Health Products For People & Pets

60 Seconds to Energy

2011-12-21T18:53:33-08:00

Sometimes we feel an irresistible wave of fatigue washing over us and we are compelled to stop and rest. Often, this is a consequence of a lifestyle that is just too hectic. Stress wears us down. Fatigue is the language of our brain, body and particularly our immune system. It is telling us, “slow down, take it easy.”

When rest must wait

The way our body reacts to acute stress is through a process called “fight or flight”; it describes an inborn mechanism of survival. You see, we are designed to survive. If we are in a situation our brain decides is dangerous, our adrenal glands secrete adrenaline to gear us up for “fighting” or “fleeing.”

The danger is that we react this way if the situation is real or imagined. For example, we react with fight or flight responses when we see a dangerous snake. But we also react the same way if we think we see a dangerous snake. It’s all the same to your brain; so, your adrenal glands prepare your body and mind.

When we are confronted with a dangerous situation it is not the time to sit and rest. This is a time of action – fight or flight. Rest must wait in circumstances like this.

Modern-day confusion

When was the last time you felt threatened by a dangerous snake, a snarling dog, or (oh my!) a lion, tiger or bear? I will venture a guess that this hasn’t happened in a while and doesn’t happen very often. Yet, if you are like the rest of us living in the “civilized” world, you probably feel stressed quite often, maybe even daily.

The stress we face today is chronic stress. It comes from time urgency, performance standards, deadlines and expectations. It is created by our own thoughts and our polluted, noisy, hectic environment. The stress is rarely acute, it’s chronic; the danger is rarely imminent, it is assigned a sense of urgency by our own mind.

Stress is often only real in the culture we have created or co-created with our peer group.

Still, it is our reality. And until we can co-create another reality with more rainbows and butterflies and fewer lions, tigers and bears, we need to create strategies for the times when rest must wait.

60-second energy

Deep breathing

If you are stressed, pause and take three full, deep breaths. This will often break the cycle of adrenaline and allow you to return to normal functioning. You can do this in less than 60 seconds! Practice deep breathing for 10 minutes, twice daily and 20 minutes before bedtime.

Hydration

If you feel grumpy, pause and drink two full glasses of pure water. Grumpiness is often a sign of dehydration. You can often do this in less than 60 seconds. Calculate the water your body needs every day (half your body weight in ounces) and focus on drinking the majority of this amount early in the day to support detoxification.

Sleep and Sublingual B-12

When you reach the point where you just can’t think anymore, then you need more sleep. The stress you feel may actually be causing your brain to shrink! Sublingual B-12 can often help restore clarity for now and allow you to plan better sleep tonight. Although it takes several minutes for the Sublingual B-12 to dissolve, you can start the energy cycle by simply slipping a little pink pill under your tongue. The people with the highest amounts of Vitamin B-12 in their bloodstream often experience the least brain shrinkage as they age. Perhaps better sleep and more B-12 can help you deal with your daily stress before it shrinks your brain!

Finally, remember that this reaction to stress is called fight or flight. To flee means to get away from the source of danger. Historically, we flee by walking, running or swimming away from danger. (In my world I have added bicycling!) So, to discharge our stress and recharge our energy we need to walk, run, swim or bicycle daily as a stress management strategy. These may not be socially available in your circumstances; what is available?

Energy Now! With Energy Now!, people often have the spark they need to manage stress now and enjoy physical activity later.

Are Plastic Bottles Safe?

2011-12-21T18:12:12-08:00

by Brazos Minshew, TriVita's Chief Science Officer

News media stories have alerted the public to a growing threat to our health: plastic bottles.

Plastic bottles were once thought to be miracles of modern science as they allowed us to preserve and store foods for convenient use. Indeed, most of us use plastic bottles every day. Plastics are made from coal, natural gas or (most commonly) petroleum. They have been around for almost 200 years.

Unsafe choices

Plastics in the human body look remarkably similar to hormones. Some look like male hormones, others like female hormones. Yet, they are not hormones; they are artificial substances completely unusable to the human body. They tend to accumulate in hormone tissue around the body and cause inflammation.

Many plastics have been directly implicated in health-related concerns. For example, in the book Living Downstream, Sandra Steingraber details numerous disease clusters related to plastic manufacturing. Ms. Steingraber suffered from breast cancer. She lived downstream from a plastics manufacturer. In graphic detail she discusses how certain plasticizers (chemicals used in making plastics) actually cause disease. According to another organization, Healthy Child (www.healthychild.org), many plastics are especially damaging to children.

Plastics are identified by a numbering system from the American Chemistry Council. The number is stamped on the bottom of a plastic bottle in a little triangle (numbers outside the triangle are not relevant).

According to Healthy Child, several numbers are simply too toxic to be safe for children – or anyone else! They include numbers 1, 3, 6 & 7. Number 7, for example, contains Bisphenol A (BPA), a plastic chemical known to disrupt brain chemistry in ways similar to ADHD, schizophrenia and autism. BPA is similar to testosterone. It is harmful to women and girls and even more harmful to men and boys. (Maybe BPA is one reason why ADHD and autism are more prevalent in boys?)

Safer choices

Again, according to Healthy Child, several resin-code numbers are safer choices for our children and for us. Numbers 2, 4 & 5 are safer choices. Number 2 is the only one recommended as safe for drinks and beverages. Not coincidentally, Number 2 is the bottle we use for Nopalea!

Conclusion

Plastics are inherently unsafe in large amounts. However, with two centuries of use it seems that small amounts in our environment are tolerated without ill effects. Time will tell just how much and how often we can tolerate plastics in our environment and which ones are safest. For now, we know that we are serving our Wellness Journey best when we drink only from Number 2 plastic bottles.

Take Control of Your Health - Use plastic bottle alternatives:

Glass bottles
Stainless steel bottles/containers
Ceramic containers (no lead glaze!)
Wood, including paper
Bamboo
Reusable cloth bags
Select safer plastics – Number 2 resin code – for drinks

Nopalea is TriVita's astonishing breakthrough wellness drink that helps your body experience an optimal state of wellness by:

Relieving pain
Improving breathing
Reducing swelling in joints and muscles

These changes may in turn help your body feel increasingly energized.

Daily use helps your body:

Reduce inflammation
Detoxify
Achieve optimal cellular health

If inflammation is the problem, Nopalea is a Wellness Solution! Order it today!

Holiday Hazards For Your Pet

2011-12-21T17:52:10-08:00

Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Yule, there is no doubt that your cat or dog will be a part of the festivities. While it may be fun to see your kitten play with leftover ribbon from wrapping up presents or to see your dog lie peacefully under the tree, there are potential hazards lurking around this holiday season that you should be on the lookout for so as to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Gift Giving

USA Today recently ran an article in which they quoted a popular pet website's poll of what gifts pet parents were planning on giving their pets this year. Roughly half of all American pet owners are planning on purchasing gifts for their pet's this holiday season. Their budget? At least $46, up from $41 last year. Roughly 68% of American cats and dogs can expect to receive a brand new toy, while 45% of pets will receive a favorite food treat. Approximately 8% of pets can look forward to receiving a comfy new bed, 6% will receive fun new clothing, 3% will get a new leash, harness or collar, and a further 3% of pets will be gifted with new grooming products.

No matter what gift you are planning on giving your pets this year, you should seriously consider how you are going to present your gift to your pet. A pretty alternative is to use Pet Party Printz line of pet-friendly wrapping paper (PetPartyPrints.com). This wrapping paper is created with no harmful chemicals so it is safe to wrap up your pet's present and watch them go to town trying to open it.

However, do make sure that you put away any ribbon or string that you use to wrap presents for your two legged family members. Cats are well known for their love of playing with strings and ribbons, but accidently ingesting them could lead to a blockage either in your cat's throat or in their stomach. This blockage would require immediate medical attention.

Holiday Lights

No holiday celebration would be without festive lights. However, such holiday lights can be quite attractive to both cats and dogs. Not only can they be mesmerized by the flashing or glowing lights, but the cords that link the lights together may offer a chewing extravaganza for your pets. Before setting up your holiday lights be sure that there are no loose parts that could be easily swallowed. Also make sure that all of the electrical cording is intact and position them so that they are out of your pet's reach. Electrical shock can occur if your pet chews on the cord while it is plugged into an electrical outlet. If your pet receives an electrical shock you should seek medical attention quickly as it can cause severe skin burns, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, an abnormal heart rhythm, and possibly even death.

Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink...

Pets are very curious creatures by nature and are always investigating everything that is new in their surroundings. This is true even about water sources. Although your pet already has their own water bowl with plenty of fresh water, they will be attracted to other sources of water around your house during the holiday season. One such source can be the water in which a Christmas or Yule tree sits. Before adding in any chemicals to the tree's water to help it stay fresher longer, read the label very carefully to be sure that it is pet-friendly.

To help create a more festive atmosphere you may opt to place a few potpourri pots around your home. However, keep a lid on the pot so that your pet does not attempt to lick at the liquid.

Holiday Foods

No holiday would be complete without delicious holiday foods such as cookies, pies, roasts and hams. But do remember that these are people foods and not pet foods so you should limit the amount that your pet receives. Keep an eye on your pet at all times while you are in the kitchen cooking. Sneaky pets can steal food when you are not watching. Avoid giving your pets bits of food during cooking. Even if it is a small morsel, depending on what it is it can still cause harm.

Holiday foods are usually quite rich and can cause a myriad of health concerns for pets when consumed. Dangerous holiday foods include fatty foods, onions, fatty meats, cooked bones, grapes, raisins, alcoholic beverages, coffee and chocolate.

Chocolate is one of the most commonly gifted items during the holidays; most people also use chocolate for decorating purposes too by hanging small chocolates from the tree or placing a few candy bowls filled with chocolates around the home for their guests. However, veterinarians see more cases of chocolate poisoning in pets around the holiday time than at any other time of year. Chocolate and cocoas contain a chemical called Theobromine which is extremely toxic to pets. Small amounts can lead to diarrhea and vomiting, but larger amounts can also lead to seizures and heart arrhythmias, heart rate disorders in which a pet's heart can beat too fast or too slow. Should your pet exhibit any signs of distress you should make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible to rule out any heart problems or disease.

Heart disease can be a result of infection and inflammation caused by eating too much chocolate and other fatty holiday people foods. If your vet does diagnose your pet with a heart disorder, you will most likely need to administer medication to your pet on a daily basis to help maintain a steady heart beat.

