Vitamin D: My Personal Journey And Experience

I have to admit…with all the knowledge I’ve gained over the years regarding the potential health benefits of supplements, not even I was aware of the effects of vitamin D.  Sure, I knew it was called the “sunshine vitamin” because our skin is able to synthesize UV light from the sun and convert it to vitamin D.  I also knew you could receive more from dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt.  But I didn’t “see the light” until earlier this year.  That was when I began to really dig into the benefits of vitamin D.

A Theory is born.

You see, I’ve had a theory for quite some time.  Here in Wisconsin, our cold and flu season begins in the Oct/Nov time frame.  And it lasts until early spring.  I started to wonder WHY we don’t see more colds and cases of influenza in the spring or summer.  The old song-and-dance from your mother may have gone something like this:  “Make sure you put a hat on and dress warm when going outside or you’ll catch a cold”.  Sound familiar?  If you think about it, it makes sense.  You get colds in the winter.  So as soon as I would get one, I would go back and try to remember when I had gone outside without a coat or hat.

The problem is, it’s not true.   Even Mythbusters debunked it in one of their shows.  The fact is, these are spread through germs and contact with people.  Someone sneezes into their hand, then grabs a doorknob, shakes someone’s hand, and passes a glass around.  Everything that person touches becomes a little time-released germ bomb.

So if colds and influenza are actually spread around from these germ bombs and NOT cold weather, then why wouldn’t we see more cases in the summer.  If they truly have nothing to do with the temperature outside, we shouldn’t have a cold and flu season…it should be a year-round thing.  But that’s not the case…WHY?

Getting Closer to the Truth.

I started to put the pieces of the puzzle together.  I knew we absorbed vitamin D from the sun.  I also knew, in order to accomplish this, we needed our skin exposed while outdoors.  Outside of a couple crazy fans watching the Packers play at Lambeau Field in December…without shirts on…the odds are pretty slim one would have much of any skin exposed during the harsh Wisconsin winters.  Not to mention the fact people tend to stay indoors more often.  Could this be the reason we have colds in the winter?  That’s when I started researching.

It turns out, I wasn’t far off.  While skin exposure to the sun is very important, the main issue here is the angle of the sun in the sky.  During the fall, through the winter, and into spring the sun is at such a low angle in the sky that our bodies do not absorb the UV rays critical for the creation of vitamin D.  You could sit outside in a swimsuit for 3hrs with snow blowing around you and it wouldn’t help your vitamin D creation one bit.

Upon listening to presentations by Dr. Myron Wentz and Dr. John Whittcomb, I felt compelled to write multiple blog entries on vitamin D.  And as you have probably noticed, this is the topic I have written about the most.  Namely because I feel it is information everyone should have.  But this time, I wanted to pass along my own personal experiences.

Using Vitamin D to Change Lives.

Following my research, I began to supplement my diet with additional vitamin D.  I am already receiving 2000IU from the multi-vitamin and fish oil I take.  I began taking an additional 2000IU back in early October when I knew I wouldn’t be receiving any more from the sun.  Since then, I have increased that amount and have been taking 6000IU every day.  My wife also began taking an increased amount of vitamin D.  And after watching Dr. Whittcomb’s presentation and reading the research from Japan regarding children taking vitamin D, I started giving my 2 children 2000IU/day.  The tablet we use is about the size of a Tic-Tac and is chewable, so it’s easy enough for them to take.

Regardless of the recent FDA ruling to limit yourself to only 600IU of vitamin D/day, based upon the scientific studies I had read, my belief was, and still is, that we are perfectly safe.  In fact, physicians are recommending their patients take 5000IU/day in lieu of receiving the flu shot.  Suffice to say, my personal opinion is that the FDA ruling was either a matter of being overly cautious or an attempt at protecting the pharmaceutical industry.  Perhaps both.

Here we are with January coming to a close.  To date, we have had no sickness in our household this winter.  An occasional runny nose, sure.  But no colds or flu.  An amazing feat considering my wife works in a hospital and my children attend daycare, which is a germ-bomb factory.

How Well Has It Been Working?

Now, am I saying my family’s results are typical and you should immediately go out and start taking vitamin D?  Yes and no.  It is my opinion that it can only help…there are no negative effects that I am aware of.  But I’m also not a doctor and can’t “officially” give out that type of advice.  So it’s up to you to make your own decision.  If you want to base it off my family’s experience, or the various other posts I’ve made is entirely up to you.  But before you start up on something, you may also want to consider consulting with your family physician and looking into a pharmaceutical grade supplement.

