Natural health supplements and products, with natural ingredients, that improve health in a synthetic, processed, toxic world.

Liquid Collagen – Youth in a Glass?

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Why do we want it?

Research shows that liquid collagen has impressive benefits for our hair, skin and nails. That’s all we needed to hear for “us ladies” to be focused on the “skin” part of that benefit…mostly. Who doesn’t want to support their facial skin from the inside out and have the added benefit of great hair, nails, and joint protection? If you don’t need to “read” about it, go to the bottom of this post and “act” on it.

Liquid Collagen
Liquid Collagen

What is liquid collagen anyway?

It is a protein; protein peptides to be exact, suspended in liquid. Collagen is what gives our skin its elasticity and support structure, and provides joints, tendons, ligaments with that same support.

These collagen proteins are hydrolyzed and broken down into amino acids, or peptides, so the body can absorb them better. Hydrolyzed proteins are the way to go for maximum absorbability. Since collagen is really just amino acids, find one that has a full profile of amino acids. Moreover, collagen from grass fed cows has proven to have a fuller amino acid profile from those that are not grass fed, and bovine collagen is type I collagen.

But liquid collagen is not just hype geared towards women wanting to appear more youthful; there is science behind it. Thousands of clinical studies show positive results from supplementing with collagen. Important to note, our natural collagen production slows down after the age of 30, and slowly plummets. Supplementation becomes necessary to maintain collagen levels and achieve a more youthful appearance. No, we don’t have to, we choose to. And it’s really not something you can get too much of. It is a protein, and you can certainly get too much protein, but a collagen supplement is not going to be an overdose for you unless you use it unnaturally; like the equivalent of eating 20 steaks at one time or consuming an entire cannister of protein powder at one time. Who does that? So, safety is not an issue.

How we use liquid collagen

Firstly, we double up on our collagen supplementation for the first 30 days so that we can get our body back to a baseline of collagen production, for a good start. By taking 2 tablespoons of liquid collagen per day, after the first 30 days, you are giving your body what it needs to support your skin, hair and nails, and do a repair job for us older folks. Liquid collagen is an easy way to get your collagen in, readily bio-available, “down it and done”, and not have to worry about finding some beverage to put a powder in; hope it dissolves, and hope it tastes good, and drink it all. This is only one of the reasons that liquid trumps powder. Oh, and we also add hyaluronic acid for skin plumpness from the inside out. But that’s for another discussion. Good stuff.

Bottom line: Because it’s a protein, collagen supports hair and nails as well, but sagging and lack of support is most evident in the face, so we pay more attention to that. Type I liquid collagen is best for skin, hair and nails. If you include several types of collagen, you are essentially watering down your focus. For vanity reasons, we’re putting our best face forward 🙂

Ready to order?

GO HERE, within this website, See GLOW Liquid Collagen. This is the one we use to nudge time backwards, and our age rhymes with “tricks zero” and then some.

You will see an Ordering Tutorial, and Before & After Section.

We’re here to help. Use the Contact page to tell us how we can help and we’ll get in touch within 24 hours. And if you want to order now and contact us later…. Order here: www.tranont.com/minebydesign.

Becky and Patti

Health Becomes You, from the Inside Out.

The Best Vitamin: Does it Exist?

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What is the best vitamin?

Why does choosing a vitamin supplement have to be so hard?  There are wholesale vitamins, health food vitamins, herbal vitamins…everything claiming to be the best multivitamin and “all-in-one”.

I imagine a bottle with inferior ingredients and ground up rocks thrown in, to be marketed as the “All in One with All You Need”.  Since there are thousands of multivitamin supplements claiming to be the best vitamin, how on earth are we supposed to know if we are doing our body a favor?  Dietary supplements are not regulated.  Know what you’re getting.

Are You Taking a Natural or Synthetic Vitamin?

If it comes from Wal-mart, the grocery, or drug store, chances are you have a synthetic product.  You really do get what you pay for, and it’s usually not very healthy. Think “smart nutrition“. Most of the synthetic ingredients come from overseas.  There’s no quality assurance there.  Need I say more?

Despite what some will tell you, synthetic nutrients created in a lab cannot measure up to the thousands of organic compounds found in our food that have nutritional significance. Our body does actually know the difference.

But if you want to know the difference:  for example, natural vitamin D is cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), where as synthetic ergocalciferol (vitamin D2). For vitamin E, natural is d-alpha tocopherol, and synthetic is dl-alpha tocopherol.

Comparing Ingredients in Vitamin Supplements

Be aware that the way the potency of supplements may be represented can be very misleading.  There’s a list for amount of ingredients, and then there’s a list for amount of active ingredients. The synergy of the ingredients and how well they work together is something that is addressed by the manufacturer and passed on to you.  Research the company who manufacturers your vitamin products so you have trust in what they pass along to you.

Then you need to be concerned about the potency of the supplements.  Have they been tested to contain the amount and potency that is listed?  The best vitamin for you will be glad to brag about testing, manufacturing methods, and integrity.  Lack of synthetic ingredients, fillers, and binders, will be listed on the product. You will want to avoid preservatives, starches, and sugars; to name a few.

You will run across vitamin products containing antioxidants, and phytonutrients.  They will be listed on the label.  You may benefit from proprietary blends of herbal vitamins that include digestive enzymes, herbs, and whole food blends of vitamins, that are specifically blended for male or female at certain life stages.

