kryptonite vs. astragalus

Every superhero has his fatal flaw. True invincibility, when you come right down to it, is a bore. If Lex Luther doesn’t have a fighting chance, where’s the suspense? Why would he even bother? Why would we? It’s the chink in the armor that feeds our fascination. That allows us to identify with the gods. So Superman’s super powers are undermined by kryptonite and Achilles has his heel (though one could argue his fatal flaw was actually inappropriate footwear – going to war in strappy sandals? what’s up with that?), and we’ll throw down $10.50 every time to watch these guys fight to overcome them.

Now, we mere mortals may aspire to superhero status, working 18-hour days, juggling kids, careers and eco-catastrophe, but super status doesn’t guarantee invincibility (unless you’re Dick Cheney – is that guy a cyborg, or what?). But we do have a superpower, our own personal superhero, if you will. And in its complexity and armament, it far surpasses anything Bruce Banner or Dr. Doom could create. It’s not a cape or x-ray vision or even shape-shifting (though I’d love that one - wonder powers unite!). Our superpower is our immune system, and all those DC and Marvel dudes got bupkis compared to this bad boy.

Think about it, your immune system defends you against millions of bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins and parasites that, every day, every minute, are trying to invade your body and take you down. But unlike Tony Stark’s power armature, your immune system protects you without your even noticing (like Wonder Woman’s invisible plane - cool.). It even protects you while you sleep. Did you know that your skin (the first line of defense in your immune system) secretes anti-bacterial substances? Oh yes. Otherwise you’d wake up looking like a well-aged piece of cheese. Most bacteria and spores that land on your skin die instantly (name a superhero with that power).

It’s when you do notice your immune system that you better watch your back. But frankly, by then, it’s too late. Your armor has failed. Your superhero’s goin’ down. Your fatal flaw has found its mark. For like all superheroes, your super powered immune system has a fatal flaw. True, it doesn’t have the glamour of a glowing green stalactite from outer space but in its humble bumbling way, it’s every bit as devastating. When it comes to your immune system, the fatal flaw is you.

Even with all its fortitude and intricacy, we lowly beings are able to undermine the genius of our immune systems each and every day with our bad habits and careless behavior. Smoking, drinking, stress, long workdays and little sleep, fast food and a faster pace, and perhaps most importantly, the mounting toxins we continue to introduce into our environment, are our villains. Some of these are easy for our immune system to handle, like that pesky cold or bug bite, but others are harder to fight off. Wouldn’t the Joker have a laugh fest if that golden tan you were so proud of turned cancerous and left you wondering how you’ll wear sunglasses without your nose?

For the most part, common sense can protect us from our fatal flaw. Eating right, getting enough sleep, moderate sun exposure and slowing down so we can actually see the flowers we’re trying to smell, allow our immune system to operate with near invincibility. But when common sense fails and, since we are only human, it usually does, finding a plug for that chink in our armor is like Spiderman’s web: you ain’t gonna swing without it.

And one sure way to plug that chink is with Immunasure from Sure Nature (www.surenature.com).
Not only does Immunasure complement your immune system, but it also contains what may very well be a superhero of its very own: astragalus. Sounds super doesn’t it? Captain Astragalus. Astragalusman. Okay, maybe not, but it does have immune enhancing properties that have been recognized and used for hundreds of years.

Astragalus, or Huang chi (them’s fightin’ words), is a plant native to Asia, whose root, when used medicinally, has been found to increase the production of immune cells as well as stimulating anti-viral activity. It’s been shown to reduce immune suppression following chemotherapy. It may also have a diuretic effect, lowering blood pressure and causing blood vessels to relax, thereby reducing the effects of heart disease. Studies also suggest that it may have renal protective effects. It’s been shown to reduce fatigue and may even combat the effects of senility.

Used for centuries in Chinese medicine to improve the overall function of the immune system, astragalus has only recently peeked the interest of western medicine. But Sure Nature is well ahead of the curve and with Immunasure, combines the immune enhancing properties of astragalus, with garlic, lemon balm, larch tree and Lactobacillus sporogenes, to produce a supplement that not only sharpens our immune system, but also helps to undermine that fatal flaw in our quest for invincibility, namely, ourselves.

Wonder powers unite!

to supplement or not to supplement

What did you have for breakfast this morning? What were you doing and where were you while you ate it? And how did you greet your day?

