Category Archives: Supplements

03.03.11
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Ten Reasons to Drink Aloe Juice

Top 10 Reasons to Drink Aloe Vera Juice

Dental Health and Hygiene—Aloe Vera helps your mouth and gums.

Provides Rapid Soothing–Aloe Vera enhances fibroblast function. Fibroblasts are those remarkable little cells responsible for collagen formation. They also assist in the soothing of minor burns, cuts, scrapes, sunburn, and skin irritations.

Aids in Healthy Digestion –A healthy digestive tract ensures that nutrients from the foods we eat are absorbed into the blood stream. Aloe Vera Juice has natural, detoxifying abilities. Drinking Aloe Vera Gel daily may improve bowel regularity and increase protein absorption, while at the same time decrease unfriendly bacteria and yeast.  Aloe Vera has also demonstrated its ability to assist in soothing heartburn and other types of digestive upset.

Immune Support and Function –Aloe Vera provides natural support for the immune system. Since the immune system works around the clock protecting the body, aloe vera, with its natural immune enhancers, gives the body a continual arsenal from which to draw.

Regulates Weight and Energy Levels–Aloe Vera Gel naturally allows the body to cleanse the digestive system. Our diets include many unwanted substances which can cause lethargy and exhaustion. Taken regularly, Aloe Vera Gel ensures a greater feeling of well-being, allowing energy levels to increase while helping to maintain a healthy body weight.

Collagen and Elastin Repair –Aloe Vera can add a rich supply of building materials to produce and maintain healthy skin. The skin replenishes itself every 21 to 28 days. Using the nutritional building blocks of aloe vera, the skin can utilize these nutrients daily to help combat the effects of aging.

Daily Dose of Minerals–Some of the minerals found in aloe vera include calcium, sodium, iron, potassium, chromium, magnesium, manganese, copper, and zinc. We all know that adding foods to our diets with naturally occurring vitamins and minerals is recommended for overall health. Drinking Aloe Vera Gel is a natural and healthful way to replenish the body’s supply.

Daily Dose of Vitamins–Aloe Vera Gel includes Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E, Folic Acid and Niacin. The human body simply cannot store some of these vitamins; therefore we need to supplement them regularly through our diets.

Anti-inflammatory Properties–Aloe Vera Gel has 12 natural substances that have been shown to inhibit inflammation without side effects. Aloe may also support proper joint and muscle mobility.

Body-Building Blocks–Amino acids are our body’s building blocks. Eight which are essential and cannot be made by the body are found within the aloe plant! Drinking Aloe Vera Juice on a regular basis allows you to help maintain your health by replenishing your body naturally with these essential amino acids. An analysis of the aloe vera plant shows that it comes closer than any other known plant to the duplication of essential amino acids.

*  All of this, with just 2 to 4 ounces, twice a day!

09.19.10
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The Sunshine Vitamin: Get Your Vitamin D

The Sunshine Vitamin: Get Your Vitamin D

Let the sun shine in! Experts say women aren’t getting enough vitamin D, an essential vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium and has been shown to decrease the risk of some diseases.

By Diana Rodriguez
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

More and more studies are showing how important vitamin D is to women’s health — and that many women aren’t getting enough of this essential vitamin.

Though you can up your levels through both your diet and supplements, soaking up a little sunshine is the best way to get vitamin D. But we’re also told to limit our time in the sun because of the damage it can do to our skin — so what gives? You can get your daily dose of vitamin D and protect your skin, too, so you don’t have to sacrifice any aspect of your health to give your body what it needs.

The Importance of Vitamin D

Vitamin D promotes the body’s absorption of calcium, a mineral that helps keep bones and teeth strong. Vitamin D also regulates the body’s calcium levels in the blood, as well as levels of the mineral phosphorus, which also helps to promote healthy bones and teeth.

Vitamin D deficiency can be serious, causing bones to deteriorate and weaken. In adults, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to the bone condition osteoporosis and, in children, it can cause rickets — soft and weak bones.

Although more research is needed, vitamin D also appears to have many other beneficial effects. Studies have shown that vitamin D in sufficient levels can help boost the immune system and possibly decrease the risk of getting some cancers.

Research shows that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of:

  • Broken bones
  • Breast cancer
  • Colon cancer
  • Autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes
  • Viral infections, such as the flu
  • High blood pressure

Where to Get Your Vitamin D

500 mg calcium supplement tablets, with vitami...

Image via Wikipedia

The body produces vitamin D, but it needs sunshine to do it right. You can also take a vitamin D supplement or get vitamin D from certain foods.

