Whether you are a 20-year-old woman who is suffering from premenstrual syndrome or a 65-year-old man with concerns about your cardiovascular health, EHL can help you choose supplements that will support your health concerns.

Core Nutrition is the foundation of the whole program. It consists of five nutritional supplements: MultiVitamin/Mineral, Essential Fatty Acids, Antioxidants, Probiotics, and Bone Nutrients: building blocks of basic good health. Stress, poor food choices, and illness deplete these core nutrient reserves. It is necessary to replenish these essential nutrients daily.

EHL then offers further suggestions based on age and gender, as well as your health concerns. Rounding out the program are lifestyle and diet recommendations.

This valuable resource is available online and in our store. If you require more in-depth information, schedule a consult with a health professional.

Click here to get started!

Certain types of exercises like nature walks, hiking, cycling, interval training, strength training, yoga and Pilates can help balance the body’s metabolic needs and have many benefits, including increased blood and oxygen flow to muscles, increased muscle mitochondria (the energy-making powerhouse of cells) and increased fat-burning enzymes. Interval training, or bursts of high-intensity activity, can increase muscle fiber strength, work ability, muscle mitochondria, insulin sensitivity and natural growth hormone. These health benefits sound great right?!

On the other hand, long cardio workouts can often lead to overtraining which depletes your body over time. Chronic high-level aerobic exercises also require a great deal of carbs and sugars to fuel the overexertion, often resulting in increased appetite and a tendency towards binge eating. Other serious downfalls include diminished fat metabolism, increased cortisol (stress hormone) production, and elevated oxidative stress, leading to tissue breakdown and inflammation. Not to mention, long cardio bouts can be time-consuming, repetitive and boring! You may be exercising to reduce stress, but end up creating even more (increased cortisol production) for the body to manage. In addition, muscle wasting follows lowered testosterone and human growth hormone levels, which can all occur with long cardio workouts.

Adrenal fatigue, or adrenal burnout, is a very common response to chronic stress. Often this may become a vicious cycle. People with exhausted adrenals tend to gain weight, so they may resort to more exercise and various other stimulants to spark the body to lose fat which, stresses the worn-out adrenals even further. Recovery is replaced by overexertion; cortisol is pumping and your metabolism continues to slow down over time.

For lasting weight loss and optimal health, we first need to correct our mindset. Break free from the idea that high cardio output equals high fat burn and understand that excessive cardio exhausts and depletes the body, leading to fatigue and more.

So what’s more effective for fat loss? Short and intense interval and resistance training. Even while at rest, muscle burns more calories and more fat, while excess exercise and cardio can just tear muscle for fuel, leaving your metabolism sluggish.

Reconsider your lifestyle approach to muscle building, weight loss and dietary choices. And hey, who wouldn’t prefer efficiency? Less time on boring cardio machines, plus better results from resistance weight training? I’m all for it!

Are you doing a cardio program and ready for a change? I’d love to know, comment and share!

Dr. Minton earned both a Masters and Ph.D. in Resource Ecology from the University of Michigan. He was a tenured Associate Professor at Vanguard University in the Biological Sciences. As a nutritional consultant, Dr. Minton practiced evidence-based nutrition, basing his dietary programs on a comprehensive intake process and advanced nutritional laboratory testing. This individual-centered strategy yielded successful experiences for patients with longstanding fatigue, excess weight gain, digestive distress, lowered immune function, hormone imbalances and other inflammatory conditions.

Tune in this Sunday from 10-11am on 1500 AM (WFED) or listen live on the web. Our shows are streamed everywhere.

Last week’s show was on the Gonzalez approach to cancer. Click to listen.

The trouble with moderation is that not everything should be consumed in moderation. Some things should be consumed in minimal quantities or almost never (fried food, sweetened beverages), while other things in abundance (green vegetables, cold-water fish).

Moderation, by definition, refers to “the avoidance of excess or extremes.” Yes, we want to avoid consuming candy bars or macaroni and cheese in excess. But we want to do more than that. We want to consume those foods sparingly or on very rare occasion. While this may be what health experts intend when using the rule, it’s not what people hear. 

Further, folks have widely varying perceptions of moderate consumption, often based on current habits. If someone drinks three 20oz bottles of soda per day, does that mean a healthy moderate intake would be one 20oz bottle per day? To me that’s still way too much.

Moderate consumption actually makes it harder to avoid a food we’re trying to limit, than simply cutting it out all together. This is especially true for sweets, sugar, sweetened beverages and highly refined carbohydrates like breads, pastas and desserts. As long as these foods are present in our diets they will perpetuate a craving for more, regardless of one’s personal interpretation of moderate intake.

As a nutritionist I’ll happily admit that I hate this phrase. I think it steers people in the wrong direction and ultimately does little to teach what an actual healthy diet looks like. The next time someone tells you it’s okay to eat something “in moderation,” ask for more information. Get the details. Understand how much of that food should really be in your diet, regardless of how much you eat now, how much you love it, or crave it. This may vary depending on your body type, health status, personal goals or activity levels, and of course based on what food you’re talking about. An experienced nutritionist should be able to make this distinction and provide sound information customized to you.

What foods do you strive or struggle to eat in moderation? Share in the comments.

If you have wanted to try fish oils or flax oils but have been fearful of the taste, this is your chance to try the best tasting essential oil products on the market. On Saturday, May 18 from 11 am to 5 pm, Village Green will be having a demonstration of various Barlean’s products including, “World’s Freshest Coconut Oil.”

This is a great opportunity to taste test some essential fatty acid products and ask questions! See you Saturday.

Often we may not even know we’re dehydrated. When you’re feeling thirsty, your body is already in a state of dehydration. Signs of dehydration include tiredness, fatigue, dizziness, weakness, irritability, hot flashes, dry mouth, tongue, lips, darker colored urine and decrease of urine output. Babies, young children and the elderly are most susceptible to becoming dehydrated, and should be specially monitored for this life-threatening state of bodily disruption.

With the summer temperatures approaching, always be cautious to make sure you’re meeting your hydration needs. We all love to spend our time outdoors – whether you’re lounging in the warm sun, biking, jogging, roller blading, playing baseball, etc. Before you head out, be sure to grab a water bottle (glass or BPA-free is best) to go. 

Not a fan of plain water? Do you often find yourself grabbing sweetened flavored water, soda or juice instead? Other alternatives to getting your fluid-fill can be loaded with added sugars and food dyes, and can add hundreds of calories to your daily intake. Plus, drinking your calories is usually not as satisfying as chewing your calories.

Here are a few ways you can boost the flavor and health of your water:

- Try adding frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries), squeezed lemon and mint leaves to a large jug or gallon of water. Let the mix sit in the fridge, allowing the berries to defrost to a chilled temperature, giving off juices and adding powerful antioxidants in the process.

- Try making your own tea mixtures as a great way to stay hydrated. Boil water and let it sit with a favored black tea, green tea, flavored or herbed tea of your choice. Add liquid stevia and mix well. Cool to room temperature then store in the fridge for a healthy ice-tea mixture.

No time? Here are my two favorites:

- Just add a squirt of lemon juice (100% real lemon juice) and a squirt of liquid stevia to filtered water in a BPA-free water bottle. Healthy lemonade that’s a great detoxifier as well!

- Add a squirt of liquid green tea and a squirt of liquid stevia to your filtered water for delicious iced tea!

How else can you think of flavoring your water to add taste and minimize added sugars? I’d love to know, comment and share!

1. Logona Free Body Lotion: FREE Body Lotion meets the unique requirements of highly sensitive, easily irritated skin. Premium botanical ingredients, such as sweet almond oil, jojoba, shea butter and burdock seed oil, nurture and protect the skin, and improve the balance of the skin’s oil and moisture levels. The neutral pH value reinforces the acid mantle and strengthens the skin resistance to negative environmental influences. FREE Body Lotion helps restore a more supple texture to your skin and produces a well cared for appearance. 

2. Dr. Hauschka Aromatherapy Bath Kit: Every mom needs time to unwind and relax. This kit contains five luxurious aromatherapy baths: “Lemon Bath, Lavender Bath, Rosemary Bath, Spruce Bath and Sage Bath” in a cute metal tin. Pure essential oils combined with sulfated castor oil disperse readily in bath water for a mood-altering experience.

3. Goddess Garden Natural Sunscreen SPF 30: This natural sunscreen is one of EWG’s top sunscreen choices. Its sheer, non-whitening formula provides protection from the sun, no matter where you go – the mountains, beach, swimming pool, park or just driving around town.

4.Republic of Tea: For the tea lover, Republic of Tea cannot be beat. Combine their get some zzz’s with Lavender Bath oil from Dr. Hauschka for a relaxing evening.

5. Mychelle Dermaceuticals: From the Creamy Pumpkin Cleanser to Magnolia Fresh Eyes, this skin care line offers something for everyone. Non-toxic and effective, Mychelle Dermaceuticals is one of the leading natural skin care lines.

