Allergies, what are they exactly?

When we think of allergies, we imagine somebody sneezing over their cat or watery eyes because of the ragweed. But allergies are even more diverse than that.

The definition of allergy is quite simple; it is when the immune system’s hypersensitivity upon re-exposure to a sensitizing agent causes release of inflammatory chemicals and therefore the development of various symptoms. Our bodies then become intolerant of a particular chemical or process needed to digest a particular food.

The term allergy dates back to 1906 when an Austrian pediatrician named Clemens von Pirquet noted that some people had a different reaction to a substance than other people, which he called ‘altered reactivity’. Today an allergy is described in reference to allergens, or a substance that provokes allergy symptoms. The body judges the substance to be foreign and dangerous and then attacks it. Allergic responses vary and include fatigue, headache, sneezing, watery eyes, and stuffy sinuses. Allergic reaction symptoms are even broke down into two categories, immediate and delayed. Food allergies can occur two to 72 hours after eating.

The most common source of environmental allergies are the pollen of plants from trees, weeds, grasses and molds. As for food allergies, common culprits are yeast, wheat, corn, milk, dairy products, eggs, soy, shellfish, peanuts, chocolate and food dyes and additives.

There are many theories as to why some are more sensitive to pollutants and foods than others. Some speculate it is genetic. Others feel it is toxic overload from the pesticides and chemicals in our society or vaccinations we received as children.

So what are some simple steps we can take to build our immunity and defend ourselves from allergens?

1. Drink plenty of water. Water can act as an antioxidant by flushing oxidants and other toxins through the kidneys. Being well hydrated can help with our mucous membranes and sinuses as well. Try drinking water that has been purified through reverse osmosis, activated charcoal, de-ionized, ultraviolet light or distillation.
2. Clean Your House – Wash pillows, blankets or all bedding to remove dust mites. Keep windows closed during allergy season and use air filters and purifiers. If you have a choice, avoid carpet as it collects dust mites and molds.
3. Eat More Healthy – Try eating organic, foods that have not been processed with additives and chemicals. Eat more high-fiber plant foods such as grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Avoid refined sugars, synthetic fats, refined flours and commercial red meat and poultry.
4. Supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals. Giving your immune system a boost to help fight off bacteria and viruses will give you the strength to digest and ingest what the environment has to offer.

Practice these four things and certainly you will see an improvement. It may not happen overnight, but nothing worthwhile ever does.

R. Fredriksen is the Vice President of Nutrition Dome, a leading provider of pioneer nutritional formulas. For more information, please visit www.nutritiondome.com.

Stay healthy, boost your immune system

Whether it is the flu, a cold or simply allergies that bring you down, the end result is that the body hasn’t properly fought off the offending attacks. To help strengthen your body’s resistance to allergens or germs, start by addressing your immune system.

What is the immune system? The immune system is made up of cells that are designed to kill off virus or bacteria encounters. These cells, called killer cells or macrophages digest and destroy anything offensive to the body.

So what can we do to help our own body help itself?

1. Cut back on processed sugar. It is said that as little as one teaspoon of sugar shuts off our killer cells activity for up to six hours. Cutting out sugar will not only help your immune system but will also renew your energy levels and weight distribution. Alternatives to sugar are stevia or artificial sweeteners; but stevia is certainly healthier.
2. Take supplements such as Vitamins A, C, E and B complex. Finding a company that offers such vitamins in addition to supplements aimed specifically for immune support, like Jarrow Formulas, help zero in on what you are trying to accomplish. Vitamins A, C, E and B are certainly necessary for immune support but so are antioxidants, and IP6, which enhances the body’s natural killer cells.
3. Reduce stress and get a good night’s sleep. Stress, whether emotional or physical send out to the body a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol drops our DHEA levels and makes our interleukin levels rise. Sleep itself, from six to ten hours, helps balance our hormone levels, including our cortisol.
4. Drink plenty of water. Most people don’t drink enough water to purify the body of its toxins. Try adding lemon to your water. Lemon restores the acid-alkali balance which helps return your body’s pH level to a place where it supports healthy bacterial instead of the bacteria caused by viruses.
5. Eat more raw fruits and vegetables for their antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes. Do this especially if you are not taking a supplement to assist your body.
6. Spend time out in the cold. It seems that this is contradictory to getting a cold, but exercise and getting out of the indoors where you inhale other people’s germs, helps the body. Exercise also releases endorphins, which increases immune support.
7. Nurture your well-being. Research has shown that our nervous system directly communicates with our immune system. Feelings of joy and self worth improve and boost our immunity. It has also been proven that prayer; a positive attitude and a spiritual sense of well-being enhance our killer cell activity.

Sound easy enough? It is, so practice at least two of the above mentioned and you will notice your health improving drastically.

Is Hoodia the next weight loss miracle drug?