There are, however, alternative treatments available to effectively treat heart disease in cats and dogs, such as a more controlled diet and herbal supplements. Carefully examine any herbal supplements that you are considering purchasing for your pet's heart issues to make sure that they contain these ingredients:

Hawthorne Berries - will help control your pet's heart rate, blood pressure, and coronary flow.
Lady's Slipper - manages heart palpitations.
Hops - supports proper heart action as well as capillary circulation.

Healthy Digestion For A Healthy Life

2011-12-13T17:46:58-08:00

If our digestive system (DS) is working as designed, we will have a good appetite, sweet-smelling breath, abundant energy and daily elimination of waste. When our DS works well we feel on top of the world!

If our digestive system is not working optimally, we will have a bizarre appetite. This is often characterized by no desire for breakfast and a ravenous, insatiable appetite in the evening. We may even awaken in the middle of the night feeling as if we need to eat and yet never being satisfied with normal foods. When our digestive system is “broken” we will develop food allergies, gas, bloating, indigestion and excess stomach acid. If our DS malfunctions, we will have constipation or alternating diarrhea and constipation. Plus, we will have abdominal pain.

As time progresses and our DS becomes more imbalanced, we may experience chronic inflammation in the mouth (leading to sores in the mouth and on the tongue), stomach (leading to GERD, ulcers and indigestion), small intestines, pancreas, liver, gallbladder and colon. And because “bad” bacteria and yeast multiply in an unhealthy DS, we may start to experience chronic infections that migrate to our kidneys, bladder and reproductive systems. Chronic infections also trigger autoimmune attacks on healthy organs.

However, as we assist our DS to find balance, our health will rebound and return to a vital state very quickly. You see, our DS cells are the most prolific in our whole body – many of them possess a lifespan of only four hours! So, it’s easy to un-balance and upset our DS, but it’s also easy to re-balance and heal it.

Our “gut-garden”

What we need to rebalance our DS is the “Weed, Seed and Feed” program we use in our garden. We “weed” out all of the toxins in our DS with enzymes and herbs. We “seed” the DS with probiotics and we “feed” them with prebiotics for better colonization and a long, healthy life.

Weed

Enzymes help begin the healing process because they remove toxic proteins and discourage bad bacteria, yeast and parasites from breeding in our gut. And they help digest our food for more energy. Dandelion root works with the Lipase enzyme as it thins the bile from the liver and gallbladder. Bile helps Lipase to digest fat. Bile also discourages bad bacteria, yeast and parasites from breeding. Milk thistle helps reduce the autoimmune impact from an imbalanced DS, and helps reduce cramps, pain and bloating.

Seed

Prebiotics lay the groundwork for probiotics, as prebiotic fibers help probiotic bacteria establish colonies by providing a food source. Probiotics also have a marvelous impact on the rest of the body and brain as they coordinate the immune system of the DS. Prebiotics and probiotics work together to improve digestion and elimination.

Feed

To have a healthy body and brain, we must have a healthy DS. It provides us with digestion and defense. TriVita’s FloraVita™ supports these processes by supplying our probiotics the food they need – called prebiotics – and by replanting healthy colony-forming units of probiotics. Also, FloraVita supports digestion and defense with a wide array of digestive enzymes and immune-modulating botanicals.

Our digestive system is a miracle of creation! It is the primary way we take in energy to fuel a life of passion, mission and purpose. Take care of it starting today!

Dog Food Recall: Advanced Animal Nutrition Recalls Dog Foods Due To Aflatoxin

2011-12-09T18:10:30-08:00

Advanced Animal Nutrition issues dog food recall

Friday, December 9, 2011 | 11:31 a.m. CST

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

THAYER — A Missouri-based company is recalling three dry dog food products because of high levels of the fungus aflatoxin.

Advanced Animal Nutrition of Thayer on Friday voluntarily recalled 50-pound bags each of Dog Power Adult Maintenance Formula 21-12, Dog Power Hunters Formula 27-14 and Dog Power Hi-Pro Performance Formula 26-18.

The company says no illnesses have been reported. The products were distributed in Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. Consumers can return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

The recall applies to products with the packaging codes K0004 through K1322.

Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring chemical that comes from a fungus sometimes found on corn and in other crops. It can cause severe liver damage and in rare cases death.

From: http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/12/09/advanced-animal-nutrition-issues-dog-food-recall/

Dog Food Recall: Cargill Animal Nutrition Recalls River Run and Marksman Dry Dog Food

2011-12-07T10:22:41-08:00

Cargill Animal Nutrition Recalls River Run and Marksman Dry Dog Food

Contact:
Consumer:
855-460-1532

Media:
Tim Loesch
952-742-6910

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 6, 2011 - Cargill Animal Nutrition today announced a voluntary recall of two regional brands of its dry dog food¹ – River Run and Marksman² – due to aflatoxin³ levels that were detected above the acceptable limit. The affected products were manufactured at Cargill’s Lecompte, Louisiana, facility between Dec. 1, 2010, and Dec. 1, 2011. No illnesses have been reported in association with these products to date, and no other Cargill Animal Nutrition pet food products are involved in this recall. Affected products are:

PROFESSIONAL FORMULA RIVER RUN HI-NRG 24-20 Dog Food, 50 pound bags
RIVER RUN PROFESSIONAL FORMULA 27-18 Dog Food, 50 pound bags
RIVER RUN 21% Protein Dog Food, 40 and 50 pound bags
RIVER RUN Hi-Pro No-Soy Dog Food, 40 and 50 pound bags
MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 24% Protein 20% Fat, 40 pound bags
MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 20% Protein 10% Fat, 40 and 50 pound bags
MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 28% Protein 18% Fat, 40 pound bags

The recall only applies to the above products with the following Packaging Date Codes (lot numbers): 4K0335 through 4K0365, LL0335 through LL0365, 4K1001 through 4K1335 and LL1001 through LL1335.

The affected dry dog food products were distributed in the following 15 states/territories – Kansas, Missouri, Northeast Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Southeast Indiana, Southern Illinois, Hawaii, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and limited areas of Florida and California. Retailers have already been instructed to remove the affected brands and products from store shelves.

While no adverse health effects related to these products have been reported, Cargill is implementing this recall as a precautionary measure. Consumers are urged to return affected products – whether in opened or unopened packages — to their place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, including photos of products involved, consumers can go to www.cargill.com/feed/dog-food-recall⁴ or call toll free 855-460-1532.

Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring mold by-product. Pets that have consumed any of the above recalled products and exhibit symptoms of illness including sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, vomiting, yellowish tint to the eyes or gums, or diarrhea should be seen by a veterinarian.

About Cargill

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 138,000 people in 63 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit Cargill.com⁵ and its news center⁶.

From: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm282753.htm

Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy Dry Dog Food - Proctor & Gamble Recall

2011-12-06T13:45:47-08:00

P&G Voluntarily Recalls One Production Lot of Dry Dog Food

Contact:
Consumer:
866-908-1569

Media:
Jason Taylor
513-622-3205

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 6, 2011 - – The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has voluntarily retrieved a single production lot of dry dog food due to aflatoxin levels that were detected above the acceptable limit. This product has already been retrieved from store shelves. No illnesses have been reported in association with this production lot to date, and no other Iams pet food products are involved.

Product affected by this announcement:

Product Name	Version	Code Date	UPC Code
Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy dry dog food with Use By or Expiration Dates of February 5 or February 6, 2013	7.0 lb bag	12784177I6	1901402305
	8.0 lb bag	12794177D2 12794177D3	1901410208
	17.5 lb bag	12794177K1 12794177K2	1901401848

The affected product lot was distributed to a limited number of retailers located in the eastern United States (AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, SC, VA). These retailers have already removed this product from store shelves. No other dry dog food, dry cat food, dog or cat canned food, biscuits/treats or supplements are affected by this announcement.

While no health effects related to this product have been reported, P&G retrieved this product as a precautionary measure. Consumers who purchased the product listed should stop using the product and discard it and contact Iams at the number below for a replacement voucher. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring by-product from the growth of Aspergillus flavus and can be harmful to pets if consumed in significant quantities. Pets which have consumed this product and exhibit symptoms of illness including sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, vomiting, yellowish tint to the eyes or gums, or diarrhea should be seen by a veterinarian.

For further information or a product replacement or refund contact P&G toll-free at 866-908-1569
(Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST) or www.iams.com.

From the FDA website - http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm282506.htm

Science Diet Receives FDA Warning Letter Due To Marketing Of Their Healthy Mobility Diet

2011-12-02T18:20:28-08:00

From: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm281270.htm

Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc 11/23/11


Department of Health and Human Services	Public Health Service Food and Drug Administration
	Kansas City District Southwest Region 11630 West 80th Street Lenexa, Kansas 66214-3340 Telephone: (913) 752-2100

November 23, 2011

HAND DELIVERED

WARNING LETTER

Ref. KAN 2012-02

Neil Thompson
President and CEO
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Incorporated
400 SW 8th Street
Topeka, Kansas 66603

Dear Mr. Thompson:

This letter concerns Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s marketing of the Science Diet® Healthy MobilityTM Adult Dry Dog Food (“the Healthy Mobility Diet”)[1]. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed the label and labeling of this product, including statements made on your website at the Internet addresses www.hillspet.com and www.sciencediet.com. Based on claims made by Hill’s Pet Nutrition for this product, the Healthy Mobility Diet is a drug under section 201(g)(1)(B) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FD&C Act”), [21 U.S.C. § 321 (g)(1)(B)], as it is intended for use in the mitigation and treatment of joint disease in dogs. As discussed below, this product is an unapproved new animal drug and your marketing of it violates the FD&C Act.

The Healthy Mobility Diet bears the following claims on its label:

“Tested nutrition to enhance active mobility in just 30 days”
“Improves joint flexibility in just 30 days”
“Enhance active mobility in just 30 days

Vital fatty acids
Optimal levels of Omega-3 fatty acids to enhance overall mobility”

“Improve joint flexibility in just 30 days

Omega-3 fatty acids plus Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate

Natural key building blocks of healthy cartilage and joint function”

The product’s label also bears the statement, “For more information about our precisely balanced nutrition and about other Hill’s® Science Diet® pet foods visit www.sciencediet.com.” This link takes a consumer who accesses it to a page on the hillspet.com website: http://www.hillspet.com/products/science-diet.html?bmUID=1321892578734.

FDA acknowledges that the claims on the Hill’s Healthy Mobility Diet label – “enhance active mobility” and “improves joint flexibility” – appear to be claims that the product affects the structure or function of the body (“structure/function claims”), and the FD&C Act permits foods to make appropriate structure/function claims.