Foods rich in vitamin D include:

  • Fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, and oysters
  • Vitamin D-enriched cereal
  • Some eggs (but the hens must have been given vitamin D)
  • Vitamin D-fortified orange juice
  • Margarine and butter
  • Vitamin D-fortified milk
  • Dairy foods including cream and cheese

The Vitamin D Conundrum

So just how much vitamin D do you need? It depends on your gender and age. Get too little vitamin D, and you’ll feel the effects of vitamin D deficiency. Too much of it — and your blood can contain too much calcium, harming your lungs and heart.

Here are the standard recommendations for vitamin D intake for women:

  • Age 14 to 50: 200 international units (IU)
  • Age 51 to 70: 400 IU
  • Age 71 and older: 600 IU

Many physicians are now testing vitamin D levels in their patients and finding that many women (and men) have low vitamin D levels. If your level is low, your doctor may recommend much higher supplement doses, often 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day.

How to Boost Vitamin D Levels

To get enough vitamin D from the sun, you need to spend about 5 to 15 minutes in the sun, just three times each week, without sunscreen. Too much sun exposure can cause sunburn and increase the risk of skin cancer, so make sure you limit your exposure. Also, you can expose your arms and legs, but you should always protect your face with sunscreen. If you don’t feel safe in the sun, turn to your diet and a vitamin D supplement to get the vitamin D you need.

Remember that you still need vitamin D in the winter. For many people, especially those in northern climates, it’s hard to get enough sun during those months, and a supplement may be necessary. African-Americans and others with darker skin tones may also be less able to absorb enough sunlight for sufficient vitamin D production from the sun alone.

Other Essential Vitamins

One of Vitamin D’s main roles is to help ensure that your body can absorb calcium, but you’ve also got to make sure you’re getting enough calcium so that vitamin D can do its job. You should try to get between 1,000 and 1,200 daily milligrams of calcium through diet or supplements (calcium supplements are available with vitamin D, enabling you to get both in one pill).

A daily multivitamin can also offer essential vitamins to help protect women’s health. Multivitamins usually contain vitamin D — often 200 IU or 400 IU — so be sure to read labels. Look for a multivitamin that also contains these vitamins:

  • Folate (folic acid) to help prevent anemia
  • Vitamin A to promote bone health and healthy cells
  • Vitamin B6 and B12 to prevent birth defects, some cancers, and heart disease
  • Vitamin C to prevent infection and promote collagen growth, which helps form healthy bones and teeth
  • Vitamin K, which helps blood to clot and promotes strong bones

Vitamins, including vitamin D, are an important part of women’s health. But still, be careful to limit unprotected sun exposure and to get enough dietary vitamin D or take a vitamin D supplement if you want an alternative to the sun.

09.18.10
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Stressing Out, Gaining Weight, and Finally Losing It

A GREAT article that explains what happens to our bodies when we are stressed. I found this very interesting because I’ve been more stressed this last 6 weeks and it does affect you. This article explains how.

Stressing Out, Gaining Weight, and Finally Losing It

Your phone is ringing, breakfast is sizzling, and you’re trying to get the kids off to school — all the while getting ready to go to work yourself. Sound familiar, or are you stressed out just by reading these words? If you’re a living breathing human being, chances are you experience some type of daily stress. And it’s true: Stress can cause you to gain weight.

In fact, a recent study conducted by Susan J. Melhorn and colleagues from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, found that not only can stress can take a daily toll on you in terms of physical and psychological well being, but it can cause weight gain. According to recent studies, social stress — public speaking, tests, job and relationship pressures — may cause overeating and weight gain.” But you probably already knew that; stress makes many of us want to eat more.

You gain weight for two reasons:

Biological Interference: Biologically your body is designed for a “fight or flight” response to stress. So when you’re stressed, your body releases hormones to help you do either. And since you’re most likely not being chased by a saber tooth tiger, this response is not exactly helpful when your boss sends you a stressful email or you have an argument with your spouse.

What happens (in the most basic terms) is that your body releases chemicals when you’re stressed. The brain sends out a stress hormone called cortisol, which regulates energy by tapping into the body’s fat storage and protein, converting it into glucose and bringing it to muscles and to the brain. Additionally, it can move fat from storage depots and relocate it to fat cell deposits deep in the abdomen; researchers have shown that the abdomen is the best place for fast energy retrieval.

Cortisol may linger in your body long after the cause of the initial stress has passed and trick your body into thinking it has done something active in response to a perceived ‘threat.’ What’s even more surprising is that cortisol acts like a biological green light, which sends signals to your brain to refuel your body as soon as possible.

Eating Comfort Foods: When things are stressful, what can we do? How can we feel better? How about brownies, donuts, candy, ice cream, pizza, mashed potatoes, and fried chicken? This type of comfort food is always quick to the rescue in our time of need. Over the past year we’ve comforted ourselves by gravitating toward this kind of food, thinking, “You only live once, so I might as well enjoy myself now.” When tension and anxiety are high in one aspect of life, it’s not unusual for other areas to seem trivial or less important.

Why do we crave these foods? First of all, it’s what we’re used to having in times of discomfort. Parents gave you ice cream when you had a bad day at school. I know my parents did. I do it for my daughter. I can’t help it — she feels better.

Secondly, carbohydrates make you feel better by releasing the hormone serotonin, which is a brain chemical that makes you feel good. So those are the reasons, now what?

Here are a few tips to relax and stay healthy during stressful times:

  • Create a “Stress Snack Eating” Kit. Assemble an actual kit that has healthy snacks. Keep this kit around your office or at home and break out when needed. Make sure that you have portion controlled foods in there that are low in calories in case you over-indulge. Also put in a few non-food items, such as an iPod loaded with comedian sketches, a jump rope.
  • Keep Away Unhealthy Snacks. This becomes very important when you know you’re going to have a stressful day. Researchers have shown time and time again that snacks in sight are snacks that are eaten.
  • Enjoy Healthy Comfort Foods. My favorite is popcorn (made in a pan or air popped) made at home with a bit of butter spray, salt, and garlic. You can find more recipes in my column, Healthful Comfort Food Recipes for Rough Times.
  • Exercise the Stress Away. Yes, go out for a walk, take a spin class, go for a run — research shows that a bit of exercise can help you fend off unhealthy eating and reduce stress.

Article by… Charles Stuart Platkin, PhD


** 2 Supplements that I’ve found that help with stress and controlling your cortisol levels are… Estracort and Glutamine. I use these 2 supplements and they DO work really well.


Clifta Coulter Perez

Reno Personal Fitness Trainer

06.19.10
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The Secret to the Body of Your Dreams!

EstraCort – The Secret to the Body of Your Dreams!

Estrogen, cortisol, hormonal imbalance… Chances are you have heard these terms and they probably either confused or scared you. Estrogen is quite a word. To some it might mean femininity and signify the essence of being a woman. But to someone interested in getting in shape, it might mean something altogether different. Estrogen is not bad, but excessive estrogen can lead to fat gain, cause difficulty losing fat, water retention, mood swings, cravings….and the list goes on and on! Combine that with excessive cortisol—the STRESS hormone, and reaching your goals and feeling your best will be extremely difficult to do! In todays fast-paced, stressful world it is not uncommon for estrogen and cortisol levels to get out of whack, creating a hormonal imbalance. Knowing this, PGN Nutrition with the help of world renown fitness trainer Chuck Rudolph, MEd, RD, and Two-Time Miss Olympia and Miss Fitness International, Jen Hendershott, created the PERFECT supplement to help women control estrogen and cortisol to help achieve their goals and get the body they have always dreamed of! The future of the fitness-minded woman’s supplement is here, and it is PGN Estracort™. The FIRST supplement designed to specifically address this essential need!

PGN EstraCort – Estrogen and Cortisol Support for Women

Hormones are chemical messengers that signal the body to perform certain actions. For example, after you eat carbs, the hormone insulin is released to signal the body to absorb these carbs from the blood stream. The body releases various amounts of insulin depending on the type and amount of carbs you eat. Controlling insulin levels through smart diet choices is important since high levels of insulin lead to fat gain. Insulin is not the only hormone that contributes to controlling your weight, there are many. Of prime importance are the hormones estrogen and cortisol.

Estrogen is the primary female hormone (comparable to testosterone in men). Estrogen gives women their feminine characteristics and testosterone gives men their masculine characteristics. Estrogen has numerous actions in the body. Estrogen is needed for normal functioning of the body but too much or the wrong types of estrogens can have negative effects on your body. The same holds true for another hormone called cortisol.

Cortisol is called the “stress hormone” because it is released in response to stress and anxiety. When released at a normal level cortisol helps restore homeostasis after stressful events. But, like estrogen, when too much cortisol is released or cortisol levels are elevated for too long negative affects arise.

Knowing all of this PGN has created a formula to control estrogen and cortisol levels, leading to increased fat loss, less water retention and an overall leaner figure.

