New Supplement for Joint Health Help

I went to a press conference last week that along with some staggering statistics (80% of over 70’s have osteoarthritis) provided a very splendid lunch – just getting my ‘expenses’ up front, unlike our MP’s- and news of a new and unique formulation designed for maintenance of joint health.

Two doctors fronted the information, and although frankly I don’t find the medical profession to be the best informed on supplements, or nutrition, they set the case out fairly clearly. If you can avoid getting old, you can probably avoid osteoarthritis – any takers?

Osteoarthritis is a painful, often crippling, condition and the main news from the press conference was that prevention was a darn sight better than cure which involves either pain ful injections into the joint or replacement surgery.

If you have been relying on chondroitin for your joint health then the other surprising fact to emerge was that current research does not show it to be that effective and Regenovex® contains no glucosamine or chondroitin but depends instead on two natural ingredients – Natural Marine Bionovex Oil and Hyaluronic Acid.

Natural Marine Bionovex® Oil may be more familiar to you as Green Lipped Mussels (GLM) which has been popular for joint health for a number of years as it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3s, and is particularly rich in eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA), an omega-3 unique to GLM. ETA has been scientifically shown to have special properties to help maintain joint health and the Bionovex Oil in Regenovex has a concentration of ETA that is up to 40 times greater than in conventional GLM powders.

Marine lipids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory studies and , of benefit to joint health in various clinical studies. Marine lipids have been shown in studies to inhibit both the cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) inflammatory pathways, which means they support your body’s normal processes to relieve discomfort. Unlike non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs – a common painkiller prescribed for osteoarthritis) marine-derived lipids do not seem to have any of the stomach or digestive problems associated with NSAID’s such as bleeding.

The other key ingredient is hyaluronic acid® (HA) and it works in a different way. It is naturally found in the body in a wide range of tissues, to cushion joints and supplementing fluid within the joint, which helps to stimulating the joints’ own HA production, supporting the strengthening of cartilage structure, and generally maintaining joint health. In people with joint problems, particularly osteoarthritis, as the cartilage becomes more and more damaged both the amount and molecular weight (or structure) of HA in the joint changes. This results in further cartilage damage, increased inflammation and a reduction in the synovial fluid function and Regenovex® helps maintain joint health by providing the joint with the type of HA it needs to supplement the synovial fluid,.

As well as helping maintain the health of joints and the supplement claims to also tackle the two main causes of joint wear and tear:

• Physical Damage
• Internally released harmful chemicals which affect joint comfort, which can happen after physical damage, wear and tear or aging.

Glucosamine and chondroitin can be helpful for joint health but they are only effective with one aspect of joint discomfort. The combination of Bionovex oil and Hyaluronic in Regenovex® help to harness the nutritional benefits of both hyaluronic acid and omega-3 fatty acids to help maintain joint health.

In a recent trial, 74% of users who took the one-a-day capsules who noticed a difference did so within 30 days and further trials and a scientific study are currently being undertaken It comes in three forms: one-a-day capsules, . a gel for targeted application to individual joints and a flexible patch which continues to work for up to 12 hours and is ideal for day and night time use.

CAUTION: because it contains marine oil it should not be used by anyone who has an allergy to shellfish.

Fit Flops Sneak Into Winter

You may have noticed, as I did over the summer, an increasing number of women striding out in flip flops – except they weren’t. Unlike conventional flips there is a new development called a Fit Flop which has been biomechanically engineered to help tone and tighten your leg muscles while you walk.
Also, more importantly to me, they absorb more shock than a normal shoe so you feel less ache in your hips and knees, help realign ground force reaction closer to your joints and reduce foot pressure.

Studies at the Centre for Human Performance at London South Bank University showed that normal walking in FitFlop sandal can help with all those which is presumably why they were such a big hit over the summer, but striding out in bare feet in winter just doesn’t do it.

With this in mind the company has developed a range of boots and a sneaker called the FF Supertone™ described as a muscle-toning, energizing and shock-absorbing. This apparently took a year in engineering to develop with something they rather endearingly call Microwobbleboard™ technology so you get all the benefits of the FitFlop with the all-weather wearability of a classically-shaped leather sneaker.
It looks smart enough that no one knows you are getting a workout, but the idea of incorporating the word wobble into something to tone you up doesn’t strike me as immediately reassuring but presumably they know what they are doing.

