Magnesium

Why You Need Magnesium

Magnesium is one of your body’s most important minerals.

If plays a vital role in helping your body to:

• Produce energy
• Maintain healthy cellular function.
• Metabolise protein, carbohydrate and fat (in other words how your body uses food).
• Regulate calcium metabolism, helping you to keep your bones strong.
• Keep your blood pressure low and improve blood flow.  Magnesium deficiency has been associated with potentially fatal complications such as heart arrhythmias, angina and even sudden death from myocardial infarction.

MAGNESIUM STORES NOT READILY AVAILABLE

Magnesium is so important that your cells have special membrane pumps to keep it inside them.  So around 99% of your magnesium is locked up inside your cells.  Effectively this means your day to day supply of magnesium is dependent on your diet and/or daily supplementation.

MOST DIETS ARE DEFICIENT IN MAGNESIUM

The bad news is that while magnesium is found in a wide range of foods, especially green vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes and chocolate an adequate supply of magnesium is difficult to achieve, particularly in view of the increased demand for it associated with many common diets and lifestyles.

In fact, a CSIRO study of Australian adults found that the daily intake of magnesium was below the Recommended Daily intake (RDI) for 50% of all males tested and 39% of all females.

In the United States, deficiencies appear to be even more common, with approximately 80-85% of adult females and 50-65% of all adult males with magnesium intakes below the USA recommended levels.

ALCOHOL DEPLETES MAGNESIUM

In terms of lifestyle effects, alcohol consumption dramatically reduces magnesium levels, increasing the excretion of magnesium through your urine.  The resultant loss of magnesium contributes to many of the problems associated with chronic alcoholism.

WHAT’S THE BEST FORM OF MAGNESIUM?

• Being such a widespread and useful mineral there are many forms of magnesium, but all types fall into two basic classes:

• Poorly absorbed inorganic or organic magnesium salts; and
• Better absorbed organic magnesium chelates.

MAGNESIUM SALTS

Magnesium salts, whether organic or inorganic, are a very common form of magnesium.  Often found in sports drinks, magnesium salts tend to break-up (dissociate) in your digestive system to release free magnesium.

Strangely enough this is not actually what you want because having a lot of magnesium floating around in your digestive system can cause diarrhoea, which anyone who has taken a large dose of magnesium oxide will be able to tell you is not nice.

CHELATED MAGNESIUM

Chelated magnesium, on the other hand, does not dissociate and so does not cause diarrhoea.  This is because the chelation process (the word comes from the Latin for ‘claw’) locks the magnesium into the molecular structured of an amino acid.  The smallest amino acid, and therefore the best absorbed, is glycine, so it follows that the most digestive system-friendly and absorbable form of magnesium is magnesium diglycinate.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENT FOR YOU

Your healthcare practitioner Tracey Lee Morley is the best one to advise you about the right magnesium supplement for you, but here’s a few things to think about.

If you are basically well, but need to keep your energy levels up to get you through your busy day, a simple maintenance formula is sufficient.

For relief of muscular aches and pains, a mixture of magnesium, calcium and relaxing herbs would be ideal.

If you need support for athletic performance and recovery, your practitioner Tracey Lee Morley may recommend a physiologically balanced, magnesium-rich electrolyte formula combined with carbohydrates for energy.

For improving depleted energy production due to problems with sugar metabolism (hypoglycaemia, and pre-diabetic conditions characterised by insulin resistance, fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue), a more comprehensive formula featuring chromium, selenium and taurine might be necessary.

EVERYONE NEEDS IT – SOME MORE THAN OTHERS

The list of conditions that can benefit from magnesium supplementation is enormous and includes:

• Tiredness, lethargy and fatigue (not having enough energy to ‘get through the day’).

• Fibromyalgia

• Chronic fatigue syndrome

• Eating high levels of fat, sugar and salt (the typical ‘Western’ diet).

• Nerve and muscle conditions:

o        Muscle cramping and spasms

o        Poor athletic performance

o        Tension headaches and migraines

• Stress, anxiety, panic disorders, dementia and epilepsy

• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), infertility, pregnancy, pre-eclampsia and osteoporosis

• Heart and blood vessel disorders.

• Prolonged diarrhoea

Multivitamins

Why You Need a Multivitamin

Simply put, along with exercise, taking a comprehensive “multi” is arguably the single best and easiest decision you can take to improve your health and wellbeing.  Inadequate vitamin intake has been associated with fatigue, poor immune resistance and difficulty coping with stress.

