Thursday, April 03, 2008
Newsletter Archive
HFL August 2007
Here is the latest HFL news:
New Product Launches
We have added a new product line, Samantharoma, to our site! Samantharoma adds to our bath and personal care line, and makes environmentally friendly household cleaners, as well as essential oil diffusers for your home and car! Visit their line now!
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.
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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Natural Heartburn Prevention
by Brenda Watson
Research from the National Heartburn Alliance shows that roughly 25 million adults experience heartburn on a daily basis. Heartburn is essentially reflux esophagitis, a condition wherein gastric juices back up into the esophagus and create a burning sensation that eventually radiates upward. It is usually part of a larger symptom complex known as dyspepsia or indigestion, and the medical term for chronic or frequent heartburn is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Reflux occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the muscle that connects the esophagus to the upper portion of the stomach, malfunctions, allowing the contents of the stomach to flow backward into the esophagus. Normally, the LES opens to allow food from the esophagus into the stomach. It then closes immediately to prevent that food and digestive secretions from the stomach from entering the esophagus. In GERD, the LES malfunctions, staying open after food has entered the stomach.
A malfunctioning LES can be caused by a variety of dietary factors, including overeating, eating too quickly, eating spicy foods, eating fatty and fried foods, drinking caffeinated beverages, insufficient water intake, and not taking the time to adequately chew food. It may also be caused by stress, alcohol consumption, smoking, and certain medications that relax the muscles, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
When heartburn does occur, the following tips may provide natural relief in lieu of the antacids and prescription medications recommended by many of today's physicians:
* Drink a glass of room-temperature water.
* Drink a glass of tea made from ginger or slippery elm.
* Chew deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), an extract of the root of true licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra).
* Incorporate a probiotic formula into your daily diet. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that live in the digestive tract and help digest proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
* Drink aloe vera juice or syrup (about 5 ounces) between meals daily. Aloe vera has been used traditionally to soothe the esophagus.
For natural heartburn prevention, the following recommendations may prove helpful:
* Eat small meals frequently throughout the day.
* Chew your food thoroughly.
* Take your time while eating. This will prevent the stomach from becoming distended and allowing food to push against the top of the stomach where it can force open the LES.
* Do not drink cold liquids with meals, and drink no more than a half glass of room-temperature water with meals.
* Adding a hydrochloric acid (HCl) supplement to your diet supports healthy digestion by ensuring that the stomach has enough HCl to begin the breakdown of foods.
* Follow a good digestive care diet that focuses on proper food combining, as well as what foods to avoid and what to consume in moderation.
*Find the above products on our site! www.healthfitlabs.com*
About the Author
Digestive healthcare expert and naturopathic doctor Brenda Watson has been helping people restore and maintain their digestive health for more than 25 years.
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Jamaican Jerk Turkey Burgers & Tropical Fruit Salsa
1/2 cup papaya(s), diced
1 cup mango(es), diced
3/4 cup red onion(s), finely chopped, divided
1/2 cup green pepper(s), finely chopped, divided
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup uncooked quick oats
1/3 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp jerk seasoning, Jamaican-variety
1 large egg(s)
1 pound uncooked ground turkey breast
To prepare salsa, in a medium bowl, combine papaya, mango, 1/4 cup each of red onion and green pepper, cilantro and lime juice; set aside.
To prepare burgers, in a large bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of red onion, remaining 1/4 cup of green pepper, oats, ketchup, jerk seasoning and egg; mix until well combined. Add turkey; mix thoroughly. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions and shape each portion into a 1-inch-thick patty; cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes.
Preheat broiler. Broil burgers until cooked through, flipping once, about 20 to 25 minutes total. Serve each burger topped with about a heaping 1/3 cup of salsa.
*Find other tasty recipes in our Healthy Library*
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Healthy Humor
A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.
- Spanish Proverb
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"Back" to School
by Dr. Daniel Gerwig
August is here and with it comes the winding down of summer and the eventual march to the beginning of the school year. As we approach the start of a new school year there are a number of things to think about that can help your kids' spinal health. Being a student these days means having to carry around a pretty heavy workload (backpacks), and if they are worn incorrectly they can lead to problems. A few quick guidelines to follow: 1) never have a student carry more than 10% of their body weight in their backpack, 2) use backpacks with two straps and use those straps, 3) pack heavier items as close to the back as possible, and 4) have the backpack sit on the middle of their back just above the belt line. These are just a few pointers for a healthy spine. If your child has back problems, have them examined by a doctor to give more detailed guidelines. The other major considerations for kids going back to school are the athletic activities they will be uresuming. Whether your child is in an after-school sport, intramural athletics or taking gym classes, their body will be doing things that they haven't done in quite awhile. Proper preparation, whether it's physical or mental, can help to prevent injuries and increase your child's enjoyment of the sport.
Dr. Daniel Gerwig is a sports injury expert and can answer any questions at his office, call him at (630) 790-1422 today.