Everybody is looking for the next supplement that will assist him or her in losing weight. Over the years, there have been a number of ways people have been told how to lose weight. But sometimes the next best thing is located away from the labs and opinions of others and is in your own back yard. Well, maybe it’s only in your backyard if you live in the African desert.

Hoodia, a cactus, found primarily in the Kalahari is this next best thing. In the Kalahari, the plant is called the “Bushman’s Hat or “Queen of Namib” and is used by bushmen or hunters to survive the harsh desert by being able to travel for days without food. How does it work? The plant, Hoodia Cactus as it is often called, has a natural capacity to suppress appetite. What was thought to be an African folklore is now being discovered by drug companies through millions of dollars in research, to be true.

So what is it about the plant that makes it work? The plant contains steroidal glycosides, which in effect mimics the effect glucose has on the nerve cells in the brain. These glycosides tell us we are full when we are not. To be more scientific, it acts on the hypothalamus of the human brain in the same way that an increase in the amount of sugar in the bloodstream would. It basically tricks the brain into believing we have had enough calories to get us through the day and therefore suppresses hunger.

So what are the side effects of Hoodia? So far, the only known side effect is an overall felling of well-being; a side effect most don’t mind. Combined with other natural weight loss substances such as ephedra or caffeine –Hoodia has become a very efficient weight loss drug. Packaged together by companies like Lipodrene, the product gives dieters a way to lose weight while feeling like they have extra energy - all without hunger.

Who is using this new miracle drug? It seems the stars of Hollywood discovered its benefits first with rumor of Nicole Richie and the cast from Desperate Housewives, enjoying its benefit. Today the general public is learning about it.

Skeptics have traveled to the deserts of Africa to try it themselves. One woman, working as a journalist, reported that after a day of traveling and feeling famished, she tried the herb and found that she wasn’t hungry for forty-eight hours. As a reporter, she found that encouraging when finding time to stop and eat isn’t always easy with a busy schedule.

So, whether you are too busy to eat at any given moment or you’re somebody who fights eating when you aren’t necessarily hungry, as in using food for emotional reasons or to fight boredom, this natural substance might be the trick in helping you find balance. It just could be the next miracle cure for many.

About the Author: R. Fredriksen is the Vice President of Nutrition Dome, a leading provider of Jarrow Formulas, Pioneer Nutritional Forumulas, Lipodrene and other quality supplements. For more information, please visit www.nutritiondome.com.

Feeling Tired? Check your Hormones

If you are like most women over the age of thirty, you might be asking yourself why you are so tired lately? Studies have shown that fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of hormonal imbalance affecting close to 80 percent of women premenopausal and menopausal. The good news is that you aren’t alone and such fatigue is treatable or gets better after menopause.

So what causes fatigue? Before you start blaming all of your tiredness on hormones, read through this checklist, just to be sure your tiredness is not due to other things.

1. See a doctor and get a complete physical to rule out any diseases or illnesses. Thyroid dysfunction can cause fatigue as can an infection.
2. Are you emotionally stressed? If so, lack of sleep can be a factor. Stress and anxiety can keep you up tossing and turning all night while depriving you from a good night’s sleep.
3. Is your body lacking proper nutrients? Do you take a supplement? Without the right foods are body’s cells won’t get the necessary nutrients, which stresses our systems even further than all of our other every day stressors.
4. Dehydration is a big one, especially if you live in a warm climate. It is recommended that you drink at least four glasses of water a day and more if you are active.
5. Inactivity can lead to fatigue. One might think being active makes you tired, but to the contrary, the body needs both rest and movement.
6. Do you have food allergies? Going undiagnosed, food allergies can overtax your immune system leaving you exhausted. Digestive imbalances over time and food allergies can over time trigger multiple chemical sensitivities. Chronic inflammation taxes the immune system making you more sensitive to other allergens.
7. Adrenal fatigue is again tied to stress and anxiety but this fatigue isn’t just from lack of sleep, it is an overall fatigue that is caused from our adrenal glands being ‘on’ longer than they should. Adrenal stress index tests can be done to discover whether you are ‘on’ more than ‘off’ when it comes to taxing your adrenal glands.

If none of these apply to you, then the last consideration is certainly your hormones combined with daily stressors. How do the two work together? When our adrenals are producing high levels of cortisol, they forget how to work and don’t produce a chemical called DHEA(dehydroepiandrosterone). DHEA is a precursor to the hormone estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone and helps balance our body’s hormones. Our body naturally produces DHEA and it’s at its highest when we are in your twenties. As we age, amounts slowly declined and many doctors recommend taking it as a supplement. Low amounts of DHEA can also lead to bone loss, loss of muscle mass, depression, aching joints, decreased sex drive and low immunity.


If you are experiencing fatigue most typically with PMS, ask you doctor about DHEA and have your hormones checked. Also ask for a simple blood test, which will gauge your iron levels.

