Don't Take A Summer Vacation From Attention and Concentration Nutritional Supplements

It's that time of year again. Schools will be out soon and that can mean more stress on parents and families who have a child with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The individuals touched by ADD/ADHD include not only the affected children, but their concerned parents, siblings and yes, frustrated teachers.

This week we will talk about supplemental nutrients that help children concentrate better as well as focus their energy and attention in a positive constructive way, but first we need to discuss some background information about ADD/ADHD and how it impacts school performance, friendships, and family relationships. ADD/ADHD is a neurobiological disorder of self-control. It consists of problems with attention span, impulse control, and activity level.

So what does ADD/ADHD mean for your child? Because of ADD/ADHD, a really bright child may not be able to reach his or her full potential in school or in extracurricular activities. Children with this disorder may be delayed by as much as 30% of their ability to pay attention and remember. This means a 9-year-old may act more like a 6-year-old in ability to focus and use self-control. Early intervention and maintenance is crucial. I say this because most children do not outgrow ADD/ADHD as adults.

The game plan: Think carefully about your decision to use a prescription or natural alternative and ideally, discuss this with your health care practitioner. Trying out natural alternatives to address ADD/ADHD during the summer can be very practical. It allows you the luxury of time to determine its effectiveness and to find the exact dosage that works for your loved one.

Try An ADD/ADHD Natural Alternative This Summer That Is Guaranteed To Work

Many parents are accustomed to giving their children a break from ADD/ADHD medications and supplements during the summer months. This may be necessary for pharmaceutical drugs such as Adderall, Cylert or Ritalin that are associated with long term adverse side effects, but this is not true for nutritional supplementation. The fact is, not only should you continue to use nutritional supplementation for your children during the summer break, but also it is the perfect time to try out new nutritional programs as an alternative to some of the mind numbing pharmaceutical medications out there.

ADD/ADHD not only disrupts your child's ability to learn in school and the classroom, it also affects their overall behavior at home and at play. Children with ADD often procrastinate, are forgetful and lose things, have difficulty finishing tasks, frequently make impulsive decisions (leaving impulsive mistakes), and continuously have to compete with ongoing internal "brain chatter", which is the root cause of the behavioral problems.

Children with ADHD have the same behaviors as well as temper tantrums, impatience, clumsiness, and self-destructive behavior. It is true that these symptoms really start to show during the school year but if you look close enough you will still see them in the way your child plays games with other children, does their household chores and in their personal relationships.

Natural alternatives that address ADD/ADHD, like Attend, improves a child's well being by providing his or her body, and more importantly his or her brain, with nutrients that are lacking. Various studies by Purdue University and research publications like Biological Psychiatry have singled out the specific nutritional deficiencies. One study found that boys diagnosed with ADHD have lower levels of the omega-3 essential fatty acid DHA, another study found that 95% of ADHD children tested were deficient in magnesium, and other studies have shown that these children also have extensively lower levels of zinc. Interestingly enough, these facts are also true of adults with ADD/ADHD and many children inherit this learning disorder from their parents.

Växa's Attend works great for both children and adults. It not only addresses the nutritional deficiencies of magnesium, zinc and omega-3 essential fatty acids, but it also provides a full spectrum of food for the brain (20+ fatty acids, 12 essential amino acids, GABA, DMAE, etc.) along with homeopathic medicinals that target the normal function of the brain and its related neurochemistry, potentiating accuracy of neural messengers, in other words Attend aids in clear, unconfused thought processes.

This summer, don't settle for extra stress: arguing over chores, dealing with unnecessary sibling rivalry, or temper tantrums and moodiness. Also, don't feel chained to a pharmaceutical roller coaster. Try a nutritional program designed to address the specific needs of an individual (child or adult) with ADD/ADHD. Summer is the perfect time to get a child with ADD/ADHD acclimated to any new nutritional program, since it takes a little longer to see results. Nutrition is vital for life, everyday.

Choose a program that provides results. Attend is guaranteed to work or we will give you your money back. Attend is one of our most successful and popular products.

What Does Insomnia Indicate About Your Health?

You have probably heard that as we get older, sleeping soundly and getting into healthy REM (rapid eye movement) sleep can be a problem.