Given the approval of by the American Podiatric Medical Association, the Microwobbleboard™ technology was independently tested at Salford University in Manchester and now you can stride out in all weathers and get the full benefit.

If you can’t find FitFlops near you, then visit their website at www.fitflop.com

Cruise Ships – Pop Tarts – and a survival kit

Honestly, you couldn’t make this stuff up but apparently recently 3,000 passengers were stranded on the Carnival Cruise Liner Splendor. They had to be towed due to engine room fire that knocked out all electrics – and therefore refrigeration – so the US navy airlifted in emergency food supplies. Great, you would think except what they got were pop tarts, spam and croissants to keep them from starving and that’s not the most balanced diet I could think of. The good news I suppose is that pop tarts have a shelf life of around 50 years apparently so they could always save them for next time if they didn’t eat them all.

It set me thinking that anyone on holiday could do with taking some basic equipment and precautions in case of emergency. I hope it never happens to you, but you might want to think about packing a sachet or two of superfood powders, some natural food energy bars and always have a large bottle or two of water to hand. Personally I also carry a torch, in case the electrics go out and a natural medicine kit containing calendula cream for cuts and bruises, arnica for emotional stress and Rescue Remedy for just about everything else.

It doesn’t take up much room and it makes any problems, or even airport delays, much more manageable.

Menopause Misery? Have a nice cup of tea

I know it is the general British solution for all problems but it seems that there is a specific blend that may help reduce the physical effects of the menopause.

Before you reach for the box of your favourite supermarket premium blend, let me tell you that this tea is rather special. It is an organically steamed blend of Sencha, Wuyi Cliff Oolong and Puerh black and green teas and even just being able to pronounce those will make you feel immediately better.

Women have been drinking it to help improve menopause symptoms and this specific blend, known as Tava Tea, also claims to promote well-being and soothe aches and pains.  The tea’s all natural ingredients increase the metabolism and reduce food cravings to fight weight gain, something which is common during times of heightened hormonal activity.

Regular users claim it does help them lose weight, decrease their hot flushes and give a greater sense of well-being. Dr Tim Thurlings, who developed the tea’s unique blend, says that by simply drinking a few cups of the tea a day users can expect to lose between 2-4lbs week. Sounds a little unlikely to me unless it’s also balanced with a sensible diet but he also claims that the tea helps reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of developing some forms of lung cancer so you’re getting overall health benefits as well as a nice refreshing cuppa! As it also contains polyphenols it theoretically could help fight the aging process too but I wouldn’t want to guarantee that the.

It is certainly a great deal more expensive than any ordinary tea, but as one teabag makes up to 8 pots (full instructions with each box) and you get all those health benefits it may well be worth it. I know many women who can’t put a price on being able to reduce their hot flushes so if this interests you it can only be bought online so visit www.tavavtea.co.uk

Coconuts – the source of the new low GI sweetener and more

As an all round health food coconuts are hard to beat – you try knocking them off their perch at the fair! We use their milk, oil and flesh in cooking and the milk straight from the shell is a refreshing health drink. A rich source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals it is classified as a “functional food” because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content.

Now coconut sugar is emerging as an environmental and nutritional champion of low glycaemic sweeteners. This is promising news for those concerned with health issues such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and gallstones.

Low glycaemic foods are important to overall health since they do not create rapid spikes in blood glucose levels. Increased blood glucose triggers the pancreas to increase insulin and when this becomes excessive then you have the groundwork for diabetes, hypoglycaemia, and insulin resistance.

The benefit of low gycaemic foods is that they keep blood glucose levels more even, whereas when a high glycemic food is consumed, excess insulin is secreted and blood glucose levels drop lower over the next few hours. This is one of the reasons that eating high glycaemic foods contributes to weight gain and obesity as you get hungrier faster than someone which encourages over eating and snacking.

