4 Favorite Savory Recipes with Garden of Life Coconut Oil

When you think of coconut oil, if you’re anything like me, then lazy days on the beach as a teenager come to mind. Slathering yourself with SPF4 and rotating slowly might have hurt those shoulders afterwards, but the scent was heavenly! Little did I know it might have done more for my physique (in a healthier way!) if I'd used an edible form rather than a tanning formulation. Garden of Life Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is a versatile whole food supplement that can be used in a huge range of dishes -- today we look at four of our favorites 'a la carte' that can utilize it.

Mussels with Thai Red Curry

Nothing can put your imagination on a tropical Asian beach faster than the combination of seafood and coconut flavors. This recipe calls for both coconut milk and butter -- you'll use your Garden of Life Coconut Oil in place of the butter rather than the milk. As a bonus, this one is really fast -- it is designed as a first course, and you could throw it together while your guests or family are waiting at the table.

Cold Curried Carrot and Coconut Milk Soup

Sounds odd, tastes delicious is the general verdict on this recipe! You can sauté your scallions and onion as well as the gingerroot in the coconut oil, rather than in ordinary butter if you like. It helps create a more comprehensive flavor.

Seared Salmon and Thai Vegetables

You can use the coconut oil in cooking the rice in this recipe -- there are no heavy sauces to weigh you down, so the Garden of Life whole food supplement is as healthy as its context, in this recipe! There's a bit of prep to do and a few seasonings to buy, but it should become a weekend favorite.

Coconut and Red Lentil Soup

Dhal is a South Indian staple, and this version of the recipe uses coconut milk to create a filling meal with a silky texture. You can simply add a little Garden of Life coconut oil to the recipe, or use it to sauté the onions, garlic, ginger and spices to bring out their flavors.

You Put the Lime in the Coconut … 4 Yummy Ways to Use Your Coconut Oil Supplement!

And we guarantee that none of the ways to use your coconut oil whole food supplement contained in this article will make you call the doctor and wake him up, saying "Doctor! Ain't there nothing I can take … to relieve this bellyache?"

Garden of Life Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

This ultra-healthy dietary oil can be used in place of butter for cooking and spreading on your toast. It is more quickly converted to energy that standard milk-butter is, and enhances the thermogenic capacity of the body. It is free of trans-fats, helps maintain healthy levels of cholesterol and is both vegetarian and organic. We are looking at different ways you can incorporate it into your daily diet.

Frying

In terms of preserving antioxidants, frying is actually quite a healthy way to cook your food. Boiled vegetables and fruits have lost up to two-thirds of their antioxidant potential … and frying with Garden of Life Extra Virgin Coconut Oil makes it so much healthier!

On bread and toast

Garden of Life Extra Virgin Coconut Oil has the consistency of butter … so you don’t need to make every sandwich an adventure into Texas oil country to enjoy the benefits of coconut oil over butter throughout the day. It goes beautifully with exotic flavors in your sandwiches, and even along with peanut butter for your toast in the morning.

In baked products

With the same consistency and a similar fat content to butter (just a change in the way the body processes that fat), Garden of Life Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is a healthy substitute for butter in baking. You can use it to grease cake tins and muffin trays, rub it together with sugar and blend with egg for moist and delicious cakes, blend it with flour to create a beautiful breadcrumb texture for scones, and much more.

Sauces

All the best sauces are also the most buttery sauces! You normally have to go easy on the sauce if you are trying to improve your health - but if you make your own with Garden of Life Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, you get to indulge. From a creamy béchamel to delicious carbonara, coconut oil in place of butter creates a fascinating and addictive flavor.

Arrrgggh! Meditation and Herbal Supplements for Stress Relief

Stress is a common disorder nowadays. Our bodies are designed to experience stress as a survival mechanism - but when the stress continues well past the point where our evolutionary ancestors would have either escaped the saber-tooth tiger, or been eaten, our bodies don’t cope very well. Removing stressors is a big part of the equation -- but in the meantime, help your body get back to the state it was in before that fight with your boss, or the close call on the freeway, with one simple whole food supplement and one simple technique.

Meditation

There are a hundred different ways to meditate. One method that is recommended for the reduction of stress is the mindful meditation method, where you focus solely on the present moment, and let thoughts of the past and the future go altogether. Here is a guide:

• Find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably. The floor is good, but a chair is fine if you have knee or back problems.
• Tell yourself that you will be meditating for a certain amount of time. Start with five minutes, work your way up to ten, fifteen, twenty and thirty minutes. Let your brain know that it does not need to worry about things or sort them out in this time. There will be plenty of time for that afterwards -- you will simply be focusing on the task at hand.
• Set a timer so that you aren't disturbing your meditation by constantly worrying about the clock. Your mobile phone most likely has a convenient timer.
• Close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing. Notice how it feels to breathe in, and then to breathe out. See how there is a pause in between each breath. You might like to use a breathing pattern -- there are several recommended ones, like breathing in for a count of 3, holding for 3, breathing out for 3, holding for 3.
• If your mind wanders, don’t beat yourself up. Just bring your attention back to your breathing. It doesn’t matter how many times you have to do this -- all you have is time. As the minutes go by it will get easier.

Whole Food Supplements for Stress

Stress sets off complex chains of reactions in your body and disturbs metabolic processes. Times of stress are more critical than all others for getting the nutrients you need, and often the residual bodily stress of the disturbance means that it takes longer to recover from a stressful event because 'you still don’t quite feel right'. We recommend New Chapter Rhodiolaforce 300 -- it uses rose root to help with adaptive stress management. The herbal supplement also helps with cognitive performance, cardiovascular function and immune boosting.

Don’t just sit there and take stress -- there are simple and easy ways to get rid of it!

Top 4 Lifestyle Changes for Healthy Bones

It's often said that you don’t know what you've got until it's gone … and this is true of our bones more than most things in life! While even young people can be coerced into paying attention to their brain and heart health, bone health is something that people don’t think about until they've done a lifetime of ignoring the very thing that gets you up in the morning! Fortunately lifestyle changes that are healthful for your bones are good all round -- let's look at the top 4 changes you can make for good bone health and the most popular brands of whole food supplements for your skeleton.

