But there might still be hope–the studies that were reviewed only focused on over-the-counter fish oil supplements, and some cardiologists still swear by it.

David A. Friedman, MD, is the chief of heart failure services for North Shore-LIJ Plainview Hospital in Plainview, N.Y. Friedman prescribes high-dose omega-3 to many of his patients, and he says these prescriptions clearly lower blood triglyceride levels. This study did not look at prescription doses of omega-3.But he says this may not translate into the heart benefits that had been expected.“It may be that food sources of omega-3, rather than supplements, are a better choice,” he says. [SOURCE]

The American Heart Association is also still standing by fish oil as a heart-healthy oil. And besides, fish oil, krill oil, flax seed oil and chia seeds has other health benefits besides cardiovascular health. The Omega 3 fatty acids have been proven to reduce inflammation throughout the body, even in the joints. It’s good for your skin, nails and hair, and has shown promise in some UK studies to reduce anxiety, ease the symptoms of manic depression and improve concentration.

In short, MSM is a form of sulfur that’s good for your hair, nails, muscles and joints. For a full overview of why it’s so good for you, click here.

Here’s Colin, the guy who sold me the stuff.

He recommended taking the mix with water, and honestly, I tried. it was disgusting. I. could. not. So I decided to mix it into a “super shake,” putting in two handfuls of spinach, a handful of raspberries, blueberries and black berries, a packet of protein powder, some flax seed oil, a tablespoon of spirulina, liquid rhodiola, coconut milk powder, green powder, some stevia for sweetness, a carrot, a little water and two handfuls of ice.

I don’t go into detail about Rhodiola in this post because the jury is still out on whether I think it’s working for me or not.

I pretty much get my entire daily requirement of fruits and vegetables in this power shake, and adding the MSM powder and the spirulina for a just over a week has made a HUGE difference in the way I’m feeling in the morning, and improves my flexibility and rage of motion, and provides me with sustained energy throughout the day.

Why the Spirulina?

The benefits

Spirulina is an ideal anti-aging food; concentrated nutrient value, easily digested and loaded with antioxidants. Beta carotene is good for healthy eyes and vision. Spirulina beta carotene is ten times more concentrated than carrots.

Iron is essential to build a strong system, yet is the most common mineral deficiency. Spirulina is rich in iron, magnesium and trace minerals, and is easier to absorb than iron supplements.

Spirulina is the highest source of B-12, essential for healthy nerves and tissue, especially for vegetarians.

I started my period the same week I started with this new shake regimen. I have uterine fibroids and bleed…a lot. Blood loss leads to anemia and lethargy. Let’s not talk about the mood swings….

This week I had none of that. I attribute it to the extra iron and B Vitamins I’m getting. Just a little TMI note that spirulina *may* cause your poo to change to a green or blackish color. According to Dr. Mercola, “Spirulina can remove accumulated waste product in your colon, which may cause darker stool. Also, spirulina is high in chlorophyll. This will also turn waste matter green.”

Why Coconut Milk?

Relaxes muscles and nerves because of the high magnesium

Helps in Controlling Weight: because of the high fiber and healthy fats

Decreases the risk of joint inflammation: because of the selenium content, which acts as an antioxidant.

Helps in maintaining healthy immune system: because of the Vitamin C, which came in handy last week because not only was I on my period, I had a head cold, but I was only down a full day. By the next one I was completely over it while The Hubster is still using up all the tissues.

Recipe:

One handful of organic mixed berries

Two handfuls of organic spinach

One small organic carrot

One scoop MSM Morning Mix

One scoop spirulina

One tablespoon flax seed oil

One scoop Amazing Grass

Two tablespoons dried coconut milk

4 oz water + one cup ice

*if you prefer, add one or two packets of stevia or xylitol for sweetness.

Mix in a blender until smooth.

NOTE: You’ll need a very powerful mixer to pulverize the carrot, that’s why I love my vitamix. If you don’t have a blender that strong, leave out the carrot.

You can order the coconut milk powder, spirulina and MSM mix here. The prices are reasonable and it’s fresher and higher quality than what you’ll find in GNC or Vitamin Shop. They make many of their items in their own kitchen in Murrieta, California.