Proper Absorption in the Best Multivitamin

Some vitamin supplements have ingredients that are absorbed best when taken with food, and some are destroyed by stomach acids.  Most vitamin supplements that are not whole food supplements are isolated vitamins and should be taken with food in order to absorb the nutrients properly.

A type of capsule that dissolves completely is the preferred vegetable capsule, or gelatin capsule.  This way, you can be sure to avoid the type of supplement known as the “bed pan bullet” that all hospital personnel speak of.    Note:  Avoid hard-packed vitamins.

Some supplements may have a coating, called an enteric coating, which allows the supplement to make it through the stomach intact and be absorbed in the small intestine, where proper absorption of nutrients occurs.  Most of them that I have run across are simply sprayed on chemicals or plastics…so beware.

Minerals, Amino acids, should be chelated, which means they are attached to a protein and enhances their bioavailability by as much as 400%.   Minerals, which may be just ground up rocks, are difficult for your body to absorb.  How absorbable, or bioavailable the nutrients are, is an important consideration.  Do some quick research on which natural vitamin sources are best.

What Should the Best Vitamin Contain?

One thing to note is that one pill cannot contain it all.  Calcium is a very important nutrient and you will have to take a calcium supplement on its own because of its size. The same goes for Omega 2 fatty acids.  You will need to take certain supplements on the side if you expect them to be effective.

For fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K, you should avoid taking over 100% of the RDA in most cases, because of the possibility that these vitamins can be stored in the body more easily than water soluble vitamins.

How many capsules of the “best vitamin” are you taking?  It would be hard to put everything your body needs daily into one capsule.  The number of capsules needed daily for a single dose is a good indication of quality of nutrients.  One capsule cannot contain all a “best multivitamin” should contain.

Why Should You Even Look for the Best Multivitamin?

I run across those that say, “I get all my vitamins from food”. This could be true in another country, perhaps.  But in the US, because of our poor soils, foods don’t have the vitamins and minerals that they had 40 or 50 years ago.

In U. S. Department of Agriculture studies of 50,000 people in the 1980’s, not one person was getting the RDA of the 10 essential vitamins, with the RDA being a minimum requirement.

Time to Find the Best Vitamin

When it comes time to find a better vitamin, look into companies you trust for quality of manufacturing, reputation, and a fair price for what you get.  Call and ask questions and read labels.  Check to make sure you are not doubling up on supplements by taking extra.  And, do your best to eat whole foods that contain thousands of phytonutrients that companies cannot bottle, instead of using supplements like a bandaid.

The best vitamin for you will fill holes in your diet and ensure your body is getting the nutrients it needs.

Omega 3 Fish Oil Benefits: Are you Aware?

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How can you possibly ignore the importance of Omega 3 fish oil in your diet?  You can’t.   fish_2Omega 3 fish oil contains 2 fatty acids that are crucial to our health:  DHA and EPA fatty acids. And, if Omega 3 fish oil benefits are so important, then why isn’t anyone paying attention?  There’s also the problem of consuming far too many Omega 6 oils and upsetting the balance of our nutritional needs.

More than two hundred years ago, your ancestors recognized the fact that cod liver oil was food for the brain and you were forced to take it.  It was also recognized that fish oil was the only treatment for arthritis, so what happened?   It’s my opinion, and new medical research shows it, that almost every chronic disease can be benefited with high doses of non-toxic fish oil; a natural health product.

Fish oil supplements are not a quick fix.  It’s a long term, life long pursuit to get enough of a high quality fish oil supplement; one that you can trust.  Many fish oil benefits are negated by choosing the wrong fish oil supplement:  a toxic one.  You can also improve your Omega 3:6 ratio by consuming grass-fed beef, which contains quality Omega 3s. Plant sources of Omega 3 contain ALA, which the body converts to DHA and EPA.

Fish Oil Side Effects

What’s to worry about it?   Try to get enough fish oil on your own and you may glow in the dark with heavy metals and toxins from mercury, and PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls: a chemical group banned in 1979).  Sad, isn’t it?

We can’t even get our fish oil from eating fish!  And don’t even think about eating farm-raised fish.  The chemicals used to treat those waters…..and what do farm raised fish eat?  Of course, it’s corn.  And we’re back to consuming more Omega 6 oils and throwing our body out of balance.

Fish Oil Benefits

If you’re low in DHA and EPA, your brain will suffer.  Low levels of these Omega 3 fatty acids have been linked to depression, memory loss, hyperactivity in children, risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, Parkinson’s, premature aging.…need I go on?   I’ve just touched the surface.

Most significantly, high quality Fish Oil has been proven to decrease inflammation.  Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints. Omega 3 fish oil can increase blood flow and reduce inflammation in the body.

How to Recognize Non-Toxic, and How to Pick the Best Fish Oil

You’ll want Omega 3 oils that have been sourced from a pharmaceutically-certified plant (there are only 2) and tested to be free of mercury, PCBs, and other toxins (preferably by an outside source).   Fact: Norwegian fish oil is one of the purest around and is considered the best fish oil.

Molecular distillation is a process used to separate the toxins from the DHA and EPA and maintain these fatty acids at high levels, in a pure form.  Add a little lemon flavor..  and no “re-tasting” is necessary.

The American Heart Association recommends consuming about 1000mg of DHA/ EPA per day for those with heart disease.  Use this as a starting point to select the best fish oil.  Note that 1000mg of fish oil does not represent 1000mg of DHA/EPA fatty acids.  Know what’s in your Omega 3 fish oil product.

Do you take fish oil?  Do you know what’s in it, or not in it?

Share your opinion!