Thursday, April 03, 2008
Newsletter Archive
HFL May 2007
Here is the latest HFL news:
New Product Launches
We have added two new product lines to our site: nuun and Enzymatic Therapy. We are very excited to launch these lines as they add to the product offerings for our customers.
nuun is a portable hydration tab that allows outdoor enthusiasts to easily and conveniently manage hydration, whenever and wherever your need it. nuun is light and refreshing, sugar-free, and non-sticky (so it's great in hydration packs). nuun is just electrolytes -- it is not a source of sugar or carbs, so it allows adventurers to independently manage their energy needs. nuun solves hydration so you can enjoy the day. nuun comes in a portable, lightweight, water-resistant tube, and contains 12 tabs (1 tab makes a 16 oz. beverage). nuun comes in three flavors: lemon+lime, citrus fruit, and tri-berry. All of us at HFL has tried nuun and we love it!
Enzymatic Therapy, Inc. is known as the highest quality provider of therapeutic dosage natural medicines and nutritional supplements in the nation. They strive to bring the best for your health. The Enzy team is made of people who are natural explorers -- passionate about the healthful ingredients found in nature -- but committed to finding the most pure and effective combinations backed by rigorous research. This buzz doesn't just end at the lab door. Everyone at Enzy -- from their staff of scientists to crews running the pharmaceutical-grade machinery, to our customer service professionals share the exuberance of helping improve the health of America, one customer at a time. HFL is currently carrying the top 25 Enzy products, but if you have a favorite Enzy product that we do not feature, please let us know and we will add it.
Promotions
Customers that shop at HealthFitLabs.com for the first time get a 20% one-time discount! Just enter FIRST as the coupon code at checkout to redeem your coupon.
Returning Customers get 10% off their reorders. Any returning customer can use this 10% discount every time they shop on our site. Enter REORDER to redeem this coupon at checkout every time you shop at HealthFitLabs.com.
Free shipping on orders over $75. No coupon needed, just fill up those shopping carts. Order larger sizes to gain an even larger savings.
Our Mission: At HealthFitLabs we sell only the highest-quality natural vitamins and nutritional supplements, as well as bath and personal care products. We're passionate about customer service and dedicated to helping our customers and affiliates meet their personal health goals.
As always, please forward this on to your friends and family (they can subscribe at the bottom of the newsletter and get a $5 coupon for a future purchase!). Thank you for your support!
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Hot Headlines: Memory-Boosting Munchies
by Joy Bauer MS, RD, CDN
Forgetful? Eat memory-boosting foods
Some fruits, vegetables, grains, and fish can improve your brain's health
Every cell in your body needs a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to stay alive and work properly, including brain cells. Because oxygen and nutrients are carried in the blood stream, anything that impedes blood flow will starve those all-important brain cells. The plain truth is that a healthy heart makes for a healthy brain.
When clients ask me about optimal brain health and memory, the first thing I do is review their blood pressure and cholesterol level. I urge you to do the same: Know your numbers and if they're elevated, take immediate measures to bring them down (eat healthy, exercise regularly, and when your doctor recommends medication -- take it).
Here are some steps you can take to help optimize brain health and sharpen your memory.
Keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check. A healthy heart makes for a healthy brain.
Get enough sleep. Research shows that sleep deprivation can interfere with memory.
Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease by about half. Half! Aim for 30 minutes a day.
Challenge your brain. Keep your mind active and challenged.
Don't smoke. Just as smoking increases risk of heart disease, it can also decrease blood flow to the brain and cause serious damage.
Give yourself a break. Seek out ways to de-stress your life.
Any specific memory boosting foods?
Yes. Studies that focus on food and memory suggest that the more overall produce you eat, the better. One 25-year Harvard Medical School study of more than 13,000 women showed that the participants who ate relatively high amounts of vegetables over the years had less age-related decline in memory. Cruciferous vegetables and leafy green vegetables had the biggest effect on helping women retain their memory during the course of the study. In another study, the phytochemicals, anthocyanin and quercetin, actually reversed some of the age-related memory deficits in laboratory animals.
Some of the best cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and bok choy.
Some of the best leafy green vegetables: spinach, collard and mustard greens, kale and Swiss chard.
Some of the best foods for anthocyanin: Berries (all varieties), cherries, black currents, eggplant, red, black, and purple grapes, plums, rhubarb, red onion, red apples, red/purple cabbage, and red beets.
Some of the best foods for quercetin: Onions (red, yellow, white), kale, leeks, cherry tomato, broccoli, blueberries, black currants, elderberries, apricots, apple with skin (Red Delicious), and red, purple, and black grapes.
Folic acid can also help your memory
Folic acid (also known as folate) seems to have a direct effect on memory. A study conducted at Tufts University in Boston followed about 320 men for three years. Those who had high blood levels of homocysteine showed memory decline, but if the men ate foods rich in folic acid (folic acid directly lowers homocysteine levels), their memories were protected. Also, an Australian study found that eating plenty of foods rich in folic acid was associated with faster information processing and memory recall. After just five weeks of introducing adequate folic acid into their diets, women in the study showed overall improvements in memory. Some of the best foods for folic acid include fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, lentils, black-eyed peas, soybeans, spinach, green peas, artichokes, broccoli, wheat germ, beets and oranges.