Some structure/function claims, however, imply that the product has an impact on disease. Although a food may make claims that refer to the product’s ability to maintain healthy structure or function, structure/function claims that imply the product is intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent disease are classified as “disease claims” and the product for which the claims are made is regulated as a drug.[2] FDA evaluates the context in which a structure/function claim is made to determine whether it is a disease claim. See 21 C.F.R. §101.93(g).[3]

The Hill's Pet Nutrition website provides ample context showing that the Healthy Mobility Diet is intended to treat or mitigate joint disease in dogs. The content on your website implies that the Healthy Mobility Diet has an effect on joint disease, including arthritis, by referring to identifiable characteristics of the disease. Reference to a characteristic set of signs or symptoms of a disease, even in the absence of the name of the disease, can be understood as a reference to the disease. See 21 C.F.R. 101.93(g)(2)(ii). The following lay terminology is used on your website to describe the “early signs of joint health issues”:

“Slow to get up or down”
“Lagging behind while walking”
“Longer recovery time after play or exercise”
“Less playful, running less or less active in general”

These signs are consistent with and indistinguishable from the characteristic signs and symptoms of arthritis, a broad spectrum of joint diseases with numerous etiologies. For instance, a page on your website entitled “Arthritis and Joint Pain” states that “If your dog has arthritis, the first thing you'll notice is that he or she finds movement difficult and is reluctant to walk, run and jump.”

Numerous other statements made on the Hill’s Pet Nutrition website to promote the Healthy Mobility Diet indicate that it is intended to mitigate or treat disease. FDA has defined “disease,” in reference to human foods, as “damage to an organ, part, structure, or system of the body such that it does not function properly”. See 21 C.F.R. §§101.14(a)(5), 101.93(g)(1). The Healthy Mobility Diet pages on your website describe the condition for which the product is intended to be used as “joint health issues,” a “joint health or flexibility issue,” “joint health issues or mobility problems,” or “quality-of-life changes due to mobility problems.” Use of the words “problems” and “issues” suggest a state in which joints do not function properly, and indicate that your product is intended for dogs with joint disease (e.g. arthritis), rather than dogs with normal or healthy joint function. Further, several web pages for the Healthy Mobility Diet describe or list the “early detection” or “warning signs” of joint health issues, terms that are generally used in reference to early identification of disease and are of questionable relevance to the maintenance of normal function in a healthy dog. The website’s assertion that one in five dogs has joint health issues or mobility problems is identical in magnitude to the estimated proportion of 20% of adult dogs one year of age or older that have osteoarthritis.[4] a search with the term “arthritis” on the home page of the Hill’s Pet Nutrition website returned direct links to the Healthy Mobility Diet products.

Audio/visual segments on the Healthy Mobility Diet product-specific webpage reinforce the implication that the Healthy Mobility Diet is intended for use in dogs with joint disease. For instance, one segment contains a dramatized testimonial from a veterinarian that shows a dog exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with joint disease and seeking treatment from the veterinarian, who states that she recommends the Healthy Mobility Diet for dogs that are “starting to have trouble getting around.” The segment goes on to suggest that 30 days after the veterinarian recommends the Healthy Mobility Diet for the dog, the dog returns to the clinic with improved flexibility and mobility as evidenced by the dog running and jumping over another dog and jumping up on the veterinarian with its front legs on her shoulders.

Because Science Diet® Healthy Mobility TM Adult Dry Dog Food is intended to mitigate or treat joint disease in dogs, it is a drug within the meaning of section 201(g)(1)(B) of the FD&C Act, [21 U.S.C. § 321 (g)(1)(B)]. The product is also a new animal drug under section 201(v) of the FD&C Act, [21 U.S.C. § 321(v)], because it is not generally recognized among experts qualified by scientific training and experience to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of animal drugs, as safe and effective for use under the conditions prescribed, recommended, or suggested in the labeling. It is not the subject of an approved new animal drug application, conditionally approved new animal drug application, or index listing under sections 512, 571, and 572 of the FD&C Act [21 U.S.C. §§ 360b, 360ccc, and 360ccc-1]. Therefore, the product is unsafe within the meaning of section 512(a) of the FD&C Act, [21 U.S.C. §360b(a)], and is adulterated under section 501(a)(5) of the FD&C Act [21 U.S.C. §351(a)(5)]. Introduction of an adulterated drug into interstate commerce is prohibited under section 301(a) of the FD&C Act [21 U.S.C. §331(a)].

This letter is not intended to be an all-inclusive review of Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s products and their promotion. FDA has significant concerns about the promotion of other pet foods marketed by your firm. We strongly encourage you to contact Eric Nelson, Director of the Division of Compliance, at the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine to arrange a meeting to discuss these concerns. It is your responsibility to ensure that all of your products are in compliance with the FD&C Act and its implementing regulations. Failure to promptly correct the violations specified above may result in enforcement action without further notice. Enforcement action may include seizure of violative products and/or injunction against the manufacturers and distributors of violative products.

You should notify this office, in writing, within fifteen (15) working days of the receipt of this letter of the steps you have taken to bring your firm into compliance with the law. Your response should include any documentation necessary to show that correction has been achieved. If corrective action cannot be completed within fifteen (15) working days, state the reason for the delay and the date by which the corrections will be completed. Include copies of any available documentation demonstrating that corrections have been made.

Please send your response to Eric Nelson at the address below and copy me at the address above.

Eric Nelson

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Center for Veterinary Medicine

Division of Compliance

7519 Standish Place

Rockville, MD 20855

Tel: (240) 276-9201

Sincerely,

/S/

John W. Thorsky

District Director

Kansas City District

What Are Hot Spots And What Causes Hot Spots?

2011-11-28T14:38:09-08:00

Hot spots (also refered to as acute moist dermatitis) are a common skin condition found in dogs and cats with long hair or thick, dense undercoats. Hot spots are characterized by moist, raw, circular-shaped lesions which are inflamed. They are painful and usually found on the head, along the chest and over the hip area.

Your pet will bite, lick and scratch the lesion causing further inflammation and irritation of the skin. The lesions usually appear suddenly and increase dramatically in size. Dog breeds such as St. Bernards, Golden retrievers and younger dogs are predisposed to acute moist dermatitis.

The common symptoms and signs include:

Itchiness
Scratching
Biting
Redness
Scabs or lesions
Licking the affected area

What Causes Hot Spots?

Dog and cat hot spots are often caused by allergies, flea bites, mosquito bites, ear infections, poor grooming, injury, cut or wound as well as degenerative joint and anal gland disease. Sometimes, boredom, loneliness, stress and anxiety may also cause animals to scratch and bite themselves resulting in hot spots. If left untreated these lesions can become infected and spread to other areas of the skin.

Diagnosing Hot Spots

The diagnosis of hot spots is based on the symptoms presented, thorough physical examination and a review of your pet’s medical history. Certain diagnostic tests such as a microscopic examination of deep skin scrapings will be taken to rule out other disorders and confirm the diagnosis.

Help for Hot Spots

Treatment involves treating the underlying cause and drying the area of the hot spot. Your vet will clip the hair around the lesion to allow air to flow through and then clean the affected area with a non-irritating solution followed with an application of cream or ointment to promote healing.

Depending on your pet’s levels of sensitivity, this procedure may have to be done under sedation. More severe episodes of hot spots will be treated with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories or painkillers. To prevent your pet from scratching the affected area an Elizabethan collar may be placed around his neck or socks put on the hind feet.

Natural Remedies

Natural and holistic remedies are beneficial for both humans and animals. They are a gentle and safe alternative for breeds of all ages, and also support overall health and wellbeing. Homeopathic ingredients including Arum triph, Viola tri, Comocladia, Chamomilla and Cina provide symptomatic relief for itchiness, scratching, redness and burning and restores the skin and coat back to health.

Tips to prevent hot spots

There are a number of ways to prevent episodes of hot spots on dogs and cats and these include:

Feed your pet an all natural diet without preservatives, additives or colorants
Keep your pet well groomed by ensuring that his hair is clipped or shaved short, especially during summer
Brush dogs with thick coats daily
Bathe your pet regularly with a medicated shampoo
Apply a flea repellent regularly on your pet to ward off fleas and ticks
Avoid exposing your pet to irritants such as pollen, smoke, household detergents, fertilizer or pesticides
Clean your home thoroughly by vacuuming carpets and dusting furniture to ease both you and your pet’s respiratory allergies
Keep your pet’s living clean by disinfecting regularly
If your pet is prone to hot spots around the ears, clean the ears regularly and if near the anal glands , express anal glands
Always provide fresh, clean water to cleanse the body’s system and avoid dehydration
Detox your pet regularly to get rid of unwanted toxins

Get more info on PetAlive Allergy Itch Ease - temporarily relieves skin allergies and itch

Get More Info. on PetAlive Skin and Coat Tonic for Healthy Skin and a Glossy Coat in Pets

Thinking of Switching to Life's Abundance Health Food For Puppies & Adult Dogs Or Life's Abundance Health Food For Kittens & Cats?

2011-11-27T20:51:32-08:00

The secret to superior pet food lies in the formula itself – not only in the ingredients, but also in the proportions of those ingredients to each other. While many dog and cat foods may meet technical standards for dietary requirements, some pet food manufacturers cut corners on their ingredients, which affects the quality of the overall formula. To help you choose the best food for your dear companion, we’ve identified eight crucial measures upon which all dog and cat foods can be judged. Keep in mind that the food you choose should score well in every category, as does Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food for Puppies and Adult Dogs or Life's Abundance Health Food for Kittens and Adult Cats. Remember, your dog deserves nothing less than the very best.

See Beyond the Hype
The brand you feed is the most important decision you can make as a pet parent. Because your dog or cat eats the same food every day, it’s his primary source of nutrition. And a superior dog or cat food can help to foster a solid nutritional foundation, which can help sustain your pet over a long and healthy lifetime.

As a caring pet parent, it’s important that you see through marketing ploys designed to mislead you about the quality of ingredients and their intended dietary benefits.

Additionally, some competing brands use wheat and wheat glutens, corn and corn glutens, as well as artificial food colors and preservatives. We never have, and we never will. That’s part of our commitment to you and your dog to provide the safest and most innovative nutritional formulas for a better life.

The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts
While the top five ingredients of a given dog food provide the consumer with insight into the nutritional priorities of a pet food maker, they don’t tell the whole story. Every ingredient plays a critical part, which is why we provide a comparison based upon eight different quantitative measures. Furthermore, the secret to superior pet food lies in the formula itself – not only in the ingredients, but also in the proportions of those ingredients to one another.

