Good Elements Chief Naturopath Dr. Britta Zimmer has taken to the small screen to share everything you want and need to know about our best selling sugar balance and weight control product Craving Control. Viewers of this video can save 10% on Craving Control by entering the discount code: video when purchasing at www.goodelements.com. Enjoy!

The media is hyping up the swine flu and until we actually know the potential and the real details about this virus there is no reason to panic.

Instead take action to boost your immune system which is the number one confirmed way to avoid contracting a virus.

Flu Prevention Elements:

1. Don’t stress: As we have been discussing in our adrenal fatigue series, stress elevates cortisol, the primary stress hormone, which suppresses our immune cells and leads to a weakened immune system.

(How to limit stress–> breathe, exercise, don’t get caught up in the hype by stressing over the news and headlines daily and get a massage.)

2. Take immune boosting nutrients like the ones found  in Good Elements’ Resistance. There are various, potent anti-viral and immune stimulating herbs, vitamins and minerals in this product such as echinacea, oregon grape root, elderberry, licorice, ginger,  vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc.

Take Resistance:  2 capsules 2x daily to prevent contracting a virus. Take 2 capsules 3x daily especially if you plan on traveling.

3. Avoid immune suppressing substances such as sugar, alcohol, coffee, and hydrogenated oils.

4. Eat immune stimulating foods such as garlic, ginger, onion, cayenne, wild fish, broccoli, kale, sauerkraut, and plain yogurt with live cultures.

5. Take Vitamin D3. This is a fat soluble vitamin so the best way to know how much is safe to take is to get your doctor to run a test called serum 25 OH Vitamin D. But in the meantime you can take at least 1000IU of Vitamin D daily. I have some of my patients taking up to 5000IU daily once I have confirmed their blood levels. Vitamin D is found in Good Elements’ Essentials daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.

6. Practice good hygeine, wash your hands regularly or use a hand sanitizer after shaking other people’s hands, touching door knobs and spending time in public places.

7. Drink plenty of water to flush out your system

8. Sleep and rest. Your body regenerates and heals during sleep.

9. Review the Good Elements’ health tips to generally strengthen your immune system and prevent disease.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Britta Zimmer

Chief Naturopathic Physician and Founder of www.goodelements.com

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has named the top 10 “spring allergy capitals” for 2009.  Seven are in the southern U.S.: Louisville, Ky.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Charlotte, N.C.; McAllen, Texas; Greensboro, N.C.; Little Rock, Ark.; and Augusta, Ga. The list, which identifies the “most challenging places to live with spring allergies,”  is based on tree pollen scores but also the number of allergy medications used per patient and the number of allergy specialists per patient. The other cities on the list are Madison, Wis.; Wichita, Kan.; and Dayton, Ohio.

This season has been a particularly rough one for allergy sufferers as the mild winter in many parts of the country has lead to a longer allergy season. Places like Atlanta have seen a surge of pollen since February whilethe typical allergy season in Atlanta is from mid-March through May.  This longer season exacerbates allergies when additional  plants bloom later in spring because allergy sufferers have already been “primed” earlier in the season, he says. When people are primed and then re-exposed to pollen, their symptoms can be worse because a smaller amount of pollen triggers even more misery than normal. Oklahoma also saw trees blooming earlier than usual this year.

We recommend that allergy sufferers try Good Elements’ Sneeze-less natural decongestant allergy relief formula.  Insert code allergyrelief at checkout to save 35% through June 1, 2009.

Source: MSNBC

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30267953/

The LA Times reports that one-third of Americans are losing sleep over the economy.  Twenty percent say they are sleeping less than six hours a night, short of the optimum seven to eight hours sleep experts recommend.  Of those sleeping less, 90% say they suffer from insomnia.

Now what does all this lost sleep mean for one’s health?  Not surprisingly, it’s not good news.  Among people who sleep less than six hours a night there is a 66% increased prevalence of hypertension.  These same people non sleepers are five times likelier to develop pre-diabetes.  Those that sleep less than 7 hours are three times more likely to develop a cold.

In these stressful times, sleep is harder to come by than ever, but no more important.  If you have not had a chance to learn more about Good Elements’ Dream Supply Natural Sleep Supplement, please click here for more information.

Are you one of 35 million allergy sufferers?  If you are, this is probably one club you wish you could get out of.  An estimated 35 million Americans suffer allergy related symptoms each year as pollen flies through the air with the greatest of ease.  Or should we say greatest of sneeze?

Sneezing, wheezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery, red eyes — these are just some of the symptoms that more than 35 million Americans face each year as the pollen from trees, grass, flowers, and plants makes its way into the air. Why does this happen?