1. Have cereal instead of toast for breakfast

This simple change helps ensure that you get at least one serving of calcium in a day -0- most women in America get less than 500 mg a day, when 1,000 mg a day is required for optimal bone health. The protein and fat in milk also helps you feel fuller for longer than the empty calories that are in most commercial breads, anyway.

2. Walk wherever you can

Get into the habit of going for a daily walk, and do a little jogging within that space as well. The weight bearing exercise stresses your skeleton, and induces it to form new bone to heal tiny, microscopic fractures and stresses. The same theory works for muscle development -- stress and tiny tears induce your body to create newer, bigger muscles. If you find that getting the energy to go walking is a problem, there are plenty of organic whole food supplements that are designed to help boost energy and vitality.

3. Stop smoking and drinking

A classic example of a lifestyle choice that is toxic not only to your bones, but your entire body. Smokers generally need more than one reason to quit -- I understand, I smoked for many years and still count giving up cigarettes as one of the hardest things I ever did. You negate the effects of your whole food supplements and also your dietary calcium to a large degree when you drink and smoke. If you do both, you lose about 8% bone mass over a year.

4. Make whole food supplements a part of your daily life

It is so easy to let the days slip by, and one week realize that you haven’t had a balanced diet, all day, for over a month. Organic whole food supplements are the most healthful way to take your vitamins and minerals, apart from getting them from fresh food. Calcium is a mineral that exists in delicate balance in your body -- it needs other minerals present for absorption, but not in too high concentrations. Whole food supplements give you the delicate balance, ready-made. Bone Strength Take Care is a great example.

Don't Make These Weight Mistakes

Weight loss is both simple and complicated, all at the same time. Eating right is difficult in our modern society -- getting enough exercise is also, when many of us work 9-10 hours a day and commute for a further 2 … and then have to clean your house and play with your kids somewhere in there! It is achievable for everybody though -- morbid obesity is not a part of human evolution. There were no overweight cavemen! Today we are looking at some more of the top reasons that people find it easy to put weight on and hard to take it off. We'll also check out some of the organic whole food supplements that can help on your journey to your perfect weight.

1. Not drinking enough water

Water not only fills space in your belly that you might otherwise be tempted to fill with food, it also allows your metabolism to function normally -- dehydration slows down the rate at which you burn energy. Taking organic whole food supplements that assist with your weight loss, along with a big cool glass of water, is a double weight loss hit.

2. Ignoring a food group

Whether you choose to ignore carbs, dairy, or protein in your quest for the perfect weight, you are almost invariably doing your body a disservice. Even fats should not be ignored on a diet -- avocado and olive oil are great for general health and having the mental focus and energy to exercise. Dairy has calcium, which is essential for fat metabolism specifically.

3. Drive-through fast food

It's so, so easy to just pick up dinner by waiting in a short line, not even getting out of your car and them just dumping it on the table at home. There aren’t even any dishes to do. But the temptation of milkshakes, ice-creams and upsizing is huge when getting drive through -- even if you order the salad. Put convenience into your diet with organic whole food supplements rather than empty calories.

4. Weighing yourself daily

Focus on feeling good, having energy, enjoying your increased brain power from a good diet and exercise … but don't focus on the numbers on the scale. They don’t provide an accurate picture of overall health.

5. Get exercise

The key to motivating yourself to exercise is finding something you WANT to do! Swimming offers precious quiet time … Ping Pong or Frisbee are awesome fun, and team sports boost your sociability as well as your health.

6. Set a realistic goal

If you either fail to set a goal, or set an unrealistic one, you don’t get the benefit of motivation that achieving something you set out to do provides. Set a goal like "Having noticeably firmer thighs and belly," "Being able to run to the bus stop without breaking a sweat," or even "Improving my hockey game to the level of our team's better players."

Avoiding the Freshman 15 with Whole Food Supplements

The freshman 15, those notorious 15 pounds that many men and women stack on soon after starting college, come right at a time when you need to be your mental and physical best. The phenomenon may be widespread, but it by no means HAS to happen. Today we are looking at ways of avoiding packing on the extra pounds when you go to college with sensible whole food supplements, meal timing and discipline tips. No acai berry involved!

Why does the Freshman 15 occur?

Teens and young adults often pack on the pounds when going to college because it is the first time they have been in total control of their own diet. They choose their own portion sizes for meals, have a constant supply of snacks and no parents telling you to leave some for everybody else! These environmental and choice factors are the main reasons behind it -- not complicated age-related metabolism issues.

Dining hall tips

The salad bar is not always the healthiest line to be in if you want to control your weight! Fresh vegetables often have much fewer calories per serving -- as long as you don’t add butter. Wholegrain pasta will be much more filling, also. Don’t load up more than a quarter to a third of your plate with protein (usually meat).

I ain't gonna chew carrot sticks while everyone else is having midnight pizza!

And I don’t blame you for that! If you keep a food diary, you can keep track of how often that's happening, though, and try to fill up on healthy things beforehand so the temptation to pig out is lowered. Or you can grab a salad from the pizza place instead, and just have one slice.

But college is all about drinking!

Yep, and that's also why college is also all about putting on weight! Alcoholic drinks are often quite high in calories -- and not just the exotic ones like cocktails. Beer is a big contributor to weight gain -- they don't call it a "beer belly" because it's just a cute alliteration.

Whole food supplements

Without vitamins and minerals, you'll have neither the energy to exercise, or the brain power to concentrate on classes. The urge to binge eat and binge drink usually passes -- you can help yourself get through it unscathed with whole food supplements. Where single supplements can be ineffective or dangerous, whole food supplements are the next best thing to eating veggies!

Diet and Travel: How to Explore without Losing Your Health

We all know the importance of getting your travel vaccinations before leaving for another country. We know how critical it is that you buy bottled water, and never have unprotected sex while you’re abroad -- or even travelling within your own continent. But the other aspects of health slowly slide down the gurgler while we are on holidays! Today we are looking at some easy ways to maintain your health regime while you are travelling, no matter how long or short your trip might be. We'll explore everything from juices to whole food supplements.

