Healthy Aging
“If I would have known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself.”
~ Dean Martin
“None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”
~ H.D. Thoreau
This is the third in a series of articles on healthy aging. It is the most requested topic for our Weekly Wellness Reports and to me, it is one of the most important topics. You see, health is not about waiting for disease to strike and then battling it. As the World Health Organization said back in 1948, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Healthy aging
My seventh-grade teacher was an ancient fossil of man – much older than even my parents! I think he was 50. He told me a truth about aging that I have never forgotten: The only way to avoid getting old is to die young. With that in mind I found great wisdom in the words of Benjamin Franklin who said, “All would live long but none would be old.”
So, healthy aging is about living long without being old! To reach that goal we need to take a brief look at the process called “biological aging.”
Biological aging does not happen with the tick of the clock or the pages turning on your calendar; it happens in your cells. During its life cycle a cell may be damaged by exposure to:
- Toxins
- Direct trauma
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Stress
Each of these circumstances causes inflammation and free radical production. Intense nutrition is needed to battle these causes of premature cell death.
Premature biological aging occurs when more cells die than you can replace.
Fighting inflammation
The human body is designed to fight premature aging and remain young. A powerful force called homeostasis mobilizes your immune system, hormones, nerves and other important systems to ignite the healing process. Homeostasis uses focused inflammation to remodel your cells following injury, illness or even the extreme challenges of emotional stress. Once the healing process is complete, homeostasis extinguishes the fire of inflammation and returns your body to a state of dynamic and vital balance – free from the effects of runaway inflammation.
Homeostasis orchestrates the cells in your body to maintain balance under even severe conditions.
However, there are times when your body cannot heal itself. If inflammation overwhelms a cell it may be damaged beyond repair. Damaged, dead cells must be removed or they will become the focus of infection and illness. Betalains, a unique class of nutrient that is both an antioxidant and a protein, assist a special cell called a macrophage (literally “big eater”) to engulf the dead cell and eliminate it from your body. This makes room for a brand-new replacement cell and the cycle of wellness continues.
Intense nutrition
The supplements of healthy aging include four critical components:
- A balanced multiple vitamin/mineral supplement to establish a solid foundation for healthy aging
- An essential fatty acid supplement to nourish the arteries and rehydrate the brain
- A Vitamin C supplement to serve as an antioxidant reserve and keep the immune system active
- A B-12 supplement to keep the energy level up and the mind bright.
Premature aging is about losing more cells than we replace. Healthy aging is about closing the gap between loss of cells and repair or replacement of our cells as directed by homeostasis and fueled by nutrients.
Take Control of Your Health
|
Learn More…
Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports…
- Toxins: A Major Source of Inflammation
- Hormone Health
Send us your topic suggestions!
If you have specific health topics you’d like Brazos Minshew to discuss in upcoming reports,
click here to submit your suggestions.
Please note that Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Tags: healthy aging, healthy aging tips, sublingual b-12, sublingual b-12 benefits, TriVita, trivita multivitamin, trivita nutritional supplements, trivita omegaprime, TriVita Products, trivita vitadaily, trivita vital c
Strategies to Help With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
I had lunch with a teacher recently. For years he had worked with special-needs children – those with learning disabilities requiring personalized teaching styles. He retired early from his profession because of the epidemic of children (especially young boys) diagnosed with ADHD.
My friend quit teaching, not because of the challenge of teaching a child with ADHD; he routinely taught children with far more severe issues. He quit because teachers and parents would label any child with a behavior problem “ADHD” just to get them out of their class and, often, onto some kind of sedative medication.
What is ADHD?
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by an inability to stay focused on any task. It may also include impulsive, disruptive and often destructive behavior. These symptoms may begin between the ages of 6 and 12, usually by age 7.
First, it is important to know that most children (and adults) are inattentive and impulsive from time to time. Also, many, many other conditions and circumstances share these same symptoms. For example, Stephen Covey described a man boarding the subway with two disruptive boys in tow. From the description of their behavior a person could easily see the traits of ADHD. What was the real problem? They were leaving the hospital where the mother of the two young boys had just died.