Clinical studies reveal poor sleep can be an age-related phenomena, however, we also know there are multiple related factors, which contribute to this often frustrating experience that has direct health implications.

Poor sleep or lack of high quality sleep on a daily basis can affect your moods, energy levels, attitude and, as evidence based research indicates, suppress your immune system making you more susceptible to various infections whether bacterial, viral or fungal. The remainder of the article will spell out exactly what I am talking about.

Insomnia Affects One Out Of Every Ten Americans

Insomnia or habitual sleeplessness can cause mild personality changes as well as a decrease in a person’s overall productivity and performance. It can even have adverse effects on personal relationships. More importantly, 50 % of chronic insomnia is often a symptom of psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress. Other medical conditions that cause chronic insomnia are arthritis, asthma, hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, heart disease, etc. Other possible reasons for insomnia could be caffeine intake, nutritional deficiencies (calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper), antidepressants, antiseizure medication, thyroid hormone replacement drugs, and many other pharmaceutical drugs as well as over-the-counter medications.

The list of reasons or medical conditions that can contribute to insomnia can go on and on. There are two major considerations if insomnia becomes a chronic situation. One question to ask yourself is what medications are you taking? You can talk to your doctor or neighborhood pharmacist about what medications could be keeping you up at night and if there are any alternative medications that may not have the same affect on you. If medications are not the cause of your insomnia then the second consideration would be what is the underlying condition? Schedule an appointment with your doctor and be prepared to tell him or her of any other symptoms developing such as depression, anxiety, new aches and pains, or anything out of the ordinary that you have noticed. Again, it is very important to tell your doctor all of your symptoms in order for him or her to discover the underlying condition.

Don’t let insomnia change who you are, what you are capable of or worse, don’t ignore this symptom until the true medical condition rears its ugly head. Be proactive and listen to what your body is trying to tell you. Some recommendations to avoid insomnia are as follows:

Avoid alcohol and tobacco
Avoid caffeine containing drinks after lunch time
Avoid heavy meals 3 hours before bedtime, specifically foods like bacon, cheese, chocolate, eggplant, ham, potatoes, sauerkraut, sugar, tomatoes, etc.
Exercise regularly, but not just before bedtime
Take a hot bath an hour or two before bedtime
Take 5 milligrams of melatonin one hour before bed, Nite-Rest is a good source of melatonin. Take 5-Hydroxy L-tryptophan (5HTP), also found in Nite-Rest.

These suggestions will help you to avoid having sleep problems, however, it is very important to determine the root cause. Also, be cautious of taking melatonin for long periods of time. There have been recent studies that excess use of melatonin (more than occasional use) can stop the body’s own production of this necessary hormone.

Are you living in a "Pressurized" world

Pressure.. a word with many connotations. Lets examine a few... Certainly, you have heard the expression "performing under pressure." This is when an individual is operating at their optimum, regardless of internal or external stressors, over a specified period of time. It includes everyone in all walks of life, business professionals, athletes and students for example. It means the person is "in the zone" and their sympathetic nervous system -"fight or flight" response- is in high gear and the hormone adrenaline is flowing at a rapid rate throughout the bloodstream.

Pressure can indicate stress, which is all too common in our daily lives, leading to all kinds of chronic disease states like arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. And yes, last but certainly not the least, another familiar type of pressure called hypertension or high blood pressure. It is well accepted in the medical community that high blood pressure is the "silent killer." Many people have high blood pressure and don't even know it. Sometimes it is incidentally found that a person has hypertension at an annual physical exam, at a health fair screening or at your local pharmacy/supermarket.

High blood pressure is on the rise in America, leading to increased incidence of diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. So, check your blood pressure at every opportunity because again many times high blood pressure produces no symptoms until damage is well under way.

Do You Have High Blood Pressure?

From the minute you hear the alarm clock buzz, make your way out of bed and get into the shower, your blood pressure is fluctuating. As you’re fighting through bumper-to-bumper traffic to make your way to work on time, your blood pressure may be pushed up to 164/68. You finally get to work with five minutes to spare; your pressure might drop to 130/70. High blood pressure does not necessarily mean that it is constantly and persistently high. Within minutes it could drop or increase between 60-80 mm Hg.