Ragweed is the worst allergy culprit in the USA.  This weed is all over and blooms from late summer through autumn.  Worst of all is that is that a single ragweed plant can generate a million grains of pollen a day.  Ragweed pollen stay in the air longer and can travel a greater distance than that of most other plants.  According to the National Wildlife Federation, Ragweed pollen has been found 400 miles out at sea and at altitudes as high as 2 miles.   Though most sources of pollen-activated allergies are known, other organisms are now joining the ranks for the sinister for their allergenic effects.  Thought fungi was as innocent as a mushroom? Think again.

Almost any blooming plant can cause an allergic reaction.  Once inhaled, the allergen provokes the body’s immune system to attack it with a protein called immunoglobin.  Tissue cells then release chemicals such as histamine  which cause symptoms associated with allergies such as sneezing, wheezing, runny nose and the like.  And how do we recommend blocking these red eye inducing chemicals?  Naturally of course.

The www.goodelements.com website has been pretty well flooded recently with questions about natural decongestants and our Sneeze-less natural allergy relief product.  Sneeze-less combines Quercitin with other histamine blocking herbs and minerals to provide relief from allergy symptoms and to help train the body’s future reponse to airporne allergens. Other natural allergy fighting ingredients include Nettle Leaf, Turmeric and Eyebright herb, all found in Sneeze-less.

So if you are sniffing, wheezing and red eyeing your day through these pretty spring days, remember that you are one of 35 million, and that there are natural ways to leave the club!

Source: National Wildlife Magazine

This is a big weekend in Good Elements world. It is one of the weekends where the Company founders get together and check in with each other as friends - almost family - rather than as business partners. It’s a weekend that will be filled with laughter, maybe a few deep conversations, celebrations of recent joys and some reflection on sorrows. So in keeping with the weekend ahead, we did a little research on the impact of friends and laughter on health. And no surprise, it seems that good friends can have a positive impact on your health.

Research indicates that not being socially connected can negatively impact your overall health and wellness while social connectedness can have the opposite, positive impact. The connections experienced in a good friendship increase your feelings of social belonging, self-esteem, and support positive mental health.

John Cacioppo, director of the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, reports that when you are socially isolated, your brain increases the amount of the hormone cortisol. We touched on the impact of cortisol and its role in adrenal fatigue in this news article in February. Other current research states that as human beings, we are biologically created to seek out social connections. Without these social connections, the same part of the brain that responds when we are hurt, responds by making us feel uncomfortable.

When we laugh we stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues. Some researchers believe that laughter may offer some of the same advantages as a workout.

One pioneer in laughter research, William Fry, claimed it took ten minutes on a rowing machine for his heart rate to reach the level it would after just one minute of hearty laughter. And as people who spend an inordinate amount of time using the ergometer for fitness, we here at Good Elements will tell you - we’d rather be laughing! In fact, a small study conducted at Vanderbilt University indicated that 10-15 minutes of laughter burned 50 calories.

Other research has shown that laughter can have positive impacts on blood flow, immune response, blood sugar levels, and relaxation and sleep.

So we here at Good Elements hope that this weekend you too will find some time to laugh and enjoy the Company of friends. Your health will thank you!

source: Webmd

This is a continuation of our pillar blogs from February. See Pillar I- Nutrition/ Digestion / Elimination posted on Feburary 13th and Pillar II-The Mind-Body Connection / Stress reduction posted on February 16th.

Pillar III-Sleep

Consistent sleep and wake cycles, sleeping in fresh or purified air, and sleeping without artificial lights contribute to balanced sleep. Regular, deep sleep boosts the immune system, decreases depression, and helps the body regenerate and grow. There exists many natural ways to improve sleep and relax your body without becoming addicted to pharmaceutical sleep medications.

Having consistent sleep and wakes cycles maximizes melatonin secretion and balances your hormones. Adequate melatonin levels contribute to feelings of well-being and reduce the risks of many types of cancer. Hormonal problems such as low libido, menopause and premenstrual tension can all be improved with regular sleep.

Sleeping in fresh air or with an air purifier in your bedroom also increases the quality of sleep as well as boosts your immune system. When you sleep among pollutants, dust, and mold then the immune system has to work hard all night long combating these irritants. Fresh air or air purification can achieve this goal.

Sleep in the dark to optimize melatonin secretion. Even the light from your alarm clock or personal computer can disturb the diurnal rhythms of melatonin secretion. Turn your alarm clock around, get black-out blinds or a good, soft eye pillow to sleep restfully in the pitch dark.

Having trouble falling to sleep? Try Good Elements’ Dream Supply for a natural, non addictive but effective sleep aide.

