Newsletter - Volume 1   No. 15 – Ginseng____________________________________________________________________________March 23, 2012

 Some of you may already know about Ginseng. To those who do, this newsletter will reaffirm your reason for taking it in the first place. To those of you new to the herb, or nutritional supplementation in general, you may find the following information highly enlightening. Ginseng is widely consumed in Asia and Korean Ginseng is one of the top selling herbs in the United States.

Ginseng Root is a nutritious herb, which has been used for centuries to treat a variety of health problems. The botanical/genus name Panax means “all-heal” in Greek, and the therapeutic qualities are prized throughout the world. Scientists believe Ginseng helps to balance the physical and emotional stress hormones secreted from the adrenal gland. Ginseng also helps produce endorphins to make people feel good.

Ginseng is widely used as a powerful natural aphrodisiac and has often been referred to as the “man root,” paying homage to the unique shape of this highly coveted plant. Its sexual benefits are well known as it works to improve erectile dysfunction and increase testosterone and sperm count.

However, the health benefits of this herbal supplement are far reaching. Research has shown Ginseng’s ability to work synergistically with other nutrients to create an even greater positive result. For example, Si Jun Zi Tang, a traditional Chinese formula, the main ingredient of which is ginseng, has been shown in multiple studies to have radio-protective effects, beneficial for anyone going through radiotherapy.

In addition to its positive effect on the immune system, ginseng has traditionally been used for it’s antioxidant properties, circulation and cardiovascular health, blood sugar regulation, impact on cholesterol, controlling blood pressure, depression, menopause, vision and hearing, physical and mental energy, erectile dysfunction, effect on the male and female reproductive systems, and overall well-being. Ginseng also helps to stimulate production of ‘killer T-cells’ that destroy viruses and bacteria.

Recent studies by researchers at the University of Toronto have shown ginseng to be helpful in normalizing blood sugar levels in diabetics. “Since normalizing blood sugar levels is a critical goal of diabetes treatment, ginseng could someday be an important strategy in managing patients,” says Dr. Fran Kaufman, president of the American Diabetes Association and head of the Center for Diabetes at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. She adds, “There is no doubt that natural products such as ginseng have a role in controlling the body’s defective response to insulin.”

According to the American Diabetes Association, poor control of blood sugar can lead to severely debilitating and even fatal complications including heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney disease. When you consider the health consequences of diabetes, Ginseng must be included in any discussion regarding the possibility of increasing one’s lifespan through the use of herbs.

Studies have found Ginseng to be instrumental in the formation of red blood cells, making it potentially valuable as a supplement for those suffering from anemia. Ginseng is also suggested for bronchitis, infertility, lack of energy, stress management and cocaine withdrawal. Athletes use Ginseng for overall body strengthening. In a recent laboratory study, Ginseng enhanced breast cancer suppression in combination with standard treatment.

Nutritional supplementation with herbs such as Ginseng can provide your system with significant wellness benefits, especially when combined with a healthy diet of naturally and organically grown fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

“We are much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.” – Adelle Davis, author and nutritionist.

Visit Naturesflavors.com to find all the natural and organic nutritional products you need to maintain and improve your own natural wellness regimen!

Toxins may indeed be a non-escapable reality in the world around us, but they do not have to exist within us. The external environment outside our bodies we must navigate daily is full of synthetic products created to make our lives better. Ironically, in the process of fabricating a non-natural, man-made version of material-based evolution, we have developed a world full of hazardous and illness-inducing materials, which are destroying us from the inside.

The internal universe that is our body exists within a delicate balance of harmonious interaction between the nutrition we put into our bodies and the way in which that nutrition is metabolized into our system. For proper utilization of the life giving energy our food supplies, the food we eat must contain the nutrients necessary to sustain our organs, strengthen our muscles and literally keep our life-blood strong and flowing. Getting healthy, necessary nutrients into our body is the challenge.

Consider this from a study commissioned by the US Senate and published in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1936: “…99 percent of the American people are deficient in …minerals, and… a marked deficiency in any one of the more important minerals actually results in disease.” It continues, “…most of us are suffering from certain dangerous diet deficiencies which cannot be remedied until the depleted soils from which our foods come are brought into proper mineral balance. The alarming fact is that foods – fruits, vegetables and grains - now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contains enough certain needed minerals, are starving us no matter how much we eat!”