The significance of the ratios cannot be understated. Our long-time pet food formulator, Dr. Jane Bicks, stresses the importance of synergism, or the interaction of ingredients, because the proper proportions help to maximize the nutritional impact of a formula. As with any recipe, if you use the wrong ratios, you will get very different results.

With quality ingredients working synergistically with one another, you can be certain that you’re providing the very best for your companion animal.

Pet Food or Junk Food?
Not all pet food manufacturers have your dog or cat's best interests in mind. Unfortunately, many use ingredients that you would never knowingly feed your dog or cat. Some intentionally attempt to mislead you with clever marketing, touting ingredients that sound appealing to you but are not actually suited to the nutritional requirements of dogs. Life's Abundance focuses on what canines and felines truly need to help ensure a lifetime of good health, rather than on making the cheapest possible product that might not fulfill your dog’s dietary needs.

Only Everything Wholesome
Our premium dog and cat food recipes feature safe and wholesome ingredients. But for a dog or cat food to be considered truly exceptional, we believe it must meet several specific nutritional criteria. Not only should a dog or cat food score well on the majority of eight distinct measures, it must score well on every measure. Even if one area is overlooked, you could be compromising your pet's chances for wellness and longevity.

To account for the unique dietary needs of your dog, all of the following must be included in the formula: a diverse array of high-quality proteins; healthy species-specific animal fat; a guaranteed amount of the antioxidant Vitamins A, C and E; a guaranteed amount of omega-3 fatty acids (for optimal benefit omega-3’s should be scientifically balanced with omega-6 fatty acids); prebiotics; a guaranteed amount of probiotics; an array of vegetables; and fruits. Furthermore, to minimize health risks, no wheat or wheat gluten or corn or corn gluten-based products should be featured.

If your current food doesn’t score well on every single one of these eight distinct measures, we strongly suggest that you feed your beloved canine or feline Life’s Abundance.

A Tradition of Quality and Safety
Even though the quality and variety of ingredients provide insight to the strength of a food’s formula, they shouldn’t be your only consideration when choosing the right food for your dog or cat. In fact, the process by which the food is made is equally vital. Life’s Abundance premium dry health food is prepared by a family-owned, third-generation pet food maker, where creating a high quality food is not only a priority and a family tradition, it’s an art form. Batches of food are produced in limited runs on a weekly basis, minimizing periods of storage and helping us to deliver the freshest-possible product to your front door.

What You Don’t Know Could Be Harming Your Pet
When you pick up a bag of dog or cat food from a retail store, it’s impossible to know the history behind the product you’re holding. You don’t know how long it’s been on the shelf, or how long it lingered in the storeroom before being placed on the shelf. You don’t know how long it was stowed in a shipping container, subjected to temperature extremes. You don’t know how long it was stockpiled in a distribution center prior to shipping. In fact, many mass-produced dog and cat foods are stashed away in tractor trailers without any form of climate-control for weeks, even months. And, you have no idea if proper handling of bags and pest-control are priorities for the packaging centers and warehouses where the product is bagged and stored.

Why does it matter that you can’t know the history of the retail product? As you might correctly guess, the way a dog food is stored can directly affect its nutritional value and safety. The bottom line is, just because it’s store-bought doesn’t mean it’s fresh.

Control over our Formulas from Start to Finish
At Life’s Abundance, they don’t leave factors that impact safety and quality to chance. Their commitment to providing your dog or cat with a superior food goes well beyond the formula and the individual ingredients. To ensure the safety and quality of the final product, they exercise control, from preparation to packaging to storage.

As we mentioned before, Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food for Puppies and Adult Dogs and Life's Abundance Premium Health Food for Kittens & Adult Cats is prepared in small batches on a weekly basis. They test the quality of our foods to ensure the integrity of ingredients and to make sure the formula is adhered to. Immediately after each batch is prepared, it’s bagged and shipped directly to one of our three warehouses.

Our shipping departments take pride in the speedy yet careful handling of our products. When you place an order, your dog food is shipped via UPS or USPS, with an average transit time of only three business days.

Thanks to Life's Abundance strict adherence to quality and safety, they've created a streamlined process that, in most cases, means that the food that’s delivered to your door is only four to six weeks old or less.

Formulated by a vet, for the long-term health of your pet
Dr. Jane Bicks is defined by her absolute dedication to the health and happiness of companion animals. One of the nation’s leading holistic veterinarians, she serves as our pet product formulator and as the driving force behind our commitment to improve pet health. When you feed your dog or cat Life’s Abundance, you will be providing a cutting-edge formula, created to help maintain the health and increase the longevity of your canine companion. Additionally, Dr. Jane conducts bi-weekly conference calls, providing an open forum where you can put questions directly to our pet product formulator. These calls also include in-depth discussions about her formulas, the superior ingredients we use and other helpful pet-related information.

Learn more about Life's Abundance Dog or Cat Food

Compare Other Brands of Dog Food To Life's Abundance Dog Food - Click Here!

Compare Other Brands of Cat Food To Life's Abundance Cat Food - Click Here!

Do You Suffer With Digestive Problems? Now There’s Good News For Your Gut – And Your Overall Wellness

2011-11-27T20:13:55-08:00

Good health starts in the gut

Digestion may be one of the most important functions of the body, affecting nutrient absorption, immune system function and much more. Yet, according to the American College of Gastroenterology, 95 million Americans suffer from digestive problems. This can include everything from heartburn and irregularity to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The intestinal tract is home to nearly 100 trillion microorganisms (called intestinal flora). Some of these are “unfriendly” bacteria, while the majority are beneficial bacteria called probiotics. Probiotics support good health by limiting the growth of harmful bacteria, promoting good digestion and increasing resistance to infection. A healthy gut maintains a balance of these good and bad bacteria.

The problem

The balance of bacteria in the intestinal tract can be disrupted by many aspects of our day-to-day lives, including:

Processed foods
Diets low in fiber and high in sugar
Over-toxic environments
Stress
Aging
Hormonal changes

This imbalance can leave the intestinal tract vulnerable to “bad” bacteria and toxins. Short term, this disruption can mean heartburn, indigestion, bloating, food allergies, irregularity and diarrhea. Long term, it can lead to serious conditions, including chronic infections, irritable bowel syndrome, GERD and inflammatory bowel disease.

FloraVita, a complete digestive health solution

FloraVita can help restore the natural balance of good bacteria in your digestive tract with its four powerful classes of nutrients:

HardiStrain® Probiotic Blend – Provides 10 billion colony forming units (CFU) of probiotics per serving, featuring 10 different beneficial strains.
Prebiotic Blend – A food source for probiotics, which helps stimulate growth and proliferation. FloraVita contains three different prebiotics to provide nourishment for the probiotics, and to help soothe and boost the defense function of the digestive system.
Digestive Enzyme Blend – Assists and enhances digestion, helping the body get the maximum amount of nutrients from food.
Digestive Defense Blend – Helps soothe digestive inflammation with milk thistle and dandelion root.

Unique delivery, maximum results

Probiotics are fragile organisms that must overcome several obstacles before making it to the intestines where they can begin their good work. First they must withstand the exposure to light, heat and moisture on the shelf. Then, they face their most difficult obstacle: they must make it through the powerful digestive acids in the stomach. To ensure that living probiotics reach their destination and get to work, FloraVita utilizes two key innovations:

Dry-preservation technology – Vigorous, energetic and robust probiotics are preserved through a dry-preservation technology that helps maintain low-moisture for a longer shelf life. No refrigeration required!

DRcaps™ – Unique, targeted-release, acid-resistant capsules protect the probiotics from harsh digestive acids, ensuring they get where they need to go.

With its unique and powerful nutrient blend and delivery technology, FloraVita provides a complete digestive health solution. Try it today!

HardiStrain® is a registered trademark of VDF FutureCeuticals, Inc., used under license.

Learn more about FloraVita

The Dangers of Hypoglycemia

2011-11-27T19:40:28-08:00

by Brazos Minshew, TriVita's Chief Science Officer

What is hypoglycemia?

There is an epidemic sweeping the world. It is an epidemic of obesity. As obesity increases, the risk of diabetes increases. The two conditions reflect each other in such a mirror-image proportion that some have started using the term “diabesity” when discussing them.

How did the epidemic begin? What are the warning signs? Most importantly, how can we break the cycle of diabesity and reclaim our health?

Today’s hypoglycemics…

We used to say that the people with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) today will be the people with type 2 diabetes tomorrow. Over the past 40 years that has proven true.

Hypoglycemia begins with too much sugar in your bloodstream for you to handle (hyper-glycemia), followed by a rapid drop in blood sugar levels (hypo-glycemia) when your metabolism finally catches up. This “yo-yo” blood sugar creates the symptoms you feel. You will eventually become type 2 diabetic if this continues. But, we get years of warning messages before this happens.

So, to halt type 2 diabetes we must learn to listen to the message of hypoglycemia. We need a sound strategy to control blood sugar before we exhaust our internal resources and slip into type 2 diabetes.

In people with type 1 diabetes, hypoglycemia may be fatal if untreated. The treatment is pretty simple: sugar. If your blood sugar is too low, doesn’t it make sense to take some sugar and raise it? It might sound like a good strategy but in the kind of hypoglycemia that leads to type 2 diabetes, it is like adding fuel to the fire, and the problem only gets worse.

Sugar, including any high glycemic-index foods such as alcohol, bread or pasta, is the cause of hypoglycemia, not the cure. In the long run, high glycemic foods can lead to hypoglycemia, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

A little misleading

Actually, the term “hypoglycemia” is inappropriate. The better term is “dysglycemia,” meaning disrupted blood sugar metabolism. You see, hypoglycemia that leads to obesity and type 2 diabetes is actually a demonstration of your body’s attempt to adapt to impossible circumstances. Humans were never meant to eat this much sugar and starch, endure this much stress and be this sedentary. The fact that we survive at all is a miracle.

To adapt, our body responds to the overload of sugar and stress by producing more insulin to take the toxic level of sugar out of our bloodstream and into storage in our liver, muscles and fat cells. Because we are sedentary, our muscles suffocate with all the sugar and become resistant to the insulin. Now, only the liver and fat cells are available to receive the sugar. So we get fatty livers and fat stomachs.

Eventually, even these mechanisms fail and our pancreas simply wears out. The result is type 2 diabetes. We may even become insulin-dependent.

