Recent research out of the Mayo Clinic has found that rheumatoid arthritis is on the increase among Caucasian women and that vitamin D deficiency is a factor. While there are many factors that influence arthritis, the researchers concluded that the most likely cause of the increase we are seeing is vitamin D deficiency, which has been rising, especially among women. Smoking is also commonly associatedwith causing rheumatoid arthritis. Another factor may be that the composition of female oral contraceptives has changed over the years. Oral contraceptives used to have more estrogen in them than they do today, which provides a protective benefit against rheumatoid arthritis. With less estrogen, there is less protective benefit. The best way to get vitamin D is through regular exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D3 supplements such as Beyond Health’s Vitamin D3 Formula are also a good option.…

Although we recommend eating most of the diet raw, a number of studies have shown that steaming preserves more nutrients than other forms of cooking, and in certain instances can even increase or release nutrients over and above what you’d get from eating the vegetables in question raw. Glucosinolates are compounds found in cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts) that protect against cancer. Scientists suggest that 3-5 servings a week of cruciferous vegetables provide a substantial cancer protective benefit. But to become properly activated, glucosinolates need to be mixed with the plant enzyme myrosinase. This mixing happens when you bite into your broccoli or Brussels sprout and crush the cellulose walls that otherwise keep the glucosinolates and myrosinase separated. But cooking can destroy myrosinase, and who wants to eat raw broccoli? Fortunately, according to a recent article in Tuft’s Health and Nutrition Letter, scientists at the Un…

. . . to keep the doctor away Hunched over? Glazed eyes? Tense neck and shoulders? These are just a few of the symptoms that creep up when you’ve worked at your desk for days without taking the time to stretch and exercise. Years of this can take a severe toll on the body. Yet studies show that with just minimal daily exercise, you can shake off stubborn wrist, neck and back problems -- the kind that typically plague most office workers -- and feel and perform better in general. While it isn’t always easy to find the time and motivation to exercise when you’re busy at work, it can be done when you always keep office-friendly exercise equipment in view. One especially fun contraption we recommend is the folding or non-folding rebounder. This small, specially constructed trampoline that can fit in any corner or office space is an easy solution to your stress, cramp and muscle pain problems. Just schedule two jumping cardio workouts on the rebounder, that is, two 15-minu…

Today, most cancer patients die from their treatment and not from their cancer. Tragically, most people do chemotherapy because they think it’s their only option. Yet more than three out of four doctors would not use it on themselves. It is well known in the cancer industry that chemotherapy is both dangerous and ineffective. Despite this, about 80 percent of all cancer patients get chemotherapy—an expensive choice in exchange for no benefits. Statistics show that about 98 percent of patients who opt for chemotherapy would actually live longer and have higher quality lives if they opted to do nothing at all. While the damage done to cancer patients is well established, new studies show that chemotherapy drugs have taken a deadly toll on the hospital and clinic workers who handled them. Many thousands of health care workers were exposed to these dangerous chemicals. These workers are now being diagnosed with cancers that have been linked to that exposure. Past studies have f…

Grant Cooper, M.D., co-director of the Princeton Spine & Joint Center in Princeton, NJ, has written several journal articles and books about arthritis and pain. In his years of treating patients with osteoarthritis (OA), he's made an interesting observation: patients with terrible-looking x-rays (bone-on-bone) may have no pain at all, while others reporting excruciating pain may have x-rays showing relatively little joint deterioration. What makes for the difference? According to Cooper, even with joint deterioration you don't need to be in pain. His keys for preventing and reversing arthritic pain are gentle exercise, including strengthening and stretching your muscles appropriately, learning how to perform daily tasks so that you're not over-stressing your joints, and an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, including good diet and anti-inflammatory supplements. A few sessions with a good physical therapist can be worth their weight in gold to learn specific exercises and new, less…

. . . Quercetin may be one answer Despite efforts to replace it, more than 6 billion tons of BPA is being produced annually worldwide, and virtually every man, woman and child in the US is contaminated with it. One way to avoid BPA is by removing packaged foods from your diet. BPA is found in packaged food liners and in the linings of cans containing food and beverages. Last July, it was reported that scientists who asked families to eliminate all packaged foods for just three days measured a 60% average drop in the families' urinary levels of BPA -- 75% for those with the highest initial levels. Minimize your handling of receipts. You might also consider keeping them in a small plastic bag rather than in your wallet. And DON'T throw them into your recycle bin. Traces of BPA and BPS have been showing up in all kinds of recycled products, from mailing envelopes to toilet paper. Quercetin (the main ingredient in our Cell Repair Formula) may also help mitigate the effects of…

