TriVita Weekly Wellness, Reduce Your Risk of Blood Clots

by Dr Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Office

Over 300,000 people in North America die each year from stroke. Another 700,000 die each year from heart attack. The most common type of both stroke and heart attack is ischemic disease, caused by a blood clot. Damage occurs when the blood clot reduces – and then totally blocks – circulation in an artery. The tissue nourished by that artery begins to die almost immediately.

The nature of blood clots
Blood clots are a miracle when they occur in the right place at the right time. If a blood vessel is injured it sends out chemical distress signals that cause platelets to seal the leak. Platelets are small, white cells that are normally very slippery. They become sticky when the lining of the blood vessel (the endothelium) is damaged.

1. The endothelium sends chemical messages to the platelets.
2. The platelets send chemical messages to attract fibrin proteins.
3. Fibrin proteins are like string that becomes very sticky and ties the groups of platelets together. This is an immature or “white” blood clot.

If the leak is not sealed by this “white” clot, larger red blood cells are tied to the platelets by fibrin to form a “red” clot.

Blood clots in the wrong place – at the wrong time
Problems occur when these clots happen in the wrong place at the wrong time. For example, one probable cause of migraine headaches is inappropriate communication between blood vessels and platelets. If a single blood vessel cramps or spasms it can signal platelets to become so sticky that they restrict circulation in the rest of the brain. Ischemic strokes and heart attacks are often caused by mature red clots breaking free of the injured area and blocking arteries in the heart or brain.

Interestingly, blockages from blood clots can occur in any area of the body. For instance, a person can have a “stroke” that injures the lungs or kidneys. Deep vein thrombosis in the legs is the exact same kind of vascular disease that causes stroke or heart attack.

The key to preventing damage is to make sure that the clots form only when and where they are supposed to. This is only possible with accurate communication between the endothelium in the blood vessels and the clotting mechanisms in the red blood cells, platelets and fibrin. Simple nutrients can have profound effects on improving this communication – and I make several suggestions later in this report.

Working smarter, not harder
Blood thinners force platelets and fibrin to ignore clotting signals from the endothelium. When a person is having a stroke these drugs are life-saving because the blood vessels, platelets and fibrin are getting the message to clot in the wrong place at the wrong time. One new class of drugs triggers the release of nitric oxide to open the blood vessels. Nitric oxide also helps the blood vessels, platelets and fibrin proteins communicate clearly. To prevent blood vessel miscommunication in the first place, high nitric oxide levels are needed.

Nitric oxide is made from nitrogen; nitrogen comes from fruits and vegetables. Eating up to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day will make your clotting system very smart! Plant-based foods have been proven to improve your health – including the health of your circulatory system.

Smart nutrients

TriVita Adaptogen 10 Plus® Dr. Nathan Bryan, cardiologist and specialist in nitric oxide communication, recommends TriVita Adaptogen 10 Plus to help increase nitric oxide. Adaptogen 10 Plus also helps protect against stress. Stress alone – without any help from cholesterol – causes blood vessel spasms which may result in blood clots. So, a good first step in improving the health of your circulatory system is to eat your fruits and vegetables every day and take whole-food supplements like Adaptogen 10 Plus.

TriVita OmegaPrime® Essential fatty acids such as those in OmegaPrime can help keep the platelets from getting sticky at the wrong time. Dr. Dwight Lundell, cardiologist and specialist in bypass surgery, recommends the Omega-3 EFA in TriVita OmegaPrime as a prime tool to help protect against inappropriate clotting. We need 1–4 grams of Omega-3 every day (2–6 OmegaPrime soft gels).

TriVita HCY Guard® Dr. Kilmer McCully, cardiologist and specialist in vascular health, recommends the protective nutrients found in TriVita HCY Guard to help your body reduce homocysteine (HCY). HCY is one culprit in forming clots at the wrong place and time. Taking a single HCY Guard sublingual lozenge daily can help your body reduce homocysteine up to 35% – in as little as 42 days!