All that said, seaweed can be quite a foreign food to most Americans. Traditional in Japanese cuisine, most Americans’ exposure to seaweed involves that dark wrapping around our sushi rolls (nori) that we try our best to ignore, or the clump of nearly black slippery greens (wakame) that get left at the bottom of many bowls of miso soup. 

Typically purchased dried and then reconstituted in water (or added to soup) before eating, some seaweed varieties that can be easily found at health foods stores include: arame, agar, dulse, kelp, kombu, nori, hiziki and wakame. Look for “wild” and “hand harvested” on the package to ensure a quality product that has not be grown in a tank. Some reputable brands include Eden, Erewhon and Maine Seaweed Co.

The applications of seaweed are vast. Agar can be used as a thickening/gelling agent in place of gelatin. Kombu acts as a tenderizer and nutrient. Add some to soups, stocks or beans while cooking to enhance digestibility. Hiziki and arame are easy to prepare and great added to salads.

For those who wish to test the seaweed waters more slowly, your local health food store has some great offerings. SeaSnax are seasoned chip-like snacks made of nori that many people find “strangely addictive.” Sea Seasonings are ground/flaked seaweed (usually dulse or kelp) shakers perfect for sprinkling seaweed on cooked foods as a nutrient and mineral rich flavor enhancer in place of table salt.

Read this for more on seaweed and what to do with it.

Don’t miss previous installments of the “Scary Foods to Make Yourself Eat” series, including sardines and dandelion greens.

Photo Credit: http://www.naturalcookstudio.com/2009/02/seaweed/

The safety of aspartame’s usage has been questioned for decades, yet it is still widely used. Despite the data showing aspartame leading to brain tumors in animal studies along with many studies lacking information about the long-term effects of aspartame, the chemical has been permitted in our food supply for decades. As the desire for diet, low calorie and low sugar alternatives has increased, aspartame has found a way into many of the foods, drinks and ingredients we use and choose every day. 

Dr. Russel Blaylock, neurosurgeon and author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, explains aspartame has negative affects on protein synthesis, brain operation, DNA (our genetic make up) and many organs. Although aspartame is toxic and has negative effects on all organ systems, most symptoms submitted to the Food and Drug Administration are neurological, having detrimental affects on our brain and nervous system.

When the body attempts to break down this chemical, headaches, mental confusion, dizziness, convulsions and seizures can result. Brain neurons fire excessively and cell death is likely. Other reported symptoms include mood changes, change in vision, disturbed sleeping patterns or insomnia, change in heart rate, hallucinations, abdominal cramps and pain, memory loss, rashes, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and weakness, diarrhea, hives and joint pain. Still thinking that low calorie or low sugar snack or beverage is worth it? The facts are simple: “Whenever your body tries to process an unrecognizable substance, the stage is set for health problems.” (4)

Not only is aspartame sabotaging our health, we’ve been misled to believe that “reduced calorie,” “sugar-free,” and “diet” products loaded with aspartame can be a part of a healthy diet, which is far from the truth. Aspartame can LEAD to weight gain as it stimulates the body to release insulin and leptin, while driving down serotonin levels. The hormones insulin and leptin signal your body to store fat, while the neurotransmitter serotonin helps regulate mood, appetite and sleep. Low levels of serotonin can lead to food cravings, binge eating and ultimately, weight gain. Artificially and intensely sweetened foods also alter our taste buds-making it difficult to detect the natural sweetness in healthier options.

What can you do to limit or stop using aspartame? Take the time to read labels on processed foods and question anything in a bag, box, packet or carton that seems “too good to be true.” Food products that have been manufactured, manipulated and altered from their natural state… usually aren’t.

Through marketing and advertisements showing healthy, beautiful people enjoying amazing lifestyles, we’re fed the message that these products will give us those things too. The reality is that the desire to lose or maintain weight is instead replaced by the reality of a list of unpleasant symptoms along with a greater risk for disease years to come.

So what’s your best choice? Choosing unprocessed, natural, whole, real food. It’s your healthiest step toward a healthy body and lifestyle.

Dr. Cheryl K. Burdette, ND, is a member of the Board of Advisors for Xymogen. She is also president and education director of NutraTest Labs, where she is involved in clinical trials of nutraceutical products and the development of functional testing profiles. This position gives her a unique perspective on evidence-based natural therapies.

Tune in this Sunday from 10-11am on 1500 AM (WFED) or listen live on the web. Our shows are streamed everywhere.

Last week’s show was on how to use the Cellercise® home exercise trampoline for better health and fitness.Click to listen.