Make your own fresh snacks

Where it is possible, make your own fresh snacks up and portion them out into Tupperware containers or ziplock bags. Put a few sticks of celery, carrot and cheese in a bag and dip into a container of peanut butter. Create your own nut and dried fruit mix,or use a commercial trail mix. Snacks like potato chips and chocolate bars are even easier to overeat when you are travelling.

Fast food tips

Think small with your main meal portions -- we know upsizing sounds like good value for your wallet, but it isn’t a good investment in your future health. Stick as close to nature as you can get with your side dishes -- corn, mashed potatoes and peas are all preferable to coleslaw … even if it is technically a salad. Don’t dress your salads, use salsa rather than sour cream and cheese for baked potatoes or tortillas, and look for a sandwich shop where possible.

Juices

If you've never been introduced to the joys of vegetable juice, travelling is an excellent time to start! Most people find a combination of fruit and vegetable juice is the easiest for them to drink -- some vegetable-only juices taste like cold soup. You can usually get these in individual packs as well -- no need to worry about refrigerating a bottle. As good as whole food supplements for getting your daily dose of vitamins and minerals.

Always pre-portion

We did touch on this earlier -- but the portioning stage of your preparations is critical. If you eat straight from a bag or box, you open the floodgates for mindless eating. There have been innumerable studies showing that people tend to eat more when there is more food before them … but that when they eat less, they don’t feel less full.

Whole food supplements

These are one of the easiest ways to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients that you would from healthy home-cooked meals, but without the kitchen bench, the hours of prep time and the slow-cooker! Whole food supplements exist in a 'complex' of nutrients that all support each other much better than single supplements can do, and are great for travellers.

5 Practical Tips for Boosting Your Immune System

Our immune system is just as critical to normal bodily function as the respiratory, circulatory or nervous system. And if you’re the sort of person that tends to catch everything that's going round, from measles to the common cold, you know how important it is also! Today we're looking at the five kindest things you can possibly do for your immune system, from herbal supplements to sleep.

Immune Booster 1: Diet

This is critical to preventing and treating so many different conditions. Yet people continue to eat processed foods, ignore the fruit and veges, and load up on the saturated fats. It is in part due to our modern lifestyle -- fruit and veggies can take significantly longer to prepare than ripping the wrapper off a muesli bar … so the choice is obvious. But if you don't want to catch a cold by looking at someone sneezing across the street, you need to make that time! Your diet can be helped by whole food supplements, but they certainly don’t make up for a processed-food diet.

Immune Booster 2: Sleep

Studies are starting to show us just how vital sleep is to normal bodily function. It is during this time that immune cells like killer T cells, helper T cells and B cells are being regenerated, and also that they are fighting any latent infections. Have eight hours now to save yourself eight days off work later!

Immune Booster 3: Water

Chronic dehydration is common in the Western World -- in places where the most abundant sources of clean fresh water are found. Chronic dehydration stresses many bodily systems, including the immune system. Drink water, not coffee or cola.

Immune Booster 4: Herbal Supplements

In some people's bodies, energy and nutrient resources are prioritized differently -- in some cases they are prioritized away from the immune system. Herbal supplements containing extracts like elderberry and seaweed are particularly good for stimulating immune function. Take them as a preventive rather than curative -- every day during flu season is advisable.

Immune Booster 5: Quit the sugar

Sugar can become addictive just as quickly as any other prescription or non-prescription drug can. Your body builds a tolerance, and then needs more and more. It's a vicious cycle that results in damage to the pancreas, liver and brain -- the entire body is affected. Make your own cakes, biscuits and sweets with healthier sugars such as stevia or agave, keep them in the freezer and avoid temptation.

Easy Ways to Eat Your Garden of Life Detoxifiber

Fiber powder on its own may be edible … but not many people have tastebuds that predispose them to it! If you’re thinking about giving up your fiber whole food supplement because it is too hard to take, think again! There are tons of easy ways you can incorporate it into your daily meal plan, no matter what your taste preferences are. Here are eleven easy ideas for using Garden of Life Detoxifiber in your everyday meals!

1. With yogurt for breakfast: Depending on your preference, you can mix around 2-4 tbsp of Detoxifiber with 6-8oz of yogurt. Add some other fruit, especially juicy ones like oranges, grapefruit and watermelon to counteract the thickness, if you prefer.
2. In spaghetti sauce, for dinner: Detoxifiber is easy to mix into your favorite spaghetti sauce recipe -- even for those of you that like carbonara! It works best with bolognaise, puttanesca and napoletana, but you can safely mix in a tablespoon with a 4-person serving of carbonar with no ill effects.
3. Make your own bread: If you aren’t already doing this, and are concerned about your health … put a breadmaker on your Christmas list and get going! A huge amount of the salt in our diet comes from processed bread. Cut it all out and make your own, adding Garden of Life Detoxifiber
4. Pancakes or toppings: You can use Garden of Life Detoxifiber as either part of the flour constituent of your pancake recipe, or mixed with maple syrup, etc.
5. In salad: For those who find the thickness hard to deal with, this is an excellent option. You could even mix it into your salad dressing to make the texture a lot more subtle.
6. Chicken parmagiana: Who doesn't love it? Half the quantity of flour for your crumbed fillets, and add Garden of Life Detoxifiber instead.
7. Broiled fish: A great way to get both fiber and Omega-3s, which many people are deficient in. Again, mix the Detoxifiber whole food supplement with seasonings and shake over the fish before cooking
8. Peanut butter and Detoxifiber on toast: Delicious and nutritious … peanut butter has its own health benefits, as well as effectively disguising the fiber granules.
9. Soups: Whether you are a can or homemade devotee, Detoxifiber is easy to add to soup and makes it wonderfully filling as well as very healthy.
10. Frittata: Does your family love frittata? Mine do. And when there's a little Detoxifiber pressed into the pastry, and a little more in the egg, and a little more sprinkled on top for crunchy brownness, they don’t even notice all that goodness!
11. Smoothies: You don’t even have to make your own -- empty your own Garden of Life Detoxifiber into a bought smoothie once or twice a week.