Despite, or perhaps because of all our modern advances in agriculture and food processing, vitamin and mineral intakes in ‘Western’ diets are often less than ideal.  Compounding this, our modern, stressful lifestyle increases our requirement for certain nutrients.

Supplementing with vitamins and minerals has been associated with improved health and reduced risk of chronic disease.  A recent Harvard university study recommended the daily use of multivitamin and mineral supplements for all adults and this practice is also supported by a large body of scientific research.

THREE STEPS TO CHOOSING A GOOD MULTI

With so man different brands of multivitamins available, how do you choose a good one?

1 Price is a fair guide.

As with most things you tend to get what you pay for.  A good quality Multivitamin does not have to be expensive but many cheap products contain lower doses and cheaper forms of important ingredients.

2 Is the formula physiologically balanced?

Look at the formula.  If it’s simply a collection of ingredients at amounts like 50 and 100mg, it’s not physiologically “ratio-balanced”, and there will be a degree of waste.

A good formula is recognisably by the specific varied amounts of constituents, which are tailored to work together to produce optimal results.

3 Are the ingredients biologically active?

Take a look at the ingredients themselves.  You need to ensure you are buying physiologically active and absorbable forms of nutrients (i.e. ingredients your body can actually use).  You should avoid multivitamins that use inorganic mineral salts such as oxides, chlorides and sulphates, which tend to compete for absorption in the digestive system and may produce undesirable side-effects.  Iron sulphate can cause constipation and calcium carbonate may neutralise stomach acid and reduce digestive capacity.

For improved absorption, organic salts such as citrates and gluconates are preferable and amino acid chelates (eg digycinates) are best.  Chelates are absorbed by a different mechanism and are not subject to competitive uptake from other substances in the diet.

Better formulae will also supply more advanced ingredients.  Things to look for include:

• Rather than simple (and often synthetic) vitamin A (retinol ) and vitamin E (usually d-alpha-tocopherol), more advanced products will use more natural and broader-acting ingredients such as a mixed carotenoid complex and mixed tocopherols.

• Active forms of vitamins such as pyridoxal-5 phosphate (active B6)

• Lipotropic nutrients like choline and inositiol.

• Herbally-derived glycol- and phytonutrients to give a broader range of support and help maintain a normal healthy immune system.

TO B OR NOT TO B

There are certain situations when you will need to select a supplement which specifically provides high levels of the B-complex vitamins.  This particular group of vitamins is important when you are under stress, either physically or mentally and when you feel the need for more energy to help you cope.  A B-complex can be safely taken with a multi during times of greater need.  If you are on a budget and have a reasonably good diet and lifestyle, than a good B-complex may be your best choice of supplement.

TAKING MULTIVITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS HAS BEEN SHOWN TO:

• Reduce heart disease risk

• Elevated homocysteine (a harmful chemical in the blood) is a strong independent risk factor for coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death and disability in Australia.  A daily multivitamin containing 400 mcg of folic acid with additional vitamin B6 and B12 is the most prudent approach to minimising homocysteine levels and reducing cardiovascular risk in adults.

• Protect against free radicals and reduce the risk of cancer

• Exposure to pollution, sunlight, toxins and chemicals in our food leads to free radical exposure (oxidation).  Oxidative damage may be a factor in many chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases, the two major causes of illness and death in the Western world.  Micronutrients such as selenium, zinc, carotenoids and vitamin E are antioxidants and provide protection from this damage.  Studies show that the regular use of multivitamins is directly associated with a reduced risk of cancer.

• Improve women’s health

• Multivitamins have been shown to reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome as well as lowering the risk of serious birth defects, premature delivery and low birth weight by 50% as well as improving maternal health during pregnancy.  Women of child-bearing age likely to fall pregnant are routinely advised to take a multivitamin containing 400 mcg folic acid daily.

• Essential for the elderly

• Multivitamin supplementation is considered especially essential for elderly people, because they are of higher risk of deficiency than younger adults.  This is due to the limited diet that many older people consume, combined with a reduction in their ability to digest foods properly.  Nutritional supplementation can reduce the risk of infection and reverse some of the immune dysfunction associated with advanced age.  Supplementation improves the micronutrient status in the elderly and reduces their risk for several chronic diseases, including dementia.

• Support children’s growth and development

• Many children are fussy eaters and have a small range of foods they will eat, which can create deficiencies.  In addition, children are going through very rapid growth, which creates additional demand.  Nutritional deficiency has been associated with leaning and behavioural disorders, poor immune resistance and increased risk of health problems in later life.  A multivitamin for children should be in a pleasant tasting, powdered form, which makes it easy to administer and provides a full range of essential nutrients.