There is no need to be consistently tired and there are methods for getting to the bottom of your fatigue, whether you’re perimenopasual, menopausal or none of the aforementioned.

About the Author: R. Fredriksen is the Vice President of Nutrition Dome, a leading provider of MRM DHEA products. For more information, please visit www.nutritiondome.com.

Are Your Children Getting Enough Calcium

By now, most of us know that it takes calcium to keep our bones and teeth strong. Most of us worry about calcium depletion as we age. But what about our children? Are they getting enough calcium as their bodies are constantly growing?

For our children, the age group that needs the greatest amount of calcium is our teens. Teens need 1,300 milligrams of calcium daily. This number drops the younger the child is. For children 1 to 3, the requirement is 500 milligrams daily and for children 4 to 8, the requirement is 800 milligrams daily. For adults, we aren’t far behind teens, especially if we are 51 or older, we should be consuming at least 1,200 milligrams a day.

So what does it mean to consume 500 milligrams to 1300 milligrams of calcium a day? Well, if a toddler, who needs the least amount, is drinking at least two glasses of milk, it is most likely they are hitting their target. Of course calcium is found in other consumables that include cheese, broccoli, yogurt and some cereals. For teens, their calcium intake is equivalent to four glasses of milk.

Getting our children or even ourselves as adults to consume the right amount of calcium can sometimes be a chore. Adding a daily supplement to our diet can help us balance out our calcium requirements without having to count portions with every meal. Of course eating right and eating in a balanced way is the most ideal, but if your diet isn’t balanced, take a step back and ask whether making the extra effort to watch your calcium is worth the effort. We think so as research has shown evidence that not only does calcium strengthen our bones and teeth but it may even reduce the risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels – or, as new research is showing, it reduces our chances of having colon cancer. When our calcium level is low, our body pulls calcium from our bones – which are the stockholders of about 99 percent of the calcium in our body. If our bones are constantly being drawn upon to balance our needed calcium supply, what results are weaker bones and even weaker teeth. For children, who enjoy sugary snacks and soda pop, this can mean more cavities and higher priced dental bills. And if the depletion is even more unbalanced, it could be as serious as bone fractures or breaks.

So is making the extra effort to make sure your children are getting enough calcium worth a parent’s time? You had better believe it. It’s better to make the effort now than to pay the price later.


About the Author: R. Fredriksen is the Vice President of Nutrition Dome, a leading provider of pioneer nutritional calcium magnesium products. For more information, please visit www.nutritiondome.com.

Getting Rid of Those Few Extra Pounds

Trying to lose weight can sometimes feel overwhelming. Much of what determines how much weight we gain or lose is based on our metabolism and its complex chemical process.

To understand how our metabolism works can give us insight on how to control it and therefore help us lose the weight we desire to get rid of.

Metabolism’s complex system is one of a chemical reaction that can be usually divided into two categories; Catabolism, which yields energy when breaking down food and Anabolism, the use of energy to construct components of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids. When we eat, the body begins to immediately convert our food into nutrients, which then is converted to energy. The enzymes in the digestive system break down the food. These particles are either immediately used as energy or stored in the liver, muscles, and body fat for future use. Therein lies the problem when it comes to weight gain and weight loss, if we aren’t burning off the stored particles, meaning when we are not active and are without the need to burn off the same amount of energy we are producing, it has to be stored and thus fat is created.

To increase our body’s metabolism and lose the excess weight being stored, there are a number of solutions. The primary one of course is exercise. Exercising is one of things that sounds good but isn’t always feasible with our busy workweek. When we think of exercise, sometimes we associate it with going to the gym or running miles on end. In reality, exercise can be quite simple and can be done without taking time away from your schedule. An example would be to begin parking further away from your destination. Walk whenever and wherever you can. If your business or place of business has a staircase, try using it instead of the elevator.

If exercise isn’t burning off the weight as quickly as you would like, focusing on speeding up the body’s metabolism might be an option. Using supplements that utilize natural stimulants, like products such as Lipodrene, give the body an energy boost, which assists it in burning off calories. By boosting energy, Lipodrene naturally stimulates the central nervous system without causing jitters or nervousness. How does this work? Within supplements like Lipodrene is a core plant compound called Coryphantha, which comes from the cactus family. And within Coryphantha is Phenylethylamine, the stimulant that is found in chocolate and is responsible for its effects on mood, appetite and a sense of well being. In addition to burning calories you can feel more energized.

Eating smaller portions at regular intervals will also help you shed those pounds. Try not to eat just when you are hungry, plan your meals and eat enough during meal times to not feel hungry shortly after. Moderation is the key.

And last, eat more carbohydrates; it increases your metabolic rate. Our metabolic rate is the amount of energy we expend while at rest.

About the Author: R. Fredriksen is the Vice President of Nutrition Dome, a leading provider of pioneer nutritional calcium magnesium products. For more information, please visit www.nutritiondome.com.