Tread Gingerly! Ginger Root and Your Health

Ginger is a common ingredient in many of the cultural dishes of people who have unusually low instances of Western disease -- Indian, Chinese, Thai and Japanese cuisines all use the root extensively. This was probably what tipped scientists off to start investigating the strange looking, knobbly but delicious herb! There are plenty of ginger whole food supplements available -- New Chapter is one of the best known and most respected manufacturers of ginger supplements like Ginger Honey Tonic, Stamina Ginseng Ginger Tonic, Daily Ginger and Supercritical Ginger Extract. Today we are looking at the everyday health issues that ginger can help resolve, as well as some of the more exotic ailments ginger whole food supplements are used for.

Nausea

Pregnant women everywhere bow down to ginger and hail its anti-nausea effects, instead of bowing down to the porcelain throne every morning. People now make ginger lollipops and crystallized ginger that you can snack on to get the smell and taste, while your ginger whole food supplement gives you all the active compounds in concentrated form. It also works for stomach bugs, chemotherapy nausea, and motion sickness.

Migraines

There is no one remedy that works for every person who gets migraines. There is not even any one remedy that will always work for a particular person. But when a migraine is going to strike, you know you want everything possible available in your arsenal. It is not only the smell and taste that helps change the inflammation of blood vessels in your brain -- taking ginger capsules or dried ginger was found to have the same effects.

Arthritis

The inflammation that rheumatoid arthritis causes can be alleviated somewhat by ginger, according to studies. Ginger whole food supplements do not have the side effects that many standard anti-inflammatory medications do, but have been shown to help with pain and swelling in many cases.

Aches and pains

General aches and pains associated with other conditions like menstrual cramps, cold and flu aches, ulcerative colitis, sore throats, headaches and also fever, have been shown to be alleviated by ginger in various studies. Remember that results vary from person to person.

Also remember that if you are pregnant, you should check in with your doctor about any whole food supplements you take -- they aren't just water, like homeopathic remedies are. They have real benefits and effects, so check with a pharmacist or physician about pregnancy doses and medication interactions.

4 Garden of Life Products to Splash Out On

In many cases, people find that whole food supplements give you many of the same benefits, but ultimately are more cost effective, than buying the same amount of fresh food. So with all that money you are saving, there's no reason to shy away from products at the higher end of the price scale. Today we are looking at some of the Garden of Life whole food supplements that maybe a little pricier, but can have some great effects in your body.

FucoTHIN

Fucoxanthin is a relatively new weight loss whole food supplement. It has not been tested extensively, but the science behind it is promising. If you rarely use your gym membership, trade it in for a bottle of Garden of Life FucoTHIN, and go for a walk or a swim instead! 180 capsules of FucoTHIN retails for $79.95, but our price is just $55.97.

Perfect Food Caplets Super Green Formula

One serving of this powder is equal to 140g of fresh grass juice … and if you can’t stand what the taste of wheatgrass does to your watermelon and mango smoothie, this is an excellent alternative. Grass juices are high in antioxidants, spirulina for immune system support, and algaes and cereal grasses that help alkalize the body. You can get these in smaller quantities for as little as $15, but grab a value pack and ensure that you always have enough. 300 caplets are $47.37

PrimalDefense Ultra

Probiotics … who'd have thought, twenty years ago, that deliberately eating bacteria could be good for you?! We now have the science to prove it -- there are both digestive and immune benefits to probiotics. The 216 caplets size of this popular formulation is best value, at $47.37.

RM10

It might sound like the codename for a secret agent … possibly because that is how it acts in your body, keeping the baddies in line and ensuring good prevails! There have been some big health benefits seen in scientific studies of tonic mushrooms -- this blend includes ten different species. 120 caplets are $40.77, although you can get fewer for less money the big packs are much more cost effective.

Single Supplement Cautions - Can Selenium, Iron and Calcium Cause Disease?

We are often told that our daily vitamin intake is likely to be less than adequate. And broadly, this is very true! However, unless you are a biochemist, the dangers of self-dosing with single supplements (only vitamin C, only selenium, pure iron tablets, etc) are real and can be huge. Simply because they are natural, doesn’t mean they are good for the body in any dose. Today we look at four cautionary research stories on single supplementation, and follow up with your best and safest alternatives … whole food multivitamins.

Iron Linked to Parkinson's Disease

You know all those antioxidants that you try to consume, and even supplement with, day after day? If you are taking more iron than your body can use, you might be whittling away all that oxidation protection from your blueberries and wheat bran. Harvey Checkoway, PhD, of the University of Washington in Seattle conducted a diet survey on several hundred newly diagnosed Parkinson's patients, and found that those whose iron intake is in the top 25% of people were 1.7 times more likely to be Parkinson's patients. If you take iron and manganese single supplements (to put your total intake in the top 25%), you are almost twice as likely to develop Parkinson's, according to the study.

Calcium Linked to Prostate Cancer

Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin recently collaborated on an analysis of the 2800 or so men who participated in a nationwide diet study, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study authors stated that there was a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer in men in the top third of calcium consumption compared to the bottom third.

Selenium Linked to Diabetes

Taking a single selenium supplement of 200 micrograms daily was shown in a recent study to increase the risk of developing type two diabetes. The Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Trial gave the supplement to over a thousand people, and found that the risk of developing diabetes actually increased when taking a single supplement of this mineral, rather than a whole food multivitamin containing it.

However, this certainly does not contradict earlier scientific studies finding that a well rounded vitamin and mineral intake can help slow aging and prevent disease. It simply means that self-diagnosing and dosing with single supplements may be doing you more harm than good. Whole food multivitamins are specially formulated to deliver a range of vitamins in safe, complementary doses from natural sources. Much harder to overdose on, and much better for you!

The Basics of Prenatal Vitamins -- What You Should Know

Prenatal vitamins are recommended for most women. There are few women who get the required intake of folic acid daily through their diet, and this is important for neural tube growth in the baby as well as general fetal health. Iron is another common mineral that pregnant women quickly become deficient in, exacerbating the symptoms of tiredness and irritability that are common in early pregnancy. Prenatal vitamin complexes are the best choice, as overdoing any one vitamin can hurt either you or your baby -- however, there are still things you need to know about them! Today we are going over the basic precautions and methods for using prenatal whole food multivitamins.

