Can I Eat Carbs?
Despite the common misconception that starchy carbohydrates promote weight gain, carbohydrates are – gram for gram – lower in calories than either protein or fat.
In fact, most of the body’s energy comes from starches; however, those carbohydrates known as refined are linked to health disorders and the risk of diabetes. Examples of refined carbohydrates include white bread, white rice, white pasta and peeled potatoes.
Always opt for unrefined or whole-grain or brown rice, grains and pasta and potatoes in their skins, for excellent sources of energy, nutrition and fiber.
Could Potential Help a Successful Child Too?
Kids Potential is a chewable wafer that brings a welcome difference in quality, nutritional value and purpose to the kids vitamin market. No, it is not a gummy candy masquerading as something good for your child. Kids Potential offers well-rounded nutrition from full spectrum vitamins, natural vitamin E (not synthetic) and the natural antioxidant power from deep-colored fruit & berry concentrates especially produced for this children’s vitamin. Potential contains no sugar, artificial colors, artificial flavors or preservatives.
Potential is the only chewable kids vitamin dispensed by a school district to thousands of children now for 7 years that is supported by real results. PBS filmed a documentary called “How to Turn Around a Failing School” and FOX News filmed a news segment following up to its years of success in the public school system. Potential has made a meaningful difference in the lives of at-risk children.
But can Potential help an already successful child?
We just received a link to the Mamawize blog in which an educator/parent discusses how Potential has benefited her academically successful son. Have a read and let us know what you think:
To watch the short FOX News segment, click on the play arrow in the black box from this link: Potential.
Healthy Immune Response
If your family is like mine, you’re probably receiving messages from school and various authorities on how and what to do this flu season. I like to be proactive and so I would like to share some tips on how to support your family’s immune health.
Don’t Stress
Stress adversely impacts the immune system. So try to stay balanced, exercise, eat a diet that includes whole grains, lean meat, unprocessed carbohydrates and fresh fruits & vegetables. Try to stay focused on the big picture. I know that is easier said than done, but now that you’ve been reminded, work at it.
Stress Induces Immune Dysfunction
Nat Rev Immunol. 2005 Mar;5(3):243-51. Stress-induced immune dysfunction: implications for health. Glaser R, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology & Medical Genetics, College of Medicine & Public Health and Institute for Behavioral Medical Research, Ohio State University, USA.
Folk wisdom has long suggested that stressful events take a toll on health. The field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is now providing key mechanistic evidence about the ways in which stressors–and the negative emotions that they generate–can be translated into physiological changes and how the immune system communicates bidirectionally with the central nervous and endocrine systems, impacting health.
Stay Positive
While stress impacts immune health, so do negative thoughts. Just visualize that every negative thought is a like a hammer & chisel chipping away at your immune and mental health. The average person has over 60,000 thoughts a day, many of which majority of which are negative. While conscious attempts to reverse this trend are beneficial, I like to recommend a natural product that supports positive, proactive mood, attitude. InSight Natural combines cocoa flavonoids with important B-vitamins and cofactors that are naturally supportive of a more positive state of mind.
Clinical and professional experience has demonstrated InSight Natural’s beneficial impact on mood repeatedly. In fact InSight’s “Winning State of Mind” description was coined by an endurance athlete who uses InSight Natural to train for competition to avoid “hitting the wall” – which is a mental state in training when a person’s mind leads them to believe that they can’t go on.
Research suggests that Cocoa Flavonoids impact brain function/circulation with the result being a calmer, more relaxed state of mind and positive attitude. We hear this from patients, physicians and athletes all the time.
De-Stress
If you want the “attitude adjustment” of InSight Natural but need more intensive stress management support, try InSight HT. InSight HT contains 3 additional ingredients that really help your body’s stress management skills. To learn more about InSight HT, click here: http://www.advantig.net/products/insight-ht.
Wash Smarter Not Harder
The best defense against germs is simply to wash thoroughly with good old fashioned soap and water. The research on antibacterial vs. regular soap is still not definitive. In fact, some research shows that people are sensitive to some of the chemicals found in antibacterial soap. So just remember that the best way to rid your skin of bacteria is exfoliation. Lather up, rub hard and sing “Happy Birthday” – which takes about the 10 seconds – the time you need to make sure your hands are clean.
