Aloe Ferox Wellness

Arthritis and You

2011-09-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is mainly the

degeneration of the cartilage in the joints. It can also involve the lining

of the joint (synovial lining) and the underlying bone.

The body is in a constant process of building new cartilage as it is wearing

down, which is primarily made up of collagen fibres, glycoproteins and proteoglycans.

As the joint begins to wear down, it causes increased stress to the bone. In response the
bone actually becomes denser (spurs forming around the joint).

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks
itself. This causes inflammation of a joint's connective tissues, such as the synovial
membranes, which leads to the destruction of the cartilage.

CAUSES:

1. Osteoarthritis: is a degenerative joint disease most often the result of aging. It can
also develop because of injury such as bones broken, intense physical activity as in
athletics or a defect in the protein comprising the cartilage.

2. Rheumatoid arthritis: is an autoimmune disorder.
a. It may be caused by a viral infection that sets off the immune response in
which the synovial membrane falls under attack.
b. Stress suppresses the immune system increasing pro-inflammatory
cytokines, which create inflammation.
c. Poor nutrition may also contribute to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.

SYMPTOMS:

• Early morning stiffness reduced ability to move joint.
• Mildly swollen joints.
• Joint pain.
• Redness of skin and warmth around joint.
• Fever and weakness.

LIFESTYLE:

Avoid, Strictly Limit, and/or Minimize:

Most common food culprits to eliminate:
* alcohol, caffeine and sugar
* citrus, salt
* red meat, dairy products high in saturated fats

The most commonly observed vitamin and mineral deficiencies in people with RA are:
* folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin E, folic acid,
* additives, soft drinks
* flour, potatoes
* eggplants, red peppers, tomatoes

Food allergies and abnormal bowel function (i.e. leaky gut) may combine and
result in toxins and undigested proteins to enter the blood stream. The body
produces antibodies to battle these gut derived foreign antigens creating an
inflammatory reaction when the specific food is digested.

These antibodies formed to attack the (leaky gut) toxins also cross-react and
attack joint collagen. calcium, magnesium, zinc and selenium.

Use Freely, Emphasize, Maximize

Consume a diet that focuses on whole unprocessed foods.
* Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. (high in antioxidants)
* Eat lots of fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc.)

Exercise:
* reduces joint pain and stiffness, builds strong muscle around the joints, and increases flexibility and endurance.

SUPPLEMENTS

Aloe Ferox:

Fabulous Fibre Bitter: contains aloin, emodin, anthraquinones, saponins, zinc,
selenium and mannose that help to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis.

Whole leaf Aloe Juice:
* Improves immune function.
* Stimulates fibroblasts for the growth and repair of synovial membrane.

Omega 3 (3 – 6 capsules per day): improves immune system.
* Helps fight inflammation by producing prostaglandins that down regulates
inflammation.

Joint Support (3 per day):
*Glucosamine Sulfate: is an amino sugar that is the primary building block of
proteoglycans (give cartilage its elasticity). It is selectively incorporated into
joints and improves joint lubrication, protects joints from further damage,
reduces pain and inflammation. It also promotes the incorporation of
sulphur into cartilage.
o Devil’s Claw: improves mobility and physical functioning of joints, reduces
pain and inflammation.

Muscle Gel/Winter Eeze: helps to sooth aching joints and muscles.

Other:
• Vitamin C (500 to 1000 mg 3 times per day): its primary function is the
manufacture of collagen that holds our bodies together (connective tissues,
cartilage, tendons, etc.).
*Vital for wound repair, healthy gums, prevents easy bruising.
* Essential for immune system functioning.
* Important antioxidant.

REFERENCES:

MURRAY, M.T. 1996. Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements. Three Rivers Press:New York.
p. 409-412.
STRAND, R.D. 2002. What your Doctor doesn’t know about Nutritional Medicine may be Killing
you. Thomas Nelson:Nashville.

IBS- Irritable Bowel Syndrome

2010-05-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

I have yet again discovered that most chronic diseases have a strong link with emotional distress – and IBS is no exception.

Life is filled with all kinds of stresses and laughter is an excellent way to de-stress.

I hope these make you smile:

Smile, it's the second best thing you can do with your lips.
Always remember you're unique... Just like everyone else.
Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.
Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.
I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes.
The trouble with the gene pool is that there's no lifeguard.
I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) must not be confused with Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (IBD) like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which is characterized by ulcers and inflammation in the intestinal lining.

With IBS, however, the symptoms of abdominal pain, cramping and alternating constipation or diarrhoea can’t be explained because there isn’t any visible inflammation or damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract as in IBD.

Normally, food moves through the digestive system due to a constant rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the muscles in the walls of the GI tract (peristalsis), which is controlled by the nervous system. However, when these peristaltic contractions slow down or speed up it causes constipation or diarrhea. Abnormal contractions can also occur that cause the GI wall to go into spasm, which can be extremely painful.

Subsequently, IBS can be classified as:

IBS-C: constipation is predominant when nerves signal the GI tract to have less frequent contractions.
IBS-D: diarrhoea is predominant when nerves signal the GI tract to have more frequent contractions.
IBS-A: alternating stool pattern is caused when nerve signals are sporadic causing both diarrhoea and constipation.

Therefore IBS is described as a hyperactive or hypersensitive digestive system (spastic colon) due to lack of, or excess stimulation by the nervous system.

Unfortunately, medically there is no cure for IBS, however, you can do a lot to alleviate the symptoms.

In order to control IBS it is essential to isolate the foods that cause the most grief and find a suitable substitute. It is also important to keep in mind that since IBS is mainly triggered by stress, food that normally doesn’t pose a problem may become a trigger food during a stressful day.

1. EAT natural foods like vegetables and fruit rich in soluble fiber and its associated nutrients. DRINK plenty of water.

2. AVOID the following:

Artificial sweeteners may cause severe cramping and trigger diarrhea.
Sugar contributes to bloating due to bacterial fermentation.
Preservatives in food can trigger IBS.
Carbonated drinks may push gas bubbles into the intestine and contain lots of sugar.
Coffee is a laxative and can give you abdominal cramps.
Alcohol irritates the gut lining and upsets digestion.
Fatty and fried foods as well as cow’s milk can be hard to digest.

3. SUPPLEMENT your diet:

Whole-leaf Aloe Juice provides soluble fibre that doesn’t irritate the gut lining.
Fabulous Fibre Bitter assists in alleviating constipation.
Omega 3, which is called nature’s Prozac, alleviates depression and other mental problems.
Body Basics provides the necessary minerals and vitamins that are depleted during chronic stress.
Calci-Boost provides both calcium and magnesium that have been shown to calm an overactive nervous system.
Vitamin C helps the adrenal glands to produce cortisol to allow normal metabolic functioning of the body.

Replacing the culprits with healthy food choices will not only solve your health problems but also save you a lot of discomfort and pain.

(Marsden, K. 2003. Good Gut Healing. Piatkus:London)

How to Reduce Stress and have a Healthy Colon:

IBS is primarily caused by stress and is typically associated with other stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression as well as PMS, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

All these disorders point to past traumatic events or abuse and ongoing psychological stress.
What these disorders have in common is a lack of the “happy” hormone SEROTONIN and a fatigued adrenal gland, which cause a deficiency in the stress hormone cortisol. It may sound like a good thing, but you can’t function properly with a shortage of cortisol.

In order to cope with the stresses of life it is helpful to use
• Get-a-Grip, which is a mild herbal anti-depressant that helps the GI tract to function properly.
• Slim & Trim, which contains a herb that boosts serotonin to normal levels and alleviates the symptoms of these disorders

This article was originally published in the Aloe Ferox Africa Newsletter, by Ronnie Ambachtsheer (BSc Clinical Nutrition)

Please visit our website at www.aloeferox.us to find a distributor
Look for us on Facebook and Linkedin.

Sources:

(Gershon, M.D. 1999. The Second Brain. Harper:New York
Marsden, K. 2003. Good Gut Healing. Piatkus:London)

Cholestrol and Heart Disease

2009-11-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

It is true, increased blood pressure and high cholesterol have been linked to heart disease. Fortunately, both of these problems respond very well to changes in our eating habits and supplementing with nutrients.

Cholesterol is NOT the main culprit. However, our lifestyle (diet) is definitely a cause for concern.

It is possible to lower cholesterol levels naturally (HINT: you don’t need any medication).

Since stress aggravates ALL health problems, these bumper stickers will hopefully lower your blood pressure and cholesterol:

· I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.

· I keep trying to lose weight, but it keeps finding me.

· I failed my urine test.

· I took an IQ test and the results were negative.

· I used to have an open mind, but my brains kept falling out.

· I don’t suffer from stress. I am a carrier.

“Brain cells create ideas. Stress kills brain cells. Stress is not a good idea.”

- Frederick Saunder

With all the bad publicity that cholesterol is getting, most people avoid cholesterol like the plague, trying to eat less cholesterol by avoiding meat and eating low-fat food.

Unfortunately, what most people don’t realise, is that our liver produces 70% of our body’s cholesterol requirements. As soon as you consume less cholesterol the liver compensates for the deficiency – and with very good reason.

Cholesterol serves many important functions in the body including the manufacture of all our hormones and uses cholesterol to manufacture vitamin D. It is also essential to waterproof cell membranes. If the cell wall contains too much poly-unsaturated fat the membrane is too fluid and the body inserts cholesterol into the membrane to stiffen it.

Cholesterol is transported through our bodies by lipoproteins. The most prominent is the low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the “bad” cholesterol), which carries cholesterol and fats (triglycerides – TG) from our food and liver to our cells. The high-density lipoprotein (HDL, the “good” cholesterol), on the other hand, carries cholesterol back from our cells to the liver where it is Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000190 EndHTML:0000008424 StartFragment:0000003517 EndFragment:0000008388 SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/gene/Desktop/07-1%20Newsletter%20(Cholesterol).doc

changed to bile and excreted into the digestive tract and eventually discarded with our stool.

Therefore, the LDL to HDL ratio is very important since it determines if cholesterol is being deposited in our cells or transported to the liver to be broken down and excreted.

The following are the recommended levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides:

· Total cholesterol – less than 5.2 mmol/L

· LDL cholesterol – less than 3.4 mmol/L

· HDL cholesterol – higher than 1 mmol/L

· Triglycerides – less than 1.3 mmol/L

· LDL:HDL ratio – less than 4.5

· TG:HDL ratio – less than 3.5

The AIM is to lower the LDL cholesterol while simultaneously increasing the HDL cholesterol, which is easier than you think!!! Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000190 EndHTML:0000008293 StartFragment:0000004108 EndFragment:0000008257 SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/gene/Desktop/07-1%20Newsletter%20(Cholesterol).doc

Conventional wisdom says that cholesterol is the sole reason for heart disease. The shocking reality is that only 50% of people with high cholesterol die of a heart attack. The reason: cholesterol is NOT the only guilty party.

The STEPS to heart disease are as follows:

1. Injury/damage to inner lining of artery causing the artery to LEAK.

2. Cholesterol subsequently penetrates into the damaged artery causing it to stiffen thus preventing further damage to the artery.

3. Free radicals oxidise the cholesterol, which activates the immune system.

4. Immune cells (macrophages) invade the area to digest the oxidised cholesterol becoming “foam cells” causing chronic inflammation.

5. Repair: the body utilises blood clotting mechanisms to prevent any excessive blood loss and collagen to create a hardened plaque build-up, which stiffens the artery.

Research has found that cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease, but OXIDISED cholesterol does.

What oxidises cholesterol? Free radicals!!!

FREE RADICALS like homocysteine, hydrogenated vegetable oils, radiation and cigarette smoke are “toxic compounds” that cause damage to the inner lining of our arteries and oxidise cholesterol.

When we are deficient in anti-oxidants we are prone to develop heart disease. ANTI-OXIDANTS are the only compounds that can neutralise the damaging effects of free radicals.

The most important anti-oxidants are the following:

A. Vitamin E

· is fat-soluble and is thus incorporated into cholesterol to protect it from free radical oxidation.

B. Vitamin C

· is water-soluble and helps to regenerate oxidised vitamin E thus boosting its
anti-oxidant effect.

· prevents the damage to the inner lining of the arteries and is an important component in the manufacture of collagen, a constituent
in our arteries.

C. Beta-carotene

· is very effective in neutralising free radicals.

These will effectively prevent the oxidation of cholesterol and damage to the arteries. However, in order to facilitate the removal of the free radical HOMOCYSTEINE we need the following nutrients:

D. Folic acid, vitamin B2, B6, B12, zinc, magnesium and choline

· These nutrients work in combination to help the body rid itself of homocysteine.

· Fortunately, Body Basics contains all the essential nutrients to help your body remove HOMOCYSTEINE.

We need to change our eating habits to ensure that we get sufficient anti-oxidants. Vitamin E, C and beta-carotene as well as all the other homocysteine neutralising nutrients are found in abundance in a natural diet, rich in wholegrain, vegetables and fruit.

Similarly, a diet with lots of whole, natural food also contains a lot of fibre. The fibre is essential since the cholesterol binds to it and is excreted with the stool, preventing it from being reabsorbed by the body.

This is the problem with our modern lifestyle. Most people eat a refined diet stripped of its healing and protective nutrients and therefore suffer the preventable consequences.

Although heart disease is the biggest killer it also responds very quickly to improvements in nutrition and changes in lifestyle.

We have been brainwashed into believing that FAT is the main culprit that causes cholesterol problems. Subsequently, people eat lots of low-fat food that is supposed to solve our cholesterol and heart disease problems.

If that were true, why are more people sick and dying from heart disease than ever before? Why do the Eskimos, whose diet is mainly meat, fat and cholesterol, have little heart disease?

Simple: dietary fat isn’t the problem, but SUGAR and refined foods are the cause of the heart disease epidemic.

When we eat low-fat foods, the fat is usually replaced with lots of sugar. Since these sugars contain more calories than we require for energy, the remainder is converted into cholesterol and especially FAT (triglycerides).

It just happens to be that triglyceride (FAT) levels are just as good a predictor of heart disease as cholesterol levels. In other words, throw out the refined/processed food and sweets.

So, how do you LOWER your cholesterol naturally?

1. Whole-leaf Aloe Juice is an excellent source of

· fibre that helps to excrete the cholesterol through the stool

· vital nutrients such as magnesium.

2. Body Basics contains

· magnesium that is essential for the correct functioning of the enzyme that regulates cholesterol production in the liver. Any deficiency will result in the liver’s inability to switch off cholesterol production.

· choline, which lowers cholesterol levels by increasing its solubility thus improving its removal from the body.

2. Omega 3 is vital since it helps to

· lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels

· raise the HDL (good) cholesterol level

· prevent blood clotting

· reduce inflammation.

In conjunction it would be advisable to consider the following:

Vitamin B3 and B5 play an important role in the metabolism of cholesterol and fat.

· They effectively lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and accelerate the breakdown of triglycerides (FAT) while simultaneously increasing
HDL (good) cholesterol level.

· They improve the HDL:LDL ratio.

I have used these supplements with great success. No need for all those toxic cholesterol medication with its nasty side effects.

Control your ANGER! and control your blood pressure and cholestrol.

It is fascinating to know how much impact our emotions have on our bodies. New research has demonstrated that high levels of anger as well as frustration and irritability are better predictors of heart disease risk than high cholesterol, smoking or excess weight.

These emotions activate our fight-flight (STRESS) response, which causes our bodies to produce more cholesterol since it is the building block of the stress hormone cortisol.

Add this to the rise in blood pressure and you significantly increase your RISK for a heart attack.

This article was originally published in the Aloe Ferox Newsletter by Ronnie Ambachtsheer( BSc) and published here with his permission.

(Erasmus, U. 1993. Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill. Alive Books:Burnaby

Murray, M.T. 1996. Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements. Three River Press:New York)

Allergy what causes them and how to fight them.

2009-07-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

If you read the newspapers or listen to radio you should know that chronic diseases are on the rise. While Asthma is the number 6 on the chronic disease list, it is the number 1 chronic health condition for children!

As many as 1 out of 3 people are allergic to pollen, dust, animal hair, etc or sensitive to synthetic compounds in our food, clothes or the air. This is not surprising considering that our bodies are constantly challenged by nearly 50,000 synthetic compounds daily. Compounds such as pesticides, food additives, industrial and household cleaners , medicines, and exhaust fumes from our cars, trucks and buses.

Fortunately if we understand allergies we can help to reduce or alleviate the symptoms or even eliminate them.

Allergies- Why do we get allergies?