Scott Huff has been helping people obtain optimal levels of vitamins and minerals through the use of  pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.  He is also experienced in helping people create an alternate source of income, simply by educating and helping others with their health.  For more information on this unique opportunity,  send an email with questions to:  huffster@usana.com.

Can You Use Bilberry And Lutein For Eye Health?

Bilberry is a powerful antioxidant which protects blood vessels within the eyes and promotes eye health.  It has been used to prevent and treat Macular Degeneration, night blindness, glaucoma and cataracts.  But it's benefits are not limited to eye health.  It may also help to treat varicose veins in early stages and has traditionally been used to control blood sugar levels in diabetics.

During World War II, British pilots reported increased night vision after consuming bilberry jam.  However, actual scientific studies on the effects and benefits of bilberry are very limited.  Suffice to say, even though it has been traditionally used to treat various eye disease, there has not been a sufficient number of studies to back these claims.  Does that mean it will not work?  Not necessarily.  Simply that more research needs to be conducted.

Lutein is found in certain fruits and vegetables such as carrots and squash.  This has also been traditionally used for eye health and may lower your risk of cataracts and Macular Degeneration.  In a study published in the April 2004 edition of Optometry, visual function was found to improve in patients taking lutein.

Another study reported in the January 25th, 2008 edition of Health, and published in the January issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, showed an 18% decrease in the risk of cataracts when consuming a combination of lutein and zeaxanthin.  This combination can be found in some high quality supplements, or in foods such as spinach, peas, and broccoli.

So, while studies are lacking with regards to the use of bilberry with regards to promoting eye health, there are studies available showing potential benefits when using lutein.  As such, supplementing your diet with these substances may lower your risk of developing eye disease.

Choosing how to obtain lutein and bilberry is a different matter.  While it is possible to receive the benefits through food, it may be easier to take a high quality, pharmaceutical grade supplement to ensure you are receiving ample amounts in a bioavailable form.  As always, before making any changes to your diet, I recommend consulting with your physician.

To Your Health

Scott Huff has been helping people obtain optimal levels of vitamins and minerals through the use of  pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.  He is also experienced in helping people create an alternate source of income, simply by educating and helping others with their health.  For more information on this unique opportunity,  send an email with questions to:  huffster@usana.com.

Does Body Cleansing And Colon Cleansing Work?

Body Cleansing, Colon Cleansing, and Body Detox.  These techniques have been gaining in popularity over the last couple of years.  But do they work?  And do you need them?

What is it?
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.  Exactly what are these techniques?  What is the intent?  And what do they consist of?  A detox diet is one method.  Generally, this consists of some type of fasting such as drinking only water for a weekend.  Or it could consist of a diet of water, fruit juice, and foods high in fiber.  The intent here is two-fold:  to lose weight and to rid your body of toxins.

A Colon Cleansing, on the other hand, is not a type of diet.  Your main goal here is not to lose weight, but rather to rid yourself of toxins in the body.

Where do these toxins come from?
Toxins are around us everyday.  The air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink.  The theory is that when you eat foods, some of those particles get left behind in the digestive tract.  These particles which do not get flushed out sit in your colon or intestines and break down, releasing toxins into the body as they do so.  In other words, they rot inside your body.


As these toxins are released into your body, they can build up.  Some believe these can cause health issues, low energy, and even lead to colon cancer.

How do you go about doing a cleansing?
Enzymes and Probiotics are two of the methods used to help with the detox process.  Digestive enzymes help to properly digest food, pull vitamins and minerals out of the food and into the body, while at the same time, assisting the liver and colon with getting rid of harmful toxins.  Probiotics are, according to WHO, "Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host".  You can find these in foods such as yogurt, or you can purchase actual probiotic products.

Probiotic Benefits.
Some of the potential benefits you may experience with the use of probiotics include:

• Colon Cancer Prevention
• Lowering Cholesterol
• Lowering Blood Pressure
• Improving Your Immune System
• Reducing Inflammation
• Improving Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

 Do You Need It?
As stated earlier, your liver and colon does the heavy lifting when it comes to detoxifying your body.  So you may be wondering why you would need to take alternative measures.  It is important to remember that you are not trying to replace the body's process, but instead you are assisting the process.  Very similar to taking vitamins.  This is not meant to replace eating healthy foods.  You are simply supporting your body.

