest; Isotonix nutritional supplements digest more quickly and are distributed throughout the body faster than pills.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of Isotonix OPC-3 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product(s) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.