Optimal blood pressure is 120/80; the top number is the systolic heart rate and the bottom is the diastolic heart rate. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). It is the amount of pressure exerted on the walls of blood vessels and on the heart’s valves. The systolic pressure measures the force that blood exerts on the artery walls as the heart contracts to pump out the blood. The bottom diastolic pressure is the measure of force when the heart relaxes to allow the blood to flow into the heart.

High blood pressure can only be diagnosed with repeated blood pressure measurements. This can be accomplished by wearing an ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitor or having your blood pressure measured, the old fashion way, by visiting your physician. Another way of monitoring blood pressure is by taking a stress test.

Here are a few ways to lower the chances of developing high blood pressure regardless of race, age, sex or heredity. Maintain a healthy weight; if over weight lose the weight Increase physical activity Decrease salt or sodium intake
Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum Quit Smoking, if you are a smoker
Dietary supplements of potassium, calcium, magnesium and fish oils may also help prevent high blood pressure. Many fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, and fish are all good sources of potassium. Research has indicated people with low calcium intake have high rates of high blood pressure. Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese are good sources of calcium. However, if you are lactose intolerant, tofu, kale, turnip greens or a calcium supplement can also provide the needed calcium.

Although blood pressure varies from person to person, there are accepted guidelines for what is considered optimal, normal, and high. If high blood pressure is a problem try our homeopathic medicinal product Circulin provides the body the nutrients it needs to reduce blood pressure.

Protect Your Body Against A Viral Flu Invasion

Hey, Don’t Bug Me, Go Away!!

I am sure most of you have heard the expression "I have the bug," or "I’ve caught the bug," meaning of course that you have contracted a strain of influenza or the "flu virus." We know children and the elderly are at the highest risk of coming into contact with the flu and also having the most severe complications of the illness. This flu season less people received the vaccine due to a shortage of supplies. Regardless, it is generally accepted that the flu virus and other common viruses are very disruptive to the body’s immune system and can lead to serious manifestations of life threatening illness.

On the flip side of the coin, bacterial infections are also way to common in producing strept throat, acute sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia, to name a few. We will look at frequent bacterial pathogens later in this health tip.

Studies show that prescribing habits of family practice doctors and primary care physicians are extreme when it comes to antibiotics. Much of this is due to the pressure doctors receive from their well-meaning patients who insist on at least getting an antibiotic during their office visit, even though their symptoms suggest a viral illness for which obviously antibiotics offer no benefit. The bottom line is to incorporate healthy daily habits to prevent any infection whether viral or bacterial.

Protect Your Body Against A Viral Invasion

Unlike antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections, there is no specific class of drugs that treat viral infections such as influenza and the common cold. Both are also the leading cause of patient visits to physicians and account for the most number of absences from school and work compared to any other illness. The first step to treating a bacterial or a viral infection is to distinguish one from the other. The symptoms are fairly similar, so a visit to your physician may be necessary.

In order to determine which type of infection is causing the symptoms, a doctor may run a CBC blood test, which is used as a broad screening procedure to check for disorders such as anemia (decrease in red blood cells or hemoglobin), infection, and many other diseases. Depending on the situation, a culture (blood, urine, throat, etc.) may also be necessary. The cultures are often sent out to a lab and the results may take a while to be received. Many Patients today demand a "quick fix" that sometimes lead to doctors prescribing antibiotics for a viral infection. Antibiotics treat pathogenic bacterial infections, however, they cannot effectively treat viral infections.

Unfortunately, the use of antibiotics strip our gastrointestinal tract of essential friendly bacterial cultures. Nausea and upset stomach are usually indicative of this occurrence. To repopulate the culture of good bacteria, take Reflora which helps destroy putrefactive bacteria within the lower tract and reduce unwanted yeast cultures.

Research is being conducted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to design vaccinations and treatments for both bacterial and viral infections. Many life threatening conditions that once took the life of so many pose no threat today. "Rubella, a virus that once seriously harmed tens of thousands of infants is no longer a major health threat, thanks to a safe and effective vaccine and successful immunization programs across the country," states CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding.

