Your Brain On Stress

Brain Health needs to be on all of our minds.

“You know that stress can make you feel tense or impulsive, but did you know that it also alters the actual structure of your brain? These changes can impact your personality, memory, and decision-making skills.

According to a recent HuffPo piece by physiologist Jenny C. Evans, stress shrinks areas of your brain that help you cope while increasing the size of an area that makes you feel more anxious.

When you’re stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol shrinks the hippocampus, the part of your brain that Evans says, “is critical for learning, memory and emotional regulation, as well as shutting off the stress response after a stressful event is over.”

Cortisol also shrinks your prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain that helps with decision-making, memory and impulse control.

While your hippocampus and prefrontal cortex shrink in response to cortisol, that same hormone causes your amygdala to increase in size. Evans says that, “The changes cortisol creates [in your amygdala] increase negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and aggression.”

The good news is there is a supplement made by Shaklee Corporation that actually blunts cortisol called Stress Relief Complex. Further good news is that you can make your brain more “stress-resistant” with another simple habit: exercise.

Exercise helps offset the damage that cortisol does to your brain. It helps you generate new neurons where you need them most. And the best part? You don’t have to spend hours at the gym or hitting the pavement for a long run to get these benefits. Evans says that “A single bout of sprinting for 30 seconds can generate a six-fold increase in HGH, with levels peaking two hours later.” HGH — human growth hormone — is a hormone that stimulates brain growth, which helps counteract the effects of cortisol.

Evans says that five minute bursts of exercise are actually ideal for protecting your brain from stress. That means a quick walk can do the trick. If you find yourself stressed at work, maybe propose that an upcoming meeting be a walking meeting rather than one where you’re confined to an office or conference room. Kids stressing you out? Try a short family walk around the block or even a two-song dance party in the living room.”

From “How Stress Shrinks Your Brain (+ How to Stop It)” By Becky Striepe

You could also get up right now and walk to the kitchen to take your Shaklee Stress Relief Complex and MindWorks to help provide more oxygen to your brain, provide better memory & focus, and help prevent brain shrinkage. As a nutrition
Consultant I receive employee discounts on many supplements If you would like to try them at my special employee discount message me or give me a call. 714-536-6555

 -Gotta go and take mine before I forget!~Michele 

Amazing Eczema Testimonials

Here are a couple recent testimonials of children's eczema that has been greatly improved by our Shaklee Natural Health Team.

Thank you Allison and Claudia for sharing your son's stories about eczema. I know it will help so many! 

"I didn't have nut/egg allergy with my son but severe eczema, before Shaklee, I of course believed doctors with creams, steroids, antibiotics and when I finally found Shaklee earlier this year, I first bought the cleaning products. Saw improvement and started my 3 year old on Incredivites, mighty smarts, probiotic, and calming complex. I noticed a change right away when I first used the calming complex (no burning like with coconut oil or vaseline) and within 3 days, his bare to the bone skin was healed."~Allison, IL 2014

Since June i have changed so many things in my diet, Cadens diet, detergent,lotions and meds to get this Excema under control. So many sleepless nights and money spent on products that were not relieving my kids allergies/rashes. Heck i even have my own aloe extraction process of my own(so easy and does wonders to skin). Finally now i can say i have it under control with lots of trial and error, eliminating certain ingredients and including whole foods vs. Processed foods. Now my happy guys recovers much faster from an allergic reaction and doesn't need prescribed lotions. Jacob/Cadens skin looks and feels 10x better. Yes mommy will cheat once in a while but i realize its not worth it for them to stay up scratching all night and not letting us rest. Thank goodness for vitamins/Probiotics because they really are helping them. Thank you Rachel King Terracino for all your help and wonderful Shaklee Products. The first pictures where from June and the rest are now (Sept). Way better! Thanks to these changes mommy and daddy are in good health and rather have home cooked healthy meals than restaurant food.~ Claudia 2014

Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common psychiatric conditions women develop after childbirth and is also a major cause of maternal mortality worldwide. While incidence has been reported to be as low as 0% of women in Singapore and as high as 56% of women in Brazil, typical estimates of PPD range between 10% and 40%. Symptoms usually begin within three months after childbirth.

