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Losing Weight After The Holidays
Now that the holidays are over you might be struggling to lose some of the weight you put on over the holidays. Well, help is on its way in the form of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), which is a naturally occurring dietary fatty acid. CLA has already been found to reduce weight gain and dramatically decrease fat mass in animals.
Now the same thing can be said about its use in humans. In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had 40 overweight men and women take either four grams of the Tonalin® brand of CLA or a placebo each day for six months. While the participants were not restricted in their diet, they tended to follow “healthy lifestyle” advice that they were given.
The results found that the participants taking the CLA reduced their body fat mass by 2.2 lbs. and their body weight by 1.3 lbs. while the placebo group gained 1.5 lbs. of body fat mass and 2.4 lbs. of body weight. The study’s author pointed out that, as we age, we gain weight and fat and that CLA may help to reduce this common weight gain.
So…use your next six months to see for yourself if CLA can work for you. To read the study, go to www.nature.com/ijo/index.html.
Consider Using St. John’s Wort. It May Stop Depression
St. John’s wort, an herb that is recommended for alleviating depression, seems to be a good alternative to taking prescription drugs. A study conducted in Germany found that patients with mild to moderate depression taking 612 mg. of St. John’s wort daily had comparable results to patients taking 50 mg. of the prescription drug Zoloft. Patients in the study took the herb or the drug for 24 weeks. At the end of that time, 48% of those taking St John’s wort were no longer diagnosed as depressed while only 36% on Zoloft were depression free. In addition, the St. John’s wort group experienced milder side effects.
Keep in mind that herbs can interfere with other drugs, so make sure to ask your doctor if it’s okay for you to experiment with St. John’s wort. Also, keep in mind that it won’t work overnight. Your results will take 4 to 6 months to show up.
(Natural Solutions, Fall 2006)
Breast Cancer Patients Use Yoga To Feel Healthier And Stronger
A study conducted by University of Texas researchers found that attending yoga classes twice a week improved the overall health for women fighting breast cancer. In this study, the researchers followed 61 women while they went through six weeks of radiation therapy. Thirty of the women also attended yoga classes. At the end of the six weeks the women filled out a questionnaire about their health. The yoga group reported feeling healthier and stronger than the other group.
So…if you’re going through breast cancer treatments, then spending a couple of hours a week doing yoga is a small price to pay to feel better and healthier.
(Alternative Medicine, January 2007)
Folic Acid May Be A Powerful Cancer Preventer
Folic acid, which has been found to prevent birth defects, may have a new role to play in the battle against cancer. A study published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, reports the exciting impact of folic acid supplements in stopping the progression while promoting the regression of precancerous lesions in the throat.
In the study 43 patients with precancerous throat lesions (laryngeal leucoplakia) took 5 mg. of folic acid three times a day. After six months, 31 of the 43 patients had at least a 50% reduction in the size of their lesions and 12 were shown to be lesion free. One of the researchers pointed out that a 2001 study reported that folic acid was the main vitamin deficiency in the U.S. population.
While this study was done on precancerous throat lesions, it might also apply to other forms of cancer. So…if you have cancer, folic acid alone or in combination with chemopreventive drugs may have a powerful impact on reducing and eliminating your cancer.
(Reported in Cancer 107(2):328-336, 2006
We Are More Than Our Genes
Here’s an interesting thought from Professor Fergus Shanahan, Head of the Dept of Medicine at the National University of Ireland, about our being more than just our genes. “The human genome doesn’t contain all the information it needs to control normal development. We need an extra genome, and we get it from gut bacteria. They encode the proteins and signals required for the development of our immune system, the gastro-intestinal system, and possibly other systems as well.”
“They’re involved in active dialogue with the intestine, and if you disrupt that, homeostasis breaks down, and you don’t get normal development.”
What this means is that the bacteria in our system are crucial for our development. This means you need to treat them right. Just like any visitor to your home, you want to make sure you treat them with the respect they deserve. So…to keep your bacteria healthy and happy, I’d suggest you consider taking an acidophilus supplement. Make sure when you read the label has at least several different kinds of bacteria in the culture.
More Proof On The Impact Of Vitamin D On Cancer
Researchers from the University of California San Diego conducted an interesting research study on the effects of Vitamin D. They analyzed national cancer deaths between 1950 and 1969 and again between 1970 and 1994. The 1970-1994 time period was when people began staying out of the sun and wearing more sunscreens (which prevent the production of Vitamin D on the skin). Their comparison suggests that getting enough Vitamin D could drive down mortality rates for 16 types of cancer, including breast and ovarian, by anywhere from 2 to 70%.
Experts are now recommending that people get 1000 IU of Vitamin D a day in the summer and 2000 IU in the winter. I’d recommend your taking a supplement containing Vitamin D3, which is more easily absorbed by the body. Also, when you are going to be in the sun, wait about 20 minutes before you apply sun screen as this will allow your skin to produce Vitamin D. Dark-skinned people need to wait about 40 minutes to apply sun screen.
(Reported in Prevention December 2006)
Spinal-Cord Injuries May Not Be Hopeless
The Shepherd Center, a catastrophic-care hospital in Atlanta, is achieving amazing results with intensive spinal-cord rehabilitation. They and four other centers are participating in an experimental treadmill therapy program that is helping spinal cord injury patients recover the ability to walk.
The Center is achieving these results because it turns out that the body’s nerve networks are far more resilient than previously thought. Researchers discovered that we have what are called pattern generators in our spinal cords. These generators are local circuits that help control movements. They are like little brains in the spine and when an injury occurs that severs the brain-spinal cord communication pathways, these generators can still function to help restore movement patterns. Researchers discovered that exercise and movement of the body is what stimulates the generators to fire.
Susan P. Howley, Executive Vice President and Director of Research for the Christopher Reeve Foundation, reports that all of the 100 patients who have done this treadmill therapy have shown changes and improvements. For example, one woman went from being diagnosed as quadriplegic to walking with arm crutches after only four months of therapy. To learn more about this treatment method, go to www.ChristopherReeve.org.
(Reported in Prevention December 2006)
Pre-Release of New DVD - Increasing Your Customer Service Power
In a few weeks, I will be releasing a new 40-minute DVD on Increasing Your Customer Service Power To New Levels Of Excellence. This is a DVD of a live seminar in which I show participants how to use muscle-checking techniques to be more effective and successful as customer service representatives. When the DVD is released, the price will be $75.00. As a reader of the Teplitz Email Report, I’d like to offer you a special pre-release price of only $49.95 plus shipping. (If you’d like to save on shipping charges, you can order the online downloadable version of the seminar). To order your copy of this program,
go here >>> Customer Service. This offer will expire February 20, 2008.
News Flash – Prices On Full Spectrum Lighting Going Up!
It’s been at least ten years since we’ve raised the price of our full spectrum lighting. Due to increased costs of manufacture and shipping, we finally have to raise them. To get them at the current pricing, you must place your order by Midnight of February 29, 2008. To place your order and save, call Sandra at 800 77-RELAX (777-3529), email her at sandy@teplitz.com or go to our website and order at https://teplitz.com/lights.htm.
That's it for this month!
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