Inattention and impulsive behavior may be signs of ADHD or they may be signs of something else. We cannot be too quick to diagnose without fully investigating the circumstances of the person as a whole.
Brains in pain
One interesting line of exploration in the child with ADHD is the pattern of brain waves. The human brain responds in a similar way to similar circumstances. Most of us have an increase in Delta brain waves when we are concentrating and an increase in Alpha brain waves when we are relaxing.
Theta waves increase and Beta waves decrease when we finish a task and feel a sense of accomplishment. People with ADHD have the exact reverse of this pattern: They demonstrate a decrease in Theta waves and an increase in Beta waves when they are asked to focus on a task.
People in chronic pain have exactly the same brain wave pattern. This may be why it seems so painful for people with ADHD to “sit still” and concentrate!
Sources of help
Conclusion
My teacher friend pointed to a very real problem: Many times a child will be labeled ADHD because of a behavior problem in the classroom. Often, the problem was that these children were in distressing circumstances at school (for example, being relentlessly bullied) or not having appropriate parental supervision and nurturing at home.
However, ADHD is real and it is a serious disorder that will affect a person’s entire life. With proper diagnosis and assessment of the individual learning style of the child there is every possibility for a full and productive life!
Take Control of Your Health
- Get the proper diagnosis
- See a physician
- Test brain wave balance
- Don’t treat without testing
- Avoid colors, additives and sweeteners
- Avoid food intolerances
- Supplement the special nutrient needs of ADHD
|
Learn More…
Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports…
- Osteoporosis/Grandparent Guilt
- Tremor Triggers
Send us your topic suggestions!
If you have specific health topics you’d like Brazos Minshew to discuss in upcoming reports,
click here to submit your suggestions.
Please note that
Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare provider. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem. You should consult with a healthcare provider if you suspect your child might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician.
Tags: adhd, adhd diagnosis, adhd diet, adhd help, adhd symptoms, adhd treatment, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, omegaprime, peaceful sleep, sublingual b-12, super sublingual b-12, super sublingual b12, TriVita, trivita peaseful sleep, TriVita Products, trivita sublingual b-12, trivita vitamins, vitacal-mag D
 |
|
 |
|
Eating for Energy
The World Health Organization (WHO) states, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It is the ability to lead a socially and economically productive life.”
Does that describe you? Or, like many people in North America, are you just too tired to think about being “socially and economically productive”?
If you feel too tired to do much more than read this article, don’t feel alone. Up to 85% of the people that visit a doctor for any reason also complain of being chronically tired. It seems that we are in the middle of an energy crisis that has nothing to do with petroleum production!
When we talk about energy we need to distinguish the difference between the ability to survive and the feeling of being energetic. We must admit that even the sickest person is converting nutrients to energy in order to survive. Yet, we want to do more than survive – we want to feel energetic. We want to have the energy to dream and then have the energy to live those dreams. We want to feel our best every day. Is that possible?
Eating for energy: fats, protein and carbohydrates
As I mentioned, energy comes from the way our body burns nutrients such as fats, protein and carbohydrates. These nutrients must be metabolized. The word metabolism is from a Greek word that describes the process of creating energy from food. This description gives us the first hint as to how we can create and sustain an energetic feeling – by balancing our diet every day.
A balanced diet must include:
- 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables (for adults)
- 30+ grams of high quality protein
- 20 to 35 grams of fiber
Sugars from the foods we eat provide us with ready energy, but it doesn’t last very long. Proteins are converted to energy at a much slower pace and provide us with a more stable supply of energy – five times as much energy per gram as sugar.
However, when it comes to providing energy, fat is the undisputed champion. Fat provides us with stamina. It burns slowly and steadily up to eight times longer than sugar. So for stamina that lasts all day and into the evening hours, select foods high in “good” fats.
Many experts say that we should get as much as 30% of our total calories per day from fat. This may mean more than 70 grams of fat for a 2,200 calorie per day diet. That’s a lot of fat! But don’t reach for the French fries just yet. You see, all foods contain fat. Fat is as important for plants as it is for humans. So, select fats from foods that are known for high energy, such as:
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Olives
- Avocados (guacamole)
- Fatty fish
All foods (including vegetables and legumes) contain some fat.