High glycaemic intake has also been linked with increased serum levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation that is an accurate predictor of heart disease as well as increased risk for breast cancer, colorectal cancer and gallbladder disease.

Coconut sugar is high in potassium, magnesium, iron, boron, zinc, sulphur, and copper and it also plays an important part in natural healing and has been used to treat a wide variety of health problems including abscesses, asthma, , bronchitis, bruises, burns, colds, constipation, cough, , dysentery, earache, fever, flu, gingivitis, kidney stones, nausea, rash, skin infections, sore throat, tuberculosis, ulcers, upset stomach, weakness, and wounds.

Nor is its use confined to traditional healing, modern medical science is never slow to latch on to a good thing and they now there are now published studies in medical journals showing the benefits of coconuts for a wide range of conditions. These include killing the viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses and the bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and other diseases as well as killing the fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.

I hope that shows you the health value of the humble coconut, and for anyone still using artificial sweeteners – really, haven’t you been reading my articles at all – then this might be the time – please – to give up them up for the natural, nutritious sweetener that coconut sugar provides.

No Time For Breakfast – Power Up!

It is probably tedious by now for my regular readers to hear yet again of my quest for the perfect breakfast, both nutritionally and in time and effort. However I now have found a pretty good combo that I think could work through my combination of two new healthy products. One of them amazingly has been developed by professional wrestler — that’s not something you see in the health world everyday.

Seed Stacked are one of those advertising miracles where the name tells you exactly what it is — a flapjack bar full of seeds. Chris Thompson had no plans to develop a healthy, natural snack bar when he was travelling the world as a professional wrestler but a shock diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease, changed all that. That led him to discover the power of seeds as his research showed him how many nutrients were packed into seeds, and the fact that they are truly superfoods.

He started to develop the Seed Stacked flapjack and entered a ‘Dragons Den’ style competition with Peter Jones on the panel and won! Chris sourced a factory and the 100% natural bars went into production with three varieties including yoghurt and carob topped.

Naturally he is delighted with the success of his idea, but probably even more grateful that he is Crohn’s Disease is in remission and he is happy, healthy and back in training for the wrestling ring.

We know seeds are essential for our health and generally speaking we do not eat enough of them. Anyone can benefit from them but they will be of particular interest to women going through menopause as the particular combination of Pumpkin, Sunflower, Sesame and Linseeds, oats and honey provide naturally occurring plant estrogens (phytoestrogens). These can help to balance hormones and the sunflower seeds in particular are high in vitamin E which has shown to help reduce the dreaded hot flushes.

And To Wash It Down?
If there is a drawback to the seed bars, and they are certainly delicious, it is that you do need something to wash them down with. Breakfast drinks are usually coffee or tea but a much healthier option would be a glass of tart cherry juice.

Cherrygood juice contains US grown Montmorency cherries which have the highest antioxidant level of any fruit with a whopping 17 different antioxidant compounds in them. It’s also giving you the equivalent health benefits of around 20 portions of fruit and vegetables in a carton. Think of all that peeling and chopping you could save!

Don’t be deluded by the fact it is called tart cherry juice; it is certainly not sweet, but nor is it sharp but actually has a very nice refreshing taste. It’s certainly packs in the benefits as a glass contains more antioxidants than five portions of banana, tomatoes, watermelon, peas and carrots. Antioxidants are vital to helping the body to fight free radicals and cherries contain 19 times more beta-carotene than blueberries or strawberries along with Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron and folate.

If you do have trouble sleeping, then you might want to take your glass of the juice at night as tart cherries are one of the very few known food sources of melatonin, which is crucial to the maintenance of regular sleep patterns.

So if, like me, you are looking for a healthy and fast way to start the day then this is a good combination to try out. If you have any difficulty locating them in your supermarket or health store then go to their respective websites at www.seedstacked.com and www.cherrygood.com

Maintaining joint health without glucosamine or chondroitin supplements

If you are suffering from less than perfect joints then there is a new supplement — Regenovex ® – that could help with its unique combination of two natural ingredients.

If you are over 40, or take part in active sports, then you are probably aware that there are two main causes of joint wear and tear: physical damage and internally released harmful chemicals that occur after any physical damage, wear and tear or aging.

