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.

Best Anti-Aging Products

At nutraMetrix, we try to bring you the best of the best and that includes the best in anti-aging products. Listen, I understand. No one wants a wrinkle here or to see anything sagging! That’s why it’s important to start early to prevent! I also think it is also super important to drink lots of water to aid your favorite anti-aging products. Check out the best in anti-aging here and let me know what you think in the comments section. What do you think? Have you used these products? Can you attest to their anti-aging properties? Please let me know!

Prime Advantage Anti-Aging Kit- This kit includes the Ultra Prime Secretagogue – HGH Enhancer, Prime Joint Formula by Isotonix, and the Prime Ultimate Longevity Formula by Isotonix. Together, these products help improve strength, increase energy and endurance, plus maintain joint comfort. Among a ton of other benefits together, these products, super charge the anti-aging process.

Timeless Prescription Anti-Aging Essentials Kit- Here’s another kit that really helps with the anti-aging process. This kit comes with the Facial Exfoliating Cleanser, the MDI Firming Activator and The Face Firming Moisturizer. These products work to help improve the look of your skin by making you look fresh and youthful.

VitaShield Vitamin C&E Intensive Moisturizer-  This moisturizer is perfect for your bedtime ritual. It intensely moisturizes, leaving your skin silky and smooth. It plumps cells to lessen the appearance of fine lines. How great is that? Your skin will feel youthful and you will feel youthful. It’s a win-win.

Lumiere de Vie Needle-Free Serum- An instant lift without any needles sounds too good to be true, but Lumiere de Vie Needle Free Serum is one of the most revolutionary skin products out there. With this serum, expect smoother taut skin for less than half the price of a doctor!

Lumiere de Vie Intense Rejuvenation Creme- When you’re in the market for a two-in-one anti-aging cream and moisturizer, the Lumiere de Vie Intense Rejuvenation Creme is where it’s at. This product is my personal favorite and my number one go-to. It manages to brighten the completion while getting rid of dark sports and wrinkles in a natural way, plus it’s insanely hydrating.

Cellular Laboratories De-Aging Lifting Facial Mask- I love a good mask. They’re so refreshing. I feel renewed after wearing one. The best part about the De-Aging Lifting Facial Mask is that it soothes the skin, while also fighting the signs of aging. it feels great and gets rid of those pesky wrinkles.