A Summary of TriVita Article: Bring Back Breakfast

Bring Back Breakfast – The Neglected Meal

Gone are the days when it was unthinkable to start the day without a good hearty breakfast. Now, people have more excuses than you can shake a spatula at for why they can’t or don’t eat a morning meal. Do any of these sound familiar?

• I don’t have time
• I’m not hungry in the morning.
• I’m trying to lose weight
• I don’t like breakfast foods.
• When I eat breakfast, I’m more hungry mid-morning.

The Case for Breakfast
We’ve all heard it: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Here are some reasons why:

Breakfast is the time to refuel. After fasting for the 8-12 hours after dinner and during sleep, your body needs to replenish its energy supply. Muscles also rely on glucose for a portion of their energy.

Eating breakfast is associated with better attitudes about work and school. People who pass on a morning meal are often tired, irritable, or restless in the morning. And kids who skip breakfast tend to be tardy or absent from school more often than those who eat breakfast regularly.

Eating breakfast is associated with greater productivity in the late morning. Kids who eat a morning meal perform better in school than those who don’t. This is because morning hunger interferes with concentration, problem solving, and muscle coordination.

Eating breakfast regularly is associated with maintaining a healthful weight. According to the American Dietetic Association, kids who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight. There has also been extensive research to show that adults who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight and obese.

Breakfast can add to the healthfulness of your diet. For example, research has found that people who eat breakfast regularly have higher total intakes of the following:

• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Iron
• Fiber

No More Excuses
Now it’s time to let go of those excuses.

I don’t have time. A little planning may help.

I’m not hungry in the morning. Eat something small, such as toast, juice, or an egg, at breakfast time. Bring along a snack for when you are hungry mid-morning.

I’m trying to lose weight. Several studies have found that people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less and be more successful at losing weight than those who do not eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast sets you up to be ravenously hungry later in the day, which can lead to overeating. Of course, you still need to make healthful choices. Be aware of portion sizes. For example, many bagel-shop bagels and muffins are much higher in calories than you think. Also, stay away from some of the traditional, fatty breakfast foods, including:

• Bacon
• Breakfast sausage
• Hash browns
• Biscuits with gravy

I don’t like breakfast foods. Anything can be a breakfast food:

• Last night’s leftovers and a piece of fruit
• Grilled cheese and tomato sandwich
• English muffin with peanut butter and banana
• Bagel topped with avocado spread and sliced fresh tomato

When I eat breakfast, I’m more hungry mid-morning. Hunger pangs are a healthy, normal signal from your body. Bring along a snack for these times. Or try eating a little more protein or fat with breakfast to keep you satiated longer.

Source: TriVita Weekly Wellness Report March 14, 2009

Women, Make Health Your Top Priority

Summary
Taking care of yourself is essential to living a longer, healthier life
By Dr. Tammy Pon, M.D.

Only a few short years ago the life expectancy for women reached a peak in modern history, with most women living to an average 79 years of age! In honor of this very special issue that addresses women’s health, I’d like to discuss a few of these issues and the strategies needed to meet this new future of longevity and vitality.

Heart disease

Heart attacks and heart disease kill more women than any other cause. Women have a death rate from heart attacks that is 70% higher than men. There are two reasons for this: One is that a heart attack in a man does not look like a heart attack in a woman. The second is that women’s heart attack symptoms are often misdiagnosed in the emergency room (ER).

A heart attack in a woman is not always the “elephant sitting on my chest” feeling that accompanies a heart attack in men. Instead, there may be an “impending sense of doom” accompanied by shortness of breath, fatigue and low back pain, jaw pain and shoulder pain. Also, if a man comes into the emergency room sweating, with shortness of breath and chest pain the ER staff will automatically assume “heart attack.” When a woman enters the ER with similar symptoms, many in the ER staff will assume “panic attack!” The delay in treatment to differentiate these two conditions may cost a woman her life.