In a commendable effort to avoid dairy, many people have turned to commercially available rice, soy, coconut, hemp and almond milks. Unfortunately we haven’t found a single one of these that we can recommend. They either contain questionable ingredients, like carrageenan, or come in plastic-lined cans that contain Bisphenol A or toxic Bisphenol A replacements. An alternative is to make your own coconut milk, or nut or seed milk.  Although making coconut milk is quite labor intensive, the results are well worth it, as it is truly a delicious treat. Instructions are available on the internet; there is even a way to culture coconut milk to make it into a kefir. However making nut or seed milks is a breeze. You’ll need a nut milk bag, but these aren’t expensive, last forever, and are easy to find on the internet. In addition, you’ll need a powerful blender, and a source of pure water (see our RO Home Water Treatment System). Soak 1-1/2 to 1/-3/4 cups of raw nuts or raw seeds overnigh…

. . .  flaxseed supplies both soluble and insoluble fiber, and more Another outstanding source of fiber is the fabulous flaxseed. All nuts and seeds provide fiber, but none compare to flax, which supplies 9 grams an ounce. That’s almost 3 times as much fiber as the next highest nut/seed, almonds, at 3.3 grams an ounce. There are two kinds of fiber, and flaxseed supplies generous amounts of each. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water, while soluble fiber does.  Both slow down glucose absorption, which keeps blood sugar and insulin levels low (and helps to prevent diabetes). Both, but especially insoluble fiber, add bulk and softness to the stool, helping to move it along and making elimination easier. Both dilute carcinogens and other toxins so they have less contact with the intestinal mucosa and less chance of being reabsorbed. Both provide a feeling of fullness and satisfaction that may prevent obesity and help weight loss. Soluble fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol;…

. . . diet is by far the most important factor in keeping your skin hydrated, smooth and supple In winter, we may go from icy cold winds outside to dry, forced air heat inside. Extreme temperatures – both hot and cold – dry the skin. Add age to the mix (as we age, our skin becomes less efficient at producing lubricating oils), and it’s not surprising that many people suffer from dry skin during the winter months. Dryness intensifies fine lines on your face, making you look older; the skin can feel rough and appear dull and flaky. In some people, skin dryness gets so bad that the outer skin layer becomes leathery and cracks, especially on hands and feet. Apart from being quite painful, these lesions compromise the skin’s barrier function, permitting entry to germs and other irritating substances, often leading to infections. Here are 8 ways to keep your skin soft, supple and well-hydrated, even during winter: 1.  First and foremost, consume enough healthy fat, especially ess…

We all know that physical fitness is a good thing. Fitness is associated with heart and lung health, good blood sugar control, and a longer, more productive and enjoyable life. But what does it actually mean, and what do you have to do to get and stay fit? Although some definitions of fitness also include muscle strength, flexibility and body composition, fitness usually refers to cardiovascular fitness, or aerobic capacity—the ability of your heart, lungs and circulatory system to supply oxygen-rich blood to muscles and organs and remove metabolic waste products during exercise. You can assess your own aerobic capacity to some extent by how winded you get climbing stairs, lifting heavy packages or running for a bus. A more scientific home test is given here. You can also go to a clinic or health spa and have it measured by exercising as hard and long as you can on a treadmill while your heart rate and breathing capacity are measured. According to studies done at the Cooper Inst…

Necessary for the function of more than 300 different enzymes, zinc is “essential for virtually all processes in the human body.” But even though Mother Nature wisely put a little zinc into most foods, it’s still easy to come up short. Known as the cold-fighting mineral, zinc is needed for every aspect of immune function. Zinc is also used in the synthesis and function of DNA and RNA, making it essential for reproduction and growth. It’s needed for neurological, eye, and heart health, and for healthy bones and glucose metabolism. Vitamin A can’t function without it. Zinc reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, supports detoxification, and plays roles in digestion, metabolism and protein synthesis. But like other minerals, zinc is significantly depleted in US soils: A carrot today may have 95% less zinc than a carrot grown sixty years ago. Phosphate fertilizers and sewage sludge used in conventional agriculture are also highly contaminated with cadmium, which competes with zin…

Not all food cravings lead to overeating. Your body can give you legitimate cues that certain nutrients are needed, or even that a certain food will fulfill an emotional need.  If you find that a reasonable amount of a desired food satisfies you, wonderful.  Eating one cookie may satisfy a sweet tooth. But if one cookie leads to another, and another, and then, “I can’t believe I ate the whole box,” that’s a problem. Although scientists look for characteristics that separate bingers from non-bingers, given enough stress, just about anyone is likely to turn to Haagen-Dazs.  However, though stress is unavoidable and unpredictable, here are ways you can strengthen your capacity to become “binge-resistant.” Get adequate nutrition. According to food addiction expert Julia Ross, MA, MFCC, dieting, which she calls “a euphemism for starvation,” is the major cause of food cravings and eating disorders. In Never Be Sick Again, Raymond Francis agrees.  He says anyone who…