In conclusion, there is nothing wrong with giving your body a little support.  To date, no one has ever died from eating yogurt or taking additional digestive enzymes or probiotics.  There is absolutely no downside here and can only help.

 Scott Huff has been helping people obtain optimal levels of vitamins and minerals through the use of  pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.  He is also experienced in helping people create an alternate source of income, simply by educating and helping others with their health.  For more information on this unique opportunity,  send an email with questions to:  huffster@usana.com.

Diabetes Risk In America

Another 'Quick Hit' posting from Dr. Ray Strand on the growing diabetes problem in America:

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic health condition that develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin, a hormone that regulates carbohydrate and fat metabolism. The exact mechanism by which type 2 diabetes occurs is unknown, but a number of correlating risk factors - particularly obesity and physical inactivity - are well-established. Unfortunately, the number of individuals with type 2 diabetes has increased sharply in recent years, with an estimated $174 billion cost to the United States in 2007 alone.
 

A number of papers have attempted to project type 2 diabetes prevalence 5, 10, and 20+ years into the future. Unfortunately, most of these projections have relied on weak or outdated metrics, including old census data, static mortality rates, and overly simple estimations of diabetes incidence. A recent paper from researchers at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion hoped to overcome these weaknesses by utilizing recent census data and a matrix of factors derived from an extensive literature review. 

The researchers describe their results as "a sobering picture of the future growth of diabetes." Their most optimistic values point to 21% of the U.S. adult population having type 2 diabetes in the year 2050. A middle-ground scenario predicts a prevalence of 25%-28%, while high-end data points to a diabetes prevalence of 33%, or 1 in 3 adults. To put these numbers in perspective, approximately 7% of the U.S. adult population had type 2 diabetes in 2007. In 1990, prevalence was below 5%. 

Unlike some chronic diseases, type 2 diabetes risk can be reduced by relatively moderate lifestyle changes. Losing weight (if overweight or obese), improving dietary choices, and regular exercise are all known to reduce risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes. The authors of this paper note that such changes "can help to decrease loss in quality of life and the future cost of providing care for people with diabetes. Indeed, such efforts are essential if we hope to moderate or slow the growth of diabetes prevalence." 

Boyle JP, Thompson TJ, Gregg EW, Barker LE, Williamson DF. Projection of the year 2050 burden of diabetes in the US adult population: dynamic modeling of incidence, mortality, and prediabetes prevalence. 2010. Population Health Metrics 8:29. 

 Scott Huff has been helping people obtain optimal levels of vitamins and minerals through the use of  pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.  He is also experienced in helping people create an alternate source of income, simply by educating and helping others with their health.  For more information on this unique opportunity, please watch this short video tour, or send an email with any questions to:  huffster@usana.com.

Losing Weight Requires A Lifestyle Change

Tis the season for diets.  New Years resolutions are full of people vowing to lose weight.  And so many people go on crash diets or fad diets.  They take diet pills or begin to count calories.  But the shocking fact is, many of these people will actually gain the weight back.  A successful diet, one which will lose weight and KEEP it off, requires a lifestyle change.

Lifestyle Change To Lose Weight

Changing your lifestyle is the best, and healthiest, way to lose weight and keep it off.  Is it always the easiest way to lose weight?  Maybe.  It depends upon what your current lifestyle is like.  It may only require slight modifications to what you are used to, or it may entail several changes which can take time.  Suffice to say, a lifestyle change requires only a two simple changes:

1.  Change what you eat and drink
2.  Exercise

That's it.  Yes, it's that simple.

Change What You Eat

The obvious thing to look at here is junk food and fast food.  There are so many calories built into these products, that it doesn't take long to pack on extra pounds.  Contrary to popular belief, eating fewer times does not help much in attaining your goals.  In fact, it is recommended to eat more often, but in smaller portions.  Up to 6 times/day.  A healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner in smaller portions, along with snacks consisting of fruit, veggies, or yogurt.  Staying away from soda, especially diet soda, is also key.

What You Should Eat

Back in August, I wrote a piece entitled, "The Top 4 Secrets To Losing Weight".  In this post, I discussed the Glycemic Index.  I won't go into the details here, but in a nutshell there are certain foods which have a high Glycemic Index, and others with lower index ratings.  Foods with a high glycemic index spike the blood sugar levels in your body.  They also cause your blood sugar levels to come down rapidly, causing those cravings you may experience.  Whereas, foods with a lower index will rise the blood sugar slower and will come down more gradually, thus reducing those cravings.

Some examples of foods which are high glycemic would be:  pretzels, rice cakes, white bread, potatoes, and white rice.  Examples of low glycemic foods are:  most fruits and vegetables, wheat bread, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and yogurt.  You can find a larger list by visiting this site.

What About Exercise?

If you change your eating habits, cut out soda, and follow the gylcemic index chart your odds are pretty good that you will lose weight.  To improve your chances and increase the amount of weight you lose, exercise becomes very important.  Gaining weight comes down to simple chemistry.  If you consume more calories than you burn off, the excess calories are stored as fat.  It is a basic survival method of the body.

So the secret to losing weight is to burn off more calories than you take in.  Obviously, if you start to eat better you are going to be consuming less calories.  Therefore, if you lead a life where you get very little exercise, you will probably still burn off more calories/day than you take in.  It's just that the difference won't be very large.  However, if you start to exercise you will widen that gap.  Burning off more calories creates a larger difference and will, therefore, result in losing more weight.

Getting 20-30 minutes of exercise/day is all you need.  Depending upon the TYPE of exercise.  If you are doing something which increases your heart rate, then you are looking at 20-30min.  However, if you are simply walking around the block, your heart rate may not increase very much and you will need to exercise longer.

Making The Change

Now, before you go off changing your lifestyle, you may want to consult with your doctor first.  The last thing you want to do is to to do too much at one time.  An increase in the amount of exercise after leading a fairly sedentary life may cause injury.  So just be cautious.

But if you give this method a try, I think you will be happy with the results.  Not only should you start to see a decrease in your weight, but it is very possible you could see some beneficial side effects.  Things like lowering your blood pressure or cholesterol levels are just some of these benefits.  You will have more energy, you'll be in better shape, and you'll be healthier.  And best of all, you can decrease your risk of certain diseases like diabetes and heart disease.  I can recommend a system which will help you though this lifestyle change, so if you are interested simply send me an email and I will be happy to discuss it with you.

To Your Health.

Scott Huff has been helping people obtain optimal levels of vitamins and minerals through the use of  pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.  He is also experienced in helping people create an alternate source of income, simply by educating and helping others with their health.  For more information on this unique opportunity, please watch this short video tour, or send an email with any questions to:  huffster@usana.com.

Best Vitamins: What Is Your Supplement Rating?

You've made the choice to take a supplement.  But what are the best vitamins out there?  Where does your supplement Rate?  The answers may shock you.  As you saw in one of my previous posts, all supplements are not the same.  In fact, the vitamins you take to improve your health may, in fact, be doing absolutely nothing for you.

In this post I'm going to use the "Comparative Guide To Nutritional Supplements" by Lyle MacWilliam, both the 3rd and 4th editions.  This book came about at the request of Canadian Parliament so as to provide the public with information in order to make good decisions when it came to supplements.

I am going to go through some of the more popular vitamins on the market...vitamins YOU may be taking now...and showing you how they hold up to scientific study.  Are they as good as they say?  Do they actually do anything for you?  You'll find in this top 10 list.

The Top 10

1.  Centrum.  In the 3rd edition, it rates a 3.2 out of 100, and in the 4th edition...0-stars out of 5 possible.  And yes, there are several "versions" of Centrum out there, but they all rate essentially the same:  low.  The reasoning for the low rating comes down to several facts.  First, they do not always use natural ingredients.  For instance, if you have a bottle in the house, take a look at the type of vitamin E they use.  It will be the dl-Alpha Tocopheryl  form.  This is the synthetic form, and as such, it does not absorb as well into the body.  Fillers and additives are also allowed in these types of supplements, meaning if they advertise 60mg of vitamin C on the bottle, you may only be receiving a portion of that.  Suffice to say, these vitamins are not doing much for you and are probably not even breaking down and absorbing into your body.

2.  One-A-Day.  In the 3rd edition, it rates a 5.1 out of 100, and in the 4th edition a mere 1/2 star out of 5.  Again, there are several versions of this supplement, but they are all essentially the same.  And as in the case of Centrum, it runs into the same issues about synthetic ingredients and absorption.

3.  GNC.  Here we run into our first decent supplement, the MegaMan.  However, it still only rates a 21.1 out of 100 in the 3rd edition and a 2.5 out of 5 stars in the 4th edition. 

