A Great Find, Live GOOD!

Live GOOD!

My plan to continue to offer the highest quality nutraceutical products continues and now it has lead me to a new company, Live Good, an affordable option. Wait now, hear me out! 

Just before Christmas I had a great opportunity to have an OSTTC student have a placement with me. She was very helpful and she spent her time going through all my shelves to find expired products. You may want to ask, why I did not do it earlier? Many times I have, but it is always a very depressing chore for me to see the number of quality supplements, super foods or organic products that have expired and it basically represents a loss of revenue for me. I offer great discounts and have learned to limit my stock, but still when the products don't sell, it is a huge loss. I have also reduced soon-to-expire supplements as well, with no success in moving them. This happens frequently.

When my student was finished, the number of products expired was still a shock to me. We had to free up another whole shelf just for more expired products. Though these products do not suddenly turn bad or impotent or less effective over night, I guess people are still weary of purchasing them even though greatly discounted. I have given and am currently giving many high quality products away with a purchase. This at least helps to ease the painful thought of just dumping oodles of supplements out. I have had to do it a few times, however.

So again I would like to thank the loyal customers coming in frequently to shop at the local rez natural health store, My passion is offering quality nutraceuticals, tips and services to help in our community's wellness. I firmly believe in what I am doing and I am always searching for other ways to meet the need and educate.

So know that I am still trying and I am still keeping the store doors open. I know that I offer a great number of very high quality supplements that have incredible results in helping to heal our bodies from what could be some very life altering issues. 

So enter Live Good, I was actually introduced to this company back in the spring time, I gave it a quick look and again was hesitant because of it being an MLM company. Now that I gave it a more thorough look, right down to their policies and taste testing their products (and every one tasted awesome). I am so excited to offer this as an alternative to those who would sooner have home delivery, plus affordable wellness products. 

WAIT A MINUTE, 

that is not the only bonus. Unlike other companies, there are NO QUOTAS, there are NO REQUIREMENTS to order every month or a certain amount each month. You do not have to join, you can certainly just order retail whenever you want. Even if you do join, via a $9.95 USD/month membership you still Do NOT have to order every month. HOW ABOUT THAT, ORDER WHAT YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT? 

It's just the cat's meow, LIVE GOOD brings you the most advanced nutritional supplements on the market, made with only the purest, highest quality, results-driven ingredients on the planet, without the expensive pricing mark-ups of other companies. They are so affordable, perfect for your family budget and their wellness! 

WHAT ALSO AMAZES ME ABOUT THIS COMPANY IS THE ATTENTION TO THEIR ADDITIVES, THEY ARE MINIMAL, ORGANIC AND QUALITY with full disclosure.

So if you want to shop and save, join the membership, you have a choice to pay monthly or pay yearly (saving 20%) CLICK the link above. Some prices to give you an idea, Men's or Women's multi, $9.95 for high quality, at the optimal dosages. What about a really great tasting Greens Powder, at only $18.00, An ORGANIC Super Greens that Helps improve digestion, support immunity, boost energy and feel more vibrant with just one delicious scoop each day! I sell a Greens line in the store, and my wholesale cost that I pay is way more than that.

Too early to commit to a membership, then order Retail and still look at the low prices for the same amazing products. $14.95 for the Multi's, $24,00 for the Organic Super Greens. Just take a look, there is a so much more to choose from with great benefits!

But wait, who does not need extra cash in today's ever expensive world? If you are ready to make some extra cash, if even to pay for your own supplements then check out the opportunity to become a Live Good Affiliate for only $40 USD fee! The ways to earn money is 10 deep and as far wide as you can see! When I started my brick and mortar store, there was way more overhead than that! There were the Renos, not only financial, but a lot of elbow grease and time went in to that to get the store ready. There is the purchasing of the shelving, coolers, price tags, bags, advertising, the products (that have an expiry date that is really a best before date) and much more. So $40.00 USD a month is a great start up cost and you do not have to deal with excessive overhead costs. Does your netflix, or amazon membership pay you back?? 

