… mushroom and nutritional extracts for their broad benefits. This research has solidified these products as part of my long-term supplement plan. Below I list the supplements that I feel would …

Although most cases are women, we also come across men and seniors who are prone towards infection of the urinary tract or prostate. For the purposes of this article we will discuss infections of the lower urinary tract which occur in the urethra and the bladder. It should be noted that UTIs can become a chronic problem for many women resulting in a nearly constant need for antibiotics to keep the bacteria in check. There are a number of subgroups of women who are prone towards developing UTIs, these include:

1. Pregnant women –  UTIs are considered the most common infection in pregnant women and can place the fetus at risk of complication. Infections in pregnancy must be treated immediately in order to prevent such complications.
2. Women in college – Frequent sexual activity is certainly linked to risk of UTIs and a number of studies have found college-age women are at increased risk.
3. Women with extenuating circumstances – Such situations as neurogenic bladder, post-menopausal women with diabetes, poor health, vaginal dryness or previous UTI.

Why do UTI Infections Occur?

Guess what, every woman has a urinary tract infection! No urinary tract is sterile and that is a good thing. In a healthy urinary tract, a number of bacterial species act as its defenders. When the healthy bacteria are killed off then the tract is left defenseless and other, less friendly bacteria, can grow unchecked and a UTI occurs. The most common cause of UTIs in otherwise healthy women is E. Coli, a common bacteria found in the intestines, which has long appendages that attach to the bladder and urethral wall. There are a number of factors that can set the stage for bacterial infection of the urinary tract:

1. Exposure to spermicide which can kill the normal flora of the urinary tract
2. Chronic low-grade dehydration
3. Previous antibiotic use
4. Chronic stress
5. Poorly functioning immune system
6. A swing in urinary pH

A step by step approach to preventing urinary tract infections:

1. Keep well hydrated. Your first defense from infection is a regular flow of urine. If you urinate on a regular basis, any bacteria that may be trying to colonize in the urinary tract may not have an opportunity to attach to the wall of the urethra or bladder. Keeping well hydrated will also prevent the pH of the urine from becoming hospitable to the unwanted bacteria.
2. Add cranberry concentrate to your water. If you like sipping on something with a little flavor, try adding Cranberry Concentrate from Genesis Today to your water. This is a highly concentrated cranberry juice that is high in plant compounds that prevent adhesion of E. Coli to the lining of the urinary tract.
3. Take a probiotic daily. Probiotics are encapsulated bacteria that help to colonize the intestinal system and urinary tract. One such probiotic formula appears to be especially beneficial for those who suffer with chronic urinary tract infections. This formula is called YC-7 by Sedona labs and is taken 2 capsules daily for the first week and then one capsule daily thereafter for 6 weeks. After this 6 week period we can switch to a more broad spectrum product called iFlora for maintenance which is taken 1 capsule daily.
4. In situations where UTIs seem to occur after sexual intercourse, I would recommend taking a product that we will discuss in the following section, this product is a sugar called D-mannose. The recommended dose to prevent intercourse-induced UTIs is 1 teaspoon of D-Mannose mixed in water and taken orally after intercourse. Take another teaspoon of D-mannose 4-6 hours later. This can help to prevent a UTI from occurring.

When you have a UTI…

If you are reading this article then you likely either have a UTI or you are prone towards UTIs. For those who have not had a UTI, common symptoms include:

1. Frequent urge to urinate
2. Pain or burning sensation on urination
3. Bladder pain (even when not urinating)
4. Difficulty urinating

It is important to note that if the pain reaches the lower back or you have fever, nausea or vomiting it could indicate that the infection has moved into the kidney which is a much more serious situation. It is also important to note that children usually do not present with the same symptoms as adults. Often children can present with irritability, fever, lack of appetite and incontinence.

At the first sign of symptoms, it is important to begin right away to get the infection kicked before it has an opportunity to take hold. Follow the instruction below:

