Just below your Adam’s apple sits the butterfly-shaped thyroid gland. The thyroid secretes two hormones - and these hormones have everything to do with your metabolism (the conversion of nutrients into energy); body temperature; heart rate and blood pressure; bowel function; skin, hair, and nail growth; cholesterol levels; and numerous other functions.

An underactive thyroid fails to produce enough of the hormones it is supposed to produce. This condition is called hypothyroidism (it affects women more than men). An overactive thyroid produces too many hormones - this condition is called hyperthyroidism. Since an underactive thyroid is the most prevalent, we will limit this discussion to hypothyroidism.

There are several causes of hypothyroidism - but whatever the cause, the end result is the same: A slow metabolism which affects every single cell in your body. This leads to weight gain as well as feeling tired all of the time. Constant fatigue also affects your brain, leaving it too tired to motivate your body into action. To other people, you may appear lazy. Is it any wonder that hypothyroidism often leads to depression?

Besides weight gain, fatigue, and depression - there are other symptoms of hypothyroidism. Poor digestion, constipation, feeling cold while those around you are warm (a particularly miserable symptom if you’re going through menopause and having hot flashes too), aching muscles and joints, dry skin and brittle nails, thinning hair, irregular menstrual cycles, high cholesterol, and recurring infections are all potential symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Four common reasons for hypothyroidism are (1) not enough of the mineral selenium, (2) a damaged thyroid gland, (3) miscommunication between the brain and the thyroid about hormone production, and (4) not enough of the mineral iodine.

Let’s take a look at each dysfunction.

(1) The thyroid produces two hormones: T3 (which contains 3 iodine molecules) and T4 (which contains 4 iodine molecules). T3 is more active and about four times more potent than T4, and on an as-needed basis the body converts T4 to T3. Since roughly 80% of your thyroid hormones are T4 and 20% are T3, there is plenty of T4 hanging around to be converted to T3.

Conversion takes place mostly in the thyroid gland and liver, and conversion requires a special enzyme to remove one iodine from T4 to make it into T3. That enzyme can only do its job when the mineral - selenium - is available to ‘activate’ the enzyme. Too little selenium, and the conversion of T4 to T3 is sluggish, slowing down your metabolism.

(2) Sometimes the body attacks its own thyroid gland through a (still) mysterious autoimmune disease mechanism. This apparently happens when the immune system creates an antibody against something else, but the antibody ‘cross-reacts’ and attacks the thyroid gland.

Researchers think food allergies could be involved in producing this antibody; or, during pregnancy, cells from the fetus could be seen as foreign to the body, thus producing the antibody (helping to explain why hypothyroidism is mostly found in women).

(3) The thyroid gland is controlled by the pituitary gland - a peanut-sized gland located just under the brain. The pituitary gland is controlled by the hypothalamus - a part of the brain.

Here’s how it works: When the brain detects low levels of T3 and T4 in the blood, it sends a hormone (TRH) to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland then sends a hormone (TSH) to the thyroid that relates this message: Make more T3 and T4.

Any disease state involving the brain or pituitary gland could lead to a miscommunication with the thyroid about hormone levels. Most often, it is the pituitary gland that has a problem.

(4) A low iodine supply causes a problem for the thyroid in producing the (3-iodine) T3 hormone and (4-iodine) T4 hormone. This is not ‘much’ of a problem in the U.S. anymore because we use iodized salt. However, if you have all but given up salt (usually to control high blood pressure), you may be low in iodine.

T3, T4, antibodies that attack the thyroid, TRH, TSH, and iodine can all be measured with lab tests to determine if you have hypothyroidism. These tests are reasonably accurate, but sometimes miss low or moderately-low hypothyroid conditions.

If you have any of the symptoms listed above for hypothyroidism, get the lab tests done.

In Part 2, I’ll say a bit more about thyroid tests and share some tips for supporting your thyroid function.

Visit 1healthyboomer.com 1healthyboomer.com - where “incompletely healthy” baby boomers learn to get healthy and stay healthy.