Come in and shop in the store, for my January clearance sales, 15%, 30% or 50% off. 

I still am offering my services such at Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis, and Live Blood Cell Analysis for some deeper health issues so remember you can book those here

The information is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained within this email is for general information purposes only. You are encouraged to confirm any information obtained in this email with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your health practitioner.

Acid Reflux, Heartburn, GERD, so not fun

… and what to do about it.

Heartburn is an uncomfortable burning feeling in your chest (behind your breastbone. It occurs when stomach acid travels back up your esophagus — the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach that can move up your neck and throat) This can be a symptom of many different conditions, including acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but also happens in pregnancy. When you are experiencing heartburn, you may also have a bitter or sour taste in the back of your throat.

Night time Heartburn and GERD can lead to damage of the esophagus. Both occurring long term may spark respiratory complications. The burning sensation usually occurs shortly after eating and can last from a few minutes to several hours.

It is also important to seek medical attention for unusual or severe chest symptoms that indicate a heart attack rather than acid reflux.

Acid Reflux or GERD left untreated can also lead to Chronic coughing. This happens when stomach acid refluxes (backs up) into the esophagus and gets aspirated.

GERD can affect asthma as the aspiration occurs, it can make its way to the lungs making breathing more difficult.

Nighttime heartburn can impact your quality of sleep and this can affect quality of life and other health aspects. An important tip is to elevate your your head and shoulders 6 to 8 inches higher either using bed risers (like little stilts for the feet of the head of the bed) or a foam or wedge pillow to sleep on more upright.

There is also “silent acid reflux,” or LPR laryngopharyngeal reflux which mainly affects the larynx (voice box) and pharynx (throat). It can be difficult to diagnose but can also cause coughing, breathing problems, sore throat, and postnasal drip. It is referred to as silent because it is without the tell-tale burning sensation in the chest. The most common cause of chronic throat clearing, too much mucus and post-nasal drip is actually acid reflux. Post-nasal drip does not cause chronic cough, but reflux can cause both the drip and the cough. 

Many patients undergo unnecessary tests and procedures for these problems unnecessarily because doctors don’t understand respiratory reflux very well. The consistency of reflux-caused mucus is thicker than that of allergy, and for the sufferer, the mucus is sticky and hard to move, especially when it gets on the vocal cords. On examination by a physician, reflux-mucus is thick, white, and widely dispersed in the nose and throat, especially on the back wall of the pharynx (the throat). If your post-nasal drip has been bad enough, you may have been recommended surgery. Unfortunately, it’s often done unnecessarily. A lot of sinus and nasal surgery is unnecessary surgery because that drip is a reaction to reflux, not a problem in itself. Fix the reflux and you fix the post-nasal drip, mucus and sinus problems. Dr Jamie Koufman

PPI’s usually the wrong Treatment

So what mainstream treatment usually entails it to be put on PPI’s Proton Pump Inhibitors. This is done, often times with the misdiagnosis of having too much stomach acid. Stomach acid is Hydrochloric Acid and it needs to be at a certain Ph in order to properly digest your food.

So instead of having too much stomach acid, an individual may not have enough. What this does, is allow the undigested food or chyme to sit in the stomach too long and allowed to ferment. The correct Ph of the chyme is also a regulating factor of the lower pyloric sphincter which allows it to open to allow partially digested food to pass from the stomach into the duodenum. If it is not getting the signal with the correct Ph then again the food is allowed to remain in the stomach too long and then finds its way back up past the esophageal sphincter. Factors that affect our stomach acid production are age, chronic stress, poor diet, eating too quickly, use of antibiotics, and food sensitivities.

PPI’s rank amongst the top of the most prescribed medications as Acid Reflux, GERD are so prevalent.  They typically end in the suffix “-prazole” (omeprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole, etc. and have brand names like Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium. & Protonix. They come with a recommendation to be used for only up to 6 weeks, and yet people are prescribed it ongoing for many years.