Other nutrients such as Vitamin E, turmeric and ginger, and Vitamin C all provide information for your blood clotting system to work smarter. Smart nutrients are the key to making good decisions about where and when to activate this miraculous system!

Source: TriVita Weekly Wellness Report January 31, 2009.

B-12 Deficiency – Its Undesirable Results and Risk Factors

by Scott Conard, MD

You don’t want to be deficient in B-12 for a number of reasons. First of all, if you are over 30, a B-12 deficiency can cause actual brain erosion. Furthermore, a severe B-12 deficiency depletes your energy stores. Finally, it can lead to these undesirable conditions:

• Irritability, personality change
• Brain fog
• Brain erosion
• Depression
• Psychosis
• Heart disease
• Dementia

So how do B-12 deficiencies come about? In life, there are quite a few risk factors that can contribute to it. Things such as:

• Stress
• Less ability to absorb B-12 after age 40
• Certain prescription drugs
• Extreme fatigue or anemia
• Elevated homocysteine levels
• Vegetarian lifestyle
• Gastric surgery or disease
• Digestive or intestinal problems.

To help overcome these risk factors, I strongly suggest supplementing your diet with TriVita’s Super Sublingual B-12 each and every day.That way, you’ll be helping to protect yourself from a B-12 deficiency and its very real dangers.

SUCCESS STORIES“… my thinking was clearer and my energy level had increased tremendously.”

“I had an opportunity to attend the Galaxy of Stars this year. My team leader noticed my face was tense when I got there, so he gave me TriVita’s Super Sublingual B-12 to try. I took a tablet and I immediately began to feel a slight change in my mood. When I came back for the Galaxy of Stars the following day, my friend marveled at how relaxed my facial expression was. Throughout the day, she would tell me how much more relaxed I looked. She also noticed that my mood had changed, my thinking was clearer and my energy level had increased tremendously. When my team leader saw me again, he noticed the difference, too. Thank you. TriVita!
— MARJORIE H. Phoenix, AZ

Source: TriVita Magazine February 2009 pg 5.

TriVita Article: Get a Big Boost From a Little Activity

In an article written by TriVita’s correspondent Jan 2009 it relates -

Experts agree: Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health! It can help lower your risk of everything from cardiovascular disease and diabetes to depression and certain types of cancer. Plus, it can help:

• Give you energy
• Enhance your mood
• Improve your sleep
• Strengthen your heart and lungs
• Restore your libido
• Put zest in your life – because it can be fun!

Big benefits from just a little time

Adults gain “substantial health benefits” from 2.5 hours a week of moderate-intensity physical activity or 1.25 hours of vigorous physical activity, according to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Examples include:

Moderate

• Brisk walking
• Water aerobics
• Ballroom dancing
• Gardening
• Slow biking Vigorous
• Race walking
• Running
• Jogging
• Swimming laps
• Jumping rope
• Martial arts
• Tennis (singles).

For even more health benefits, try to get five hours of moderate-intensity exercise or 2.5 hours of vigorous exercise a week. Try to include strength training in your exercise regimen at least twice a week. If you have a medical condition or disability, talk to your healthcare provider before beginning an exercise program. But everyone can benefit from exercise!

Keeping out of the cold

Is the winter chill keeping you indoors? Try any of these fun (and warm!) activities:

Dance – Dancing is a great way to stay active during the winter months. Community centers, municipal recreation departments and community colleges offer low-cost dance classes to suit any preference. Whether you want to waltz, swing or cha cha, there’s sure to be an option you’ll enjoy.
Walk the mall – Check with your local mall to see if they have a mall walkers program. Gradually increase your laps around the mall so that your body is constantly challenged.
Work out at the gym – Many health clubs offer reasonably priced memberships. You can use cardio machines such as treadmills and elliptical trainers, lift weights, take water aerobics, swim laps, or even drop in on a yoga or Pilates class.