Natural Medicine Quality Advice

Recommendations and Treatments for Natural Medicine

Why Purchase Natural Medicines From Your Healthcare Practitioner Tracey Lee Morley?

Your healthcare practitioner’s job is to have you felling better as quickly as possible and to prevent health problems from reoccurring.  If you want to achieve a new state of wellbeing, thus maximising the quantity and quality of your life, you and your practitioner must not only treat the symptoms, but also the underlying cause of your disease.  That’s why many of the programs that they prescribe may involve significant dietary and lifestyle changes and the use of natural medicines.

The various nutritional and herbal products that your practitioner recommends are, in their opinion, the best.  They prescribe these products because they know they get results.  If they didn’t, they’d be out of business.  That’s why your practitioner Tracey Lee Morley recommends Metagenics products, because they know they work.  The health of you, their other patients and practice depend on it.

SAVE WITH METAGENICS AT TRACEY LEE NATUROPATHIC CENTRE

Practitioner Tracey Lee Morley offers 15-20% discount on Metagenic products for her regular clients click here for more information

WHY METAGENICS PRODUCTS ARE THE BEST

By prescribing the Metagenics range of natural medicines your practitioner Tracey Lee Morley is recommending the highest quality, most effective products available.  Sold only through healthcare professionals, the Metagenics range is formulated to meet the exacting standards necessary to treat chronic and acute health disorders.  That’s why Metagenics is the number one provider of natural medicines in Australia and New Zealand.

INNOVATION AND RESEARCH

Metagenics is continually making innovations into existing products and treatments and researching new products.  The first company in Australia to offer therapeutic strength acidophilus featuring the NCFM strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus, one of the most highly researched and scientifically validated strains in the world.  Metagenics is also one of the only companies to have the Zinc Tally taste test and high concentration magnesium drinks for muscle spasm and fibromyalgia.  These are but a few of the more than 200 products that Metagenics produces.  Metagenics funds scientific research studies at several universities throughout the world, including:  University of Queensland, Tulane University, University of California and Irvine, Drew University and Uppsala University in Sweden.  Employing more than a dozen doctors, naturopaths and research scientists, Metagenics in Australia is continually searching for newer and better ways to improve peoples’ health.

HIGHEST QUALITY RAW MATERIALS

The effectiveness of a natural medicine is directly proportional to the quality and strength of its raw materials.  Metagenics uses only the purest ingredients and conducts assays to confirm that the raw materials are free from heavy metals and pesticide residue, ensuring effective absorption and biochemical activity.

All Metagenics herbal extracts are tested to ensure that they contain the required levels of therapeutically active ingredients that are sourced, where possible, from local organic growers.  Regular assays of herbal extracts ensures that they are free from contaminants, pathogenic micro-organisms, heavy metals and pesticides.

SUPERIOR MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

The manufacturing processes used by Metagenics are some of the best in the world.  Avoiding the use of excess heat, moisture and compaction, which can reduce the biological activity of many nutrients and herbs, Metagenics uses only natural non-reactive vegetable gums and cellulose.  Also, unlike many other producers, Metagenics do not use the common reactive binders, fillers and synthetic additives which can cause adverse reactions and side effects.

Storage of raw materials and finished product is also of vital importance, as many natural medicines are damaged or destroyed by temperatures above 25◦C.   That’s why all Metagenic’ production and warehouse facilities are either air-conditioned or refrigerated.  This ensures that the products you receive are the best.

YOU ONLY GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN

When your practitioner Tracey Lee Morley recommends certain vitamins and minerals your initial thought may be “I can get that cheaper from the Supermarket”.  But while this may be true in some cases, what are you really buying?

Many cheaper mass market producers compromise on the quality of raw materials and manufacturing processes.  Reactive additives such as talcum, shellac, unstable oils, wheat (gluten), lactose, yeast and dairy protein (casein) are often used to save money.

Unfortunately, these ingredients reduce both the biological activity and the clinical effectiveness of the product.  In addition, budget supplements often do not contain the correct ratios of active ingredients to be considered therapeutic.

THE PRACTITIONERS’ CHOICE

If you’ve made the commitment to better health and paid your practitioner Tracey Lee Morley for his or her advice then you want to see results.  That’s why your practitioner recommends Metagenics products, because they work.  Your health and his or her practice depend on it.