What it is

Barlean’s Omega Swirl is an emulsified fish oil or flax seed formula that delivers the necessary Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids that nutritionally support:

• Heart Health
• Cholesterol Levels Already Within a Healthy Range
• Joint Mobility and Bone Density
• Energy and Endurance
• Skin, Hair and Nail Health
• Mental Health, Wellness and Acuity
• Blood Glucose Levels Already Within a Healthy Range
• Sexual and Hormonal Health

Here’s the thing: Barlean’s formula does all that stuff without the awful fish burps you get from traditional fish oil caplets. Plus, they’re the only manufacturer I’ve seen that can deliver the nutrients into something truly tasty. The Babster loves the coconut pineapple and eats it like candy. As for me, I just bought the chocolate/raspberry Essential Women’s formula, with evening primrose, flax seed oil, and soy isoflavones. Flax seed oil and fish oil are pretty much interchangeable, because they both provide the chain of Omega 3 fatty acids. Except with flax, your body will have to take the extra step to convert it.

I’m upping my Omega intake because research shows it’s beneficial for the hair, nails and skin, plus assists with mood regulation. They also assist in anxiety and mood disorders, which I have, and manage.

I got the idea after reading The Belly Fat Cure, when the author, Jorge Cruise, recommended Omega Swirl and Clemmy’s ice cream, both of which are sugar free. A scoop of vanilla Clemmy’s and a squirt of Essential Woman, and I’m getting my Omegas and female-friendly oils all at once. And note: even though this is an “oil,” it’s highly emulsified and has the consistency of a sauce. If you can rid your mind of the thought of putting fish oil on your ice cream, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

While the “sauce” looks more chocolate than raspberry, the berry taste is prominent and the chocolate is more of an end note. If you want a more chocolatey taste, mix a little sugar-free chocolate sauce and then…yum.

However, having tried all of the flavors, my TOP pick is the strawberry banana. If you’re interested, now’s probably the time to buy some because more stores are having their New Year’s resolutions sales. You can find them in the refrigerated section where they keep the probiotics.

Could your hair be telling you you’re iron deficient?

If you’re a hairlista, you might be aware that protein, B vitamins, green veggies, and lot of water are all key components to healthy, growing hair. But one element might be missing from your internal hair care  regimen–iron. Women who suffer from heavy monthly periods or fibroids are especially vulnerable to iron deficiency and anemia because of increased blood loss. Since iron helps to carry oxygen to all the cells of the body, then you can guess how a low iron count can slow activity of the scalp. Studies even show that iron deficiency can cause hair loss. Since I suffer from both heavy periods and fibroids, all that blood-letting leaves me weak and iron starved, so I’ve tried a variety of different modes to deliver this element so that it is readily and easily absorbed by my body. The old school way is Mom’s liver and onions, but no chance in Hades am I going to choke that down.

Since I’m not a fan of pills (they are horrid at absorption; don’t let the label fool you), I lean toward iron delivery in liquid form. Here’s my two favorites:

Floradix Iron + Herbs ($35.00) I used this formula religiously after I gave birth to The Babster. For reasons probably attributed to stress (her premature birth, my father’s death) I bled for almost two months. I started taking the iron and herbs, and the bleeding ceased and I regained energy. It has a pleasant taste that reminds me of prune juice. The only downside is the expense. One bottle only lasts two weeks.

I’m really excited about a new product I’ve discovered called Spatone purAbsorb Iron, which delivers iron in a low dose is small water-based liquid packs that you can drink straight. The directions recommend you take the supplement in diluted orange juice, because the Vitamin C helps with absorption. Since fruit juice of any kind (except lemon and lime) is a no-no for me, I’ll just squeeze some fresh lime juice in a glass of water and put the contents of the packet in. It tastes just like water with a tinge of metallic aftertaste, but nowhere near gag-worthy. The marketing materials claim the water comes from the “Snowdonia mountain range in North Wales, United Kingdom.” I don’t really care where it’s from as long as it works, and at $17.99, you get 28 packets–about a month’s worth.

Dr. Oz recently endorsed the oil because the key ingredient–palmitoleic acid–somehow tells the body to stop storing fat. He calls it “the miracle berry.”

Okay so I’m sold. What’s one more pill when you’re already taking 13? Seabuck Wonders, the items you see displayed on this post offers the recommended 500 mg both in soft gel form and liquid. I often interchange the pills for the liquid by putting it into a smoothie.

Evening Primrose Oil: Dr. Ko says this supplement has a mild hormone effect on the body. Evening primrose is a plant native to North America, but it grows in Europe and parts of the Southern hemisphere as well. It has yellow flowers that bloom in the evening. Evening primrose oil contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid. Essential fatty acids are required by the body for growth and development, and must be obtained from the diet. [Source]

Fish Oil: This oil has an anti-inflammatory effect. If the huge pills and sometimes-fishy taste deters you,  I absolutely LOVE Barlean’s Omega Swirl and their other lines of fish and flax combos. This stuff tastes like dessert, but it’s sugar-free and sweetened with xylitol. The Lemon Zest flavor tastes like Lemon Heads, just without the sugar.

Weight Loss: “Fat cells produce their own hormones,” says Dr. Ko. Overweight has been scientifically connected to a host of female reproductive problems, like endometriosis, fibroids, and even some cancer.

Other supplements to consider:

Women with heavy menstrual flow are often deficient in vitamin B-12, says Janet Zand, LAC, OMD, says co-author of Smart Medicine for Healthier Living. She recommends taking 250 micrgrams of sublingual B-12 once or twice daily for one week. Have cramps? Try liquid magnesium.

Raspberry leaves can help blood flow too, according to The Healing Remedies Sourcebook, written by C. NOrman Shealy, MD, PhD. You can make a raspberry vinegar tonic at home: Fill a large jar with raspberries and cover with cider vinegar and let it stand for two weeks. Strain and store in clean bottles.

We’ve gotten a lot of questions on how to use Soft Cup by some curious readers. Dr. Ko is going to answer your questions via a Q & A blog post. Have a question? Post it in the comments section and I’ll submit them to her and we’ll post the whole she-bang later this month.

Being fashionable is just not about the cute trendy and classic style or having flawless skin but it instead begins from the inside out, like the old adage, “If you are beautiful on the inside, it will radiate on the outside.” No truer words have been spoken.

Kicking my sugar devil:

Recently, because of depleted Vitamin D, Vit B and Iron levels,  I was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, in fact Celiac’s. This means I have a major sensitivity to gluten and wheat. I cannot eat bread or pasta and some rice without my body becoming a bloated gas fest. It isn’t pretty. I have been slowly but surely alleviating gluten, wheat and certain grains from my diet however I have become addicted to another demon, sugar.

Oh sugar.. It’s so decadent, so sweet, so sensual and alluring. It calls to me, whispers to me when I am sleeping, seduces me to eat it all day. It loves me, I know it does. Sigh sugar… Is an abusive lover who takes and takes until it kills you. Yes, I know its alluring, its seductive, it tastes good but it is the devil. It causes all sorts of diseases including diabetes, candida, high cholesterol and obesity.**Side Note** an undiagnosed gluten allergy or Celiac’s disease can also lead to these things.

I was recently diagnosed being borderline diabetic. I am only 30lbs overweight which has been mostly caused by depression from living in Houston, I hate it here. This causes me to eat things that are bad for me, like fried chicken and SWEETS. Mind you, I don’t even like sugar or sweets but I have been eating it like crazy. My saying good-bye to gluten has caused my body to go into sugar overdrive and the headaches, the sluggishness and the sleepiness has caused me to say enough is enough. My doctor basically told me that all I have to lose is 20lbs and the that borderline diabetes will disappear forever.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFgmQ-kUy1k]

So I have decided to join Jennifer Fugos 3 week Sugar Cleanse. We have no idea how much sugar is in our everyday diet. In fact, the first thing that I have learned is that 4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. We basically consume on average about 22 teaspoons of sugar a day. THAT’S A LOT OF SUGAR!! No wonder most of us suffer from sugar addiction. I commend Christelyn for being on her sugar cleanse these last few months and I am jumping in on it.

Jennifer Fugo is a well known gluten and sugar expert, yoga instructor and fellow Aries like myself, with whom I have worked with before–she helped me lose 40lbs in 4 months by helping me change my diet. And if you are as adamant about your health as I am, you should go over to Jen’s Gluten Free School and sign up for her classes. The current Sugar Cleanse course that I am participating in  has a $250 value but you pay $57.. However, it is full. I know, I know, she has the courses often so don’t worry, you will be able to sign up soon. They fill up fast. However until then, you can sign up for her other courses and get your life back on track. I highly recommend her.

The Sugar Cleanse Course consists of:

3 50-minute tele-classes on the dangers of sugar & how to rid it from your life   ($75 value)

Gluten-Free Recipe Guide with a meal plan so you can easily follow along   ($125 value)

Email support with Jennifer during the cleanse   ($50 value)

** Access to all tele-class recordings in case you miss the LIVE classes!! **

Optional **upgrade** – Individual 30-minute one-on-one phone sessions during cleanse

And most importantly, support throughout the process of you breaking your habit.

So, once and for all, I am kicking out my abusive lover and getting some much needed therapy. I am saying good-bye to those sleepless nights, attacks of guilt and fear of walking into the store and being accosted in public, and I am saying hello to my future, to my health, and to my beauty. I will definitely be in fashion this summer and fall because I will be the best me I can be.

Here’s the fun part: I will be chronicling my 3 week progress, right here on BB&W. I won’t give you all the details of course but you will get to see my weight loss, my mental and physical progress and some of the meals that I will prepare. I hope that as you observe and oft times participate in my process that you yourself will begin yours.

Here’s to happy and healthy and very fashionable beginnings. Be on the look out for another post from me today. Toodles.

As we ease into tank top season, you’ll no longer have your jacket to cover up the smell of menstruating wildebeests. Traveling in a herd. When it’s 115 degrees.  “The underarms and groin area contain lots and lots of apocrine glands (the ones that produce fat laden sweat) [SOURCE].” Fatty sweat has a very distinct, musky odor and is difficult to mask.

This list I’m about to share goes as much for me as it does for you, because I’ll soon be sweating my arse off trying to sell the book.

Warsh Your Arse!!

This is obvious, and of course I (mostly) do too, but you just might need something a little stronger than milk-berry soap with fairy dust body wash. See, the wildebeest smell comes from the colonies of bacteria the poop on your skin and emit the zombie-waking gases. Best way to clean away poop is with poop-killing soap (aka the antibacterial soap you use to wash your hands). If you use a hand towel, use it once and toss it. ALWAYS wash towels with hot water and bleach it they’re white.

Think Nice Thoughts

Anxiety triggers sweat glands like nobody’s business. Even thinking about something stressful can cause your armpits and groin to tingle. Trying not to freak is about as easy as someone telling you  to hold your breath for ten minutes, but there are some strategies you can take before you reach the tipping point. Try breathing deeply for 10 minutes–deep yogic breaths. Inhale and try to pull your belly button into your spine and feel your ribcage rise. Exhale and push your belly out. Time it–I guarantee you that you’ll cool down a few degrees.

Soak and Deep Clean Your Smelly Shirts

Or if there’s no hope, throw them out. Try switching to a non-irritating laundry detergent that won’t cause you to itch, because everyone knows what happens when you scratch your underarms while wearing a t-shirt. It’s like those scratch-and-sniff stickers you got as a kid, except you won’t be smelling strawberries and bananas. I use Vaska, and highly recommend it. It’s safe enough to drink but cleans as well as Tide, just without all the harshness.

Shave!

It’s not just because you don’t want to look like you have one of the “Little Rascals” in a headlock. Bacteria cling to the hairs under your arms and on your nether regions. TIP: for “down south” just trim–don’t shave. Shaving curly vaginal hair causes itchy, in-grown hairs, and scratch = odors.

Stay Away from Stinky Foods

I once had an Indian school mate who always smelled like hot dogs. I would think to myself, “It’s 8AM–who has hot dogs for breakfast?!” Turns out the hot dog smell was curry, and when consumed copiously can cause you to smell like, well…hot dogs. Steer clear of eating too much onion and garlic–that comes through the pores and through the breath.

Find a Solution

Make your own anti-bacterial, odor-fighting solution using one teaspoon of apple cider or white vinegar, lemon juice or witch hazel in eight ounces of water. Splish, and splash. Also for the underarms, try making a paste of baking soda and water and rubbing directly on the pits while showering. Let it sit a while like conditioner or something. Then rinse it, because there’s nothing grosser than white patches in an underarm, especially in a tank top.

Wear Cotton Underpants!

Va-ja-jay. Must. Breathe. Sorry ladies–thongs may be sexy, but they’re a virtual petri dish. Not saying you have to wear Grandma’s bloomers–cotton panties can be quite fashionable.

Taking care of your mouth is more than the prevention of looking like a West Virginia mountain person. Those white blood cells you saw in my mouth could probably be happier doing other, more important things than killing the living cesspool of my mouth, but since they’re already there…

Glowing and agitated white blood cells are in there because they’re doing battle, fighting INFECTION. By the looks of all that live petri dish action, you might think I’m a yuck mouth of the nth degree, but that’s not even close to the worst this doctor has seen. I’m pretty average. But average is never a good grade.

How a ‘Yuck Mouth’ Affects Your Whole Body

Bacteria in the mouth has free reign because the mouth is the first entry into the body. With each swallow, you let this bacteria into your system, and without the right tools to combat the damage, you can expect inflammation throughout the body, especially upon vital organs like the heart. Recent studies show a link between gum disease and heart disease.

There is increasing evidence that chronic infections are associated with cardiovascular diseases. A number of hypotheses have been put forward to explain these associations, including common susceptibility, systemic inflammation, direct infection of the blood vessels, and cross-reactivity or molecular mimicry between bacterial and self-antigens. In terms of common susceptibility, a person who is susceptible to progressive periodontal disease is also susceptible to atherosclerosis, but the periodontal disease does not cause the atherosclerosis. –INSIDE DENTISTRY VOL. 2 (SPECIAL ISSUE 1)—INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS STATEMENT—GREGORY J. SEYMOUR

Reduce Bad Bacteria, Decrease Chance of Gum Disease.

Stop feeding these vermin with sugars! It’s a vicious cycle–you eat sweets, the bad bacteria thrives in your mouth and intestines, they get hungry, you get sugar cravings because now you’re the host for a kind of parasite. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, sugar is the debbil’s food! For alternatives to the sweet stuff, take a read of “The Science of Sweeteners.”

Second, take a probiotic. “Good” bacteria growth crowds out the bad ones, and they begin to starve and die.

Some things that I always keep in my medicine cabinet are:

A good multi vitamin – Not any multi vitamin can be considered a good one. The body tends to eliminate 70% of the vitamins that are in one supplement. So, if your multi-vitamin boasts that is has 100% of the recommended allowance of a vitamin or mineral, your body will discard 70% and leave you with 30%. Look for vitamins that have a higher percentage of the USDA recommended allowance. You can find some of these at places like GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe and others for as low as $9.99 for a 90 day supply.

Vitamins A and K – I take these two in conjunction with one another to help reduce under eye puffiness and dark circles. If you read the labels on those expensive eye creams, somewhere among the chemicals, you will see that they use vitamin K and “retin a”, or in other words, vitamin A. What your skin needs are the vitamins, not the chemicals.

Cinnamon supplements – Cinnamon can do much more for us than making that favorite dessert the first to leave a holiday table. In fact, some studies have indicated that ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol. Cinnamon has also shown an uncanny ability to help stop medication-resistant yeast infections and according to a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, reduce the spreading of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells. If those are not enough reasons to consider adding more cinnamon to your diet, cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar. Regulating blood sugar is essential to weight loss and healthy living among people with type 1 and 2 diabetes.

Garlic supplements – I tend to use the odorless garlic supplements, there is nothing good about having garlic breath all day and goodness knows, garlic breath can be damaging to one’s social life. Garlic has been found to help shorten certain infections such as the common cold and to help clear us some respiratory infections and lung congestion. Garlic (like cinnamon) also helps to regular blood sugar and may prevent unhealthy blood clotting, which is great news for people with heart conditions.

Apple cider vinegar – Drinking, yes, I said drinking, about a tablespoon on apple cider vinegar (commonly referred to as “ACV”) in an 8 ounce glass of water, once or twice a day, can help to prevent brittle teeth, hair loss and runny noses. Also, ACV can help regulate blood pressure and is considered to be anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. ACV also provides the body with acetic acid that may slow the digestion of starch and lower the spike in glucose that commonly happens after meals. If you just can’t manage to drink the ACV with water, try adding some honey and lemon. If it’s still a “no go” they do make ACV in pill form.

If one is trying to lose or maintain their weight, it is important to regulate the glucose levels in the blood; it’s when the glucose levels are all over the place that those annoying cravings occur.

I am, by no means, suggesting that anyone stop taking medications as prescribed by their doctor but I am saying that the use of certain supplements could reduce the amount of prescribed medication that is needed and even possibly, a discontinuance. Supplements, like anything else, may have their own side effects, as everyone’s body is different. It is my suggestion that one researches their supplements and speaks to their doctor before adding anything to your daily regimen.

I will tell you some other time, what ELSE is in my medicine cabinet. Eat well and be well.