It is hard to stick to a healthy eating plan with visions of sugar plums dancing in your head or tables full of Christmas sweets. It is hard to avoid being around “bad” food during Christmas, but there are a few simple ways to stay healthy and keep that yeast from taking over your body during the holidays.
The easy solution is not to go to any Christmas parties or any relatives houses. But since most of us want to actually enjoy the holiday season, we have to find a way to stick to our program when faced with sweet tempations.
At the Christmas party as the wine is being poured, feel free to have one glass…..the rest of the night use that cute little wine glass to drink water out of. You will find that water is a lot more tasty when consumed in a fancy glass. If wine isn’t your weakness, chances are its chocolate.
If you are invited to a party, offer to bring an extra dessert or just show up with one as a nice gesture. Make the dessert yeast free. Most likely no one will be able to tell, especially if you make the yeast free Hot Fudge dipping sauce. Bring that along with some fruit for dipping. Then when you are staring down a table full of sweets, there is something you can actually eat.If sweets aren’t your thing, perhaps it is just the need to “graze” at parties on all the cheese and crackers. Survey the whole table. Find the meats and go with those first. If there is a little cheese or some kind of spread, it is okay to partake as long as you add some protein and keep it minimal.
The biggest problem over the Christmas season is overeating. Be wise. Eat in moderation. And if Christmas Eve or Day you find yourself unable to resist the temptation, eat what you want. Just don’t overdue it. Try eating yeast free the whole week leading up to Christmas….then if you cheat on Christmas day it won’t be hard to start over yeast free the next day.
Most importantly, try to relax and have a very Merry Christmas!

“I wonder what I will be when I grow up.” In my years working with adults, I’ve found that this is a very relevant question for us grownups too. In fact, as we grow, move away from home, love, and experience loss, we become very serious about ‘the question.’ We know we are not the same person we were when we were six, we’re just not sure why. From my personal observations, I am grateful our ideas about our identity change from childhood; otherwise the world would be filled with way too many ballerinas, princesses, and firefighters. So maybe for grownups, the question is not ‘what will I be when I grow up,’ but rather, ‘who am I today,’ and ‘who will I become tomorrow.’
Let’s look at our lifestyle for answers. We struggle with our many identities and define ourselves in many different terms: ‘I am a mother’, ‘I am a wife’, ‘I am an employee.’ Sometimes others try to define us with terms like ‘workaholic,’ ‘health nut,’ or ‘type A personality.’ The most unpleasant definitions are usually the ones that catch us by surprise, ‘you are a diabetic’ or ‘you have high blood pressure.’ And then one day it hits you and you ask yourself, “Have I become the person I intended to be?”
At achievebalance.org we’ve found that the answer lies not in the fact that change has occurred, but rather in our conscious choices in response to those changes. When we begin a wellness program, we are choosing to take control of our health and live intentionally. Unfortunately, even our best intentions can be met with resistance. You know what I mean; you are told to cut out salt and sugar, and the world seems to be on the new ‘doughnuts and French fries’ diet. Our reaction to this soon becomes apparent. We stop eating right, we exercise sporadically (if at all), and our goals and objectives fall by the wayside. Around New Years Eve most of us get the feeling that we need to clean up our act, so we begin ‘the question’ cycle all over again.
At achievebalance.org, we are counselors and consultants dedicated to breaking this cycle! We work with professionals like Dr. McManus to design a plan that will allow you to maintain the changes she is helping you to achieve. Following the plan is still up to you, but achievebalance.org will help you identify the barriers that keep you from making the conscious choices to maintain healthy life changes. We have consultants available to help you achieve your wellness goals, maintain your fitness and nutrition regimen, and even help you get organized. Remember, change is inevitable:

by Mila McManus MD
Since the Women’s Health Initiative Study several years ago, the masses have been scared to death of taking hormones. Let’s think about this for a minute from a biological and evolutionary perspective. Our bodies make and use many different hormones which perform vital functions. Could it be that we are evolving to have our hormones turn against us? I doubt it. That wouldn’t make much sense. Could it be that the exponential increase in the incidence of disease over the last 20 years is due to accumulating environmental toxins, poor nutrition, inactivity, and increased stress? You bet!