SAVE WITH METAGENICS AT TRACEY LEE NATUROPATHIC CENTRE

Practitioner Tracey Lee Morley offers 15-20% discount on Metagenic products for her regular clients click here for more information

Promoting Optimal Health And Wellness

Recommendations and Treatments for Promoting Optimal Health and Wellness

Why Should You Supplement Your Diet?

Thirty years of research has shown that most chronic diseases in first world nations are nutrition related.  Statistics reveal that although Australians and New Zealanders are consuming more per capita than ever, they seem to be receiving less nourishment.

This may be attributed to;

• Soil depletion of over-worked farm lands
• Poor lifestyle choices
• Pollution
• Stress
• Unhealthy diet

Many of us, even those who feel they eat well, do not eat a balanced diet.  Almost 40% of the kilojoules we consume come from highly processed convenience or snack foods which are high in fat and sugar.  These foods contain few of the vitamins and minerals we need.  In fact, as the body processed certain ‘junk’ foods, important nutrients are lost and these must be replaced by other sources.

No supplement can be used as a substitute for a good diet, yet a good diet is not always enough.  Environment and lifestyle stresses can sometimes increase a person’s need for essential nutrients to more than is available in their diet.  Ensuring adequate levels of essential nutrients is now a fundamental aspect of achieving optimal health. 

Long term nutrient depletion can adversely affect health and vitality, as well as possibly contributing to serious degenerative diseases.

Factors that contribute to nutrient depletion:

• Stress
• Strenuous exercise
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Dieting
• Processed foods
• Illicit drugs
• Prescription drugs
• Illness
• Pregnancy

Every bodily function depends on energy producing chemical reactions in the cells.  These reactions depend on vitamins and minerals.  Without adequate vitamins and minerals, together with essential protein, carbohydrates and fatty acids, your energy is reduced, your vitality diminishes and illness may occur.

Adequate nutritional intake has a large effect on your energy and vitality.  In fact, without proper nutrients, the body is unable to continue the biochemical and metabolic processes which produce cellular energy.

Multivitamins

Pollution, dietary habits and lifestyle factors may make it difficult to receive all the nutrients you need from food alone.  It is estimated that US$20 billion in hospital charges are potentially avoidable with daily use of folic acid, zinc-containing multivitamins and vitamin E supplementation.  Therefore, a multiple vitamin/mineral formula should provide a complete supplement, including all these valuable nutrients.  An ideal dietary supplement should contain ample amounts of antioxidants, B vitamins, vitamin C, beta-carotene, mixed carotenoids, vitamin A, and all of the minerals in specific ratios.  To compensate for digestive problems, an ideal multivitamin should use the most easily absorbed nutrient forms.

Balanced nutrient ratios (often overlooked in multivitamin formulae) are helpful in the absorption of other nutrients.  A good multivitamin should also be hypoallergenic (free from common allergens such as yeast, soy milk, egg, wheat, corn, sugar, salt, preservatives, waxes and artificial colouring).

Wellness Program

Having achieved control of your main health disorder and symptoms, it will then be time to consider an ongoing wellness program to protect you from other diseases, while enhancing health and vitality.

Health is not merely the absence of disease, it is a vibrant state of wellbeing and enjoyment of life.

Your healthcare practitioner’s job is to have you feeling better as quickly as possible and to prevent health problems from recurring.  If you want to achieve a new state of wellbeing, thus maximising the quantity and quality of your left, you and your practitioner must not only treat the symptoms, but also the underlying cause of your disease.

Your specialised program may involve various exercises and dietary changes.  These dietary changes will include some key protective nutrients and herbs to maximise your resistance to infection, allergies and chemical toxins while helping you to achieve total wellness.

Your practitioner Tracey Lee Morley requires your assistance so that you can benefit from any recommended treatment.  Part of that assistance is to use the nutritional and herbal products selected specifically for you.  If you have difficulty collecting medication, just phone the clinic and delivery can be arranged for a nominal fee.

Part of the wellness program is to keep you up-to-date with the latest breakthroughs in natural medicine.  You will be provided with important information about the use of natural medicines in various disease states, free of charge.  You will also receive other important notices about seminars and educational events conducted for the benefit of the whole community.  This will help you to understand the background of many treatments and allow you greater control of your health.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH

• Reduce the amount of fat in your diet and eliminate junk food.

• Increase your intake of fibre and whole, fresh foods.

• Take a high quality, balanced multivitamin/mineral antioxidant formula.

• Exercise regularly.

• Reduce common stress factors.