Tags: allergies, cholesterol, Hair, Heart, menopause, mineral

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There’s more to healthy hair than putting products on your head; you also have to watch what you put in your mouth. You need a nutritious diet so that your body can create healthy cells and tissue—exactly the stuff that hair is made of. Poor nutrition, erratic meals, even crash diets can all lead to thinning, dullness, and dryness.

First of all, you need to have the right amounts of proteins. Proteins build cells, and they also contain amino acids that are particularly crucial to hair growth. These include cystine, cysteine, methionine, arginine and lysine. These can be found in meats, fish, poultry dairy and eggs. If you are vegetarian, you can also get it from soy, nuts, grains and seeds (although you may need a protein supplement). Dieticians believe that at least 15% of your calories must come from food that is rich in protein.

Many of today’s low-carb diets may lead to steady weight loss, but it may come at the price of the health of your hair. Carbs help in the growth of body tissues, and they are also the body’s primary source of B vitamins, which your body needs. That’s why it’s not recommended to stay on carb-free diets for long periods of time; even South Beach recommends that the First Phase be limited to three weeks. Instead, opt for smart carbs, meaning you cut out sugars and white flour, and get healthy carbs from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, brown rice and potatoes.

Too much fat is bad for you, but you need a little fat in your diet to stay healthy—and to keep your hair healthy, too. To avoid health risks associated with a fat-heavy diet, get it from lean meat that is grilled or braised rather than fried. Needless to say, eating that hamburger is not a healthy option.

Why does diet play such a role in healthy hair? For one thing, your body will need the right amounts of vitamins and minerals to be able to create strong cells. People who go on crash diets will often report hair loss. Strands may be brittle and easily damaged, and will look dull despite all efforts to condition and style. This means your body is unable to replace cell properly, or that the cells it manufactures is unable to withstand the damage it takes from daily environmental abuse: brushing, hair drying, or even the UV rays in the sun. It’s the same principle why skipping meals can cause your face to look blotchy and pale. If it can affect the color in your cheeks, it will also affect whether your hair is thick and shiny, or limp and lifeless.

Crash dieting can also affect the body’s chemical balance. Many people will go through natural hair loss cycles, such as during pregnancy or right after childbirth, as the body adjusts to shifts in hormones. A lack of nutrition can set off a hormonal nightmare, sending wrong signals to the hair glands like a fuse gone wrong. Severe stress can also do this.

Thus, for healthy hair, you need to invest in good hair care products and a good lifestyle. Eat right, and find ways to relax after a long day at work to minimize the effects of stress. Of course, a good shampoo never hurt.

philipnicosia.com Philip Nicosia is the webmaster of resources.eu.com Resources.eu.com an online resource centre covering many topics including resources.eu.com/health_and_fitness/hair_care.html hair care.

Tags: diet, Hair, hair loss, mineral, weight Loss

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The Best Multivitamin

With thousands of products proliferating the market all claiming to be the best multivitamin, the process of choosing a multivitamin can seem downright daunting.
It’s only natural that every manufacturer will espouse the highest value for their own product, leading to confusion amongst consumers who just want the best multivitamin for their health.

So, let’s weigh the evidence.

It’s important to realize, first and foremost, that what may be the best womens multivitamin will differ from what is the best for men.

This is because men and women have different biological make-ups and needs.

Multivitamin Reviews

Choosing a Multivitamin

The Best MultiVitamin….

Let us first discuss the quality of the ingredients that make up a multivitamin.

Most multivitamins that claim to be the best, use cheap ingredients, fillers, and additives. The reason is simple, the cheaper the ingredients, the lesser the cost for them to produce, and the higher their profit margin.

To give an example, a trail was conducted to result the benefits of beta carotene. While natural beta carotene, which is very costly, eliminated tumors, the synthetic version of beta carotene had no effect whatsoever.

Almost all multivitamin products claiming to be the best, bought from a store, use cheap and synthetic ingredients. Therefore, when choosing a multivitamin, you need to also consider the issue of manufacturing. Most people do not understand the importance of severe manufacturing.

Both private and government bodies have shown that there is only a 20% chance that consumers have in buying a product that is not contaminated with toxins or one that actually has the ingredients stated to the label. The best multivitamin should improve your health, not possibly worsen it!

So, here is how can you ensure you’re getting a product that is manufactured to the best industry standards. Always invest your money in a product only from pharmaceutical GMP compliant manufacturers. The pharmaceutical GMP complaint facilities adhere to the highest standards of manufacturing for dietary supplements. Therefore it is necessary that you invest your money in such graded supplements. This is very crucial, because the U.S. supplement industry is unregulated.

Vitamins and supplements are not currently required to follow pharmaceutical GMP compliance and most manufacturers do not, because the tight regulations increase their operating costs.

The Importance of Nutrients in Choosing a Multivitamin

Now, consider the other nutrients. The fact is that the best multivitamin product in the market absolutely cannot have only vitamins in it. Have you ever thought of the reason behind this? It is because many vitamins and nutrients work hand-in-hand.

In simple words, this means that vitamins can work if other nutrients are also present. Consider the mineral, Calcium. It needs vitamin D in order to be absorbed. Hence it is a better idea to use a supplement product that has a combination of the two.

Additionally, many enzymes and herbs can enhance the worth of vitamins significantly. So, it is best if a multivitamin actually contains an absolutely methodically formulated balance of minerals, herbal extracts, enzymes, and other nutrients, in addition to vitamins.

It is also very important to know that common vitamins are very weak antioxidants, though are necessary. Comparatively, the nutrients are powerful antioxidants and you’ll not find them in a multivitamin product.

Just as an example, a nutrient known as alpha lipioc acid is literally 400 times more powerful, as an antioxidant, than Vitamin C. But you will not be able to find this in any regular multivitamin product.

Another example is the DMAE, a crucial nutrient for healthy brain function, and which has been shown to be depleted in those with Alzheimer’s, which is not found in the regular multivitamin products.

Another is the NADH, which allows the body to create more energy, or potent immune system enhancers like Beta Glucan and again not found in the regular multivitamin product.

Choosing a Multivitamin…the Best Multivitamin

In addition to all the above, it is also a fact that women and men have different nutrient needs. For example, certain herbal extracts such as Black Cohosh and Wild Yam can help balance female hormones. Men, on the other hand, need some nutrients that are less important for women, such as beta sitosterol and lycopene, for prostate health.

So, this point should also be considered when choosing any supplement product.

The product we personally use called Total Balance - health-product-we-use.com health-product-we-use.com is the most natural and effective supplement we have come across. We have been using this product for over 3 years with excellent health results.

We highly recommend you learn more about our

Tags: antioxidant, diet, mineral, vitamin c

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Dear fellow health seeker,

It is 2:20 PM on Friday afternoon as I write this to you. The reason for me writing is that I want to inform you on the next big money making market. And that is alternative medicine. It is currently a 500 billion dollar market right expected to rise into the trillions. One thing I noticed about all these vitamin and supplement stores is that they where not dealing directly with the customer. Many of us take supplements, but how do we know we really need a specific vitamin or mineral, or detox? Just like you wouldn’t take a prescription medication to lower your cholesterol, if your cholesterol is at the normal range. Although there are many key factors to helping reverse aging, the key is by far your diet.

As I asked myself this question I decided to start my own supplement and vitamin e-store. With a big difference, I would test the patient before starting on any supplement program.

The response rate was amazing. Not only did this bring more customers to me, but more importantly they were seeing where astounding results. Our hgh 21 seems to be a popular pick for our customers, who are seeing results of 9 percent body fat loss and weight loss of 14 percent in 3 months.
I would love to send you a “FREE” report with the 7 secrets to reversing aging. If you are interested please email me your contact info to sam@nutripakdirect.com

www.nutripakdirect.com

All the best,

Sam Lozano www.nutripakdirect.com

Tags: cholesterol, diet, mineral, weight Loss

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