Health Tip of the Week:
Why do I need nutritional supplements?
We live in a stressful world. Everyday our bodies are exposed to radiation, stress, toxic chemicals in our food, water, and environment. Oxidative stress is a condition that occurs when the amount of free radicals in the body exceeds the available supply of the body's antioxidants. When this occurs, free radicals cannot be neutralized. What happens as a result of this imbalance is cell damage, tissue breakdown, and immune system will become compromised.
What are free radicals? They are highly unstable molecules that interact quickly and aggressively with other molecules in our bodies to create abnormal cells. The major sources of dietary free radicals are chemically-altered fats from commercial vegetable oils, vegetable shortening and all oils heated to very high temperatures, i.e. trans fats. Excessive sugar intake can also contribute to free radical damage, as can artificial food colorings and flavorings, smog, preservatives in processed foods, alcohol, cigarette smoke, chlorinated drinking water, pesticides, radiation, cleaning fluids, heavy metals such as cadmium and lead, and assorted chemicals such as solvent traces found in processed foods and aromatic hydrocarbons (such as benzene and naphthalene). Both physical and emotional stress also prompt the release of endogenous cortisol, an adrenal hormone that reduces inflammation, but also suppresses the immune system.
Why do I need nutritional supplements?
We live in a stressful world. Everyday our bodies are exposed to radiation, stress, toxic chemicals in our food, water, and environment. Oxidative stress is a condition that occurs when the amount of free radicals in the body exceeds the available supply of the body's antioxidants. When this occurs, free radicals cannot be neutralized. What happens as a result of this imbalance is cell damage, tissue breakdown, and immune system will become compromised.
What are free radicals? They are highly unstable molecules that interact quickly and aggressively with other molecules in our bodies to create abnormal cells. The major sources of dietary free radicals are chemically-altered fats from commercial vegetable oils, vegetable shortening and all oils heated to very high temperatures, i.e. trans fats. Excessive sugar intake can also contribute to free radical damage, as can artificial food colorings and flavorings, smog, preservatives in processed foods, alcohol, cigarette smoke, chlorinated drinking water, pesticides, radiation, cleaning fluids, heavy metals such as cadmium and lead, and assorted chemicals such as solvent traces found in processed foods and aromatic hydrocarbons (such as benzene and naphthalene). Both physical and emotional stress also prompt the release of endogenous cortisol, an adrenal hormone that reduces inflammation, but also suppresses the immune system.
How to combat Oxidative Stress?
1. Avoid the various stressors listed above.
2. An organic diet rich in antioxidants, get rid of trans fats and processed foods. Plenty of fresh vegetables, and fruit. Drink green tea. Have a *single glass of red wine a day. (more than two and the health benefits are lost due to the effects of the alcohol). The more plant based your diet is, the better!
3. Nutritional supplementation.
The scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of nutritional supplements is solid and growing daily, and more health care professionals than ever before are now siding with the conclusions drawn from the two review articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that are listed below:
Fairfield KM, Fletcher RH. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: scientific review. JAMA 2002; 287:3116-3126.
Fletcher RH, Fairfield KM. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: clinical applications. JAMA 2002; 287:3127-3129.
A majority of the illnesses that afflict us are related to nutritional factors (a diet high in animal fat, protein, and cholesterol, and low in fiber ), lifestyle (tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol consumption), and the environment (chemical carcinogens, ozone depletion, air pollution, and industrial toxins).
A person can look "apparently" healthy, existing on minimal nutrient intakes for years and not be aware of the cellular damage that is being done from oxidative stress and from suboptimal intake level of some vitamins (above the RDA levels). Degenerative diseases develop over a lifetime as do many chronic illnesses. Here are a couple examples:
1. Avoid the various stressors listed above.
2. An organic diet rich in antioxidants, get rid of trans fats and processed foods. Plenty of fresh vegetables, and fruit. Drink green tea. Have a *single glass of red wine a day. (more than two and the health benefits are lost due to the effects of the alcohol). The more plant based your diet is, the better!