What to do

Three steps are immediately necessary to help stop the diabesity trend of hypoglycemia:

Stop all added sugar and starch in your diet
Increase activity every day
Reduce the impact of stress

For diet recommendations, there are three major plans that can help you:

A low-fat diet (e.g., Dr. Ornish “Eat More, Weigh Less”)
A moderate-fat Mediterranean diet (e.g., Dr. Gutterson “The Sonoma Diet”)
A high-protein diet (e.g., Dr. Agatston “The South Beach Diet”)

There are many exercise routines that can help. You may want to start by simply walking every day. Fifteen minutes is a start. Thirty minutes is better, but an hour or more every single day is best. A Wall Street Journal article recently pointed out that we should increase our exercise as we age, going “farther, longer and faster.” Hypoglycemia, obesity and diabetes are serious conditions and require a serious response.

What about supplements? I’m glad you asked! TriVita’s GlucoManage® can help your body reduce carbohydrate, sugar and alcohol cravings. It also helps re-sensitize your cells to insulin to balance blood sugar. Leanology® Capsules can literally extract fat from storage and burn it as fuel. Adaptogen 10 Plus® can help your body reduce the impact of stress and Sublingual B-12 helps reduce dangerous levels of MMA, strongly linked to type 2 diabetes.

To avoid your personal diabesity epidemic tomorrow, address the signs of hypoglycemia today!

Nopalea™ to be Included in 2012 Physicians’ Desk Reference®

2011-11-27T16:01:06-08:00

TriVita is pleased to announce that product information on its Nopalea wellness drink will be published in the PDR Drug Information Service™, which will include the 2012 print edition of the Physicians’ Desk Reference® (PDR) and will appear in the online version at PDR.net sometime next month.

The PDR is an excellent resource for customers and their doctors to review product information about Nopalea.

The Physicians’ Desk Reference® (PDR) is a commercially-published compilation of manufacturers' prescribing information that is updated annually. It is designed to provide physicians with full, legally-mandated information but is also widely available in libraries and bookstores and is commonly used by other medical specialists.

To learn more about Nopalea please visit our website at http://www.trivita.com/web/us/content/products/product-detail.aspx?id=3918&tref=13949530

Improving Your Pet's Liver Health

2011-11-25T13:34:52-08:00

Your pet's liver is one of the most important organs in your pet's body, if not the most important. The liver is also the largest organ as well, and it is responsible for supplying the necessary nutrients to your pet's body, fighting off diseases, encouraging growth and providing energy.

In fact, almost every bodily function or process is influenced one way or another by your pet's liver. Unfortunately, since nearly all of the liver's functions are shared by other organs in your pet's body, it can make obtaining a proper diagnosis very hard if your pet ever falls ill.

Types of Liver Disease

There are quite a few diseases that can harm your pet's liver, such as:
Infectious Canine Hepatitis
Cancer
Active Hepatitis
Hepatic Lipidosis
Diabetes
Cushing's Disease
Hyperthyroidism
Heartworms
Anemia
Infections
Trauma
Bile
Toxins
Drugs
The most common illness is Hepatitis, which is a word generally given to describe any type of inflammation that is found on the liver. The inflammation can be caused by a variety of problems. Another commonly found cause of liver disease in pets, especially dogs, are Heartworms, which can cause liver failure by obstructing blood flow to your dog's liver.

Another common cause of liver disease in cats and dogs are drugs. Namely prescription medications that are given to your pet by their veterinarian for other health issues that are not related to the liver at all. If your cat or dog has an overly sensitive system, their liver can be negatively affected by certain veterinary medications. This can occur in pets who have had a long-term exposure to certain drugs as well. Such drugs include heartworm medications, de-worming medications, glucocorticoids, Phenobarbital, Tylenol, Rimadyl and Ketaconazole. If your cat or dog is taking any of these medications, please be sure to insist that your pet's veterinarian administers regularly scheduled tests to keep an eye out for diminishing liver health or liver disease or failure.

Cats and dogs can contract cancer in their livers just as humans can. Although cancer of the liver can be considered to be a single cancer type, it can metastasize extremely fast owing to the vast amounts of blood that flows from the liver. This blood flow can easily spread the cancer to other parts and organs of your pet's body quickly.

As a matter of fact, nearly one quarter of the blood that is pumped by your pet's heart, reaches to their liver. This blood is then processed by the liver and sent back out again into your pet's blood stream.

Sadly, by the time a proper diagnosis is made, liver disease is generally well established. In spite of this, unlike any other major bodily organ in your pet, the liver has the remarkable ability to reproduce itself or regenerate itself. However, in order to do so your pet's liver will require additional support.

Improving the Liver

One of the major tasks of the liver is aiding with proper metabolism. This not only includes metabolizing the food that you feed your cat or dog, but also with metabolizing bile, drugs, medications and other toxins. This metabolization is extremely essential for detoxification.

Due to the closeness of the gall bladder to the liver, bile is easily passed from the gall bladder into the liver, where it is also metabolized. This process enables fats to be properly absorbed, excess drugs and toxins to be eliminated and red blood cells to be re-distributed into your pet's blood stream. Bile also converts nutrients and fat-soluble vitamins, such as Vitamins A, D, E and K, for the liver to metabolize.

In order for your pet's liver to function properly, encourage better metabolization, to ward off diseases and strengthen the liver's natural healing abilities, it will need a little help on your part.

The best way to help your pet's liver is provide your pet with a daily supplement of Milk Thistle. This is also suggested to be used by people as well for a variety of liver health issues.

Milk Thistle is considered to be a nourishing herbal energizer for the liver and is easily tolerated by both pets and people alike. The reason that Milk Thistle works so well is because it contains an assortment of active ingredients referred to as Silymarin. These special elements work together to help preserve the wellbeing of your pet's liver. They do this by seeking out all of the destructive free radicals and eliminate them before they even have had a chance to wreak havoc on your pet's liver. Milk Thistle sustains the strength of your pet's liver's membranes, while at the same time it also protects the liver from harmful toxins.

Symptoms of Liver Disease

A few of the most common symptoms of liver disease in dogs and cats are:
Decreased Appetite
Loss of Weight
Fatigue
Light Colored Stool
Changes In Behavior
Abdominal Pain
Gastrointestinal issues (diarrhea, constipation and/or vomiting)
Swollen Liver or Belly
Increased Urination
Drinking More Water
Remember to always have your veterinarian give your cat or dog a regular checkup for liver disease.

Related Products: Milk Thistle for Dog Liver Disease & Cat Liver Disease

Fish Oil Reduces Prostate Cancer Growth in Humans

2011-11-25T13:17:35-08:00

November 13, 2011 - Byron Richards, CCN

Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have proven that fish oil combined with a low fat diet can reduce the number of rapidly dividing prostate cancer cells. This is important because many men don't even know they have prostate cancer and others are trying to change their lifestyles and curtail the problem as part of medically supervised surveillance. This study is clear cut proof that fish oil is a potent anti-prostate cancer nutrient.

The participants ate a 15% fat diet along with 5 grams of fish oil per day (around 1000 mgs of DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement.). We know that the fat you eat ends up in your cell membranes and then influences the function of those cells. Too many omega 6 oils (such as corn and soy oil) relative to a lack of DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement./EPA Eicosapentanoic acid. Type of long chain essential fatty acid - Omega 3 oil. Works in concert with DHA. Must gotten through food sources such as deep cold water fish or some limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. , tilts the cell membranes into a more inflammatory condition that assists cancer growth. The typical Western high fat diet, high in omega 6 oils, and lacking in omega 3 fish oils, has been hypothesized to create such problems. This study actually proves it does.

The men in this study had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Some took the fish oil and ate low fat and others continued their Western diet for four - six weeks until their surgery to have their prostate removed. Their prostate cancer cells were then re-evaluated following the surgery. Those taking the fish oil were shown to have higher amounts of the omega 3 oils in their healthy prostate cells as well as their prostate cancer cells, proving that the oil that was consumed actually made it into the prostate gland.

Furthermore, those taking the fish oil had fewer rapidly dividing cancer cells. "The finding that the low-fat, fish oil diet reduced the number of rapidly dividing cells in the prostate cancer tissue is important because the rate at which the cells are dividing can be predictive of future cancer progression," said lead author Dr. William Aronson. "The lower the rate of proliferation, the lesser the chances that the cancer will spread outside the prostate, where it is much harder to treat… We are extremely pleased about our findings, which suggest that by altering the diet, we may favorably affect the biology of prostate cancer."

A great deal of human suffering could be avoided simply by ensuring an adequate intake of omega 3 fatty acids.

Tips for Your Pet's Thanksgiving Diet

2011-11-20T17:06:53-08:00

Next week is Thanksgiving - a wonderful day to spend around the dinner table with family and friends. With all that we have to be thankful for, the companionship of our furry family members should not be forgotten. In thanks for their unconditional love, we owe it to our cats and dogs to keep their happiness and health in mind at all times. With all the excitement around Thanksgiving, the wellbeing of our pets can sometimes slip our minds. Here are a few tips to ensure your pet's health and happiness on Thanksgiving day:

Uncooked Turkey

Never leave an uncooked turkey unattended on your kitchen counter. The turkey may just magically learn to fly right into your dog's mouth, or it may be nibbled on by a creature whose nibble marks closely resemble those of your cat. The raw turkey meat can contain harmful bacteria that can make your cat or dog sick as...well as sick as a dog.

Dem Bones

Turkey bones can also pose a lethal hazard to your cat and dog. Your pet could easily choke on them. They could also splinter and break while your pet is chowing down. Remember that broken turkey bones can and do tear and get stuck in the throat and other parts of a pet's gastrointestinal tract as the bones work their way through the pet's body.

Turkey Dogs

Most likely your dog has taken up watch duty in front of your oven ever since you put that big delicious looking turkey in to cook. I'll bet they will even tell you when it's done before the timer even goes off! But should you feed your dog or cat some of that great smelling turkey on Thanksgiving?

The answer to this question is both yes and no. Yes, because a little bit of turkey will not hurt most cats and dogs. And the Trytophan may actually help them remain calm during all the Thanksgiving day excitement.
But the reality is that most dogs will receive more than just a 'little bit of turkey'. This is mostly due to over-caring guests who slip Fido and Fluffy a few pieces of turkey under the dining room table. If you have ten guests and each one gives your pet a piece of turkey, you can wind up with a very sick cat or dog.

For a cat or dog that weighs about 15lbs or less, eating one slice of turkey is the equivalent to an adult human eating half a turkey all by themselves. Keep this mind and politely ask your guests not to feed your pets any table scraps - plus this will also discourage your pets from learning to beg at the table.