Sitting Kills, Moving Heals is the title of a book by exercise physiologist Dr. Joan Vernikos. Her argument—one that has been confirmed by other scientists in a new field called “inactivity physiology” is not that sitting is necessarily bad for us; just that we spend far too much time doing it. The real problem is inactivity. Or put another way, it’s the absence of moving against gravity in a variety of ways throughout the day. Moving in opposition to gravity stimulates certain cell functions we need to be healthy, and we need to move frequently throughout the day. An hour at the gym after work won’t cut it. Dr. Vernikos became an expert on the physiological effects of gravity while working with NASA, where she observed the health-damaging effects of weightlessness on astronauts. Living in a gravity-free environment, she says, accelerates the aging process by about ten times. Changes in muscle and bone and other detrimental physiological changes that ordinarily occur in one ye…

It’s been called “the most effective, potent way that we can improve quality of life and duration of life.” If it were a drug, “it would likely be the most valuable pharmaceutical ever developed.” It isn’t a new supplement or super food, and best of all it’s free. It’s . . . exercise! In a recent issue of Time magazine, reporter Mandy Outlander explored the cutting edge of exercise research with various experts who have become increasingly excited about “exercise as medicine.” His own research prompted the rave reviews above from genetic metabolic neurologist Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky at McMaster University in Ontario. That exercise is good for us isn’t exactly news, but Dr. Tarnopolsky hopes that by pointing out all its wonderful rewards, he may motivate us enough to jump up out of our chairs and actually do it! Rewards being documented are both immediate and long-term. Right after a short exercise session, measurable results include improved mood, less arthritic and lower back pa…

What is a plant-based diet? There are different interpretations, but except for the vegan diet, which is exclusively plant, most plant-food diets are centered on plant foods, especially vegetables, using only small amounts of animal products as “condiments.” At Beyond Health, we recommend limiting animal proteins to 2-3 ounces a day, and not every day. Although on Thanksgiving, we enjoy organic turkey, we don’t overdo it. Instead, we make a feast of a beautiful salad with our delicious Beyond Health Olive Oil and Beyond Health Balsamic Vinegar and several favorite vegetable dishes. We then have a little turkey on the side. Here are two treasured vegetable recipes from our friend Bette Acuff, visual artist and artist-of-life, who brings beauty, balance and taste to all of her endeavors. CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH GREENS  1 tablespoon Beyond Health Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 4 cloves of garlic, chopped Selina…

Consuming enough magnesium is only half the battle. For our bodies to utilize it, magnesium needs to be absorbed and get into our cells. However, when you’re deficient in magnesium, you face a paradox.  Cells need magnesium to correct systemic acidity and activate an enzyme that allows them to take up magnesium! Fortunately Raymond Francis’ friend, scientist Russell Jaffe, MD, PhD, found a way around this problem, by combining magnesium with choline citrate, Dr. Jaffe estimates that most people who need magnesium need to take it with choline citrate to benefit from it. This would include about half the population and the majority of people who are chronically ill. So although you will get magnesium in our Beyond Health Multi and Bone Formula, and a little more in our Vitamin C powder or tablets, if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms above, we strongly recommend taking Beyond Health Magnesium with our Choline Citrate. Start with 1 capsule of magnesium and a teaspoon of…

It may seem like a simple mathematical equation:  One pound equals about 3,500 calories. If you want to lose one pound, you simply eat less and/or exercise more so that you consume 3,500 less calories than you’re burning. But the truth is more complex. Although if you eat less and exercise more, you can lose weight, most people who take this limited approach have a hard time and often wind up like our friend Debby who reported, “I exhausted myself losing five pounds, but they found me again!” As Raymond Francis says in Never Be Fat Again, overweight is a disease, a disease that can only be cured by normalizing body chemistry. This is done by permanently adopting a holistic lifestyle that supplies the body with all the nutrients it needs to be healthy, and eliminates toxins that interfere with good health. A body in optimal health sustains self-healing, self-regulating mechanisms that automatically shed excess pounds and then maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise is…

Beyond Health exists for one purpose: to help you get healthy and stay healthy. We’re here with information, products and the enthusiasm that comes from seeing and experiencing the dramatic changes in health and well-being that are possible. (That’s why we call it “beyond” health: we help people go “beyond” what they previously thought possible.) What we need to complete the picture is you! Your participation and feedback allow us to continue to improve our service. So we’re inviting you, as 2017 begins, to consider us your partner on a journey toward becoming stronger, healthier and happier. Let us know how we’re doing in meeting your health needs. We’re available by phone or email, and we want to hear from you. Has a supplement helped you? We want to know! Or has it not lived up to your expectations. We want to know that too. Often a little counseling will solve the problem. Do you have a criticism, suggestion, or question? Althou…