Only one product, only the recommended dosage

Some medications it is safe to take in conjunction with other common ones -- for example, you can safely take Tylenol and NSAID painkillers together, even during pregnancy. Yet, despite the fact that they are more natural, it is less safe to take two different brands of prenatal whole food multivitamin together. Each will contain similar substances, and overdosing on some of them could cause internal bleeding to your or your baby, and even birth defects.

Vitamins A, D, E and K could have serious effects for pregnant women if taken in overdose. So may minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. If you get any of the following symptoms after taking more than the recommended dosage of prenatal whole food multivitamins, go see your doctor immediately:

• Stomach pain
• Peeling skin
• Tingly feeling in the mouth
• Severe back pain
• Blood in your urine
• Easy bruising and bleeding
• Very pale skin
• Weight loss

Don't eat as much dairy

In addition to increasing the risk of overdosing on calcium, extra calcium in the body may block absorption of some other minerals and vitamins. Look out for antacids containing calcium if you have spent the money on prenatal whole food multivitamins, also.

Effects on breastfeeding babies

The effect of multivitamins filtered through the bloodstream and those passing into breast milk are very different. If you are pregnant and also breastfeeding an older child, ask your doctor if the prenatal whole food multivitamins you are taking are safe.

Scientists Excited About Reishi Mushrooms

It takes quite a while for herbal and vitamin or mineral based remedies to be accepted by the scientific world. In the case of reishi mushrooms, it may have taken several centuries! Reishi mushrooms (scientific name ganoderma lucidum) are now being investigated to see if they have potential in helping people with a host of Western diet related problems, like diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

The main study is being undertaken at the University of Western Sydney's Center fro Complementary Medicine Research, and its principal aim is to find out whether high blood sugar conditions can be corrected by using whole food supplements containing reishi mushrooms. Other health problems will also be examined in the study, however the blood glucose question will be the main focus.

People with high blood glucose, obesity and high cholesterol are often classed ashaving a metabolic syndrome. One of the cruel paradoxes of the syndrome is that once a person develops it, it can be difficult and dangerous to make the required lifestyle changes to correct it. In some cases, lifestyle changes alone do very little to correct the syndrome.

Reishi mushrooms could hold the answer, though, as recognized by science (not just marketers). The study's proponents say that the mushroom has been revered in China for its ability to fight a range of diseases, enhance vitality and apparently delay aging. Whole food supplements that contain both reishi and cordyceps sinensis mushrooms (or taking a combination of the two whole food supplements) was noted by Nerida Klupp, of the Sydney center, as especially effective. Both have the same effect on blood glucose, and at present there doesn’t appear to be any dangerous interactions.

More recently, reishi mushrooms were studied in conjunction with green tea whole food supplements for their potential to slow the growth of sarcoma (cancerous cells). This combination was found to slow the deaths of mice from sarcoma, and an even more positive effect may be found in humans, after suitable study.

Fantastic Flax: Smoothie Ideas for Flax Seed Whole Food Supplements

You just can’t get any better as a health food than flax seed & fruit smoothies … all those great vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the fruit, the fiber and omega-3s of the flax seed, and the probiotics that you can incorporate via the yogurty base. Nutritious -- and much more delicious than some of the world's other healthiest foods, like brussel sprouts! Today we're looking at different smoothie recipes for your flax seed whole food supplements, to keep your life both healthy and interesting.

Strawberry Pineapple Flax Smoothie

This one has that distinct tang of pineapple and strawberry to balance out the rich nuttiness of flax seed whole food supplements. Use a cup of pineapple juice, ¾ cup of strawberries or other berries, half a cup of yogurt and 2 tbsp of your flax seed. Blend and drink!

Flaxseed Chocolate Dessert Smoothie

This one uses fruit and chocolate for an extra sugar hit with the goodness of flax. Mix 3 cups chocolate milk with a banana, ¾ cup strawberries and ¼ cup raspberries. Mix in half a cup of yogurt (look for a brand without high fructose corn syrup), and 2 tbsp of your flax seed whole food supplement. Blend and drink!

Flaxseed Breakfast Smoothie

The flax provides fiber that other breakfast smoothies have little of, as well as all its other important benefits! It uses many of the same ingredients: ½ banana, 5 strawberries, a cup of orange juice and ½ cup plain yogurt alongside a tbsp of your flax seed. You can add a tablespoon of whey protein powder if you like, also.

Afternoon Fresh Flax Smoothie

This one looks pretty crazy, and the ingredient list doesn’t sound nearly as sweet and tempting as some of the other smoothies! But once you taste it, you'll be an instant convert. Grab 2 cups of spinach and a cup of almond milk -- blend with a banana, a tablespoon of flax seed whole food supplement, and a handful of ice. Note that you can substitute a portion of your flax seeds for other whole food supplements if you like.

Fantastic Flax -- How Does it Work?

Flax seed is often recommended by dieticians for its various beneficial effects in the body. However, if you're anything like the average person, you wouldn’t know a flax seed if it came up and kissed you in the street! Today we are looking at the benefits of flax seed whole food supplements as a regular part of your diet, and exactly how they work in the body.

Flax is also known as linseed; it is this name which is most commonly used when flax is incorporated into bread. The nutritional basics of flaxseed, for a hundred gram quantity, are:

• 450 kCal
• 41 grams of fat
• 28 grams of fiber
• 20 grams of protein

Flax whole food supplement is known to be extremely high in fiber -- it is one of the foods highest in dietary fiber known to humans. Fiber has a whole range of health benefits, including making people feel full faster (and therefore reducing the risk of overeating), speeding the passage of foods through the digestive system (and reducing the re-absorption of harmful chemicals in the waste), lowering LDL and total cholesterol, and helping regulate blood sugar (reducing mood swings, insulin resistance and the risk of diabetes).

Flax is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, and for people that don't eat fish (or are concerned about heavy metal contamination of fish), is a great dietary source. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown in various studies to help in conditions like:

• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Immune-suppressing conditions
• Autism and ADD
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Like other whole grains and bran cereals, flax seed whole food supplements are high in lignans. These are known to be potent antioxidants; this is the reason for flax's possible anti cancer potential.

There are, however, a few cautions about the use of flax seed whole food supplements for certain individuals. These include:

• People at increased risk of prostate cancer should not take flax seed oil -- the Mayo Clinic completed research showing that alpha linoleic acid in flax oil could increase prostate cancer risk.
• People with irritable bowel syndrome may have an adverse reaction to flax seed, experiencing worse cramping and diarrhea.
• Ask your doctor if the phytoestrogens in flax seed whole food supplements could interact with any of your conditions or other medications.

Taking Vitamin for Optimal Health

Many people are not getting the proper nutrition due to lack of a healthy diet. In a world filled with so many food choices, it is hard sometimes to make the right food choice. The American diet is high in trans fats, sodium, refined sugars and preservatives. These types of eating habit have taken a toll on our bodies and had caused health care costs to soar. By decreasing the amount of processed foods that we eat can increase over all health. Small positive changes in the diet can have long lasting positive effects on our health. Taking vitamin supplements can also help the body to get the nutrition it needs to function properly.

Organic whole food supplements can help the body get what it needs to function efficiently on a daily basis. There are no preservatives in these types of nutritional supplements. These all-natural whole food supplements are the best choice when it comes to vitamins. Supplements can help add nutritional support to the body that is not taken in by eating the proper foods every day. This can help the body fight off infections and boost the immune system.

During the cold and flu season it is imperative to make sure that the immune system is working properly. By taking vitamin and mineral supplements this can help to boost the immune system and keep some infections at bay. There are many vitamins on the market that help with supporting a healthy immune system. Some of the top brands on the market are Garden of Life and New Chapter Organic Supplements just to name a few.

Many people who start taking vitamins and nutritional supplements notice a difference in energy levels and mental focus the first few weeks. This is because the body is starting to get many of the minerals and vitamins it has been lacking from an unhealthy diet. Some will also go through a form of detox that subsides after a few weeks. Detox happens when the body is able to fight off the free radicals and toxins that we are exposed through diet and environmental factors.

Studies have shown that small changes in eating habits and by taking supplements can help improve ones over all health. Many doctors and nutritionists are now recommending to patients the importance of taking vitamins and to keep a healthy life style. With these small changes, anyone can improve their health.

The Benefits of Organic Vitamins

While in the process of recovering from a particularly aggressive case of the flu, I found that I felt completely lagged and out of sorts. For weeks, I felt sluggish and weak, which I attributed to the toll the illness had taken on my body. I tried getting extra rest, eating good foods, drinking enough fluids and followed the advice commonly recommended for recuperating, but nothing seemed to work. It wasn’t until I realized how badly depleted my body was that I realized the need to take better care of myself on the whole so that I didn’t feel this way again.

I needed to receive the proper nourishment that I could only get from adding organic vitamins and foods to my daily diet. I started by going shopping and purchasing some fresh fruits and vegetables and added four to six servings of each to my diet. I then searched online and found some high-quality vitamin supplements from beyondprobiotics.net, which were another addition. Within a matter of a few days, I felt like I was well on my way to become a healthier person just by doing these two simple things.

The organic vitamins I purchased from beyondprobiotics.net were called Vitamin Code One for Women Formula. Contained in the organic vitamins I was surprised to find many different raw, food-created nutrients that I didn’t find in grocery or health-food store supplements. The capsules are a once-daily formula which meet my unique nutritional needs and make me feel better and more energetic than I have felt in a very long time.

I found the vitamins also provide certain protection for my body like breast and reproductive health, bone strength, energy, healthy heart and skin. The vitamins are make from uncooked, unprocessed, unadulterated foods completely free of binding agents, contain on fructose, maltodextrine or magnesium stearate or corn starch, like other vitamins. The vitamins are easy to digest and have specially targeted peptides to provide the maximum amount of nutrients for my body.

The addition of these vitamins to my diet is convenient and contains everything I need to allow my body to be at its best health wise. Never again will I ever put myself in a position to have a weakened immune system, since adding these vitamins and organic foods to my diet, I feel like a completely new person. I would highly recommend any woman who wants to experience better health and quality of life adds the vitamins to her diet, the results are well worth it.

Make Your Metabolism Work For You: Scientific Discoveries and Nutritional Supplements

Your base metabolic rate has an enormous effect on your weight loss efforts. In fact, raising your base metabolic rate can help you burn the same number of calories as you would by jogging around the block several times a day -- but without actually doing anything! It's scientifically proven -- so how do you do that? We look at what science and the organic whole food supplement industry have to say about boosting your metabolism.

Three minute high intensity bursts

We've been told a multitude of things about the intensity and amount of exercise time needed for health benefits. From being told that 20 minutes four times a week of moderate exercise is sufficient, to saying that an hour of vigorous exercise five times a week is needed … it's all a bit confusing! However, now scientists at the University of Edinburgh have research to suggest that doing just three minutes of very high intensity exercise a few times a week dramatically improved metabolism, glucose clearance and the action of insulin.

Cut down on fructose

Fructose, a fruit sugar, could stimulate our brains to crave higher food intake and stimulate obesity, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found. Your whole food supplements designed to cut down on your appetite could be negated by consuming large amounts of fructose - which is found in more foods than you might think. Spring onions, for example, have high levels. Soft drinks, processed foods with corn syrup, and table sweeteners all have high fructose levels.

Check your prolactin

Excess prolactin (the hormone that stimulates breast milk production) in both men and women can be produced by stress, some brain tumors and some medicines can also cause raised levels. Doctors are now finding it can also interfere with insulin action and disturb metabolism. So before you begin a course of whole food supplements designed to boost your metabolism, make sure your body isn’t silently working against you.

Look for fucoxanthin

There have been enormously promising studies in trials on rodents showing that up to a quarter of body weight can be lost in four weeks, with the greatest fat loss from the belly, using a substance found in brown seaweed known as fucoxanthin. There are quite a few Garden of Life products with fucoxanthin included -- these whole food supplements can come in the form of an energy bar, in an omega 3 tablet or in a specific metabolic boosting formula. Look for organic whole food supplements like Fuco THIN, Oceans 3, and FucoProtein bars.

Cooking for Health -- How to Preserve the Antioxidants in Your Food

Antioxidants are readily available from whole food multivitamins -- however, they are also readily available from foods! You'll note that most nutritional supplement bottles state that the product is not a substitute for a healthy and balanced diet. If you’d like to make sure that you have an excellent, healthy nutrient base, and your supplements are just a bonus and a surety, read on for the best cooking methods to preserve antioxidants in your food.

Boiling

Boiling caused the greatest antioxidant loss in cauliflower, peas, zucchini and green beans. In most vegetables, antioxidant loss was significant after vegetables were boiled. If you boil most of your vegetables, organic whole food supplements of antioxidants are still recommended.

Pressure-cooking

Pressure cooking was second only to boiling for antioxidant loss in vegetables. Beets and garlic retained most of their antioxidants after these cooking methods, but that is about all! You'll want to hang onto those antioxidant nutritional supplements for a while longer.

Baking

Baking showed moderate antioxidant loss for most vegetables, apart from green beans, beets, and garlic.

Microwaving

Overall, microwaving produced one of the lowest drops in antioxidant levels after vegetables were cooked. One notable exception comes from a different study done five years earlier, which showed that microwaving broccoli caused a huge 97% drop in flavonoid content.

Griddling

Griddling, or frying without oil on a flat metal surface, helped most foods retain the highest level of antioxidants. Break out the barbeque if you’d like to get the benefits of whole food supplements of antioxidants, but from your actual food!

Steaming

In the broccoli study mentioned in the microwaving section, steaming showed the smallest flavonoid loss of all the cooking methods. There was almost no different in antioxidant content between raw and steamed.

Inconsistent results

Unfortunately, the effect of cooking a food on its antioxidant content is not consistent! For example, tomatoes and corn show higher antioxidant levels once cooked, while potatoes, broccoli and carrots show lower levels.

Remember, though, that eating foods raw is the best way to guarantee that you are getting the antioxidant content that you hear about in studies. If you definitely aren't a raw food person, then keep that bottle of whole food multivitamins handy for a while longer.

The Omega-3 Power Series: More Conditions Omega-3 Can Help With

I'll bet you thought after reading the first part that there couldn’t possibly be more that this little molecule could do for the human body … considering that depression, obesity-related complications, prostate cancer, macular degeneration, asthma, arthritis and diabetes could all be alleviated with omega-3s! In case you needed another five reasons to maintain your daily omega-3 organic whole food supplements, here they are.

Kills cancer cells: At a cellular and a molecular level, omega-3 nutritional supplements can reduce leukocytosis (an accumulation of white blood cells), oxidative stress and systemic inflammation, all of which have been associated with the growth of cancerous tumours.

Reduce harmful effects of chemo drugs: Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug that often causes kidney damage. Taking DHA, a type of omega 3 whole food supplement, reduced the damage done by cisplatin to the kidneys and also had its own chemoprotective effects.

Protect against strokes: Plaque in the carotid arteries can sometimes come loose and lead to a stroke, by blocking a major blood vessel in the brain. In a recent study, plaque scraped from patients who had begun having neurological symptoms that indicate possible stroke were compared with asymptomatic patients. Those who had started having neurological symptoms has two times less DHA, and 1.5 times less EPA in their plaque samples.

Gum disease: Dental researchers have been looking at resolvins, a family of omega-3 whole food supplements, for their potential in preventing tissue damage and tooth loss from the chronic inflammation caused by the bacteria in gum disease patients. The organic whole food supplements don’t only provide a preventive effect, but could also restore sick gums to health.

Parkinson's: LSU Health Sciences Center researchers in New Orleans have found that omega-3 consumption can prevent the misfolding of a protein, which occurs in gene mutations seen in Parkinson's and Huntington's disease patients. Having a defective Ataxin-1 gene causes a protein to misfold, and then not be properly processed by cells. Tangled clumps of the proteins eventually lead to cell death, but omega-3whole food supplements could prevent that misfolding.

Intelligence: A study of almost 4,000 teenagers published in Acta Pediatricia showed that 15-year-old boys who ate fish once a week had improved cognition, over those who ate fish less frequently. Those who ate fish more than once a week showed around an 11% improvement in verbal, visuospatial and combined intelligence scores.

Brand Review: Mt. Capra Whole Food Nutritionals

Mt. Capra has a smaller product range than most, as they focus on goat milk products for whole food supplementation. However. they are well regarded in the natural health industry, and have been in business for over 20 years, constantly expanding since their inception. The goats milk for their products comes from their own farm, utilizing free range goats on a large property in the south of Washington state. Here are some of their more popular products!

Capracleanse

This whole food supplement aims to assist cleansing throughout the entire body, from the larger digestive down to a cellular level. It is supposed to be used daily to help remove mucoid plaque, cleanse the blood with chlorophyll and correct and prevent constipation. Their Activated FIber blend is popular, and contains arabinogalactan, psyllium husks, flax flour, apple fiber powder and rice bran solubles.

Capracolostrum

When I had just had my first baby, I was shocked to hear from the doctor's mouth that Olympic athletes would be climbing all over themselves to get their hands on my colostrum (made before breast milk comes in) if they could! The CapraColostrum whole food supplement makes it much easier than chasing around expectatant mothers. It provides dopamine and serotonin, and helps support the immune system.

Vital Energy

This quick selling Mt. Capra product contains five herb blends, that all aim to help your metabolism function optimally. It has predigested minerals and electrolytes, anti-inflammatories and melatonin as some of the notable ingredients. The immune system, your stamina, and stress-related conditions all benefit from this whole food supplement.

Capra Mineral Whey

A whey powder made from goat's milk, the most similar milk to human's in composition, this nutritional supplement has an enormous range of benefits. It is an alkaline mineral food, helping support a healthy environment in the body, and assists with conditions like:

• Weak and painful joints
• A weakened immune system
• Soothing the digestive tract

Caprobiotics Advancved Shelf Stable Formula

Probiotics have an enormous range of health benefits for humans, and the Caprobiotics organic whole food vitamins and probiotics are especially natural and helpful. People with any of the following conditions can benefit from taking probiotics like the Mt. Capra products daily:

• Peptic Ulcers
• Allergies
• Gastric distress
• High cholesterol
• Family history of cancer or celiac disease

Effective Nutritional Supplements and Skin Products Under $20

Nutritional supplementing can be an expensive process, with some whole food supplements costing in excess of $60 for a standard size bottle. All of them have awesome benefits, but sometimes the simplest formulations and the cheapest products can have just as great benefits as more expensive items.