1. Mannose – Mannose is the active sugar found in cranberry, now that this compound is available, cranberry has become nearly obsolete as it pertains to dealing with an existing infection. Cranberry is still of great value for people who are looking to prevent infection, however, if an infection exists then we recommend the mannose. Mannose works by preventing the E. Coli bacteria from being able to hold on to the bladder and urethra wall. It is not uncommon for people to see significant improvements within the first 24 hours of taking the D-mannose powder. Take 2 scoops for the first dose, then take 1 scoop every 3 hours. Often times the symptoms begin to subside within hours. It is recommended and this alone is all that people need to take care of the infection.
2. Berberine – This is a plant chemical called a plant alkaloid that is present in many plants such as goldenseal, barberry and Oregon grape. This compound appears to prevent the bacteria from forming those long appendages that permit them to hold to the urethral and bladder wall. Berberine also appears to inhibit the first stage of bacterial development and has shown activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria, including the E.Coli. I recommend the Berbercaps by Thorne research: 1 capsule three times daily.
3. Potassium/Magnesium Citrate – The citrate helps to alkalinize the urine which can enhance the effect of other natural products such as berberine and mannose. In one study, sodium citrate improved symptoms of a UTI in 80% of the women in the study. The citrate salts can also protect from Candida infection in the urinary tract. Take potassium/magnesium citrate 2 capsules two to three times daily for 7 days.

It is important to note that in many situations with UTI infection, D-mannose is usually sufficient to correct the issue. I have given two other options that can be used in situations when you do not have access to mannose or you want to take an aggressive stance against the infection.

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They found out that from 19.5% to 79.9% of the women in the survey used complementary therapy at least once following their diagnoses. Majority of those therapies were used on a daily basis. 73.9% of the women surveyed had low commitment to complementary therapies and those were more likely to be older and less educated compared to the women with a moderate-to-high commitment. The study clearly points to the popularity and need of adding complementary therapies to the medical therapy during breast cancer treatment.(Summary by Kasia Kines, MS, CN, CNS, LDN. Kasia is a licensed nutritionist at Your Prescription for Health. She can be reached atkasia@illnessisoptional.com)

Dr. Ray Hinish’s Comments:

In my opinion this study does not demonstrate popularity of complementary medicine, it just shows that people are scattered in their commitment to whatever therapy they are pursuing. Whenever we speak to people challenged with cancer, we always say to them that whatever therapy you choose you need to be 100% behind it. You need to believe entirely in the treatment or when the going gets tough it will be easy for you to bail emotionally and spiritually. This study says to me that people are not behind either treatment and it is this scattered devotion that causes people to fail the challenge. When it comes to cancer we do not suggest an alternative approach, we suggest a complementary approach. This is only the case if you truly understand natural medicine and agree in the healing properties of natural products. You better believe that there are benefits to natural products in complementing conventional chemotherapy and radiation. The science is there, you just need to decide to learn about it.

What You Will Learn in Cleansing 101:

1. Why Constipation Hurts Your Health
2. What Nature Wants As It Pertains To Bowel Movements
3. How To Stay Regular
4. How Much Fiber You Need And Which Fiber Supplement To Choose

Bowel movements are something that we are not really allowed to talk about in our society. It is something that many people are uncomfortable discussing other than in the confines of the doctor’s office or in very private settings. Somehow, it has become lost in us that this is a very normal, vital part of our body functioning properly, and should be as fully understood and open to discussion as our blood pressure or cholesterol. So, here is to making the topic of bowel movements and proper bowel function an acceptable part of any health care discussion.

Do you have a constipation problem? How do you define constipation? I have seen reports from doctors say that for some people it is perfectly normal, just their particular rhythm, to have one bowel movement every 3 days. In my opinion, this is not what nature wants. It is not normal, although it may be typical (but so are high blood pressure and diabetes), to have one bowel movement every 3 days.

This is what nature wants: FOOD IN, FOOD OUT. If you eat 2 to 3 meals a day then you should be having 2 to 3 bowel movements a day. Food in, food out, get it? Do you doubt me? Here’s an example: people who have dogs as pets usually feed their dogs twice a day and the dogs have 2 bowel movements a day. And if a dog went 3 days without having a bowel movement then the owner would have him to the veterinarian immediately. So why would we assume that we are any different from other animals in the animal kingdom?

So, now the issue is, what happens in our body when we are not as regular as we should be? Let’s assume that you eat 3 meals a day and have a bowel movement every other day, and let’s look at a week at a time. That is 21 meals and only 4 bowel movements. What happens to those other 17 meals? I’ll tell you, they hang around, they ferment, they turn into toxins, and those toxins reabsorb into your system. And those toxins can be responsible for all sorts of conditions, like: acne, bad breath, bloating, indigestion, brain fog, arthritis symptoms, diabetes, hormonal imbalances, cancer, etc.
What kinds of things are important to help keep you regular?
Diet & Fiber. The government recommendation for dietary fiber intake is 25 – 30 grams a day, which means you actually need more like 50 – 60 grams. Getting that from diet alone takes some dedication, including plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, grains & beans, with the emphasis on legumes, grains and beans (a banana has only 1 gram of fiber). There are many fiber supplements on the market,however, not all are good. There are three main guidelines for choosing a good fiber supplements:

1. Fiber should be full of nutrients – Many fiber products on the market are made od psyllium or some other nutrient poor fiber. Unfortunately, these fibers are constantly wanting to hold onto nutrition and thus can bind important vitamins and minerals. I recommend fiber supplements that contain ground seeds and vegetables such as flax seed, chia seeds,  rice bran, carrot, hemp seed, beet fibe, etc. One such fiber is called 4Fiber by Genesis Today. This formula is nutrient dense and thus mimics what nature intended.
2. Fiber supplements should contain a good blend of soluble and insoluble fiber.
3. Fiber should not contain harsh or abrasive irritants such as psyllium or senna.

Exercise. Getting exercise is one of the things that signals your bowels to keep moving along. My best recommendation is to walk, jog or run on a regular basis. And that means getting out and taking a walk for a minimum of 30 minutes at a healthy pace at least 3 times a week. And please don’t tell me that you get plenty of exercise at work. That is activity, not exercise. You need to walk just for the sake of walking, not walking from the parking garage to the office building.

Water Intake. One of the major reasons for irregularity is lack of fluids. And the best fluid to drink is water. It should be either filtered or bottled water, never from the tap. And here is a formula to figure out how much water you need. Take your body weight and multiply by 0.7. This is the number of ounces you need on a daily basis. So a 200 pound man needs 140 ounces, or 14 ten ounce glasses of water a day. A 140 pound woman needs about 100 ounces. This is much more than the 8 glasses a day that we have been told.

Probiotics. Probiotics are the bacteria in the gut which play very important roles in supporting immune function, vitamin and mineral absorption, fiber metabolism and control of negative organisms growth. Many things in our lifestyle impact these very important organisms such as stress, antibiotic use and chlorine in the water. There are many on the market, the formula that we use in our practice is called Enteropro and generally only requires one capsule daily for maintanence.

And what do you do about the accumulated toxins that have built up over the years? I recommend taking on an internal cleansing program consisting of herbs and fibers that will cleanse all of the organs of elimination in your body, including the lungs, kidney, liver, skin, and lymph. See the special below if you are interested in a powerful way to give your body a clean slate.

What You Will Learn In This Section:

1. The Foundation Program for Intermediate/Advanced Nutrition Programs
2. Learn About Coenzyme Q10
3. Learn About Our Choice Bone Mineral Formula
4. Learn About REAL Vitamin C

So you already know that you should be on a multi-vitamin, an omega-3 fatty acid and a digestive enzyme. So, what’s next? First, let me list the specific products that we suggest for the intermediate/advanced program:

Foundation Program for Intermediate/advanced:

1. Pure Encapsulations Nutrient 950 3 Capsules Twice Daily
2. Wholemega by New Chapter
3. Tyler Similase Digestive Enzyme

Now let me discuss some of the supplements that many people can benefit from. These products are generally considered optional add-ons to the above mentioned foundation program. I will provide a thorough description of each supplement.

1. CoQ10 - Coenzyme Q10 is called ubiquinone by scientists because it is so ubiquitous in the body being found in significant quantities in every living cell. The cells concentrate the coenzyme Q10 within the mitochondria in order to catalyze the production of energy through the burning of oxygen. CoQ10 is such an important cofactor that when levels are not optimal the cells begin to lose their function and disease settles in. At a 75% deficiency your body can no longer sustain life and you die. The organs that are most vital to our survival are usually the ones that are the first to suffer. This occurs because these organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys and immune system all require the most energy to function. Incidentally, you will find very high concentrations of CoQ10 in a gelcap for best absorption. Certain medications such as statin drugs and certain blood pressure medications decrease the body’s ability to produce CoQ10. If you are on these medications, you may require much higher doses in order to prevent a deficiency. Of these meds, the statins are the greatest culprit. You may require 300-400 mg to prevent disease. In recent months a new, advanced form of CoQ10 hit the market called ubiquinol . This form of CoQ10 absorbs better and may get into the mitochondria more readily where it can do its most good.
2. Progena Osteo Plus - This formula contains all of the minerals necessary to feed the bone building cells. By providing the right forms and doses of calcium, magnesium, boron, silica, and other trace minerals this formula will support healthy bones and joints. The sophisticated nutrition enthusiast understands that the bones require more than just calcium alone. In fact, the bones are equally dependant on minerals and proteins such as those minerals listed above. Progena has formulated a product that combines calcium and magnesium at nearly 1:1 which is optimal for our diet which is highly biased towards calcium.
3. Food Souced Vitamin C - Vitamin C is a very important nutrient in our body. At some point in our evolution, we had lost the ability to produce this vital nutrient as we became dependant on vitamin C in our diet. Vitamin C probably plays thousands of important roles in our bodies and thus tops the list of important nutrients. The vitamin C that works best in the body is not the ascorbic acid found in most health food supplements. In fact, the ascorbic acid is not vitamin C, rather it is the protective shell of the vitamin C molecule which is comprised of bioflavonoids, minerals and enzymes. To get the full benefit of true vitamin C, you will want to get your vitamin C from food sourced products such as a supplement called Pure Radiance C by the Synergy company.  This is a concentrateof various fruits and herbs that contain high levels of true whole food C.