Stay Tuned for Pillar IV, Exercise and Movement

Yours in health,
Dr. Britta Zimmer
Chief Naturopathic Physician & Founder

If you are a regular reader of our blogs and monthly newsletter then you know that we are big proponents of yoga. Yoga is a regular part of each of our spiritual and physical workouts. A few years ago, we had a very special group moment in Ibiza, Spain when we took a group yoga class. The sun was high in the sky and a crisp breeze blew through the mountain home where we were staying. It was very memorable.

While we will not go into detail about various types of yoga, we thought we might briefly touch on Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga - which has made a big difference for Lyle and for Grady in their core strength and flexibility.

Described as “…a dynamic combination of strength, sweat and spirituality. Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga detoxifies, heals, and electrifies. This accessible, challenging and flowing form of yoga will lead you to a state of transformation — it will sculpt, tone and hone the muscles of your body and your mind.”

We can attest to improved strength, flexibility, and a clarity of the mind post practice and for the rest of the day. This is a physical and rhythmic yoga practice where energy is moved throughout the body. More than a yoga practice, this is a true workout that raises the heart rate, and leaves the practitioner heavy with sweat yet lighter from the physical and spiritual release. For more information and to find a studio in your area, visit http://www.baronbaptiste.com/.

And no yoga article would be complete without a quick plug for our favorite yoga studios. Brooklyn yoga lovers are rejoicing at the opening of Bend and Bloom. Located at 708 Sackett St. btw 4th and 5th Avenue, Bend and Bloom has, with good reason, become the hot spot for prenatal, postnatal, kids yoga, and for general yoga practitioners. Bend and Bloom is just a wonderful Yoga experience.

If you have skipped to Florida to beat the winter blues, we recommend Twin Power Yoga in Palm Beach Gardens. Twin sisters Ali and Ann are exceptional instructors of Baptise Power Vinyasa Yoga, welcoming the new and experienced practitioner with fast paced classes that are sure to brighten your day and strengthen your mind and body.

So there is a new addition to the Good Elements family. Buster Brown is a 3 year old terrier mix (well…mutt) who joined us about a month ago. Buster was in a shelter and rescued at the eleventh hour from an unkind fate just before Christmas by a rescue group. After nursing him back to health, Buster was available for adoption. Buster is a great addition to our circle of friends, and brings us a lot of joy.

And that lead us to doing a bit of research on the effect of dog ownership on human health. And considering the calming effect that Buster Brown has on us, and the happiness that he brings, what we found did not surprise us.

Dr Deborah Wells, psychologist from Queen’s University, Belfast, reviewed dozens of earlier research papers which looked at the health benefits of pet ownership and concluded that dog owners tended to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, she says that regular dog walks account for part of the health benefit. In addition to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, she said dog-owners suffered fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems.

There was also the suggestion that dogs could aid recovery from serious illnesses such as heart attacks, and act as ‘early warning’ to detect an approaching epileptic seizure.

Dr Wells said the precise reason for the benefits was not totally clear.
“The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner.”

Dr June McNicholas, a health psychologist who has specialized on research into the health effects of pet ownership said that an important reason for the improved health of dog-owners was not just the exercise received while taking it for walks, but the opportunity for social contact with other dog-owners.

So in addition to Good Elements nutritional supplements, yoga, getting a good nights rest, exercise and good nutrition - we can now happily recommend dog ownership for good health. It is certainly working for us.

Source: BBC Health News

So there is a new addition to the Good Elements family. Buster Brown is a 3 year old terrier mix (well…mutt) who joined us about a month ago. Buster was in a shelter and rescued at the eleventh hour from an unkind fate just before Christmas by a rescue group. After nursing him back to health, Buster was available for adoption. Buster is a great addition to our circle of friends, and brings us a lot of joy.

And that lead us to doing a bit of research on the effect of dog ownership on human health. And considering the calming effect that Buster Brown has on us, and the happiness that he brings, what we found did not surprise us.

Dr Deborah Wells, psychologist from Queen’s University, Belfast, reviewed dozens of earlier research papers which looked at the health benefits of pet ownership and concluded that dog owners tended to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, she says that regular dog walks account for part of the health benefit. In addition to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, she said dog-owners suffered fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems.

There was also the suggestion that dogs could aid recovery from serious illnesses such as heart attacks, and act as ‘early warning’ to detect an approaching epileptic seizure.

Dr Wells said the precise reason for the benefits was not totally clear.
“The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner.”

Dr June McNicholas, a health psychologist who has specialized on research into the health effects of pet ownership said that an important reason for the improved health of dog-owners was not just the exercise received while taking it for walks, but the opportunity for social contact with other dog-owners.

So in addition to Good Elements nutritional supplements, yoga, getting a good nights rest, exercise and good nutrition - we can now happily recommend dog ownership for good health. It is certainly working for us.

Source: BBC Health News

Buster Brown gets ready to hit the beach.