An allergy is an abnormal sensitivity or reaction of the immune system in our bodies to a substance that you eat, inhale or touch. Although everybody is exposed to allergens only susceptible people tend to experience a reaction.

These susceptible individuals have an overactive immune system that will overreact to these allergens by producing antibodies. These antibodies attach to the allergen that then bind to special cells of the immune system, which release histamine.

It the Histamine that increases the blood vessel permeability which results in the swelling of the affected area causing inflammation. It is this excessive release of histamine by the overactive immune system that produces allergic symptoms that are experienced with:

Asthma: excessive mucus is produced and histamine contracts the muscles surrounding the airways, restricting air flow thus causing shortness of breath.
Eczema: characterised by redness, skin swelling and itching resulting in dryness, flaking, cracking, blistering and even bleeding of the skin.
Food Allergies: mainly caused by partially digested food that enters the body and triggers the immune system to produce antibodies. These antibodies don't always have an immediate reaction, but tend to show after a few hours or days. Celiac disease or Wheat Gluten intolerance are food allergies.
Hay Fever: expresses itself as a stuffy or runny nose, sinus headaches, itchy and watery eyes, repeated sneezing or coughing
Hives: an intensely itchy rash of red bumps.
Insect bites or Bee stings: excessive swelling of the specific area

In severe cases such as allergies to shellfish, peanuts or medicine like penicillin, so much histamine is released that the face or throat swells and can cause anaphylactic shock due to a sudden drop in blood pressure and the restriction of airways which can cause death.

How do we manage Allergies?

Well, it would be great if you could avoid whatever causes an allergic reaction, but sometimes that is not possible. So you could get rid of your pets, you could use products without fragrances, you can use gloves when using cleaning products, you could stop eating the food that causes you the distress and you could move to the desert to avoid pollen.

Okay, but only a few of us really want to live in the desert but some people have to because they have become allergic to everything, this is better described as environmental illness.

It is difficult to avoid allergens in the air as you breath, or what you touch, but you can control what you eat! The most common allergy causing foods are:

Cow's Milk also cheese and yogurt. It is actually the milk protein casein that causes the allergic reaction
Gluten, the sticky protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats that irritates the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. This can cause skin allergies as well as serious intestinal and blood sugar problems
Yeast found not only in bread, but also in beer which is fermented with brewers yeast, and to a lesser extent wine.
Alcohol, which irritates the digestive tract making it more permeable to digested food proteins.
other typical allergens such as nuts, coffee, tea, shellfish and chemical food additives

The Key characteristic of all these allergic conditions is that the skin, bronchial tubes or gastrointestinal tract have become porous. which allows allergens to enter the body and trigger an excessive immune response by the already overactive immune system.

Okay, so now that we touched on the the causes of the allergic reaction, what can we do to reduce the allergic response potential?

It is important to heal your body's barriers and restore your digestive system and protect your lungs.

Managing and alleviating allergies is achieved by taking these steps:

Eat a diet high in Complex carbohydrates with plenty of vegetables and fruit for all it's vitamins, minerals, phyto-nutrients and fiber. Eating properly is essential in overcoming allergies!

Eliminate Simple carbohydrates like sugar, junk food, refined carbohydrates ans stimulants (caffeine) from your diet. No more coffee shops for that espresso boost!
Eat Lean meat and fish. A high protein diet balanced with natural whole foods provides all the required nutrition for optimal health.
Avoid hydrogenated oils. Use olive oil instead.

Supplement your diet:

Whole-leaf Aloe Juice - is vital to help restore the digestive system and protect the body from potential allergens. It also calms the overactive immune system by modulating its response.
Omega 3 - is critical to reduce excessive inflammation caused by an overactive immune system. It also helps heal the digestive system.
Body Basics replaces the necessary minerals and vitamins that allergy sufferers are typically deficient in.

Zinc is essential to allow the immune system to function optimally. It is also required for the production of stomach acid and protein digesting enzymes.
Magnesium helps the airways to relax thus improving breathing difficulties
Vitamin B6 works in conjunction with zinc and magnesium.
Vitamin C is essential to restore the digestive system since it is the main building block of every cell. Vitamin C is also an important anti-oxidant that is vital to protect the lungs ans relieves bronchial spasms

Alleviating Eczema

As you probably know by now that your skin is the largest organ of the body. Your skin is the barrier that protects your body from bacteria, chemicals and radiation while insuring the body has a stable temperature by preventing the loss of body fluids and chemicals.

Your skin is impervious because your skin cells are held tightly together, just imagine if you took a bath and you just leaked out! However when you suffer from eczema these cells loosen causing the skin to become porous.

This allows soap and solvents to penetrate the skin and dissolve some of the natural oils and protein that forms part of the natural barrier, resulting in loss of the body fluid. These compounds cause an already overactive immune system to trigger an abnormal immune response and causing inflammation. The condition is aggravated when the area is scratched or rubbed and can become infected. Besides the previous products mentioned you can try the following products:

Liquid Body Wash Bitter - wash the affected areas to clean and disinfect the skin
Whole Leaf Gel - apply to the eczema to reduce inflammation and speed up the healing process.
X-Balm - a specially formulated product to improve the functioning of the immune system and assist in the healing process.

These products are not known to cause or aggravate any allergic reaction.

I hope this information helps to educate you about your Allergies and how to reduce or alleviate the reactions to allergens.

If you wish to distribute our product in your store or purchase our products at a retailer. Here is a link to Aloe Ferox Products if you wish to purchase any of our products.

Aloe Ferox US

Be healthy and safe.

Gene

* this article was written with information provided by Ronnie Ambachtsheer (BSc,dip Clinical Nutrition) of Aloe Ferox Africa

Hormones and You

2009-06-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings, We are going to give you some insight into Hormones and how they affect everything we do.

You probably wouldn’t have guessed it but the hormonal control center is in the BRAIN. You also could have thought that the size of your organs determine your femininity or masculinity. Wrong again!!!

The Conductor that orchestrates your hormonal balance is nothing bigger than a pea and situated in the brain.

The pituitary gland and in conjunction with the hypothalamus gland it controls vital body functions by excreting the following hormones:

1. Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) controls the absorption of water by the kidneys

2. Oxytocin is the “cuddle” hormone responsible for the release of mother’s milk and uterus contraction after childbirth

3. Prolactin stimulates milk production

4. Growth Hormone (GH) regulates body and bone growth, improves muscle strength and increases protein synthesis, fat usage and carbohydrate storage

5. Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone (ACTH) stimulates the adrenal gland to release the stress hormones cortisol

6. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) stimulates female or male organs:

• Female: stimulates growth of eggs and produces estrogen
• Male: stimulates growth of sperm

7. Luteinizing Hormone (LH) stimulates female or male organs:

• Female: stimulates release of eggs and produces progesterone
• Male: stimulates release of testosterone

8. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) regulates the thyroid gland

9. Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers.

All these hormones stimulate the relevant glands and organs to secrete specific hormones that are essential for our functioning namely:

A. Adrenal gland:
• Adrenalin causes the heart rate, blood sugar and blood pressure to increase
• Noradrenalin raises blood pressure
• Cortisol mobilises our stress response
• Aldosterone regulates sodium and mineral balance through the kidneys to control blood pressure
• DHEA is the main building block for the manufacture of estrogen and testosterone
• Small amounts of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone

B. Thyroid & parathyroid gland:
• Thyroxine regulates our metabolism
• Calcitonin lowers blood calcium levels and builds bone strength
• Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) increases the calcium and phosphate in the blood and bones

C. Thymus gland:
• Thymosins promotes the development of t-lymphocytes for the immune system

D. Kidney:
• Renin regulates the blood pressure

E. Pancreas:
• Insulin enables cells to take up glucose
• Glucagon stimulates the body to convert stored energy (glycogen) to glucose

F. Uterus:
• Produces the hormones estrogen and progesterone

G. Testes:
• Produces testosterone.

This is by no means a complete list but is only limited to more well known glands and organs. As can be seen the inner working of our bodies is very complex and there is a lot that can go wrong.
All these hormones work automatically. No need to worry about it. When everything works as designed you don’t even know about them.

However, when something does go wrong you will know about it because a hormonal imbalance has all kinds of nasty side effects.