If you answered that, after yoga stretches and an invigorating run through the dewy fields of a pristine rural country-side, you had fresh squeezed orange juice from an organic orange you plucked from the tree with your own hand within the last 24 hours, ate a poached egg laid this morning by your free ranging hen, and a slice of toast made from fresh baked bread containing no preservatives, coloring agents, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical residues, and topped with hormone free, organic butter while sitting across from your beloved in a sun-drenched breakfast nook recounting your blissful night’s sleep as birdsong and sweet morning air drift through your open window with an unobstructed view of the horizon, then you may not need a vitamin supplement to maintain your healthy constitution.

But if, like me and the rest of America, you woke tired and cranky (and late), watched your kid spill his OJ (from concentrate) across your tax returns (you had to file for an extension again), listened to your wife (as she pried a smoking Pop Tart from the toaster) recount the various collection agencies that had called during the last week while you were on yet another business trip (missing your kid’s school pageant again), shaved in your rear-view mirror while holding a dangerously hot Triple Caramel Grande Latte (with whip) between your squishy spreading thighs as the pale yoke of your EggMcMuffin dripped onto your one good tie and you cursed the endless stream of brake lights disappearing before you into the gray green smog of the horizon, while the news radio buzz of war, unemployment, home-foreclosures, gas prices, melting ice caps, and Brangelina fried your over-taxed brain cells, you, like the rest of us, may need a supplement.

We are quickly becoming a nation of over-fed, over-medicated, overwrought, borderline automatons that are under-nourished, under-exercised, discouraged and dismayed.

We suffer from an increasingly toxic environment that over-taxes our immune systems. The technology that for so long seemed to be benefiting us is gradually undermining our physical and mental well-being. Our car, TV and Internet culture has left 40% of us obese and 70% of us over-weight. Our corporate food culture has depleted the nutrients in our nation’s soil, producing food that has half the nutritional value it did 50 years ago and is no longer a product of nature, but of chemistry. We eat filler and waste and chemical byproducts disguised as food. We drive instead of walk. We zone out in front of television instead of reading (or having a conversation, god forbid) and squint harder and harder at our computer screens. Wonder why the incidence of cancer and other debilitating disease is skyrocketing?

65% of us no longer sit down to a family meal and almost 70% of us skip at least one meal a day and yet we’re the fattest nation on the planet. 40% report eating less than half the U.S. daily-recommended amount (USRDA) of vegetables and 60% the recommended fruit. Yet those USRDA standards are predicated on studies from 1968 when the fruits and vegetables we were eating had twice the amount of nutrition they do today.

A vitamin supplement is no longer a choice it’s a necessity.

We’ve all heard how supplements don’t replace a balanced diet, but neither, anymore, will a balanced diet give us the vitamins and minerals we need to stay healthy. A healthy immune system (supported with Sure Nature’s ImmunaSure, www.surenature.com) and a healthy constitution require a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement with green foods for nutrients and antioxidants. They are as necessary as clean air and water for our health and well-being. Just as reading a book instead of watching TV, sitting down with family or friends for a home cooked meal instead of take-out on the run and walking into the evening air to look at the stars will contribute to a healthier happier you.

What did you eat today, where were you when you ate it and how did you feel?

pay it forward

Okay, it was a lousy movie, but its premise was terrific and, strangely enough, may actually have health benefits; and its simplest expression, if you will, is a smile.

Psychologists have a theory called the facial feedback hypothesis that says our facial expressions produce feedback that affect not only our behavior and ability to express ourselves emotionally, but the behavior and emotional expression of others. We can actually improve our moods just by smiling; and by smiling, improve the moods of those around us.

Multiple research projects and studies have been conducted in support of this hypothesis and the results are fascinating. For instance, it’s been found that we undergo involuntary biological changes when instructed to mimic certain facial expressions: mimicking an angry face actually increases the flow of blood to the hands and feet in much the same way a person who is truly angry experiences increased blood flow. And a mimicked smile actually releases endorphins into our system making us feel better, happier. A smile is so powerful in fact, studies have found that it can actually be felt at the other end of the phone.

Who knew?

Another study found that 72% of us believe that people who smile frequently are more confident and successful (or crazy… oh wait, no, that’s just me.) Yet another study found that mimicking the face of someone else increased our empathy toward that person – a smile producing a smile.

My favorite study showed that participants holding a pencil in their mouths while viewing cartoons (forcing the mechanics of a smile), rated the cartoons funnier than those participants without the pencil. Maybe I should have had a pencil in my mouth when I watched PAY IT FORWARD, or better yet, a crowbar. Crack that smile right open.

So our smile is important and an actual tool of good health maintenance.

To keep our smiles healthy we need to keep ourselves healthy. Keeping our immune systems strong and fully supported will not only keep our smiles cold sore free (and by connection, the Herpes Simplex Virus at bay, http://www.surenature.com), but will improve our overall health and appearance. When we look and feel healthy we can’t help but smile, eliciting a smile from that passerby on the street who smiles at her co-worker who smiles at the coffee guy who smiles at the mailman and so on and so on and so on, paying forward our sense of health and well-being.

Good to know.

who’s your daddy?

When it comes to fending off disease and keeping us healthy, the P Diddy, T-Pain, Mac Daddy of them all is our IMMUNE SYSTEM.

Our bodies are quite literally under attack each and every day, from the foods we eat to the water we drink to the air we breathe. Disease-causing organisms (like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites), in their relentless attack, are usually agents of minor inconvenience: we catch a cold, a hangnail gets a little infected, suddenly our gas could power an SUV. Other invasions, however, can be life threatening.

In 2004 the 8th leading cause of death in the U.S. was influenza (the flu) and/or pneumonia. 215,000 people die each year from Sepsis (a severe bacterial blood infection), more than the combined deaths from breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancers. Measles kills a half a million worldwide, TB almost two million, and with Bird Flu, West Nile, SARS, HIV and others all revving their engines, our immune system is becoming our most precious possession.

We may think it’s what goes in our car’s tank that’s precious, but what goes in our own tanks is of far greater value.

The results of a recent study conducted over a 12-year period found that our immune systems decline at a rate of 3% per year.  Most every day on the news we hear of some new antibiotic-resistant strain of something or other that’s wreaking havoc here or there or everywhere.  How can we protect ourselves? How can we protect and strengthen the most vital component to our health and well being?

One way is the introduction of probiotics to our healthcare regime.

Probiotics, sometimes referred to as “good bacteria”, are living microorganisms (bacteria, viruses and yeasts) found in some foods or taken as supplements, that (as defined by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) “when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” Most probiotics are similar to the bacteria found naturally in the human gut. Breast-fed infants, for example, have a natural protection from many diseases precisely because of these bacteria. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the two most common bacterial groups, within which Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus, as different species (both found in Sure Nature’s ImmunaSure. http://www.surenature.com) boost the immune system and are highly beneficial to the digestive process.

Though probiotics are only now being clinically tested under the auspices of the FDA, their healing properties have been known and used for centuries. Probiotic foods – fermented foods and cultured milk products – date back to ancient times, providing a protective balance to a sometimes-harsh environment.  With our contemporary environments becoming more and more challenging, a person’s well being is dependent upon this bacterial balance.  And good bacteria (probiotics) are essential to the development of the immune system and the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients.

Probiotics are already being used to combat the side effects of antibiotics, rebalancing the system, but studies have also begun to show that probiotcs may be effective in combating Crohn’s disease, tooth decay, chronic stomach inflammation, skin infections, respiratory infections, irritable bowel syndrome and infectious diarrhea.

Keeping our immune system’s functioning properly keeps us healthy, and probiotics promote healthy function.

So, who’s your daddy?

Runnin’ On Empty

Runnin’ On Empty

And I do mean running: running to the store; running off to work; running to catch a plane; running late, then running later.

Why all the running?

Because it’s a fast paced world we live in. Right? Everything is accelerated: faster cars, faster computers, faster communications, faster meals. And to keep up we need a faster engine. A cup of coffee to start the day is no longer enough, now we grab a grande triple mocha frappachino from the drive thru while shaving, texting the office and listening to last night’s Daily Show podcast so we can keep up with world events. And the days of the leisurely three-martini lunch are long gone (probably deservedly so). Now it’s power bars and Red Bull and the walk to the vending machine is exercise enough.

We don’t stop to smell the roses anymore, because we can’t. Our heart rates are so accelerated and our breaths so shallow, we’re lucky if we recognize our own children.

And Red Bull, by the way, is baby food compared to the real heavy hitters. With names like BLOW, RAGE, WHOOP ASS, BAWLS, COCAINE, and my favorite, WHO’S YOUR DADDY, the caffeine concentration in these “energy” drinks is off the charts. Though BLOW and COCAINE at 30.00 and 33.33 mg of caffeine per oz, respectively, kick Red Bull’s measly 9.64 mg/oz, they both pale in comparison to JOLT ENDURANCE SHOT’s 75.00 mg/oz and POWER SHOT’s 100.00 mg/oz. And they’re all mamas’ milk next to AMMO’s 171 mg/oz.

What are we doing to ourselves when we ingest this rocket fuel? Well, we’re not getting more done. Studies show that excess caffeine actually dulls our focus (but we sure look busy). We are gettin’ happy though… at least for a little while.

