TriVita’s Weekly Wellness Report
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief Science Officer

Ways to Improve Your Memory

OK, I will admit it if you will: I have forgotten the names of people while I was talking to them! I have lost my car keys, misplaced my glasses and turned the wrong way on my drive home.

How about you? Does it seem like your memory is playing tricks on you as you age? Well, there are reasons for that and very few of these reasons are related to diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.

How to make a memory
Your memory is an amazing miracle. Every second your brain processes billions of bits of information from your five senses. You may consciously perceive only a very small percentage of this information because one function of your brain is to filter out unimportant information. The things you remember will usually be advantageous to you. For instance, remembering your wedding anniversary date or remembering where the speed trap is on your drive home.

Memory is classed into two basic groups:

Short-term: Short term memories are quickly forgotten when they are no longer important.
Long-term: Long-term memories may be divided into recent and distant.
Practicing or rehearsing can improve your memory by moving more information into long-term. For instance, when I am distracted by stress I will not be able to remember where I left my car keys. That information was deleted from my short-term memory. However, if I consciously say, “I am hanging my car keys on the hook,” I am far more likely to remember where they are.

How to keep a memory

Reduce stress
Stress kills your memory. The stress system is designed to ensure survival. It helps us fight off a snarling dog or flee from a snarling bear. As important as that is, humans do more every day than merely survive. If you want to have a good, healthy memory, do all you can to reduce the need for fight or flight stress responses.

Learn something new
As mentioned, practicing or rehearsing something enhances memory. So does learning something new. You see, memory is facilitated through the billions of neurons and synapses in your brain by patterns: retracing old patterns as well as creating new patterns. The more new things we master and the more connections we create, the better our overall memory will be.

If you want to remember your anniversary, start learning a foreign language. If you want to remember important names, learn a musical instrument. The more you learn – and the more you connect the old with the new – the better your overall memory will be.

How to nourish a memory
Certain nutrients help the memory to remain sharp. These nutrients fall into two basic categories: those that create brain structure and those that nourish brain function.

Your brain is made mostly of fat. And the majority of that fat is an Omega-3 called DHA. So, to have a healthy brain we need healthy fats like OmegaPrime®. Your nerve cells convert some fats into functional nerve proteins called myelin. Formation of myelin requires dietary protein and Vitamin B-12. So, for healthy brain structure and function we need Omega-3 fats, healthy dietary protein and Vitamin B-12.

When the memory is activated, it creates heat in the brain. To fuel the memory, quench the heat and repair the daily wear-and-tear on your brain, you need antioxidants. Certain antioxidants target brain function specifically. An excellent antioxidant formula that is also anti-inflammatory is Nopalea™. The Betalain bioflavonoids in Nopalea also help improve circulation by fortifying healthy arteries.

What do you remember?
To recap: Occasional memory lapses usually indicate you are distracted by stress. Rehearsing things you want to remember and practicing new things you have learned can help you avoid stress-induced memory lapses. Because new behaviors create new pathways in your brain, learning something new such as a new language or musical instrument can improve your overall memory.

Stress kills your memory. Nutrients such as Omega-3, Vitamin B-12 and anti-inflammatory antioxidants such as those found in Nopalea can help rebuild and restore your ability to remember. With all of these tools at your disposal, you have access to the power of a healthy memory.

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Take Control of Your Health
Reduce stress
Increase physical activity and mental activity
Learn something new
Rehearse before an important event
Practice and review the things you want to remember
Learn something new (yes, I know I repeated this, but repetition is the mother of retention)
Nourish your memory with:
OmegaPrime
Super Sublingual B-12
Nopalea

Learn more!

Keeping your memory sharp
Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports…

Tips to Better Digestion
4 Causes of Disease
New! – Wellness Talks With Brazos Minshew

Listen to TriVita’s Chief Science Officer, Brazos Minshew, speak on a range of vital health topics. These talks will help you learn more about the science behind different TriVita products, as well as how they can help you and others with different health problems.

Date Topic
6/22/2010 Scientific Studies
6/23/2010 Healthy Rewards
6/24/2010 Questions: Leanology
6/25/2010 Questions: Wellavoh
6/26/2010 Questions: Bone Density

Join the live call, it’s easy, just dial in!
Date: Tuesdays – Saturdays
Start Time: 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. ET
Length of Call: Approximately 15 minutes
Call Number: 1-866-739-2952
Call Passcode: 219192#

Send us your topic suggestions!
If you have specific health topics you’d like Brazos Minshew to discuss in upcoming reports,
click here to submit your suggestions.

Please note that Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

© 2010 TriVita, Inc.

TriVita’s Weekly Wellness Report
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief Science Officer

Tools For Summertime Weight Loss

Nearly half of all people in North America make a resolution at the beginning of the year to lose weight. The next most common time for embarking on a weight-loss program is in the summertime: the “swimsuit season.” So now is the perfect time for an encouraging article on how to reach your weight-loss goals.

Unfortunately, being overweight is not simply an ornamental problem; it’s not simply about how we look. It is about how well we are. It’s about how much energy we have for the people we love, and how much vitality we have for the commitments we make. It’s about how successful or unsuccessful we will be at reaching our goals and living a life of purpose and meaning. It’s that serious.

Mechanics of weight loss
Let’s review several steps for weight loss that we have gathered from expert sources:

1. Find your Ideal Body Weight range using the Body Mass Index chart below.

2. Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) using the calculator below. This is the amount of energy you burn at rest. Reduce your daily calorie intake to match this number.

3. Decide how much weight you want to lose each week. Please understand, weight loss of more than 2 pounds per week is unrealistic and probably dangerous. Your goal is to lose fat; rapid weight loss usually comes from water (which you need), muscle (which you need) and bone (yes, you need that too!).

4. Get started: Reduce your caloric intake to match your BMR and increase your activity to burn ½ to 2 pounds of fat per week.
Always eat breakfast.
Never eat within 2 hours of bedtime.
Morning exercise is better than evening exercise, but both are good.
Never consume more than 400 calories in an hour.
Eat according to an organized plan. For example, The South Beach Diet, Eat More – Weigh Less by Dean Ornish, The Sonoma Diet (my favorite Mediterranean diet plan), etc.
Do both aerobic and resistance exercises most days of the week to meet your fat loss goals.
Remember, your sense of purpose will dictate your actions step by step!
Speed bumps
Somewhere along the way you are going to experience discouragement, disappointment or despondency. It may be when you hit a weight loss plateau. It may be when you see others doing what you used to do and the old habits pull at your heart. It may be when those inner voices – I call them my “counsel of critics” – start to tell you lies about failure and success. What do you do when you hit a speed bump?

The answer to this question does not lie in the “how – when – what” of weight loss. The answer lies in the “why.” Your personal “why” gives you energy. It inspires you, motivates you and drives you to complete your journey.

Supplements for weight loss
Leanology® supplements are also an important part of weight loss. In many people they represent the critical difference between success and failure in lifetime weight control. However, you must always remember that they are supplements; they supplement a diet and exercise program. Use them wisely as an important part of your total wellness program.

Remember to let your desire fuel your action; let your actions harmonize with your sense of purpose. Simply be resolved to live a life of purpose and you will have the energy to get beyond the speed bumps.

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Take Control of Your Health

Plan a balance of calories and activity for lifetime weight control
Eat 5, 7 or 9 servings of fruit and vegetables daily
Plan aerobic activity most days
Do resistance training 2 to 5 times per week
Supplement with Leanology to support the four stages of weight loss:
Energy and Metabolism: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help increase metabolism and energy to support your body’s ability to burn more calories at rest.
Cortisol & Stress Management: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help to limit cortisol production in your body. Cortisol is the stress-induced hormone that can lead to abdominal fat.
Appetite Control: Leanology Appetite Control Chews help reduce the natural hunger signals in your body to minimize cravings.
Blood Sugar Control: Leanology Nutritional Shakes help your body use the nutrients you eat as energy, rather than storing them as fat.

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports…

Memory Problems
Nopalea FAQs
New! – Wellness Talks With Brazos Minshew

Listen to TriVita’s Chief Science Officer, Brazos Minshew, speak on a range of vital health topics. These talks will help you learn more about the science behind different TriVita products, as well as how they can help you and others with different health problems.

Date Topic
6/15/2010 Fibromyalgia Syndrome – Part 1
6/16/2010 Fibromyalgia Syndrome – Part 2
6/17/2010 Fibromyalgia Syndrome – Part 3
6/18/2010 Fibromyalgia Syndrome – Part 4
6/19/2010 Fibromyalgia Syndrome – Part 5

Join the live call, it’s easy, just dial in!
Date: Tuesdays – Saturdays
Start Time: 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. ET
Length of Call: Approximately 15 minutes
Call Number: 1-866-739-2952
Call Passcode: 219192#

Send us your topic suggestions!
If you have specific health topics you’d like Brazos Minshew to discuss in upcoming reports,
click here to submit your suggestions.

Please note that Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

© 2010 TriVita, Inc.

TriVita’s Weekly Wellness Report
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief Science Officer

To Sun or Not to Sun: The Benefits and Risks

Humans have existed on earth for many thousands of years. Until recently, we spent entire days in the sun. Now, physicians and scientists say that sun exposure is “bad” for us. Is that true? When did the sun become our enemy? How much is enough and what is the best way to maintain balance when it comes to sun exposure?

Sunlight: crucial for life, health and happiness!

Life – Sunlight is crucial for life because all life on earth depends (to a greater or lesser extent) upon photosynthesis. This is the process in green plants by which carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source. Most forms of photosynthesis release oxygen as a byproduct.
Health – Sunlight is crucial for health because sunlight creates Vitamin D as it interacts with our skin.
Happiness – Sunlight is crucial for happiness because sunlight activates hormones in the brain that create a sense of euphoria.
Humans are diurnal: we are awake in the daytime and asleep at night. We are designed to live in sunlight. Our skin interacts with sunlight to create Vitamin D, an essential part of our metabolism.

Vitamin D interacts with our bones to make them hard; without Vitamin D we get soft, deformed bones (rickets). Later in life we are at risk for osteoporosis if we have low levels of Vitamin D. This means if your bones are tender, or if you have a low blood level of Vitamin D, you may need to increase your sun exposure (see the “Take Control of Your Health” section below). Vitamin D also interacts with our hormones to balance our blood sugar. And it activates our immune system to help protect against cancer. Vitamin D is good for us in many ways. So it stands to reason that sunlight would be good for us too, wouldn’t it?

The Dark Side of light

Sunlight activates melanocytes. These are pigment-containing cells in our skin that help protect us from too much sun – and too much Vitamin D – by turning dark. Most people will “tan” or darken in the sun. If the sun exposure is prolonged or too intense for this melanocyte system, we will “burn.”
Overexposure to the sun creates oxidative stress similar to radiation burns from exposure to nuclear material. That’s because the sun itself is a huge nuclear furnace. A radiation burn from the sun can start a chain reaction in the melanocyte and other cells. This may lead to cancer in a year or two or in a decade or two. Oxidative stress from sunburn is insidious and dangerous.

Where’s the balance?

The skyrocketing incidence of diabetes, osteoporosis and certain cancers definitely says that we are not getting enough Vitamin D. And the increasing incidence of insomnia and seasonal depression says that we are not getting enough early morning sun.
We need more sunlight. But how do we make it safe?

Safe sun exposure

First, it’s important to recognize both the need for sun and the need for caution. Plan your sun exposure so that you maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks. For instance, get your sunlight early in the day. Early morning sunlight does not have the high ultraviolet rays that midday sun does. So, take a 20-minute walk in the early part of the day with your skin exposed to sunlight. This will give you the benefits without the risks of over exposure.

Alternately, take a 20-minute walk in the late afternoon with your skin exposed to sunlight. There are fewer UV rays in the late afternoon than at midday. So either early morning or late afternoon sun will provide you with many of the same benefits, while decreasing your risk of over exposure.
As for midday sun, never expose your skin to it for long periods of time. Wear clothing that covers most of your skin and wear a hat that provides shade for your face and ears.

Nutrients for healthy skin

Certain nutrients work well to protect against sun damage. Essential fatty acids interact with Vitamin D in your skin to help protect against harmful radiation. Vitamin C helps quench smoldering fires of oxidative stress once they have begun. Antioxidants, such as green tea and those found in berries, help protect against DNA damage from radiation. All these are excellent nutrients for dealing with the stress of too much sun.

So, is the sun our enemy? It can be if we are not careful! For most of us, however, sunlight may be the difference between good and poor health; or even between life and death! Get your sunlight, but be careful – too much of a good thing can cause trouble.

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Take Control of Your Health

Spend 20 minutes daily in the sunshine with 40% of your skin surface exposed

Get your sun exposure early in the day or in late afternoon

If you can’t avoid midday sun exposure:

Wear long pants and long sleeves
Wear a hat that provides shade for your face and ears
Wear sunscreen to protect your exposed skin
Never allow yourself to sunburn

Take essential fatty acids, Vitamin C and antioxidants for maximum protection!

Eat foods rich in Vitamin D:
Cod liver oil
Fortified milk
Salmon, mackerel and sardines
Egg yolks
Beef liver

Learn More!

How to Do a Skin Self-Exam
Easy Ways to Protect Your Skin

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports…

Test Yourself: Exercise
Memory Problems
New! – Wellness Talks With Brazos Minshew

Listen to TriVita’s Chief Science Officer, Brazos Minshew, speak on a range of vital health topics. These talks will help you learn more about the science behind different TriVita products, as well as how they can help you and others with different health problems.

Date Topic
6/8/2010 Imbalance
6/9/2010 Toxicity
6/10/2010 Deficiency
6/11/2010 Stress
6/12/2010 Balanced Woman

Join the live call, it’s easy, just dial in!
Date: Tuesdays – Saturdays
Start Time: 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. ET
Length of Call: Approximately 15 minutes
Call Number: 1-866-739-2952
Call Passcode: 219192#

Send us your topic suggestions!
If you have specific health topics you’d like Brazos Minshew to discuss in upcoming reports,
click here to submit your suggestions.

Please note that Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

© 2010 TriVita, Inc.