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The People’s Choice

by David Steinman

What do Arthur Andrew Medical, Aubrey, Barlean’s Organic Oils, Beauty Without Cruelty, Garden of Life, Earth Friendly Products and so many other of the great companies listed below have in common? All are winners in the 2012 Healthy Living Awards poll.

We wanted to know what our readers thought about the natural products industry, especially which brands they love most when it comes to health—and, boy, did they ever respond! Indeed, more than 4,500 votes were cast!

Our awards were divided into two major categories. Healthy Living People’s Choice Awards went to the first and second highest vote getters. Healthy Living Editor’s Choice Awards are our attempt to make sure that lesser-known products and brands get the recognition that they deserve. Continue reading

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50 Simple Steps to Save the Rainforests: #16—Break Your Paper Addiction

by Kim Henderson

“If civilization has risen from the Stone Age, it can rise again from the Wastepaper Age.”—Jacques Barzun, French-American Historian

Paper towels, paper bags, paper packaging, toilet paper, tissues, office paper—we are a paperdependent society indeed! This step helps you to become aware of your paper use and hopefully will inspire you to do with a little less paper in your daily routine. This is a lifestyle-modification step that can make a profound difference, if taken collectively. Continue reading

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50 Simple Steps to Save the Rainforests: #1—Buy Sustainable Rainforest Tea

by Kim Henderson

“Where there’s tea, there’s hope.”—Arthur W. Pinero, English playwright

Why not start our journey with something easy and relaxing—and good for you? Yes, you can save the rainforest while you savor the flavors embodied in a cup of tea. It’s all in what you choose to buy. So sit back and relax with this one. Continue reading

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50 Simple Steps to Save the Rainforests: #5—Say No to “Dirty Gold”

by Kim Henderson

“Mining is like a search-and-destroy mission.”—Stewart L. Udall, Former U.S. Congressman

Personal-care products made with sustainably extracted rainforest botanicals is a great example of where your consumer dollars can make a beneficial impact on the rainforest and its communities. On the contrary, gold is not. At the time of this writing, there are very few gold mines with sustainable practices in the world, let alone the tropical rainforests. When it comes to gold, it’s best to refrain altogether or direct your consumer power to recycled or vintage jewelry. Jewelry lovers need not despair—the world of recycled gold and vintage jewelry is exciting and filled with wonderful pieces that have character and beauty. Go for the good gold on this one! Continue reading

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Let Noni Be Thy Medicine (for Healthy Blood Pressure)

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects about 1 in 3 U.S. adults—an estimated 68 million—according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also referred to as the ‘Silent Killer’ because of its lack of symptoms, high blood pressure can lead to heart attack and stroke, so it’s crucial to keep your blood pressure in check.   Continue reading

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50 Simple Steps to Save the Rainforests: #4—Buy Personal-Care Products That Benefit the Rainforest

by Kim Henderson

“Although we are in different boats—you in your boat and we in our canoe—we share the same river of life.”—Chief Oren Lyons, Onondaga Nation, Native-American Faithkeeper

There’s nothing like luxuriating your body with the rich oils, tropical scents and restorative herbs that are sustainably extracted from rainforest botanicals. Doing this regularly is a fantastic rainforest-saving action that will make you feel great inside and out. So have some fun with this step. Explore some of the most exotic shampoos, soaps and moisturizers on the planet and help the people of the rainforest make a living sustainably in the process. Continue reading

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David Speaks at UCLA Sustainable Fiood Conference

I was kindly invited to be part of the panel for the Sustainable Food Conference on Wednesday April 11th from 6:30-8:30 pm at the James West Alumni Center at UCLA.  The crowd was overflowing.  Never underestimate the power of free organic and sustainable food!  Also sponsoring the event was Teens Turning Green.

Ecology Economy Equity E3′s Second Annual Earth Month speaking event was to help students develop a fuller understanding of California’s complex food system and its relationship with sustainability. A sustainable food system incorporates the three Es of sustainability: ecology, economy and equity. The six speakers represented various components of a sustainable food system and provided unique perspectives on how to create healthier and greener societies. Each panelist spoke about their experiences and emphasized how choices we make on a daily basis, both as citizens and as consumers, can help create a sustainable food system. Continue reading

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50 Simple Steps to Save the Rainforests: #24—Choose a Better Banana

by Kim Henderson

“There may be a thousand little choices in a day. All of them count.”—Unknown

When you go to the market, after reading this step, you’ll be able to choose bananas that have the least destructive impact on tropical rainforests. Our top recommendations use the least amount of pesticides and practice recycling and are therefore the best energy savers. Enjoy your bananas even more knowing you are choosing more sustainable agriculture with every purchase! Continue reading

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TBR Labs Found in Contempt

It’s true: other colostrum brands may claim to contain Immune-Tree certified first-milking colostrum, but don’t fall for it. A recent court ruling has determined anything else is deceptive. But if you are a retailer, health practitioner or consumer, Immune Tree Inc. (the real Immune Tree) would like to work with you. Get the real thing and stop buying or using falsely labeled products!