They also comes with a list of problems. One that stands out is the reduction of stomach acid, so people are unable to properly digest their food to extract nutrients so it causes nutrient deficiencies (like vitamin B12, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and magnesium) which in turn lead to other health issues. Several recent studies show that PPI alters the gut microbiota by reducing its overall diversity which allow opportunistic pathogens, including Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and E. coli. These pathogens tend to be more prevalent in the guts of PPI users. Ugh!!!

Oh and remember the Ph of the stomach acid? Well it needs to be around 1-2. This has another purpose which is to destroy opportunistic bacteria. For instance, the oral bacteria, genus Rothia, is over-represented in the gut microbiota of PPI users. Those who used acid blockers also had an increased chance of acquiring Clostridium difficile, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, and community-acquired pneumonia than those using other medications.

And if this is not enough, there are indications that PPI’s can cause, brittle bones, cardiovascular issues, kidney and cognitive issues.

In the United States there are ongoing lawsuits with the pharmaceutical companies that make the PPI’s. In 2010 the FDA added the warning of the possible increased fracture risk. Beside the important nutrient deficiencies causing brittle bones, the Osteoclasts, (bone cells) responsible for the resorption of calcium, also possess proton pumps, and their activity is thought to be directly affected by PPIs.

PPI users have been shown to have a significantly greater risk of heart attack. 

A study published in 2016 compared patients using PPIs to patients using H2 blockers, another common antacid drug. They showed that over the course of five years, those in the PPI group were 28 percent more likely to develop chronic kidney disease and 96 percent more likely to develop end-stage renal disease, (https://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/27/10/3153).
Proton pumps are also present in the intercalated cells of the kidney,  responsible for moving protons into the urine, creating a gradient that allows for bicarbonate reabsorption into the blood.

In fact the National Kidney Disease Association recommends the cessation of using PPI’s when a person has been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease. Really, how about recommending the stopping of them before the Kidney Disease develops???

PPI users also have higher risks of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and general cognitive impairment compared to those not using these drugs.

Also, the American Journal of Gastroenterology recently reported that, depending on dose, the use of proton pump inhibitors could increase risk of contracting COVID-19.

No COLD TURKEY

Now if you are taking PPI’s it’s up to you and your Doctor that prescribed them to help you taper them down. That’s if your Doctor is aware that there is often a rebound effect when suddenly stop taking PPI’s. There are Doctors who will just say to try quitting and then when you do, and develop rebound symptoms, will say, “see you need to be back on the PPI’s” and prescribe them again.

However, there is a Facebook group of over 1.2k people in the group trying to taper their dosage down. It is called Proton Pump Inhibitors, Damage, Reversal & Recovery. There is oodles of individual testimonies and posts of what alternative strategies that have worked for them.

NATURAL STRATEGIES THAT HELP:

 Dietary recommendations:

• Recognize your trigger foods and avoid them.


• Reduce your consumption of caffeine and carbonated drinks.


• Eliminated processed foods.


• Eliminated artificially sweetened foods and drinks.

• Probiotic Foods (sauerkraut, yogurt, (only if dairy is not a trigger food)

Lifestyle Changes:

• Stop smoking, if you do


• Reduce alcohol consumption, if you drink it.

• Maintain a healthy weight, if an issue

• Practice better portion control;

• 
Eat and chew more slowly;

• 
Avoid eating for 3 to 4 hours before bedtime

SUPPLEMENTS THAT HELP

Probiotics and Prebiotics

Digestive Enzymes, or Bromelain, Papaya, Hydrochloric Acid,

There is something called the HCl challenge to help determine how much HCl would benefit you. There are also Bitters (herbs) to help digestion, and also a formula like Acidux by St Francis.

Chamomile Tea, Slippery Elm, Glutamine, Aloe Vera to help heal the mucosal lining.

Ginger, Fennel Tea, DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice), Apple Cider Vinegar capsules.