I suggest patients avoid soaps containing drying chemicals and harsh perfumes that can make your skin dry, rough and irritated with more frequent washing. Look for emollients like coconut and olive oil, glycerin, aloe leaf extract, natural vitamin E and shea butter which help nourish the skin with regular washing. Avoid irritating detergents in common soap like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Some liquid soaps contain formaldehyde-releasing preservatives like Soft Soap, Gerber Baby Wash with Lavender, Irish Spring Body Wash (Icy Blast & Aloe) Palmolive Aroma Therapy Liquid Handsoap & more. For a more complete list, go to click on the HHS List here or below: http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/htmlgen?page=advancedsearch&option=health.
Be sure to remember that dyes, parabins & fragrances can also be irritants.
Try: If you’re lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s in your community, look for their “French Liquid Soap with Orange Blossom Honey & Vitamin E” which offers great natural ingredients at a reasonable price.
Dept. of HHS List
To search the US Dept. of Heatlh & Human Services database, click on the link below, chose “Personal Care Products” and try typing “Irritants”: http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/htmlgen?page=advancedsearch&option=health
Support a Healthy Immune Response
I designed On-Guard for my family. It is my personal product and I rely on it at the first sign of immune stress. On-Guard contains evidence-based ingredients with published, scientific references on their benefits for supporting a healthy immune response. Doctors have relied On-Guard clinically for over a decade to help keep their patients in optimal immune health during the toughest challenges.
On-Guard replaces over 11 classes of immune support products which can be categorized as follows:
- Stabilized Allicin
- Transfer Factors
- Colostrum/Immunoglobulin/Lactoferrin
- Nutraceutical Mushroom Extracts
- Larch Arabinogalactan & Other Important Polysaccharides
- Andrographolide
- Oregano Oil
- Astragalus, Rhodiola & related Botanicals
- Olive Leaf Extract (specifically Hydroxytyrosol)
- High Molecular Weight Aloe Vera Fractions
- Isatis, Withanolides, Curcuminoids, Forsythia & more
Stabilized Allicin: Stabilized Allicin represents a technological breakthrough in the delivery of garlic’s broad spectrum activity. Allicin is what you momentarily smell when a garlic clove is crushed. Allicin is also one of the most important health constituents in garlic. Up until now, preserving Allicin has been impossible. A new patented process makes it possible to stabilize Allicin. On-Guard contains certified, stabilized, pure Allicin.
If you would like more technical information on the science behind On-Guard, leave a comment or a question.
All About Kids Potential
Why Kids Potential Was Developed
Seven years ago Dr. Jerry Schlesser was approached by experts in criminology and education, seeking his expertise in formulating evidence-based nutritional supplements to address specific health concerns. When Dr. Schlesser graduated from medical school with his degree in Naturopathic Medicine and Chiropractic, he quickly realized that there were no natural or nutritional clinical products available to treat his patients. His quest to formulate and produce natural, nutritional supplements to fill a clinical need led to his creation of NF Formulas, the oldest supplement company to serve medical practitioners. Advantig supplements are based on over 30 years of nutritional expertise.
These criminology/education experts wanted to pursue an untested and novel approach to education reform that focused on the child’s needs, but more specifically on the child’s nutritional needs. They asked Dr. Schlesser to design a clinical, dietary supplement for academic performance and social behavior to address rampant problems at Anthony Elementary that many other schools face today.
The Challenge
Anthony Elementary School was selected as the “study school” because this Pre-K to 5th grade school of approximately 335 students scored at the bottom of the district on standardized Math & English tests, perennially. Anthony was on the verge of closure for poor academic performance and exceptionally high rates of violence and antisocial behavior. Adults in this elementary school called police to manage out of control students an average of once a week. Anthony’s violence statistics were a frightening 6+ times the state average at 9.3% vs. 1.45% for the state. When educators tried to teach, young children would throw chairs or take a swing at a teacher. These were kids who never experienced academic success.
The Program
Educators designed the Eat Exercise Excel Program which included:
- Structured Activity During Recess
- Increased PE Time
- Lunch in Classroom with Teacher
- Nutrition Education
- Kids Potential Multi-Vitamin Supplement – dispensed to kids at Breakfast & Lunch
The Results
Reduction in Anti-Social Behavior
- 95% Reduction in Referrals for anti-social behavior
- 80% Reduction in Out of School suspensions
- 97% Reduction in Suspension for Violence
- Teachers report less difficulty managing classroom
Improvement in Academic Performance
- Rose to #1 in school district in Math, meeting benchmark for 10 years in advance
- Rose to #2 in school district for English, meeting benchmark for 10 years in advance
Additional Benefits
- 80% Reduction in teacher attrition
- Reduced absenteeism for teachers & students
- Volunteers & community partnerships increased
- Parent-Teacher Organization reactivated for the 1st time in 10 years
- 13 fold improvement in physical fitness (40 kids met Presidential Physical Fitness standards vs. 3 in previous year)
- School changed from chaotic & out of control to a quiet learning environment
- Attendance at Parent-Teacher conferences increased from 69% to 85%
- Awarded Recognition for Becoming a Top School by the Confidence in Education Task Force
- Moved from the Bottom to the Top 6% of Schools in the District
- Featured in a PBS Documentary as a Model For School Turnaround
Results were so amazing that PBS filmed a documentary on the program called “How to Turn Around a Failing School.” This 28 minute documentary can be viewed here: http://www.advantig.net/products/potential.
FOX News followed up on the program’s success two years later and reported that the results were profound and lasting. The 6 minute segment can be viewed here: http://www.advantig.net/products/potential.
Year 2 – School Lost All Funding for Eat, Exercise, Excel
So What Happened?
Because we believe that kids should be rewarded for their success, Advantig Health & Sport continued to provide Kids Potential to schools at no charge while the district sought financial support for the program.
Kids Potential became the only remaining component of the Eat, Exercise, Excel program.
How Did Kids Do with Potential by Itself?
Kids continued to excel, behavior stayed in control and the school district decided to offer Potential to every school child in the city. School principals are convinced that a well-designed phytonutrient multi-vitamin that delivers 100% of the US RDA for Vitamins and Minerals is the key component to kids’ academic and social success.
It’s Just the Vitamins, Right?
If simply providing 100% of the US RDA were the key, then a bowl of Total breakfast cereal or any number of fortified breakfast cereals would be enough to ensure academic success. But kids were already eating these breakfast cereals and it wasn’t enough.
No, it’s Just the Right Vitamins
Kids Potential is based on over 30 years of nutritional research, clinical experience and understanding of human biochemistry. Potential relies heavily on specially-processed, high antioxidant fruit concentrates that the brain needs for antioxidant support for optimal function. Potential contains NO artificial colors or artificial flavors which have finally been confirmed to negatively impact brain function in a landmark study published the British Medical Journal, The Lancet in November 2007 (“Food Additives & Hyperactive Behavior in 3 Year Old and 8/9 Year Old Children in the Community: a Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo Controlled Trial.”) Potential is a synergistic combination of full spectrum vitamins, minerals and special antioxidants found in balanced, nutritious whole foods. Moms everywhere say “you are what you eat” – now 7 years of objective test scores and behavioral statistics finally confirm what Mom told us long ago.
Mind & Body
It’s not all about test scores. Education is much more than learning how to pass a test. For us, it is about providing the right nutritional environment in which a child’s mind and body can function at optimal efficiency to flourish. When this happens you get kids who perform better under academic stress and whose rational thought process helps them to consider the consequences of impulsive behavior. Seven years of research has confirmed this theory.
Why Kids Potential is Better for Kids
Kids Potential
Potential is based on National Academy of Sciences & Institutes of Medicine Guidelines and US Department of Agriculture studies that show the benefits of High ORAC* Antioxidants. (ORAC = Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity means how well a food functions as an antioxidant)
Beneficial Antioxidants from High ORAC Fruit Concentrates
Not only do fruit & berry concentrates provide delicious natural flavor and color, they provide essential antioxidant supplementation from natural, whole food sources. High ORAC antioxidants from fruits and berries have been shown to be beneficial for healthy brain and nerve function and behavior. Potential contains a proprietary blend of fruit & berry extracts from wild bilberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, elderberry, raspberry, rose hips, orange, strawberry and red concord grapeskin which are NOT found in commercially available, mass market multi-vitamins for kids.
Neuro Biol Aging, August 28, 2007: 8:1187-94, Beneficial Effects of Fruit Extracts on Neuronal Function & Behavior in Rodent Model of Accelerated Aging. Shukitt-Hale, B., Carey, AN., Jenkins, D., Rabin, BM., Joseph, JA. USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Tufts University, Boston, MA.
Full Spectrum Vitamins/Minerals, Active & Natural Forms = Complete Supplementation
Potential contains multi-source forms of ingredients to ensure full spectrum nutrition. For example, mass market kids vitamins may contain beta carotene, but not all the other carotenoids. In a perfect world with balanced diets, kids would consume full spectrum vitamin supplementation. Since we know that kids do not always eat a balanced diet, Potential provides full spectrum, supplemental nutrition from whole foods.
Minerals are generally not palatable and are difficult to absorb. Potential provides a broad range of multi-source minerals which are designed for palatability and provide a diversity of nutritional sources, similar to an omnivorous diet. Each chewable wafer provides a broad spectrum of minerals, including Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, Chromium and Molybdenum. Potential also provides Selenium, an important antioxidant for the brain not often found in mass market kids vitamins.
Potential contains the “Active Form” of key vitamins so that a child’s body doesn’t need to make a conversion. Genetic differences in the population make it difficult for some individuals to make these conversions. “Active Forms” do it for you. Even though the “Active Forms” are more expensive, we use them in Potential for the kids’ benefit.
Potential contains all natural Vitamin E with full spectrum mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols because they all play slightly different but important roles as antioxidants in the body. Because Potential relies on food source nutrients, the Vitamin E in Potential is the very same full spectrum Vitamin E that you would find in fresh, wholesome foods which is important because the bio potency of natural Vitamin E is twice that of synthetic Vitamin E.
Did you know that the body only uses the natural form of Vitamin E? There is really no definitive research to clarify what happens to the synthetic form of Vitamin E in the body. Synthetic Vitamin E (the L-form) is used in most commercial kids multi-vitamins, but NOT in Kids Potential.
What you Won’t Find in Kids Potential
Informed parents need to know what to look for, as well as what to avoid. Kids Potential does not contain any of these nutritionally unnecessary additives found in mass market children’s vitamins:
- Aspartame
- Sucrose (white sugar)
- Sorbitol
- Fructose (implicated in childhood obesity & dyslipidemia)
- Hydrogentated oil (trans fat)
- Butylated Hydroxytoluene (preservative)
- Wheat (FDA allergen)
- Soybeans (FDA allergen)
- Starch
- FD&C Blue #2 Lake
- FD&C Red #40 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Yellow #6 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Yellow #5
- Artificial Flavors
- Sodium Benzoate
- Synthetic Vitamin E
Nutritionally Unnecessary Additives in Common Mass Market Vitamins for Kids
Flinstones Complete
- Aspartame
- Sucrose (white sugar)
- Hydrogenated Oil (trans fat)
- Butylated Hydroxytoluene
- FD&C Blue #2 Lake
- FD&C Red #40 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Yellow #6 Aluminum Lake
- Artificial Flavors
Centrum Kids (Dora)
- Aspartame
- Sucrose (white sugar)
- Wheat (FDA allergen)
- Soybeans (FDA allergen)
- FD&C Blue 2 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Red 40 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Yellow 6 Aluminum Lake
- Artificial Flavors
- Sodium Benzoate (preservative)
One a Day Scooby Doo Multi-Vitamins
- Aspartame
- Sorbitol
- Starch
- FD&C Red 40 Lake
- FD&C Yellow 6 Lake
- FD&C Blue 2 Lake
- Artificial Flavors
Only 13% of Daily Value of Biotin (Kids Potential = 100%)
Only 15% of the Vitamin C in Kids Potential
Kids Potential=2 1/2 times the Magnesium in multiple forms
Disney Winnie the Pooh Complete
- Fructose (Implicated in childhood obesity & dyslipidemia)
- Blue 2 Lake
- Yellow 6 Lake
- Red 40 Lake
- Synthetic Vitamin E
- Artificial Flavors
Only 13% of Daily Value of Biotin (Kids Potential = 100%)
Only 15% of the Vitamin C in Kids Potential
Kids Potential=2 1/2 times the Magnesium in multiple forms
Rite Aid Multi-Vitamin + Iron
- Fructose (Implicated in childhood obesity & dyslipidemia)
- Hydrogenated Oil (trans fat)
- FD&C Yellow 5
- FD&C Blue 2
- FD&C Red 40
- Artificial Flavors
20% Less Iron than Kids Potential