Here’s an update from our friends at Immune Tree Inc.: Continue reading

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50 Simple Steps to Save the Rainforests: #11—Eat Brazil Nuts

by Kim Henderson

“Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.”—Aldo Leopold, American Author, Environmentalist and Scientist

You can have a taste of the Amazon wherever you live by eating Brazil nuts. Who knew activism could be so easy and delicious? Enjoy them on salads and pastas, in baked goods or as a snack. Read on to find out how you help the Amazon with every bite. Continue reading

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Message to Our Government: Stop Persecuting Members of the Natural Products Industry

by David Steinman

I’ve been a strong advocate of good regulation as a means to help industries grow and make sure consumers are protected. When it comes to nutritional supplements, I have always been a big supporter of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, or DSHEA, as it has come to be known, for this very reason. Along with my support for DSHEA, I have realized that our Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also has an important role to play, both safeguarding consumer interests and promoting our industry. The FDA has played a critical role in setting up Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and insuring that products are not adulterated.

But I must say that recent actions by our FDA in the state of Oregon against James Cole and Maxam Nutraceutics have raised serious issues that you need to know about. On Thursday, April 7, 2011, 47 SWAT-style agents from the FDA, Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a raid on Maxam Nutraceutics, which is based in Hood River, Oregon. Continue reading

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Healthy Holiday Recipes

by Christina Pirello

Here we are poised at the start of the frenetically paced holiday season. What if I told you that your holiday feasts could include healthy starter dishes so yummy no one could resist them? These starter recipes from The Budwig Cancer and Coronary Heart Disease Prevention Diet are a win-win. You have the privilege of feeding your loved ones food that serves their health—and they get to dine on food that is so delicious they will wonder why they ever avoided healthy foods before! Continue reading

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Pinecone Extract—A Promising Supplement for a Cold Sore-free Holiday!

Along with all the joy, the holidays bring their fair share of stress. And with increased stress comes a compromised immune system and an increased risk of a cold-sore outbreak. Nobody wants to have a painful and unappealing cold sore showing in all the family photos! Yet according to the American Social Health Association (ASHA), between 50 and 80 percent of the adult population in the United States has herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), more commonly known as a “cold sore” or “fever blister.” While many people are asymptomatic, those who have experienced the activated virus know how uncomfortable and unsightly the sores can be.

Although there is no cure for cold sores, you can help your body’s ability to keep them in check. Continue reading

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A Golden Anniversary for Sunrise Health Foods—One of the Originals

Today, we take for granted that there are health food stores in most cities and larger towns and that you can find a health food section in most conventional food stores. Yet it hasn’t always been this way. What we enjoy today is the result of hard work by pioneering health food stores of the ’60s and ’70s—stores that came before even the first Whole Foods in 1981.

Celebrating 50 years this fall, Sunrise Health Foods opened its doors in 1961, carrying the message of health to the surrounding Chicago community. Continue reading

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Heroes of the Month

by David Steinman

Christina Pirello and Jonathan W. Emord are my heroes of the month.

Christina, the Emmy Award-winning star of Christina Cooks, just released I’m Mad as Hell, and I’m Not Going to Eat It Anymore—one of the best books I’ve read on taking control of your health and your life. Christina wants us to cook at home more often with a higher proportion of plant-based and organically grown and raised foods in order for us to combat our growing obesity problem. She notes, “A 2003 study done by Harvard economists revealed that the rise of food preparation outside the home could easily explain the accelerated rise in obesity in this country.” And she gives her readers great tips on how to declutter their lives and kitchens to help make these lifestyle changes. Continue reading

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Help Control Inflammation Levels with Systemic Oral Enzymes

by Michael Loes, MD, MD(H)

Enzymes are found in all organisms, and without them life could not exist. Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts to speed up the body’s biochemical processes. In other words, enzymes are the body’s helpers for different tasks. Unfortunately the temperatures at which most foods are cooked destroy dietary enzymes, making supplementation with systemic oral enzymes a good idea. Systemic (throughout the body) oral enzymes enhance the body’s healing response by helping to restore and maintain healthy inflammation levels in the body. Continue reading

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Coral Minerals—Premiere Trace Mineral Source

So you want to do everything possible to reduce risk of osteoporosis and colon cancer as well as raise beneficial levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs, the good cholesterol) and support immune function….

First in a series of articles on the health benefits of “eco-safe above-sea coral calcium”

Bone health, smooth heartbeat, immune system support—all require calcium.  But simply taking calcium isolate might not be the best approach. Continue reading

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Why We Love UAS Labs’ DDS-1 Super Strain of Lactobacillus Acidophilus

We’re big fans of UAS Labs’ DDS-1 super strain of Lactobacillus Acidophilus, available at health food stores nationwide. Here’s a recent study that shows why:

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.—Physicians from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic conducted a clinical case study to determine whether using a multispecies probiotic could minimize the symptoms of patients with irritabl…e bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is estimated to affect 20 to 30 percent of the population with 30 to 50 percent of gastroenterology referrals related to IBS symptoms. Researchers evaluated 25 patients with IBS as defined by Rome III criteria over a period of 60 days. Patients were treated with a multispecies probiotic product (Multi-Flora Plus) containing Lactobacillus acidophilus (as DDS®-1 strain, from UAS Labs), Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium lactis with a combined potency of 12 billion CFU/g. Patients’ symptom severity was evaluated on a scale of 1 to 10. Improvement was classified with at least 50 percent reduction in severity. The most significant improvements occurred after 60 days of treatment with 84 percent of the patients showing improvement in abdominal pain, 73.9 percent in bloating, 92 percent in belching, 88 percent in flatulence, 90.9 percent in diarrhea and 86.9 percent in constipation. No clinically evident side effects were observed.

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The Solution for the NSAID Dilemma for High-risk Osteoarthritis Patients.

“For decades, evidence-based data and reported experience have warned that the common chronic oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) in elderly patients is ultimately dangerous,” notes Dr. Sanford Roth, of Arizona State University, and one of the leading experts in the efficacy of drug therapies and nutritional support.

When Dr. Roth speaks of NSAIDs, these include medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, and more powerful drugs like Celebrex.  When taking these medications, “Elderly patients with OA are at heightened risk for developing serious gastrointestinal and cardiovascular adverse events, including gastrointestinal bleeding, myocardial infarction, and stroke,” notes Roth in a recent article in the September 2011 issue of Physician and Sportsmedicine.  “Prescribing NSAIDs, especially in an elderly population, continues to be discouraged because of these significant risks. A dilemma exists for individuals who need the established efficacy associated with oral NSAIDs but who are at increased risk for serious adverse events associated with these agents.”[i] Continue reading

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Shingles and Pain Management with Life Sources® Immuzyme®

by Morgan Eslick of Life Sources Inc.

I am getting healthier and able to cope with the pain because of the amazing Life Sources products. My only regret with the Life Sources protocol is not starting sooner!

Twenty out of every 100 persons will get shingles in their lifetime. Most get it only once; however, 4 out of every 100 persons will have it more than once. Herpes zoster, or shingles, is the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chicken pox. Although commonly thought to affect only those over 50, the debilitating pain of shingles can strike anyone at any age. Erupting along the affected nerves, lesions can happen anywhere on the body, causing the nerve endings to send signals to the brain that are interpreted as severe pain, itching and burning. At 26, I am all too familiar with the pain created by shingles. Continue reading

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Amazing Coral Minerals

by David Steinman

Are you one of millions of health-conscious shoppers today seeking the very best in calcium supplements? Of course, most men and women over age 40 are supplementing with calcium to maintain healthy bones and fight off osteoporosis.

It’s important to know that if you are using coral minerals rather than simple calcium carbonate from limestone, you will not only take care of your skeletal health but also achieve so much more.

Coral minerals from Coral LLC rank as one of the most unique health-promoting supplements in the world. I say this as someone in his fifties who has been devoted to supplementing his diet with coral minerals much of his adult life, and—best of all—I just returned from my doctor with a very excellent health score.

I attribute my excellent health in part to my devotion to coral minerals. I try to live a clean life. But I need extra help. I get that help from Coral Complex3, which supplies 90 percent of my calcium needs as well as more than 70 trace minerals, in just three capsules daily. Amazing! Continue reading

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Pinecone Extract—Just What Your Immune Health Needs

by Julie Powell

Pinecone extract has been used medicinally throughout the ages for a myriad of health ailments. The Greek physician Dioscorides, who traveled with the Roman army, documented its use in his records, and pinecone extract has been used as a remedy for ulcers and cancer in Japan. Today, Allera Health Products has perfected a pinecone extract supplement based on more than 20 years of research from leading experts in the field such as Dr. Akiko Tanaka of the Tampa Bay Research Institute. Allera’s formula, ImmunExtra, contains a proprietary pinecone extract blend called Proligna™, which starts as a pure water extraction from pinecones hand-harvested in Wisconsin that is then dried into a powder and packed into capsules. Continue reading

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