Mental imagery—the practice of allowing images (sometimes pictures, sometimes just a “felt sense”) to emerge from the subconscious mind—has been used throughout human history to seek insight and wisdom for healing and for solving problems. I would like to share a recent experience of it with you as an invitation to try it for yourself as a way to deal with our anxiety-filled COVID-19 world. It requires some investment of time to learn, but in my experience it offers rich rewards.  To get a clearer picture of an underlying feeling of anxiety that had been with me since the beginning of the pandemic I set a timer for 20 minutes and began by sitting cross-legged on a cushion on the floor in my living room, with my eyes closed.  I then paid attention to my breath, letting it help me become more quiet and settle into the present moment.    As I tried to get a mental image for my feeling of anxiety I sensed I was in a forest and that a…

A recent Harris Poll commissioned by the Samueli Integrative Health Foundation found that 80% of the more than 2,000 representative adults surveyed in the U.S. say they intend to become more mindful about practicing self-care as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  It seems that COVID-19 has been a wake-up call for most Americans. For many years the medical-pharmaceutical establishment has cultivated an unhealthy dependency on doctors and their prescriptions or surgeries to get us well when we get sick.  What patients can do for themselves in terms of building health with good diet and healthy lifestyle is often minimized and even actively discouraged by doctors.  Thus, cancer patients are told it doesn’t matter what they eat—that they can eat sugar, and they’ll be fine as long as they get their chemotherapy or radiation.  Heart patients are told by their doctors to skip vitamins and rely instead on harmful medications.  But with COVID-19, w…

Cardiovascular disease is our leading cause of death by disease; quercetin is one of your best defenses against it. Quercetin is a type of antioxidant polyphenol called a flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables. Research confirms its ability to prevent heart disease and promote overall health. Large population studies have found that diets high in quercetin are associated with reduced risk of developing heart disease. Further research has found that quercetin helps prevent heart disease in these eight ways. Quercetin supplementation in humans lowers total and LDL cholesterol while raising HDL. Laboratory and animal research indicate that quercetin triggers removal of cholesterol from artery walls leading to plaque regression.   LDL cholesterol doesn’t form dangerous plaque unless it becomes oxidized. It has recently become possible to get a blood test showing your level of oxidized LDL through standard laboratories.  We encourage everyone to ask for this test…

A few months ago, we wrote about the five supplements we felt were the most important supplements to be taking at this time to support immune health.  They are: A high-quality multivitamin, like our Beyond Health Multi.   Vitamin C (either powdered or in tablets), 6 grams a day or to bowel tolerance, in divided doses.  Enough Vitamin D3 to achieve a high-normal level on a 25(OH)D blood test. Beyond Health Cell Repair Formula or Beyond Health Quercetin Pro, 2-4 tablets daily. Zinc.  Under age 40, 25 mg per day from Beyond Health’s Multi.  If over 40, an additional 25 mg from Beyond Health’s Zinc Formula for a total of 50 mg per day.  Most health-minded people today are aware that a multi, vitamins C and D, and zinc are good for the immune system.  But quercetin? Some people haven’t even heard of it.  So what is quercetin (pronounced kwer’-si-tin)?  And why do we believe it&rs…

Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds found in plant foods that have myriad benefits for human health.  As powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, they’re protective against just about every disease imaginable through a variety of mechanisms. We suggest supplementing with one of our quercetin formulas, Quercetin Pro or Cell Repair, to boost your polyphenol intake. Another way to get more polyphenols into your life is to make a habit of drinking green or white tea.  Both of these teas are made from the same Camellia sinensis leaves, but white tea has gone through less processing and retains more polyphenols.  It also has less caffeine and more soothing theanine.  Camellia sinensis leaves contain four kinds of polyphenols called catechins, the most potent of which, where health benefits are concerned, is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).  EGCG and quercetin possess many of the same abilities, including one that’s relevant to the COVID epidemi…

We all want to keep our immunity strong these days, and if you’ve been around Beyond Health for long, you know that means staying away from sugar. Sugar hammers your immunity in two ways. First, it competes with vitamin C to get into your cells. Immune cells cannot function without vitamin C, and they need lots of it—in an infection, your need for C can multiply by a factor of ten or more. But taking extra vitamin C isn’t going to help if you can’t get it into your immune cells. Too much sugar in the bloodstream blocks C’s entry into the cells, creating an artificial vitamin C deficiency. Second, sugar can create dramatic blood sugar spikes followed by deep dips. Your immune system also needs oxygen, and an erratic blood sugar level can weaken your immunity by preventing oxygen from getting into your cells. Wouldn’t it be nice, then, to have a sweetener that didn’t compete for with vitamin C or affect blood sugar levels? Well, there is such a s…