Bio-identical progesterone is manufactured by the body, and therefore, the body knows how to use, where and when to use it, and has the enzymes to metabolize it and dispose of it when it’s done using it. Your body already has the perfect progesterone receptors to bind perfectly with progesterone that circulates in the blood. Synthetic Progestins, such as Medroxyprogesterone acetate, however, aren’t quite the perfect match. The structure is similar enough to bind to progesterone receptors, but the molecular changes made in the laboratory in order to patent these products and sell them for profit likely are having an array of negative effects. Synthetic hormones interfere with natural progesterone and can create and exacerbate hormone related health problems, and can be a primary contributor to the condition referred to as Estrogen Dominance. Studies have been published that reveal evidence that taking synthetic hormones actually inhibits production of one’s natural progesterone. It’s no wonder that synthetic hormones are known to have side effects such as blood clots and migraines, whereas bio-identical progesterone has little-to-no risk of blood clots, and is also used to treat/alleviate migraines.
It’s very unfortunate that most conventional doctors equate bioidentical hormones with synthetic ones. They are vastly different and should never be confused. I use bio-identical hormones in my practice to undo what synthetic hormones have done to my patients. Is it a coincidence that 99+% of my female patients (self included) have all, at some point, taken birth control pills? Maybe, but I doubt it. Also, keep in mind that the hormones used in the Women’s Health Initiative study were ALL synthetic. Go figure.
I think it’s important that everyone understands the importance of nutrition in maintaining good health. Many people are so quick to blame ‘bad genes’ for their health problems. Did you know that at least 80% of breast cancers are NOT hereditary? When women tell me how afraid they are of developing breast cancer from taking hormones, I first explain the differences between synthetic and bio-identical hormones. I then usually say “you shouldn’t be afraid of replacing what’s been lost in the body over the years. Poor dietary habits, stress (which leads to adrenal fatigue and immune system dysfunction), environmental toxins, and lack of adequate nutrition (i.e. vitamins and supplements) are far more likely to cause cancer and other diseases”. That’s why, in my practice, we place such enormous emphasis on nutrition and immune system optimization.

By Mila McManus MD

So you’re convinced that you are LOW THYROID. You have classic symptoms, such as depressed moods, fatigue, weight gain, headaches, hairloss , etc, and you convince your doctor to test your thyroid level. Much to your dismay, you get a letter in the mail 2 weeks later that says your thyroid level Is normal. What’s next? Your doctor offers you an antidepressant, Ibuprofen, and tells you to exercise.
Does this sound familiar?
There are two problems here. First, this so- called ‘normal’ result might NOT be YOUR normal. Reference ranges for most lab values are established by testing a large number of healthy people and observing what appears to be “normal” for them. A large number of people are tested for a given lab, and in turn, a bell curve (i.e., normal distribution) is created. By statistical definitions, when one includes the results that extend 2 standard deviations beyond the average of that distribution, this encompasses 95% of the population studied. So if 95% of a sample population had thyroid levels that ranged from 5 to 500, that would be the reference range for a thyroid test. You must agree that 5 to 500 is a pretty broad range. So let’s say your thyroid level, hypothetically, is 25. That certainly does fall ‘within normal range’, but perhaps YOUR normal is 350. For another example, let’s say, hypothetically, that 5 yrs ago your thyroid level was 400. Over the past 5 years, you’ve noticed a slow, but steady decline in your energy, moods, brain function, etc, and had your thyroid checked again. This time it is 200. Both of these numbers are well within ‘normal range’, but your thyroid is now functioning 50% slower than it did 5 years ago. Because these levels are within range, your thyroid problem won’t be detected with bloodwork, and instead of replenishing your deficient thyroid, you are offered several prescription drugs to mask the symptoms that would otherwise be easily cured.
The second problem is that doctors are taught in medical school and residency training to interpret most lab values as black and white, i.e., no gray area. This includes thyroid. According to most doctors, you do not have a thyroid problem if your lab result is ‘within normal limits’.
Over a 5 year period, I had developed depression, daily headaches, brain fog, and had gained 80 pounds. I had my thyroid checked several times and it was always “normal”. Since I had no clear-cut diagnosis, I was prescribed antidepressants, Ibuprofen, and diet pills. My symptoms continued to worsen, and more pills were added every year to my regimen. After a long awaited revelation, I began taking bio-identical hormones, including a thyroid supplement. After just 2 weeks, I was able to discontinue my antidepressant, the weight started coming off, headaches were gone, and I could think clearly again.
My motto now is: If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it’s probably a duck!

The latest research has indicated that it is better for you to eat more! More vegetables and fruits, that is. This is not exactly new news. We have all known from the time we were small kids that fruits and vegetables are essential to good health. You don’t have to look very far to find research on all the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. The problem seems to be that most of us are confused on how much our intake should be, or thinking french fries count as a vegetable, or believing a pill will make up for not eating right.
There are several factors muddling our concept of a nutritious diet. Most of us have been exposed to the old food pyramid created by the government years ago. You remember. It actually has a section for sweets, justifying our consumption of sugar. The bottom of the pyramid was for grains, cereals and rice, largely outweighing the fruits and vegetables sections. And even though veggies and fruits were recommended to be eaten, they were listed by servings, with no actual portion recommendations.
Not so surprisingly, we began to see our overall health as a society began to deteriorate and we started seeing an increase in chronic disease, cardiovascular disease, weight gain and a host of other problems. Being the quick fix society, drug companies started coming up with new drugs to cure every problem, including obesity. For the people who know prescription drugs are not the answer, there are vitamins and supplements to substitute all the nutritional value they should be getting from fruits and vegetables. So, instead of eating healthier, we can continue to eat poorly hoping all the pills we are taking will counteract our poor diets.
We find ourselves sick, tired, overweight and wondering why. The government found research to possibly answer the why, making correlations between our poor diets and our poor health. The U.S. Center for Disease Control found that 90% of the U.S. population does not meet the government’s recommendations for vegetable consumption. Interestingly enough, they also found that 90 million Americans suffer with chronic disease and 2/3 of the population is overweight to some degree.
This research has prompted the The United States Department of Agriculture to adopt a “More Matters” slogan for fruits and veggies. Along with their new slogan comes a revamped food pyramid. And guess what you won’t find on there? A sweets category! Shocking that we finally figured out that not only can we survive without sugar, we would feel much better without it.
The new food pyramid can be found on www.MyPyramid.gov. It is not perfect, but it is definitely better. The new pyramid gives actual portions and serving sizes. You can put in your age and sex along with your amount of daily activity and it will calculate the portions of grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy and protein you should consume each day. It will also offer tips on the kind of products to look for, such as lean meats and whole grain bread. Even though we recommend eating more fruits and veggies than the pyramid (we recommend 9 servings a day), as well as eating all organic foods when possible, the new pyramid is a step in the right direction.
You also need to learn what types of vegetables and fruits to be eating. Potatoes and corn should not be your only source of vegetables. You need to go for a wide variety of vegetables, especially dark, green leafy ones. Most of these are full of phytonutrients which are powerful disease fighters. If you start your meals with lean protein, vegetables and a tall glass of water, chances are you will fill up and won’t be as tempted to grab a bag of chips or a soda. If you are still hungry in between meals or want something sweet, grab some fruit and another glass of water. It will fill you up and satisfy your sweet tooth.
Many people say they don’t have enough time to prepare healthy foods. However, eating healthier is becoming easier. You can drive through many fast food restaurants and substitute those french fries for a fruit cup or a salad or carrot sticks. Most restaurants will let you substitute sides for grilled or steamed vegetables. Grocery stores have fruits already cut and ready to eat and vegetables already cooked that just need to be heated.
So does eating healthier mean you should throw out your supplements? We do recommend being on a good supplement regimen ALONG with eating a healthy diet. Supplementation is very important. It just shouldn’t be used to replace eating the actual vegetables and fruits. One supplement we recommend is Juice Plus+®. Most of us don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, and when we do eat them, they are overcooked and not fresh. Juice Plus+® is a great way to enhance the nutritional essence of raw fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.
There is no substitute for eating healthy. There is no magic pill or quick fix. One of the best things you can do to improve your health is to start eating more fresh, raw fruits and vegetables.

Aspartame was discovered by accident in 1965. A chemist with the G.D. Searle Company was testing an anti-ulcer drug and discovered it tasted sweet. It was approved for dry goods in 1974, but was met with objections by a neuroscience researcher and the Consumer attorney prompting investigation of the research practices of the G.D. Searle Company. There are reports that the research was falsified to finally get FDA approval in 1981. The argument over the effects of aspartame has been going on for decades and continues today. When you do the research, however, there doesn’t seem to be much of an argument for aspartame.
Over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA are due to aspartame. These reactions include:
• headaches,
• migraines,
• dizziness,
• seizures,
• nausea,
• numbness,
• muscle spasms,
• weight gain,
• rashes,
• depression,
• fatigue,
• irritability,
• tachycardia,
• insomnia,
• vision problems,
• hearing loss,
• heart palpitations,
• breathing difficulties,
• anxiety attacks,
• memory loss and
• joint pain.
Often times it has been found that the excessive consumption of aspartame has been linked to worsening, triggering or mimicking the following illnesses: brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, birth defects, fibromyalgia and diabetes.
To understand these negative side effects of aspartame, you need to understand its components. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol. The bond holding these together is very weak causing aspartame to breakdown into its components readily in liquids, during prolonged storage and when exposed to heat in excess of 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The argument that these components are harmless because they are found naturally in food is irrelevant because they are bound to proteins or pectin in foods allowing them to be released slowly into the body.
Aspartic Acid makes up 40 % of aspartame. It functions as a neurotransmitter in the brain, facilitating the transfer of information from one nerve cell to another. Too much aspartic acid will produce free radicals causing brain cells to be damaged and die. This is known as an “excitotoxin” because it stimulates the nerve cells to death. When aspartame is ingested, aspartic acid is released quickly,
causing a spike in the plasma blood levels. As these blood levels rise, so do those of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. This is a stress hormone affecting the brain where attention and impulsivity are controlled. Excessive amounts have been associated with anxiety, agitation and mania.
Phenylalanine makes up 50% of aspartame. Individuals with the genetic disorder PKU (phenylketonuria) are not able to metabolize phenylalanine. This causes a high build up of phenylalanine in the brain. There is evidence that ingesting aspartame along with carbohydrates can lead to excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain in persons not affected by PKU. Although phenylalanine is used in some instances as a treatment for depression, high amounts in the brain can cause the mood regulator, serotonin, to decrease, making depression worse. A decrease in serotonin levels may also result in carbohydrate cravings, explaining its ineffectiveness as a dietary aid. The build up of phenylalanine may also worsen schizophrenia and seizures.
Methanol makes up 10% percent of aspartame. It is a deadly poison that is released from aspartame at temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (in prolonged storage or inside the human body). The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) says due to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed, methanol is a cumulative poison. The EPA only recommends a limit of consumption of methanol up to 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter beverage sweetened with aspartame contains around 56mg of methanol. According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, professor of neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi, NutraSweet contains seven times more than the amount allowed in any other product. Furthermore, methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde. That’s right – it breaks down into the same stuff used for embalming fluid.
So what about the research testing the ingestion of aspartame on rats? The tests done on animals do not accurately reflect the potential dangers to humans. Humans are more sensitive to the effects of methanol due to our lack of some key enzymes. We are 5 times more sensitive than rodents and 20 times more sensitive than monkeys to aspartic acid. This is because we concentrate it in our blood at much higher levels and for longer periods of time. There are no human studies on the long term effects of aspartame. It is ironic that G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of aspartame, searched for a drug that would combat memory loss caused by excitatory amino acid damage (high levels of aspartic acid).
It is alarming how many foods contain aspartame. Next time you are grocery shopping you may want to go right on by the reduced calorie version of these products: Carbonated Soft Drinks, Cereals , Chewing Gum , Flavored Syrups for Coffee , Flavored Water Products, Frozen Ice Cream Novelties, Fruit Spreads, Sugar Free Gelatin, Iced Tea Powder, Iced Tea Ready to Drink, Instant Cocoa Mix, Jams & Jellies, Juice Blends, Juice Drinks, Maple Syrups, Meal Replacements, Mousse, No Sugar Added Pies, Non- Carbonated Diet Soft drinks, Nutritional Bars, Powdered Soft Drinks, Protein Nutritional Drinks, Pudding, Candy, Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup, Sugar Free Cookies, Sugar Free Ketchup, Table Top Sweeteners, Vegetable Drinks, Fat Free or Sugar Free Yogurt.
Don’t buy in to the clever marketing. This is not the safe alternative to sugar. There are actually safe, natural sweetners like Xylitol. If you want to know what you should be using, read our supplement of the month article. And if you think Splenda (Sucralose) is any safer than Equal (aspartame) or Sweet ‘n Low (saccharin), we dare you to Google it!
Most of the above information was taken from Mercola.com and “Aspartame: Killing Us by Degrees – Part II”, by Pat Thomas

We all know that water is far better for us to drink than Coke. But since the number one source of calories in America is soda, we must have convinced ourselves that it’s really not that bad for us.
There is an e-mail circulating on “Coke Vs. Water” that might make you think twice the next time you pick up a soda. This e-mail makes some fascinating claims about the many uses of Coke other than a beverage. TruthOrFiction.com posted the ones they had researched and found truth behind.
• Clean a toilet with Coke:
Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the “real thing” sit for one hour then flush clean.
• The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China
• To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers:
Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca- Cola.
• To clean corrosion from car battery terminals:
Pour a can of Coca- Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
• To loosen a rusted bolt:
Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
• To remove grease from clothes:
Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
Another claim is that in order to carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials. One reader did write in to TruthOrFiction.co m and said: “My husband and I drive the big rigs and often carried Pepsi products…and it is true of all soda in the concentrated form…YES we did have to put the hazardous placards up for the load. Also the driver has to have passed the hazardous material test and have that on his CDL’s (Commercial Driver’s License)”. How is any of this possible? It is possible because the active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8, on a scale of 1 -14, with 1 being the most acidic. This phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones, a major contribution to the rising increase in osteoporosis. This is not exclusive to Coke products only, it applies to ALL sodas.
Our body does not need soda. It does, however, require water! Below are some statistics from the same e-mail showing just how important water consumption is. According to TruthOrFiction.com, these were taken from part of a summary in Women’s World magazine in July 2000.
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.
4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
5. Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy, short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer
Water is an essential part of our diet. We are only able to survive without it for a few days!
Water is important for digestion, nutrient absorption, circulation, healthy skin, removing toxins from your body and many other reasons. Can your Coke do that?
Wouldn’t you rather have a glass of water?

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist. Any bone can be affected, but of special concern are fractures of the hip and spine. A hip fracture almost always requires hospitalization and major surgery. It can impair a person’s ability to walk unassisted and may cause prolonged or permanent disability or even death. Spinal or vertebral fractures also have serious consequences, including loss of height, severe back pain, and deformity.

Osteoporosis is often called a “silent disease” because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse. Sometimes a person’s osteoporotic hip, for example, can spontaneously break under the pressure of standing. Collapsed vertebrae may initially be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, loss of height, or spinal deformities such as kyphosis or stooped posture.

Risk Factors:
• Being thin or having small frame
• Estrogen deficiency as a result of menopause, especially early or surgically induced
• Being Caucasion or Asian
• Being female
• Cigarette smoking
• Excessive caffeine intake
• Excessive use of alcohol
• Low testosterone in men
• An inactive lifestyle
• Low lifetime intake of calcium
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Advanced age
• Amenorrhea (unusual absence of menstrual periods
• Certain chronic medical conditions
• Chronic use of certain medications such as anticonvulsants, prednisone, chemotherapy
• Family history of osteoporosis
• Anorexia Nervosa

Screening for osteoporosis can be done using ultrasound and a type of xray called DEXA scan. If someone has obvious osteoporosis, this can be incidentally picked up on a typical xray that may have been performed for another reason, but will not be able to quantify the bone loss. Ultrasound is a good screening tool, but if the result is even slightly abnormal, the person should have a formal DEXA scan. A DEXA scan is a painless procedure that involves a person lying on a table while a low level xray beam moves across the spine and hips. The score of main importance is the Tscore. It’s best to have a T-score on the + side, although having a Tscore as low as -1.0 is considered ‘within normal limits’. Having a T-score between -1.0 and -2.5 is considered osteopenia, while a Tscore less than -2.5 is considered osteoporosis.

Treatment of Osteoporosis includes adequate calcium intake (1500mg daily), supplementation with Magnesium, Boron, and Vitamin D, as well as weight-bearing exercise to increase strength and muscle mass. In addition, hormones are very effective in increasing bone density, particularly bio-identical progesterone and testosterone. Synthetic hormones are not as effective and also have many side effects. Other supplements that are useful include zinc and L-arginine. It is also very important to eat healthfully, getting natural sources of calcium, and avoiding substances that deplete your bone, such as alcohol, caffeine, acidic foods, and cigarettes.

It’s important to realize that achieving good health, in general, requires good nutrition, regular exercise, hormonal balance, and avoidance of toxins. If you focus on these things and acquire good habits, you shouldn’t have to worry about diseases such as osteoporosis because, by default, your body will be able to take care of itself. For instance, I previously had many risk factors for osteoporosis, and a little over one year ago, I was headed towards osteopenia. My T-score was -0.6. After being on Progesterone, thyroid, cortisol, vitamins, a mostly healthy eating plan, and regular exercise regimen for a year, my T-score is now +2.0. My plan was to get healthy in general, and I didn’t focus on bone density. I still have fun, forget to take my vitamins on occasion, and drink a cup of coffee every morning, so achieving wellness doesn’t have to be a scary proposition. It’s never too early to change your life course. I’d like to mention something else. Some people are concerned that thyroid and cortisol supplementation will cause bone loss. While it is true that longstanding HYPERthyroidism and long term use of HIGH doses of steroids will contribute to bone loss, supplementation with thyroid and low doses of cortisol to balance one’s hormones is something entirely different. My Tscore is case in point!

We all know by now that we should supplement our diets with vitamins (even though most of us still do not). And in recent years, essential fatty acids (e.g., fish oil, flaxseed oil) have been added to the list of important supplements. Well, now there’s an emerging science called glycobiology, and evidence is mounting that we should all be supplementing our diets with essential sugars called glyconutrients. (Glyco=sugar).
It has been discovered that glycoproteins (proteins with sugar molecules attached) are necessary for proper cell function and communication. Every cell in your body has glycoproteins on it. There are over 200 sugars (carbohydrates) that have been discovered, but only 8 of them are incorporated into glycoproteins. Unfortunately, it’s also been discovered that our typical, modern-day diets readily contain only 2 out of these 8 sugars.
The race to unlock the ‘sugar code’ of life and healing has become top priority for major research universities and pharmaceutical companies. Four out of the last eight nobel prizes in physiology have been awarded to scientists studying glyconuntrients and how they work in the body. Studies confirm that these biologically active sugars
• dramatically raise the number of certain immune cells to fightinfection
• act as antioxidants
• protect the body against toxin and pollutant exposure
• slow premature aging
• decrease inflammation in diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis
• help immune cells recognize invaders due to a mutual ‘sugar exchange’ of information
• and enable cellular components to stick to each other initiating the right reactions
The implications here are enormous. Could this be the real missing link to good health? I’ve been researching glyconutrients for several months now and find the information fascinating and logical. I’ve heard testimonials from people ranging from a burn victim who didn’t scar, to several terminal cancer patients who are now cancer free, to people with severe auto-immune disorders who are now in remission. There was even a study conducted on 100 Alzheimer patients staying at an adult day care facility. At the end of six months, 61 of these patients were able to function at home. The researchers decided to continue the other 39 patients on a higher dose of the glyconutrients. The results are not available yet.
Some of these essential sugars are found in fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, more than 90% of us do not consume the daily recommended amounts of produce. Moreover, the produce that we do eat is nutrient-deficient due to depleted soil and modern harvesting practices. These essential sugars can also be found, to some degree, in fresh aloe vera, kelp, and certain mushrooms. Doesn’t sound to me like a very fulfilling diet! Well, there is a company called Mannatech that sells a patented product called Ambrotose, made up of the 6 essential sugars that are missing from our diets.
Ambrotose is safe for all ages. It’s considered a dietary supplement, just like vitamins. This supplement can be taken as a preventative, or can be used therapeutically for various disease processes.

From the Barron Report
Enzymes are proteins that facilitate chemical reactions in living organisms. In fact, they are required for every single chemical action that takes place in your body. All of your cells, organs, bones, muscles, and tissues are run by enzymes. Your digestive system, immune system, blood stream, liver, kidneys, spleen, and pancreas, as well as your ability to see, think, feel, and breathe, all depend on enzymes. All of the minerals and vitamins you eat and all of the hormones your body produces need enzymes in order to work properly. In fact, every single metabolic function in your body is governed by enzymes. Your stamina, your energy level, your ability to utilize vitamins and minerals, your immune system – all governed by enzymes.
Enzymes are produced both internally (most notably in the pancreas and the other endocrine glands) and are present in raw foods that we eat. At birth we are endowed with a certain potential for manufacturing enzymes in our bodies, an enzyme “reserve,” if you will. Nature intended that we continually replenish that reserve through proper nutrition and eating habits. Unfortunately, that just doesn’t happen. Processing and cooking destroy enzymes in food. (Man is the only animal that cooks his food.) In fact, any sustained heat of approximately 118 – 129 degrees destroys virtually all enzymes. This means that, for most of us, the food entering our stomachs is severely enzyme deficient. Even after the stomach acid has done its work, the meal enters the small intestine largely undigested. The less digestion that takes place before food reaches the small intestine the greater the stress placed on the endocrine systems. Recent studies have shown that virtually 100% of all Americans have an enlarged pancreas by the time they’re 40. The bottom line is that regular supplementation with digestive enzymes takes stress off the pancreas (and the entire body) by providing the enzymes required for digestion. In other words, digestive enzyme supplements just may be one of the best insurance policies you can give your body so you can enjoy a long and healthy life
Studies done with laboratory rats have shown that rats eating raw foods live about 30% longer than rats eating diets devoid of enzymes.
Benefits of taking digestive enzymes include:
1. You should notice a significant reduction in indigestion and heartburn problems resulting from too much acid in the stomach.
2.Relief from gas and bloating. (Some people may actually notice an increase in activity for several days as their digestive systems come alive.)
3. Improved digestion of dairy products caused by lactose intolerance.
4.Diminished food allergies due to more complete protein digestion.
5. Greatly reduced flatulence due to more complete carbohydrate digestion.
6. Since the digestion of enzyme deficient food is an extremely energy consuming task, within a few days should notice an increase in energy levels.
7. Relief from ulcers. (Digestive enzymes help with ulcers in two ways. First, they help digest so much of your meal during the 40-60 minutes of predigestion that your body requires less acid in the actual digestion phase.
This means that taking digestive enzymes will help lower the levels of acid in your stomach. (Those who suffer from chronic low levels of acid need not worry. Digestive enzymes supplements help here too by breaking down so much food in the predigestion phase that less acid is actually required. And over time, decreased demand results in increased reserve capability.) A CAUTIONARY NOTE: There is one concern when using digestive enzymes with ulcers — and that’s if you have a severe existing ulcer. What happens is that the protease can actually begin to digest damaged stomach lining tissue. This can cause noticeable discomfort for several days. To avoid this discomfort, if you have a severe ulcer, start with small amounts of the supplement with your meals and build up slowly.