That was scary over 75 years ago, and it’s even scarier today when you think about the number of toxins introduced into our atmosphere - and our food chain – since then.

Toxicity is defined as “the quality, relative degree, or specific degree of being toxic or poisonous.” By definition, the external 21^st century world we live in envelops us in a noxious atmosphere of toxicity, which extends from the air we breathe to the food we eat.

Studies are abundant: “Based on the bio-monitoring of industrial chemicals in human tissues and fluids, all people, not just those working in, or living near major metropolitan sources, carry a ‘body burden’ of synthetic chemicals in their blood, fat, mother’s milk, semen, urine, and breath (Thornton et al., 2002 p. 315).”

Another recent study sheds even more light on our toxic dilemma: “Chemicals end up in people from pollution in air, water and food; from pesticides and additives in food; through thousands of consumer products from stain repellants to paints and plastics; and from a wide array of building materials (Houlihan et al., 2003, p.37).”

Here are a few more ‘facts-of-life’ statistics, which bring the ‘toxic picture’ into sharper focus:

• Approximately 75,000 chemical substances are currently used for commercial/industrial purposes.

• 5,000 chemical ingredients are used in making cosmetics.

• More than 3,200 chemicals are added to food.

• The U.S. federal government has identified 228 chemicals as either known to cause cancer or “reasonably anticipated” to cause cancer in humans.

• Americans currently rank among the lowest of industrialized nations in terms of life      expectancy, and spend over $140 billion annually on fast, processed food.

Avoiding toxins is virtually impossible in today’s world, but there are steps that can be taken for protection against their insidious and potentially debilitating effects. While controlling the external environment around us is, for the most part, out of our control, maintaining a toxin-free, healthy internal environment is much more feasible.

One recommended detox protocol calls for a 3-7 day juice fast (drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water) as an effective way to release toxins. Other popular detox and body cleansing programs includes instituting a cleansing supplement regimen, containing psyllium fiber, vitamins, herbs and minerals, and adopting a routine of drinking only water one day each week – a long practiced ritual in many cultures. After a detoxification program, you can continually cleanse your body through diet, supplements and lifestyle practices.

A wellness approach to eating should be a lifestyle, not a diet. Eating unprocessed, natural and organically grown food can help prevent the myriad external environmental toxins from entering the inner universe within your body. Keeping your body toxin-free is one of the most important wellness practices you should cultivate to insure a long and healthy quality of life, and, it’s within your control.

Visit Naturesflavors.com to find all the natural and organic nutritional products you need to improve and maintain your body’s inner environment. Healthy eating feeds healthy living!

Bill Sabo

The Flavor Guy

and

Gary Sweet

The Writing Guy

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements, or natural and organic products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Newsletter - Volume 1   No. 17 – Healthy Aging__________________________________________________________________________April, 9 2012

Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength. – Betty Friedan 

Baby-boomers relax…the process of aging is so underrated. If one has been the least bit attentive in their early years, mid-life and beyond becomes a reward for having stayed on course, focused on achieving goals, and earnest in the pursuit of personal and professional satisfaction. 

Age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young. – Theodore Roosevelt 

The secrets to successful aging are not secrets at all. Experiencing life and learning from those experiences are key to developing skills, which allow us to not only survive, but thrive, and enjoy each oncoming year.

The years teach much which the days never knew. – Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Simply stated, aging is the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Human aging refers to a multi-dimensional process of physical, psychological and social change. Aging is an important part of all human societies reflecting the biological changes that occur, as well as reflecting cultural and societal mores. 

Biological aging is an organism’s physical state as it ages. Senescence, or biological aging, is not the inevitable fate of all organisms. A variety of organisms, including some cold-blooded animals, have negligible senescence. The ability to alter or even reverse senescence as a biological process is the subject of continuing research. 

Age only matters when one is aging. Now that I have arrived at a great age, I might as well be twenty. – Pablo Picasso 

Another interesting aspect of the aging process is referred to as cellular senescence, a phenomenon by which normal cells lose the ability to divide after damage occurs to DNA. This phenomenon, also known as replicative senescence or the “Hayflick phenomenon,” was first published in a paper by Dr. Leonard Hayflick and Paul Moorhead in 1961. The paper states that in response to DNA damage, cells either age or self-destruct if the damage cannot be easily repaired. This ‘cellular suicide” of one or more cells for the benefit of the organism as a whole, speaks to the cell communication existing within the human body for the purpose of continuing and evolutionary growth. 

