Have you heard of Codex Alimentarius Commission?

Codex Alementarius is Latin for food code.  The commission is an organization established in the 1960′s by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and the World Health Organization.   It maintains codes and legislation relating to the food industry.

The reason it is topical is because of discussions right now about countries (at least the US and Europe that I’m aware of) adopting the practice of having supplements available by prescription only.  (i.e. you wouldn’t be able to go to your local pharmacy and buy some vitamin c or any other vitamin, mineral, or herbal supplement.)

To me this is OUTRAGEOUS and downright SCARY.

Here is a short video off You Tube that just scratches the surface of this issue.  I wouldn’t normally blog about something political, but I think this is something everyone needs to be aware of as it directly affects each and every one of us and our health.


To your health,

Kimberly

What are the best Supplements?

With all of the supplement choices out there, how are you supposed to know what to choose?  Do you go for the most expensive?  Least expensive?

Do you choose a brand you are familiar with?  Or something your doctor recommends?

Do you buy them from the grocery store?  Or a specialty health store?  Organic?  Natural?  Etc.

You may have all these questions and a lot more.  So, how do you know what the answers are?  How do you know what the best supplements are?  There isn’t any one answer to this, but here is my favorite brand.

Nutrilite

About 5 years ago, I was introduced to the Nutrilite brand of supplements.  They are a premium, high quality supplement company that has been around since1934.  The founder is Carl Rehnborg, who first became curious about the connection between health and foods in the 1920′s when he was living in China.  The rest is history, as they say.  The Nutrilite site has a wealth of information about the history and other aspects of the business.

Nutrilite Farming

What I love about Nutrilite is the way that the supplements are made.  Nutrilite actually have their own chemical-free farms, where they grow and harvest plants from which they produce supplements.  This means that the amount of time between when the plants are harvested and when they are dehydrated and turned into the final product is very short, showing us the freshness of what goes in to the final product.  No other supplements are grown, harvested, processed, and shipped in the way that Nutrilite does it.

Here is an excerpt from their website:

Nutrilite – We Never Compromise on Quality

At the NUTRILITE™ manufacturing facility, our standards of quality in manufacturing are as much a part of our company culture as our natural farming practices. Clean rooms and well-cared-for equipment are one measure of excellence; another is the level of expertise demonstrated by Nutrilite staff throughout the manufacturing process.

  • Plants are harvested at their nutritional peak and transported as quickly as possible to our dehydration facility.
  • The concentration process uses specialized equipment in a state-of-the-art facility to dehydrate, mill, and extract nature’s richest nutrients from the plants – creating the world’s finest nutritional concentrates.
  • Each batch of concentrate powder is tested to ensure it is free of contaminants and of proper potency.
  • Computer-controlled scales measure the exact weight and amount of each concentrate powder.
  • The various powders are then blended into a single, uniform mixture.
  • The powder blend is compressed into tablets, coated with a special solution for easier swallowing, and inspected closely for cracks or chips.
  • Finished tablets are sealed in specially-designed containers to maintain freshness.

Another unique thing about Nutrilite is the use of Acerola cherries.   These cherries are one of the richest sources of vitamin C and I doubt many other supplement companies can boast the use of this fruit in their products.

Now, Nutrilite is definitely not the cheapest supplement brand, but I have stayed loyal since being introduced to it because of the quality.  I love the fact that the products are made from FOOD rather than chemicals.  That is awesome!  And while lots of other supplement brands fail consumer quality checks (to make sure the products contain the levels of nutrients that they claim to contain – see www.consumerlab.com), Nutrilite stands strong.  So, you are getting what they tell you you’re getting.

I could say a hundred more great things about Nutrilite, but I’ll leave it at that.   If you’re ready to give them a try, click here for prices and ordering information.

To your health,

Kimberly

Top 3 benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is the supplement that I make sure never to run out of.  I depend on it everyday to keep myself healthy and free of all the nasty colds/flus that are going around.  I think most people out there know that vitamin C is good for us, but what exactly are the benefits?

1. Antioxidant – Vit C acts as an antioxidant. It fights free radicals in the body.  This helps protect our cells from damage, both internally and externally, which in turn helps protect against cancer or other diseases.

2. Boosts the immune system – Vit C helps the body fight off anything that tries to attack the system.  It can help stop colds/flus, or if you’ve already got a bug, it helps make the symptoms go away much more quickly.  I’ve even heard that by taking vitamin C before being exposed to smoke,  you can help your body fight off whatever damage the smoke might cause.

3. Collagen – Vit C is an important part of collagen production (you know, the stuff that we lose as we get older which makes us look years beyond our real age!)  Therefore, by taking vitamin c, we are helping our skin stay plump and young looking. We also help our skin heal faster after wounds or surgery.

Where do we get Vitamin C?

Humans do not produce vitamin C (unlike other mammals) so we need to get it both through diet and supplements.  We all know citrus fruits, like oranges, have vitamin C, but where else can we get it?

In fact, many fruits and vegetables have vitamin C, but some of the top choices are:

Strawberries, Red Peppers, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Spinach, Kiwi, and the number 1 choice is Acerola Cherries

How much Vitamin C should I take?

I know the recommended daily allowance (RDA) in the US is 60mg per day, but I don’t think that is nearly enough!  I take 250mg per day in a supplement, plus whatever I’m getting from my food.  If I’m feeling a cold coming on, I take about 1000mg per day.   The thing about vitamin C is that whatever your body doesn’t use, it gets rid of.

I actually met a nutritionist once who said that he takes 1000mg every hour if he is feeling a cold coming on!  And he did that every hour until he knew the germs were flushed from his body.

It is important to keep up your water intake, as I’ve found vitamin C to be dehydrating in large doses.

Should I supplement?

I think supplementation is a decision for each individual person, however, with many of our fruits and vegetables traveling long distances before they actually reach our plates, you just can’t depend on your diet to give you all of the essential vitamins and minerals.  I’ve been a vitamin taker forever, so I highly recommend it.

With vitamin C, it does deteriorate fairly quickly after a fruit/vegetable has been harvested.  So…I say, yes, supplement!  As always, though, make sure to find a good quality, natural supplement.  There are many out there that are purely chemical based, so try to avoid this.

Check out a few brands here:  www.nutritionsupplements4u.com.

To your health,

Kimberly

Mighty Magnesium

This is just a quick post following the theme of my detox diet post that I did earlier today.

Another way to help yourself from feeling sluggish is to ensure you are getting enough Magnesium.  One of the powers of Magnesium is to keep your muscles strong and according to an article on www.realage.com, most people do not get enough of it.

Here are some foods rich in magnesium:

broccoli, spinach (in fact many green vegetables), peanuts, avocado and halibut.

Or, alternatively, you can always take a supplement to up your intake of magnesium…and lots of other vitamins and minerals.  I’m a huge fan of good quality supplements taken along side a healthy diet.

Check out a few brands here:  www.nutritionsupplements4u.com

Here’s to your health.

Kimberly

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