PHAT GIRL NUTRITION ESTRACORT INGREDIENTS

Summary Of EstraCort Ingredients:

  • 250mg DIM (Diindolylmethane)
  • 200mg Calcium d Glucarate
  • 500mg PhosphatidylSerine (250mg)
  • 500mg Green Tea (50% EGCG/95% PE)

DIM (Diindolylmethane)

DIM, a phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, is an estrogen metabolism modulator, meaning it favorably shifts estrogen metabolism. Estrogen is not a bad hormone, it is needed for normal functioning of the body, but certain metabolites of estrogen have more positive actions while other metabolites have more negative actions. DIM increases the amount of “good” estrogens (2-hydroxy) and decreases the amount of “bad” estrogens (4-hydroxy and 16-hydroxy). The good estrogens protect the brain and heart due to potent anti-oxidant activity, along with other positive actions, while the bad estrogens promote weight gain and are linked to cancer (breast and uterine). By supplementing with DIM your body’s natural estrogen metabolism becomes primed to create more of the good and less of the bad estrogens, leading to a health-promoting estrogen balance.

Calcium D Glucarate

Calcium D Glucarate is a botanical extract found in fruits and vegetables that promotes the removal of toxins and excess estrogens from the body. Calcium D Glucarate helps detoxify the body through a process called glucuronidation. The body naturally tries to removes toxins and excess estrogens through glucouronidation, but this process can become reversed by the enzyme beta-glucuronidase, which releases the toxins back into the body. Calcium D Glucarate increases the detoxification process by inhibiting the beta-glucuronidase enzyme, allowing the glucouronidation detoxification process to work its magic. Supplementing with Calcium D Glucarate increases the elimination of cancer-promoting toxins and estrogens.

PhosphatidylSerine

Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid found in the membrane of all cells, particularly in the brain. Phosphatidylserine keeps cells flexible and primed for nutrient absorptive. Supplementing with phosphatidylserine has been shown to improve cognition, memory, and mood and decrease blood concentrations of cortisol. Excessive cortisol levels can lead to suppression of the immune system and the accumulation of abdominal fat. Supplementing with Phosphatidylserine not only will improve brain functioning but will also help control cortisol levels.

Green Tea

Green tea is a type of tea leaf (black and oolong are other types of teas). Green tea has been used by the Chinese to treat a variety of disorders for years. Green Tea has powerful antioxidant properties, specifically from the active EGCG, and has been shown to help protect against various cancers. EGCG has thermogenic effects and has been shown to assist in weight loss by decreasing dietary fat absorption, appetite suppression, and catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) inhibition. COMT is involved in the breakdown of catecholamines (i.e. NE). By inhibiting COMT, NE breakdown is slowed and it is able to activate the adrenergic receptors to a greater degree and enhance lipolysis (fat breakdown). Supplementing with green tea extract improves overall health and helps promote fat loss.

Summary

  • DIM positively shifts estrogen metabolism to produce more good estrogens and less bad estrogens.
  • Calcium D Glucarate increases the elimination of cancer-promoting toxins and estrogens.
  • Phosphatidylserine not only will improve brain functioning but will also help control cortisol levels.
  • Green tea improves overall health and promotes fat loss.

Supplementing with DIM, Calcium D Glucarate, Phosphatidylserine, and Green Tea together will optimize a women’s hormone levels, promoting a leaner, more healthy figure.

Not only will Estracort support your overall health, but it might just be exactly what you need to shift your body into the DREAM ZONE – obtaining the body you have always dreamed of having! So stop wasting time and letting estrogen and cortisol spoil your results. Get the body you have always wanted with Estracort today!

Clifta Coulter Perez of PHAT Physiques
Reno Personal Fitness Trainer

Reno Bootcamp Instructor

775-996-7183

06.16.10
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Get Leaner and Lose Body Fat with Estracort

Estracort – Estrogen and Cortisol Support for WOMEN!

Estracort is scientifically formulated to help women safely and naturally support estrogen and cortisol to help support fat loss, reduce water retention and maximize results! Being on low calorie diets and everyday life can sometimes stress your body and cause you to release cortisol, which makes you gain belly fat… Estracort helps you to control that and get lean!!! I think this works great! It also helps you to get better quality sleep too.

I used Estracort for my last show. In about 3 1/2 weeks along with diet, cardio, and weight training, I went from the photo on the left… to the photo on the right. It seemed like Estracort  helped give me a little boost and helped me to get leaner than I would have without it. I also noticed that it helped me to sleep better.

Clifta Coulter Perez

Reno Personal Fitness Trainer

Phat Physiques….

775-996-7183