Caffeine stimulates our nervous system by increasing adrenalin. Lions in the bush used to jump-start our engines, now it’s WHOOP ASS in a can. As our adrenalin is increased so too is our heart rate, our respiration, the blood flow to our muscles, and our neurotransmitters (dopamine) - we are sooooooo happy now – and we’re less fatigued and busy, busy, busy.

But all that energy is not simply given to us by eating or drinking a substance. Our bodies make energy through cellular production and that requires a lot of raw material, like minerals, proteins, vitamins, and hormones, to generate it. And though caffeine may initiate the cellular production, is also suppresses our appetite, inhibiting the replenishing of those all-important nutrients. Thus, the title of this piece.

Caffeine also directly inhibits the immune system by increasing cortisol, the ‘stress hormone’. Cortisol causes weight gain, suppresses thyroid function, disrupts glucose metabolism (which can cause diabetes) and raises blood pressure. A triple grande in the morning and a couple of AMMOs in the afternoon (not to mention that vodka/Red Bull cocktail after work) and the cortisol in our blood stream begins to inhibit our immune response; the alcohol-caffeine combo doubles that risk.

Caffeine is also a diuretic, and as with any diuretic, as fluids get removed, the blood becomes more concentrated and the effects of the caffeine (and vodka?) are magnified. Diuretics also wash the trace minerals out of our bodies along with the water. Doctors recommend taking potassium for their hypertensive patients on diuretics. But what they don’t realize is that along with the potassium, most other intra-cellular minerals are also getting washed out. Deficiencies in these alkalizing minerals cause increased levels of acidity in the body. And for those prone to cold sores, as the acidity rises, the cold sores bloom.

Along with the caffeine, energy drinks contain a significant amount of acidity, which directly enters the blood stream, leaching calcium and other alkalizing minerals from the tissues. Too much BLOW and the acid stores accumulate weakening the immune system and depleting the alkaline minerals. Cold sore, get your cold sore.

But a cold sore is just the beginning, a warning sign. If we’re not able to produce the energy required for our daily lives through a balanced diet, exercise and sleep, maybe we need to reexamine our daily lives. We are not separate entities in our own separate worlds, but part of a whole, part of our environment.

Our natural resources are not infinite - not the planet’s and not ours individually. Without proper care and maintenance our running on empty will come to an end. Permanently.

Rules for Relief

Some rules are made to be broken, like, the painting should match the sofa, or, no wearing white after Labor Day. But if you get cold sores there are some rules you shouldn’t break, and if followed, will help cut cold sores out of your life.

Number one rule: if you wait, it’s too late.
Don’t wait until Monday. Don’t put it off until tomorrow. Learn what causes cold sores and start treatment today. Probiotics and targeted, immune-boosting botanicals like those in Sure Nature’s ImmunaSure (www.surenature.com) are proven effective in helping cold sore symptoms, and unlike prescription drugs, won’t trash your liver and kidneys or break down your body’s natural ability to fight the virus that causes cold sores. So get to it, because rule number two is a lot harder when your to do list has more entries than your address book.

Rule number two: sleep.
Snoozing on the couch under the matching painting in front of the TV may seem like sleep, but most adults need a solid eight hours of uninterrupted shut eye to stay healthy. When we sleep our bodies rebuild their defenses, and the best defense against cold sores is a healthy well rested immune system.

And you on the couch, what’s with all the sugar? That rush you’re feeling is your body acidifying. Just like the red light telling you your car is stressed, a cold sore is telling you to stop with the Snickers bars. Alcohol, soda pop and sweet foods all acidify your system, stressing it out and bringing on the red light. (Roxanne, you don’t have to… finish that box of Devil Dogs.)

You are what you eat, so…

Rule number three: Eat smart.
A wide variety of fresh foods will ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs. And Roxanne, go organic. Organic foods help alkalinize your blood because they have more trace minerals which reduce acidity thereby reducing outbreaks. See how this works? Organics also have more nutritional value and higher quality protein content. Not only will your meals will be more interesting (and colorful) and a heck of a lot more fun, they’ll keep your engine running smoothly. Stress reduction right there on the end of your fork.

And when you’re done eating, go for a walk.

Rule number four: get some exercise.
That muffin top not only taxes your heart, it stresses your entire system (not to mention the seams of your jeans). Moderate exercise (fanatics are notoriously cold sore prone) increases your white blood cells which boost your immune system and reduce your stress. You’ll look and feel fabulous in your white skinny jeans, Labor Day be damned.