3. Nutritional supplementation.
The scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of nutritional supplements is solid and growing daily, and more health care professionals than ever before are now siding with the conclusions drawn from the two review articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that are listed below:
Fairfield KM, Fletcher RH. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: scientific review. JAMA 2002; 287:3116-3126.
Fletcher RH, Fairfield KM. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: clinical applications. JAMA 2002; 287:3127-3129.
A majority of the illnesses that afflict us are related to nutritional factors (a diet high in animal fat, protein, and cholesterol, and low in fiber ), lifestyle (tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol consumption), and the environment (chemical carcinogens, ozone depletion, air pollution, and industrial toxins).
A person can look "apparently" healthy, existing on minimal nutrient intakes for years and not be aware of the cellular damage that is being done from oxidative stress and from suboptimal intake level of some vitamins (above the RDA levels). Degenerative diseases develop over a lifetime as do many chronic illnesses. Here are a couple examples:
1. Suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12 are a risk factor for cardiovvascular disease, neural tube defects, colon and breast cancer.
2. Low levels of vitamin D contributes to osteopenia.
3. Low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (A, E, and C) may increase the risk for several chronic diseases.
2. Low levels of vitamin D contributes to osteopenia.
3. Low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (A, E, and C) may increase the risk for several chronic diseases.
Nutritional Supplementation can help counteract poor nutrition and to prevent the damage caused by this environmental onslaught and the innumerable challenges to our immune systems that is ongoing. I have to reiterate this last statement: Not only can nutritional supplementation counteract poor nutrition, but it can prevent future damage to our immune systems caused by various stressors.
Create Your Health by giving yourself the gift of nutrition -your cells will love you for it!
Create Your Health by giving yourself the gift of nutrition -your cells will love you for it!
Sincerely,
Chris
* USANA's nutritional supplements are designed to provide advanced levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are difficult to obtain from diet alone; levels that we could all use, everyday, to promote a lifetime of good health. USANA voluntarily meets pharmaceutical grade standards, and U.S.P. guidelines for potency, uniformity, and disintegration. (*This basically means that you are getting what you are paying for, and that the company has integrity, providing what they say they do..simply number 1 ranked nutritional supplements. (*They were ranked number 1 in the Comparative guide to nutritional supplements).The USANA Essentials are formulated to do more than defend against deficiency diseases; they are designed to promote optimal health.* The Essentials contain greater amounts of almost all the necessary vitamins and minerals than are prescribed by the RDA.
© 2008 Creative Arts Counseling and Consulting
*This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease.
All material provided on the Creating Your Health website is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health.
* USANA's nutritional supplements are designed to provide advanced levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are difficult to obtain from diet alone; levels that we could all use, everyday, to promote a lifetime of good health. USANA voluntarily meets pharmaceutical grade standards, and U.S.P. guidelines for potency, uniformity, and disintegration. (*This basically means that you are getting what you are paying for, and that the company has integrity, providing what they say they do..simply number 1 ranked nutritional supplements. (*They were ranked number 1 in the Comparative guide to nutritional supplements).The USANA Essentials are formulated to do more than defend against deficiency diseases; they are designed to promote optimal health.* The Essentials contain greater amounts of almost all the necessary vitamins and minerals than are prescribed by the RDA.
© 2008 Creative Arts Counseling and Consulting
*This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease.
All material provided on the Creating Your Health website is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health.
*Recommended: HEALTHPAK 100
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Patented Olivol can only be found in USANA products
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The HealthPak 100 ™Item # 100
56 Packets
Price: $107.00
Price: $107.00
Volume: 100
To Purchase:
USANAHEALTHPAK100
Christine Matteson
LCAT, LMHC, ADTR, NCC
Creative Arts Counseling and Consulting
Independent USANA Health Sciences Distributor
Team Northrup
To Purchase:
USANAHEALTHPAK100
Christine Matteson
LCAT, LMHC, ADTR, NCC
Creative Arts Counseling and Consulting
Independent USANA Health Sciences Distributor
Team Northrup
(315) 263-6790
email: cfmatteson@hotmail.com