The process of senescence is complex. It is not universal and scientific evidence suggests cellular senescence evolved in certain species because it prevents the onset of cancer. Moreover, average lifespans vary greatly within and between species, indicating that both generic and environmental factors contribute to the aging process.

Organismal senescence, the aging of organisms, is another facet of aging researchers find intriguing. This process is characterized by the declining ability to respond to stress, increasing homeostatic imbalance and increased risk of disease. This currently irreversible series of changes inevitably results in death. Some researchers, primarily bio-gerontologists, treat aging as a disease. As genes linked to an effect on aging are discovered, senescence is increasingly being regarded similarly to other genetically influenced ‘conditions,’ therefore ‘treatable.’ To many, aging is not an unavoidable quality of life.

 ‘Successful aging’ may be viewed as an interdisciplinary concept, spanning physiology, psychology and sociology. Six suggested dimensions of successful aging include:

• No physical disability over the age of 75 as rated by a physician;

• Good subjective health assessment (i.e. good self-rating of one’s health);

• Length of un-disabled life;

• Good mental health;

•  Objective social support

• Self-rated life satisfaction in eight domains, namely marriage, income-related work, children, friendship and social contacts, hobbies, community service activities, religion and recreation/sports. 

In addition to genetic ties to lifespan, diet has been shown to substantially affect ‘healthy aging’ in humans, and conversely, has also illumed the negative effect today’s processed food consumption has on premature aging, disease and death. 

Studies abound as to the life-shortening consequences people suffer from failing to heed the warnings about eating ‘dead’ and unhealthy processed food. A seven year study released by the University of Hawaii revealed that people who consume processed meat products had a 67% risk of falling prey to pancreatic cancer than those who ate few to no processed meat products. This is just one study. 

Even as research continues to sound the alarm, the daily march to fast and processed food outlets shows no signs of abating. Whether young or old, eating, healthy, unprocessed food positively impacts the aging process and provides a better quality of life. 

There is an anti-aging possibility, but it has to come from within. – Susan Anton 

Visit Naturesflavors.com to find a wide selection of natural and organic products conducive to healthy and tasteful living at any age. 

Bill Sabo

The Flavor Guy

and

Gary Sweet

The Writing Guy

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements, or natural and organic products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Newsletter - Volume 1   No. 18 – Gluten________________________________________________________________________________April 16, 2012

Picking a diet can be tricky these days with so many being touted as the one! Truth is, when selecting a diet, one is actually selecting a lifestyle. Diets have to be something as common to everyday living as sleeping, bathing, and, of course, eating. 

If you’re reading this newsletter, chances are you care about what you eat. We’re all individuals with individual metabolisms, unique physical attributes, and particular dietary parameters. Some people can eat anything without worry…about weight gain, health effects or intestinal distress. You know the type…the perfect people! Many others, however, must consider food intake with regard to its affect on blood sugar, allergies, or any number of negative bodily reactions, including digestive disorders. 

These days, much is being written and researched about gluten and its affect on our physical wellbeing. As is the case with more and more food ingredients previously flying beneath the wellness radar, gluten is now in the spotlight. It is estimated approximately 6% of the general population, or about 18 million people, suffer from gluten sensitivity. Here at Nature’s Flavours, we have been providing gluten-free products to health conscious customers for over twenty years. We felt it important to share some information with our readers so you can make the best nutritional decisions for you and your family. 

Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye. Worldwide, gluten is a source of protein, both in foods prepared directly from sources containing it, and as an additive to foods otherwise low in protein. True gluten is limited to certain members of the grass family. The stored proteins of maize and rice are sometimes called glutens, but their proteins differ from true gluten. 

Gluten affects the texture of baked goods. Heavy refining (of gluten) leads to chewier products such as pizza and bagels, while less refining yields tender baked goods such as pastry products. Increased moisture content in dough enhances gluten development. Generally, bread flours are high in gluten while pastry flours contain a lower gluten level. 

Gluten sensitivity is a spectrum of disorders, including celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine) and wheat allergy (a food or contact allergy), in which gluten has an adverse effect on the body. Symptoms of gluten sensitivity include bloating, abdominal discomfort, pain or diarrhea. Additionally, it may exhibit symptoms apart from the gastrointestinal system, including headaches and migraines, lethargy and tiredness, attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity, schizophrenia, muscular disturbances, as well as bone and joint pain. 