As a side note the same TriVita article goes on to say :

Staying Safe and Avoiding Injury These tips can help you stay safe while you are active:

• If you haven’t been active in a while, start slowly and build up
• Learn which types and amounts of activity are right for you
• Choose activities that are appropriate for your fitness level
• Build up the time you spend on one activity before switching to a more strenuous one
• Use proper safety gear and sports equipment
• Choose a safe place to exercise
• Do a warm-up before beginning your activity.

Source TriVita VitaJournal January 2009 pg 10.

TriVita’s Healthy Hearty Soups Part 2 of 5

With a relentless winter storm finally on the move and with one last savage breath it is hammering the Northeast today changing to all rain by evening, although freezing rain–ice–may hang on in some valleys, now is the time to try another of TriVita’s delicious soup recipes.

TriVita’s Big Beefy Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef shank crosscuts
4 cups fat-free beef broth and 1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 to 4 sprigs parsley
4 sprigs thyme
3 stalks’ worth celery leaves
2 bay leaves
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 cups peeled tomatoes, chopped
1-1/2 cups peeled sweet potatoes, chopped to
1/2-inch cubes
1 cup parsnips, chopped to 1/2-inch cubes
1-1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, sliced
2 cups pea pods (fresh), halved

Directions:

Trim fat from beef shanks. Combine meat, water, broth, salt and pepper in a large kettle or large Dutch oven. Put celery leaves and bay leaves on a 10-inch-square double thickness of 100% cotton cheesecloth, tie into a bag with a clean string, and add to Dutch oven. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer covered for two hours. Remove meat from soup and set it aside to cool. Cut meat off bones and coarsely chop. (You can discard the bones.) Skim all fat from the broth, and add parsley, garlic and thyme. Stir chopped meat, parsnips, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and celery into broth, then return entire mixture to boiling. Then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in pea pods and simmer, covered, for about two more minutes. Remove cheesecloth bag and discard. Cooking takes about two hours and 15 minutes. Makes about six servings.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal January 2005 pg 12.

TriVita’s Healthy Hearty Soups Part 1 of 5

Winter is in full swing, and wherever you live, chances are. . . you’re cold! Suddenly that hot cup of joe or tea in the morning isn’t as much about waking you up as it is keeping your body warm from the inside out. At this time of year, anything hot you can ingest will help!

That’s why, about this time of year, your attention turns to two things: staying home (whether by choice or because the snow is too thick), and cooking nice hot meals for yourself and family. Oh sure, anything you bake, broil, or steam will be warm… but you want something with kick and heat! Enter one of the greatest, most reliable, most versatile meals ever invented: soup!

TriVita’s Special Vegetarian Stew

 

Ingredients:
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 potatoes, chopped
1 turnip, chopped
1 parsnip, chopped
1/4 cup uncooked brown or wild rice
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
6 cups fat-free vegetable broth
3 sprigs chopped parsley

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large pot over medium-high heat. Boil until the vegetables are tender, adding more water if necessary. Cooking takes about half an hour. Makes about four servings.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal January 2005 pg 12.

It Is Decision Time

A different way to analyze risk – and find purpose

For most of us, making a decision boils down to just two questions: What do I stand to gain? What do I stand to lose?

If you think back on the last few decisions you made, you’ll probably realize that those are just the issues you considered.

Should I take a vacation to see family?
(I’d be with loved ones, but I’m not sure I can afford it right now.)

Is it time to start a new exercise routine?
(I’ll be healthier, but I might fall and hurt myself.)

Do I want to devote more time to that business venture?
(The potential is great, but I might waste time that could have gone into something else.)

This “risk-and-reward” thinking is a classic model of human psychology, and one that’s been at the center of our survival. Research continues into how our brains are “wired” to assess risk. In fact, just this fall researchers identified the brain regions involved in risk-taking. They found two separate centers for the “fear of risk and the lure of reward,” said the co-author, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California. The study appeared online in the journal Cerebral Cortex.

