Our Favorite Life Seasons Products [Staff Recommendations]

We wanted to write about the brand Life Seasons and our personal recommendations with the brand.  They are one of our top recommended brands because of the potency of their formulas.  They have condition specific formulas, with impressive dosages of each of the ingredients. There are many blends that have a lot of advertising, but when you look at the strength of the actual ingredients they contain, it’s often not enough to make a real difference, unlike Life Seasons.  They have well researched ingredients that do really work.

Here are a few of our favorites with our personal recommendations: 

Tori – Life Season’s Anxie-T

“I’ve been taking it on and off for 10 years for severe anxiety and it works right away.  I take one every day and then take another one if I’m having a bad day (the serving size is two capsules).  I feel like within an hour I feel better, and I’d really recommend it for panic attacks and severe stress load.”

Ale – Life Season’s New GLP-1 Support

“This is a brand new product- I got it from our rep at a training.  It’s meant to work like a natural form of GLP-1. I like it because I feel like it’s helping with gradual weight loss- I feel like since taking it I’m not snacking all the time, my clothes fit better, and overall, I just feel better.  I take two in the morning and then two before dinner.”

Liz – Life Season’s Clari-T

“I’ve been taking it for a few months- I started taking it because I was having trouble with brain fog and sometimes I felt like I had words on the tip of my tongue but couldn’t get them out.  It is by far, I believe, the best brain supplement we have.  I take two a day in the morning and it’s really helped!”

Carolyn – Life Season’s Rest ZZZ

“I always have trouble sleeping.  I switched to using Life Season’s Rest ZZZ because it has good ingredients, and I really like it!  I feel like it helps me to fall asleep easier and stay asleep.  I definitely recommend it!

All of the formulas above will be on sale during April for 25% off, so it’s a great time to try them!

Stop in and see us at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights for more information, we’re always happy to help!

Eggshell Membrane for Reducing Joint Pain & Improving Joint Function [NEM]

I wanted to write about NEM for joints since it’s still a newer supplement for joints that many people haven’t heard of.  We actually brought it in quite a while ago on the recommendation of one of our customers who has been using it consistently for joints and feels like it’s really worked for reducing pain and stiffness.

NEM stands of natural eggshell membrane, the thin membrane inside of eggshells, which has been shown in research to actually benefit cartilage health in the joints as well as helping with stiffness and pain reduction as well as improving joint functioning.

One of the most common supplements we recommend for joints is curcumin, which helps to reduce joint inflammation (when you reduce inflammation, pain is reduced).  Curcumin helps with inflammation, but it isn’t actually improving the cartilage, which is where NEM comes in.

There have been numerous studies on NEM over the years showing its benefit for improving joint function and joint pain, so it’s strange that it’s not more well known.  Another impressive thing is that benefits can usually start being felt after just 10 days after taking a standard 500mg dose daily.  A lot of other things that can help cartilage, glucosamine for example, can take a long time for the benefits to be felt- sometimes months. That can be a long time to wait, so benefits starting in 10 days sounds much better.

We have it in a few ways to take it.  Natural Factors (who we love) has it in two products.  A one-a-day supplement that’s just NEM (500mg) and then another that’s a mix of NEM and glucosamine, which I think is a neat idea since it’s helping cartilage in two different ways, the only negative about the combination is that it’s two pills a day to get the recommended amount of NEM.  The NEM by itself is in capsules, and the NEM combination is in tablets if that’s another concern since I know some people hate taking tablets.

We would really recommend trying it if you have joint issues, and it actually works great combined with natural anti-inflammatories like curcumin. Since benefits are often reported after 10 days, we feel like giving it a month trial should really give some relief, though the studies continued to show benefits the longer it was taken.

I also wanted to mention another product that contains NEM, which is our Collagen Peptides by Nature’s Plus.  It’s a collagen complex that contains all the different sources of collagen, which can help with joints, connective tissue, skin, bones, and more.  The only caution is that we weren’t able to find out exactly how much NEM a scoop of their collagen contains, though one scoop of the powder (it’s unflavored and mixes with anything) contains 10mg of a mix of the different collagen  forms, so I feel like it’s likely that it has the recommended 500mg of NEM, we just can’t say for certain.  Still, we’re big fans of their collagen- Liz takes it every day and has for years.

Stop in and see us if you have any questions, we’d love to help you further!  All our Natural Factors products, including NEM, are on sale every day!

Stop in and see us at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights, we have a kind, friendly, and knowledgeable staff ready to help!

New Nasal Probiotic for Sinus Congestion & Allergies

As we edge closer to spring, we often begin to play the game of, "Do I have a cold, or it is it just allergies?"

We have a newer product that can help with that, a new nasal probiotic from Life Extension called Florassist Nasal & Immune Defense. It's a unique product and the first of its kind that we've seen. It has a specific clinically studied probiotic strain to help with improving nasal airflow and to support nasal mucosal immunity, so it helps to balance the immune response in the nose with good bacteria so it's more protected against harmful bacteria and viruses but also so it isn't mounting an exaggerated immune response which is what often causes nasal congestion and runny nose.

It's not meant as a quick fix but as a daily supplement to help with overall sinus issues. It's great both for cold and flu season but also as we get closer to allergy season.

I feel like it helped me with lingering sinus congestion and runny nose. Luckily, I have not been sick this year (knock on wood!) but I had a long time where in the morning I would have sinus congestion and I felt like I was blowing my nose all the time, but after using this for about a month I feel like that went away and hasn’t come back. I've been taking one daily for a couple months now, and I do feel like it's kept my sinuses clear.

Keep in mind, the benefits of this probiotic in the studies for sinus health are over time when used regularly. I think it can be a real benefit however for people with spring allergies or people who are just prone to having more sinus congestion though. If you use it, let us know if it helped! Also, this and all of our Life Extension products are on sale every day at Pass Health Foods, so stop in and see us!  

Magnesium Threonate for Sleep & Brain Function

If you've read the newsletter for a long time, or have talked to me in the store, you might know that I (Carolyn) am not a great sleeper. I've tried lots of things for sleep with varied success (for years I took Irwin Naturals Power to Sleep, though more recently I've switched to Now Brand's Sleep). They help me to fall asleep, but I still had issues with waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep for ages.

I recently read an article with some research studies on magnesium threonate and sleep. It's known for being a type of magnesium that is unique in that it crosses the blood brain barrier, so it's best known for its benefits to mental function. There have been a number of studies, however, on its benefits for sleep, and how it's been shown to help with increasing REM sleep and deep sleep (both of which are usually reduced as we age). 

I've started taking it and I can honestly say that it's made a difference for me. I feel like I'm waking up less in the middle of the night, and when I do wake up, it seems to be easier to go back to sleep. I have a smartwatch that tracks my sleep which confirms the changes, and I seem to be getting more "good" sleep ratings on the tracker than the "fair" ratings that I would get pretty consistently.

Magnesium threonate is different from other magnesium not just in its benefits, but in its dosages, which can be confusing. Most of magnesium threonate is the amino acid threonate, it's only about 7% elemental magnesium, though the dosages and recommendations for magnesium threonate are different from regular magnesium since it's meant more for brain function and sleep. 

I still take regular magnesium (I take BiOptimizers magnesium because I think it's the best regular magnesium) in addition to magnesium threonate since the magnesium threonate is lower in actual elemental magnesium. 

If you have trouble sleeping, especially with waking up in the night, I would recommend giving it a try. Sleep is tricky, but the research on magnesium threonate is sound, and I do feel like it has made a real difference for me. 

Stop in and see us at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights so we can answer any questions you might have!

Our New Top Recommended Eye Supplement

We have a new eye supplement to recommend- Nordic Naturals Blue Light Eye Defense. This is a better replacement for Jarrow's discontinued Macula PF, a really unique supplement that we had highly recommended. Jarrow discontinued the eye supplement because they had a sourcing problem. 

The thing that makes this eye supplement unique is that it has a high concentration of meso zeaxanthin, a rare antioxidant not often found in eye supplements. Meso zeaxanthin, specifically, is most concentrated in the center of the macula, where vision loss most often takes place and where damage is the most noticeable and detrimental to our vision from macular degeneration.

Meso zeaxanthin, since it is concentrated in the center of the macula in our eye, provides the most protection against UV and blue light and its degenerative damage to our vision.

Age related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss for people over 50. Degeneration and damage to the macula (especially the center of the macula) is what causes that, and that's why meso zeaxanthin is uniquely so important (lutein is important too, but meso zeaxanthin is kind of the star).

Previously we were recommending Life Extension's Macula Factors as a replacement for Jarrow's Macula PF, which is still a fine supplement, though the potency of this new eye supplement by Nordic Naturals is a lot stronger, so that's what we're now recommending.

We will always recommend the best or most potent product available, regardless of brand. There are plenty of brands we like but we aren't loyal to one over another- what is most important to us is the ingredients and efficacy of specific supplements. That's why we don't have a store brand, so we aren't recommending something that makes us more money vs. truly the most effective product. We will always recommend the product that's the best regardless of brand or anything else. That's what's most important to us, the specific ingredients in different supplements and recommending products that really work.

Stop in to talk to us further for more information, we have a kind, knowledgeable staff to help you find the supplements best for your individual needs, we’re at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights!

Irwin Naturals Immuno Shield on sale for 20% off!

Without fail, I think all of us at Pass Health Foods would recommend Irwin Natural’s Immuno-Shield as a supplement you should have in your house this winter. It is a fantastic blend of powerful and well-researched immune boosters which work in a variety of ways to help you to during cold and flu season; helping to boost and activate your immune system to fight off invading bacteria and viruses quicker and more effectively. I would say more than anything else for the immune system, we have the most people who come back religiously for Immuno-Shield who attest to how well it works.

It can be taken in a lower dose of one or two a day throughout the season to maintain immune health, or taken at a higher dose when you experience the beginning signs of sickness.  All of us take Immuno-Shield at the store and love it. There have been numerous times when I’ve felt the beginnings of a sore throat and the worn out feeling that comes with the first stages of illness, and took four Immuno-Shields before bed and felt fine the next day.