For budget watchers, today we are checking out 7 of the most effective nutritional supplements and natural skin products available for under $20.

1. Garden of Life Clean Energy Mind and Muscle, 60 caplets for $17.97

This represents a 30% saving off retail prices, for the #3 selling herbal formula in the entire whole food supplements industry. The energy blends it contains are stimulant-free, and support energy and metabolism, help give you endurance and encourage a healthy response to stressful events.

2. Garden of Life Detoxifiber, 300g powder, $12.57

You save 30% off the RRP buying this product also. The certified organic fiber supplement helps your gut naturally cleanse itself. One serve provides 20% of your daily fiber needs, more than adequate for whole food supplementation.

3. New Chapter Probiotics Anti-Aging, 90 capsules for $17.97

There is not only one strain of probiotics in this whole food supplement, but ten, aiming to help offset the effects of oxidation and help support the immune system. The probiotics are said to both help boost the immune system's action, and help directly kill pathogens in your gut for optimal health.

4. New Chapter Supercritical Antioxidants, 60 capsules for $17.97

Antioxidants are New Chapter's speciality, and these supercritical formulation antioxidants come in an easy-to-swallow soft gel form. They help support your cellular enzyme system and are backed by clinical research.

5. New Chapter True Tamanu Oil, 1 fl. oz for $17.97

Tamanu oil has been used for centuries by Pacific Islanders to assist with the healing of cuts, blemishes sores and burns. It promotes the formation of new skin tissue and prevents microbial infections.

6. Mt Capra Alkalizing Goat Whey, 12.7oz powder for $16.07

Acidic conditions in the body are thought to lead to a host of diseases. This whey powder is not only good for helping build muscle after workouts, but for creating a healthy, disease repellent environment in the body, according to the manufacturers.

7. MyChelle Clear Skin Spot Treatment, 2.3oz for $13.46

This formulation is made specifically for teenage skin, and aims to help take the infection out of spots and heal blemishes faster than your body can alone. The sulphur in works as both an antiseptic and an exfoliant, while improving the texture and tone of skin also.

Losing Weight with Probiotics -- What Science Has Found

Probiotics are one of the newest fields of study in science, helping to combat disease in a more natural way by recognizing that not all bacteria are bad, and that some are quite necessary to human life. Reserachers are now finding out about what role probiotics play in weight management, including regulating metabolism and helping maintain a healthy weight throughout pregnancy.

Uncertain, but definite potential

A recent study by Amsterdam researchers may not have uncovered any clues about HOW probiotics help people maintain a healthy weight, but it provided some unarguable facts. The team studied 256 women who had recently gotten pregnant, and divided them into three random groups. The first group received probiotics capsules as well as dietary counselling and food samples. The second group received dietary counselling and a placebo capsule, while the third group received a placebo capsule and no dietary counselling or food samples.

The women continued taking the capsules until they began their babies on solid foods and stopped breastfeeding exclusively, at around 6 months of age. Ther results were as follows:

• 25% of the women who received probiotics and diet advice showed symptoms of central obesity. Their average body fat percentage was 28%.
• 43% of the women who received a placebo and diet advice showed symptoms of central obesity. Their average body fat percentage was 29%.
• 40% of the women who received only a placebo showed symptoms of central obesity. Their average body fat percentage was 30%.

Central obesity was defined by the study as having a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 30, and a waist circumference of greater than 80 centimeters.

Speeding up the metabolism with probiotics

In a study that has been published for over a year now, researchers from Imperial College London and Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, gave two different types of commercially prepared probiotics drink to mice that had human gut microbes transplanted into them.

The mice that were treated with probiotics metabolized bile acids differently; the function of these acids is to emulsify fats in the upper gut. Being able to absorb more fat from the food you eat could contribute to obesity, while excreting more of that fat would have positive implications for weight loss.

Brand Review - New Chapter Products Organic Vitamins and Probiotics

New Chapter may sound like a young, upstart company -- but in reality it has been a considerable force in the whole food supplement arena for more than 24 years. You'll often hear that it is far more beneficial to get your nutritional needs from the food you eat, rather than from chemical isolates. New Chapter's whole food multivitamins are a big step in the right direction, as every ingredient is grown or cultured, rather than synthetically put together or reduced chemically. Here we look at the differences between New Chapter's dietary supplements and what you'll find at the pharmacy.

Potent but not dangerous supplement levels

New Chapter focuses on providing an effective dose of many nutrients and probiotics to support health, without overdosing. The true daily required intake of many vitamins and minerals is much lower than what is included in a conventional multivitamin tablet. In the case of some minerals, having too much can cause adverse health effects or even lower their potency. You will also find that in the case of many New Chapter products, while the milligram measure is lower than conventional dietary supplements, the cellular activity of the substances when absorbed this way is much higher.

Fermented soy base

Many people have trouble digesting natural or raw soy. Fermented soy is used for culturing many probiotics and deriving vitamins and minerals in New Chapter products, and this form of soy agrees even with many people who are sensitive to it.

Suitable products for pregnant or nursing mothers

New Chapter has also created a line of dietary supplements for nursing and pregnant mothers.

Fridge-free dietary supplements

Many whole-food supplements and probiotics require storage in the refrigerator. New Chapter products are formulated for shelf-stability, so you can still get the full effect without clogging your refrigerator door. However, if you live in relatively humid conditions, the efficacy of your products may be influenced by the moisture in the air. The fridge is usually the driest place in the house, so you can extend the life of your New Chapter products by storing them in the fridge.

Vegan and gluten-free options

New Chapter has herbal supplements and dietary supplements that have been derived according to vegan principles, with no animal products, by-products, or testing. There are also a range of gluten-free products, nor any ingredients that the Celiac Sprue Association considers harmful to gluten-intolerant persons.