Now, though, there’s a new model for the way we make decisions based on risk and reward. It’s proposed by a celebrated brain surgeon and head of a prestigious medical center – and people are paying attention.

Four smart questions to ask yourself first!

Ben Carson, M.D., has already published three best-selling books, and his latest is a call to action: “Take the Risk: Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with Acceptable Risk.”

Drawing on his own life choices, and miraculous experiences with “risky” surgeries, Dr. Carson has produced a different way to think about risk. He calls it “Best/Worst Analysis (B/WA) formula,” and it’s expressed in these four simple questions:

1. What is the best thing that can happen if I do this?
2. What is the worst thing that can happen if I do this?
3. What is the best thing that can happen if I don’t do this?
4. What is the worst thing that can happen if I don’t do this?

According to Dr. Carson, who is director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Maryland, answering these four questions can produce a decision to take appropriate, or acceptable risks.

As he notes in the book, “We buy every kind of insurance to provide us with the security we think we need. We purchase safety seats to keep our children secure… our nation spends billions to keep air travel as safe as possible. What we’re buying and what everyone is selling us is the promise of ’security.’ And yet the only thing we can be sure of is that someday every one of us will die.”

Dr. Carson’s message is strong in his personal faith. In fact, he describes faith itself as a risk, adding that it’s “a lot more acceptable when I realize that my personal relationship with God came at great risk to Him as well.” God took a risk in creating humans with free will to choose to believe and obey, or not, he notes. “Then he took an even bigger risk in sending his own Son to earth to live and die.”

Accepting risks isn’t foolhardy, contends the internationally-famous surgeon. It’s necessary so that we can take part in “the great adventure of living our lives to their full potential.”

Will 2009 be the year of your “great adventure” in making life choices? Whether you’re contemplating a change in a relationship, a career move or a health decision, ask yourself Dr. Carson’s four questions – and risk a great result!

Source: TriVita VitaJournal January 2009 pg. 12

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The Unexpected Benefits of Vitamin C

by Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

A professor of mine once told me that newly graduated doctors have 100 cures for every disease. Experienced doctors often use one remedy for 100 diseases. It seems that this is proving to be quite true with our old friend, Vitamin C.

The Best Vitamin C
There are many types of Vitamin C. Some supplements contain diverse minerals while others contain related ingredients like bioflavonoids. There are good reasons for each of these additions. Yet, time has not proven the fancier forms to be superior to the natural, non-acidic form of Vitamin C (sodium-L-ascorbate).

The primary pathway for Vitamin C transport into the bloodstream is through the sodium transport channel. Now, sodium has a really bad reputation because many of us put too much salt (sodium chloride) on our food. But, the fruits and vegetables we eat are naturally very high in sodium. Our blood is naturally high in sodium. In fact, the sodium content of our blood is about 32 times greater than the potassium level in our blood. It is comparable to the sodium content in sea water.

Dr. Libby’s Vital C has the best profile for absorption of this important nutrient.

New Uses For an Old Remedy
Three articles in medical literature recently caught my attention.

• Toxins
  The first one was a two-year-long discussion about the protective effects of Vitamin C against pesticides and other environmental toxins. This is important because we dump 2.5 million tons of pesticides into our biosphere every year (Environmental Medicine part 4, Dr. Walter Crinnon).The discussion of Vitamin C and pesticides was published in 2007 and 2008 in the journal Toxicology and Industrial Health. It clearly shows the protective effect of large amounts of Vitamin C against common environmental toxins.
• Cholesterol
  The second article appeared in the February 2008 edition of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. It demonstrated another benefit of Vitamin C in people with elevated cholesterol. You see, Vitamin C in the liver binds excess cholesterol and drains it through the bile ducts into the intestines. Fiber in the intestines soaks up the cholesterol and carries it out of the body. If our diet does not have enough fiber to eliminate the cholesterol we will likely reabsorb it. In fact, most of the cholesterol in our bloodstream has been excreted and reabsorbed numerous times.Vitamin C binds cholesterol and takes it out of the liver. Vitamin C also helps protect the lining of blood vessels – making them like Teflon to sticky LDL cholesterol. Instead of damaging the blood vessels, oxidized LDL slides off the walls of your arteries and is carried back to the liver by HDL cholesterol.
• Blood pressure
  The third article came from the October 2008 Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypertension. It clearly showed how large reservoirs of Vitamin C can help reduce high blood pressure. Antioxidants (especially Vitamin C) may reduce poisons in the tissues called aldehydes – think of the poison formaldehyde as a good example. Poisons drive up blood pressure; Vitamin C helps drive down poisons and can result in blood pressure reduction.