Until recently, the terms gluten sensitivity and celiac disease were used interchangeably. However, emerging research is beginning to identify the differences between the two. If the medical history of a patient, along with clinical tests, rule out celiac disease and wheat allergy, then a diagnosis of gluten sensitivity can be considered. Certain criteria need to be met, however, before a diagnosis of gluten sensitivity can be confirmed. Treatment for all three conditions is a gluten-free diet. 

Gluten sensitivity can develop at any point in life, and symptomatic disease may appear years after disease develops. Gluten-sensitive enteropathy (any abnormality of the intestinal tract) develops as a consequence of genetic and environmental factors. An increasing number of studies indicate gluten has a direct and modifying effect on the cells of the small intestine. One line of research shows the toxicities of gluten not part of the adaptive immune response, may be the link between wheat and gluten sensitivity, and possibly type 1 diabetes. 

Hopefully, this information will help you to make informed decisions regarding the food you eat and any symptoms you may be experiencing related to gluten intake. Visit Naturesflavors.com for a wide selection of natural and organic gluten-free products to live a good tasting life in wellness. 

Bill Sabo

The Flavor Guy

and

Gary Sweet

The Writing Guy  

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements, or natural and organic products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Newsletter - Volume 1   No. 19 – Heartburn_____________________________________________________________________April 23, 2012

In addition to keeping our customers and readers updated on happenings here at Nature’s Flavours, we also like to utilize our newsletter for passing along wellness tips to address health issues which most of us have experienced at one time or another. This week’s topic is Heartburn.

Most of the time, we dismiss heartburn or indigestion as too much of a good thing at the food table. In ancient Rome, belching after a meal was considered a compliment. In today’s China, a healthy belch is also seen as a ‘thank you for a great meal,’ as it is in India, where lack of a burp from a husband means his wife’s cooking didn’t please him. A belch or two, no big deal…room for more. Pop a couple antacids and all is well again. But, sometimes, it’s not that simple.

Heartburn can get us from a couple different directions. Certainly, food is a common culprit as reflected by John Barrymore, “I would like to find a stew that will give me heartburn immediately, instead of at thee o’clock in the morning.” Or, sometimes it’s something else, as suggested by an unknown author, ”A lot of ingestion is caused by people having to eat their own words.” Whatever the reason, anything more than occasional heartburn could signal more than just a temporary physical malady, it can be indicative of a more serious underlying condition.

Occasional heartburn isn’t dangerous, but chronic heartburn, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can lead to problems. GERD is a chronic digestive condition, which occurs when stomach acid or bile flows back into your food pipe (esophagus). The backwash of acid irritates the lining of the esophagus causing GERD and related symptoms. Symptoms can mimic those of a heart attack or heart disease, but contrary to its name, the heart has plays no role in heartburn.

If symptoms of heartburn persist or become more than an occasional disruption of your daily life, chances are the constant flow of backwash has irritated your esophagus to the extent it has become inflamed (esophagitis). Prolonged inflammation can erode the esophagus, leading to the possibility of developing breathing or bleeding problems.

Certain factors can increase your risk of developing chronic heartburn. They include:

• Obesity

• Hiatal Hernia

• Delayed stomach emptying

• Smoking

• Dry Mouth

• Asthma

• Diabetes

• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

• Connective tissue disorder      

Anxiety and stress can aggravate heartburn symptoms. If your heartburn is worsened by these factors, consider the following:

• Aromatherapy

• Hypnosis

•Listen to music

• Massage

• Relaxation techniques

• Walking or biking – avoid vigorous exercise

Another well-known and commonly used natural treatment for heartburn and stomach issues is the consumption of herbal and medicinal teas. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. The first recorded drinking of tea was in China, dating back to 10^th century BC. Today, tea is enjoyed around the world for social, cultural and therapeutic purposes. In addition to many other wellness properties, tea plays an important role in improving intestinal microflora. A healthy microflora (good bacteria) population helps to provide a more efficient digestive function, thereby lessening some of the causative effects leading to heartburn and GERD.

To find the right tea for you, visit Naturesflavors.com for a wide selection of tasty, healthy organic and medicinal teas. A cup a day helps keep heartburn away!