Melatonin at night, as it helps to increase the release of gastric bicarbonate (a mucous coating) and improve the activity of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Also worth mentioning is that H.Pylori can cause Acid Reflux. Mastic Gum is a great remedy to help. Many people report the prescription meds prescribed do not heal the H. Pylori. There are also Combination Formulas, like PyPlex, Ibergast and many others.

A new kid on the block and not readily available in Canada is D- Limonene. D-Limonene is a natural chemical that is found in several citrus oils. It is typically extracted from citrus fruit peels, either through cold pressing or steam distillation. I am looking at USA distributors who will ship to Canada to make it available in the store.

Also a valuable mention is getting the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis done.  The “Low Minerals” pattern on a hair test reveals a lot about digestion and assimilation. It indicates that minerals (the spark-plugs of energy production) are not getting into cells where they need to go. The HTMA will tell you exactly what minerals are needed to be topped up and also what heavy metals may also be impairing gut health & digestion capabilities.

So November 20-26 is National GERD Awareness Week, so this is right in line with the Black Friday special on HTMA at Life Sustainers.

Remember to pre-book and pre-pay for your HTMA by Nov 25th, 2022 to receive a Black Friday Special, for dates now until Dec 9th, 2022. Book your HTMA on my website. The link is below and there are more details and several research conclusions about HTMA. Gift one to a family member or friend. There is no greater gift, than a gift of health! 

Let a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis benefit your health and wellness journey!

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water soluble Vitamin and it is is essential, meaning the human body does not produce it. We have to get it from foods that we eat. Great sources are Papaya, Pineapple, Oranges, Strawberries, Acerola Cherries, Rosehips, Cantaloupe, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts. Kale, Kiwi, Sweet Yellow Peppers, Thyme and others.

Anti-oxidants help the immune system and they help the body deactivate free radicals in your body that can cause oxidative stress.

Vitamin C is also anti-inflammatory and that action is what seems to be helping people who have been giving high doses of IV Vitamin C with COVID-19. Intravenous Vitamin C is the most effective form of Vitamin C delivery and has been a therapeutic mode of delivering Vitamin C. It can only be done by Medical Doctors and Naturopathic Doctors. Below I share a link of other forms of Vitamin C and optimal dosing.

Vitamin C deficiency can be found in people with an overall poor diet, with kidney disease who get dialysis, heavy drinkers, and smokers. A smoker will need an extra 35 milligrams of vitamin C per day to help repair the damage caused by free radicals that form when you smoke.

Here is a research study done in New Zealand and it concluded that

Vitamin C appears to be able to both prevent and treat respiratory and systemic infections by enhancing various immune cell functions. Prophylactic prevention of infection requires dietary vitamin C intakes that provide at least adequate, if not saturating plasma levels (i.e., 100–200 mg/day), which optimize cell and tissue levels. In contrast, treatment of established infections requires significantly higher (gram) doses of the vitamin to compensate for the increased metabolic demand.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/

Some time a go, I shared a study done about Diabetic patients with poor wound healing who were treated with higher doses of Vitamin C and their wounds actually healed and healed quicker. The article talked about the fact that Diabetics are routinely advised to cut down their sugar intake and unfortunately that also includes fruits high in Vitamin C. When I find it I will post here. Even the above article addresses wound healing.

Reports of people that are more susceptible to Critical complications of COVID-19 are Smokers, those with heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, other chronic respiratory diseases, cancer) Smokers and Diabetics are more likely to be deficient in Vitamin C. Vitamin C supplementation has also been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease helping to lower high blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. Many combination Cardio Supplement formulas do contain Vitamin C. The heart combination formulas that I sell are RTRE, and Healthy Heart Plus.

Below are videos on Vitamin C helping others with COVID-19

Dr, Cheng, when he was treating patients in China

Dr Cheng’s update

Dr Cheng's Recommendations for helping keep the virus at bay

Information on Dosing Vitamin C

http://www.orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v14n12.shtml

Vitamin C is getting harder to stock but will continue to do so as it is available.