Probiotics

Recommendations and treatments for probiotics

Probiotics are ‘friendly bacteria’ that live in your stomach and intestines.  Different specific probiotics can provide specific health benefits, such as restoring friendly bacteria after long-term antibiotic and/or contraceptive pill use or aiding in the maintenance of a normal healthy immune and gastrointestinal system.  But while most people understand that probiotics are important, few people know just how important these “friendly bacteria” really are.

WHY ARE THEY CALLED “FRIENDLY”?

Normally we associate bacteria with infections (e.g. the infamous “golden staph”).  But did you know that your stomach and intestines contain over 400 different species of bacteria?  In fact, it is estimated that you are outnumbered cell-for-cell, about 10 to 1 by the bugs in your guilt!  The reason you have these enormous numbers of bacteria inside you is not because you have been infected, but because humans have developed a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with them.  We give the bacteria somewhere to live, and in return they help us digest food, make certain nutrients for us that we cannot make ourselves (such as vitamin B12), and help maintain our immunity, gastrointestinal health and general wellbeing. 

The amazing thing about all of this is that this enormous zoo of different bacteria can be kept in balance by ensuring just two types of bacteria are dominant:  Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.

LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS

Lactobacillus acidophilus primarily populates the small intestine and is one of the best known “friendly bacteria”.  But while a number of products claim to contain it, relatively few strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus have substantial scientific evidence that supports their quality and effectiveness.  One strain that does is the NCFM strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is one of the most extensively tested and proven probiotic strains available today.  Over 50 research studies have confirmed the many beneficial properties of the NCFM strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus. 

The NCFM strain:

• Was isolated from human flora

• Is acid and bile tolerant – which enables it to survive in the harsh gastrointestinal environment. 

• Has shown the ability to adhere to the intestinal wall – enabling it to establish colonies and flourish.

• Produces a natural antibiotic that inhibits unfriendly bacteria (bacteriocin).

• Produces the enzyme lactase, helping those with lactose intolerance.

BIFIDOBACTERIA

Bifodobacteria such as Bifidobacterium lactis (BBL), comprise approximately 90% of the beneficial bacteria in an adults’ large intestine (in breast-fed infants they account for 99% of all beneficial flora).

• They enhance the general function of the digestive system and alleviate wind and bloating.

• They help maintain a healthy colonic environment by:

o        Producing organic acids (acetic and lactic) which promote friendly bacteria (“acidophilus” means acid-loving).

o        Inhibiting the growth of many unfriendly bacteria.

o        Promoting the synthesis of several “B: vitamins (including biotin)  within the intestinal tract.

L. Plantarum 299V

Another species of Lactobacillus that has recently received a great deal of attention is L plantarum.  A particular strain of this (designated 299v) has been found to reduce inflammatory processes in the gut, as in medically diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disorders like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN

Babies are naturally born predisposed to allergy, because of protective changes to their mother’s immunity during pregnancy.

In order to reduce this predisposition, and to develop the capacity to combat microbial disease (viruses bacteria and fungi), children need exposure to microbial antigens.  As safe way, is by ensuring they have a healthy gut flora.

Because a child’s digestive system is still developing, they need lower doses of probiotics  than adults,  and immunological support from colostrum, phytosterols and the amino acid glutamine.

PREBIOTICS

Prebiotics are substances that support probiotics.  A colostrum derived antibody concentrate can assist the immune system in eliminating bad organisms from the gut while promoting the adhesion of “friendly bacteria” (such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria) to the gut wall.  Colostrum can also directly inhibit the growth of harmful organisms such as Candida.

One of the best types of prebiotic are Arabinogalactans.  A soluble vegetable fibre from the Western Larch tree, this fibre feeds good bacteria and reduces harmful organisms in the gut such as Candida.  Unlike other soluble fibres.  Arabinogalactans also have the added advantage of not causing bloating.

How to choose a probiotic supplement

A highly quality probiotic should be a strain of human origin that is safe for human use, able to resist acid and bile, and be capable of adhering to the intestinal lining.  Over the years there has been a lot of advertising about the acidophilius found in yogurt products.  But while some refrigerated milk products do contain acidophilus and/or bifidobacteria the strains are very different from those found in your stomach.

Probiotics – a friend indeed

The benefits of Probiotics for your overall health and wellbeing cannot be underestimated.  To restore healthy bacteria levels after long-term antibiotic and/or contraceptive pill use, aid in the maintenance of a normal healthy immune and gastrointestinal system or to improve your general wellbeing, Probiotics (and Prebiotics) really are “Friendly Bacteria”.

Choosing the best probiotic for you

• Before purchasing a probiotic supplement, make sure that your probiotic meets the following specifications:

• Has a large body of scientific evidence that supports the safety and positive roles of organisms in human health.