4.  Nature Made.  Weighing in at 17.9 in the 3rd edition and 0-stars out of 5.  A decent supplement when compared to the "well known" products, but still falls short of acceptable.

5.  Shaklee - Basics With Iron.  Weighing in on our first network marketing supplement, Shaklee comes up with a 30.5 rating in the 3rd edition, but was not rated in the 4th edition.  As you can see, even though the product is a comes from a network marketing company, it is rated higher than the previous store bought supplements available on the market.

6.  Melaleuca Vitality Pack.  Another network marketing company, but it doesn't fare as well as Shaklee.  A 6.2 ranking in the 3rd edition and a 1-star in the 4th edition.

7.  Herbalife - Formula 2.  Again, another network marketing company that falls a little short.  This rates at a 14.8 in the 3rd edition and a 1 star in the 4th edition

8.  Mannatech.  So far, the highest rated network marketing supplement coming in at a rating of 33.1 in the 3rd edition and a 2.5 star rating in the 4th edition.

9.  Nature's Way - Alive.  The highest rated supplement so far, at a 60 in the 3rd edition and 3 stars in the 4th edition.

10.  Pharmanex LifePak.  Rated at a nice 52.7 in the 3rd edition, and a 3 stars out of 5 in the 4th edition.  A fairly decent supplement.

So if these well-known supplements are not rated very well, then what ARE the top rated supplements?  When it comes to "stand alone" products, these are the top 4 according to the 4th edition.  All of these are rated at 5-stars.

1.  Usana Health Sciences (96.1 in the 3rd edition)
2.  Creating Wellness Alliance (not included in the 3rd edition)
3.  Douglas Laboratories (75.1 in the 3rd edition)
4.  TrueStar Health (not included in the 3rd edition)

So as you can see, what you are taking now may not be what you expected.  As I always say, you want to look for a pharmaceutical grade supplement so you can be certain of the ingredients and bioavailability. 

Is there another you are currently taking which was not included in the ranking above?  Add a comment or send me an email and I will provide you with the ranking of what you are taking.

Scott Huff has been helping people obtain optimal levels of vitamins and minerals through the use of  pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.  He is also experienced in helping people create an alternate source of income, simply by educating and helping others with their health.  For more information on this unique opportunity, please watch this short video tour, or send an email with any questions to:  huffster@usana.com.

Grape Seed Extract Benefits

There are two questions here.  First, what is grape seed extract, and second, what sort of benefits can you hope to receive.

Suffice to say, the answer to the first question is fairly straightforward.  Grape seed extract is simply an extract of grape seeds.  This extract unlocks the powerful antioxidants from the grape.

As far as the benefits go, this is not as easy of a question to answer.  For the benefits are many.  Cancer prevention and cardiovascular disease protection are just two of these benefits.

This is a substance which is 20x more powerful than vitamin C and 50x more powerful than vitamin E.  Suffice to say, its use as an immune system boost is well documented.  However, studies also suggest that grape seed extract leads to apoptosis, or self destruction, of cancer cells.  Is this a cure for cancer?  No.  However, cancer cells are created within the body every day.  Normally, your body is able to fight off and destroy these cancer cells on it's own.  The problem is when your body is not able to fend off these cancer cells.  Grape seed extract simply helps the body perform its normal function.

Another study was conducted to look at the effects of grape seed extract and reducing blood pressure.  Within 4wks of this study, the group receiving the grape seed saw their blood pressure reduced; whereas the blood pressure in the placebo group did not change at all.

Perhaps you have heard of the French Paradox.  In a nutshell, researchers noticed the fact that the French tend to eat fatty foods, such as cheese, but their risk of cardiovascular disease remains low.  Interestingly enough, they also tend to consume red wine on a regular basis.  Therefore, studies focuses on the affect of red wine on cardiovascular disease.  From there, it was narrowed down to the grape seed extract...not nearly as fun to consume, but it does the job in much smaller quantities.

If you have high blood pressure, concerns about cardiovascular disease, or even a history of cancer in your family, you may want to consider beginning a regiment of grape seed extract to help your body confront these issues.  Again, this should not be looked upon as a solution, but rather a helping hand for your body's immune system.

Scott Huff has been helping people obtain optimal levels of vitamins and minerals through the use of  pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.  He is also experienced in helping people create an alternate source of income, simply by educating and helping others with their health.  For more information on this unique opportunity, please watch this short video tour, or send an email with any questions to:  huffster@usana.com.