Just Ask Terry

Just Ask Terry - May 14, 2010

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “My wife and I have been doing more outside activities, and are experiencing a lot more soreness and pain in our muscles. We are in our late 60s and would like to stay as healthy as possible. Is there anything that you know that is natural that can reduce the soreness and pain in our muscles? By the way, I should tell you that my wife and I are training for a 6-K run.” Jack and Sally J., Orlando, FL A. Dear Jack and Sally, I think we can make a big difference with the pain and soreness and get you both into really good shape for your up and coming run, just by adding a few healthy supplements to your diet. I would recommend a formula containing whole grape extract and rhodiola. This is a fantastic combination for athletes and anyone who is engaging in a heavy exercise routine or just hard, laborious work. These two herbs increase the oxygen content of blood and reduce your recovery time after exercise or work. You will feel more energetic and have less soreness. Soreness is actually caused by an increase of free radical damage in the muscles during exercise. The whole grape extract is an excellent antioxidant that prevents free radical damage. I’ve also found that people who experience pain in their muscles from exercise and everyday activities can eliminate the pain significantly by using a combination of high bioavailability curcumin, boswellia, the amino acid DLPA and nattokinase. You might look for these formulas in your health food store and begin using them several weeks before your 6-K run and continuing after for a few weeks to reduce soreness and pain. Using supplements to address free radical damage, enhance oxygen delivery to the muscles, and reduce pain and inflammation, can make a huge difference in your exercise and running capabilities. Good luck!

Q. Hi Terry, “With winter over, I thought I would be enjoying the spring weather, but I came down with a long lingering cold that I just can’t shake. I’ve been to my health food store and they have been very kind and helpful, but somehow I have just not been able to find anything that works. Do you have any suggestions as to what I may try?” Mary J., Bismarck, SD A. Dear Mary, The first thing to investigate when cold or flu symptoms do not resolve is determine if there is some underlying illness that is causing these symptoms. Therefore, check with your health care practitioner to make sure this is not the case. If everything else checks out, there are some things you can do to speed the recovery from this cold. Colds usually are part of the winter season because winter is harder on the immune system, and we lack any effect of the sun (like vitamin D production!), but colds can come any time of the year. There are a couple of things I would do that I found to be very effective. I would take a combination of two clinically studied herbs for cold and flu, such as pelargonium and andographis. Most people feel the effects in the first day or two of using these herbs, which is why they are my favorites. These two herbs work better when taken together as they have a synergistic effect. I would make certain that I got somewhere between 3,000 to 5,000 IUs of vitamin D and 15 to 20 minutes of exposure to the sun. In order to receive benefits from the sun and the healthy production of vitamin D, you need to expose at least 25% of your body to sunshine – face, arms, hands and possibly legs – to receive real benefit. Do not use a sun blocker for the first half-hour of exposure. That would just negate any benefit. It is not necessary to go beyond 15 to 20 minutes, three to four times a week. If you plan to stay out for a longer period of time and you are fair skinned, I would consider a sun blocker, probably not more than an 8 SPF. After 8 SPF, there really is not much more benefit except that the manufacturers of these products have multiple products to sell. I would also suggest that you take a softgel capsule of Oreganum compactum (oregano oil). This oil is especially effective for ear, nose, and throat issues. Another oil combination that I really like especially for bronchitis and sinusitis is a blend of eucalyptus and oil of myrtle. During the time that you have the cold, eat starches and complex carbohydrates lightly, eat more lean quality protein, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and avoid wheat and all other grains containing gluten, as well as dairy products and sugar. Drink at least two to three quarts of water a day. Following these health ideas can get you back on your feet in no time.

Q. Dear Terry, “My doctor wants me to take 6 grams of fish oil, but I can’t stand the taste and the continuing regurgitation of bad fish taste keeps coming up on me. Can you recommend something I can take that will help with the burping of fish oil?” Janice C., Grand Rapids, MI A. Dear Janice, I’m glad your doctor has recognized the value of omega 3 fatty acids. However, he may not know of a new, revolutionary, patented process called “vectorization” that extracts omega 3 fatty acids bound to phospholipids from salmon. This form of omega 3 fatty acid complex is far superior to fish OILS, as they are all commonly attached to triglycerides. The omega 3 fatty acids naturally bound to phospholipids from salmon create a superior delivery system with no regurgitation or burping. It is absorbed up to 50 times better than fish oils, and it is also superior in terms of purity and quality. One dose of the phospholipid-bound omega 3 fatty acid complex is equivalent to 4-6 grams of fish oils, or eating 6-8 ounces of fresh salmon. It may surprise you to know that this is the number one omega 3 fatty acid product sold in France, where it was developed through a sponsorship of the French government. Vectorization also yields an incredibly pure form of omega 3s. The French studies have indicated that in order to exceed the safe level of PCB’s, one would have to consume 150,000 tablets at one time. Because of the superior complexing of the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA with phospholipids, this form of omega 3 fatty acid penetrates far more effectively into heart and brain tissue. A recent two-year study on over 2,000 people supplemented with fish oils had no measurable effect on brain function. The new French discovery of vectorization and phospholipid based omega 3 fatty acids is therefore found to be superior to all fish oils. Janice, you may want to share this with your physician and seek his or her approval to upgrade using this form of omega 3 fatty acids rather than the triglyceride-based fish oil, which is giving you the problem with “fish burps.”