• Utilises bacteria obtained from human origin.

• Contains organisms that are resistant to attack by acid and bile, so they reach the intestines intact.

• Is produced under the highest quality control standards to ensure viability, potency, stability, and efficacy.

• Packaged in amber glass bottles with a foil seal to protect against damage from exposure to light or air.

• Stored and shipped to you under cold packs to protect against loss of potency.

• Every batch is independently assayed to verify potency and viability after encapsulation and bottling.

• As your practitioner Tracey Lee Morley which product suits your requirements

Whey Protein Powder: A Super Food, Not Just For Body Builders.

TO BUY CLICK HERE

Benefits of Whey Protein Isolate Powder

Tracey Lee's Natural Whey Protein Powder is

• 100% whey protein isolate

• 90% absorbable protein

• Contains No Additives, No sweeteners (artificial or natural)

• Undernatured, microfiltered and ultrafiltrated

• Highest quality food source of protein

• Instantised (i.e. mixes easily into water)

• Affordable and Great tasting

• Low fat, high protein, low lactose

• helps improve your BMI (body mass index)

• Ideal for people who need extra protein in their diet but find it difficult to eat more of the traditional sources of protein

• Great for anyone trying to increase muscle mass and lose body fat (as part of a exercise and dietary program)

• Reduces excessive appetite and helps curb cravings (note when taken as part of a exercise and low GI diet program)

• Easily digestible

• Naturally rich in immunoglobins and glycomacropeptides

• ideal for vegetarians and  children

• An easy breakfast or snack in a smoothie or mix into water and milk over cereal

• note: it is a dairy product.

TO BUY CLICK HERE

Read on for more information on the benefits of whey protein isolate powder

Whey protein isolate powder is one super-food that will soon become more widely recognised for its proven health benefits. It has a range of health benefits that no other single ‘super-food’ can match for it’s scientifically researched effects. It’s common knowledge that the whey from milk contains high protein and low fat but until recently the effects on health promotion were not as well understood.

What other food source can provide the high quality protein, helps boost immunity AND helps an ‘overactive’ immune system (as in auto-immune diseases), reduces appetite (naturally) for people trying to lose weight, help to increase the ‘good’ bacteria of the gut, reduces the risk of infections from viruses, bacteria and parasites, helps the body produce antioxidants and improves liver detoxification? There is no other single ‘super-food’ that has these proven qualities.

Whey protein isolate powder protein is the highest quality protein of any food. High quality protein means that your body doesn’t ‘waste’ unusable proteins (amino acids) from this food like it does other protein sources.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Protein is made up of different amino acids and each protein food has different levels of each of these amino acids. The human body builds it’s own protein from these building blocks (amino acids). It is the level of all the essential amino acids in each food that determines the ‘quality’ of the protein food and how easily our body can use that food as ‘building blocks’ to make its own protein.

For example meat, chicken, fish, eggs and tofu, their protein content is only around 20% usable protein, chickpeas are 6% usable protein (all other legumes are much lower especially kidney beans which are the lowest). There is a certain amount of protein that the body can not use; hence the body has to eliminate them unused.

Protein combining helps to improve the quality of the protein you eat ,for example eating fish with rice, as the amino acids (what protein is made up of) lacking in fish are high in rice. Legumes and rice also help improve the quality but unless it is tofu or tempe from soy it is still a very low quality protein source. But with whey protein isolate powder

the body can use a massive 90% of the protein making it close to a ‘perfect’ protein food with the correct levels of the different essential amino acids our body requires.

Authors Note: It is only soybeans of all the legumes that have any real ‘quality’ usable protein and it is best eaten in the form of tofu or tempe as the fermentation process breaks down unwanted substances (cyanogenic glycosides and phytates that can affect thyroid function & prevent mineral absorption especially iodine, zinc, magnesium and calcium).

So IF you don’t eat a major protein source at every meal; you are a vegetarian: your teenagers and children only want to eat pasta or cereal or mostly carbohydrate meals with little or no protein; you are pregnant or breastfeeding; if you have hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar with common symptoms of tiredness in afternoon and craving sugar); you want to improve your lean body mass; you are trying to lose weight but find your appetite is ‘out of control’ or you need to increase your weight; you suffer from recurrent colds or coughs or any other infections or allergic complaint or you have digestive and bowel problems -  then you most likely need to add whey protein isolate powder to your diet.

A healthy immune system helps us fight off infections from bacteria, viruses and parasites more quickly. Passive immunisation through food is unique to all mammals who receive it firstly from mother’s milk (the colostrum) immediately after birth. As young babies are born without immunity this is essential for survival adaptation.