There are a few simple rules to follow when choosing the foods that are permitted to enter your mouth. Remember, every year all of the molecules in your body have been replaced with entirely new molecules. Those molecules will be comprised of the molecules that you put in your mouth through your food. So, it would make good sense to fill your body with healthy, living enzymes and nutrients.

This section will introduce you to natural eating, it is not a full course on healthy eating but it should give you plenty of information to get you started.

Rule number one, follow the golden rule: “Eat foods in the package that nature provides!” You don’t see orange juice growing on a tree, you see oranges growing on a tree. Follow this rule and you will be half way to a healthy diet. You see, when you drink a glass of orange juice you are getting the sugar equivalent of 4-6 oranges. This sugar has been liberated from the fiber of the pulp and is thus much more readily absorbed into the blood. Whenever sugar enters into the blood at such a fast rate it reeks havoc regardless of whether that product comes from fruit or not. It is much healthier to eat the whole orange. You will get the fiber and the extra bioflavonoids! This rule goes well beyond OJ, if you apply it to the majority of your diet, you will literally change your health in one swoop. It is THAT powerful. You don’t need to learn complex rules, count calories, or read packages, just eat REAL food from nature as often as possible.

Rule number two, nutrient density decides the quality of food. Nutrient density has to do with how much nutrition there is in a food in comparison to how many calories are present. High levels of nutrition and low calorie count make for an ideal food. Any food with low or average nutrient levels along with high calorie levels is considered unhealthy. If you eat lots of vegetables and fruits while following the Golden Rule, then you can almost never go wrong. Pick the fruits and vegetables that are the most colorful as these will have the most healthful qualities! Although you can not always guarantee the presence of vitamins and minerals, you can always guarantee the presence of healthy phytochemicals such as carotenoids by merely looking at the product. These phytochemicals are what give fruits and vegetables their vivid color.

What About Meat?

There is a lot of controversy regarding how meat impacts your health. On one side of the story you hear the high protein arguments and on the other the vegetarian arguments.
If we look at our Paleolithic ancestors, it is estimated that 45-85% of their calories came from animal sources such as fish, insects, birds, amphibians, mammals, etc. Scientists estimate the daily protein intake of Paleolithic man to be 300-400 grams of protein per day, along with 200 grams of fat.  (Sisson, Mark. Primal Blueprint)

The debate surrounding vegetarian versus omnivores living is ridiculous because it is possible to be very healthy or very unhealthy eating either way. Personally, I choose a omnivore lifestyle that includes large quantities of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. I choose lean meats and consume these lean sources of protein with most of my main meals. If you choose to be vegetarian, you must be sure to supplement with sublingual B12 and consume plenty of sources of vegetarian protein. Regardless of whether you choose a vegetarian or omnivore lifestyle, there is one rule that you must follow to enjoy optimal health…

Third, cut out refined carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, white rice, candy and sugar as much as possible. There is nothing good coming out of these foods but taste. We do not need to drop them out of our diet completely, however, we do need to significantly limit their intake. With a little self-discipline we can learn to love healthier foods like we love these nutrient poor, carbohydrate based products. If you can achieve these goals, you will be well on your way to optimal health!

If you would like a great book suggestion to get you started on the path of healthy eating I would highly suggest Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. This book really helps people understand a healthy diet and provides TONS of great health tips that you can put to use right away.

Finally, drink your water! Few people realize just how important water intake is to your body’s health. I have seen peoples energy skyrocket, blood pressures drop, allergies improve,  and memories return to youthful levels, simply by drinking more water! Here are some tips for working more water into your lifestyle:

1. Keep a 32 oz bottle of water on your desk, sip at it all day long. If you freeze it over night you can sip at it as it melts throughout the day. If you do freeze it please be sure to fill the bottle only two-thirds the way to allow the water to expand.
2. Get a NSF certified filter for home use and USE IT! A good filter is New Wave 10-Stage Filter .