A woman is not a man. Yet, medicine assumes that the heart attack symptoms commonly presented by men are the standard for measuring ER reactions. With aging women outnumbering aging men by more than 2:1, it’s time for emergency room staff to be more aware of women’s unique health needs.

How women keep healthy hearts

The key to heart health is to recognize our need for nutrients and nurturing. Women of average size should eat seven servings of fruit and vegetables every day and sleep from 7 ½ to 9 hours every night. And women need exercise, too. Weight-bearing exercises are important, too because they strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Talk about your anxieties with another woman. Why? In one study, talking with a woman reduced the blood pressure of both men and women, while talking with men did not. Stress management along with consistent exercise, proper rest and plenty of fruits and vegetables holds the promise of a healthy heart. Be diligent about testing risk factors as well: blood pressure, triglycerides, blood sugar, body composition, homocysteine, C-Reactive protein and lipids.

Bone health

Another risk that comes with the blessing of a longer life is osteoporosis: thinning bones. Take Vitamin D supplements as well. Eat calcium-rich foods – especially fruits and vegetables. Remember, cows get the calcium for their own bones from vegetation. I’ve already mentioned exercise for heart health. Weight-bearing exercise becomes critical now for bone health. The extra weight increases bone metabolism and draws nutrients to the weakest areas of bone to strengthen them. Don’t rely on medications alone to promote healthy bones. Take charge of your bone health now to protect against osteoporosis.

Dealing with menopausal symptoms

At a certain age, a woman ceases to be fertile and her periods stop. Menopause is a new experience this century for women in our culture. A hundred years ago most women simply did not live long enough to experience menopause. Find expert healthcare providers who can guide you through these changes with a maximum focus on nutrients and nurturing and a minimum focus on medications. With proper care, heart health and bone health can be improved and menopausal symptoms may be reduced or even eliminated. Taking the appropriate supplements can help us face our increased longevity with enthusiasm and vitality.

Source: VitaJournal October 2008 pg 6.

For more information on menopause, visit trivita.com, click on health articles and then the VitaJournal archive.

Critical Information About Your Bone Health

Summary Learn about the processes that break down and rebuild bone to help prevent bone loss and maintain bone health Your body is constantly changing. Bone remodeling is a natural process that breaks down and rebuilds bone While you’re growing, the nutrients you take in from food contribute to your body’s growth – including your bone growth. This process is called modeling. During childhood and adolescence, if you don’t give your bones the nutrients they need to grow (primarily calcium and phosphorus), the structure of your bones won’t be as strong when you reach adulthood. Instead of a healthy, dense structure your bones may be porous, which can contribute to breakdown and fragility of your bones (osteoporosis) later in life.