Since the publication of his best-selling book Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies about the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eating, Jeffrey M. Smith has become a leading advocate for calling a halt to this potentially dangerous technology.  His organization, the Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT), has collected anecdotal reports from people who recovered from various health problems after they removed genetically modified (GM) foods from their diets on the advice of their doctors.  Some people felt better almost immediately, while with others it took up to 6 weeks to get the full benefit. More than 3,000 people have now reported 28 conditions getting better, including digestive problems, fatigue, obesity, overweight, brain fog, anxiety, depression, food, sensitivities, allergies, chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, autism, cancer, high blood pressure, and ADHD. Of course, it‘s likely that people who eliminate G…

As scientists study the trillions of bugs, most of them bacteria, living in our intestines—known as the “gut microbiome,” they’re finding that this 3-5 pound community of microbiota has important roles in just about everything that goes on in our bodies. Some scientists are even saying our microbiota may be more important than our genes in determining our health or lack thereof. Recently, they’ve discovered that gut microbiota are intimately involved in determining blood pressure. It’s well-known that excessive salt intake isn’t good for the heart and has been associated with elevated blood pressure. Studies done in the last few years indicate that it’s how salt influences the microbiome that ultimately affects blood pressure. A 2017 study found that when either mice or humans ate too much salt, good bacteria in the gut started disappearing while pro-inflammatory immune cells called TH-17 cells started to rise; and as they did, they raise…

. . . enough to get the job done Often customers say to us, "I don't have enough money to take all the supplements in your kits -- just tell me the ones I really need to have." Well, the answer to this question is "You need enough to get the job done."  For most people in fairly good health who want to prevent disease, that would be the Ultimate Wellness Kit, plus Vitamin D if testing shows it's needed. If you have a diagnosed disease, you would need this kit plus one or more of our Support Kits. For example, if you're recovering from food allergies, rebuilding digestive, immune and adrenal health requires quite a few different supplements. (Call our office for details.) However, when health has been restored, you can stop taking most of them. (Maintaining digestive health usually requires ongoing probiotic supplementation, and may require ongoing hydrochloric acid and enzyme support.)   Our kits were designed based on my clinical experience. Apart from the work I did to…

There’s been an explosion of research in the past couple of decades on the relationship between gut microbiota (the 3½-4 pounds of microscopic critters that live inside our intestines, especially the bacteria in our colons) and health. One surprising finding is that these colonic microbes have a considerable influence on our ability to deal with stress and anxiety. New challenges posed by the COVID pandemic have made it all the more important to maintain stress resiliency—the ability to roll with the punches and deal with stress and anxiety in a healthy way. Like most health resources, at Beyond Health we’ve often recommended “stress reduction” practices, like meditation, exercise, and simple things like enjoying music or nature to reduce the impact of stress. But an equally powerful way to increase stress resilience is by making sure you have good bacteria in your colon! There is a complex bi-directional communication system between gut microbiota…

Have you ever stood before an open refrigerator feeling you need something but not knowing quite what? Then you zero in on that leftover chocolate cake and eat the whole thing only to still feel dissatisfied only now you feel guilty and sick to your stomach as well. Psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher, Sasha T. Loring, author of Eating with Fierce Kindness: A Mindful and Compassionate Guide to Losing Weight, gives this as an example of “the wanting mind,” a state of fundamental dissatisfaction that leads to cravings. Cravings can be caused by different things, such as allergies, lack of sleep, and nutritional deficiencies. But, as Loring observes, there is also something in our nature that leads to cravings. And once it gets a toehold a craving is difficult to tame. However, she gives three steps for gaining release craving’s grip: 1. Examine the Wanting Mind. If you can identify and name the “wanting mind”—that sense of being fundamentally…

More of us than ever are working from home and ordering what we need online, wedding us ever more closely to our computers. And while Americans were sitting too much before, it’s only gotten worse. While there’s nothing wrong with sitting per se, sitting in the same chair hour after hour actually changes body chemistry for the worse, increasing insulin resistance, blood sugar and triglycerides. Since these changes are linked with diseases like heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, dementia and cancer, and even to earlier death, sitting has been called “the new smoking.” Many people try to counteract the negative effects of too much sitting with a daily walk or run, or going to the gym after work, but although these forms of exercise are helpful in reducing the negative effects of sitting (and have their own additional benefits), they are much less effective than getting up out of your chair every 15 minutes or so and moving around a bit. Former N…

Preventing osteoporosis in old age should begin early. We build up our bone stores in childhood and as young adults, reaching peak bone mass in our thirties. From this peak, we begin gradually losing bone. Bones undergo a continual process called “remodeling” in which old bone is dismantled, and new bone is built to take its place. The adult human skeleton is renewed every 10 years by overhauling tiny patches of bone at a time. First, bone cells called osteoclasts chip away at old bone (often referred to as “bone resorption”); then bone cells called osteoblasts build fresh new bone. Somewhere in our thirties, we start losing more bone than we build, so the more bone we’ve amassed in our youth with good nutrition and weight-bearing exercise, the better our chances will be of maintaining strong bones for life. But, because bones are constantly being replaced, we can, in the words of President Joe Biden, “Build Back Better” at any time. Many facto…

Much has been written about the benefits of whey protein for athletes, bodybuilders and gym enthusiasts to help their muscles recover…BUT, what about its overall health-enhancing benefits for immunity and healthy aging? The most resistance to whey is from individuals allergic or sensitive to dairy because what is not universally understood is that whey is technically NOT dairy. Whey protein is a mixture of proteins isolated from whey – the liquid part of milk that separates during cheese production. Milk actually contains two main types of protein: casein (80%) and whey (20%). Whey is found in the watery portion of milk. When cheese is produced, the fatty parts of the milk coagulate and the whey is separated from it as a byproduct. An example is a yogurt container – usually liquid is floating on top — that’s whey. Cheese makers used to discard it before they discovered its health benefits and commercial value. After being separated during cheese productio…

We know hydration is important, but you might be wondering about the water coming from your tap. Due to the journey water takes - from its source all the way to a treatment facility and then to your home - water may be "hard" or "soft." This is determined based on the mineral content in your water, including the types and concentration of minerals. Here's what you should know about hard water. What Is Hard Water? Hard water pertains to the concentration of calcium and magnesium present. Higher levels results in hard water. Soft water, meanwhile, has a lower concentration of these minerals and a greater percentage of salt. What Does Hard Water Mean? Hard water is found in homes and communities across the United States. Generally, most people living with hard water are unaware of it, until they find they can't efficiently wash dishes or clothing, or their skin is consistently dry. Understanding hard water starts with its trip to your tap. Beginning from the source, water collects and hol…

When we think about what fuels our health, we focus on vitamins, minerals and fiber and the foods plus supplements that help us meet recommended daily amounts. Yet, particularly when it comes to children's health, we tend to bypass essential fatty acids. In writing recently about our newly formulated Kids Mega Multi, we said we believed all children should be on a good multi and also a source of essential fatty acids (EFAs). Both adults and children are apt to be low in EFAs, especially two EFAs commonly found in seafood, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which are crucial to children's neurological and cognitive development. DHA, which makes up 30-60% of the retina, is also absolutely necessary for normal eye development. Shockingly, a 2021 government survey on the diets of U.S. children between the ages of 1 and 6 found that 98% were deficient in DHA. Although EPA was not measured directly in this survey, as a close relative to DHA, it can be presumed EPA wa…

Have you tried to establish a regular meditation practice, but found it difficult to sustain over time? Join the club! Or better yet, join a group! Support systems, from classes to a workout partner, have long been a strategy to help people stick with an exercise routine and ultimately begin a new habit. Incorporating meditation into your daily life isn't any different. New habits take practice, dedication and establishing a pattern, and encouragement in varying degrees helps get you there. In both scenarios, one thing that may be getting in your way is a lack of social support. Although you can read about all the great things meditation can do for your health, energy and emotional equilibrium, and even experience benefits when you try it, if the people around you are totally uninterested in meditation, it's easy to get discouraged and begin thinking it's not worth the effort. Most Buddhists belong to religious communities called sanghas. Like any other religious community, the sangha…

If you plan to live to a ripe old age, you’ll want your bones to be good for the long haul. Unfortunately, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, about half our population over the age of fifty is “cruisin’ for a bruisin’”—a bone fracture due to either osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become thin, weak and prone to fracture, or “low bone density,” a condition in which bones have become thin, weak and prone to fracture to a somewhat lesser degree. There are some risk factors for osteoporosis that you can’t do anything about—age, gender (a woman’s risk of developing osteoporosis is four times greater than a man’s), genetics, being thin and small boned, and either Asian or blond and fair-skinned—but you can still maintain healthy bones for a life with the right care. Last week we talked about bone health supplementation and getting the “complete team” of nutrients needed with Beyond…