Eating fish seems to help too!
A study conducted by researchers at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago followed more than 3,000 men and women for six years to see how diet affected memory. People who ate fish at least once a week had a 10 percent slower decline compared with those who did not eat fish, a difference that gave them the memory and thinking ability of a person three years younger.
*Visit our Mental Sharpness catalog section in our Shop by Condition tab for more memory improving products.*
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Sweet Summer Recipes for Vegans and Veggies
by Sam Cook
Summer is approaching, and with summer comes warm weather and outdoor cooking. Yet enjoying a barbecue can often be difficult for vegans and vegetarians. Want to know what to cook to have a great dinner? Just follow the recipes provided below, and don't forget to bring the sunscreen.
Minty Mojitos
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
2 ounces of lime juice
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint (for decoration)
2 ounces white Rum
2 ounces club soda
Crushed ice
Mojitos are a traditional Cuban cocktail, and they became popular in the United States because of how well they relieve the heat. The delightful playfulness of the mint over the flavors of rum and lime make this drink worth serving at all your summer events, even if, like me, you're from a city as temperate as Seattle.
Add the mint leaves, the lime juice and the powdered sugar all to a tall Collins glass, and mash them together with a muddler (or the back of a spoon). Pour in the crushed ice, rum, and club soda, and stir gently. Garnish with a spring of mint.
Black-Bean Burgers
2 cans cooked black beans, rinsed & drained
2 Tbsp. margarine
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. chopped shallots
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. Creole seasoning
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Black bean burgers are one of my favorite foods to make that pleases the vegan, vegetarian and the omnivores at any gathering. Although the preparation time can be a bit restrictive, the end result is most definitely worth it. Another great benefit about these burgers is how healthy they are: no cholesterol, barely any fat, and high in protein, fiber, and most importantly, flavor.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the beans on paper towels to soak up the excess moisture. Bake the beans on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Let cool. In a food processor, combine the beans, margarine, cilantro, shallots, garlic, Creole seasoning, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Form the bean mixture into patties. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the cakes until browned and crispy, then flip and cook on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve with the Lime-Peppered Mayo (see below), either with a fork or on some buns, along with freshly sliced tomato, lettuce, and red onion. Makes four servings.
Lime-Peppered Mayo
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix the vegan mayonnaise, the lime juice, and the jalapeño in a bowl. Season with the salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Vegan Cookies
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups oatmeal
2 cups flour
1 tsp. lemon essence oil
Skin of one lemon
1 cups white sugar
1 1/2 banana
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup margarine
You can easily change ingredients in order to make this recipe yours: for example, if you are more of a chocolate person, add some cocoa or chocolate syrup and chocolate chips instead of the cranberries and lemon, and you'll have delicious chocolate oatmeal cookies. Want to make even healthier cookies? Switch out margarine for applesauce. Vegan cookies are also wonderful because you can eat the batter at any point in making the cookies without worrying about salmonella.
Preheat oven to 350. Mix the baking soda, oatmeal, and flour in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, add the sugar, banana, margarine, and lemon essence oil. Grate the lemon peel and add as much of the skin as you'd like. Mix well.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, being careful that everything is well mixed. Add in dried cranberries and mix again.
Make cookies into small sized balls and arrange on a cookie tray.Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops turn a golden brown. Makes two dozen cookies.
*Find other tasty recipes in our Healthy Library*
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Healthy Humor
Steven Wright on Dogs
The other day, I was walking my dog around my building...on the ledge. Some people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.
I had a dog once. I spilled spot remover on him, and now he's gone.
I put contact lenses in my dog's eyes. They had little pictures of cats on them. Then I took one out and he ran around in circles.
I bought a dog the other day... I named him Stay. It's fun to call him... "Come here, Stay! Come here, Stay!" He went insane. Now he just ignores me and keeps typing. He's an East German Shepherd.
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Ask the Expert: Summer Wind
by Dr. Daniel Gerwig
The warm weather that comes with spring and summer makes everyone want to be out and active all day. The problem is that living in Chicago creates a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde effect with people from the winter to the summer. During the eight months of winter we experience, our bodies get used to a sedentary lifestyle, the muscles shorten and weaken, the ligaments tighten, the joints become fixated, and your body becomes de-conditioned. Then summer comes, and we try to do the same things we have done last summer, but our body is not in the same shape. The best ways to avoid this are to adapt a regular workout routine that mimics the activities you want to do. Other than that, regular Chiropractic adjustments maintain the range of motion of your joints and the length of your muscles. Call us as Absolute Healthcare Chiropractic at (630) 790-1422 and come in to the office for a summer tune up and get your body ready to enjoy the activities of summer!