Bill Sabo

The Flavor Guy

and

Gary Sweet

The Writing Guy     

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements, or natural and organic products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Newsletter - Volume 1   No. 20 – Artificial/Natural Colors_____________________________________________________________April 27, 2012

If you’re like most of us, you eat with your eyes. Enjoying a meal or beverage is sometimes all about presentation, which, of course, is all about seeing that which is about to be consumed. Savoring the food in front of you is part of the process of enjoying the food going in you. And, a major factor for maximum appreciation of the eating and drinking process is color.

This is something we’ve always known at Nature’s Flavours. As a matter of fact, vibrant natural and organic colors are products we’re best known for. We totally subscribe to the concept of ‘the purest and most thoughtful palates are those which love color the most.’

Food coloring is a very topical subject these days for consumers - especially parents – who are beginning to learn and appreciate the very real dangers of using artificial coloring in food or drinks. Kids, in particular, are most at risk because their bodies are still developing and prone to more of the potential harmful effects of these appealing, but dangerous additives.

It is becoming an increasingly important issue. So much so, I feel compelled to make sure Nature’s Flavours does its part to educate our customers about this serious wellness problem, as we continue to provide only the safest natural and organic food ingredients on the market. A healthy mind is the surest way to a healthy body.

As part of our ongoing effort to keep you informed and up-to-date on wellness issues, we have chronicled some unsettling facts pertaining to the colors used in the foods and drinks we consume every day. Some of you may be reading these for the first time. For others, we hope they act as reminders of the continued vigilance we must exercise every day for the sake of ourselves, our families, and those we care about.

The conversation surrounding use of artificial vs. natural/organic food colors has never been louder. The dangers of artificial food coloring took center stage in the 1950s after many children became ill from eating Halloween candy containing Orange 1 food coloring. The FDA banned the color after more rigorous testing suggested it was toxic. Red 32 and Orange 2 were also delisted as a result of the same Halloween incident, according to the Harvard Law School paper, The Palette of Palates: A brief history of food coloring and its regulation.

In recent years, debate has intensified over the use of artificial colors in many of our daily activities. A recent study released from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit consumer watchdog organization, reported on long-known risks associated with artificial food dyes, ranging from neurological issues to cancer.

In their study, Citrus Red 2, Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 – which are some of the most commonly used artificial colorings – have all been identified as being, or being contaminated with, potential cancer-causing chemicals. Additionally, the colors Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 are known to trigger reactions in those with allergies.

Although past research has shown no correlation between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and food dyes, new studies suggest synthetic preservatives and artificial coloring agents aggravate ADD and ADHD symptoms, both in those affected by these disorders and in the general population. It is also worth noting that research has shown consuming artificial colors on a regular basis can damage or harm normal brain function.

Interest in natural food coloring accelerated in the 1970s, when the Food and Drug Administration pulled the popular Red Dye No. 2 synthetic food coloring because of fears the coal tar substance could cause cancer. According to the Organic Trade Association’s 2011 Organic Industry Survey, sales of organic food and beverages grew from $1 billion in 1990 to $26.7 billion in 2010. Sales in 2010 represented an almost 8 percent increase over 2009 sales.

Organic food colors are a healthy, powerful alternative to the artificial colors found in many modern diets. Color pigments can be found in common sources such as Hibiscus flowers and beets, as well as in exotic ingredients including Gardenia flowers and Turmeric roots. Mounting research is offering significant evidence organic food colors may help us live longer and more vibrant lives.

Visit Naturesflavors.com for a wide selection of healthy, natural and organic colors. Let’s keep the world a naturally beautiful place, starting with healthy color for healthy food and a healthy you!

Bill Sabo

The Flavor Guy

and

Gary Sweet

The Writing Guy     

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements, or natural and organic products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Newsletter - Volume 1   No. 21 – Anti-Aging____________________________________________________________________May 4, 2012

“Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age.” – Victor Hugo

Okay, so what adult over 40 hasn’t thought at least once about the possibility of pulling out of the fast lane, and slipping into the slow lane of aging? Or, perhaps you’ve actively embraced the concept of healthy life extension and diverted your journey on life’s highway to the magical land of anti-aging.

Living in wellness to age 100 and beyond is no longer fantasy. It is becoming more of an achievable reality with each passing day as researchers and those interested in living life to its absolute fullest, discuss, debate and explore the different avenues of aging which can not only extend our lives, but make us healthier in the process.

Certainly, part of our life extension potential is being developed through scientific studies and by researchers intent on discovering the perfect and easy-to-use anti-aging formula – or medical procedure - that can be patented and sold to a waiting market.

Then, there’s the tried and true method of wellness aging most of us try at one point or another in our lives, some with more success than others, which simply calls for embracing a more natural ‘living of life,’ including a healthy mind, spirit and body.

Feeding your mind and spirit are pretty much individual choices based on one’s philosophical approach to life. Enriching your body, however, is something we can most definitely help you with.

Technically speaking, aging in wellness is referred to in various ways: anti-aging, life extension, experimental gerontology, biomedical gerontology - different phrases for the same meaning; the study and practice of slowing down or reversing the aging processes to extend both the maximum and average lifespan.

Anti-aging researchers, referred to as ‘life extensionists’ or ‘longevists,’ believe future breakthroughs in tissue rejuvenation will eventually enable humans to have indefinite lifespans through complete rejuvenation to a healthy, youthful condition.

Life extension protocols in nutrition, physical fitness, skin care, hormone replacement, vitamins, supplements and herbs is a global industry, with the United States alone generating about $50 billion of revenue each year.

Debate in the efficacy of different approaches continues with followers of various anti-aging programs putting forth their best argument for attaining the proverbial ‘Fountain of Youth.’ Bioethicists question whether, or how, the human lifespan should even be extended.

Here’s what a couple of influential people at opposite ends of the aging spectrum are saying: Leon Kass, chairman of the US President’s Council on Bioethics from 2001 to 2005, questions whether potential ‘exacerbation of overpopulation problems’ would make life extension unethical. John Harris, former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medical Ethics, offers a different view. He argues, “…that as long as life is worth living, according to the individual person, we have a powerful moral imperative to save the life, and thus develop and offer life extension therapies to those who want them.”

What is not debatable is the effect modern life has on our capacity for wellness, and the undeniable health challenges facing an aging population. From fast food diets to toxic environments, effectively coping with wellness issues means adopting lifestyles one can realistically adhere to, not only for a healthy ‘quantity’ of life, but a healthy ‘quality’ of life.

Considerable anti-aging research focuses on the nutritional aspect of life extension – diets and supplements – as a means to extend lifespan. This is one of the few areas of life wherein a person can actually exercise a significant degree of control.

The free-radical theory of life suggests regular consumption of antioxidant supplements, the sources of which are found in nature (plants), may extend human life. Many fruits and berries are well known for the antioxidants they contain.

Maybe someday I’ll be able to be talked into some radical medical procedure or protocol, which will magically take off the years I’ve worked so hard to attain. Until that time, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing and continue searching the world for organic nutritional sources which create the natural magic that is our body…and our life.

Visit Naturesflavors.com for a healthy selection of natural and organic products and ingredients to help you live a life in wellness now…and for many years to come!

Bill Sabo

The Flavor Guy

and

Gary Sweet

The Writing Guy    

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements, or natural and organic products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Newsletter - Volume 1   No. 22 – Relaxation____________________________________________________________________ May 11, 2012

“Relaxation means releasing all concern and tension and letting the natural order of life flow through one’s being.” – Donald Curtis

True relaxation may be the most underrated therapeutic remedy of our time. And, it comes in a variety of applications. Personally, give me a good cup of coffee, a peaceful and visually interesting place to drink it, and my stress gently disappears with every sip. But, that’s me. What about you? What do you do for yourself that gives your being the ‘place’ it needs to repair and rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit?

If you answered ‘grab a bag of chips, find that comfy place on the couch, and watch the big screen’, apparently that doesn’t count, at least according to professionals who study the bioscience of relaxation.

“Just sitting quietly or watching television is not enough to produce physiological changes,” says Herbert Benson, director of the Division of Behavioral Medicine at Beth Israel Hospital, a part of Harvard Medical School in Boston. “You need to use a relaxation technique that will break the train of everyday thought, and decrease the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.”

Relaxation techniques are like diets…they only work if they become part of your lifestyle. The trick to both is to pick one you enjoy doing. That way you look forward to that part of your day with anticipation, not obligation.

Personally, I have committed to exploring the wide array of relaxation techniques best suited to my existing lifestyle choices. I fully expect this research to take a while.

Developing relaxation techniques has ramifications beyond achieving a mere temporary ‘good feeling’ – they can produce tangible medical benefits. Research has shown relaxation may help to ward off disease by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and by making people less susceptible to viruses. There’s more.

New findings indicate deep relaxation, if practiced regularly, can strengthen the immune system and produce a variety of valuable physiological changes. Results have also revealed many patients with chronic, unbearable pain have found significant relief through relaxation training. Starting to relax yet?

Specific relaxation techniques target different physical ailments. For some diabetics, relaxation has decreased their need for insulin. Additionally, relaxation training can be effective in widening restricted respiratory passages in asthmatics.

The connection between medical benefits and meditation, a particular form of relaxation, has long been a topic of research and interest. Current studies provide strong evidence suggesting intensive relaxation techniques afford even greater advantages than previously considered.

And now, back to one of my own favorite relaxation techniques, which I would recommend to anyone searching for a portal to the universe of relaxation  - coffee and ambiance. And, yes, coffee can indeed be relaxing as well as energizing. I find it’s all about one’s predisposition. Once in the morning and once in the late afternoon or early evening does it for me…a great way to greet the day and the evening!

Lucky for those of us here at Nature’s Flavours, we are surrounded by delicious, organic cups of relaxation every day. Apparently, our future descendants were as well…”Coffee, the finest organic suspension ever devised.” – Star Trek: Voyager

Visit Naturesflavors.com for a tasty cup of organic and flavored enjoyment…coffee for those who understand the importance of quality relaxation!

Bill Sabo

The Flavor Guy

and

Gary Sweet

The Writing Guy 

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements, or natural and organic products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Newsletter - Volume 1   No. 23   Eat Bright – Eat Right____________________________________________________________May 18, 2012

Yes, as you can tell and as longtime customers already know, we take our natural and organic colors very seriously at Nature’s Flavours. Providing pure, healthy, colorful ingredients to help promote wellness around the planet is our mission and our art! Nature is the palette from which we choose our colors.

Color is healthy. Colorful fruits and vegetables do more than simply make your meal experience more appealing, they can also exponentially increase a person’s wellness. Health factors such as lowered cholesterol and increased antioxidant intake are all affected by consuming brilliantly colored fruits and vegetables.

“Incorporating colorful fruits and vegetables into a daily eating plan may be the best defensive strategy for fending off many diseases of aging, including cancer, heart disease and dementia,” says Dr. James Joseph, Ph.D., Chief of the Neuroscience Laboratory at the USDA Human Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. “My experience in the area of aging research, and more specifically, my most recent work with blueberries, has made me a believer in the powerful health potential of pigmented food.”

The USDA ranks blueberries #1 in antioxidant activity. According to John Suave, Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America (WBANA), “…a half-cup of wild blueberries satisfies one of the recommended ‘5-a-Day’ suggested servings of fruits and vegetables.” Excuse me, but I think it may be time for a piece of blueberry pie.

In fruits and vegetables, flavonoids, otherwise known as bioflavonoids, act as response modifiers for the body. The body’s response modifiers are important because they control its reaction towards infection and disease.

At North Dakota State University, vivid fruits and vegetables have been categorized by color and nutritional value. Green fruits and vegetables, such as cucumbers, broccoli, and asparagus, are high in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is vital to reducing free radical, or oxidative damage, to the body. Studies have depicted chlorophyll as reducing the risk of cancer and delaying the onset of various diseases accompanying the aging process, including Alzheimer’s.

Moving through the color spectrum of fruits and vegetables, orange and yellow fruits, such as carrots, oranges, and cantaloupe, deliver carotenoids, which augment the body’s immune system. Red fruits and vegetables - apples, red peppers, and tomatoes - stimulate the body’s lycopene levels. Lycopene is crucial to preventing cancers due to the locations in which it settles—the liver and adrenal glands.

Fruit and vegetables can be easily ingested in juices, but, according to John D. Kirschmann, Director of Nutrition Search, Inc., “There is ten times the concentration of bioflavonoids in the edible part of the fruit than found in strained juice.”

Endocrinologist Daniel Nadeau, M.D., paints a bright picture for eating right, “In light of the current US obesity epidemic, color could play a significant role in the effort to reverse that trend, serving as a simple, visual cue to wellness eating.”

Visit Naturesflavors.com to view the largest selection of natural and organic colors for your eating rainbow. Wellness food is anything but dull…eat bright – eat right! Include something colorful in every meal you eat.