Globally, the four main contributors to PPD are socio-economic status, demography, family history, and maternal and social support.

While several previous studies have linked low vitamin D levels with PPD, they have mainly evaluated the effects of vitamin D status during pregnancy and have not yet looked at Chinese populations.

There are a few lines of evidence to suggest a role for vitamin D in depression. First, the brain has numerous vitamin D receptors and vitamin D deficiency may interfere with normal cognitive functioning. Vitamin D has been shown to play a role in brain development and in the production of norepinephrine and dopamine, two hormones linked to depression.

This study was designed to see if symptoms of PPD are more common in Chinese women who have low vitamin D immediately following giving birth.

Women delivering full-term babies at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital were invited to take part in the study. Blood samples were drawn 24-48 hours after delivery to determine their 25(OH)D levels.

Women were excluded from participating in the study if they were under psychiatric care during pregnancy, had a stillborn infant, were giving birth to more than one baby, or had an infant that was immediately admitted to intensive care after birth. Two hundred and thirteen women with a median age of 31 years completed the study.

Three months later the women returned to complete the Chinese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), a screening tool used to identify if new mothers are suffering from depression. They were also interviewed to find out if they were breastfeeding, experiencing any health problems, and to report other lifestyle and socio-demographic factors that may confound the results.

The researchers wanted to know if vitamin D status within 24-48 hours after giving birth was significantly related to PPD and if this relationship persisted after adjusting for confounding factors.

Here’s what the researchers found:

• Overall, 26 of the women were identified as having PPD.
• There was a significant negative relationship between vitamin D status and EPDS score (P < .0001). This remained significant after adjusting for factors such as age, stressful life events, education, partner support, and previous psychiatric care (P = .006).
• Women with 25(OH)D levels above 14.3 ng/mL were the least likely to suffer from PPD (p < .0001)
• Women with 25(OH)D levels below 8.3 ng/mL were the most likely to suffer PPD (P < .0001)
• After adjusting for the above factors, the analysis showed that women with higher vitamin D status had a significant 19% reduced risk of PPD (P < .0001).

The authors identified some limitations of the study:

• They did not measure 25(OH)D levels during pregnancy to see if the women were low during pregnancy too and not just immediately after delivery.
• Even though women were excluded from the study if they had been receiving psychiatric care, some of the women who participated could have had undiagnosed mental health conditions.
• The PPD diagnosis process did not include a structured clinical interview.

Vitamin D supplementation is a low-cost and safe intervention and all pregnant women should be screened for vitamin D deficiency to prevent the severe deficiency states seen in the women in this study.

In a new study published this month in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chinese researchers examined how timing of vitamin D measurement related to postpartum depression.

Fu CW, Liu JT, Tu WJ, Yang JQ, Cao Y. Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels measured 24 hours after delivery and postpartum depression. BJOG. 2014; DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.13111.

How To Make DIY Disinfectant Wipes

My business partner Rachel from Ecolicious Mama shared how to make her own disinfecting wipes for a fraction of the price! I absolutely LOVE the Get Clean NON-TOXIC (found at this website http://healthysteps.myshaklee.com/us/en/ enter "wipes" in the search bar) I usually always use these terrific disinfecting wipes for home or in the car. However for all the disinfecting we have to do around here with my husband's new tracheotomy I decided to go this economic, yet very disinfecting route .

I truly appreciate when household things can be done simply and quickly and these very simple, inexpensive, and powerful cleaning and disinfectant wipes take less than 5 minutes!

Many people love the Clorox Wipes, Lysol Wipes, toilet wipes, surface wipes… the list goes on and on. If it’s a wipe, usually people love it! But they can get pretty pricey, not to mention highly toxic, so I wanted to share my easy way of making your own for just pennies of solution per canister! The paper towels are the only real expense with this project since I re-purpose old canisters, like the Shaklee 180 protein canisters which are the perfect size for this!