Other joint care products and ingredients, for example Glucosamine and chondroitin, tend to tackle only one aspect of joint discomfort, but Regenovex has a unique formulation designed for maintenance of joint health. It is based on two natural ingredients: Natural Marine Bionovex Oil and Hyaluronic Acid rather than the more traditional supplements.

Natural Marine Bionovex® Oil is a pure marine lipid oil derived from New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels (GLM) which are certainly nothing new on the health scene. Many people were introduced to them for help with arthritis for example, but Regenovex contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3s, and is particularly rich in eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA), an omega-3 unique to green lipped mussels. ETA has been scientifically shown to have special properties to help maintain joint health and this Bionovex Oil has a concentration of ETA is up to 40 times greater than in conventional green lipped mussel powders.

Marine lipids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory studies, which is why they first came to the attention of arthritis sufferers, while in various clinical studies, marine lipids have been of benefit to joint health. Marine lipids inhibit both the cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) inflammatory pathways, and hence have the ability to support the body’s normal processes to alleviate discomfort.

Unlike some conventional drugs, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), marine-derived lipids have not been associated with the most common side effect of such drugs such as stomach problems or even bleeding.

The second component, Hyaluronic acid® (HA), works in a different way. It is naturally found in the body in a wide range of tissues, including the joint cartilage, and it is a major component of synovial fluid. In the joint, it helps provide lubrication and cushioning as it supplements fluid within the joint, helping to stimulating the joints’ own HA production, supporting the strengthening of cartilage structure, and generally maintaining joint health.

At low levels of impact such as standing and walking, HA’s properties are primarily lubricating but if you are going in for high levels of impact such as running and jumping (lucky you) then HA’s main function is to cushion the joint.

If you have joint problems, particularly osteoarthritis, then you will know that as the cartilage becomes more and more damaged both the amount and structure of HA in the joint changes. This results in further cartilage damage, increased inflammation and a reduction in the synovial fluid function, all of which are bad news for joint health.
As you get older, and certainly if you engage in active sports, it makes sense to be proactive about taking care of your joints. Regenovex is widely available as capsules, instant relief gel, and a patch and a user trial found that it was highly effective, with 74% per cent of people who took the one-a-day capsules noticing a difference within 30 days.

Krill – a better form of Omega 3?

The health benefits of Omega 3 are well known for helping with cardiovascular and cholesterol support as well as anti-inflammatory properties which may help arthritis and joint pain and is linked to improvements in memory and brain function.

If you already are a convert then you certainly have a huge variety of supplements to choose from and here is a new one from Silvertown Health and their source is pure Antarctic Krill.

The Krill population of the world has been estimated as outweighing the human population of the world which certainly came as a surprise to me, as the only thing I really know about krill is that it is a favourite food of whales. This particular variety of small crustaceans is found in the Antarctic peninsula and apparently, their Omega-3 oils are in a phospholipid form which is suggested as far more beneficial and potent than the triglyceride structure found in normal fish oil supplements.

Krill oil, unlike fish oil, also contains Astaxanthin, one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man (or indeed woman) and said to be 300 times more powerful than the antioxidant vitamins A & E and 34 times more powerful than Co Q10.
Antioxidants are vital in supporting the immune system and reducing DNA damaging free radicals.

It seems that Silvertown Health Krill Oil is harvested ethically by a leading European krill oil harvester (though I would have thought that the whales had first claim on that as it is one of their most essential forms of food) and has Novel Food Approved status-whatever that may be. I would have thought anything that was essential to health was hardly novel, but perhaps the krill are great readers.  However, as they are monitored by the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Marine Stewardship Council to ensure strict environmental standards that probably balances itself out.

If you want to try Krill oil you should be able to find it in most good health stores and you only need one 500mg capsule a day to feel the effects. If you want to go the ethical route as well – buy it online from Silvertown here: Krill Oil

How to improve the appearance of scars

When I suffered a car crash in the 1980s I was left with a prominent and rather unattractive scar on my arm, due to it being stitched in A&E by a nurse who had worked rather too long hours and seeing I suspect too many car accidents. What I wish had been available in time is a new product that came across my desk this week to help prevent, improve and reduce scarring.