Feeling your best every day
Fuel the fires of your metabolism by eating high-energy foods. Stoke those fires by exercising at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Eat a healthy breakfast and, above all, be crystal-clear about your reasons for wanting more energy.
Being energetic and feeling a zest for life is more than merely being alive. It is a sense that you have the resources you need to accomplish whatever you want: to thoroughly seize the day while you work for your dreams. Feeling energetic inspires optimism and healthy self-esteem. Feeling energetic makes you happy and gives you hope. Follow these simple steps to feel your best every day!
Take Control of Your Health
- Include good fats in your diet:
- Mono- and poly-unsaturated oils (e.g. olive and sesame)
- Nuts – be sure they are not rancid (spoiled)
- Fish – salmon, halibut, tuna and other cold-water fish
- Olives – a whole-food source of olive oil and Vitamin E
- Avocado – nutritious and filled with antioxidants
- Avoid bad fats:
- Trans fats
- Hydrogenated fats
- Saturated fats: a little is OK but never over 20% DV (Daily Value)
- Take your supplements:
|
Learn More…
Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports…
- Skin Conditions
- Weight Loss
Send us your topic suggestions!
If you have specific health topics you’d like Brazos Minshew to discuss in upcoming reports,
click here to submit your suggestions.
Please note that Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the
discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
|
|
 |
© 2009 TriVita, Inc. |
 |
|
TriVita offers a number of ways by which affiliates can promote the company’s products- coupons offering 10% off a new customer’s first trivita order, special emails and brochures, etc. One of the greatest ways to promote the trivita products and build your business however is through their “Gift of Health” program.
The Gift of Health program allows current customers and business affiliates the ability to send others a 30 day supply of one of TriVita’s top selling products. At this time, the products available for gifting include:
In addition to the free product, the sender has the option of including a copy of TriVita’s “Your Business at Home” magazine which includes a CD introducing them to the business opportunity side of TriVita.
If you would like to receive a gift of health, please enter your details on the form below:
TriVita’s Weekly Wellness Report
|
|
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief Science Officer |
|
Are You Getting Enough Nutrients in Your Diet?
March 7, 2009 - www.trivita.com
As you review your diet of the past week, ask yourself, “Did I eat the right amount of fruits and vegetables every day?” The recommended amounts are five servings for children, seven servings for women and nine servings for men. If you can say “yes” – congratulations! If you are like most people you did not reach that goal. And, if you are like most of us, you did not eat all of your fruits and vegetables from an organic source; so, the fruits and vegetables may have been lacking in nutritional value.
Staying on top of our nutrient reserve is important. Our bodies make millions of new cells every day: heart cells, brain cells, bone and blood cells. Every time a cell dies it should be replaced. If you do not have the right amount of nutrients to construct a new cell you will either make an incomplete cell or none at all. The outcome is bad in either case, so we really need to keep all nutrients on board at all times. This is why we suggest a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement.
Supplements
The word supplement means in addition to something – to make up for a deficiency. Vitamin and mineral supplements should be taken in addition to a healthy diet. They make up for the deficiency we face due to the poor nutrient density in our foods. Supplements also help out when our diet is less than perfect.
The simplest way to help support your nutrition is to take a general multi-vitamin and mineral supplement that provides a broad range of nutrients at standard nutritional levels. However, please keep the following points in mind:
- Some supplements contain very high doses of certain nutrients. When you take nutrients in extremely high doses, you are no longer in the world of nutritional supplementation and have passed into the riskier world of megadose treatment.
- Calcium and magnesium minerals are very bulky, and few multi-vitamin/mineral supplements provide the daily requirement. These minerals generally must be taken in the form of additional pills. Note: It isn’t possible for your body to absorb a day’s worth of calcium in a single dose. At least two doses are necessary.