Therefore eating too much turkey can create a very upset stomach in both cats and dogs. A very obvious sign that your pet has had too much is if they start to have diarrhea. This is the body's natural attempt to rid itself of harmful contaminants as quickly as possible. Although this natural process is somewhat necessary, it can still ruin a perfectly good Thanksgiving. Since prevention is sometimes better than a cure, have a bottle of Plantaeris on hand, just in case. This natural anti-diarrheal is formulated particularly for your pet's sensitive system. It works fast to regulate your pet's intestinal functions.

White Meat or Dark?

If you are going to feed your cat or dog turkey on Thanksgiving day, its best to feed them white turkey meat. This is because dark turkey meat, and the skin of the turkey for that matter, is very rich and fatty. This means that it is much harder for your pet's sensitive system to properly digest and can cause diarrhea and vomiting. In some severe cases, it can also lead to pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas and can be quite lethal in pets. Small dogs and cats, such as Mini Schnauzers, are especially susceptible to having pancreatitis. The main function of the pancreas is to produce good digestive enzymes. But when the pancreas becomes irritated, the regular production and discharge of these digestive enzymes is disturbed. Furthermore, when the digestive enzymes are created but there is no food to actually digest, these enzymes will then begin to digest your pet's body tissue instead. This process places further stress on the pancreas. Your pet's prognosis will be determined by how well he or she responds to the inflammation and how soon they can receive treatment.

Common symptoms of pancreatitis include:
Vomiting
Abdominal Pain
Lethargy
Loss of Appetite
Fever
Diarrhea

If you have reason to believe that your pet has had more than their fair share of turkey and is exhibiting any of the above signs, you should immediately contact an emergency veterinarian. You can also start your pet on a few doses of Plantaeris as well, until you see the vet.

Turkey Treats

A great way to include your dog into your Thanksgiving day festivities is to give them their own turkey treat. You can make one yourself by stuffing a Kong toy with white turkey meat and small pieces of his or her favorite kibble. This should keep your dog busy while you enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with your guests.

Clean Up

After the turkey has been served and your guests have all left with full belly's, be sure to clean up your kitchen and dining table properly. Make sure to throw away all the wrappings from the turkey and other dinner ingredients such as string, tin foil, etc. These are all potential choking hazards for your pet. When throwing away wrappings, tin foil or leftovers in the garbage, whether in the trash can in your kitchen or the garbage can outside, make sure that the lid is on securely. This will help prevent your pet from getting in to the trash, and will also help prevent stray cats, dogs and other wild critters from getting into your garbage outside.

Related Products: Plantaeris for Dog Diarrhea & Cat Diarrhea

Life's Abundance Dog & Cat Holiday Gift Baskets Now On Sale

2011-11-20T13:56:59-08:00

Just in time for the holidays, Life's Abundance is now offering quality gifts at exceptional values. With toys, treats and more, our festive Holiday Gift Baskets make the perfect gifts for the furry pet kids on your list. Pet parents will be thrilled to receive your joyous gift, introducing the possibility of a healthier life for their dogs or for their cats. Be sure to review the detailed descriptions of these baskets for complete lists of their contents. And with our Gift Certificates, you can give personalized gifts redeemable for any of our superior products. No matter which gifts you choose to share with your loved ones, there are no better tidings of joy than messages – or baskets – of better health.

Holiday Gift Basket For Dogs

This festive basket contains an entertaining plush toy that squeeks! Plus, an assortment of our most popular treats. Wholesome Hearts, Gourmet Dental Treats, Antioxidant Health Bars, Tasty Rewards and Porkhide Bones. All nestled in a lovely reusable basket. Makes a wonderful gift for a canine friend. (Toy may vary.)

Holiday Gift Basket For Cats

A delightful variety of playful toys that will keep your furry feline happily occupied during the holidays and a bag of Life’s Abundance Gourmet Cat Treats For Healthy Skin & Coat. The toys and treats are nestled in a lovely reusable basket. A terrific holiday gift for your favorite feline! (Toys may vary.)

Buy A Dog and Cat Holiday Gift Basket

Fish Oil Helps Prevent Osteoarthritis

2011-11-20T13:46:42-08:00

November 14, 2011 - Byron Richards, CCN

New research has shown for the first time that omega-3 in fish oil (DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement./EPA Eicosapentanoic acid. Type of long chain essential fatty acid - Omega 3 oil. Works in concert with DHA. Must gotten through food sources such as deep cold water fish or some limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. ) could substantially and significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Degenerative joint disease. Most common type of arthritis that causes a chronic, progressive, breakdown in cartilage in middle-age adults and older.. "There was strong evidence that omega-3 influences the biochemistry of the disease, and therefore not only helps prevent disease, but also slows its progression, potentially controlling established osteoarthritis Degenerative joint disease. Most common type of arthritis that causes a chronic, progressive, breakdown in cartilage in middle-age adults and older.," said lead researcher Dr John Tarlton.

The research was conducted in a strain of guinea pigs that naturally develop osteoarthritis Degenerative joint disease. Most common type of arthritis that causes a chronic, progressive, breakdown in cartilage in middle-age adults and older. and compared to controls. Fish oil intake reduced the pathology of tissue damage associated with osteoarthritis Degenerative joint disease. Most common type of arthritis that causes a chronic, progressive, breakdown in cartilage in middle-age adults and older. towards those without the problem. Medical research director of Arthritis Research UK, Professor Alan Silman, said: "The possibility that omega-3 fatty acids could prevent osteoarthritis Degenerative joint disease. Most common type of arthritis that causes a chronic, progressive, breakdown in cartilage in middle-age adults and older. from developing has been a tantalising one. Some limited, previous research in dogs has suggested that we were a long way away from understanding the potential use in humans. However, this current research in guinea pigs is exciting as it brings us closer to understanding how omega-3 might fundamentally interfere with the osteoarthritis Degenerative joint disease. Most common type of arthritis that causes a chronic, progressive, breakdown in cartilage in middle-age adults and older. process, and that it could potentially be taken as a treatment."

I have been reporting that new science shows that DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. and EPA Eicosapentanoic acid. Type of long chain essential fatty acid - Omega 3 oil. Works in concert with DHA. Must gotten through food sources such as deep cold water fish or some limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. regulate the inflammation recovery process through a system of compounds called resolvins and protectins. The ability to recover from inflammation is required to keep up with wear and tear and prevent for every body structure. This study shows just how important these nutrients are to long term joint health.

Vitamin D and Your Brain

2011-11-20T13:41:37-08:00

by Brazos Minshew, TriVita's Chief Science Officer

I recently read an article in the medical and scientific literature that discussed the role of Vitamin D in the human brain. The article correlated the low levels of Vitamin D in the bloodstream with high levels of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and oppositional-defiant disorder. The most important discussions, however, were about the role of Vitamin D in two plagues: autism and Alzheimer's disease.

Autism

The number of people diagnosed with autism is increasing at an epidemic rate. Greater than 1 in 150 children born today will have autism. The gender rate is also alarming: Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls.

No one can agree as to the cause of autism. This may be because there is more than one cause. In fact, the last time I counted there were 11 suspected causes. However, two things that nearly all children have in common are poor methylation (inability to use Vitamin B-12 to create whole proteins) and poor hydroxylation (inability to convert inactive Vitamin D into its active form).

The most common cause for these defects is toxicity: environmental toxins and/or geno-toxins (poisons created by abnormal genes).

Alzheimer's disease

There are three characteristics of Alzheimer's disease in the human brain: neurofibrillary tangles, beta-amyloid plaques and glial cell inflammation. Interestingly, some people with plaques and tangles - but no inflammation - appear to function normally into their advanced years. It is brain inflammation that seems to be the spark which lights the fire of Alzheimer's disease.

Vitamin D may help reduce inflammation in the brain. A notable attribute of Alzheimer's disease victims is low levels of Vitamin D.

The same two problems that exist in children with autism also afflict adults with Alzheimer's disease: poor methylation (inability to use Vitamin B-12 to create whole proteins) and poor hydroxylation (inability to convert inactive vitamin D into its active form). Methylation is measured by a blood test for homocysteine. And one of the ways to measure hydroxylation is with a blood test for Vitamin D.

Are autism and Alzheimer's disease related? At this point it is hard to say; perhaps it is even impossible to say that they are connected conditions. But they share remarkably similar imbalances in biochemistry and they share at least two common deficiencies: Vitamin B-12 and Vitamin D.

Certainly, it would be an amazing coincidence if they were not somehow linked, don't you think?

Conclusion

In the 1990s I was overwhelmed by the mountains of evidence linking homocysteine to the increase in autism and Alzheimer's disease. This was eventually linked back to a methylation defect that led to poor protein formation and Vitamin B-12 metabolism. Now, we are seeing new mountains of evidence emerging about hydroxylation defects leading to poor hormone formation and Vitamin D metabolism.

We can say with greater certainty than ever before that these imbalances are caused by toxicity, deficiency, injury and stress. Let's increase our efforts to combat these "causes" and reduce the chance of being victimized by the effects!

FDA Continues to Caution Dog Owners About Chicken Jerky Products

2011-11-18T15:00:42-08:00

November 18, 2011

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is again cautioning consumers that chicken jerky products for dogs (also sold as chicken tenders, strips or treats) may be associated with illness in dogs. In the last 12 months, FDA has seen an increase in the number of complaints it received of dog illnesses associated with consumption of chicken jerky products imported from China. These complaints have been reported to FDA by dog owners and veterinarians.

FDA issued a cautionary warning regarding chicken jerky products to consumers in September 2007 and a Preliminary Animal Health Notification in December of 2008. After seeing the number of complaints received drop off during the latter part of 2009 and most of 2010, the FDA is once again seeing the number of complaints rise to the levels of concern that prompted release of our earlier warnings.

Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be fed occasionally in small quantities.

FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.

FDA, in addition to several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S., is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (VLRN) is now available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified a contaminant.

The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem and its origin. Many of the illnesses reported may be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints¹.

Save Up To $30 On Nopalea Or Any Of TriVita's Weight Loss & Supplement Products

2011-11-17T18:03:04-08:00

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TriVita & Nopalea Now In Canada, Europe, Asia, South Pacific, Australia, Malaysia & More

2011-11-12T20:47:13-08:00

You can now become an Affiliate with TriVita or purchase Nopalea in the following areas:

Americas - Canada, United States

NEW AREASEurope - Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom

NEW AREASAsia - Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan

NEW AREASSouth Pacific - Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia

To become an Affiliate and offer Nopalea to others please click here and then click on the Flag/Select in the upper right corner and select your area.