Lily-C™ Silicone Scar Therapy wrap moulds to the natural curves of the body, helping to reduce redness and relieve the itching and discomfort associated with wounds. Used properly the manufacturers claim that it will soften, flatten and dramatically improve the appearance of your scar. Scarring can occur from many causes; whether they are post operative, accidental or a sports injury but they can all cause not just physical but emotional suffering as well.

Anything that can reduce that impact has got to be worth looking at and silicone scar therapy is clinically proven in the prevention, improvement and reduction of scarring. The silicone provides a protective barrier which occludes and hydrates skin helping to encourage its natural healing properties.

This product was originally designed for women who had had a Caesarean, but it was then realised that it could be used on all scars. It consists of a skin like layer of silicone measuring 5cms x 22cms and has an adhesive free lining allowing it to gently adhere to the skin without the use of irritating adhesives or additional taping. One additional benefit is that it also comes with a special LilyWash™ that is designed to gently cleanse Lily-C™ and renew the tacky lining allowing it to be used over and over again.

LilyPadz Lily-C Silicone Scar Therapy has a RRP of £34.99 and is available from Boots. If you have any difficulty, please visit the website at www.simplylily.co.uk or you can telephone the company on 01753 202330.

Why Black Rice is not just a gourmet fad but has health benefits too

You may have noticed when strolling down the aisles of your supermarket that in the “exotic foods” section that among the ordinary everyday types of rice — of which there are already quite a few — you may have noticed something called Black Rice. What you may not know is just how special it is and what a treasure house of nutrients it contains.

In ancient China, nobles commandeered every grain of a variety of black rice known as “Forbidden Rice” for themselves and – as is the way with rulers all over the world — issued an order forbidding the common people from eating it. Well now you can take your revenge and raid the supermarket shelves to treat yourself because new scientific research has discovered that a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, plus the rice bran has less sugar, more fibre and an abundance of vitamin E.

In case you think this is a propaganda press release on behalf of the Chinese Department of Agriculture let me assure you this comes from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, USA. Many fruits are known to be rich sources of anthocyanin antioxidants and these phytochemicals show promise for fighting heart disease, cancer, and other diseases but this is the first time that black rice has been shown to have the same properties. . As part of a healthy diet many people have switched to brown rice — which is certainly an improvement on white rice — but it seems that black rice could be even more beneficial.

Brown rice is the most widely produced variety of rice in the world and has a brown colour because only the outer husks, or “chaff”, are taken off the rice grains during milling. When rice is processed more, and the underlying nutrient-dense bran is removed, the result is white rice. If you eat brown, not white, rice you are making a far healthier choice as the bran contains higher levels of gamma-tocotrienol, one of the vitamin E compounds, and gamma-oryzanol antioxidants, which are lipid-soluble antioxidants.

A large body of research has concluded these antioxidants can reduce blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol) and potentially lower the risk for heart disease. Indeed scientists at Temple University, Philadelphia have found that a specific natural compound in brown rice can reduce high blood pressure and protect blood vessels and Harvard University research suggests that eating brown rice may prevent type 2 diabetes.

An interesting side effect of their research was the discovery that pigments in black rice bran extracts can produce a variety of different colours, ranging from pink to black. Looking ahead, they think this may provide a healthy, natural alternative to the artificial colourings often added to some food and drink. This could certainly be beneficial as several studies have found an association between such colourings and cancer, behavioural problems in children, and other health concerns.

The Louisiana State researchers focused on testing black rice bran as this has the most potent effects, but I do not believe this to be commercially available anywhere. At least I have not been able to find it, if you do please let me know, so in the meantime it would still make sense to add black rice to your diet.

Black Rice has been promoted as a gourmet treat — which at its retail price it certainly is — and is more commonly used as decoration or for visual effect or mixed with either white or brown rice. However to get the maximum health benefits it would certainly pay you to add a tablespoon of black rice whenever you’re cooking any kind of rice.

« Previous Page — Next Page »