All news
Stop Smoking Ideas... Soy in Total Balance... Cholesterol and acid reflux...
8/10/2004 12:00:00 AM
Please click on the question of interest:
Question: From Diana. (Subject: Stop Smoking Ideas...)q1
Greetings Nicolien, I know Warren is a very busy young man but I wondered if he would possibly know a formula for quit smoking. My friend has tried virtually everything on the market and has had side effects, some were mild, and others were severe to the extent of almost having heart failure. Needless to say she is still smoking those cigarettes. Hope Warren can help. Best regards Diana in Australia.
P.S. this is the best winter I've had since 1998. I don't have any more snivelling cold or flu virus problems. I do catch a few but they don't knock me around like they used to. In fact, they last 24hours or less.
Answer: From Nicolien.
I am sure that Warren will be flattered to hear you call him a 'young man'. I passed on your thanks for which he was grateful. I have prepared a protocol below which may be useful for helping your friend give up her smoking. Please let me know how she gets on:
Stop-smoking-programme:
- Taking bicarbonate soda or Eno (1/4 to 1 teaspoon one hour before meals during the initial phase of the withdrawal from cigarettes will reduce the rate of nicotine excretion from the body and hence reduce withdrawal symptoms.
- Cut down coffee, alcohol and sugar: these make you crave for a cigarette.
- Have healthy snacks to chew on instead of having a cigarette: celery sticks, nuts, seeds, apple/fruits.
Stop smoking herbal tea:
Lemon grass - 3 parts
Dandelion root - 3 parts
Raspberry leaf - 2 parts
Red clover - 2 parts
Alfalfa - 2 parts
Peppermint - 2 parts
Mullein leaf - 2 parts
Valerian root - 1 part
Catnip - 1 part
Simmer dandelion and valerian in water for about 15 min., then pour into a pot containing the other herbs and steep for 15 minutes. Use about 1 teaspoon of root and 1 tablespoon of leaves and flowers per cup. Drink one cup several times daily or as needed for cravings.
There are homeopathic oral sprays or drops on the market that may assist in controlling the desire to smoke without too much strain. They help reduce the desire for tobacco and reduce the stress of giving up.
Specific vitamins and nutrients are helpful in stopping to smoke, such as B-vitamins, magnesium, selenium, L-taurine, L-tyrosine, 5-HTP, and glutamine, as well as stress relieving herbs such as chamomile, passion flower, gingko, Rhodiola, and bacopa and Siberian ginseng.
Glutamine is helpful to stay off the cigarettes or any other cravings, immune suppression, irritability, nervous tension, poor concentration, stress and mild anxiety. Glutamine is an amino acid, essential when the body is under stress of infection or chemical assault. It plays a role in neurotransmission where it reduces anxiety and irritability and improves concentration. It may reduce cravings for alcohol, cigarettes, etc.
Most of these nutrients are present in our Xtend-Life Neurological Formula. This formula assists in stress relief and strengthens the nervous system. It also contains various herbs that support the detoxification function of the liver, such as dandelion root, silymarin and schisandra. This is necessary to help the body get rid of the toxic load the smoking has caused. (See also the paragraph below about the toxins present in cigarettes.)
Our Total Balance (TB) (as well as the omega 3/DHA fish oil) will also be beneficial to assist the body to balance the immune system, help detoxification and TB contains vitamin and minerals that are helpful in stress, such as the B-vitamins, selenium, L-taurine, L-tyrosine and gingko.
Lifestyle suggestions to assist to quit smoking:
- List all the reasons you want to stop smoking and review them daily.
- Set a specific day to quit and tell at least 10 friends that you are going to quit and then do it.
- Throw away all cigarettes, butts and ashtrays.
- Use substitutes: instead of smoking chew on raw vegetables, fruits or gum.
- Take one day at a time.
- Visualize yourself as non-smoker with more available money, pleasant breath, unstained teeth, and the satisfaction that comes from being in control of your life.
- When you need to relax, perform deep breathing exercises rather than reaching for a cigarette.
- Avoid situations that you associate with smoking.
- Each day, reward yourself in a positive way. Buy yourself something with the money you've saved or plan a special reward as a celebration for quitting.
- Drink plenty of fluid - water, herbal tea - avoid the fizzy drinks and wean off having sugar in tea or coffee.
Notes on smoking:
Cigarettes are not just made of nicotine - they contain many toxic substances including carbon monoxide, cadmium, lead, arsenic, cyanide, nickel, DDT and radioactive substances such as polonium. Smoking blocks Vitamin C absorption by about 30-40%. Vitamin C is one of our first line defences against infection.
Smoking decreases the action of the fine hairs lining the bronchi of the lungs, causes drying, thinning, and inflammation of the bronchial tubes and increases incidence of respiratory infection. Smoke also decreases phagocyte activity by diminishing macrophage function (i.e. ability of white blood cells to deal with infection).
Some symptoms associated with smoking: wrinkly skin, heartburn, hoarseness, cough, memory loss, anxiety, fatigue, low sexuality, leg pains, nutritional deficiencies, stains on teeth and fingers, increased caffeine and alcohol use, fires, wasted money, waste.
Some diseases associated with smoking: atherosclerosis, hypertension, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Acute bronchitis, Lung cancer, Tongue cancer, Mouth cancer, Laryngeal cancer, Bladder cancer, Esophageal cancer, Rhinitis, Allergies, Burns, Varicose veins, Periodontal disease, Impotence.
back to top
Question: From Melissa. (Subject: Soy in Total Balance...)q2
I am allergic to soy and see that your women's Total Balance has soy as an ingredient. Do you know if it might cause me problems? I get headaches when I have soy. Also, could you tell me if there is any yeast, wheat or dairy in these supplements?
Answer: From Nicolien.
The isoflavones we use in Total Balance have been isolated from soy but we don't use whole soy extract. The isoflavones are very unlikely to give you a similar allergic reaction.
We don't use wheat, yeast or dairy in our products, but the Coral Calcium with Phytonutrients does contain wheatgrass. If you have a wheat allergy, I would advise you not to use the Coral Calcium but all our other products would be safe for you.
back to top
Question: From Rosemary. (Subject: Cholesterol and acid reflux...)q3
What is the best regime of supplements that I can take to reduce my cholesterol and get rid of my acid reflux?
Answer: From Nicolien.
For your acid reflux I would suggest taking slippery elm powder. This should be available through a health shop. Preferably in powder form. Take 1 heaped teaspoon at least twice a day, up to 4x daily in half a glass of water. Stir well to get rid of lumps. Slippery elm powder is very beneficial for the mucous membranes of the digestive tract as it is soothes and anti-inflammatory. (It can also help in problems of the respiratory and urinary tract.)
To reduce your cholesterol levels I would recommend our new generation cholesterol lowering formula. This all natural formula is a world first in that it contains potent natural cholesterol lowering substances such as policosanol, phytosterols, guggulipid, and theaflavins etc. What sets this product apart is the delivery system. We have perfected the means of suspending these substances in a blend of rice bran oil, D-Limonene oil, pumpkin seed oil and Lecithin oil.
Each of the substances within the formula act in a slightly different way to naturally lower cholesterol with no side effects. Although we are shipping out this product now we won't have completed putting up all the info on the website until the end of this week. However, you can check out the ingredient info by clicking here.
You need to scroll down to the IMPORTANT notice to read the info. This product will also help clean the arteries from plaque.
back to top