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Supplementation: Is it Healthy or Harmful?

More and more people are using supplements to improve their health. This is a massive move with the global supplement market expected to reach $60 billion by 2020. This is a doubling from 2010.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the most commonly reported reasons for using supplements were to “improve” or “maintain” overall health. For instance, over one-third of women use calcium for bolstering bone health.

Suggested reasons for this increase are greater health awareness, rising medical costs and the increase in chronic conditions. Geographic issues are a part of the picture, too. In the U.S., rising medical costs are a major factor. In Asia, there is a growing geriatric population and Europe is experiencing an increase in chronic disease.

Other interesting statistics show that there is increased usage based upon education; the more educated the greater the use. Also, the greater the income, the higher the use of supplements.

50% of Americans take vitamins regularly. Some of this is blind belief, for there is evidence that many vitamin supplements are not properly absorbed by the body, so the value of the supplement is reduced or lost.

Your goal should be to make sure your supplements provide the nutritional value you are paying for. This is not an easy question to answer, for all supplements are not created equal. The mere ingestion of vitamins and minerals is not enough. The body must recognize and absorb the nutrients.

One American company has developed a patented process that allows the supplements to mimic nutrients found in nature. For instance, when plants absorb nutrients from soil, the vitamins and minerals are naturally integrated into the plant. This allows your body to naturally absorb the ingredients. Without this, many ‘pills’ are not absorbed and, in fact, create a build-up of unabsorbed material in the intestinal tract.

In the final analysis, supplement usage is increasing, and everyone should consider it as food supplies are processed and altered – no longer delivering the nutrition they once did. But, make sure your supplements are working to give you the benefit you need and not just passing through your body, not being properly absorbed.

Seek supplements that are proven to be effective and body-friendly.

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The Real Consequences of Sugar

Did you know you have about 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar in your 6 quarts of blood? If you drink a sweetened soda or juice with about 8 teaspoons of sugar and all that sugar went into your bloodstream, you could go into shock, a coma, and possibly die.

Fortunately, your body has protection devices. Your pancreas injects insulin into your blood to counteract the sugar. If it only happened occasionally it would be no big deal. However, with the diets that most of us now consume, our insulin levels are generally elevated.

Today’s diet is overloaded in both salt and sugar. We are addicted to sugar. In fact, the gut develops microbes that crave sugar and makes the urges to consume it even greater.

Insulin lets cells take in the sugar, but with too much sugar the excess gets converted to fat. The increased insulin levels also lead to higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure and a thickening of your arteries. This is what is called “fat-storage mode.” As blood sugar rises, the insulin tells your body to store fat, instead of using it. Hence, losing weight is even more difficult.

Also, your pancreas was not meant to produce this constant high level of insulin. It can wear out with heavy use and cannot make insulin fast enough to handle all the sugar. And when the sugar stays in the blood for too long it can bind with cell proteins and damage them.

In the final analysis, sugar increases insulin production which contributes to both obesity and diabetes.

Of course, the goal is to remain in “fat-reduction mode.” By keeping your blood sugar levels balanced, you promote a healthy insulin response. As a result, your body uses up fat rather than storing it. Any efforts to lose weight are optimized and easier to achieve.

Great. Now, how do you do it?

The answers are simple, but not necessarily easy, since sugar is an addiction. Besides the obvious reduction of sugar intake, there is a remarkable product that helps to regulate blood sugar. That product, made by an American green manufacturing company, is called GC Control. The “GC” is short for glucose. This outstanding formulation provides natural blood sugar support, by helping your body remain in an optimal calorie-burning range by controlling carb and sugar cravings.

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Metabolic Syndrome: Are You at Risk?

This little known and non-symptomatic condition is a growing threat to your health.
While not a disease, metabolic syndrome is a combination of risk factors that may
predict serious health issues.
Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raises your risk for heart
disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke.
The term metabolic refers to the biochemical processes involved in the body’s normal
functioning. Risk factors are traits, conditions, or habits that increase your chance of
developing a disease.
This condition is so common that one in three adults in the U.S. is at risk. If you are over
50 years old, it is more likely one in every two meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome.
If not you, then someone you know is likely affected. And, like high blood pressure,
there are no perceived side effects – until they manifest. Then it may be too late to fully
correct.
Now let’s get into the details – these indicators are extremely important. You will likely
need your doctor to order blood work to get the info you need.
 Body Mass Index: also known as BMI can be measured. If it is 30+, then you are
at risk. Another guideline is midsection dimension. Over 35 inches for women
and over 40 inches for men is an indicator.
 Triglycerides: over 150 mg/dL
 HDL Cholesterol: less than 50 mg/dL for females and less than 40mg/dL for
males.
 Blood Pressure: Find out if you are over 130/85
 Blood Sugar: The big one – look into if over 100 mg/dL
These are meaningless numbers for many, but important to assess. Yes, you need a
medical consult to get and understand your individual situation. If you have three or
more of these indicators, you likely have metabolic syndrome.
While this is a bit deep in the weeds, you can see the importance of getting on top of
this issue. There is hope. Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors
that raises your risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and
stroke.
There are specific ways to deal with this condition. There is one natural blood sugar
support – called GC Control. Plus, there are other nutritional and weight management
techniques to consider. The important thing is to check your numbers and get started
before it becomes more serious.