Colostrum contains immunoglobins (also called antibodies). Immunoglobins have a stimulating effect on the immune system (boosting the bodies immune response to fight off bacteria, viruses and parasites) and an immune suppressive effect (hence has a role to play to play in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and many others) and it helps reduce inflammation and allergic responses (such as hay fever, food allergies, asthma, eczema, migraines triggered by allergies etc).

Like newborn babies, some people have difficulties making sufficient amounts of immunoglobins can benefit greatly by dietary means of enhancing immunity.

A quality whey protein isolate powder that contains natural occurring immunoglobins and glycomacropeptides (GMP) is the answer. These constituents promote immunity and particularly a healthy efficient digestive (intestinal) function. They reduce the incidence of infection by helping to prevent the bacteria, virus or parasite from attaching to the intestinal wall.

Whey isolate is useful for anyone with lower immunity such as recurrent colds, coughs, flu, post viral syndrome, any viral infections (eg: glandular fever, flu): allergic problems such as hay fever, food allergies, asthma, eczema, sinus: chronic fatigue syndrome.

Digestive problems can cause or be caused by imbalances in the healthy balance of the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria in the gut. Immunoglobins and GMP’s help to restore healthy balance of bacteria in the gut and hence can be helpful in a range of digestive problems from constipation, diarrhoea, gut dysbiosis, yeast overgrowth and any other bacteria, viral or parasitic infection of the digestive system. Take it with acidophilus to increase ‘good’ gut bacteria. Whey protein powder contains constituents that improve the effectiveness of acidophilus and other probiotics.

The traditional naturopathic belief, that by improving the digestive function will improve other health problems of the body. This ‘old’ belief is just starting to be understood through research into what role the immunity of the gut plays in the whole immunity of the body.

Authors note; 20yrs ago I heard an old herbalist’s advice on children with rheumatoid arthritis, part of his treatment was to ‘worm’ them. At the time I thought how could elimination of a parasitic infection help improve a serious autoimmune disease?  Only years later with recent medical research, can this ‘theory’ have some understanding and validity. By improving the immunity of the ‘gut’ it can have an effect on improving the overall immunity of the

body. Some research has indicated that up to 70% of immune function comes from the ‘gut’, but this is yet to be proven.

Losing weight can be difficult if you have a large appetite or have sweet cravings. Whey protein powder helps you lose weight by a number of ways. Firstly it is regarded to have the greatest level of satiety (i.e. you feel ‘fuller’ and less hungry) partly by it’s ability to increase an appetite-suppressing gastrointestinal hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK): secondly the protein helps to balance your blood sugar levels hence reducing unhealthy sugar cravings and then lead to reducing high levels of insulin (high insulin levels causes the body to increase fat storage especially in abdominal area). Note with a low GI diet.

Whey protein isolate powder can also be useful for people who are trying to increase their weight especially after or during an illness, even serious illnesses, such as cancer or AIDS. Whey protein isolate powder is an easy to take protein source.

Whey protein powder helps the body to detoxify.  It contains the building blocks for the body to produce the powerful antioxidant called glutathione which helps liver detoxification (it improves phase 2 of liver detoxification please see Jan newsletter for more information), it has an anti-inflammatory effect for gut conditions, a potent antioxidant which helps prevent free radical damage in the body, helps the body eliminate heavy metals from the body (especially lead via urine, others include arsenic, cadmium & mercury) and it is important for people with Crohn’s disease (an auto-immune disease affecting the digestive system).

People with Crohn’s disease are generally very low in glutathione and some researchers speculate that glutathione may improve the condition.

Glutathione is also helpful during and after chemotherapy & radiation to help reduce the side-effects.

The quality of the whey protein isolate powder is important as many products on the market do not contain the immunoglobins or GMP. Look for the following when buying whey protein; undenatured, microfiltered, ultrafiltered and most important it contains only ISOLATE (not the whey concentrate which many companies use as it is a cheaper product but it does not contain the immunoglobins or glycomacropeptides). The label should have it listed on the nutritional information. Many products also contain sugar or some artificial sweetener, it is better to buy one without and add your own fruit to it for a natural sweeter taste.

So how do you take whey protein isolate powder? It has a milk like taste so it is best to make it up in a smoothie: blend in a blender with water and milk/rice milk/soymilk and fruit (berries, paw paw or peaches) and ice (if you like it cold), blend all these ingredient first in the blender. Then add 30gm of whey protein powder and blend. The smoothie will be too thick if you over blend it in the blender or if you have not added enough water. Have this smoothie for breakfast and/or afternoon snack.