We really can't recommend it enough! Plus it’s now on sale for 20% off!

Stop in and see us at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights!

Sea Moss Gel

We've been looking to bring in some Sea Moss Gel for a while, but couldn't find one we liked that was reasonably priced (some are extremely expensive).  A few weeks ago we decided to make a trip out to Southtown Health Foods in Chicago to talk to our friend Katie who owns the store along with her father to see if she had any recommendations for us.  She introduced us to a woman named Tracee who is local that has her own Sea Moss business.  Katie said she really liked the brand and that she's been taking it and has been very happy with it.

We connected with that local company and now have pure Sea Moss Gel at Pass Health Foods! Liz and I have started taking it on Katie's recommendation and I like it- it doesn't have much of a taste other than a fresh lemony flavor.  You can take it straight off the spoon (which is what I do) or mix it in a smoothie (that's how Liz takes it).  People even use it on their face as a skin mask.

Sea moss is naturally very nutrient dense in trace minerals- it's actually said to contain 92 different minerals.  It's often used to help with thyroid and immune health, as well as helping digestion and enhancing the stomach lining.  It's basically a natural superfood that helps replenish vitamins and minerals not generally found in our regular diets.  Some people even use it for weight loss since they say it's fiber composition can help with making you feel fuller, helping you to eat less.  It's also used to help with inflammation, energy, and mood.

There are lots of flavored sea moss gels, but we wanted to just get a pure one without any extra junk in it, and we're really happy to be able to carry it.  Sea moss is in our fridge near the probiotics, and should stay refrigerated to maintain freshness and potency.  We have it in both 8oz. and 16oz. sizes.

Stop in and see us at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights!

Ice Cream for Bears [honey sweetened ice cream]

Ice Cream for Bears is the cleanest ice cream around, using only a handful of whole food ingredients. It's sweetened only with raw honey, with no other refined sweeteners. Their ice creams have no gums or oils added to them. For example, Queen & Bean, their French vanilla flavor, contains only the following ingredients: Milk, Cream, Raw Honey, Skim Milk, Egg Yolk, Pure Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Bean.

We really love this ice cream, and have decided to have it on every day sale for $6.99 each (the regular price is $9.99). We've looked at other natural ice creams and think this is the best and cleanest natural ice cream there is so we want to be able to carry it regularly. Stop in and see us at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights, we have quite a few varieties and they all taste amazing!

Now Foods Factory Tour

This past month we were able to tour Now Food's manufacturing facility in Bloomingdale, Illinois! We've carried Now for years and have always liked the brand, but seeing the amazing laboratories they had and the impressive amount of testing they do on their supplements was really neat. It was also fun seeing the supplements actually being made and bottled. 

In addition to extensive quality testing, they test all of their supplements for pesticide residue of over 425 pesticides to make sure they are free from any contaminants down to 10 parts per billion as well as heavy metals, and much more. Something else they mentioned is since they sell their products in 100 countries (which is pretty impressive for an Illinois company) they need to abide by all of those countries requirements and standards, some that are much more strict than the US, which i thought was pretty interesting.

We definitely recommend them as a brand, and are glad we expanded their line this year and decided to run all of their supplements and essential oils on sale every day.

From left to right: Owners Carolyn and Liz, and our manager Ale

New Curcumin Research for Eyes and AMD

I’ve written about curcumin and its benefits numerous times, but I came across a new study just published this past month that I wanted to pass along since it reported a new benefit for people taking curcumin supplements.

Curcumin is the active ingredient in the spice turmeric, so the reason a person would want to take turmeric is to get the benefits from the extract curcumin; just like an orange has vitamin C, turmeric has curcumin.  Curcumin is great for reducing inflammation in the body and is commonly used to help with reducing pain from injuries or arthritis, but unlike over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like Ibuprofen, it’s safe to take every day (and is actually beneficial to take daily).

This new research found that curcumin also appears to have a benefit for eyesight, working to prevent age-related macular degeneration, as well as conferring a decreased risk of developing complications for people who had already been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration.  Now I wouldn’t say that curcumin is a substitute for eye supplements like lutein and zeaxanthin, which I’d say are the gold standard for protecting the eyes, but it’s a good addition, especially since curcumin has so many other benefits (I personally love it when a supplement I already take has a new benefit that scientists discover).

Curcumin is a great supplement, but it can be difficult for the body to absorb, which is why it’s important to look for extracts that are specially made to increase absorption, so you can get the benefits without having to take a huge dose (since large amounts of curcumin can bother some people’s stomachs). We especially recommend the curcumin from Natural Factors since it’s so well absorbed- both Liz and I (Carolyn) take it regularly.  It’s a tiny capsule that’s easy to swallow and it’s on sale every day, so I’d definitely say to give it a try! 

Curcumin has shown so many different benefits in preliminary research on a wide variety of subjects and has demonstrated benefits for inflammatory bowel disease as well as heart and blood vessel health. Curcumin has also been shown to have neuroprotective benefits on the brain and is a potent antioxidant.

Stop by and see us at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights!