Thursday, April 03, 2008
Newsletter Archive
HealthFitLabs, January 2007
So, here we are on the health and wellness journey. Thanks for taking the trip with us! We appreciate all of our customers and their support. Please forward this on to your friends and family (they can subscribe at the bottom of the newsletter). We look forward to appearing in your inbox monthly.
Our Mission: At HealthFitLabs we sell only the highest-quality natural vitamins and nutritional supplements. We're passionate about customer service and dedicated to helping our customers and affiliates meet their personal health goals.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot Headlines
Eat Your Way To More Beautiful Skin (as seen on the TODAY show)
Nutritionist Joy Bauer has a prescription for a diet rich in vitamins to help your face look younger, Updated: 1:02 p.m. CT Jan 5, 2007
Some vitamins in creams and lotions can help improve your complexion, but if you really want to have beautiful skin, start on the inside, says nutritionist Joy Bauer. Although acne and wrinkles have different causes, nutrition can help minimize or prevent both these problems and enhance your skin’s natural beauty. Here's her prescription:
The best defense against the free radical damage of oxidation is a diet rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals (and plenty of water!). Research suggests that certain antioxidants—vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene rich foods)—nourish and protect skin to extend its youthful appearance.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is involved in collagen production and protects cells from free radical damage. Scientific studies found that when lab animals ate vitamin C-fortified food, their skin was better able to fight off oxidative damage. That said, replenish your skin’s vitamin C stores by eating plenty of vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Good sources include peppers (red/green/yellow), oranges, strawberries, lemons, and broccoli.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E helps protect cell membranes and guard against UV radiation damage. Some research suggests that vitamin E may work in combination with vitamin C to provide an extra boost of anti-aging skin protection. However, because recent studies have raised some questions about the safety of vitamin E supplements, these nutrients should come from your diet, not from potent pills. I recommend you stick with food sources like wheat germ, fortified cereals, nuts and seeds (and the small amount found in a multivitamin).
Beta Carotene
Another antioxidant critical for skin health is beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Beta carotene/vitamin A is involved in the growth and repair of body tissues, and may protect against sun damage. In extremely high doses, straight vitamin A from supplements can be toxic, so always avoid. However, ample beta carotene from foods like sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, mangoes and apricots is entirely safe and great for your skin.
Selenium
Selenium helps safeguard the skin from sun damage and delays aging by protecting skin quality and elasticity. Dietary selenium has been shown to reduce sun damage, and even to prevent some skin cancers in animals. Be sure to get your selenium from food, though, and not from supplements. Food sources include: Brazil nuts, tuna (canned light in water), crab, wheat germ
Omega-3 Fats
Healthy fats known as omega-3 fatty acids help maintain cell membranes so that they are effective barriers—allowing water and nutrients in, and keeping toxins out. Omega-3s also seem to be able to protect skin against sun damage. In a study of skin cancer, people who ate diets rich in fish oils and other omega 3 fats had a 29% lower risk of squamous cell cancer than those who got very little omega 3 fats from food. Good food sources include oily fish, sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts
Supplements
To improve skin health, I strongly recommend getting your nutrients from food sources. If you would also like to consider supplements, I recommend:
Multivitamin
Choose a brand that contains 100% DV for vitamins A (optimally 50-100% coming from beta carotene and/or mixed carotenoids), C, and E, and which provides for about 55 micrograms selenium.
Omega-3 Fish Oils
If you find it difficult to get omega-3 fats from food sources, try fish oil supplements. Speak with you doctor about which brand and amount is right for you.
(Find these products on the HealthFitLabs website at www.healthfitlabs.com.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ravenous Recipe (and it's healthy too!)
Joy's Beauty Blend
Joy Bauer, nutritionist
Serves two
A smoothie that provides a great big blast of complexion-friendly nutrients: Vitamins C and E, Beta Carotene, Selenium and Omega 3 fats.
INGREDIENTS
• 2 cold oranges, peeled and cut into sections.
• 1/2 chopped mango, cold
• 1/2 cup sliced frozen (unsweetened) strawberries
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, shredded
• 1/2 cup plain, non-fat yogurt, chilled
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
DIRECTIONS
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
TIPS
Nutrient Analysis (one serving)
Calories: 250
Protein: 9 g
Carbohydrates: 48 g
Total Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 72 mg
Fiber: 9 g
Skin specific nutrients:
Vitamin C: 126 mg (209% DV)
Beta Carotene: 2859 ug
Vitamin E: 3.9 IU (13% DV)
Vitamin A (all from Beta Carotene): 5839 IU (117%DV)
Selenium: 9 ug (14% DV)
+ omega 3 fats
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthy Humor
The Garlic Diet: You don't lose weight, you just look thinner from a distance.
You have to stay in shape. My mother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 now and we have no idea where she is.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ask the Expert
Ever wonder if you are doing damage to your back while shoveling? Here is an article from one of our partners on how-to.
Shoveling Snow Can be a Real Pain in the Back!
by Dr. Daniel Gerwig
Winter is here and with it will be the arrival of snow (we know it will happen). Snow fall can be beautiful to look at when it coats the town, it can be a lot of fun to play in, but it can also be a pain the butt to get rid of. Snow shoveling can be a very physically demanding activity and if we are not properly prepared, it is very easy to injure ourselves. There are a lot of ways to decrease the stress of snow shoveling; such as the new back saver shovels, snow blowers, proper preparation and proper technique. The new shovels that have come out over the past 5 years allow you to shovel without bending over, and promote lifting with your legs instead of your back. Snow blowers allow you to avoid any strenuous lifting at all. If we cannot alter the tools we use to remove the snow, then we must make sure our bodies are ready to handle the stresses of snow shoveling. While we shovel the muscles of our legs, back and shoulders are used, the heart beats faster and you breathe harder. These are all also associated with working out, but we take time to warm up before working out whereas with shoveling we tend not to prepare ourselves. You need to take five minutes before you begin shoveling and stretch the muscles, jog in place a little to get the heart pumping and the lungs working harder. These few minutes of preparation can save you months of lost time due to a back injury. Shoveling technique is also very important. Optimal technique would be pushing the shovel along the ground until you get the end of what you are shoveling and just tilt the shovel up to get the snow off of it. If you do have to lift the shovel off of the ground, lift with your legs and not your back. When you are shoveling if you feel short of breath, faint, your heart begins to race, or if you feel you are about to pull a muscle or throw your back out, stop shoveling for a time and allow your body to recuperate before you get back to the task. If you don’t recover in a reasonable time then you need to contact medical help. Finally, and most importantly, before you begin to shovel you should have your spine assessed by a Chiropractor to locate any possible areas of weakness before they become a problem. You can work with your Chiropractor to maintain optimal motion of the vertebra which will decrease the stress on the muscles and to strengthen the spinal stabilization muscle which can decrease the stress on the joints.
Dr. Daniel J Gerwig DC, a local back pain expert, can provide a complimentary spinal assessment to determine if your back is ready to shovel snow pain-free. Call him at his office, Absolute Healthcare Chiropractic, at (630) 790-1422 and tell him you want to prepare your back for the winter. If you have already injured yourself shoveling, Dr. Gerwig can get you out of pain, quickly, effectively and will teach you how to prevent this problem from happening again.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit HealthFitLabs
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe.