3 Favorite Dessert Recipes with Garden of Life Coconut Oil

Taking whole food supplements doesn’t have to be a matter of lining up dozens of pills on the bench in the morning like an army of intestinal soldiers. It can be a matter of tasting tarts and nibbling cake! Garden of Life does a great job of creating whole food supplemental products that can be incorporated into your daily diet in a myriad of different ways; Detoxifiber and Flax Seed are popular ones, but their Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is probably one of the least celebrated and most flexible whole food supplements in the range. Today we explore 3 sweet recipes that use Garden of Life Coconut Oil.

Coconut Cream Tart

Lord, save my keyboard from drool as I write this! The coconut cream tart recipe on Epicurious is delightful, and you can substitute the ½ stick of unsalted butter in the pastry with coconut oil. You can add a little extra to the coconut custard once it has been cooked, but while it is still warm if you like as well. It is a gorgeous recipe, but make sure you have plenty if friends to share it with … you won’t want to be eating too many slices yourself! It is calorie intensive, yet one of the healthier ways to eat dessert. It is also freezer-friendly, but must be thawed in the refrigerator rather than in the microwave.

Coconut Rice Pudding Parfaits with Mango and Pineapple

Another wonderful dessert recipe that can utilize Garden of Life's Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to delicious effect. It is incorporated into the macaroon crumble in place of the butter, so while the entire recipe is a little blander without the macaroon, the coconut oil rather than butter makes a big difference in the health stakes. It does take a while to make, but almost three quarters of reviewers will make the dish again.

Banana Cake with Coconut Frosting

Depending on your frosting recipe, you could just omit the regular butter and use Garden of Life Extra Virgin Coconut Oil instead. If you're a sugar-and-water kind of frosting cook, use the coconut oil in the cake itself, in place of ordinary butter. You'll get a lovely flavor parallel between the cake and the icing, though not overwhelming. Everybody has their own banana cake recipe, and while none tastes as good as grandma's,this one is a good starting point!

Arrrgggh! Herbal Supplements and Playtime for Stress Relief

Stress is a constant in most of our lives.Today we are looking at one simple whole food supplement product and one simple technique that can be an enormous boost in coping with stress in your life.

Playtime

In the lifestyle that many of us lead, work comes first, cleaning the house comes second, watching television comes third, looking after the kids or your partner comes fourth, meeting essential social engagements fifth, and so on … and play comes somewhere in the triple digits of the must-do list! However, play of an adult form is essential in combating stress and leading a balanced life.

"We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing"

This is true. The human brain is designed to play throughout life -- this is more visible in children, but adults need their play as well. What exactly is play, and why is it a critical companion for your herbal supplements on the journey to a happy, stress-free life?

The definition of play, at least play which is positive in therapeutic terms, is:

• An activity that is not done for any particular purpose other than pleasure and enjoyment
• An activity which takes you away from a sense of yourself
• An activity which takes you away from a sense of time

Think of the last time that half an hour raced by in the blink of an eye, or you forgot to eat for four hours because you were so absorbed in what you were doing. You were most likely playing! Even if you were doing nothing more than digging in the garden, reading a book, playing peek-a-boo with the kids, or coloring between the lines, you were playing.

Scheduling play time as therapeutic time

It can be difficult to use play as therapy for stress when you are busy out of your mind. But it is absolutely essential! One way to avoid being sucked into the black hole of work is to schedule classes in something you love. The financial commitment and the fixed time frame are usually great motivation. Alternatively, try to organize your life so that you can afford to follow your play whims wherever they take you sometimes - create enough financial leeway and time leeway that if you want to keep making sandcastles at the beach and get takeaway for tea instead of cooking, you can.

Holy Basil By New Chapter

This organic whole food supplement, New Chapter's Holy Basil, helps promote a healthy response to stress … that is, a short-lived and transient one! It also helps promote physical and mental endurance, and encourages your body to have a healthy response to inflammation.

8 Most Effective Foods and Whole Food Supplements for Bone Health

If you don’t like milk and fear the waistline effects of cheese, you have probably resigned yourself to the category of the elderly that will need a walker in their latter years. Lactose intolerant people often have trouble with getting the calcium they need to maintain good bone strength as well. But despite what the dairy industry wants you to believe, milk is not the only food that's good for the Skelly-t inside all of us. Today we check out 8 top foods as well as whole food supplements.

1. Yogurt

Even the non-milk drinkers among us often love yogurt. You can get as much calcium from a cup of yogurt as from an 8-oz serving of milk. Yogurt is one of the easiest products to find in lactose-free form as well, so there is no need to compromise between digestive health and bone health.

2. Bone Strength Take Care by New Chapter

Where many calcium supplements on the market currently use limestone as a key ingredient, the calcium here comes from plant sources in a whole food supplement format.

3. Sardines

They are great in a salad or on a sandwich, and all those tiny fish bones are an ultra-concentrated source of calcium. Why waste one of the most nutrient-dense parts of an animal?

4. Bok Choy

Also known as Chinese cabbage, it is well known that it has around 3 times the amount of calcium that spinach does. For most people, it is also infinitely more palatable! It is one of the natural sources of calcium that whole food supplements use.

5. Garden of Life Vitamin Code Grow Bone System

This organic whole food supplement comes in vegan form, and includes both raw calcium and growth factor S to aid in its absorption.

6. CalMag Bone Health by New Chapter

One of the simplest and least expensive ways to get your daily calcium, and also superior in so many ways to the inorganic calcium that is found throughout the health section of most supermarkets. Calcium and magnesium are included in a 1:1 ratio, along with 6 other trace elements that are needed for bone health.

7. Soy foods

They contain calcium as well as isoflavones -- they have an estrogen-like effect and help return your bones to a pre-menopausal state.

8. Stay away from salt

Okay, so this one is more of an anti-food than a food. But it is worth including, because a leading cause of calcium leaching from your bones and being carried away in urine is excessive salt intake. When you consider that eating a few serves of processed foods like commercial bread, cold meats and cheese can put you over the salt limit you can understand how osteoporosis has become so prevalent.

4 of the Best Weight Loss Supplements

Forget acai berry, forget the "one weird old tip", forget the grapefruit diet and forget the Atkins diet. You need a balanced diet which favors the nutrients your body needs for good health -- not what some other person's body needs. You need to exercise -- and you'll feel better when you do! And if you feel that it is all too hard, you need a helping hand. Organic whole food supplements can be an extremely useful part of a diet and exercise strategy for losing weight -- we look at 4 of the best products available.

Garden of Life Fuco Protein Bars - 12 bars, $30.48

Fucoxanthin is one of the biggest things in weight loss at the moment. It has a substantial amount of scientific research behind it, as well as promising (if not conclusive) results. Garden of Life's FucoProtein bars help stave off hunger for longer, and assist your body to burn fat at the same time. You get the full satisfaction of chewing, tasting and swallowing your food with this weight loss supplement!

Garden of Life FucoThin, 90 caps $34.97

This product works on the same principles as the FucoProtein bars, but is better for those who prefer to eat ordinary food, and simply enjoy the thermogenic benefits of fucoxanthin and pomegranate seed oil in a one-a-day formula. It is not a central nervous system stimulant like many weight loss supplements and will not cause jitters or sleeplessness.

New Chapter CinnamonForce, 120 softgel for $17.97

Cinnamon is said to help regulate your blood sugar as well as maintain a healthy blood lipid profile - and the less fat that is circulating in your blood, the lower your chance of having a heart attack or stroke. Cinnamon whole food supplements help convert glucose into energy - rather than be stored as fat.

New Chapter Supercritical Diet and Energy, 60 tabs $17.97

This combination of herbal supplements has all the biggies -- thermogenics, adaptogens, phytoglycemics, antioxidants and cell protectives. This whole food supplement helps ensure your body burns fat rather than storing it.

Weight-Loss Blunders

Weight loss sounds simple on the surface -- eat fewer calories, burn more calories through exercise. And when you follow this rule in moderation, you are almost guaranteed to lose weight … it's pure mathematics. However, the abundance of information we are exposed to complicates the issue enormously! Can you really eat foods that will only burn your belly fat and save your precious breast fat?! What of my metabolism? Should I exercise hard twice a week or mildly five times? Many diets sacrifice the vitamins that herbal supplements can provide along with calories. There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings concerning weight loss -- today we are looking at some of the biggies.

1. Crash diets

Crash diets do not work! Ever. Full stop. Just like you won’t find a herbal supplement that magically burns all your fat away with no additional effort, crash diets are a dearly held Western myth. Eating so few calories trains your body not to burn what it gets as quickly -- your metabolism slows down. If you resume eating normally, you stack on the pounds ultra-quick.

2. Not eating breakfast

It isn't only the potential for unhealthy mid-morning snacking that is at work sabotaging your diet here -- it is that all-important metabolism.Herbal supplements can do great things for your diet -- but don’t go too far and confuse protein shakes with breakfast!

3. Overeating snacks

It's easy to forget about the dinner leftovers you finished from other's plates, the couple of bites of a rich dessert, the M&Ms that are in your top drawer at work. But your body doesn’t forget -- it stores them all as fat.

4. Only eating meals

Of course, snacking is good for you in one way -- it acts like herbal supplements can to increase your metabolism and natural fat burning potential. Just make sure you eat mindfully -- keep a mental tally of what you eat, and where it falls on the empty calories/healthy calories continuum.

5. Low-fat and low-sugar products

Low-fat products are often extremely high in sugar or salt. Low-sugar products are often extremely high in fat and salt. There aren’t really many healthy alternatives within the selection of processed foods in our supermarkets. Besides, the lower guilt factor often inspires overeating.

6. Forgetting drink calories

Water has no calories in it. By contrast, fruit juice, milk, take-out coffees, soda and alcohol can factor enormously in your calorie equation. Take your herbal supplements for weight loss with a tall glass of hydrogen and oxygen … water!

Have you OD'd … On Vitamins?

People often assume that when it comes to vitamin and mineral supplements, you can’t have too much of a good thing. This is an unfortunate mentality, and patently untrue. You can actually overdose on vitamins just as you can with prescription drugs, and be suffering the consequences for quite a while. Children especially are quite prone to vitamin overdose - the fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K are common culprits and some children have actually died from vitamin overdose. Today we are looking at the dangers of common multivitamins, and how whole food supplements help counteract them.

Vitamin A overdose

This can occur as a result of eating too much liver, as well as taking single vitamin A supplements for too long a period of time. Effects include liver problems, hair loss, skin discoloration, birth defects in pregnant women, precursors to osteoporosis and loss of muscular coordination.

Vitamin D overdose

We hear about the benefits of vitamin D all the time -- but only in conservative amounts. Vitamin D is fat soluble and therefore remains in the body over a long period of time. It can cause dehydration, vomiting, lack of appetite, constipation, fatigue and irritability in overdose.

Vitamin E

Again, this vitamin is fat soluble. If you consistently have too much vitamin E in your diet, you are at risk for excessive bleeding and also for heart failure in the long term.

Whole food supplements -- one solution

If you switch to whole food supplements rather than single concentrated supplements, you won’t need to take as many vitamin pills to get the same effect. The reason that scientists always say that it is better to get your vitamins and minerals from food, rather than a pill, is that over 25,000 micronutrients have been discovered in food, that act to increase the absorption and efficacy of the vitamins they exist with. Whole food supplements put all this together in a natural form with far less potential for side effects than exists in single supplements.

5 Little Supplements with Big Immune Benefits

We've been obsessed with immunity lately -- we're ensconced in the height of the flu season and with the holiday season in full swing, there's a lot of germ-sharing going on! All that can add up to trouble, if you don't ensure that you give your immune system the best chance to fight off all those infections lurking like a hunter behind a tree. We've looked at natural immune-boosting techniques like getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, cutting out sugar and generally eating well. Let's look at the whole food supplements that can help boost your immune system, along with all that good work you’re doing yourself.

New Chapter Probiotic Immunity Immune Support -- $17.97

This product contains ten live probiotics, delivered in a whole food supplement media. The ingredients are freeze-dried - one of the most effective ways of preserving benefits and extending shelf life. Elderberry, spinach and oregano are some of the ingredients.

New Chapter Host Defense -- $48.97

This 15-mushroom blend has been extremely popular -- most likely because of scientific studies showing that it increases killer T cell activity in test subjects by up to 300%. It comes in simple vegan capsules with freeze dried ingredients in whole food form.

New Chapter Immunity Take Care -- $23.97

New Chapter has a special focus on immune-boosting herbal supplements … in case you couldn't tell! These are fast dissolving lozenges rather than capsules, so the immune boosting factors are in your bloodstream within minutes, rather than hours. If you've just had a snotty child cough in your face (common scenario at my house!), you'll appreciate this aspect! They have a pleasant blueberry flavor.

Garden of Life RM-10 Ultra -- $37.77

This is a broad-spectrum immune support formula, and should be taken regularly as a preventive as well as general health-booster. It contains tonic mushrooms, betaine, vitamin B12, folic acid,methionine, L-theanine and others.

New Chapter C-Food Complex -- $32.97

No, not "seafood" -- C-Food! Vitamin C has many immune benefits (Captain Cook used sauerkraut as a source of it on long voyages, due to the scarcity of fresh food), and is most effective delivered in this whole food supplement form.

Immunity -- What is it Good For?

We hear plenty about immunity boosters, protecting your immunity, and the benefits of a strong immune system. But if you don’t really care about the occasionally cold or flu, what does your immunity really matter to you? There is a wealth of immunity support herbal supplements -- today we are looking at what they do in your body and why people take them.

What is immunity?

Immunity is the natural ability of your body to fight infection and disease. The immune system recognizes a pathogen as foreign, and then creates an antibody specifically to fight it. In the lag time, sometimes you get ill. If you have a well-honed immune response, you will be sick less often and for shorter durations. Some diseases we cannot develop an immunity to naturally -- viruses, for example, constantly mutate so our bodies don’t have a memory of how to fight them.

Types of immunity

You can acquire immunity both naturally and artificially. Artificial means of acquiring immunity refer to vaccination or direct antibody transfer; if you naturally acquire immunity it means that your body has fought a particular infection or pathogen before and retains a memory of how to fight it again. You cannot acquire immunity through a herbal supplement; you would need either a vaccination or passive natural immunization to become immune to something specific. However, herbal supplements can support the complex web of bodily systems that make up the immune system if your diet is inadequate.

Boosting your immune system

Therefore, boosting your immune system involves taking whole food supplements or herbs that help boost the numbers of certain types of cells in the body -- or at least, provide the chemical bases to ensure that your natural immune system has all it needs to make numbers of immune cells up to its genetically predetermined limit. The types of cells that are involved in immune function are types of leukocytes, specifically :

• Killer T cells
• Helper T cells
• B cells

How should I boost my immune system?

You should eat a balanced, varied diet including plenty of fruit and veges; get a full 8 hours of sleep per night (although the optimal timing for that will differ from person to person); drink plenty of water; eliminate processed foods and refined sugar as far as possible; and of course, take an immune boosting herbal supplement like Immunity Take Care.

Ginger Research -- What Science is Finding About Our Favorite Rhizome

Although commonly referred to as a root, it is actually a rhizome of the plant Ziniger officinale. This sort of thing is important to the science nuts that tell us what we know about the excellent effects of whole food supplements! Today we are looking at ginger, and how it has shown up in various forms in the scientific literature of the past few years.

Ginger could save Third World babies

Third World babies often develop fatal diarrhea, due to unhealthy water supplies and bacteria in food. However, ginger is showing up as a promising alternative to the condition which is currently treated by drug therapy. Zingerone is the compound that is likely responsible for the antibacterial effect, which kills E.coli -- it has been shown to kill around 25% of human pathogens. Ginger whole food supplements would be a safe and fairly cost-effective way to deliver ginger

Ginger treating chemotherapy nausea

Chemotherapy may work for many cancer patients, but some wonder whether life is worth living while undergoing chemo. Nausea, weight loss, headaches and inability to concentrate are some of the most common side effects. Ginger has been shown to combat the nausea, at least, and one study showed it actually to be more effective than current anti-emetic drugs like Zofran, Novaban, etc. Ginger whole food supplements containing 0.5g or 1g of ginger, taken three times daily, reduced nausea by around 40%.

Gingerol could help colon cancer

Gingerol is the compound that gives ginger its flavor, and is chemically similar to capsaicin, found in capsicums and hot chillies. Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that mice who were fed gingerol three times weekly had slower rates of colon cancer growth than those who were not. The same researchers are now conducting experiments that will be more clinically relevant -- for example, giving the mice gingerol only after their tumors hit a certain (detectable) size. There is plenty of gingerol in ginger whole food supplements, but synthesized versions are low in the natural compound.

Breakfast Recipes for Detoxifiber by Garden of Life

You've probably read lots of good things about fiber. It cuts your risk of heart disease, promotes healthy gut function, reduces your risk of gastrointestinal diseases, helps your liver do its job, and so on. And if you've ever tried to take your daily fiber serving in a tiny glass of water, or even by itself, you may have sworn that you didn’t care what happened to your liver! There's an easy way to have it both ways, though. Garden of Life DetoxiFiber doesn’t degrade under heat or by mixing, so why not incorporate it into a yummy recipe? Breakfast is the best time of the day for taking fiber, to allow your digestive system to process it while you’re awake -- here are some recipe ideas for next time you take your Garden of Life Detoxifiber.

Homemade muesli

There are a ton of homemade muesli recipes on the internet, and you'll need to find one that suits you. If your muesli recipe calls for seeds (sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are common) you can omit these and replace with Garden of Life Detoxifiber. Alternatively, add a small amount of Detoxifiber on top of the other ingredients -- just experiment to make sure it doesn't get too gluggy.

Whole wheat pancakes

You might already have a favorite pancake recipe, or you might like to try out variations like chocolate pancakes, banana lemon pancakes, French pancakes, and so on. You can add Detoxifiber to any of these recipes -- the ones that basically require chucking all the ingredients together will handle your Garden of Life Detoxifiber best. If you prefer, you can add the Detoxifiber to your maple syrup, or blend it in equal amounts with sugar and drizzle lemon juice over the top.

Banana bread

Bananas have plenty of natural fiber anyway -- the thick, rich taste of Detoxifiber won’t be amiss in this recipe. Everybody has a favorite, and each is equally easy to prepare. Simply replace a quantity of the flour with your fiber powder -- make sure it is blended into the flour before you add the other ingredients, otherwise you may end up with little fiber pockets in your bread!

Granola breakfast bars

If you’re the sort of person that values sleep more than anything in the world (especially when the sun is just coming up), breakfast bars are probably a staple for you. You can make enormous batches of these and freeze them -- they are quite freezer friendly. You'll often find that they don’t take much defrosting either -- the honey keeps everything relatively stable. Many recipes call for flour, and here you can substitute Garden of Life Detoxifiber; for recipes that don’t use flour, simply add a small amount to the mix after you've added wet ingredients.

4 Best Garden of Life Products Under $30

Good health doesn't have to be expensive … even if fruits and vegetables are becoming more of a luxury item with every new economic pressure. There are still some very cost-effective, safe and natural ways to get your daily dose! Garden of Life holds quite a few of the top sellers under $30 -- today we are looking at their whole food supplements best for those on a middling to low budget.

Fungal Defense

Some cancer researchers are increasingly pointing towards long term candida infestation as a cause of cancer. Whether this turns out to be the case or not, candida infestation in the gut certainly means that you can't optimally digest nutrients from your food, and might experience bloating, nausea, and any of a dozen more low-level symptoms. 84 caplets is only $23.47!

Acid Defense

The acid-alkaline balance in our body has come under similar scrutiny recently for its ability to either promote disease or health. Alkaline environments are said to discourage cancer, heart disease, and normal aging and oxidative stress. The product helps relieve heartburn as well as giving you important enzymes. 360g of powder is only $21.57.

Fruits of Life

Do you eat between two and four serves of FRESH FRUIT (not tomato sauce, and not even dried sultanas) per day? If you don’t, Fruits of Life can help you boost your antioxidant intake with the goodness of whole food supplements freeze dried ingredients. It actually tastes good too! 150 grams of powder is only $27.57.

For Your Inflammation

Unlike the name suggests (to those with a quirky sense of humor!), the product doesn’t cause inflammation, but helps cure it. Inflammation has been linked to depression, Parkinson's and heart disease, as well as traditionally, rheumatoid arthritis. The blend contains chicken collagen, turmeric and bromelain, and also support antioxidant function in the body. 90 caplets are $27.57

Whole Food Multivitamins -- Myths and Facts

Whole food multivitamins (indeed many formulations of multivitamins) have some awesome benefits in health. They have had their positive effects on physical health, mental health, disease fighting and overall wellbeing proven in many scientific studies. Unfortunately, they have been around long enough for quite a few myths about their use to have arisen as well! Today we are looking at what whole food multivitamins do, and don't do, in your body, and other general common myths about them.

Myth 1: Quantities matter, price tags don't

In many foods, a higher price tag simply reflects a greater marketing budget for the product. In whole food multivitamins, products which come at "everyday low prices" generally use the cheapest forms of ingredients, which may or may not be bioavailable. Even if they can list the same number of milligrams of a vitamin, you mightn't be able to use it. You may be paying for something that won’t dissolve in your body, and if it does, the nutrients won't be processed and reach your cells. Look for quality brands of whole food multivitamins, with discounts from business practices like online stores and buying in bulk to save money instead.

Myth 2: Multivitamins are completely unnecessary, a balanced diet will take care of your needs

This can be true. However, in reality, try to think of the last time you got your five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit in a day. When was the last time you ate fresh fruit or raw vegetables twice in a day? When have you got the greatest proportion of your calories from unsaturated fats, whole grains, lean meat? So yes, you CAN do without whole food multivitamins if you have a good diet. But do you have that?

Myth 3: If one whole food multivitamin is good, two is better

You should only take a single dose of one whole food multivitamin a day (even if that dose is split into morning and evening tablets, for instance). Mixing them may cause some nutrients to be locked out, and can also cause dangerous overdose related side effects.

How to Prepare Medicinal Mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms have been used for centuries as a health aid -- they are one of the stars of traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine, two cultures that are known to have especially low disease rates in some categories. Whole food supplements containing medicinal mushrooms are becoming increasingly popular, with cordyceps, maitake and reishi mushrooms now readily available through respected natural, organic suppliers like New Chapter. Today we are looking at the different ways you can prepare and take whole food supplements with organic mushrooms, that preserve the medicinal value and cater to different tastes.

Making a tea from your New Chapter Mushrooms

If you purchase dried mushrooms, sometimes the easiest way to take them is in a tea. Far from prolonging the agony of having to swallow something that tastes disgusting, for anyone averse to the taste of mushrooms making a tea mellows the flavor significantly, while preserving the medicinal benefits. To make a tea from your dried mushroom whole food supplements:

• Grind your dried mushrooms to a powder in a coffee grinder
• Place them in a saucepan, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer at least 20-30 minutes, and for maximum benefit, simmer for 2-4 hours.
• You can keep the grounds to reheat for another cup of tea -- just discard them when they stop coloring the water
• Filter the tea through a coffee filter, and then drink!

The easy way to take New Chapter mushrooms

The easiest method for taking them is simply buying them in capsule form. Some people believe that absorption differs when taken in a capsule as compared to a tea -- the heated liquid medium may make a difference. However this is very small, and if you just don’t have the time to brew and drink mushroom tea then a capsule is infinitely preferable to not getting the benefits of these New Chapter mushrooms at all.

Extracts

Extracts can be mixed into hot or cold beverages (like smoothies). A benefit of this method is that hot drinks aren’t required -- and nor is swallowing capsules for those who have difficulty with this. Thirty drops of this whole food supplement extract are required, and it is best to mix these in with a savory or nutty flavoured drink to get the best flavor mixture.

3 Main Mushrooms in Whole Food Supplements

There are hundreds of different varieties of mushroom in the world, as adventuring and tourism books like to remind us. Each of them has different properties within the human body -- some are simply a fairly nutritious addition to our dinners, some are poisonous, and some have an amazing number of compounds that our bodies love to have, but generally miss out on! Medicinal mushrooms usually fall into the latter category, and there are three main species of these. We have a look at the potential effects of cordyceps, maitake and reishi mushrooms as whole food supplements.

Cordyceps mushrooms

Cordyceps mushrooms look strange, and quite unlike what we think of when we hear the word "mushroom." Their species name is cordyceps sinensis, and they belong to the ascomycete fungi genus. They are long and sort of woody-looking at the stem, coming to a purplish head. Mushroom hunters in Tibet can earn $900 for an ounce of cordyceps!

Cordyceps has mainly been investigated for its effect on the blood glucose absorption, and its effect in diabetic or insulin resistant people. Whole food supplements made with cordyceps have also been seen to have an antidepressant effect, protect the liver from damage and protect against irradiation.

Maitake mushroom whole food supplements

Maitake is quite similar in taste to the common cooking mushroom shiitake. However, in whole food supplements it has a much greater protective effect in the body. Early studies show that it is rich in antioxidants, and could have immune system supporting effects.

At a base level, maitake whole food supplements have been seen by researchers to regulate blood pressure, help with glucosemetabolism and insulin resistance, could help people lose weight and metabolize fats.

Reishi mushrooms

The name is much less familiar, but the benefits are just as striking, Reishi mushrooms have been used in Chinese courts for centuries, and now scientists believe they may hold potent anti-cancer properties. They have been seen to boost the immune system, to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and also to inhibit platelet aggregation (beneficial for people with heart disease). An excellent all-round whole food supplement!

Fantastic Flax: Recipes Using Flax Seed

You know about the benefits of flax seed whole food supplements, and you know how easy it is to mix into yogurt, smoothies and soup. If you are looking for more creative ways to utilize your flax seed organic whole food supplements in your everyday diet, check out these favourite recipes!

Banana Date Flaxseed Bread

Flaxseed bread is a popular product utilizing the healthful grain - this is a freezer-friendly, sweet twist.

You will need:

· 1/4 cup vegetable oil

· 1/2 cup sugar

· 2 eggs

· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

· 1/2 tsp baking powder

· 1/2 tsp baking soda

· 1/2 tsp salt

· 1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates

· 2-3 ripe bananas-mashed

· ¼ cup flax seed whole food supplement

- In one bowl, mix the wet ingredients -- banana, oil and eggs -- with the sugar.

- In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients.

- Combine and bake at 350 F for 55-60 minutes in a greased loaf pan, checking for readiness by inserting a wooden skewer into the center.

Flaxseed Pizza Bread

If you prefer incorporating your flaxseed organic whole food supplement into savory recipes, the nutty flavor will be a hit in this pizza bread. You will need:

· 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

· 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

· 1/2 cup light parmesan cheese

· 1 tbsp granulated sugar

· 1 tbsp baking powder

· 2 tsp oregano leaves

· 1/2 tsp salt

· 1/4 tsp pepper

· 1 1/4 cups skim milk

· 2 tbsp canola oil

· 1 egg

· 1 small tomato, diced

· 1/4 cup diced green pepper

· 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

· ½ cup organic whole food flax seeds

- Whisk the oil, milk and egg together in one bowl

- Combine the remaining ingredients, apart from tomatoes, green pepper and mozzarella, in another bowl.

- Pour the first bowl into the second, and then pour into a loaf pan.

- Sprinkle the tomatoes, cheese and green pepper on top of batter -- they will fall through during baking.

- Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350 F, and enjoy your flaxseed whole food supplement in a yummy pizza bread!

Probiotics' Secrets Revealed by New Scientific Study

Scientists, bless them, are always trying to get to the "why" and "how" of questions about the workings of our bodies and worlds. We have known for centuries that certain foods can help with health conditions, and have known for quite a few years now that probiotics in these foods may be the reason that they promote good health. Science has now discovered the mechanism of action behind these substances in whole food supplements.

An international research team at the Institute of Biotechnology, and the Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences at the University of Helsinki have sequenced the genomes of LGG, or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. The research team found that the particular good bacteria binds with the intestinal mucus, with a specific adhesion component. It is actually this binding feature, unremarkable as it sounds, that seems to be the mainstay of LGG's health benefits. The protein structure that enables it to bind to the intestinal mucus produces a positive immune system modulation.

The particular probiotics in question is a licensed trademark of Valio, however, most studies on probiotic's health benefits do not use a brand name of probiotic. This is a convenient way to get funding -- but definitely doesn't mean that any other probiotic whole food supplement is less effective.

As recently as the middle of last year, you could find a raft of scientific articles about the benefits of probiotics in humans, but nearly every one of them began with "Scientists don’t know exactly how probiotics work, but they have discovered another of their amazing health benefits!" These amazing benefits of probiotics as whole food supplements has included:

• Decrease in serum CRP levels, which indicate an inflammatory response
• A potential therapy for ulcerative colitis
• Assisting with weight loss
• Reduce the side effects of antibiotics
• Treat bacterial vaginosis
• Preventing allergies in caesarian delivered babies
• Preventing diarrhea and other conditions caused by gut pathogens.

The different probiotics in different whole food supplements all have different effects -- you can expect to see many more studies of this type in the future!

Improving Health with Organic Vitamin Supplements

As I found myself approaching middle age, I realize the full extent of how important it is for my body to have the right vitamins, nutrients and minerals. I have always prided myself on eating a healthy diet, got an adequate amount of exercise and avoided smoking and alcohol. However, once I started going through menopause, I realized that I could experience a wide variety of health issues that could be alleviated with the right organic vitamin supplements.

In my search to find the right vitamin supplements, I searched the internet and local supermarket, and asked friends and family members for recommendations. I was surprised when my sister-in-law recommended a website called beyondprobiotics.net. When I searched the website I was amazed to find such a wide variety oforganic vitamins and mineral supplements, I was able to find exactly what I needed and was looking for and at prices that were comparable or less than what average places charged.

I found a product I love called “7-Keto DHEA,” which is a naturally occurring hormone already found in the human body. With the supplement I was able to reincorporate an all natural supplement without any of the obnoxious side effects that other synthetic products produced. I am an organic food and organic vitamin fan and to be able to find a complete product line produced from natural ingredients was like a dream come true.

I recommend the products offered by beyondprobiotics.net to all my friends, family members and co-workers. The company takes great pride in being able to offer such high-quality products at affordable and reasonable prices. Without these products I do now know how I would ever have made it through this delicate time of my life. I have been able adjust to the various side effects of menopause and preserve vital bone content, reduce hot flashes and night sweats all from using the products I purchased from this great website.

If you are seeking a place to find great, economical, all natural organic vitamins, I highly recommend you search the inventory available from beyondprobiotics.net. You will find any type of supplement you need and much more, the products are geared towards helping women like you and I adjust to difficult health issues and improves overall quality of life and health. I cannot say enough good about this company and will continue to sing the praises of the vitamins and other products offered, it has helped me and it can help you too.

Eating a Proper Diet for Better Nutrition

Most people are always on the go and have a tendency to grab something quick to eat -- but that's usually fast food. The American diet over the past twenty years has been poor to say the least. Many do not have the time to cook nutritious foods and usually go for dinner in a box or out of a can. By eating this way, there has been a steady increase of heart-related diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure and intestinal problems that are affecting a large portion of the American population. Studies are now finding out that a poor diet high in saturated fats, refined sugars and sodium are one of the leading causes of these diseases.

But some people are finally becoming more health conscious and learning more about proper nutrition and the importance of taking the right kind of vitamins. Incorporating organic whole food vitamins into the diet gives the body extra vitamins and minerals that it needs to stay healthy. For many of us that are on the go, this type of supplement puts back into the body that stress and a poor diet take out of us.

When shopping in the local supermarket, many of us are noticing the increase of organic foods that are available without having to shop at a specialty store. This is now becoming a new trend and making the public more aware of what they are putting in their bodies. The vitamin supplements should also be the same. When shopping for vitamins, they should be organic whole food supplements. These types of supplements are absorbed much more easily in the body compared to vitamins that contain unnatural chemicals.

Studies are showing an increase of foods and supplements that contain probiotics are also essential for good health. By adding these to the diet helps the immune system fights off free radicals and many other types of viruses that can attack the body. With this being said, it is crucial to incorporate probiotics into our diets especially during the cold and flu seasons. People with a healthier immune system can fight off these viruses more easily than one that does not take supplements or eat whole foods.

Better health can only be achieved by a changing to a healthier diet, exercise and becoming more aware of what we put into our bodies. Many companies such as Garden of Life carry such vitamins and many other products that can help on well on their way to a healthier lifestyle.

Antioxidants -- Best Natural and Whole Food Supplement Sources

As research goes on into diet and its implications for disease and health, one fact becomes more apparant -- antioxidants are essential for good health. Another fact is that most of us don’t get enough of them! Many people assume that if they don’t like blueberries or raw broccoli, their bodies will just have to go without. Well, antioxidants are found in a wide range of both raw and cooked foods, as well as in organic whole food supplement form. Today we are looking at the richest sources in food, and the best products to help you get the boost you need.

Food sources

Blueberries have been the poster child for antioxidants for some time now, but a recent scientific study showed that they are actually quite a way down the antioxidant list. Most of us buy cultivated blueberries, which have around a third less antioxidants than the wild variety. However, small red beans pack the biggest antioxidant hit, even more than in some organic whole food supplements. They have a capacity according to the study of around 13,700, compared to wild blueberries at 13,400 and cultivated ones at 9,000. Dried red kidney beans came in at 13,200, and pinto beans had around 11,800 in the study.

Here are some of the other foods involved in the study and their respective antioxidant capacities, rounded to the nearest hundred:

• Cranberries, 8,900
• Cooked artichoke, 7,900
• Blackberry, 7,700
• Raspberries, 6,000
• Strawberries, 5,900
• Red delicious apple, 5,900
• Pecans, 5,100
• Russet potato, 4,600
• Plum, 4,100

Best antioxidant whole food supplements

Garden of Life is one of the most respected names in the whole food supplement industry, and also makes two of the most popular antioxidant products. Vitamin Code Raw Antioxidants is just over $15 for a 30 capsule pack and contains:

• 100% daily intake of vitamin C, E, A and selenium
• Live enzymes and probiotics
• Raw formulation - no cooking, treating or adulteration

Another popular Garden of Life product is the Fruits of Life Antioxidant formula. You may have noticed that just about all of the super antioxidant foods on the list are fruits, and this whole food supplement brings them to you in a convenient form. All of the fruits are organic, and there is also oat bran fiber included with its beta glucans.

New Chapter's Supercritical Antioxidants is heavily discounted at Beyond Probiotics, and has been shown to elevate detox enzyme systems. It contains turmeric, green tea, rosemary, parsley, peppermint and ginger.

Multivitamins in Pregnancy Reduce Risk of Low Birthweight

A new study has shown that taking whole food multivitamins while pregnant can help reduce the risk of having a low-birthweight baby. While iron and folic acid supplementation is recommended by most doctors for pregnant women, replacing these with a multivitamin which contains the two could have more broad spectrum health benefits. Pregnancy is a time of massively increased demands on your nutrient stores, and taking natural whole food multivitamins has been shown by two recent studies to have benefits.

Whole food multivitamin study 1

One study was done at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto, led by Dr. Prakash Shah. It showed through synthesized results of 15 other worldwide studies that micronutrient supplementation helps prevent low birthweight over iron-folic acid supplements alone. The study showed that around 1.5 million babies born every year could have significantly higher birth weight if their mothers had taken a prenatal whole food multivitamin. However, the authors did note that the variability in study conditions limited the results somewhat, including the composition of micronutrient whole food multivitamins, timing of the supplementation, characteristics of the study participants and duration of the studies.

Whole food multivitamin study 2

The other study was a randomized trila by Piyush Gupta of University College of Medical Sciences in Delhi. It involved 200 women between 24 and 32 weeks at the beginning of the trial, who were either underweight or had low hemoglobin. Around half of the women received a calcium placebo, while the other half received a capsule with a combination of 29 micronutrients daily. Babies of the mothers who took whole food multivitamins weighed almost 100 grams more on average, and were almost a half-inch longer. The mothers, previously malnourished, also gained more weight during pregnancy (by around a pound).

Why do we care about low birthweight?

Babies who have a lower than average birthweight are more susceptible to a range of illnesses throughout their lives … despite a common conception by mothers that smaller babies hurt less during delivery, there is actually far more benefit in having an average or high birth weight baby.

Low-birthweight babies have been shown to be more susceptible to respiratory illness for the entire term of their lives, blindness, cerebral palsy, SIDS and kidney problems. Worth taking an organic whole food multivitamin for, certainly!

The Omega-3 Power Series: Conditions Omega-3 Can Help With

By now we've all heard of omega-3's, and most of us know that they come from oily fish (or at the least, from a clear capsule in a whole food supplement bottle!). Omega-3s are considered a super-nutrient by many dieticians and scientists -- today we begin the first of a two-part series looking at the conditions that omega-3 organic whole food supplements can help either treat or prevent, and how they do so.

Prostate cancer: This Western scourge kills tens of thousands of men every year -- it is one of the biggest male killers in the West, coming in after heart disease and lung cancer. However, omega-3 fatty acids help protect the body against advanced prostate cancer. In a study performed at the University of California San Francisco, researchers showed that men who had the highest intake of omega-3 fatty acids had a 63% lower risk of developing prostate cancer than those in the lowest consumption group.

Medical complications of obesity: Being obese by itself is not a negative for your health, but complications arising from it such as liver damage and insulin resistance certainly will. While people are busy following a healthy diet and exercising to lose weight, they can also protect themselves from the insulin resistance and liver damage that obesity causes with the protectins and resolvins in omega-3 organic whole food supplements. Switching to canola oil and eating lots more fish can help while on the path back to good health.

Depression: Dr Michel Lucas at the Universite Lamal studied 120 women for eight weeks, giving half three EPA-containing capsules daily, and the other half sunflower oil capsules. The first group had significant improvement in symptoms of psychological distress and mild depression.

Age-related macular degeneration: This is a leading cause of blindness among the elderly, but a diet high in omega-3s could help protect against the condition. Consumption of a diet high in omega-3 whole food supplements can help slow the progression of already developing macular lesions, also.

An enormous range of inflammatory-based conditions: The shift from a diet high in omega-3s to a diet high in omega-6, which comes from meat and vegetable oils, can be a leading cause of inflammatory conditions. The 2:1 ratio that omega-6 to omega-3 consumption has stood at for most of our evolution has increased to a 10:1 ration in modern times, and this can cause inflammatory conditions such as asthma, arthritis and diabetes. Correct the imbalance by reducing meat consumption, and increasing omega-3 organic whole food supplements.

6 Best Whole Food Supplements Under $20

You've probably heard about the benefits of supplementing your diet, especially if you are like the vast majority of Westerners throughout the world, and don’t eat enough fresh fruit and vegetables. Whole food supplements are the best way to add to your daily vitamin and mineral intake, providing you with a more natural form of the substance, and fewer potential side effects. Whole food supplementing doesn’t have to be expensive - today we're looking at six of the top nutritionist's whole food supplements under $20!

1. Chlorella regularis - 90 vcaps, $11.97

This is one of the richest natural sources of chlorophyll, missing from many people's diets and a potent antioxidant, just like spirulina. The regularis species is easiest for many people to digest -- and the price is equally easy for your wallet to digest!

2. NewChapter Every Woman's Mineral Complex, 90 tablets $17.97

This formulation delivers the minerals that women need every day, aimed at supporting bone strength and scavenging free radicals. The minerals are accompanied by herbs like orgenao cinnamon, rosemary, ginger and turmeric.

3. Garden of Life Perfect Cleanse, 10 Day Kit $17.97

This kit for a 10 day detoxification includes 3 patented Garden of Life formulation steps. Forst you purify, then capture, and finally remove with three different organic whole food supplement ingredients.

4. Garden of Life Primal Defense Probiotics, 45 caps $14.97

This product is so popular there is actually a waiting list -- it is the No. 1 selling probiotics across the whole food supplement industry. It contains homeostatic soil organisms, and promotes a healthy immune system and regular digestion. The soil organisms were once an everyday part of our diet, but modern farming and food processing has largely wiped them out.

5. Garden of Life Seasonal Relief, 63 caplets $17.47

This helps prevent and lessen the duration of colds and flus by supporting the immune system, with herbs such as elderberry, goldenseal and Echinacea. There are also plenty of supporting herbs such as garlic, onion, oregano, yarrow and peppermint leaf.

6. Garden of Life Tea Trio, 60 capsules $12.57

This blend mixes organic white tea, green tea and black tea for those who love the health benefits of the drink, but don’t like the yellowing teeth or running to the toilet every couple of hours! It can protect against many diseases, as well as increase energy and alertness.

Conditions That Science Believes Probiotics Can Treat

The very concept of probiotics was absolutely foreign to the general public, only 20 years ago. Now we know much more about how friendly bacteria in our gut help support the functions of our immune system, metabolism, and digestive health. If you’re having trouble keeping track of what probiotics have been shown to be able to treat, we have a rundown on recent developments in the probiotics research world for you today!

1. Probiotics fighting cholera

Although cholera has largely been eliminated in the Western world, it is still quite prevalent in the Third World. It produces toxins that bind to complex sugar receptors on cells in the human intestine. Reserachers have found a way to copy that process, using molecular mimics attached to probiotics that prevent the disease itself from binding to the cells' surfaces.

2. Probiotics fighting E.coli and traveler's diarrhea

The same mechanism of action has also been shown to help prevent traveler's diarrhea and the common pathogen E.coli. However, some studies have shown mixed results on probiotics treatment for diarrhea. While it shows promise, it would be safest to check with your doctor if you have persistent diarrhea.

3. Preventing allergy development in Cesarian-delivered babies

Friendly bacteria can replace the exposure to microbes which is often thought to be one of the reasons that some children develop allergies, while others do not. Cesarian-delivered babies are not exposed to microbes from the mother's vaginal passage, and so the probiotics replace these flora. There was no extra protection observed for vaginally delivered infants.

4. Bacterial vaginosis treatment boosted by probiotics

It seems contradictory, but taking probiotics supplements alongside antibiotic tablets actually helps improve outcomes in cases of bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is associated with increased risk of transmitting HIV.

5. Probiotics reduce sick leave time

Workers at the Tetra Pak factory in Switzerland who took a daily dose of probiotics were 2.5 times less likely to take sick leave for common illnesses such as colds and gastroenteritis than those who took a placebo. The effects were seen to be strongest in shift workers taking the whole food supplements.

6. Doctors to be washing their hands in Yakult rather than antiseptic

The reason that many doctors are reluctant to give their patients antibiotics is because of the possibility of creating drug-resistant forms of disease. However, antiseptic soaps used in hospitals may have the same effect. The current prevalence of methylcyllin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospitals is one striking example of what can happen in a highly antibiotic environment.

Also in recent research are some studies which note that probiotics don’t show a significant improvement in the condition of eczema patients, and they do not relieve all types of diarhhea.

University College Cork Researchers Show How Probiotics Help Prevent Disease

It has been difficult to find a negative word about probiotics in the scientific literature recently. From advantages with weight control, to vaginosis, to allergy prevention and assistance for gastric bypass patients, probiotics are the new wonder drug. Now University College Cork researchers have found that they have the potential to stop a huge range of pathogenic bacteria, simply by introducing probiotics at the site of infection or damage to the body.

The researchers studied bovine mastitis, porcine salmonellosis and listeriosis in mice. In all three disease models, the specially-developed probiotics preparation gave the animals significant resistance to the infections. In fact, the probiotics treatment was found to be as effective as the best antibiotics that were available for the disease … but without the problems of potential resistance developing. It helped resolve the symptoms as well as eliminate the source of infection, the pathogens.

The way that the probiotics worked, interesting, varied from disease to disease. In one case, the probiotics directly killed the pathogen, and in other cases, the probiotics had an effect on the host animal's immune system, which in turn was better able to fight the infection. The probiotics which killed unwanted germs directly was Lactobacillus salivarius, and it produced an antimicrobial peptide that simply killed the listeria bacteria. For the cows with mastitis, the Lactococcus lastis used could elicit an immune response that overwhelmed the bacteria.

Probiotic therapy could soon take over antibiotic therapy, if broad enough spectrum probiotics could be found to target a range of different diseases in one hit. Probiotics can be taken in smoothies or yogurts, or cultured into a huge range of other foods and drinks. They do not create resistant bacteria -- currently physicians often will not prescribe the antibiotics that could help patients feel better, because the potential for creating resistant bacteria is not in the interests of the general population.

The researchers were planning to begin studying the molecular mechanism of action of the probiotics, in order to develop artificial or chemical strategies for reproducing their results. However, natural health experts often say that the complete package is the most useful way to take a remedy.

The probiotics the team used were lactobacillus, however these were newly isolated from human volunteers in the study. The team did not use any particular commercial product, so unfortunately we can’t recommend any!

Dietary Supplement Cautions -- What Every Health Conscious Person Should Know

The reason that a varied, fresh, and healthy diet helps people feel so much better is that it generally provides the recommended daily allowance of an enormous range of minerals and vitamins that support our normal bodily functions. However, there is always the possibility of having too much of a good thing … and in that case, it turns quite rapidly into a bad thing. The FDA regulates prescription drugs, but doesn’t do the same for dietary supplements and herbal supplements, which can also be harmful to your health if taken in excess. Here we look at some guidelines for all dietary supplement takers.

Begin with one at a time

Unless you are taking a whole food supplement or one-a-day formulation, start on just one dietary supplement at a time. Take half the recommended dose for a week, then take the full dose for a week. Try to maintain a normal diet and exercise routine in these weeks. Note any unusual symptoms -- if you encounter negative side effects in these weeks, see if stopping the supplement makes them go away.

Exercise caution with fat-soluble vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins will simply be excreted by the body in most cases if you take too much. However, fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate in the liver, brain and other bodily tissues and cause symptoms like joint pain, depression, nausea and dry skin. Taking a whole food supplement or a one-a-day formulation helps decrease this risk, but if you notice any adverse symptoms get the advice of a health professional.

Always ask about prescription drug interactions

Vitamins and minerals have real health effects -- that is why so many people take them. Their actions can compound with those of prescription drugs to cause some dangerous situations. Ginseng and gingko biloba are both blood thinners, so definitely aren't compatible with warfarin. There are a host of other cautions like this.

Pregnancy cautions

Adults have relatively enormous bodies, well-developed drug and chemical tolerance and better excretory systems than a fetus does. When you are pregnant, a drug that is common and safe for you can be extremely harmful for your baby. Excessive amounts of vitamin A are an excellent example -- they can cause birth defects, yet most ordinary multivitamins contain more than the recommended daily allowance. Whole food supplements are generally safer than the chemical variety -- but talk to a health professional or your pharmacist before starting any dietary supplement if you are pregnant.

Top 5 Men's Whole Food Supplements - What a Boy Wants!

Men and women are different, and the vitamins and whole-food supplements that men and women need to support hormonal and bodily functions are different, too. Today we're looking at the top five whole food supplements and whole food multivitamin ingredients for men.

1. Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto extract is taken for one of the most common conditions affecting older men, benign prostatic hyperplasia. The extract has few side effects in healthy people. It is FDA-approved, and some trials have shown a mild to moderate increase in flow measures and an improvement in symptoms.

2. Lycopene

Lycopene is found in tomatoes. It is great for slowing skin degeneration, but the main benefit of this carotenoid for men is it is thought to help relieve symptoms of cardiovascular disease, cancer, male infertility, and diabetes.

3. Panax ginseng (Korean Red)

This herb is related to the garden-variety ginseng found in many whole food supplements and whole food multivitamins. This variety is especially good for men's health because it has an unusually high concentration on ginsenosides, helping improve erectile function and increasing testosterone levels in general.

4. Green tea

Green tea contains some ingredients that can help fight belly fat, namely epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). You can sometimes find whole food supplements that include green tea extract, if drinking it doesn’t quite fit with your manly image!

5. Zinc

One of the best known minerals for men, zinc helps with ensuring good semen volume, which maintains prostate gland function and growth of the reproductive organ. It also supports the function of the brain, liver, bones and kidneys. Muscles depend on zinc, and if you are looking to bulk up, zinc should be an essential part of your diet and exercise plan.

Please note that the FDA has recently reviewed its recommendations on selenium for men at risk of prostate cancer. While it is still an essential nutrient for all around health, it is not necessarily believed to be beneficial against the disease. Whole food supplements will include it simply for all-round health.