Normal Bone                         Bone with Osteoporosis

By the time you reach your adult size, around age 20, the growth (modeling) process ends and a new process called “bone remodeling” begins. This is a normal process that breaks down and rebuilds bone. In the best circumstances, you’ve contributed enough calcium and phosphorous to your bones while you were growing, and the food you eat and the supplements you take now will contain enough calcium and phosphorous to rebuild the bone and store away these minerals for future use.If you don’t eat foods that contain calcium and phosphorous or take supplements, your bones will experience a deficiency. Every time these essential minerals are withdrawn and there isn’t a mineral deposit made to help your body rebuild bones, your bones weaken. Natural processes within your body guarantee that your bones will weaken over time After 30, if the normal remodeling process is allowed to continue, your bones will naturally break down at a faster rate than they’re rebuilt. If you don’t add additional nutrients that are proven to rebuild bone, your bones will grow increasingly weak, will eventually become brittle (osteoporosis), and you’ll be at greater risk for fractures. Most supplements on the market only maintain current bone structure. There are three primary reasons why you need a supplement that will rebuild bone: In childhood, when bones build and grow, did your diet include enough bone-building calcium (dairy, kale, broccoli)? Were you active enough to provide a strong foundation for healthy bones? If not, then you probably reached your full growth at age 20 with some bone weakness. Did you do enough weight bearing exercise to keep bones strong? If not, then your bones weakened even more. After age 31, did you supplement daily with a bone-building formula to help support bone rebuilding? The TriVita Bone Builder helps rebuild bone. Bone Builder contains Bone Growth Factor, an exclusive blend of ingredients proven to improve bone density. Third-party, scientific tests prove that TriVita Bone Builder, with Bone Growth Factor, builds bone. Bone Growth Factor is a proprietary blend of nutrients selected using the latest science. The nutrients were researched, tested, and blended in the exact proportions to help grow bone. In addition to Bone Growth Factor, TriVitaTM Bone Builder combines highly absorbable minerals and nutrients known to promote bone strength. A clinical trial conducted by Larry A. Tucker Ph.D. shows that TriVitaTM Bone Builder helps rebuild bones. The 114 women subjects were required to be healthy non-smokers between the ages of 25 – 65 years of age; the average age was 48.5 years. The subjects were not allowed to participate in the study if they were taking any prescription drug to manage low bone density or osteoporosis. At the beginning of the study, each subject was given a bone density exam to measure bone mass. After 9 months of taking Bone Builder, subjects showed significantly greater bone mass density (gain) in their hips and necks when compared with subjects who did not take Bone Builder (placebo). The results of the study show that Bone Builder improved bone mass, helping subjects who consistently took Bone Builder to rebuild bone mass. Along with a good diet, weight-bearing exercise, and not smoking, take TriVitaTM Bone Builder, with Bone Growth Factor, to help rebuild bones and protect against osteoporosis. Regular use of Bone Builder will help protect your bones in three ways: 1. Helps maintain current bone mass with highly absorbable minerals known to promote bone health 2. Our patented formula encourages the body’s natural internal mechanisms to rebuild bone in women over 40 3.Speeds the bone building process while helping to reduce the break down process Osteoporosis is a silent disease – the first noticeable sign that you have osteoporosis could be a fracture. We recommend asking your health care practitioner to schedule regular bone scans to track your bone health after age 50. Source: VitaJournal, November 2006 pg 6.

Are You At Risk? What’s Your Homocysteine Level?

High homocysteine often leads to serious, debilitating conditions including: Stroke Heart Attack Coronary Heart Disease Diabetes Osteoporosis Dementia Alzheimer’s

Help reduce the risk of degenerative diseases Homocysteine (HCY) is like cholesterol. An elevated homocysteine level is very dangerous… it can wreak havoc when it’s too high! You can’t feel dangerous, elevated HCY levels The damage can rarely be reversed. Most North Americans are poorly prepared to handle the effects of a stroke. It’s hard to fully recover from a stroke, so that’s a good reason to start taking TnVita’s HCY Guard immediately to help reduce your risk. When your homocysteine level is too high, your body suffers During the methylation cycle, when HCY fails to recombine the “leftover’ protein into methionine, this excess HCY escapes into your bloodstream. It may begin to build up and cause destructive explosions to the most delicate tissues in your body. For example, it can damage your arteries, brain, bones and even your DNA. The results can be devastating This is the kind of damage that high levels of homocysteine can cause inside your body and brain: Thickening and hardening your arteries and weakening heart tissue —this can lead to strokes and heart attacks by shredding your most delicate tissues and inflicting thousands of tiny paper cuts inside your arteries and brain • Building fibrous webs in the synapses of your brain — this may lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease • Impacting DNA function, causing potentially dangerous cell or DNA mutations • Leaving your bones unable to absorb calcium, causing weak bones and osteoporosis • Contributing to the damage done by many degenerative diseases. Risk Factors A family history of: Cardiovascular disease, Stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Osteoporosis, Diabetes • Low Vitamin B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid levels • Gastric disturbances, breathing difficulties or kidney issues • Age aver 50 • Pregnancy • High stress • Poor eating habits • Lack of exercise • Excessive smoking or coffee drinking. Source: TriVita Magazine, November 2008 pg 10. TriVita’s HCY Guard helps maintain healthy homocysteine levels, get yours here today!