Therefore, let’s investigate what happens when there is a HORMONAL IMBALANCE.
(ZRT Laboratories 2006. Hormones 101. www.zrtlab.com
Univ. South Carolina: Lecture Notes: Chemical Signals & The Endocrine System. www.biol.sc.edu/courses/bio102)

BALANCING ACT…

Since your hormones affect every aspect of your body it is essential to keep them in balance for your optimal health and well-being.
The most common hormonal imbalance is between estrogen and progesterone. The reason being that progesterone is the “mother” hormone used to manufacture all the other hormones.

Thus when there is INSUFFICIENT progesterone it causes an excess of estrogen. This results in unpleasant side effects such as PMS, hot flashes, mood swings, depression and other menopausal symptoms.

Estrogen that is NOT balanced with progesterone is extremely detrimental to your health. Since the role of estrogen is to make cells grow it has been implicated in breast cancer, fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, osteoporosis, etc.

High estrogen levels also affect men because some testosterone is converted to estrogen and DHT, which stimulates the prostate to grow.

When there is too much estrogen it also interferes with your thyroid hormone thyroxine. If thyroxine can’t work properly your metabolism slows down and you gain weight. You also typically retain water.

At the same time the calcitonin from the thyroid gland works in combination with the parathyroid hormones (PTH) to balance calcium in the blood. The PTH stimulates the bones to release calcium while calcitonin puts calcium back in the bones. A hormonal imbalance will cause a calcium imbalance resulting in osteoporosis and/or arthritis.

Since the STRESS hormone cortisol is also made from progesterone there is a big drain on progesterone when you are stressed. Cortisol is needed to allow thyroxine, which regulates your metabolism, and insulin, which manages your energy utilization, to function properly. However, too much cortisol and your metabolism slow down and you can become insulin resistant.

Although stress is inevitable it is CHRONIC stress that is extremely detrimental for your health since cortisol is the main hormonal disruptor and the main reason for hormonal imbalance.
(Holford, P. 2004. Optimum Nutrition Bible. Piatkus:London)

HORMONE DISRUPTORS

Excess cortisol (STRESS) is the single biggest cause of hormonal imbalance, however, it is not the only reason.
We are also exposed to a number of synthetic compounds that are estrogen MIMICS. These compounds mimic the role of natural estrogen disrupting the body’s biochemistry and changing sexual and reproductive functioning. It also increases the risk of cancer rates.

What synthetic estrogens?
• Estrogens in hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• Compounds such as bisphenol A and phthalates present in soft plastic bottles, plastic bags, cling wrap, etc.
• Pesticides and industrial compounds.

Another problem is that these hormones are finding its way into the food chain as well as our drinking water!!! The estrogens in HRT end up in our drinking water while most of the beef we eat comes from feedlots where cattle are injected with estrogen to make them grow faster.

Thus, how do you avoid your exposure to these hormone disruptors?
1. Eat vegetables and fruit that have been thoroughly washed to reduce your exposure to pesticides.
2. Drink filtered water to remove any potential hormone disruptors.
3. Remove soft plastics as soon as possible especially cling wrap. Don’t heat food in plastic, these chemicals that keep plastics flexible get absorbed by fats in the food.
4. Avoid HRT thereby reducing your exposure to synthetic estrogen.

Since the incidence of CANCER is on the rise and is fast becoming the no. 1 killer it makes perfect sense to reduce your exposure to these risk factors.
(Holford, P. 1998. 100% Health. Piatkus:London)

BALANCING HORMONES NATURALLY!!!

Yes, it is possible to normalise your hormone levels by making some changes to your LIFESTYLE and it is reasonably easy.
If you want to restore any normality to your life and recover your health it is VITAL that you take the effort to make some changes.

Changing your choices will greatly enhance your hormonal balance, starting with the following:

1. STRESS LESS with Get-a-Grip because stress disrupts every hormone function in your body. Anything that triggers your fight-or-flight reaction can be defined as stress and can be grouped as follows:

• Physical stress is when real danger such as a lion, hijacker, criminal, etc. confronts you. Other physical stresses are noise, too hot or too cold temperatures, too much exercise, too little sleep, etc.
• Emotional stress such as anger, guilt, traumatic experiences, unresolved conflict or perceived danger causing anxiety and worry that activate your fight-or-flight response. These emotions are exceptionally stressful as they usually last over long periods of time.

2. EATING HABITS
• Reduce your consumption of sugar, refined carbohydrates and stimulants (caffeine) as it results in the release of the stress hormone cortisol.
• Balance your blood sugar levels with Slim & Trim since too much insulin disturbs the balance of the sex hormones and increases body fat, which has the capacity to manufacture estrogen that compounds the problem.
• Decrease your intake of meat and dairy products as they contain a lot of synthetic estrogens, especially in the fat.
• Consume more fish or Omega 3 since it helps the body cope with stress better and subsequently balances hormone levels.
• Supplement with Body Basics as it contains the essential vitamin B6, magnesium and zinc that is required to ensure hormonal balance.

I challenge you to implement these simple changes to restore your emotional health and hormonal balance.

HORMONE DISRUPTING EMOTIONS!!!

As already mentioned, STRESS is the single biggest reason why our hormones become unbalanced.

Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to eliminate stress from our lives. In our modern society we experience the pressures of
• a difficult boss
• being stuck in traffic
• job insecurity or dead lines
• financial pressure of bills to be paid
• time shortage to balance the requirements of work, play, sleep and family time.

However, these stresses are not the most detrimental. The following are some of the emotions that actually disrupt our hormones the most:
• guilt
• regret
• shame
• jealousy
• resentment
• bitterness
• anger
• worry.

The most important thing to remember is that you cannot control everything, take time to relax, play with your children or a pet, go for a walk. Take up a hobby, exercise or find a Church or Community group to help you reduce your stress. And above all try to eat healthy and be happy

All the products mentioned above are available at www.aloeferox.us, there you can find a list of distributors that will gladly supply you with Aloe Ferox products.

We would like to thank Ronnie Ambachtsheer of Aloe Ferox Africa for all the great information provided to help create this article.

Our featured store this blog is Mary Bianca Wellness.

Founded in 2005 to promote a Healthy lifestyle by Gene Rizzardi, Mary Bianca Wellness is an exclusive dealer of Aloe Ferox products. We stock over 97 Aloe Ferox products which range from Supplements and Skincare to Pet Care.

The name Mary Bianca comes from two very important people in Gene's life who found many uses for Aloe and promoted good health practices. To further that goal, we feel that our prices should remain affordable to every budget.

Our Aloe Ferox leaves are free range harvested - no chemicals, pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. a Natural Health Product

Aloe Ferox -The Lily of the Desert , has over 130 medicinally active compounds that have been harvested to bring natural health and wellness to you! Aloe Ferox is 22 times more potent than Aloe Vera!
Over the ages native tribes of South Africa have used Aloe Ferox in relieving ailments and general well being . The Amazing rejuevenating powers of the Aloe Ferox plant were also noted by the explorers of this mysterious virgin paradise. The medicinal qualities of aloe have been noted since ancient times. Why not experience it for yourself! Aloe ferox has been proclaimed as a "Pharmacy in a single plant"! Aloe juices and bitter crystals have: • anti-aging properties • reduce the risk of heart disease • improve blood circulation • cleanse the digestive system • aid in detoxification of the body. • improve the immune system • promote well being Aloe Gels are: • anti-inflammatory • analgesic • aid in skin rejuvenation

We are an eStore so you can order from the convenience of your home... 24/7 - 365 days a year. Our store has a secure server so there are no worries with ordering online.

Please visit us at www.aloeferoxonline.com

We usually ship within 2 business days via first class or priority mail so you get your products delivered to your door quickly.

Have A Great Day!

Gene

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Out of Africa

2009-03-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

I just got back from an amazing trip to South Africa! It was a great adventure and I got to see many sights. The mission of this journey was to see this magnificent aloe plant and how it is processed into various products.

The journey took place in Cape Town, SA after a nights rest we made a quick trip to Table Mountain. Unfortunately the top of the mountain was in fog so it the views were limited but it was still awesome, once we got off the mountain from this cool cable car trip, we headed to the port for a trip to Robben Island.

This is the Island that Nelson Mandela spent a good part of his adult life as a political prisoner. This was a valuable history lesson and I was amazed that our tour guide was actually held there for 10 years. The one message that he gave us was that this was the past and everyone should be working towards a new future where people understand each other and eliminate conflict and work toward the common good. This is a good message and I hope that we all try to follow this guys idea. I found this attitude repeating itself with many people in South Africa so I believe this is catching on.