The most common nutritional deficiencies
| Calcium |
Helps with bone density, muscle contraction and digestion |
| Chromium |
Helps with blood sugar control |
| Folate |
Helps protect against birth defects, heart disease and depression |
| Magnesium |
Helps protect against high blood pressure, kidney stones and migraine headaches |
| Vitamin B-6 |
Helps protect against heart disease, depression and arthritis |
| Vitamin C |
Helps with detoxification, immune system health and connective tissue |
| Vitamin B-12 |
Helps protect against anemia and fatigue. Helps with nerve health and energy |
| Vitamin D |
Involved in bone and skin health and helps protect against diabetes and obesity |
| Vitamin E |
Helps improve circulation |
| Zinc |
Helps protect against acne, ADD/ADHD, the common cold and macular degeneration |
Very few of us are so deficient in these nutrients as to show symptoms of outright malnutrition. However, subtle deficiencies may increase the risk of a number of conditions. For example, insufficient intake of calcium and Vitamin D may increase your chances of developing osteoporosis, and inadequate folate and Vitamin B-6 may speed the development of heart disease.
Besides vitamins and minerals, intake of essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is often inadequate.
A strategy for everyone
Finally, note that food contains many substances other than vitamins and minerals that may enhance your health.
Supplements won’t make up for bad dietary choices. We simply must commit ourselves to eating more fruits and vegetables. Still, the reality of life is that we don’t always attend to our diet perfectly. So, appropriate nutrient supplementation can help make up for the deficiency we face because of poor nutrient density in our foods and an imperfect diet.
Take Control of Your Health
- Eat the appropriate amount of fruits/vegetables daily:
- Children: 5 servings
- Women: 7 servings
- Men: 9 servings
- Focus on organic whenever possible
- Eat high quality protein daily (34 to 71 grams)
- Eat Omega-3 fats every day (flax, walnuts & some fish)
- Take a balanced multiple vitamin/mineral supplement
- Take an EFA supplement like OmegaPrime
- Take Vitamin B-12 every morning
- Take Vitamin C every morning and at bedtime
|
Learn More…
Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports…
Send us your topic suggestions!
If you have specific health topics you’d like Brazos Minshew to discuss in upcoming reports,
click here to submit your suggestions.
Please note that Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the
discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
|
| © 2009 TriVita, Inc. |
TriVita has already scored a number of hits with flagship products like Sublingual B-12, Leanology and the OptimaFlex product line but the latest product set to make its debut on the market in a big way with a 6-week scheduled series of events across 30 major cities in the US and Canada in March is called Sonoran Bloom.
“The new Sonoran Bloom™ product line – which includes a proprietary Opuntia liquid concentrate and Streptocantha gel – have significant health applications and benefits,” said TriVita Chief Science Officer, Brazos Minshew.
“These products offer our Members and Affiliates true wellness benefits by helping with detoxification and reducing inflammation. The source plants for the Sonoran Bloom™ products are considered healing food plants and were used by ancient people in the Sonora desert. Not only will this story be told by TriVita, but also by our Members and Affiliates, who we believe will want to share these discoveries and results with people all over the world,” said Minshew.
Along with the new product comes a brand new payplan called the Share-and-Earn program:
TriVita’s new Share-and-Earn program is backed by a significant compensation plan that pays out a true 70% on all Sonoran Bloom™ products sold and consumed by new Affiliates for ninety days. This increased compensation opportunity is designed to help TriVita create new product distribution channels as well as helping the new Affiliate earn an extra $500 to $2,000 in their first 90 days.
“When we created the Share-and-Earn compensation program we took the new Affiliate into careful consideration knowing the nature of the high fall-out rate in Direct Sales. We want to change that by helping new Affiliates experience some level of success in their first 90 days. So we created a compensation plan that would reward the enroller and their team up to three generations but also reward the Directors and even the Presidential Directors for their support of a new and growing team in their organization,” said Marcus Ellison, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing.
All in all it sounds like a pretty exciting launch! At this time Business Affiliates are already organizing to attend events in their location but it has also been announced that customers will be receiving information on attending as well with the perk being a free bottle of the brand new product.
More info will be posted on this blog as it is released, so please be sure to add yourself to our update list to receive the information the moment it is posted!
One of the most common questions that people ask me about TriVita is- What makes the business plan so much different, or better, than other business opportunities on the market?
The short answer to this is that TriVita’s business plan is sustainable!
Most of the “business opportunities” I see advertised on the internet today totally lack sustainability either because they don’t have a worthwhile product that creates residual income for their members, or because they pay outrageous commissions and basically bury themselves financially from the start! At this point I am of the frame of mind that if it’s not a business that I am sure will be around 1, 2, 10 years from now, it’s not something I want to take the time to build…
TriVita meets all of the qualifications for what makes a good business good. Being a forum moderator on one of the top money making forums on the net for quite a while, one of the things that I continuously told members seeking advice to make sure they do is Due Dilligence. Due Dilligence simply means to research the opportunity before you decide to join so you can be sure you are entering the right sort of business for yourself.
The questions I instructed them to find answers to include:
1) How long has the business been around? (the longer the business has been around and actively paying the less risk is involved in joining)
2) What sort of product does the business offer and is it of value?
3) Does the company make itself accessible (does it have real offices, a phone number you can call,etc)?
4) Is there a possibility for residual income with the company? (ie- can you earn more than once off the same prospects?)
5) Is the income offered sustainable? (meaning is the company still making a profit after paying out their affiliates so they can continue paying)
I’m going to supply the answers for these questions with regard to the TriVita business opportunity individually below, but can assure you now that the company meets or exceeds expectations for each and every one of these…
1) How long has the business been around?
The TriVita business plan has been in existence for 10 years now and has been paying affiliates on time since then.
2) What sort of product does the business offer and is it of value?
TriVita offers a variety of over 50 nutritional products that were tirelessly tried and tested in clinical studies before being released to the market. They own patents on a number of unique products, such as Sublingual B-12, of which they have sold over 9 million boxes and continue to release new products over time- the newest being Sonoram Bloom which is set for release in March 2009.
The products do provide a value to the customer since they are formulated to improve health.
3) Does the company make itself accessible (does it have real offices, a phone number you can call,etc)?
The company is very accessible. Their offices are located in Scottsdale, Arizona and they do offer tours of the buildings to those interested. They also have a number of service phone lines and personnel on staff ready to take orders or questions from callers.
Additionally, they host events for product launches from time to time and invite customers to come join them.
4) Is there a possibility for residual income with the company? (ie- can you earn more than once off the same prospects?)
Yes, since TriVita offers products that benefit health, there is the potential for reorders from the same customers over time meaning residual income for the business affiliate that has rights to the customer. In fact, that’s what the income plan is based on for the most part- the repurchase of customers!
TriVita runs followups with their customers to encourage repurchase by both email and by mail. They send an informational product catalog to customers 16 times a year that is filled with special offers, information on the products themselves and answers to common health questions/concerns.
Speaking from personal experience, about 30% of my customers reorder products each month and I earn on each and every purchase…
5) Is the income offered sustainable? (meaning is the company still making a profit after paying out their affiliates so they can continue paying)
The company ensures a profit through their cooperative marketing plan. The Cooperative Marketing plan that TriVita has set up allows affiliates to purchase earning rights to customers brought in by company advertising at $50 per customers. They have even modeled their business start up packages to include a certain number of customers at the value of $50 each.
The reason this works out is based on the laws of averages. Not every customer that orders a product through company advertising is guaranteed to make a repurchase. In fact, as stated previously my list of customers shows about 30% per month making a repurchase of products. This means TriVita has made money twice off a customer that ended up not being a repeat buyer (they made 100% on the first sale that brought the customer in and $50 on the purchase of rights to that customer by an affiliate).
Don’t view my averages as a negative!
I tend to find that people dwell on the idea of a 30% customer repurchase rate per month sounding like a low figure but it’s worth keeping in mind that most business opportunities don’t immediately set you up with any sort of income stream immediately AT ALL. My 30% customer repurchase rate works out to a cool 40% estimated annual return on my start up costs- and that’s WITHOUT including my sponsorship bonuses which edge that average much higher.
For more information on the TriVIta business opportunity, please feel free to download the free guide I wrote called “The TriVita Advantage”. It goes into a great deal more detail about TriVita as a company and how the TriVita business opportunity works plus offers a better idea of the income earning numbers being experienced among my group.