Four simple rules for relief. You could throw in: stop smoking (the toxins stress your system - cold sore), enough with the tanning (overexposure to the sun can trigger outbreaks - cold sore), and SMILE (depression decreases your immune function - cold sore), but for some of us, rules were made to be broken.

Clean Living?

How many times have we approached a big social event with giddy excitement, or an important meeting with growing anticipation, only to have our expectations undermined by the appearance of a cold sore?

Most of us live a fairly healthy lifestyle: getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, exercising. And yet more than a few of us still suffer cold sore outbreaks on the eve of big events. We tell ourselves we’ve done everything we’re supposed to do and still we suffer. Why?

In our go go go society we juggle jobs, kids, social commitments, and more, sometimes extending ourselves to the point of breaking. When our schedules are adhered to and we keep enough fuel in our tanks, we can look in the mirror and smile at our happy, healthy, perfectly balanced selves, go go going with the best of them. But add just one more straw to that camel’s back and ouch, you’re a bride who won’t lift her veil or an executive talking into his hand because an ugly cold sore has upended your house of cards.

I asked John Sherman, ND, medical advisor for www.SureNature.com, and noted cold sore expert, if there wasn’t something we’d missed, some small oversight or indulgence that might bring on a cold sore at such an inopportune time. He reminded me that even the healthiest appearing individuals can experience an outbreak when an imbalance in their immune systems occurs. Running at peak capacity at all times requires perfect balance. The added stress of a big event is sometimes just enough to throw off that balance and that’s when the Herpes Simplex virus makes itself known. Once we’re exposed, the virus lies in wait for just such an opportunity.

We can anticipate that imbalance by being proactive. Taking an immune boosting, probiotic supplement will prepare your body for those big events, helping to keep your system balanced and your natural defenses strong. But also, take a breath, take a walk, take a nap; slow down just a little. Let your system rest and re-energize.

Even Oprah takes a vacation.

A Cold Sore is a Red Flag

My colleagues and I have the good fortune to chat from time to time with John Sherman, ND, noted naturopathic physician and medical advisor for www.SureNature.com. He has shared with us some interesting information and advice related to maintaining a healthy immune system and we’ll be sharing that advice on this blog.

 

One of the areas of Dr. Sherman’s expertise is cold sores. Nobody wants to talk about them, but with between 80% and 90% of the world’s population carrying the cold sore virus, it’s out there. One of first topics we discussed was how the appearance of a cold sore is a sign that your immune system needs a tune-up before other more serious illnesses emerge. 

 

According to Dr. Sherman, cold sores are more than just a cosmetic issue. Our immune systems let us know when it’s time to pay attention, and a cold sore is a big red flag. That means it’s time to pay attention to what we’re eating, get plenty of rest and take good care of our bodies before we catch a cold or worse.

 

Obviously, prevention is the key. And preventing cold sores through natural, immune-enhancing means has the added advantage of helping to prevent a host of other potential health problems, including influenza, rhinovirus and chronic problems like asthma, irritable bowel syndrome and autoimmune diseases. 

 

“I’ve been treating cold sore patients for nearly 30 years, and in my experience, 100 percent of the time the appearance of a cold sore is an indication that there is something else going on in the body that needs to be addressed,” Dr. Sherman says.

 

We asked Dr. Sherman to share with us some of his top tips for maintaining a healthy smile on the outside, while keeping the body healthy on the inside. We will be sharing these tips on this blog in the weeks and months to come.

 

Sure Nature’s Next Product

I recieved an e-mail from Dr. John Sherman this morning asking about our next product.  We have discussed a multi-vitamin but I am interested in hearing from our customers about what they might like to see.

If ImmunaSure is working for Cold Sores and other viral infections, what would you like to see next?

Travis

Welcome to Sure Nature’s Blog!

Sure Nature (www.surenature.com) exists to provide information and products for health conscious people who seek the highest quality natural supplements.  We were founded in 2004 by Dr. John Sherman, N.D., the former director of the Natural Health Clinic at Bastyr University in Seattle, WA.

Sure Nature currently offers ImmunaSure(TM), which has been marketed for cold sores and is a high quality immune support caplet with a proprietary blend of astragalus root, lemon balm, and probiotics that help the immune system directly through the digestive system.

Dr. Sherman will be adding content and responding to posts from time to time. If you have a question, this is a great place to ask it.

Posts should be related to health topics and appropriate for general public consumption. 

My e-mail address is tbrandt@surenature.com and I am happy to help you however I can.

Enjoy!

Travis Brandt, General Manager, Sure Nature, LLC

Sure Nature

www.surenature.com