Life as It's Lived

The Magic of Mushrooms

Could it be that mushrooms are from outer space as Terrence McKenna suggests? Why not, it appears astral dust is building chemical reactions that build organic molecules of formaldehyde, ammonia and others. Meanwhile religions throughout history have utilized mushrooms for the psychotropic and health effects. Rulers have restricted their use solely to themselves. So what is it about mushrooms that has produced such interest and popularity?

Mushrooms appear to learn mazes quicker and better than rats. They also represent the largest living organism on earth as illustrated in our comic strip of Professor Health. They are also one of the most highly valued components in the world's herbal arsenal of health nutrients affecting immunity, intelligence and countless biological systems.

Here we have the master Mushroom man Paul Stamets in a personal short video by Daryl Hannah. Paul Stamets is one of the world's leading mycologists and author of several reference works on medical mushrooms, he says "Lion's Mane mushroom mycelium is nature's nutrients for your neurons." It appears to stimulate nerve cells, nerve growth and has major implications for Alzheimer's and other mental health concerns.

Lion's Mane mushroom (Hericium Erinaceus) has been highly prized in Chinese traditional medicine. It was reserved for the Emperors and used by Chinese doctors as a curative for digestive tract problems such as ulcers, and stomach cancers. Its beta glucan polysaccharides, along with polypeptides and fatty acids have a lot to do with these curative effects.  Clinical studies have shown that these polysaccharides, along with adenosine and oleanolic acids, stimulate induction of interferons and modulation of the immune system, boosting the white blood cell count to help the healing process.  These substances also enhance the function of the gastric mucus barrier, accelerate the healing of ulcers, and exhibit anti-inflammatory effects.

Lion's Mane helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels.  It is completely safe, showing no signs of toxicity or side effects in any scientific research.  One of the most exciting areas of potential is its ability to help combat some of the symptoms and underlying causes of dementia and Alzheimer's disease as well as peripheral neurological dysfunction.

As Paul Stamets, one of the world's leading mycologists and author of several reference works on medical mushrooms, puts it, "Lion's Mane mushroom mycelium is nature's nutrients for your neurons."  The Chinese have known this benefit for thousands of years, as the ancient herbalists promised nerves of steel and the memory of a lion to the privileged few who were allowed to eat this restricted delicacy. The breakdown in healthy neurological function can help be prevented by adding Lion's Mane mushroom to the diet. 

Keep your Immune System in Shape with Xigo Products

There's a great new immune product from a company called Xigo Health, which is based in Key Biscayne, Florida which includes Daily Immune Defense formulas for kids and adults as well as Maximum Immune Defense for “occasion-specific” immune support. These triple-action formulas contain a patent-pending ingredient blend including lactoferrin, L-glutamine and beta glucans.

The company was created when company founder Rudy Beeck was traveling back and forth from south Florida to Spain and encountering the usual travel challenges: an airplane full of people, a change in temperature and climate and the overall stress of traveling. In an attempt to keep him feeling up to par, Rudy’s colleague (now the company’s chief scientific officer) introduced him to what Rudy called “a foul-tasting powder”, which he discovered kept him healthy. When he brought it back to his own family, however, no one would touch it due to its taste. Several years and flavor formulations later came the Xigo Immune Defense product line — available as a great tasting chewable tablet — was born.

Focus on Moms

Because Rudy believed in the power of moms and understood their role as gatekeeper to family health, Xigo’s core values include a focus on mom and helping her keep her family healthy. Xigo even hired a Chief Mom Officer to interact with moms through social media — Xigo’s CMO Ellen Schutt posts blogs often, tweets and interacts on Facebook with other moms, offering tips to keep families healthy but also engaging in conversations with moms and understanding what’s important to them in all facets of their lives.

Ingredient Overview

Xigo’s immune defense line is based on three key ingredients, which activate the immune system without overstimulating it; it helps the immune system initiate a quicker response and improves resistance to infection.

L-glutamine — an amino acid perhaps better known to body builders for its role in protein metabolism —  helps with metabolic, immunologic, antioxidant and gut protective effects. Science has shown that in times of stress, L-glutamine levels fall rapidly and dramatically and this affects the immune response.

Lactoferrin is the good stuff in colostrum (part of the main reason why it’s so important to breastfeed) and it helps fuel a stronger immune response. Importantly, it enhances future responses and helps the immune system remember and fight off the attack in the future.

As a quick biology lesson, we actually have two different types of immune systems, the innate system, which detects when there is a challenge and activates different types of immune cells to eliminate the problem, and the adaptive immune system, which helps the immune system remember and recall immune challenges it has previously encountered and respond more quickly to repeat attacks. Xigo’s Immune Defense products are formulated to work with both systems to keep the immune system functioning perfectly.

Each of Xigo’s ingredients has over 1000 studies in Pub Med related to immunity and the formula actually underwent a review by Dr. R.W. Gracy, Vice President of Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio, who gave it a positive review. And in the company’s ongoing commitment to science, it is in the middle of a 140 person, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in the Boston area that is coordinated through the NIH (National Institutes of Health).

The form for the Immune Defense products is also important. Because they are chewable, the products start working in the mouth, directing nutrients directly to the tissues lining the throat and mouth, which is the body’s first line of defense.  From there, immune cells disperse Xigo’s nutritional support throughout the entire body for a complete immune response.

Blog – www.xigohealth.com/blog

Facebook – www.facebook.com/xigohealth

Twitter - @xigohealth

New Answer for Head Lice

Snoring Solutions?

Snoring is a common problem resulting in sleep deprivation harmful to health and extra stress on relationships. Usually the cause is a result of the nasal passages being blocked. When this happens breathing occurs through the mouth. As a person sleeps the body relaxes and the soft palate comes into close contact with the uvula causing irregular airflow resulting in a vibrational sound that can be loud, sometimes very loud.

Often snoring is an indication of allergy problems which can be due to mold, bedding materials such as goose down, and dust mites.Snoring can also be an indication of other health problems and often occurs with obesity.

There are two things a person can do to help stop snoring. First is to clear the nasal passageway. Rainbow Light's Supra Clear Sinus and Chest is an effective aid. Two tablets at bedtime are usually sufficient to keep the nasal passages open for the night. Other products such as Vogel's Pollinosan Nasal Spray and Vogel's Dentaforce oral spray give quick relief. The goal is to keep the nasal passages open. A good specific formula is KAL No Snorz. Another complete line of products are called Snore Stop. Some nutrients that can help solve the problem are  MSM and pantothenic acid (B5). Pau'dArco extract is a useful herb if the cause is related to mold reactions.

There is no snoring when the mouth is closed. This brings us to the second important factor. The person must consciously keep one's mouth closed and breathe through the nose. That is what the nose is for. With snoring the mouth is always open and a person can consciously make it a habit to sleep with their mouth closed breathing through their nose. When the nasal passage is open this is usually an easy habit to acquire. If the nasal passage is restricted then snoring is more difficult to change.

With this comic both partners are getting the rest they need. They also took Source Naturals Calcium Night, an excellent formula for calcium and magnesium in a 1:1 ratio aiding necessary nutritional needs of muscles (aiding bladder control)) and nerves (aiding heart and energy) while helping to build strong bones, and getting that important regeneration of the body that comes from sleeping.

Anxiety and Herbs

Parking Problems? Curbside Pick-up!

Sea Buckthorn Source of Omega 7

Out of the shadows of history has emerged the story of Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)- Hippophae, translated, means “Shiny Horse”. Legend is that after a successful military campaign, the victorious Greeks were amazed to discover that the deserted and wounded horses of their enemy survived miraculously after taking shelter in a nearby jungle. More shocking than their survival, was that the horses emerged from this area stronger than ever with a striking feature: shiny and radiant hair.

Most people have heard of the essential fatty-acids Omega 3,6,and 9. Omega 3 is found in flax and fish oils, Omega 6 in borage and evening primrose, and Omega 9 in olives. Omega 7 (palmitoleic acid) is in Sea Buckthorn. Omega 7 is a naturally occurring component of healthy skin and is a highly effective antioxidant providing strong anti-aging support because of its ability to rein-in free radicals. It is also a strong emollient – a substance that soothes and moisturizes the skin and promotes the regeneration of tissues.

While modern studies report these benefits for the skin, ancient texts also reveal an extensive history of traditional use of Sea Buckthorn in Tibet & Mongolia for the body’s sensitive internal organs – in particular the mucous membranes that line the stomach/GI tract, upper respiratory tract and vagina. The ability of this botanical to help moisturize and sooth these sensitive internal areas in addition to its external skin benefits has made it a staple of traditional herbal systems.

Sea Buckthorn berries and seeds are also a source of Omega, 3, 6 and 9 – making it the optimal form of essential fatty-acid supplementation. It is one that everyone should consider incorporating into their skin and membrane health routine. It is truly a super food and great for beautiful hair.

Modern science has a special technology called Supercritical CO2 extraction which does not use hexane and other industrial solvents. This system delivers the full spectrum of constituents without any harsh solvent residues. It is important to find Omega 7 that has used this process for extraction. It is gentle with a low heat, low oxygen environment. One excellent source is New Chapter’s Omega 7.

Resolutions Made Easy through Nutrition

It is always amazing how nutrition helps to keep a body healthy, relaxed, focused and energized. There are many nutrients that make this possible. Usually combination products work the best. One of the first ways to get energy is to relax. When that occurs the body's natural rejuvenation begins. Over stimulated systems simply begin to wear out and often with dire consequences. One of the best products for feeling this remarkable effect is Herb Express Relax. It also is a good immune stimulant having herbs that are anti-viral and anti-fungal. It relaxes and soon you feel a great shift as your body moves chi through out the system, warming your extremities and aiding your focus and learning abilities.

There are many good products for energy. Interestingly one of the most excellent sources of energy is Vtiamin C ascorbate. That in conjunction with Natural Factors Learning Factors gives strength and energy that is long lasting with a wonderful feeling that helps to focus and strengthen the will to get things done- and not to procrastinate!

Our season AFTER SALE begins on December 26th to December 30th!

Published on December 24th in the San Francisco Examiner. Life as it's lived enters the final days of the holiday season. Thanks for making the last week of the year one of the most successful weeks at Vitamin Express. Dan the Man, Doctor Health, Suzie, and all the characters send their wishes of good health, peace on earth, and goodwill towards all.

Heart aches - a thing of the past

The Sunshine Vitamin D3!

Invasion of H1N1 in San Francisco at Vitamin Express!

Irving Street, San Francisco, California, USA was visited by FDA (Friends of Drugs Associates) agents Sickalot and Flugonebad. They located an H1N1 (Hi-one No-one) virus lurking in the store and proceeded to attack and kill it.  Given that their tools were ineffective, (gee, wonder why) they decided to befriend it and the virus lived out it's short life in peace, bothering no one. As reported by Starr Reporter, SF top reporter reporting at the scene as it happens, to be reported.

     Here we have a final close-up of the brave agents and the inimical H1N1. Agent Flugonebad on the left and Agent Sickalot on the right and we know who is in the middle.

Happy Digestion Day!

Getting rid of the ghosts of Halloween Past

Noticed how right after Halloween kids start to get sick with colds and flu ? There seems to be this connection that when the sun goes down and the weather changes and the body is supplied with huge amounts of refined sugar colds and flu catch us.

There's much that can be done to help the situation. First of course is plenty of rest and reduced sugar intake, and next is to strengthen the body's immune response. Health literature and research points out the great benefits of adding Vitamin D, Vitamin C, zinc, Vitamin A, beta glucans and bioflavonoids to our daily intake. KAL has produced a very good children's immune formula called ImmunoRaptor that tastes good- natural orange flavored chewable tablet sweetened with sorbitol and xylitol.

An important nutrient for proper sugar assimilation is chromium. It helps bind insulin to the cell wall making it important for insulin function and carbohydrate metabolism. It also appears to have significant benefits for a typical depression, i.e. mood swings, carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, fatigue, lethargy, and sensitivity to rejection, as outlined in Dr. Malcolm McLeod's book, Lifting Depression: The Chromium Connection.

Old Time TB Remedy to Modern Day Cold Corrective

In 1897 Charles Stevens arrived in South Africa suffering from a serious upper respiratory illness, tuberculosis. A native Zulu healer gave him a decoction of Pelargonium sidoides (Umcka) a unique species of geranium found in South Africa. Stevens fully recovered and returned to England, where he sold the decoction commercially as Stevens Consumption Cure. It was very popular throughout Europe.

In 1920, Adrien Sechehaye, a Swiss missionary doctor used the remedy to treat over 800 patients successfully. As pharmaceutical drugs emerged, Stevens’ remedy was slowly forgotten, only to be rediscovered by European researchers who verified its remarkable abilities. It has been shown clinically to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of symptoms associated with the common cold- congestion, headache, cough, sore throat, hoarseness and minor aches. Even  more important this herb helps to reduce the migration of the cold into bronchitis, tonsillitis and sinusitis. It also reduces those symptoms.

It is widely recommended by doctors and pediatricians because of its high success rate and safety even for very young children over the age of two. In an evaluation study, over 90% of patients and doctors rated Pelrgonium sidoides as an effective remedy for colds and upper respiratory irritations.

If a sore throat is severe, persists more than 2 days, is accompanied or followed by a fever, headache, rash, nausea or vomiting, consult a doctor promptly.