After some research, I have concluded that the fruit the bodies of these headache sufferers are focusing in on is probably Noni.  The taste of Noni berries is very bitter and not very pleasing, however it has great nutritional health benefits and this is why we have it in our formulation. We wanted to provide a whole health nutritional solution.

I tell everyone using the Youshi Guo Exotic Blend to “give your body the time it needs to bring your system back into balance.”  Most people will notice a “taste change” within two to four weeks when using the product consistently.

Here is an interesting research article about the effects of Noni on brain circulation:

Morinda citrifolia fruit (noni) reduces stress-induced impairment of cognitive function accompanied by vasculature improvement in mice.  -Physiol Behav. 2010 Sep 1;101(2):211-7. Epub 2010 Apr 21.

-Dr. Dean Tindall

For the past two weeks The Daily Blend has explored the important role of the minerals Potassium and Magnesium in achieving and maintaining health powered living. According to Dr. Dean Tindall, a member of the Medical Research Team for the Youshi Guo Company, and Director of the Elizabethtown Chiropractic and Natural Healing Center, another vital mineral we may overlook is Iodine. He notes that many Americans are deficient in this critical nutrient.

A deficiency in Iodine can negatively affect the health and functioning of the body and mind.  The symptoms of iodine deficiency that affect the mind range from feelings of frustration and anxiety to depression, and in extreme instances, mental retardation.  The World Health Organization identifies iodine deficiency as among the leading causes of mental retardation worldwide. Physical symptoms of iodine deficiency can include dry, scaly skin, fatigue, constipation, unusual weight gain, impaired thyroid functioning, decreased fertility, and even growth abnormalities.

A natural source of Iodine can be found in KELP – one of the ingredients in Youshi Guo Exotic Blend. This seaweed provides an abundance of natural iodine, which is missing from much of the soil on the continents.  Kelp also provides nutritional support to the nervous system and heart in the form of iodine, vitamins, minerals and cell salts.  In fact, all of the minerals required by human beings in addition to iodine, including calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc, are present.

Dr. Tindall says, “In our research for formulating the YG Exotic Blend, Dr. Hargan and I both concluded KELP was a wonderful addition to the fruits and berries largely because of the essential minerals, such as Iodine, that it provides.”

In conclusion – take your 3 ounces a day of YG Exotic Blends, and find those “Missing Minerals!”

Last week The Daily Blend explored the important role of Potassium in good health—particularly as it relates to hypertension.  This week we will take a look at Magnesium and why it is another important “missing mineral” for many of us in achieving and maintaining health powered living.

Magnesium
According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 24 million Americans—including one of four people aged 60 or older—have Type 2 Diabetes. Roughly 5.7 million of them don’t know it, and 57 million others may be at risk (Pre-diabetic). When the body does not produce enough insulin, or the cells in the body ignore the insulin made by the body, Type 2 Diabetes occurs. Insulin is important for the body to use sugar and starches from the food you eat to fuel your body’s cells, and the disease can cause sugar (glucose) to build up in the blood instead. Right away your cells may be starved for energy, and over time complications from Diabetes can include a greater risk of:

• Blindness and other eye disorders
• Nerve damage and blood circulation disorders that lead to foot and lower leg amputation
• Heart disease or stroke
• Kidney failure leading to dialysis or the need for kidney transplant

Several recent observational studies reported in the September 2010 issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter have shown that magnesium is beneficial for preventing or delaying Type 2 Diabetes, along with adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating meals low in salt, sugar and fat.

How much of this mineral do we need and how can we get it?
The daily value (DV) for magnesium is 400 mg, but most of us get far less. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans all provide magnesium, AND the Mangosteen, Bilberry, Gogi, Acai and Kelp in Youshi Guo YG Blend all contain magnesium! While it is difficult to determine exact clinical potency of whole food concentrates, it is safe to assume that 3 ounces a day of YG Exotic Blend does provide a healthy boost of this vital mineral, along with other nutrients that help stabilize blood sugar.

For specific citations of research studies referenced and an extensive listing of the Magnesium content of many whole foods, see the Nutrition Action Healthletter, September 2010, published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC or consult the website at www.cspinet.org.

Other Sources: American Diabetes Association Website: www.diabetes.org

We are all aware that we eat too much of many things—sugar, salt, saturated fats, alcohol, and food in general! But there are also important nutrients that we simply don’t get enough of that can increase our risk of serious health problems, including high blood pressure and diabetes.  Over the next several weeks The Daily Blend will explore the vital role minerals such as Potassium, Magnesium, and Iodine play in health powered living, and how YG Exotic Blend and good food choices can help you get what you may be missing!

Potassium
The September 2010 issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter reports that one in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure, or hypertension, and more than half don’t have it under control, including a fourth who don’t even know they have it!  The vast majority of people who suffer stroke, heart attack or congestive heart failure have hypertension, so the risks are great. While excessive weight, processed foods with lots of sodium, and lack of exercise are some of the factors that contribute to high blood pressure, a diet with adequate potassium can help.

Multiple research studies have documented that potassium can lower blood pressure, and long-term clinical trials demonstrate its role in prevention of heart attack and stroke. Scientists aren’t sure exactly why, but believe it may be the role potassium plays in keeping arteries flexible and by dilating small blood vessels.  Nevertheless, 90 percent of men and 99 percent of women get less potassium than experts recommend (4,700 mg a day).

What to do?
Nutritional experts recommend eating 11 servings of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables a day, and discourage high-dose potassium supplements, which can be hazardous. (An added bonus is that the potassium in foods may also help prevent kidney stones.)   A single serving each of greens and sweet potato can provide about 1,200 mg or 25% of the daily requirement, though most foods are less than 10%.

If 11 servings of fruits and vegetables seem daunting, remember that SIX of the ingredients in YG Exotic Blend provide potassium, and several of them at significant levels.  Gogi berries provide the most, with a whopping 1,132 mg per 100 grams of dried fruit, followed by Camu Camu, Mangosteen, Acai, Noni, and of course, Kelp.   While it is difficult to determine exact clinical potency of whole food concentrates, it is safe to assume that 3 ounces a day of YG Exotic Blend does provide a healthy boost of this important nutrient. And, you can cut back on the number of servings and calories involved in consuming all that food!

Our bodies maintain an alkaline reserve to help “neutralize” too much acid, such as when we have overindulged in acid-forming foods – especially fried and processed food.  When we call upon these reserves too often, they become depleted, and acid residues build up in our body fluids and tissues. This lowers our energy and resistance to disease.  Dr. Theodore Baroody, like many other nutritionists, advises … “To replenish and sustain your alkaline reserves, follow the Rule of 80/20 – which means eat 80% of your foods from the alkaline-forming list and 20% from the acid-forming list.”  For most of us, this means eating less meat, dairy, processed food, white flour and sugar, and more fruits and vegetables.  Just what Mom always said!

You have already taken a great step in the right direction by taking 3 ounces daily of YG Exotic Blend.  The fruits and kelp are alkalizing. To help you make other wise choices, refer to the lists on the chart titled “Food and Chemical Effects on Acid/Alkaline Body Chemical Balance” developed by Dr. Russell Jaife, and follow the 80/20 guideline!  You can access and then print the chart by clicking on Food and Chemical Effects on Acid Alkaline Body Chemical Balance.

Jaife, Russell. Fellow, Health Studies Collegium

While many factors can contribute to our health and well-being, as explored in previous topics in “The Daily Blend”, people with more energy and fewer discomforts and illnesses usually have one thing in common: a healthy acid/alkaline balance. Medical studies show that in addition to increased energy a proper pH balance is vital for a wide range of body functions, such as digestion, bone strength, joint health, hormone levels, and internal organ performance.

Everything we ingest and much of what we do (e.g. exercise) affects our pH balance and leaves a residue in our body fluids.  We can gauge the acid/alkaline balance in our bodies at any given time through blood, urine or saliva readings with the pH measuring scale, which goes from 0-14, with 0 as the greatest acidity, and 14 as the greatest alkalinity.  The number 7 indicates the ideal balance between acid and alkaline substances and is known as neutral pH. Your blood is slightly alkaline, with a normal pH level between 7.35 and 7.45.

Unfortunately, our Western diet is heavy in meat, dairy, sodas, coffee and grain products, and these foods tend to acidify our bodies and upset our pH balance dramatically. Acid residues in our tissues that should be eliminated are reabsorbed and put back into general circulation in our bodies and then redeposited in our tissues. The result can be poor energy levels, lower resistance to colds and flu, inflammation, and eventually disease.

However, there is good news! First, we can eliminate or more realistically reduce the acidic foods we eat. Secondly, we can increase the alkalizing food we ingest, such as fruits and vegetables. A daily dose of the fruits and kelp in YG Exotic Blend, along with the antioxidants, minerals, and fiber the Blend also provides, can help you restore a healthy acid/alkaline pH balance and boost your energy!

Next weeks Daily Blend will further explore the food and chemical effects on acid/alkaline balance, and provide a chart that will help you achieve and maintain a healthy balance in the foods you eat.

Aihara, Herman. Acid and Alkaline. George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation, Chico California.  Fifth Edition, 1986.

Barody, Theodore A. Alkalize or Die.Holographic Health Press, Waynesville, NC. Ninth Edition, 2006.

Rosenbaum, Michael E. M.D. Natural Health Breakthroughs.  Product Publication. 2010.

Heart Disease
Cancer
Diabetes
Alzheimer’s Disease
Obesity
Arthritis
Psoriasis
Multiple Sclerosis
Asthma
Fibromyalgia
Celiac Disease
Schizophrenia

Unfortunately, the answer is all of them! Increasingly researchers are finding links between inflammation and many of the most common medical conditions in the world, and as we age, the risks increase. Although inflammation is a natural part of the body’s defense system against infection, allergens, toxins and other irritants, sometimes the natural balance is disrupted by too much sugar, animal fats, processed foods, lack of exercise, environmental toxins, stress, and any number of other factors tied to our diets and lifestyle, and the inflammation spreads systemically throughout the body!  Untreated, it can destroy your health.

Fortunately, you can take proactive steps to address this problem. Our medical research team at Youshi Guo is well aware of the damaging effects of inflammation on our bodies and our health, and for this reason has included in our Youshi Guo Exotic Blend five of the most powerful anti-inflammatory nutrients available on the planet: Acai, Bilberry, Mangosteen, Gogi and Noni.  Just three ounces a day of the YG Blend can dramatically reduce inflammation, and combined with good food choices and exercise, gives you a powerful weapon to combat this enemy.

Mark Hyman, M.D., bestselling author of Ultraprevention and Ultrametabolism, summarizes:

• Inflammation is connected to every major health threat we face today, including obesity.
• You can reverse these processes by adjusting your diet and your lifestyle.
• Eat foods that reduce inflammation and avoid those that cause it.
• Use herbs and high quality supplements to further reduce your inflammation.

First of all, you should understand what “USDA Certified Organic” means.  Crops must be grown without the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetic engineering, radiation, or sewage sludge in soil that has been kept free of these substances for at least three years.  Farmers must use crop rotation, tilling and natural composting to keep the soil fertile and the plants fed, and birds, butterflies and ladybugs help control insect pests! Organic produce contains more nutrients because of better soil quality, and the toxins from chemical pesticides and fertilizers are eliminated, so do not accumulate in our bodies.

Similarly, organic meat, milk, eggs and meat products are produced from animals fed with 100 percent organic feed who have not been given hormones to promote growth or antibiotics for any reason.  Also, the animals must have access to the outdoors, including pastures for animals that graze.  These standards help keep these foods safe, and again, help prevent the health dangers the cumulative effects of toxins can bring. From studies in 2006 from the FDA and USDA as reported in Prevention magazine, beef, pork, poultry, milk cheese and butter all transfer to us harmful pesticides and chemicals if they are not produced in ways that meet the organic standards.

For all these reasons you should use organic when possible and feasible – especially for those items you or your family eat regularly. Good health is priceless, and Youshi Guo is a real bargain when you consider the nutritional powerhouse it provides and what it would cost to purchase six or more servings of organic fruit a day!

If costs or availability are issues, the following listings should be helpful. The Environmental Working Group issued this SHOPPER’S GUIDE to PESTICIDES in 2010.

WORST
Buy organic if at all possible due to the high pesticide content absorbed:
Celery   *   Peaches    *   Strawberries    *    Apples   *    Blueberries   *   Nectarines   *   Bell    Peppers   *   Spinach   *   Kale   *   Cherries   *   Potatoes   *   Imported Grapes   *   Lettuce   *    Tomatoes   *   Pears

BEST
Lowest in pesticides absorbed:
Onions   *   Avocado   *   Sweet Corn   *   Pineapple   *   Mango   *   Asparagus   *   Sweet Peas   *     Kiwi    *   Bananas   *   Cabbage   *   Broccoli   *   Eggplant   *   Cantaloupe   *   Watermelon   *    Grapefruit   *    Sweet Potato   *   Honeydew Melon