 To make your own wipes, it costs just pennies of the same cleaning solution, so if you have 5 minutes go ahead and whip up some of these wonderful and crazily inexpensive wipes! (Yep, that’s all it took me! 5 minutes!)

Here’s exactly how to do it, all of the details are below!

Cost Comparison:

Clorox or Lysol Wipes – Approximately $2.99-$4.99 per canister of 35 wipes

DIY Basic G Wipes - Approximately $.45 to $.65 per canister of 48-50 wipes, depending on the cost of the paper towels

I buy all my nontoxic cleaning products from my favorite natural health supplier Shaklee. (You can  order them from the web site above).They have a complete line of nontoxic cleaning concentrates to save money, trucking costs, and packaging waste because they are highly concentrated. Can  you believe 1 bottle of multipurpose concentrate equals over 7000 bottles of Windex? 

The cleaning concentrates that you dilute into spray bottles are super convenient.

For more nontoxic cleaning tips visit Rachel's blog at: http://www.ecoliciousmamablog.com/is-your-spring-cleaning-polluting-your-home/

Toxic Weed Killer on Your Food-Manufacturer Trying to Get Approval

The EPA is currently reviewing an application from the biotech giant, Dow Chemical Co., to approve Enlist Duo, a dangerous mix of glyphosate (the main ingredient in RoundUp) and the even more toxic weed killer, 2,4-D. Dow is hoping to be able to use Enlist Duo on the next generation of genetically modified crops, which Dow has engineered to withstand 2,4-D. Tell the EPA to deny Dow’s application to use 2,4-D on GMO crops!  Human exposure to 2,4-D has been linked to an increased risk of both Parkinson’s diseases and non-Hodgkin lymphoma along with thyroid, immune and reproductive system problems. If Dow’s application is approved the use of 2,4-D in the US would more than triple from today's levels by 2020! We need to act now to make sure the EPA keeps this toxic week killer away from us and out of our food! The EPA is currently seeking comments from the public on Dow’s application. Before the EPA makes its final decision make sure they hear from YOU. Stand with us today by adding your name to our petition telling the EPA to deny the approval of Enlist Duo for use on GMO crops! Thank You. Gary Hirshberg Chairman Just Label It  Donate to Just Label It | Sign the Petition

We're building a movement of concerned citizens – parents, health care workers, small business owners, farmers, and more – who care about what's in the food we eat. In October 2011, the Just Label It campaign was formed when the Center for Food Safety filed a petition with the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to require the labeling of all foods produced using genetic engineering. Days later, we asked citizens from around the country to join us and tell the FDA to "Just Label It." More than 1.2 million Americans have contacted to the FDA urging them to label genetically engineered foods. Ask others to sign on at www.JustLabelIt.org/takeaction. Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Learn more at www.JustLabelIt.org

Heart Health -STATINS ADVERSE EFFECTS: Find out a better test to determine if you really need them

Cardiologists and most internists have so many people on statins that they have already formed their own opinions about the drug's safety.

What doctors really need to consider is whether many of their patients need to be on a statin at all.

There is no question that today statins are being prescribed to far too many patients, often simply on the basis of a person’s total cholesterol number. Remember this: Total cholesterol and/or LDL cholesterol are poor predictors of heart disease and heart attack. Studies show that total cholesterol levels among people who’ve had heart attacks are almost the same as those of people who haven’t and that roughly half of heart attacks occur in people without high cholesterol. There is no one size ts all when it comes to prescribing statins. Doctors need to individualize treatment decisions to the patient. It is not uncommon to find individuals with very high cholesterol levels who don’t have any coronary plaque and who do not need to be treated with a statin. Conversely, there are individuals who are thin and fit and lead a healthy lifestyle and yet have a genetic propensity for plaque accumulation. Such patients absolutely need a statin.

What Patients Need to Consider About Statins

Rather than worrying about side effects, the main thing individuals need to consider when it comes to taking a statin is whether it’s been necessarily prescribed.

There is no question that almost all people who have had a heart attack should be on a statin. Those who do not have established heart disease, but who have a family history of heart disease or any conventional cardiac risk factors should ask for a Calcium Score.

