Summer Spotlight: Sunscreen

Summer is a great time to be outside, but sunburns aren't fun at all. Luckily, they can be easily prevented for the most part. Sunscreens are a very effective preventative measure, but it’s important to use a natural product for sun protection. 

Conventional sunscreens contain oxybenzone, a chemical that has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage. The Center for Disease Control has reported that 97% of participants tested had levels of oxybenzone in their bodies, something you don’t want!

Thankfully, there are many wonderful, natural sunscreens on the market from companies like Alba Botanicals and Kiss My Face that are safe for the whole family. Make sure to look for sunscreens that protect from both UVA and UVB radiation. Another sunscreen tip is to be sure to check your sunscreen’s expiration date, since the SPF is only guaranteed through that time (I am a walking cautionary tale about this- I got horribly sunburned last month after working all day in my garden while using expired sunscreen).

Sunscreens also need to be reapplied throughout the day to remain effective, so it’s good to keep a tube in your bag for outings. Sometimes people think that having a high SPF means that they don't need to reapply, but sunscreens are usually only effective for a few hours, less if you've been in the water (even water resistant varieties only are effective for 40-80 minutes in the water) so be sure to reapply often. Wearing protective clothing and a wide-brimmed hat can also protect against sun damage. 

Additionally, it's important to be sure you're applying enough sunscreen. According to skincancer.org, most people do not apply enough sunscreen, which reduces the effectiveness and SPF, so even if you're applying a quality sunscreen that says SPF 30 on the label, if you do not apply enough, you can be reducing the effectiveness to a fraction of the SPF number on the label.

Most people think of sunburns as an inevitable part of summer, but sun damage is no laughing matter. Each sunburn a person has increases their risk of developing skin cancer. Many people like to think of tanned skin as a sign of health, but in fact, tanning is the body’s injury response to excessive UV radiation. Sunburns and tanning also cause premature aging and an increase in wrinkles. Sunless tanners are a healthy alternative to give skin a “healthy glow” without the damage. 

Another product that can help with sun protection is the supplement astaxanthin. Astaxanthin, pronounced asta-zan-thin, is a very potent antioxidant which protects cells against damage. It is most commonly used for eye health, but studies have also found that astaxanthin is able to help prevent sunburn when taken daily at a dose of at least 2mg per day.

If you do happen to get sunburned, however, pure aloe vera gel is wonderful for healing the skin. Aloe vera helps to soothe and moisturize along with reducing inflammation and promoting healing. Applying aloe frequently can also reduce the amount of time it takes a sunburn to heal.

Finally, when outside, don’t forget your sunglasses!  Sunglasses help prevent eye damage from the sun’s UV rays, which can cause cataracts and macular degeneration. People with lightly colored eyes are especially susceptible to eye damage from the sun, so it's especially important that they wear sunglasses when outdoors.

Vitamin B1 as a Natural Mosquito Repellent

Q: As much as I love summer, I do not like mosquitoes, and I’m already dreading the bites. Is there anything natural I can do to make myself less desirable to them?  

A: B1, also known as thiamine, can definitely help to reduce the amount of mosquito bites when taken in high doses. 

Vitamin B1 helps to keep mosquitoes away because when it is excreted by the skin it helps to mask the natural human odors that are attractive to insects. I'd recommend taking 300mg a day beginning as soon as possible- you want some time for it to build up in your system before the mosquitoes get too prevalent. The amount of B1 in a regular multivitamin is usually not sufficient to repel mosquitoes.

B1 is water soluble, meaning that you can't have too much of it. Your body will take in what it needs and then excrete the rest (that is the action that helps to change how you smell to mosquitoes).

Even with taking B1, I'd still recommend a natural insect repellent if you're going to be going places this summer that are really infested with mosquitoes. Overall, I've found B1 to be quite effective in reducing the amount of mosquito bites I get in the summer, because no one puts insect repellent on every time they go outside during the summertime.

B1 is a tiny pill, and is only beneficial, so there is really no reason not to try it this summer!

Other benefits of B1 are its help for nerve health, blood pressure, circulation, blood formation, digestion, and brain function- it’s also a great antioxidant. We recommend the B1 by Nature’s Plus because it’s an extended release formula, which we really think does work the best.

For more help with repelling mosquitoes, see our recipes for
DIY insect repellents using essential oils.

Featured: Jarrow Dophilus EPS Probiotics on Every Day Sale

I wanted to briefly write about our Jarrow Dophilus EPS which we are now having as an EDLP (Every Day Low Price) of $17.99 for the 60 count and $32.79 for the 120 count. It's really a great deal, and we're happy that we've been able to do it since it's one of our favorite shelf-stable probiotics. It's a savings of roughly $6 a package.

Jarrow Dophilus EPS is one of our most recommended probiotics. It's shelf stable, so it doesn’t require refrigeration (I always forget to take my probiotics when they’re in the fridge!) and enteric coated, which means each capsule has a special coating on it to protect against stomach acid, so all of the 5 billion probiotics in each capsule get where they need to go without being killed on the way there.

Another thing I particularly love about these probiotics (and all of Jarrow’s products, actually) is that they are formulated so well, with strains backed with tons of scientific research. They also list the exact strain identifiers on the label, since slight variations in strains make a huge difference. Each of the strains listed are the exact ones that have been clinically proven to work, and make a real difference for digestion, immunity, and more. Jarrow’s stance on probiotics (and its one I agree with) is that if it is not listing the exact strains with their numbered identifiers in a probiotic, you don’t really know exactly what you’re getting, and if it truly is the best formulation you could be taking.

If you aren’t currently taking a probiotic, I would really recommend giving Jarrow Dophilus EPS a try. It’s a great value for a very good product.

Supplement Spotlight: Manuka Honey for Skin, Digestive Issues, and More

This month’s supplement spotlight is on manuka honey, a very potent type of medicinal honey. Manuka honey has been gaining popularity, even among mainstream physicians, due to its antibacterial and healing properties.

Manuka honey is the only 100% natural food shown to have antibacterial effects, due to a compound known as methylglyoxal that forms naturally in manuka honey. Other honeys can occasionally have levels of that antibacterial compound, but only in small amounts. According to scientific research, the amount of antibacterial methylglyoxal must be at a minimum of 100mg/kg to reliably inhibit harmful bacteria. Manuka honey can have as much as eight times that amount.

Because of its strong antibacterial and healing qualities, manuka honey is fantastic for topical use- for wounds and burns, as well as an assortment of skin issues- from acne to eczema and more. To use in a skin care regimen, one can apply manuka honey to the affected areas for twenty minutes before washing with gentle soap and water. Manuka honey has even been shown to be beneficial in fighting staph infections.

Manuka honey can also be used internally for a wide variety of ailments. It can help to balance bacteria in the gastrointestinal system, reduce plaque in the mouth as well as soothing oral sores and ulcers. Manuka honey is also good for the immune system and is fantastic for sore throats.

Another interesting use of manuka honey is for gastritis and GERD. A few teaspoons a day can be very healing to the digestive tract. I have several customers who have used it for digestive issues at the store with impressive results. It even has been shown to help with healing stomach ulcers by killing H. pylori bacteria. 

Manuka honey is unique from other types of honey in that it is only made in New Zealand, from the manuka plant that flowers for only two to four weeks each year. Two thousand honeybees make 10 million trips to make just one jar. The nice thing about manuka honey is that it is only beneficial, there are no negative side effects or interactions with medications when using it. 

It’s important to note it’s important to look for quality brands of manuka honey. There are numerous places and websites selling “fake manuka honey”. Manuka honey is only sourced from New Zealand and should be rated with a “UMF Factor”, a rating on the potency of the healing properties of the honey- the higher the UMF number, the more potent the honey is.

A Pass Favorite: Herbatint Natural Hair Color

This month’s Pass Favorite is Herbatint Natural Hair Color! 
 
Sarah at the store uses Herbatint on a regular basis and she absolutely loves it.  She says it helps her hair to feel soft and smooth and not at all "straw-like" (as it did when she used conventional hair dye at the grocery store).  It doesn’t fade, and she gets many compliments on the color (she uses 5M). 
 
Herbatint is nice because it is completely natural and ammonia free.  Another bonus is that if you have short hair, the rest of the bottle can be saved for another use.  Sarah has shoulder length hair and she says a box usually lasts her two uses for coloring her hair.
 
I have another friend who swears by Herbatint hair color, but she actually brings the box to her hair dresser for her to use instead of the chemical laden hair dyes at the salon.  There are actually a number of our customers who do the same thing.  Herbatint is nice and gentle and doesn’t smell like chemicals (I remember back in the day when I would color my hair, I hated the chemical smell that seemed to linger on my hair for days).  
 
Herbatint also has a fantastic treatment conditioner called Royal Cream- it’s actually the same as the conditioner found in the hair color, that’s available now in a regular size bottle for sale on its own.  Both Sarah and I are crazy about it, it really keeps colored hair in good condition (I don’t color my hair, but I still like it anyway as a fantastic conditioning treatment).
 
Since we’re featuring Herbatint in our April newsletter, we’re going to have it on sale for 25% off for the whole month.  If you color your hair, it’s an easy change you can make for the benefit of not only yourself (removing toxins from your life is always a good thing) but for the Earth! 

Two Fantastic New Pet Supplement Lines: Vital Planet & NOW Pets

This month, I wanted to have a focus on natural pet supplements.  Many people don't think about supplements for pets, but there are specific supplements that can be especially beneficial for dogs and cats- supplements for joints and mobility, skin and coat health, and more.

We have two new pet lines available in the store, and I love them both!  The first is Vital Planet, a pet supplement brand that has extremely unique products.  Two of my favorites are probiotic supplements for dogs and cats.  Each has their own targeted variety, since they have very different digestive systems.  Similar to the benefits for humans, supplementing with a pet probiotic can aid in digestion, intestinal and bowel health, as well as supporting a healthy coat and immune system.  Pet probiotics can even help with better smelling “pet breath”.

Among their other great supplements for pets is a really impressive a joint formula, which is nice since aging pets can problem joints just like we do.  Their Hip and Joint Formula combines glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid for cartilage health as well as MSM for reducing inflammation.  They also have a Calm supplement which I’m fond of that can help anxious and “stressed out” pets.  It can even help with curbing destructive behaviors.

Best of all, all of Vital Planets pet products are “pet taste tested” so they’re good tasting, where pets actually like taking them (rather than pills that have to be hidden in a piece of cheese for a dog to even come near).

The second pet line I wanted to briefly mention is one by NOW Foods called NOW Pets.  They’re a brand new line of pet products formulated by Dr. Barbara Royal, a Chicago veterinarian and an internationally renowned pioneer in complementary medicine, combining both Eastern and Western medicine to make a line of pet supplements to be as natural and holistic as possible.

During the month of April, both our Vital Planet pet line and our NOW Pet supplement line will be on sale for 25% off. 

If you have pets, this is a great time to try these fantastic new products!

Natural Feminine Hygiene Products

With April being Earth Day, we usually think about natural household cleansers as a great way to reduce the toxins in your household.  This month, however, I wanted to write about natural feminine hygiene products, since it’s something most women don’t think about, but is something that can make a big difference in reducing the toxins in our lives and helping with overall health.

The skin is the largest organ in the body and is extremely permeable to toxins- especially the vaginal area which is lined with mucous membranes that can easily absorb chemicals and pesticides.  There are no long term studies on the safety of using conventional tampons and the chemicals they contain on the human body. 

Also with conventional tampons, fiber shedding is an issue, where bits of rayon and other fibers are left in the vagina, which can cause bacterial infections or worse.  See this page for more information.  Organic tampons like those from Naturacare and Emerita do not have that issue since they are not made from rayon and other man-made materials.

It is best to choose organic, 100% cotton, chlorine free feminine products, not only for the health of the environment, but for the sake of our own bodies as well!  The average woman will use 11,000 tampons and pads in their lifetime- that’s a lot of exposure to toxins that can be easily avoided by switching to natural feminine care products.

The Importance of Exercise: More than Just Weight Loss

With spring in full swing, I wanted to write about exercise, since April is a great time to begin an exercise regimen with such nice mild weather outside.  First, I wanted to say that I think it’s a good idea to start thinking of exercise in a different way.  We usually think of exercise as connected with weight loss, and while exercise and weight loss do go hand and hand, it seems to me that connecting exercising with trying to lose weight can put exercise in a negative light, as something that can almost be a discouragement and easily set aside as “too hard” or too large of a problem to overcome.

If we begin to shift our thinking from the idea of exercising to lose weight to instead, deciding to make a change to a healthier, more active lifestyle, I think it can make a real difference.  “Dieting” can feel like such a negative thing, and can be something that’s difficult to maintain.  For example, my dad (I hope he doesn’t mind me writing about him) was overweight for years, and would joke every week about how he was, “restarting his diet” each Monday- something which never stuck.  Then, a couple years ago, he and his wife decided to make a change, and they took up biking.  At 73, he has gone from being overweight and unhealthy to biking huge distances, sometimes up to 50 miles at a time!  I am amazed by him, and really proud.  I wanted to tell his story as an example that anyone can make a change, today, and turn their life around to a healthy, active life, no matter how sedentary you may be.   It doesn’t happen overnight, but it won’t happen if you don’t start.

Being active is about much more than weight loss- exercise is one of the top ways to prevent heart disease.  Exercise improves blood flow, lowers blood pressure, and strengthens the heart, all of which lead to a longer life!  The official recommendations for exercise are 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic exercise a week.  That number seems like a lot, but is completely doable when broken up into small minutes each day.

Many people say that they don’t have enough energy to exercise.  If that’s the case, supplements like ginseng can really help.  Ginseng is a herb used for thousands of years for vitality and stamina and is something that can help you to get going in the morning.  In fact the German science commission has approved ginseng’s use in reducing fatigue.  Studies have shown that ginseng helps with increasing stamina during exercise, allowing a person to sustain aerobic activity for a longer period of time with less fatigue.  A typical dose is two five hundred milligram capsules first thing in the morning.  Ginseng is slightly more effective on an empty stomach, though it can be taken with food.

Another supplement that can be helpful for people starting an exercise regimen is CoQ10.  CoQ10 is most well known for its benefits to heart health, though it is also useful for improving stamina and energy during exercise and even helping with improving recovery after exercise.  CoQ10 has so many proven benefits and is a supplement everyone would benefit from.  If you’re interested, you can search “CoQ10” on our website for many, many articles on the benefits of CoQ10. 

The standard dosage is 100mg per day.  CoQ10 is a fat-soluble vitamin, so it should be taken with food for the best absorption.  We currently have a buy one, get one free two pack of CoQ10 by Natural Factors at Pass Health Foods which is a really great deal.

The last recommendation I would make would have to do with protein.  After exercising, particularly strenuous exercise or exercise where you’ve worked your body hard, it’s a good idea to use a protein shake.  There is a “magic window” of 45 minutes after exercise where ingested protein can make a real difference for muscle repair and synthesis.  That protein does not need to be in the form of a protein shake, though I have found protein shakes to be the most convenient after exercise, since they’re simple and fast. 

If you consume dairy products, whey protein is a fantastic, easily absorbed protein source, and the company Jarrow has a line of whey protein powders which are very high quality as well as a good value.  If you’re dairy-free, as I am, I’d very much recommend Garden of Life’s Organic Plant Protein.  It’s the one I use, and I really love it.  Also, while supplies last we have a number of really nice shaker cups that are free with any full size Garden of Life protein powder.  I use a shaker cup all the time; you can put a serving of protein powder in a shaker cup to take along with you when exercising at the gym and then add water and drink immediately after exercising, since protein shakes are best when drunk right after mixing.  Protein shakes taste best when mixed with milk or in a smoothie, but they are perfectly acceptable when mixed with water- plus it’s easier and has less calories.

Finally, I want to say two more things- the first is that exercise can be enjoyable, and not everyone likes the same things.  We live in an area with a huge amount of paved forest preserve trails, and Lake Katherine and Swallow Cliff are nearby as well.  If you don’t like biking, try walking, or running, or hiking.  Numerous studies have shown the benefits to stress relief simply by being outdoors, and even more have shown exercise’s ability reduce stress and improve mood.

In closing, I again want to encourage you to start being more active and to begin to add exercise as a regular component to your day!  Nothing happens overnight, but it all starts with a choice, and taking that first step.   Good luck!

If you’re interested in further information, here are two of our past articles that go into more detail about protein shakes:

Exercise and Protein Shakes

Protein Shakes for Weight Loss

Women's Heart Heath

Q: I have an acquaintance, a woman who was only 42, die suddenly of a heart attack recently.  It's really scared me and has made me worried about my own heart health.  Is there anything you would recommend to protect the heart and prevent heart attacks, particularly for women?


A: Women age 50 and younger are twice as likely to die of heart attacks then men.  Part of the problem is that diagnosing heart attacks in women is more difficult and less clear cut than the heart attack symptoms men typically experience.  One reason women are more likely to die from a first heart attack is that women often attribute pain from a heart attack to non-cardiac causes. Men will usually have textbook crushing pain in the chest during a heart attack, while women can have a variety of symptoms: pain just under the breastbone, or abdominal pain, indigestion, difficulty breathing, nausea and unexplained fatigue. 
 
The main risk factors for heart disease and heart attacks are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, being overweight and not being physically active.  Almost everyone can reduce or eliminate those risks with diet and lifestyle changes.   Certain supplements can also be very helpful in reducing the risk of heart disease and heart attacks.  There are a number of effective supplements which work well in lowering cholesterol, and red yeast rice is one of the most popular.  Red yeast rice works in the body similarly to a statin, but without the many debilitating side effects that statins have.  I know of a number of regulars at Pass Health Foods who have taken it with good results, particularly the Nature’s Plus brand of Red Yeast Rice, since it’s an extended release formula.
 
Fish oil is also helpful for the heart in a number of ways.   It can help to encourage a regular, stable heartbeat.  It also helps to promote elasticity in the artery walls and can lower cholesterol levels, especially triglycerides.  When shopping for a fish oil supplement, it’s important to note that not all fish oil supplements are equal.  Be sure to look for products that say they have been tested for mercury and lead or that have been molecularly distilled to ensure they are free of heavy metals and other contaminants.  Another crucial thing with fish oil is to find a product with the highest amount of EPA and DHA, the beneficial parts of omega 3 fatty acids per pill; it will list it on the “supplement facts” portion of the label.  The best I’ve found that has the highest amount of EPA/DHA per pill is a company called Solgar with their Omega 950.  Its potency is comparable with prescription fish oil.
 
For high blood pressure, an easy thing to do to help lower it is drinking hibiscus tea.  One study compared drinking 16 oz of hibiscus tea in the morning to taking a popular hypertensive drug.  After four weeks the results were statistically similar, reducing diastolic blood pressure (the lower blood pressure number) by 10 points.  Another study found that drinking 3 cups of hibiscus tea lowered the systolic blood pressure (the top number in the blood pressure reading) by an average of 7 points.  Hibiscus tea is delicious, particularly Republic of Tea’s flavored hibiscus teas, and it’s also caffeine free and full of antioxidants.
 
CoQ10 is another supplement that’s great for protecting the heart.  CoQ10 works in the mitochondria of our cells, which are literally the cells powerhouses.  CoQ10 helps give the cells the energy they need to run.  Without sufficient CoQ10 cells can literally starve for energy, weaken and die.  This is especially notable since the heart has the most mitochondria per cell, and therefore needs the most CoQ10.  The body produces its own CoQ10, but those amounts decrease as we age.  Certain drugs, especially cholesterol medications like statins, further impede the production of CoQ10, so if you take cholesterol-lowering medication it’s especially important to supplement with CoQ10. 

Another benefit from CoQ10 is that it helps to prevent LDL, or bad cholesterol, from oxidizing.  There is quite a bit of new research suggesting it isn’t total cholesterol that is necessarily the problem, but rather the amount of oxidized cholesterol.  Cholesterol that oxidizes becomes sticky and is the type of cholesterol that sticks to the arteries and begins to form plaque, which reduces the diameter of arteries and makes it easier for clots
to get stuck and cause a heart attack or stroke.
 
There are a lot of other supplements I could mention, but for space I’ll just mention one more of my favorites- vitamin K2.  Vitamin K is best known for its work in helping to ensure proper blood clotting; it also has another lesser known benefit.  Research has found that vitamin K, especially in the K2 form, works almost like how a police offer would direct traffic, telling calcium in the body to go into the bones and to stay out of the arteries, preventing calcification of the arteries.  Studies have shown that higher levels of vitamin K2 in the body correspond to lower rates of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and lower rates of death from cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.

Berberine: An Amazing New Supplement for Diabetes and High Cholesterol

Q: I’ve read a couple articles recently about the supplement berberine for type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol- two problems I have.  The things I’ve read sound almost too good to be true. I wanted to see if you had information about berberine and diabetes, since I don’t want to buy something that doesn’t really work.

A: Berberine is a little-known supplement that has been gaining popularity for its amazing benefits for diabetics as well as people dealing with high cholesterol.  Berberine has been touted lately as a wonder supplement, but I’m happy to report that the science actually does back up the hype around berberine, especially for diabetics.

Berberine has been the subject of several recent scientific studies for diabetes.  Scientists concluded that taking berberine, at a dose of five hundred milligrams two to three times a day, was shown to be as effective as three different prescription oral diabetes medications for lowering blood sugar.  The researchers reported that berberine had “identical effects in the regulation of blood sugar” when compared to the top diabetes medications for type 2 diabetics.  

In another study in patients with type 2 diabetes, five hundred milligrams twice a day of berberine lowered fasting blood sugar  from just above the range of being classified as diabetes (i.e., 126ml/dL) to normal blood sugar levels (less than 100mg/dL) in most people.

Similar positive results were observed in studies focusing on people with high cholesterol and high triglycerides.  A review of the current studies also determined that berberine was safe to take in conjunction with prescription medications for the above issues, and produced better results than the medications alone.  In one placebo-controlled trial, berberine lowered triglyceride levels by 35.9 percent, LDL cholesterol by 21 percent, and total cholesterol by 18 percent.  The participants in the study that took berberine also experienced lower blood pressure as well as weight and abdominal fat loss.

The accumulating research on berberine is really showing it to be an impressive supplement and one that would be of benefit to many people, particularly those with blood sugar or cholesterol issues.  The recommended dosage is typically five hundred milligrams two to three times a day.  Berberine has also been shown to be well tolerated, and without side effects with the exception of constipation for some people at higher dosages.  For people who do experience constipation after taking berberine in higher dosages usually experience relief if they reduce their dose.

So, to answer your question, yes, the science backs up the many benefits of berberine, and no, it is not too good to be true!  I would recommend the Natural Factors brand of berberine, known as WellBetX Berberine, since it contains the 500 milligram dose used in the above research studies.  Also, since I’m writing about berberine this month, we will be offering the Natural Factors brand berberine on sale for the month of March at the store for 25% off.  If you have type 2 diabetes or issues with high triglycerides, I would very much recommend giving it a try!