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Regaining Your Health at Any Age (Part 2 in a 3 Part Series)

Good Day to All of You!

My Favorite Supplements

In my last weekly email newsletter I mentioned curcumin, the "wonder spice" of the century. It has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, has highly effective immune modulating benefits, is liver detoxifying and an effective liver protectant, has very effective pain relieving action, and is the most powerful antioxidant nature has to offer. In India it is referred to as the "all in one solution". On one of my visits to India, I attended a conference in Delhi on botanical medicine. A PhD researcher made a comment that curcumin, with all of its numerous benefits, could effectively replace 15 prescription drugs.

The second product I covered was Vectomega, the only natural, whole food, omega-3 fatty acid product available in the marketplace. It's up to 50 times more absorbable than fish oil. Vectomega goes through a very gentle extraction process to remove the omega-3 fatty acids from their salmon source. The process takes less than an hour and uses only a natural enzyme and cold water flush. Only one tablet daily is required to supply the omega-3 fatty acids including DHA and EPA, as it is found naturally in salmon. One tablet daily equals approximately 6-8 ounces of salmon. There is no regurgitation, burping or fishy aftertaste. The results are very significant in terms of cardiovascular health, and brain and mental function. These are two of my favorite recommendations and supplements that I personally take on a daily basis.

My next top recommendations—Iodine and Adaptogens

To paraphrase a comment from Dr. David Brownstein, MD, it is impossible to lead a healthy life without significant levels of daily iodine. Dr. Brownstein has written an excellent book: Iodine: Why You Need it, Why You Can't Live Without It. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about this amazing mineral, or see my detailed information on Iodine in Terry Talks Nutrition: Iodine, the Forgotten Mineral.

Iodine not only supports proper thyroid function, but it is also required for total body health. Alternative physicians such as Dr. Brownstein and Dr. Jonathan Wright recommend 12.5 mgs of iodine daily to saturate the tissues of the body, particularly the breast, ovaries, uterus and prostate. In Japan, where the average daily intake of iodine is 12.5 mgs, there is less cancer of the breast, prostate, uterus and ovaries. Alternative medicine practitioners are prescribing iodine to their patients who may be at risk for cancers of these tissues, and to also reduce cysts and nodules which commonly occur in these glands and organs.

Did you know that before World War II, iodine was the most prescribed medication? Physicians of that era called it "the most magical and miracle healing mineral." Dr. Albert Szent-Györgyi, the discoverer of vitamin C, said that physicians prescribed iodine for everything. They didn't know what it did, but it did everything good. It was reported that he himself consumed 1,000 mgs of iodine daily. I have talked to people who increased their iodine consumption from what was once thought to be the standard dose of 150 mcgs to at least 12.5 mgs of iodine daily. They report increased energy levels and increased positive moods and attitude. One lady calls it her "happy pill".

Iodine is required to produce hormones. Women especially will benefit significantly from increased levels of iodine, particularly when they are experiencing symptoms of menopause. Generally, experts recommend 50 mgs of iodine daily for four months to ensure complete body saturation, and then decrease the dose to 12.5 mgs daily to maintain iodine levels.

Without sufficient iodine, three other chemicals, bromide, chlorine and fluorides, can compete for the iodine pathway. These three cancer-causing chemicals will accumulate in the body if there isn't sufficient iodine. When iodine is increased to 12.5 mgs or more, these three toxic chemicals are discharged from the body, which may lead to some mild side effects (increased secretion from the nasal passages, sneezing and rash, and in some cases acne). This level of iodine may sound unusually high. However, we used to be told that high levels of vitamin D were toxic. Now we know that greater quantities than previously thought are regularly being recommended. I believe the same will be true for iodine.

Iodine is very safe. Research shows that up to 100,000 times the RDA can be safely taken. The side effects, if any, are mild. Please keep in mind that I am not a physician or a doctor of any kind. I have, however, spent 40 years in the health food industry doing writing and research, and speaking to alternative physicians, leading researchers, and scientists all over the world. I follow what I preach. I want to share this information with you since you may not have access to this powerful and healing alternative health care system. How you use this information is entirely up to you. If you feel you should consult your physician, I encourage you to do so.

Adaptogens

There are four adaptogens that I highly respect and rely on to reduce the stress that I encounter, to keep my energy levels up to maintain the crazy pace I live, and to allow me to sleep like a baby. I research 8-10 hours a day, write countless articles and lecture all over the world. I'm flying on planes several times a month, to both domestic and international locations. I could not maintain this pace if I didn't have adaptogenic herbs.

Every country seems to have an answer to stress and how to improve mental, physical or sexual performance. In India, ashwagandha is the adaptogenic choice. In China, the choice is schisandra. In Siberia, the choice is rhodiola. In Russia the choice is eleuthero. It seems that nature, in its flawless care of mankind, has an adaptogenic herb available in every culture. A blend of all four of these herbs to reduce stress, increase energy and to calmly and smoothly take on life with all its burdens yields phenomenal results.

The word adaptogen refers to a natural herb product that is proposed to increase the body's resistance to stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue. People who are not adequately strengthened, either through a highly nutritious diet or with the use of adaptogens, will approach life negatively and everything will seem like a crisis. They make mountains out of mole hills. There's more darkness in their life than sun and everyone is against them. People who get up every morning knowing this is the best day they will ever live, encounter the same stressors but look at them as challenges, rather than fear them as stress. They take on one challenge after the other and look at the day as being successful. They get a charge out of knowing that they beat the odds.

We will never get rid of stress. In fact, stress will make us stronger if we approach it in the right manner—knowing that it's there, knowing we can beat it, and setting out to accomplish our goals without fear. Fear is more likely to creep in when we are malnourished, deficient in nutrients and lacking the benefits of adaptogenic herbs. I would seek out one or more of the adaptogenic herbs. Personally, I use a combination of all four in a proper ratio that has been recommended by herbalists in their respective countries of origin. Once you try a combination of these adaptogenic herbs, you will experience less stress, you'll have a more positive outlook on life, you'll have more energy and you will sleep much more soundly and be refreshed. It's amazing how adaptogenic herbs can affect your body. Taking them in the morning will give you extra energy and taking them at night will help you sleep soundly. You can read more about adaptogens in Terry Talks Nutrition: Stress, the Ultimate Killer.

Next week I will continue my series of articles on my favorite supplements with a look at my top picks for building healthy bones.

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