A CT heart scan for a Calcium Score helps clarify risk.

A Calcium Score is the measure of the amount of calcium nestled in the walls of your coronary arteries (the arteries that feed your heart muscle). This number reflects the total amount of atherosclerotic plaque that has built up and it’s an indicator of how all of your risk factors interact with each other to cause heart disease. 

The higher your Calcium Score for your age, the greater your risk of a heart attack or stroke, and the greater the likelihood that you’ll need a statin. Conversely, if you have a Calcium Score of 0, even with high cholesterol, you probably don’t need to be on a statin and should discuss this with your doctor.

Today many preventive cardiologists are recommending that all asymptomatic men over age 45 and most postmenopausal women over age 55 have a heart scan to determine their Calcium Score. What this screening test has found is that many patients considered to be low risk by conventional risk factors are actually harboring plaque and are in fact at high risk.

If you are already appropriately taking a statin and have been experiencing side effects, it may simply be that you need to take a break from the medication, need a dosage adjustment, or need a different statin. Don’t stop taking your statin medication, however, without talking with your doctor. Alternative treatment plans that can help you lower your cholesterol without side effects are available.

Arthur Agatston, MD, is a cardiologist and Medical Director of Wellness and Prevention for Baptist Health South Florida and clinical professor of medicine at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.

A pioneer in cardiac prevention, Dr. Agatston worked work with Warren Janowitz, MD, on development of the Agatston Score (also called the calcium score), a method of screening for coronary calcium as an indicator of atherosclerosis. Agatston is well known as the author of the best-selling book The South Beach Diet. He maintains a cardiology practice and research foundation in Miami Beach.

Many thanks to Dr. Arthur Agatston

PHOTO CREDIT: Andrew Duany

The Truth About Chemical Cleaners

Your health and the environment You are committed to good health and have daily activities and routines you follow in order to support your health. On most days, you start your morning with a workout or a power walk, then make your high-protein smoothee, and take your supplements, and brush your teeth. Then, throughout the day, you try to make the right decisions about eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, wearing your sunscreen, and putting activity into your day.

All these small steps taken day in and day out lead to a stronger and healthier YOU!

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tracks more than 84,000 chemicals used in commerce.i These chemicals, have worked their way into our everyday lives. Now, no matter how clean you try to live, it is impossible to escape exposure from these chemicals that may put an amazingly heavy burden on our liver and other detoxification pathways in our bodies. Chemicals are found in the food we eat, clothes we wear, personal care products we use, and even the very products that we use to keep our homes clean and safe.

Take a look at the chemicals found in common household cleaners:

Name	Found in	Potentially harmful effects
Phthalates	Solvents used to make fragrances	Endocrine disrupters: Men with high levels of phthalates in their blood have reduced sperm counts.
Perchloroethylene (PERC)	Dry-cleaning solution, spot removers, carpet cleaners	The EPA classifies PERC as a possible carcinogen and has ordered a phase-out of the chemical by 2020.
Triclosan	An antibacterial found in dishwashing detergents and hand soaps	Leads to drug-resistant bacteria and is a possible hormone disrupter.
2-Butoxyethanol	Mostly found in window cleaners, is responsible for the sweet smell	General irritant when inhaled, at high levels can damage lungs, liver, and kidneys
Ammonia	Found in many cleaning products	When inhaled, it can irritate the lungs and potentially worsen asthma.
Chlorine	Another ubiquitous chemical, found in toilet bowl cleaner, mildew removers, laundry products, and even tap water	Chlorine is very reactive and irritates skin and lungs. It may disrupt the thyroid.

While it can be daunting to think that we are surrounded by so many chemicals, the good news is that there are fantastic natural choices that will do the job these chemicals do just as well without exposing you and your family to potentially harmful fumes, solvents, and toxins.

Be sure you only have safe, green cleaners under your sink and in your laundry. Choosing green cleaners means that you are doing the best for your health, the environment, and your family's well-being!

Have a question or comment? Join the conversation on our blog.

i http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/tscainventory/basic.html