High-quality supplements are a pivotal part of Raymond Francis’s approach to getting well and staying well, and supplying them is a cornerstone of our business at Beyond Health. We believe that even if you eat an exceptionally healthy diet, high-quality supplements, especially a multivitamin, essential fatty acids extra vitamin C, and vitamin D if levels are tested and found to be low, are essential to maintaining optimal health. (For the many reasons why, see Raymond’s free report, The Roadmap to Supplements.) So we were pleased to read that Mark Hyman, MD, Director of the prestigious Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine, wholeheartedly agrees. The Cleveland Clinic is an academic medical center and a leader in research, education and health information in Cleveland, Ohio. It is rated the second best hospital in the country by US News & World Report, and #1 for heart care. Dr. Hyman himself is well-known for his best-selling books and many appearances on public te…

How do you get your family to adopt better health habits?  At Beyond Health we get this question a lot, especially from people who’ve read one of Raymond Francis’s books and have become convinced they want to make some major changes in their lifestyle.  Here are some ideas. First, make time to talk with your spouse or other adult members of the family about your family’s health and what you’ve been learning. They may be “ripe for the picking” and enthusiastic about your ideas. Or they may be ready to make some changes, and not others. You may be excited about going raw and vegan; they may want hot, cooked meals for dinner. You may want to refuse vaccinations for your children; they may want to do more research first before taking such an unpopular stance. Encourage them to empower themselves by reading Raymond Francis’s book The Great American Health Hoax, so it’s not just you who’s supplying information. The Maintenance List chapter alone is worth the price of the boo…

According to the National Institutes of Health the average American adult gains one pound every holiday season. Those who are already overweight tend to gain even more. Unfortunately that weight is usually there to stay; holiday weight gain is the primary reason weight creeps upwards with age. With so many reasons to overeat during the holidays, it’s surprising we don’t gain more. The holidays are traditionally a time for feasting and drinking. But historically, this occurred in the context of food scarcity; many pilgrims starved to death before food sources were established, and abundance was something to be celebrated. We hardly need to celebrate food abundance today, but that hasn’t stopped us from bringing out the cookies, cakes and pies for the holidays. We combine this with alcohol, which impairs inhibitions, stimulates appetite and intensifies the brain’s reward center in response to food! Then there’s stress. Our already challenging to-do lists expand during the holida…

Taking showers can cause cancer! Twenty years ago the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed hot showers on their list of cancer sources. The main culprit was chlorine. Chlorine is a poisonous chemical, a bleaching agent. Sure, it does a great job of killing living things in our water, like bacteria and viruses. The problem is we’re living things too. Chlorine gas was used as a deadly weapon during World War I! Chlorine is a pro-oxidant that causes free radical damage in the body, a major factor in aging and in every kind of disease. Chlorine and its by-products have been linked with various forms of cancer, neurological issues, reproductive problems, heart disease (including atherosclerosis and hypertension), decreased immunity, allergies, hypothyroidism and lung problems. When you smell chlorine in your shower, it’s because it’s escaping into the air as chlorine gas. Since showers are usually poorly ventilated, chlorine gas concentrations can be quite high. In sufficient…

Don’t look now, but we’ve all got a population of “zombie” cells living in our bodies!  Like us, cells are born, have a life and die. Ideally, when they lose their ability to divide and reproduce through damage or simple aging, they “commit suicide” in an orderly process called “apoptosis.”  But some cells, although no longer functional, refuse to die. Instead they linger on, generating chronic levels of inflammation and producing protein-digesting enzymes that cause accelerated aging to organs and tissues, increasing our susceptibility to chronic disease. Called “senescent” or “senile” cells, a robust immune system could destroy them, but as we age, our immune systems weaken, and these zombie cells accumulate. In 2011, researchers genetically modified mice so that their senescent cells could be triggered to self-destruct, which increased the mice’s lifespan by an amazing 2025% while greatly retarding development of chronic disease. This caught the attention of the…

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet, and the winds long to play with your hair." -- Khalil Gibran Before reading any further, if you want to laugh and feel good about life for a few minutes, please click on this great video produced by nature-rx.org. The video tells us what scientists have recently started to document, and what we’ve known intuitively all along: Our relationship with nature is fundamental to our well-being. Nature heals and restores us, mentally, physically and spiritually. Without adequate “vitamin N,” we are somehow lost, disconnected from life and from ourselves, and this impacts us on every level, including having negative effects on our physical and emotional health. In fact, some doctors are beginning to prescribe “nature” to their patients, and some researchers are trying to determine what exact “dose” of time spent in nature would be optimal! So as we look this month at re-creating ourselves through rest and recreation, it is f…

Now I’ve got to the point where I think we can get almost complete control of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes by the proper use of vitamin C and lysine. If you are at risk of heart disease or if there is a history of heart disease in your family . . . or if you have had a mild heart attack yourself, then you had better be taking vitamin C and lysine. – Linus PaulingIn the US, heart disease causes 700,000 deaths each year—more than all forms of cancer combined.  Atherosclerosis, or “hardening of the arteries” causes most heart attacks and strokes and is found to some degree in almost everyone today, even babies. It doesn’t have to be this way.Dr. Linus Pauling proposed a solution: vitamin C . . .Thirty years ago, chemist Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Prize winner and one of the great scientific minds of the 20th century, proposed that vitamin C deficiency is the major cause of atherosclerosis.Among its more than 300 functions in the human body, vitamin C helps the…

Egyptian researchers have compared the supplement CoQ10 to diabetes drug glimepiride in treating rats that had been artificially given type 2 diabetes. CoQ10 had marked positive effects on 15 different factors that either cause or prevent/reverse diabetes, surpassing glimepiride in all but 5. Most importantly, CoQ10 has no negative side effects, while there are many problems with glimepiride. Glimepiride belongs to a class of diabetes drugs called sulfonylureas that force the pancreas to produce more insulin. Insulin is a hormone that ushers sugar from the blood into body cells, so it can be stored or burned as energy. Type 2 diabetes occurs when cells become resistant to insulin and sugar accumulates in the blood. While increasing insulin will get sugar into the cells, it creates new problems. High insulin levels are inflammatory, causing aging and all manner of disease including heart disease and obesity. (Sulfonylurea side effects include weight gain and increased risk of…

We’ve said it frequently: More than 90% of the multivitamins on the market today are a waste of money and not worth taking, and one of the best investments you can make for your health is a high-quality multi. It is not easy to make a superior multi, but that’s what we do. So, what specifically are the features that make our multi superior? It is a high-potency formula, which means you get higher amounts than in other multis. Government RDAs are not sufficient for optimal health, and most people don’t absorb nutrients as well as they should. By using only the purest and safest forms of vitamins and minerals, we can safely provide generous amounts. All nutrients are in biologically preferred forms for enhanced absorption and activity even for those with compromised health. Over 90% of other brands do not use these preferred forms because they cost more. The nutrients in our multi are identical to those found in food, so the body recognizes them and knows exactly what to do with th…

Vitamin B12 and folate (aka vitamin B9) work together in a very productive partnership. Unfortunately, government statistics show that 30% of the US population is deficient in vitamin B12 and 75% in folate. This is using the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) as a reference, which many experts believe are far too low. And since they often work together, a deficiency in one means the other won’t work as it should. So it wouldn’t be too surprising to find you’re deficient in one or both, especially if you’re over the age of 50 when both B12 and folate levels start to decline. Because these two B vitamins participate in so many different biochemical processes, deficiencies can produce a wide range of symptoms: Do you have low energy? Feel weak, or get dizzy spells? Do you find you’re getting more irritable or feeling a bit low? Is your memory getting worse? Is it harder to learn new things; easier to get distracted and confused?  Do you have balance, vision or hearing proble…

Is your liver taking a beating? Are you an artist, painter or printer, or do you work in a dry cleaning establishment or photocopy shop? If so, you’re exposed to liver-damaging volatile organic solvents daily. Other types of jobs involve different unavoidable and heavy toxic exposures. Bicycle commuting in traffic exposes you to an unhealthy dose of air pollutants. Or do you have a liver disease like hepatitis, cirrhosis, alcohol or drug-induced liver disease, or elevated liver enzymes? (a test your doctor can give you to see if your liver is breaking down) Liver damage/disease are no fun. Fatigue, digestive problems, allergies and frequent colds, flu and other infections; rashes; various aches, pains and other discomforts; mood swings and an inability to deal with stress are just some of the unpleasant consequences of liver overload and disease. Liver Care is a carefully formulated blend of synergistic nutrients in their purest, most bioavailable forms, and includes the liv…

There’s probably nothing more important than regular exercise for healthy aging.  But it’s hard to be active when your joints hurt. That’s why it’s critical to take good care of our joints, and part of that is giving them the nutrition they need. Staying away from the inflammatory Big Four—sugar, wheat and refined flour, processed oils is the first crucial step; getting adequate amounts of the healthy, anti-inflammatory oils, like flax, fish, coconut and olive oils is the next. You’ll also want to supply your joints with an array of antioxidants from fresh fruits and vegetables and from antioxidant supplements, like vitamins A, C, D and E; minerals zinc and selenium; and MSM, green and white tea, curcumin, CoQ10 and quercetin. Drink plenty of water. According to water expert Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, MD, dehydration can be a factor in joint pain and lower back pain. Water is one of the main components of cartilage, the slick, spongy material at the ends of bones. Ca…

The strongest and most hard-working muscle in your body, your heart is also associated with vulnerability . . . and for good reason.  Powerhouse though it may be, the heart is living tissue that requires proper nourishment. A nutrient called coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is essential for keeping your heart strong and healthy. Yet it’s quite possible your CoQ10 levels are suboptimal, leading to a condition that underlies many heart problems called “energy-starved heart.” Every cell in your body contains hundreds of little energy factories called mitochondria. CoQ10 facilitates various chemical reactions in the mitochondria’s energy-producing process. Simply put, when you lack CoQ10, you lack energy. Your muscles, including your heart, may be ready, willing and able, but there’s just not enough fuel in the tank. Even minor deficiencies in CoQ10 can impair heart function and eventually damage the heart itself. CoQ10 plays yet another crucial role in cardiovascular health: Keeping…

Widespread magnesium deficiency has been implicated in a host of chronic diseases, including obesity. How would healthy levels of magnesium in our cells help us to attain and maintain a healthy weight, and how does magnesium deficiency sabotage those goals? Fatigue. The number one complaint patients bring to doctors is “feeling tired.” Being unable to lose weight probably ranks a close second.  The two concerns are related: It’s hard to eat less and exercise more when you’re already feeling tired all the time. Fatigue is one of the first signs of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium and the B vitamins are our main energy nutrients, involved in almost every step of energy creation in the cells’ energy factories, the mitochondria. Nutrient Deficiency. Magnesium and the B's activate enzymes that control digestion, absorption and utilization of all three macronutrients—fats, proteins, and carbohydrates—making the vitamins and minerals they contain available for our bodies to use.…

Do you find yourself eating most of your meals in front of a TV or computer screen? Do you grab food on the go, gulping it down with a beverage before you’ve had a chance to chew it? During meals, are you also talking on your smartphone, or is your mind preoccupied with your next project or concern so much that you barely notice what you’re eating?All of the above are examples of “mindless eating,” the opposite of “mindful eating.”“Mindful eating” is a concept that comes from Buddhism, a religion that cultivates mindfulness not just in eating but in all aspects of everyday life. Although books have been written about mindfulness, very simply it is noticing, in a relaxed, nonjudgmental way, what is happening in the present moment. Although it’s called mindfulness, it necessarily includes the senses, because it is through the senses that we experience the present—through what we see, smell, touch, hear and taste. The practice of mindfulness requires that we slow down, quiet ou…

The most common complaint bringing patients to doctors’ offices these days is low energy.  Most often, if you go in complaining of fatigue, after a battery of tests, you will be told there’s nothing wrong with you. Well, although it may not show up in their tests, there is something wrong! Low energy means not only that you don’t have the energy to do what you want to do; it means your body doesn’t have the energy to do what it needs to do to keep you healthy. In fact, the amount of energy your body can make may be the single most important measurement of your health. It’s important to get to the bottom of what’s going on.  (A doctor who specializes in functional medicine may find answers that conventional doctors don’t.) One of the most common reasons for low energy today is a sluggish liver. The liver is the largest and most hard-working gland in your body, performing over 500 essential functions, and when it isn’t up to par, every other system in your body suffers as a…

Climate change is making life tougher for those with allergies, but it’s possible to be allergy-free. A European study published online concluded that allergic reactions to ragweed (the most common cause of what is known as “hay fever”) are in fact getting worse; people who are already sensitive to ragweed are becoming more sensitive, and more and more people who never had problems before are becoming allergic. In fact, in 25-40 years, these researchers estimate the population of Europeans sensitive to ragweed will double, from 33 million to 77 million. Although this study was done in Europe, similar factors, associated with climate change, are at work here in the US. As explained by Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist at the US Department of Agriculture, warmer temperatures and higher levels of carbon dioxide have encouraged ragweed growth, producing a larger plant and about ten times more ragweed pollen. In addition, it appears that this pollen is a more potent allergen.The Europea…

Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that we can’t do without. It’s known primarily as an antithrombic, preventing blood clots inside blood vessels, and as the body’s primary fat-soluble antioxidant, offering significant protection to the heart, brain, skin and immune system.But as crucial as vitamin E is to our health, well-known vitamin E researcher Magrit G. Traber has reported that an estimated 90% or more Americans don’t consume enough dietary vitamin E to meet the minimal government standard of 12 milligrams (mg) a day. Meanwhile, health experts recommend hundreds of mg daily for optimal health. Vitamin E is found in whole grains, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats and oils, such as pure, extra-virgin olive oil. If you included all these good foods regularly in your diet, you would likely meet minimum government standards, but for optimal health Beyond Health recommends 400 IU (268 mg) a day, an amount that can only be feasibly consumed by taking a nutritio…