Our body's natural defense is the immune system. Cells called T-lymphocytes recognize and kill cells containing viruses. Antibodies within the body generally kill viruses released from infected cells. Children and adults with viral infections generally recover once the illness has run its course. Colds caused by viruses may last for two weeks or longer.

The following can help a person with a cold or flu feel better:
Increase fluid intake
Use cool mist vaporizer or saline nasal spray to relieve congestion
Soothe throat with ice chips
When fighting an infection, the body needs extra help not only to boost the immune system and eradicate invasive bacterial and viral entities, but also to alleviate associated symptoms and restock nutritional stores depleted due to illness. The quickest way to overcome viral infections like a common cold or flu is to provide your body with the nutrients it needs during this time. Virexin is a homeopathic medicinal formulated to provide extra nutritional support for a variety of bodily infection and immune dysfunction.

Protect your body from a viral invasion by getting your immune system into an optimal state. Eat right, drink plenty of water, and take a multivitamin like Daily Essentials. When in contact with infected people or at the first sign of illness, take Virexin to help prevent sickness.
CBC Blood Test and Bacterial Cultures

Both CBC blood tests and bacterial cultures help distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. Normally part of a routine medical exam, CBC tests help identify serious problems before they get worse. The CBC test provides a complete count of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in an individual's blood. Complete blood count testing is actually a panel of tests that help physicians examine different parts of their patients' blood.

The CBC is used as a broad screening test to check for such disorders as anemia, infection, and many other diseases. If the blood test indicates increased white blood cell count, it is indicative of bacterial infections. Viral infections result in a decreased white blood cell count. Results from CBC blood tests will provide your doctor with a general overview of your health.

Your doctor may order blood, throat, urine, or sputum (secretion produced in the lungs and the bronchi) cultures when you are having symptoms of sepsis (bacterial infection), which indicate that bacteria or their byproducts are causing harm in your body. The cultures help determine the type of bacterial infection. Blood cultures are drawn more frequently in newborns who may have an infection, but may not have the typical signs and symptoms of sepsis. Similarly, blood cultures are collected in young children to detect serious infections.

Common pathogenic bacterial cultures include:
Group B streptococcus
E. Coli
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Haemophilus influenzae
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Staphylococcus aureus
Common viral cultures include:
Rhinoviruses
Coronavirus
Parainfluenza virusus
Respitatory syncytial virus
Influenza virus
Adenoviruses
Coxsackieviuses
Epslein-Barr virus

The Nutritional Supplement Journey

When you walk into a health food store or when looking at multiple pages of Internet links regarding Nutritional Supplements, it can become overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you know that the products on the shelf, and on the World Wide Web are of the highest quality and purity to ensure safety and effectiveness? Only to confuse you even more, the mass media often plants seeds of doubt on Nutritional Supplements, including Vitamins E and C, which are scientifically documented to have positive benefits towards the prevention of chronic disease. Our goal has always been to educate our customers on all aspects of the nutritional industry in order to help you make informed proactive decisions regarding healthy choices.

Part II: How To Choose Quality Nutritional Products

Reading Labels: The New RDA

When looking at the label on the back of a dietary supplement, what are you really looking at? The term RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances), introduced over 40 years ago by the National Academy of Sciences' U.S. Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), was set as a standard for the daily amounts of vitamins needed to maintain health. Now, the new standard is called the DV (Daily Value), which was introduced by the FDA in 1994. There are two sub categories of the DV: the DRVs (Daily Reference Values) and the RDIs (Reference Daily Intakes). The DRVs represent the daily references of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, protein, fiber, sodium and potassium. The RDIs represent the daily references of essential vitamins and minerals, and where it applies, protein.

Our Products Are Complete Synergistic Blends

We are a member of the National Nutritional Food Association (NNFA), has made the Nutraceutical industry what it is today, not just in the United States, but also worldwide through its advancements in phytomedicinal combinations and biosystem. Since the late 1980's, our successful pioneering efforts in the use of Free Form Amino Acids, DHEA, Alpha Hydroxy Acids, Melatonin, Glycosaminoglycans and their subsequent worldwide popularization demonstrate the seriousness and value of our research to date.