You can also blend it up in water/milk or other milk and then use this over your cereals in the morning for breakfast.

If you are highly allergic to dairy product then you can not take whey protein powder. But if you are simply intolerant (i.e. you can eat small amounts of dairy without reacting) then you will most likely not react to whey protein isolate powder.

Whey protein isolate powder is one of the best ‘super-foods’, easy to include in your diet and it tastes nice. Remember to always check the quality of the product you buy as many do not contain the immunoglobins (due to the way it has been processed).

TO BUY NATURAL WHEY PROTEIN POWDER CLICK HERE

Zinc

The Most Important Trace Mineral

What’s So Important About Zinc?

Zinc is arguably the most important trace mineral. To date, researchers have found more than 200 enzymes (molecules that make things work in the body) that are zinc dependent, in all the major biochemical pathways in the human body.  That’s more than all the other mineral dependent enzymes in the body combined

Zinc is vital for the growth and repair of all tissues; the activity of many hormones; and for a healthy immune system.  Symptoms and signs of zinc deficiency in humans include slow growth, poor wound healing, rashes, diarrhoea, and decreased immune and sexual function.

Zinc supplementation has been found to be effective in assisting in the management of:

● recurrent infections                            

● hair loss (alopecia)

● poor appetite                                    

● low sex drive

● poor sense of taste and smell               

● infertility

● eczema, acne and other skin problems   

● behavioural and emotional disorders (e.g. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) depression)

TAKE ZINC ONLY WHEN YOU NEED IT

If it’s so important, you might think that it would be a good idea for everyone to take high doses of zinc all the time.  This is not the case, as it’s been found that a high intake of zinc for prolonged periods of time can cause a copper deficiency.  This comes with its own set of health problems.  Zinc should therefore be taken only when deficiency is indicated.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED ZINC

Zinc is intimately associated with your ability to taste and smell.  It has been found that your taste response to a specially prepared zinc solution, taken orally, it can determine if you need supplemental zinc.  This Zinc Taste Test is based on the activity of a zinc dependent enzyme in the taste buds of the tongue, and has been demonstrated to accurately represent functional zinc status.

 THE ZINC TASTE TEST

The test is very simple.  Take 10ml of the special standardised solution into your mouth and swish it around like a mouth wash for 10 seconds before swallowing.

How it tastes will fit into one of four categories:

If there is no taste (like water), you are category 1 and have a great need for supplemental zinc in a high potency liquid form.

If you have no immediate taste, but after a few seconds a slight taste that could be described as dry-mineral, furry, or sweet develops, you are category 2 and also need liquid zinc supplementation.

A definite, though not strongly unpleasant taste, noted almost immediately and tending to intensify with time puts you in category 3.  At this level you may benefit from some zinc in tablet form.

If there is a strong, immediate, and rather unpleasant taste which worsens with time, you are category 4.  This is a good thing, as it means you have good levels of zinc in your body.

HOW CAN I RESTORE MY ZINC STATUS? BREAKING THE “ZINC BLOCKADE”

Unfortunately, when you are zinc deficient, it appears that your digestive system cannot absorb zinc efficiently.  This results in an inability to use zinc from tablets, as it is not released fast enough to be absorbed.

LIQUID ZINC

The way around this so-called “zinc blockade” is to take zinc in a highly absorbable liquid form, so it can enter the body ‘passively’.  Therefore, when you have a category 1 or 2 taste test result, you will need to take some Liquid Zinc from your Practitioner Tracey Lee Morley.  This will enable you to increase your zinc levels quickly and safely.

If you score a category 3 result (a definite, though not strongly unpleasant taste, noted almost immediately and tending to intensify with time) – which is good but not great – a course of zinc tablets in indicated.  Make sure any zinc tablets you buy contain a well absorbed, organic form of zinc, such as, gluconate.  Ideally the tablets will be formulated with co-factors that enhance absorption, such as pancreatic extract and vitamin B6.

If your taste perception in the test is category 4, congratulations!  But beware:  Stress or infection can drain the body of zinc very quickly.  If you are currently undergoing a relatively high degree  of stress, or are unwell, it is advisable to check your zinc status with a Taste Test every two weeks.

The best way to ensure you maintain healthy zinc levels is to check them regularly, using the Zinc Taste Test, especially when stressed.  In between, take a well-balanced multimineral (and vitamin) formula, that will help keep all the essential micronutrients in the right relative proportions to each other.