Conclusion
Health is built one habit at a time. The more we learn and live the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness, the healthier we become. Essential #4 tells us to eat nutritiously – including the proper use of supplements. Science is firmly behind using nutrients and nurturing to improve the quality of our lives.

Source: TriVita Weekly Wellness Report January 24, 2009.

Why Vitamin D Stands For “illness-fighter”

By Dr. Tammy Pon

Practically every day another benefit of Vitamin D is revealed. Vitamin D is created when our skin is exposed to sunshine. It is also present in our diet, mainly in cold-water fish and dark green vegetables.

A recent newspaper headline read, “Vitamin D Linked to Parkinson’s disease.” At first glance, it may not be clear if Vitamin D is a culprit or an “illness-fighter.” Well, in fact, just as Vitamin D helps build bones, Vitamin D plays a role in building our brains – it is an “illness-fighter.”

Vitamin D and Parkinson’s
Previous studies have shown that the part of the brain affected most by Parkinson’s, the substantia nigra, has high levels of the Vitamin D receptor, which suggests Vitamin D may be important for normal functions of these cells.

If we look at other Vitamin D research, low levels of Vitamin D have been found to be associated with:

• Many neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
• Autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis
• Metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

Vitamin D is formed when sunlight strikes the skin and interacts with cholesterol. Its main to the bones.

Vitamin D – a messenger
Information is carried by a number of messengers inside your body, including proteins and fats. Vitamin D can also act like a messenger, telling the cells how much work to do.

Think of this like building a house. Proteins give specific instructions in the same way a carpenter may decide how best to connect walls and windows and doors. Fats may serve as the building materials for the entire house. Vitamin D serves as the general contractor to determine how much building should be done at any specific time.

We certainly need proteins and protein complexes of Vitamin B-12 to create the structures making up our brain. We also need the fats found in such products as OmegaPrime® to serve as raw materials and general information on brain repair. We need Vitamin D to tell us how much brain to build when we are young and how much repair work to do as we age.

Why winter is the time for more Vitamin D
We get Vitamin D from sunlight, foods and supplements. Because we are exposed to less sunshine in the winter than in the summer, we need to be more vigilant about supplementing with Vitamin D and exposing our skin to sunshine whenever practical. Most doctors who recommend Vitamin D explain that winter cold and flu outbreaks are directly related to Vitamin D deficiency.

If you take supplements to ensure you’re getting enough Vitamin D, make sure they’re the type that your body can really use. It’s best to take supplements formulated for maximum absorption, such as TriVita’s VitaCal-Mag D™ or TriVita Bone Builder. This way, you can help ensure that you’re getting the full benefits of Vitamin D to meet the serious challenges of daily life.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal January 2009 pg 25.

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3. Once you’ve registered you’re ready to send these exciting messages to your prospects.

Remember, you can select how your videos will look by designing your own template. This system also comes with a tracking mechanism so you can see who watched which video and for how long. Right away, you’ll know more about your prospects’ level of interest, and be able to tailor your approach for best results. Plus, at the end of each video your prospect is automatically directed to your personal replicable TriVita website so they can enroll or order product right away.

Sign up for the new TriVita Video Email System at mytrivita.net. Go to the Marketing tab and click on TriVita Video.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal January 2009 pg 28.

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