The trip continued later in the day in a four hour car ride to Mossel Bay to stay with my hosts. I was amazed by the beautiful scenery and the towering mountains. And the Ostriches that seem to be everywhere! It seems that Ostrich farming is big business in South Africa. The rolling landscape was covered with various crops from corn to wheat or hosting grazing sheep or cattle before the fields are replanted in the spring.

We arrived after dark in Mossel Bay, and after meeting the family I headed off to bed, I had been flying for 21.5 hours and my wings were tired! After a good nights sleep and a fantastic breakfast we were on our way to meet the fine people who own Aloe Ferox Africa. A 30 minute ride west to Albertinia, and the Aloe Farm/factory through the rolling hills. After a short introduction we were back in the car and headed for the Aloe fields.

Aloe ferox is indigenous to South Africa and grows in the wild, since the farmers have cleared most of the land the plants live in the ravines which gives them an ideal habitat.
As you can see in this picture to the right a worker is harvesting the aloe leaves for processing. She will stack these in a ring and let the bitter sap drain from each leave, then the leaves go to the
factory to be processed into gels, skin care products, supplements and juices or teas.

About six to seven lower leaves of the plants are harvested only once in two years so this is very substainable growth and does not harm the plant. Since they grown in the wild and are free range harvested there are no chemicals or fertilizers or herbicides used in the growing of this plant.

This picture shows the stack of Aloe leaves draining their bitter sap. The collected sap is cooked down to a crystalline form that is added to some of the Aloe Ferox products.

In my next installment I will show you a bit more about this amazing Aloe and the rest of my South African adventure.

Have a Blessed day

Gene

A Year of Change

2009-01-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the New Year, A time for change in our country, we have a new president Mr. Barack Obama and we have new opportunity to pick our country up and move forward. So how about you? What are you going to do this year to change? I would assume since you are reading this you are moving forward in your goals. Our goals at Aloe Ferox US are to promote a healthy lifestyle for you and your family and friends. To this goal we are going to feature many new ideas this year. We are also going to feature a few of our retailers each month so you can get acquainted with them.

So lets get started, our first retailer to be featured is The Whole Wheatery they are one of our Newest Retailers of Aloe Ferox Products. Located in Lancaster, California they have been serving the community since 1983! They have an excellent staff of caring individuals. They are a member of the Natural Products Association. If you are in the Lancaster area stop by and say hello and browse through their fantastic selection of healthy foods and supplements

Meet Our Staff

Supplement Manager Sherri Walker, CN -- Sherri manages the Supplement department of The Whole Wheatery. She has over 20 years experience in the Natural Foods Industry. She is a Certified Nutritionist and is currently working on her degree in Herbal Medicine. She is here to answer your questions and assist you with your needs. Stop in and say hello to her and her very knowledgeable staff.

Doctor of Homeopathic Medicine Wallace Sconiers, CN -- Wallace is a Nutritional Counselor and a Doctor of Homeopathic Medicine. He works Sundays at the Whole Wheatery. He has a private practice out of his home and is available for individual consultations there. Come in and meet Wallace. He has been in the industry for over 20 years and will help you develop a program to fit your needs.

Grocery Manager Liane Abad -- Liane can always be found assisting customers with their food needs. She is here to help you find those hard to find "special diet" foods. She is friendly and knowledgeable. She is here to serve you. If you are on a Low Carb diet, need Gluten Free foods, or just have a food question, ask Liane.

Produce Manager Wade Esh -- Looking for Organic Produce? Come meet Wade. He is very friendly and helpful. He is the person behind the lush, organic produce stocked at the Whole Wheatery. Got questions ask Wade. Come see the difference and learn why Organic is better!!

Baker Excelente! Deanna Lloyd -- If you are a baker you will love the work this lady produces. Deanna has been at The Whole Wheatery since it opened 25 years ago. She is responsible for mentoring all the bakers we have and many of the cooks in our Kitchen. Her talents run deep (you should see her custom wedding cakes). She can make it all. So stop in and enjoy a piece of her famous cake (all in our cookbook), a loaf of her Cinnamon Raisin bread or special order an item just for yourself.

Cosmetic Buyer K C Hoyle -- K C has been with The Whole Wheatery for over 12 years. She is here to take care of you. Her expertise is in the area of supplements and cosmetics. She is trained to use Bach Flower remedies. She has a great deal of experience in body and skin care and can assist you in making the correct selection. She is a true care giver with a great deal of knowledge.

Owner Cheryl Hughes,CN -- Cheryl has owned her own store since 1983. She has served on the original board for Citizens for Health and worked in developing the retail standards for the Organic Federal Legislation. She was also instrumental in creating and implementing the retail blackout that led to the passage of the DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act) that protected consumer access to dietary supplements. She serves on the National Board of the Industry Trade Association.

The Whole Wheatery is a Natural Foods Store with a Restaurant inside celebrating 25 years in business. We offer groceries, including organic beer and wine, organic produce, herbs, supplements, bulk foods, aromatherapy, homeopathic remedies, books, and unique giftware. We have a friendly, trained staff to assist you with all your needs. We can order many items not already found in our very large selection and will ship to you. We also offer free in store lectures. We encourage you to drop in and see for yourself.

I also wanted to tell you about one of our agents in Virginia, John is a great guy and he and his wife are an awesome team, they are really caring couple. I asked John and Mo to tell you a bit about themselves:

We are John and Mo Sykes, Aloe Ferox agents. At the suggestion of a South African friend of his, John visited the Aloe Ferox factory and showroom in Albertinia. He couldn’t wait to tell me about the products when I joined him in South Africa a little later.

John is retired and finds that selling Aloe Ferox products can add to his income while Mo is still working. When Mo retires, we will do it together.

We live in Buckingham, Virginia, work out of our house, and keep several of the more popular products on hand:

Our address is 1182 Howardsville Road, Buckingham, VA 23921.
Our email address is JSykesaloeferox@aol.com

We make sales to individuals and to “Natures Bridge” in Scottsville, Virginia, who carries many of our Aloe Ferox products. We are also working with stores in other towns and cities, particularly Charlottesville, VA, and believe many will soon carry our Aloe Ferox products.

The skin creams are the best that Mo has ever used. The “Wrinkle-less Cream” lives up to its name, the “Super Aloe Gel” soothes skin that’s rough from gardening or other chores or the burns that one can get around a stove.

John has arthritic knees and has found by trial and error that “Joint Support” is the only product that eases the pain. He followed the three month program and his knees stopped hurting. Whenever there is a flareup he takes the capsules for two or three days and the pain magically disappears.

We believe that Aloe Ferox products are superior to other cosmetics and creams, and jumped at the opportunity to sell them in the United States.

In working with Gene, we experience the utmost cooperation, quick delivery of materials, and sales help whenever needed.

Our mission statement is simple. To introduce other people to Aloe Ferox products, that they may see the advantages of Aloe Ferox for themselves.

Aloe Ferox USA,LLC is a member of the Natural Products Association. And we support the Health Freedom cause

Have a Healthy Day,

Gene

2008-12-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

Anthraquinones in Aloe products

This article is based on an Aloe Ferox technical report, the information contained in this article relates to the use of Aloin in Aloe products and Aloe Bitters or Bitter Crystals

Abstract

The Internet has simplified the distribution of information to such an extent that it is often very difficult for a non-specialist to judge between the truth, propaganda or a marketing message. The latter uses all information to its disposal in order to convince a potential buyer to purchase a particular product. It is important to understand, that although there is often nothing wrong with this approach, information for marketing messages is very often used subjectively to suit the specific marketing message. This implies that research results, which are interpreted for marketing messages, are subject to the goals of the advertising message. This is common to all types of products.

In aloe-based health and cosmetics products, the presence (or absence) of anthraquinones (bitter sap), or processing conditions are often used to favor one company's products above another. The purpose of this report is to highlight research results on the beneficial as well as adverse properties of bitter sap within proper use context, so that the consumer is able to distinguish between truth and misinformation. It is reported that research results over many decades have proved that bitter sap is positively associated with wound healing, anti-inflammatory actions, anti-viral activities, slow down of cell aging, inhibition of tumor growth, and many others therapeutic feats. However, the laxative property is often a disputed therapeutic characteristic of bitter sap. Adverse effects associated with bitter sap include cramping, diarrhea, and even the risk of colorectal cancer. These potentially harmful effects are results of overdose, abuse or long term use.

Research has shown that when used in moderation for short periods, oral intake or the application of bitter sap is indeed beneficial for human use. However, if the intended quantity, duration and purpose of bitter sap are taken out of use-context, the adverse effects of bitter sap can easily be obscured as "toxic". It is exactly this technique that some marketing messages use to promote their aloin-free aloe products.

The full picture of Information:

Internet technology introduced the Information age and thereby enabled the public to obtain information on almost any conceivable topic. This has led to rapid education of the masses in many different areas. As a result, today's civilization is generally much more informed than a few decades ago. However, available information, (being subject to the personal interpretation of the author), is not always accurate. In fact, the fast dissemination of personal interpretations, pictures and email rumors have already led to many myths about particular topics.

Typically of the Internet, it is common to find convincingly strong arguments in favor of a particular viewpoint, as well as compelling condemnation of the same topic from those opposing the viewpoint. Full information on all aspects of such a topic, especially information on the context where claims are valid, is not always divulged in the line of reasoning. As a result, it becomes very difficult for the non-specialist to distinguish between the truth, half-truths and propaganda.

Marketing messages are often responsible of spreading half-truths. As the purpose of a marketing message is to convince a potential buyer to purchase a specific product, different techniques are used to achieve this goal. One technique is to highlight the beneficial qualities of the product to such an extent that the uninformed obliviously accepts the product as perfect. Undesirable qualities are either not mentioned or down played as insignificant. Another technique is to show off about some property that a product does not posses, trusting other media-delivered messages to complete the implication for the buyer. For example, media-delivered messages have irrevocably associated a lean body with a fatless or sugarless diet.

A product could therefore only use the words "sugar free" to evoke an impression of a healthy and lean body, even though the actual product might contain all sorts of harmful substances. Such a message trusts the association that is made with sugar, and the product's lack thereof, to sell its product.

The same techniques are used in almost every market. Health and cosmetic products that based on aloe are no exception. Consumers and potential buyers are bombarded either with images of energetic well-being or with threats of insignificant potency with possible toxic effects. In today's age, aloe-based products are highly acclaimed, but what should a potential buyer or consumer believe about the conflicting messages?

Much scientific research has been conducted over the past few decades. In many research results, the therapeutic qualities of the aloe have been shown, while from other research efforts, there seems to be warnings. The purpose of this report is to consider the latter in order to explain where and when aloe products may be harmful.

Aloe Anatomy

The specific issue in question is the presence of the anthraquinones (specifically aloin and aloe-emodin) components in the aloe leaf. Perhaps it would make sense to briefly describe the basic composition of the aloe leaf. An aloe leaf is composed of three distinct layers, the thick green chlorophyllic skin on the outside, a dark-yellow sticky liquid below the skin, and a white fibrous gel-like inner flesh. The liquid layer consists of anthraquinones, of which aloin, aloe-emodin and barbaloin are probably the most well known. Combined, these components are referred to as the "bitters" or the "bitter sap".

Although adjoining, each layer has a different consistency and one layer does not flow into the other. Depending on processing methods, it is possible to either isolate the different layers from one another, or to combine them into one pulp. There are different factors that influence the success of such an isolation process. For example, degradation of an aloe leaf sets in if the leaves are not processed within 36 hours of harvesting. Degradation becomes apparent when the firmness of the inner flesh is lost. As the inner structure of the leaf disintegrates, the bitter sap diffuses into the degraded structure. Whether to isolate the layers for a particular product or not,
depends on the specific objectives of the product.

The three layers differ in their physical appearance, chemical composition, potential benefits, as well as their potential harmful effects. Over the past number of decades much research has gone into the therapeutic or potential harmful effects of the different layers of the aloe leaf. Research results are significant if consumers understand the context of the experiments and also the leaf layer to which the results are applicable. To illustrate the point: a constipated person has read of the laxative properties associated with aloes and decides to eat some fresh aloe to relief his
problem. He cuts a leaf, skins it, washes it thoroughly to remove the bitter sticky brown stuff, and then consumes a few bites of inner flesh. Since the laxative properties of aloes are only found in the bitter sap and none of the other layers, the entire aloe-eating effort would be futile.

Therapeutic properties of the Aloe

There are many positive research results associated with bitter sap proving its medicinal properties. One of its most prominent properties is its laxative effects. Other important characteristics include bactericidal activities against various wound infecting bacteria; inhibiting actions against bacteria responsible for peptic ulcers, gastroenteritis and unary tract infections (1); virucidal activities against the herpes and influenza virus (2) prophylactic (disease prevention) effects (3), inhibiting actions against tumour growth (4,5,6); slowing down of cell aging (7), and anti-inflammatory and cleansing (detoxification) effects (8).

Potential adverse effects of the Aloe

Overdose of any medicinal or therapeutic substance will always negate a substance's benefits in favour of toxic consequences. For example, as with any other laxative it has been shown 9 that excessive doses or prolonged use of bitters may cause cramping, gastritis, vomiting, diarrhea, and nephritis (kidney inflammation).

Chronic use or abuse of the laxatives has been associated with aggravation of constipation, reason for dependency, and increased risk of colorectal cancer. However, these effects are not uncommon to laxatives in general. The appropriate method of addressing a chronic condition such as constipation lies in lifestyle changes including a fibrous diet, plenty of water and sufficient exercise and not in continuous use of laxatives. Today it has become too easy to misuse therapeutic substances and then impugn the substance for toxic effects from constant use and abuse. As with any other medicinal or therapeutic substance, responsible substance use lies with the consumer.

Since the misuse of bitters has been linked to toxic effects, researchers conducted experiments to determine the specific toxicity of the bitters in the aloe leaf. The results of a toxicity test of a particular substance are often presented in a comparative fashion whereby the toxicity of the substance in question is compared to that of other known substances. Research (10) found that the toxic activity of bitter sap is similar to that of sodium lauryl sulphate (a detergent used to manufacture bathroom soap). The harmful effects of sodium lauryl sulphate are low as humans are continuously exposed to it. However, misuse of bathroom soap, like washing and scrubbing hands excessively and frequently, will definitely prove to be detrimental to the skin. In the
same way, misuse and dependence on bitter sap will be detrimental to the consumer's health.

A toxic overdose

In science, the word "toxic" is used as a measure of potential harmful effects that a certain compound may have. This scale may therefore range from zero to very high. However, in general language the word "toxic" has an alarming connotation to it, flashing images of bed bound suffering individuals on their last breath. For this purpose, the words "potential harmful effects" are more appropriate when referring to compounds with a scientifically tested low toxicity.
As hinted before, marketing messages use every term to their disposal to promote their product. It is therefore often found that words such as "potential harmful effects" are used that to down play negative attributes of their own products. However, when using comparative advertising strategies, the word "toxic" is used for the "potential harmful effects" of a competitor's products.

It is critical to evaluate the potential "toxic" effects of bitter sap in the light of the objectives for which they are being used. Table salt (sodium chloride), serves as an excellent comparative example. Similar to bitter sap, sodium chloride is also "toxic" when its recommended dose is exceeded. Yet, in the correct dose, table salt is vital to osmosis, electrolytic balance, flavouring foods, preserving food, et cetera. To illustrate the point of how a misleading marketing message may be constructed using the so-called toxic effects of sodium chloride, consider the following example: A fruit juice manufacturer wants a new marketing angle, so the marketing message highlights to the absence of table salt in the fruit juice product.

The marketing message further continues to use medical research to point out the adverse effects of sodium chloride. Although being a simple example, it clearly shows how inappropriately the research results were used. In the same way, research regarding bitter sap is often bent to suit the marketing message of a particular product.

Aloe Ferox products: bitter or not?

The question remains as to how much bitters are contained in Aloe Ferox products? Some products contain no bitters whatsoever. For the purpose of these products, freshly harvested leaves are peeled, washed and only the inner flesh is processed to a jelly at low temperatures to maintain the nutrient integrity. Other products, especially for specific therapeutic purposes, contain bitters. For such products, the word "bitters" either appears in the product name or the presence of "bitters" is indicated in the ingredient listing on the label. Whole-leaf products, such as the Whole-leaf Juice and the Whole-leaf Gel inevitably contain some bitters, because, as the product names suggest, the entire leaf is used in the product. However, the quantity of bitter sap within these products is extremely small, for most has been removed by repetitive washing of finely sliced aloe leaves with water (not chemicals). The amount of bitter sap is further reduced during the processing at low temperatures, as temperature treatment degrades aloin.

Conclusion

The aim of this report was to inform the public and not to carry specific marketing message concerning aloe-containing products. For this purpose, both the excellent qualities as well as the potential harmful effects that are associated with aloe have been described within the context of use. It is important for the consumer to note that marketing messages aim to promote a product (and rightly so!). But, this implies that the interpretation of scientific research used in marketing messages often depends much on the goals to be achieved by those who cite the research results. It is therefore imperative that a consumer is able to distinguish between a mere marketing message, wishing to convince him or her to buy a particular product, and the full truth within proper context.

References

1. Wang, H.; Chung, J.; Ho, C.; Wu L. & Chang, S. Aloe-emodin effects arylamin Nacetyltransferase activity in the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Planta Medica; 64; pp 176-178; 1998.
2. Sydiskis, R.J.; Owen, D.G.; Lohr, J.L.; Rosler, K-H. A; Blomster, R.N. Inactivation
of enveloped viruses by antraquinones extracted from plants. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; 35: 12; pp 2463-2466; 1991.
3. Soeda M.; Fukiwara, M,; Otomo, M. Studies on the effect of Cape aloe for
irradiation leucopenia. Nippon Igaku Hoshasen Gakkai Zasshi; Dec. 24; pp 1109- 1112; 1964.
4. Soeda, M. Studies on the anti-tumor activity in Cape Aloe. Journal of the Medical
Society of Toho University; 16; pp 365-369; 1969.
5. Kuo, P-L.; Lin, T-C.; Lin, C-C. The antiproliferative activity of aloe-emodin is
through p53-dependent and p21-dependent apoptotic pathways in human
hepatome cell lines. Life Sciences; 71. pp 1879-1892; 2002.
6. Pecere, T.; Gazallo, V.; Mucignat, C.; Parolin, C. Aloe-emodin is a type of
anticancer agent with selective activity against neuroectodermal tumors. Cancer
Research; 60. pp 2800-2804; 2000.
7. Barrantes, E.; Guinea, M. Inhibition of collagenase and matalloproteinases by
aloins and aloe gel. Life Sciences. 72; pp 843-850; 2003.
8. Nakagomi, K.; Oka, S.; Tomizuka, N.; Jamamoto, M.; Masui, T.; Nakazaw, H.
Novel biological activies of aloe components. Effects on mast-cell degranulation
and platelet aggregation. Kenkyu Hokoku – Koyo Gijutsiun Bisibutsu Kogyo; 6; 23-29. 1985.
9. Capasso, F.; Borrelli, F.; Capasso, R.; Carlo, G.; Di Izzo, A.A.; Pinto, L. Aloe and
its therapeutic use. Phytotherapy Research; 12; pp 48-50; 1998.
10. Avila, H.; Rivero, J.; Herrera, F; Fraile, G. Cytotoxicity of a low molecular weight
fraction from Aloe vera (Aloe baradensis Miller) gel. Toxicon; 35; pp 1423-1430; 1997.

Aloe Ferox Technical Report
AFTech0808a August 2008

2008-11-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

Diabetes

In this post I will focus on controlling blood sugar levels and diabetes. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death and is the main cause of blindness, kidney failure and amputations. It also contributes to high blood pressure and is a major risk for heart attacks and strokes.

I lost my Grandmother to Diabetes and many friends and relatives have had their lives lost or changed by this disease. I see many young people today on the verge of contracting this disease.

Although there are 2 types of diabetes, 95% of all diabetes is type 2, previously called “late onset” diabetes. The name was changed to type 2 diabetes because more and more young people became diabetic. In other words people are becoming diabetic at a younger and younger age.

Our modern lifestyle of fast food, lack of exercise and quick fix mentality is the main reason why we become diabetic. Here are some USA statistics published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC):

· Obesity increased by 57% from 1991 to 1999.
· Diabetes increased by 41% between 1990 and 1999
with a 70% increase in the age group 30 to 39.

Diabetes is on the rise and it is reaching epidemic proportions.

Fighting DIABETES!

The writing is on the wall and the statistics prove it: If we do not drastically change our eating habits we will become part of the statistics, suffering from diabetes and its health complications.

Diabetes is the most preventable disease of all chronic diseases and the secret is in controlling your blood sugar levels properly.

Blood sugar problems occur long before you are diagnosed with diabetes. In order to overcome diabetes let us first investigate why blood sugar levels are so important:

The graph shows what happens with your blood sugar after a meal. As soon as the blood sugar level starts to rise, the body starts to excrete insulin from the pancreas.

INSULIN transports the sugar into the body’s cells to be utilized as ENERGY. Thus your muscles consume the sugar as energy, which lowers the amount of sugar in the blood. This will cause you to eat again to increase your blood sugar level and the cycle repeats itself.

The body controls its blood sugar levels in a narrow range of between 4.4 and 6.6 mmol/L. However, when the blood sugar level exceeds the maximum or drops below the minimum the body responds in the following way:

1.When the blood sugar is too HIGH, insulin will store the excess energy (sugar) as FAT.
2. If the blood sugar DROPS too low your body will tell you to eat something to pick it up.

Obviously, problems occur if the body does not respond as it is supposed to.
The following 2 health problems commonly occur:

· Diabetes – high blood sugar levels
· Hypoglycemia – low blood sugar levels.

Fortunately, these conditions are EASILY treatable by changing your lifestyle and eating habits.

Your health is in YOUR hands and not in the hands of fate. Knowledge is power, act upon it and change your future!!!

SYNDROME X - Sounds cool but it isn't good.

Long before most people develop diabetes, they suffer from an imbalance in blood sugar control. This usually starts when the body becomes insulin resistant – the body is INSENSITIVE to insulin.

Insulin resistance, also called Syndrome X, has far-reaching health implications. Syndrome X is the name given to a group of symptoms that predicts the full onset of type 2 diabetes.

The main symptoms of Syndrome X include:

· obesity
· high blood pressure
· elevated cholesterol and triglycerides
· high levels of insulin/sugar in the blood.

The main job of insulin is to regulate blood sugar in the body by facilitating its entry into cells where it is utilized as energy. However, when our bodies become insulin resistant the cells do not respond to the insulin, which results in excessive insulin levels in the blood as well as elevated blood sugar levels.

This in turn leads to increased cholesterol and triglyceride (FAT) levels in the body.

How do we help our bodies to BALANCE our blood sugar levels? Eat a natural diet!!!

Our typical Western diet, which is high in sugar, refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, rice and potatoes and low in fiber, causes insulin resistance and contributes to Syndrome X.

How do we get more complex carbohydrates and fiber in our diet? You guessed it: vegetables and fruit.

Another way to balance your blood sugar level is by eating plenty of protein, especially FISH (protein does not contain any carbs thus it doesn’t affect your blood sugar).

Do this TEST to see if you suffer from Syndrome X

Excess body fat – usually around the middle but also in the face and neck

Craving for sweet food (includes junk/ refined foods) and carbonated drinks

High blood pressure

Chronic fatigue

Mental fuzziness

Bloated feeling after eating

Skin tags in the neck, groin and armpits

Dry and flaky skin, splitting nails and dull hair

Diagonal creases in the lower ear lobe

The key to preventing or reversing Syndrome X is diet and exercise. Both diet and exercise help with weight loss and prevent insulin resistance.

Because most people do not eat enough fish you need to supplement with Omega 3.

In a recent review it was demonstrated that people using high doses of Omega 3 showed the following benefits:

1. enhanced insulin sensitivity
2. lower blood sugar levels
3. elevated HDL (good) cholesterol by 7.4%
4. lower triglycerides by 21.5%
5. lower blood pressure.

Change your DIET, it will change your LIFE.

(Murray, F. 2003. Natural Supplements for Diabetes. Hampton Roads:Charlottsville.
Sirtori, C.R. & Galli, C. 2002. N-3 fatty acids and diabetics. Biomedicine & Pharmocotherapy. 56, 397-406)

TYPE 2 DIABETES

When the insulin resistance problem isn’t rectified the blood sugar level remains HIGH, which subsequently results in diabetes.

Although sugar is essential for life, too much is detrimental. When blood sugar levels remain high over a prolonged period of time it damages proteins producing AGE (Advanced Glycosylation End products), which accelerate aging.

This causes the blood to become thick and blood circulation problems occur. Without sufficient blood flow your cells are starved of nutrients and oxygen causing them to DIE. The result is blindness, kidney and heart disease, nerve damage and poor wound healing.

EVERY diabetic knows s/he has to eat a healthy diet in order to control her/his blood sugar level. Why wait until you have become diabetic before changing your diet? Prevention is much better than cure!!!

Supplementing your DIET with the following nutrients is an excellent way to help you manage diabetes:

1.Whole-leaf Aloe Juice contains fiber and other vital nutrients that help to control blood sugar levels lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides.
2.Body Basics contains magnesium, which is essential for sugar metabolism and insulin action. zinc, which promotes normal insulin function vitamin B6 (together with zinc), which is required for the production of insulin and vitamin B12, which helps with proper nerve function.
3.Slim & Trim balances blood sugar levels with chromium, which is essential for insulin production and blood sugar control and herbs that help to reduce food cravings and appetite, lose weight and assist with blood sugar control.
4.Omega 3 is vital since it helps to restore insulin sensitivityimprove nerve function lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels improve kidney function reduce blood pressure.

Diabetes is not a death sentence. It can be effectively controlled, but ONLY if you take responsibility for your own LIFE.

You can improve your quality of life!

LOW BLOOD SUGAR!

On the other side of the scale there are LOW blood sugar levels (hypoglaecemia). Hypoglycemia is diagnosed when your blood sugar DROPS to abnormally low levels.

Just as your body uses insulin to lower your blood sugar level, similarly your pancreas stimulates the release of glucagon to prevent your blood sugar from dropping too far.

Glucagon stimulates the liver to release its stored energy reserves called glycogen. The liver then converts the glycogen into sugar to be utilised as energy.

Hypoglycemia typically results when your liver does not produce enough sugar in response to glucagon. Alternatively, your body produces too much insulin causing an abnormal sugar uptake by your cells resulting in LOW blood sugar levels.

LOW blood sugar levels also occur when there is a too long time period between meals or when we perform strenuous activity or even due to diabetes medication.

So, how do you SOLVE low blood sugar problems? The same way you solve diabetic problems. Avoid foods that cause your blood sugar to rise too rapidly.

Which foods? Sugar and refined foods like white bread, flour, pasta, rice and potatoes all rapidly increase your blood sugar level.

Do you suffer from LOW blood sugar problems?

Hunger and constant cravings

Headaches, dizziness and blurred vision

Unexplainable drops in energy levels

Overwhelming fatigue, especially in the afternoon

Trembling and rapid heartbeat

Mental fuzziness & difficulty concentrating

Always tired and sleepy during the day

Irritated and emotional with anger outbursts

Anxiety, sadness and depression for no apparent reason

Panic attacks

BLOOD SUGAR DIET!!!

Please, don’t be misled. You don’t need SUGAR to increase your blood sugar level!!! When you eat carbohydrates like vegetables and fruit they are broken down by your digestive tract to glucose before they are absorbed into your blood.

This breakdown of vegetables to sugar ensures a SLOW RELEASE of energy into the blood, which is how we were designed.

However, if you eat lots of sugar or refined foods like white bread, flour, pasta, rice and potatoes it is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream increasing your blood sugar levels almost immediately.

Similarly, stimulants like coffee, tea and caffeinated carbonated drinks cause the adrenal gland to release adrenalin, which releases sugar into the blood.

When eating to balance your blood sugar levels, consume a diet that focuses on whole, unprocessed foods and stick to the following:

Protein such as meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts

Vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds

Limited amounts of fresh fruits or fresh juice

Only whole grain products or brown rice

Dairy products are limited to cheese and Bulgarian yoghurt (unsweetened)

Drink plenty of water. Herbal teas like aloe or rooibos are also allowed.

In conjunction with this diet it is imperative that you incorporate exercise. Even moderate exercise improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin. It also helps to build muscle mass, burn fat and improves weight control.

Give it a try, as a BONUS you will be more energetic and your brain will be sharper and more focused.

Blood Sugar EMOTIONS:)

Your body’s typical response to STRESS is the activation of the fight-or-flight syndrome. During this response the adrenal glands are stimulated to release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline causes the liver to dump sugar into the blood stream to ensure there is enough energy available to fight or flee.

Cortisol on the other hand interferes with the pancreas’ production of insulin and makes the body become insulin resistant.

Chronic stress can actually CAUSE you to become diabetic since your body elevates sugar levels while simultaneously reducing insulin production.

When your blood sugar drops too low it also causes a stress response. Adrenalin is released to stimulate the liver to dump sugar in the blood to normalise your blood sugar level. However, the adrenalin also causes a rapid heartbeat and anxiety.

I have seen this phenomenon manifested numerous times. When people cannot control their blood sugar level (as well as blood pressure and cholesterol level) through medication or dietary changes the KEY to regaining their health is by eliminating their TOXIC emotions.

Normally people suffering from blood sugar problems also struggle with their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which in combination are a serious threat to your HEALTH.

Aloe Ferox Natural Health products are available at your Local Agent or on the internet, give us a try.

What is Aloe Ferox?

2008-09-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

So what is aloe ferox, anyway?

Aloe Ferox is a plant native to South Africa. It's similar to Aloe Vera, but Aloe Ferox has many times more nutritional and medicinal value than aloe vera. It is a very robust plant living in a harsh environment and growing to 2 meters tall!

Over 130 biological active compounds of the aloe ferox have so far been reported. The Aloe ferox leaf contains substances such as amino acids, minerals, vitamins, polysaccharides, glycoproteins, anthraquinones, enzymes, lignin, chlorophyll, saponins, sterols and other plant chemicals with numerous medicinal activities.

Aloe Ferox, a true wonder plant

Where can I buy Aloe Ferox Products?

You can visit www.aloeferox.us to find an local agent or internet distributor of this product

How do I use these products?

Each Aloe Ferox product has a list of directions for use. Ask your agent for an information sheet.

Bitter Crystals -Aloe Ferox Leaf

WHAT YOU MUST KNOW WHEN USING HERBS LIKE ALOE FEROX

The human body was designed with all the mechanisms to heal itself. Aloe
ferox and many other herbs enhance the body's own mechanisms for healing!
\
Herbs or Medication? Herbs prove themselves to be close therapeutic
competitors of medication and are almost always safer, gentler and less likely
to cause side effects. Causalities and fatalities researched from literature,
government reports and expert databases indicate that approximately zero
(0,000%) cases are due to the use of complementary health products, whereas
5,176% are due to properly prescribed and used drugs. It seems that herbs may
even be safer than food, because 0,24% deaths are the result of food eaten!!

Herbs and Medication? Many herbs enhance the effect of a drug
when using it simultaneously, while some may counteract the effect. Consult
your doctor (preferably a herbal enlightened doctor) when you want to use
herbs along with prescribed drugs. It is possible that your dependence on the
pharmaceutical may decrease. You might be able to wean yourself off the drug
entirely or get by with smaller dosages. Adjustments to medication should be
done under supervision of a doctor. All medication has harmful side effects.
When medication is used in conjunction with herbs, they may help to counteract
the side effects.

How to use Herbs:

Follow the directions on the label. Start on a low dose and
gradually build up to establish the correct dose for your body. Everyone's
different physiologically, and some people are just more sensitive than
others. Some people will be able to take larger dosages than others and for
some people it will take longer to note a beneficial effect. Different
individuals take from it what and how much they need. Give herbs enough time
to work - at least 3 months. Symptoms of a chronic condition may temporarily
worsen as part of the detoxifying process of the body. Other detoxification
symptoms that may occur are diarrhea, nausea, flatulence, stomach,cramps &
headaches. Symptoms are of a passing nature. Give your body time to adjust.
Diarrhea, as part of the detoxification process, is only a problem if it lasts
longer than a couple of days. Drink a lot of water and lower the dosage.

Aloe Ferox

Disclaimer: Please note that our statements about the healing
properties of aloe ferox are not evaluated by the Food and Drug
Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or
prevent any disease. For your best health, in the case of recurring and
long-term illness, you should consult your doctor. You should also consult
your doctor before using herbal remedies if you have an existing health
condition, are pregnant or are planning to have a baby. No studies have been
concluded on internal use of aloe in children.