To order Nopalea direct, please click here and then click on the Flag/Select in the upper right corner and select your area.

If you are in Australia or New Zealand and would like to become a TriVita Affiliate or order direct, please click here.

Why Join TriVita and Become An Affiliate?

Welcome to a whole new world of opportunity, rewards and satisfaction!
Our goal at TriVita is to help people everywhere achieve greater wellness – both in their physical lives as well as their financial ones. As a pioneering wellness company, we’ve created a unique opportunity where individuals like you can benefit financially by simply sharing TriVita’s products and wellness mission with others.

TriVita nutritional and dietary products will not only give you greater physical wellness, you’ll also enjoy their financial rewards to help you fulfill your life purposes – whether that’s earning a few hundred extra dollars per month to help pay the bills, or building a large business for you and your family’s future. No matter what your purposes are, as a TriVita Independent Affiliate Member you can achieve your dreams and goals.

Our program is very simple
One big reason why thousands of people just like you have joined as an Independent Affiliate Member is that it’s so simple. You don’t need to worry about having existing experience or super sales skills to be successful at sharing TriVita products. Our products get results and whenever most people have a positive experience with a particular product, they like to recommend the same product to others. So with TriVita’s premier quality wellness products, earning extra income can be as simple as just recommending to others the very products that worked so well for you (or for other people that you know). It’s that simple!

It’s so flexible, too
Our Affiliate Member program also works so well for so many because of its flexibility. Even if you only have a couple hours a week to work the program you can achieve positive results and start earning extra income immediately. By simply plugging into our simple 3 step success system you will find sharing TriVita’s premium line of products is fun and rewarding.

What is Nopalea (TriVita's Signature Product)?

Discover the benefits of this amazing, natural, anti-inflammatory solution

Nopalea is our astonishing breakthrough wellness drink that helps your body experience an optimal state of wellness by:

Relieving pain
Improving breathing
Reducing swelling in joints and muscles

These changes may in turn help your body feel increasingly energized.

Daily use helps your body:

Reduce inflammation
Detoxify
Achieve optimal cellular health

If inflammation is the problem, Nopalea is a Wellness Solution!

TIME Magazine called it “The Secret Killer”
...and here’s how to help protect against it

In 2004, TIME Magazine ran an astonishing story about inflammation and its destructive effect on the body’s health.*

In the years following TIME’s story, medical science went on to find even more links between chronic inflammation and highly debilitating conditions, including allergies, chronic aches and pains, IBS and others.

These links were dumbfounding: so many different conditions can all stem from just one problem – chronic inflammation.

And the type of chronic inflammation that is being studied is not just that “sore, swollen muscle and joint” kind that so many naturally think of. It also includes the deeper, internal types of inflamed tissues affecting vital body systems, such as:

Chronic cardiovascular inflammation in the heart and arteries
Chronic pulmonary inflammation in lungs and airways
Chronic digestive inflammation in the stomach, esophagus and intestines
Chronic inflammation in the other major organs (liver, kidneys, etc.) and glands
Chronic widespread body cell inflammation existing throughout the body

All of these different types of chronic inflammation can lead to many different kinds of severe health problems, such as:

Ongoing, never ending pain in parts of the body
Allergies and asthmatic reactions
High blood pressure and deteriorating heart and blood vessel health
Ulcers and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Constant, overall tiredness and lethargy

Normal inflammation is good

Whenever your body is subject to threatening elements or events, it may counter these attacks with one of its defense mechanisms – inflammation. This is normal.

The threats that could trigger the body’s inflammatory response could be little things, such as an injury like a pulled muscle. Or, the threat could be a bacterial intrusion. Stressful feelings and events can also trigger inflammation to flare up in any number of your body’s tissues. And, nutritionally deficient diets can lead to inflammatory flare-ups.

Finally, one of the biggest causes of inflammation could be today’s world, which relentlessly exposes your body to an overwhelming flood of micro-sized dangers, such as toxins, pollutants, bacteria, viruses and chemicals from ... the air you breathe ... the water you drink ... the foods you eat ... and even the things you touch.

But chronic inflammation is very bad

Due to all of the causes of inflammation, it’s highly likely that right now, as you read this, your body has many sites that are inflamed. This isn’t the problem, though. The problem is all of sites in your body where, for a variety of reasons, your inflammation isn’t being turned off. Instead, the inflammation just keeps going and going. This is chronic inflammation.

There are several factors that can keep your body from turning off its inflammation response, but three factors are especially prevalent:

Chronic Stress – it keeps your body constantly “revved up,” wasting nutrient stores and impairing its ability to stop inflammation from becoming chronic
Chronic Nutritional Deficiencies – without the right nutrition, on a daily basis, your body may not have the right resources to put a halt to ongoing inflammation
Chronic Toxin Overload – in today’s world, your body is constantly fighting off toxins, pollutants and contaminants from so many sources that it simply can be too overwhelmed to stop the never ending, triggered inflammation

You’ll notice that there’s one thing in common with all three of the above factors: Chronic. When these adverse factors are chronic (constant), it greatly increases the chance that your body’s inflammation will be chronic, too. And it’s exactly this type of inflammation – the chronic kind – that the TIME Magazine story warned about because it can be so damaging to your health.

Some common examples of how you could be suffering from various kinds of chronic inflammation and their related health problems include:

Muscle, joint and bone inflammation – causing ongoing body pain
Respiratory inflammation – causing allergies and breathing difficulties
Arterial inflammation – causing heart health problems
Digestive tract inflammation – causing ulcers and IBS
Widespread body cell inflammation – causing overall fatigue.

A superior solution to chronic inflammation
If chronic inflammation is the problem, Nopalea^™ is a solution. It’s your premier wellness partner in your body’s never-ending, daily battle for good health. With its amazing Betalains, Nopalea works in two vital ways: it helps neutralize your body’s inner toxins and it helps reduce its chronic inflammation.

Become A TriVita Affiliate or Order Nopalea Direct! Click Here Now! Australia & New Zealand Click Here.

What Does Having Cracked Skin Really Mean?

2011-11-07T20:46:03-08:00

Do you have cracked skin around your heels, on your hands or at the corners of your mouth? Each of these conditions may be described as a failure in the protective nature of your immune system. And they each tell a story about life balance and lifestyle choices, as well as your environment and even genetics that affect your health.

Heel cracks

Fissures called xerosis form around the edge of the heel as the skin dries out. The more we stand on our feet - and the older we get - the more likely we are to experience heel fissures. However, xerosis is not an inevitable part of aging or standing. Many people who stand all day or survive to age 100 don't have heel cracks. What is different between those who get them and those who don't?

Frequently, it is nutrition, exercise, rest and stress management.

Heel cracks appear most commonly in people as they age, it is true. So does diabetes. My experience tells me that heel cracks commonly appear as we lose our ability to balance our glucose (blood sugar). They are more common in people with pre-diabetes and diabetes. Control your blood sugar and you can often help control the cracking in your heels.

Two nutrients are important in glucose management: zinc and Omega essential fatty acids. Zinc helps control blood sugar, helps improve mental function, helps reduce the number of colds and viruses that affect you and even helps with ringing in the ears (tinnitus). Essential fatty acids help produce more lubrication (sebum) in the skin of the heels and help speed up healing. GlucoManage® is a good source of zinc and, of course, OmegaPrime® is my favorite source of essential fatty acids.

Consult with your healthcare provider if heel cracks:

Become painful
Become so deep they begin to bleed
Become infected
Hand cracks

Fissures affect the hands as well as the feet. However, the causes are not the same. For example, cracked skin on the hands can be a sign of an autoimmune disorder such as Sjogren's or psoriasis - inflammatory conditions appearing in the skin. I say "appearing in the skin" because psoriasis is a condition involving the whole body. Psoriasis and other skin disorders causing fissures in the hands and fingers may be autoimmune disorders - a condition where the immune system attacks normal, healthy skin and destroys it.

Interestingly, essential fatty acids are often effective in teaching the immune system to "work smarter, not harder." They do not "boost" the immune system or bolster it in any way. (In an autoimmune disorder you do not want to "boost" your immune system because that causes more damage.) Instead, essential fatty acids along with Vitamin D help the immune system more clearly identify healthy and unhealthy tissues so it may react appropriately.

Not to be overlooked, the immune system is the most intrinsically involved body system in the mind-body connection. Any stress, large or small, is immediately reflected in the immune system. Adaptogens help mitigate the impact of stress on the immune system.

Mouth cracks

Infections from tooth abscess to thrush can cause cracks in the corners of your mouth. Autoimmune conditions including celiac disease can as well (celiac disease is triggered by an extreme allergy to wheat and other gluten-containing grains). Toxins also cause cracks in the corners of the mouth. For example, fluoride in toothpaste and too much Vitamin A can both reach toxic levels and cause cracking and fissures in the lips.

The most common cause of dry, cracked lips is dehydration. Drink pure water and make sure you have enough essential fatty acids and minerals to hold that water in your skin.

Conclusion

Our skin says much about our life. It is a special window into our immune system. For healthy skin we must learn to listen as our body speaks to us. If you have dry, cracked skin anywhere on your body, seek appropriate medical care and consider the impact that proper nutrients and nurturing will have as we strive to be like the people with perfect, beautiful skin!

Take Control of Your Health - Suggested Products:
Heel cracks: OmegaPrime, GlucoManage

Hand cracks: OmegaPrime, Nopalea™, Adaptogen 10 Plus®

Mouth cracks: OmegaPrime, Wellavoh® or VitaDaily™ AM/PM, Drink Pure Water

Pro Silver - The Perfect Solution for Cold & Flu Season at Perfect Price!

2011-11-02T14:20:43-07:00

Pro Silver is the modern version of mankind's oldest natural anti-microbial agent, and now you can get it in November for a very special price: Buy 1, get 1 Free!

We have progressed from using silver coins in the past to preserve milk and water, to using it as a dietary supplement today where silver is being used in many areas such as swimming pool filters, food cutting boards, bandages, burn dressings, and water filters for NASA.

The body has an innate ability to rejuvenate and restore itself to optimum health. When taken daily, Pro Silver acts an optimal immune system supporter by helping the body fight invaders. It is tasteless, non-toxic and can be taken orally or applied externally. Pro Silver is the safest and best all-around natural antibiotic germ fighter - now at an unheard of special pricing for a limited time!

Buy 1, Get 1 Free!

One of the oldest and most reliable natural remedies to support the immune system against various maladies!

Pro Silver is the modern version of mankind's oldest natural anti-microbial agent. We have progressed from using silver coins in the past to preserve milk and water, to using it as a dietary supplement today.

The historical use of silver is long and indisputable. For thousands of years, it has been used for the same reasons we are using it now in our Pro Silver supplement. From the earliest history of mankind, silver has been used in the making of food and drink vessels, as well as eating utensils.

Today, silver is being used in swimming pool filters, food cutting boards, bandages, burn dressings, and water filters for NASA.

Pro Silver contains only mineral and distilled water and is not a salt, iodide, protein, or gelatinous based product.

Silver: Comprehensive Immunity Protection For The Entire Family

The benefits of silver have been recorded historically for many years. From the late 1800's to the late 1930's, Colloidal Silver was used commonly in America and other cultures. The Chinese understood its cleansing properties. In the Ayurvedic tradition of India, it had been used medically. The benefits of silver have been researched and reported in such prestigious medical journals as The New England Journal of Medicine and the Lancet.

Seventy years ago, silver was widely used. Silver retailed at about $100.00 per ounce in the 1930's. Recent technology has brought the price down so that silver can now compete in the medical marketplace. Numerous articles in medical journals of silver can be found dating before 1940.

Widely used historically in cultures around the world, silver has previously been very expensive to administer. Owing to recent improvements on the original methods of production, silver is now available in a more concentrated form at a fraction of its previous cost.

What Is Ionic Silver?

Ionic Silver is a germicide and is tasteless, non-toxic and can be taken orally or applied externally. The EPA's Poison Control Center reports no toxicity listing for colloidal silver and considers it harmless in any concentration. Ionic silver is the safest and best all-around natural antibiotic germ fighter.

Pro Silver is tasteless, odorless, non-stinging and non-burning to sensitive tissues - even a baby's eyes. It may be taken orally, applied directly to cuts, scrapes, open sores, warts or used as a rinse for acne, eczema and other skin irritations. It may be gargled, dropped into eyes or ears, or inhaled into the nose.

We get silver and all minerals into the body through the food we eat. It gets into our food through living, healthy soil. Plants convert raw minerals to colloidal form. When we eat the plants, our bodies utilize the colloidal minerals gathered by the plants. These minerals enter the blood stream and are taken to the various organs of our body. Hence, we get silver from plants.

If digestion and assimilation are weak, or as the tissues age, we may develop a silver deficiency, and thus an impaired immune system. Also, many of our soils have been stripped of trace minerals through poor agricultural practices which also cause deficiencies and subsequent health problems.

The body has an innate ability to rejuvenate and restore itself to optimum health. When taken daily, Pro Silver acts an optimal immune system supporter by helping the body fight invaders.

Safe and Effective

Bacteria are becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics. The Los Angeles Times stated: "In the last decade, a broad resistance to antibiotics has begun to emerge. And, because bacteria can transfer genes among themselves, experts only expect that the resistance will grow. The potential nightmare is a super-microbe immune to all antibiotics that could wreak havoc."

Traditional antibiotics continue to lose their ability to kill certain strains of bacteria. Nearly every disease-causing organism known has become resistant to one or more antibiotics. Scientists know that the more an antibiotic is used, the quicker it tends to become useless due to bacterial resistance. On the other hand, microbes cannot develop resistance to silver as they can to traditional antibiotics.

There are no recorded side effects in the medical literature from the use of ionic silver. Additionally, there has never been a recorded case of a drug interaction. It is non-addicting, the body does not build up a tolerance to it, and studies show that colloidal silver is not deposited under the skin like other silver protein compounds that may cause gray or bluish skin.

Ionic Silver will not cause argyria, a discoloration of the skin caused by some forms of silver. Argyria is caused by silver protein products.
Ionic Silver does not interact or interfere with any medications.
Contains only pure water and pure silver.
Tasteless liquid, like water.

Pro Ionic Silver Testimonials

"Pro Silver is a must for our household. When colds, flu, throat infections, etc. come knocking at our family's door, we get out the Pro Silver, and it really makes a difference in our recovery time. Convenient liquid form & less trips to the doctor, no bad tasting medicines or pills for the kids to swallow, and no side effects. And, if that isn't enough, we've noticed positive results when applying it topically to poison ivy, bee stings, cuts or scrapes, and sunburn. Pro Silver.. where have you been all my life!"
-Tabitha

"It is no longer necessary to live with pain. Our group in Puerto Rico has discovered that taking 1 teaspoonful (use plastic teaspoon)of Pro Silver with 1/2 oz. of Pro Noni twice a day eliminates joint pain (especially in the knees)in only 2 days! We recommend taking it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and before bedtime. It is wonderful to be pain free again!"
-E. Borges, PR

Buy Pro Ionic Silver Today - Buy 1 Get 1 Free!

Straight Talk About Weight Loss

2011-10-30T12:43:59-07:00

The prevalence of obesity is skyrocketing all over the world, but especially in developed countries such as the U.S. and Canada. Data from the Centers for Disease Control show that 31% of adults in the U.S. are obese and 35% are overweight. That's quite a significant number of people that are struggling with unhealthy weight.

Unfortunately, this is not simply a cosmetic problem; it's not just about how we look. It is about how well we are. It's about how much energy we have for the people we love and how much vitality we have for the commitments we make. It's about how successful or unsuccessful we will be at reaching our goals and living a life of Purpose and Meaning. It's that serious.

What's keeping you from reaching your weight loss goals?

When you consider the amount of advice and information available about weight loss, we should be the thinnest people in history. Yet, we continue to struggle despite all that knowledge. Test yourself:
Name something that you know you should do to achieve and maintain an ideal weight - something you are not doing.

Now, name something that you know you should not do - yet you are.

Did you have trouble naming something in each category? Most people I speak with name at least three things in each category that they could change to meet their weight loss goals. They have the knowledge but they are lacking the application. They lack a sense of Purpose strong enough to motivate change.

The "why" of weight loss
Purpose can be described in another way: Destiny. A sense of Destiny will dictate a need for health. For you, health may include appropriate weight loss. Commit yourself to living your Destiny, your Mission, your many Purposes in life and this will motivate change.

Take all the time you need to figure out exactly what you want and why you want it. Write it down. Also, be sure to recruit allies; they will be your cheering section when you are winning and your support team when you are struggling.

You know, I once heard a quote that went something like, "Never confuse planning with performing." Destiny is about planning AND performing. It's about deciding what you want and why you want it. Now, you need to be very clear about your "why." One of my favorite quotes about this is, "He who has a 'why' to live can bear almost any 'how.'"

The "how" of weight loss
Do you need a better diet? More exercise? Better sleep? Less stress? All of these changes require effort and energy. Your sense of Destiny will inspire you to act. It will give you the energy to act. Of course, sometimes idealism clashes with realism. So, decide what's realistic, not what you should do but what you will do, and then do it.

Now, it must be recognized that in some cases, obesity is associated with underlying illness or as a side effect of a medication. This requires medical treatment and I encourage you to work closely with your health care team to find a solution to these problems.

However, most people can achieve and maintain a healthful body weight by reducing stress, improving sleep, eating a more healthful diet, and exercising regularly to burn off the calories they consume. TriVita can help guide you through this process with Leanology™, a comprehensive weight loss program. A lifestyle approach to weight loss, Leanology includes nutrients, education, and guidance to help you reach and maintain a healthier life.

Get started
Always remember, we are created to live a life of purpose. Let your purpose fuel your actions step by step; let your actions harmonize with your sense of destiny. You won't need to struggle with eating nutritiously or engaging in activity; your destiny will demand that you make the healthiest dietary choices. It will demand that you exercise appropriately to stay fit.

Great purposes require great health. Let your sense of destiny be the driving force behind your weight loss journey. Get started today!

Health Products For People & Pets

60 Seconds to Energy

Are Plastic Bottles Safe?

Holiday Hazards For Your Pet

Healthy Digestion For A Healthy Life

Dog Food Recall: Advanced Animal Nutrition Recalls Dog Foods Due To Aflatoxin

Advanced Animal Nutrition issues dog food recall

Dog Food Recall: Cargill Animal Nutrition Recalls River Run and Marksman Dry Dog Food

Cargill Animal Nutrition Recalls River Run and Marksman Dry Dog Food

Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy Dry Dog Food - Proctor & Gamble Recall

P&G Voluntarily Recalls One Production Lot of Dry Dog Food

Science Diet Receives FDA Warning Letter Due To Marketing Of Their Healthy Mobility Diet

Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc 11/23/11

Department of Health and Human Services

What Are Hot Spots And What Causes Hot Spots?

What Causes Hot Spots?

Diagnosing Hot Spots

Help for Hot Spots

Natural Remedies

Tips to prevent hot spots

Thinking of Switching to Life's Abundance Health Food For Puppies & Adult Dogs Or Life's Abundance Health Food For Kittens & Cats?

Do You Suffer With Digestive Problems? Now There’s Good News For Your Gut – And Your Overall Wellness

Good health starts in the gut

The problem

FloraVita, a complete digestive health solution

Unique delivery, maximum results

The Dangers of Hypoglycemia

Nopalea™ to be Included in 2012 Physicians’ Desk Reference®

Improving Your Pet's Liver Health

Fish Oil Reduces Prostate Cancer Growth in Humans

Tips for Your Pet's Thanksgiving Diet

Life's Abundance Dog & Cat Holiday Gift Baskets Now On Sale

Fish Oil Helps Prevent Osteoarthritis

Vitamin D and Your Brain

FDA Continues to Caution Dog Owners About Chicken Jerky Products

Save Up To $30 On Nopalea Or Any Of TriVita's Weight Loss & Supplement Products

TriVita & Nopalea Now In Canada, Europe, Asia, South Pacific, Australia, Malaysia & More

Americas - Canada, United States

**NEW AREAS**Europe - Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom

**NEW AREAS**Asia - Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan

**NEW AREAS**South Pacific - Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia

Discover the benefits of this amazing, natural, anti-inflammatory solution

What Does Having Cracked Skin Really Mean?

Pro Silver - The Perfect Solution for Cold & Flu Season at Perfect Price!

One of the oldest and most reliable natural remedies to support the immune system against various maladies!

Silver: Comprehensive Immunity Protection For The Entire Family

What Is Ionic Silver?

Safe and Effective

Pro Ionic Silver Testimonials

Straight Talk About Weight Loss

NEW AREASEurope - Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom

NEW AREASAsia - Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan

NEW AREASSouth Pacific - Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia