Macro nutrients should take up the largest portion of your diet. This category of nutrients includes carbohydrates,protein and fat. Your body uses macro nutrients for energy,growth and repair. Different types of macro nutrients do different things for your body, so it is important to get variety in your daily diet,so that you get the right types of each class of macro nutrient.

CARBOHYDRATES come in two forms:simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are sugars that don’t need to be broken down further,so the body can use them for quick boosts of energy. Honey,maple syrup,soda,cookies,candy,table sugar and cakes are all sources of simple sugars,but since they are also high in calories, they should only be eaten occasionally.Instead,it is important to eat healthy sources of simple sugars,like fruit and fat-free or low-fat milk. These alternatives to sugary sweets offer vitamins, minerals and fiber as well.

Complex carbohydrates are larger,digest more slowly and provide longer-lasting energy. Foods like bread,pasta,rice,oatmeal,corn and starchy vegetables (like potatoes and carrots) contain the highest amounts. Sources you should choose most often are vegetables, beans and whole-grain,high-fiber breads and cereals.

The right carbohydrates are either complex carbohydrate or fiber and generally supply additional healthy trace elements and phyto nutrients, as well as energy and should have a low-glycemic index. The glycemic index is a way of measuring the rate at which carbohydrates are broken down and appear in the blood as simple

sugars. Those foods that result in a rapid rise in blood sugar often have a high glycemic index.Carbohydrates that are broken down slowly and cause only a moderate,controlled increase in blood sugar often have a low glycemic index.Some carbohydrates fall in between. High-glycemic foods provides quick energy,but it is usually short-lived and hunger soon returns.This crash stimulates many energy responses in our body chemistry,stressing our organs.Most convenience foods and many meal replacements and diet products on the market to-day are high-glycemic. Low-glycemic foods provide greater satiety and sustained energy. By virtue of their slow digestion and absorption,low-glycemic foods can help control appetite and delay hunger.

PROTEIN A healthy diet includes a variety of high-quality protein sources, including complete proteins,which contain all of the essential amino acids.Protein is what makes up bodily tissues,like the muscles,skin and organs.When you eat food containing protein,your digestive system breaks it down into smaller parts called amino acids.These amino acids are later used by the body to build and repair cells and tissues.

The two main sources of protein are: animal products,like meat,milk, fish and eggs and vegetable products,like beans,nuts,seeds and soy. To make sure you get all the essential amino acids,it’s important to eat a wide variety of these protein-rich foods,such as lean meat, fish,fat-free and low-fat dairy products,eggs,nuts,seeds and beans.

FATS Surprisingly,some fat is good for you! Your body needs it for proper brain development,like omega-3 and omega-6,to bring certain vitamins through the brain barrier.

There are two types of fat:saturated and unsaturated. Beneficial fats are high in essential fatty acids and low in saturated fatty acid.

Unsaturated fat is found in fish,like salmon and tuna,nuts,seeds, avocados and most vegetable oils.Most of the fat that you eat should come from these foods.

Saturated fat may increase your risk of heart disease. It is important to limit the amount you consume.No more than 10% of your total daily calories should be derived from saturated fat. It is found in food that come from animals,like red meat,butter,cheese, milk(except fat-free)and ice cream. Coconut and palm oils are also high in saturated fat and can be found in many store-bought baked foods.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A LOW-FAT,HIGH-FIBER DIET.
Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in fruits and vegetables and grain products that contain some type of fiber, particularly soluble fiber,have many health benefits. Unfortunately,the normal diet in to-day’s society includes only one-half or two-thirds of the fiber necessary for optimal health. The positive impact of a high-fiber diet is increased when there is a concurrent reduction in the amount of saturated fat consumed.

Trans-fatty acids or trans fat can also raise the risk of heart disease. Trans fat is formed when liquid vegetable oils go through a chemical process called hydrogenation,which makes the oils into solid fat,like shortening and hard margarine.This process increases the shelf life of foods,including the potato chips,cookies and fried food that we consume every day.Trans fat behaves like saturated fat: clogging arteries and increasing LDL-C (bad cholesterol) levels. Trans fat may also reduce HDL (good cholesterol levels). The health risks posed by this dangerous fat have prompted many regulatory agencies to require that food manufacturers lists trans fat amounts on all nutritional labels.So when eating packaged foods, try to pick foods labeled 0g trans fat per serving.

Conventional medicine often does not recognize the early stages and symptoms of
a mineral or vitamin deficiency. Neither does it understand the havoc created
in our bodies by these deficiencies and the many ways they contribute to the
destruction of our health and the part deficiencies play in both our common
and most serious disease states. Scientists and physicians alike may wait until
a state is fully developed before they take action.

If we are to understand the importance of proper nutrition and  how devastating
deficiencies can be, we must first understand the differences between functional
mineral deficiency disease and organic deficiency diseases.

A functional disease is a condition whereby one or several organs, or groups of
organs, begin to suffer an impairment of function. For instance, the legs might
not function well, the heart may malfunction, vision may be reduced, or one’s
balance may be less stable tthan it used to be.

On the other hand, an organic disease refers to a definite, specific breakdown
of some kind. For example, a heart arrhythmia would be considered an impairment
of function, or functional disease. A heart attack would be a tissue or organ
breakdown, thus an organic disease. Arthritis, which is aa tissue breakdown,
and diabetes, which is an organ failure, are both organic diseases.

The symptoms between the two disease types are different. If a person has
learned to be aware of his or her body, an evident reduction of energy would
be the body’s signal that a mineral deficiency is making it impossible to
operate at peak levels.

The normal sequence of a mineral deficiency is: the less than adequate intake
of minerals, followed by depression and/or loss of energy, insomnia and/or
anxiety, followed by muscle cramps. Any of these symptoms could indicate
a calcium deficiency.

Next, there will be a measurable lowering of minerals in the blood and extra-
cellular fluid. In order to maintain steady levels of minerals in the fluids,
and thus preserve life, the body robs the bones and tissues of minerals.
Since the cells can no longer perform at peak levels, the above symptoms increase.
At this point, tissues themselves become inflamed, deformed or deranged, and
organic disease is the result.

At first, a calcium deficiency might appear as a functional disease; though
depression may be present, the bones have not yet deteriorated to the point of
osteoporosis. Depression or insomnia, since they inhibit the person’s usual
functions to a certain degree, are classified as functional diseases.
If the deficiency is not halted, osteoporosis will develop and would be
considered an organic disease. Similar progressions may develop with other
mineral deficiences.

If you want to obtain optimal health from nutrition, you have to understand first,
how much what you put in your body effects your health.
The human body was designed with lots of care in order to transform a mixture of certain compounds that are found in nature into muscles, bones, organs, glands and our brain. The interactions of these nutrient compounds are the hairy bags of chemical soup what we call human beings.
Every time we mass around with them, they will mass around with you.

People who consume fatty burgers with nutrient poor fries don’t realize how much they
are disturbing the excellent precision of nutrient use by their bodies.
Let’s look at some examples in order to make clear how that precision makes the engine
of a Masserati look like a child’s toy.

Let’s look at a good one: vitamin B12. You need only a few micrograms (millionths of a gram) of vitamin B12 each day: the RDA (Recommended daily Allowance ) is only
2 micrograms. Your blood contains only about 5 nanograms (billionths of a gram) per liter,
less than a speck of dust. Even under a microscope you couldn’t see such amount.
It represents less than one part per trillion of your body weight.
But if you lack that tiny speck , your whole body declines into a serious disease, called
pernicious anemia, which gradually destroys the myelin sheaths, which protect your nerves, leading to blindness, insanity and death.

A second example is iodine. A daily intake of about 50 micrograms is considered to be sufficient for most people. This amount is still so tiny that you could hardly see it on the
head of a pin. Every day your body separates the few molecules of iodine that occur in
different foods with a precision that goes for beyond the most advanced computer and
transport them straight to the thyroid gland. There they convert an enert chemical
called thyronine into powerful thyroid hormones. These hormones then control your
energy supply, your mood and even how well you can think.

The same applies to other micro nutrients. It is still a mystery how such minute amounts
of these substances can hold the keys to health, to sanity and even to life itself.
But they do and if they are deficient in your food, you are asking for disease.

We need a daily dose of a precise mix of 59 nutrients for optimal bodily function
as shown in the following table.

Elements required in large amounts daily:
Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Sulphur, Nitrogen

Elements required in medium amounts daily:
Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride

Elements required in small amounts daily:
Iron, Manganese, Chromium, Fluoride, Arsenic, Germanium, Zinc, Silicon,
Selenium, Molybdenum, Boron, Copper, Cobalt, Iodine, Nickel, Tin.

Vitamins (common form names):
A (retinol), B3 (niacin, niacinamide), B12 (cobalamin), C (ascorbic acid),
K (phylloquinone), B1 (thiamin), B5 (pantothenic acid), Folic Acid, D (calciferol),
B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyrodoxine), Biotin, E (d-alpha tocopherol).

Co-factors (common form names):
Choline, Para-amino-benzoic acid (PABA), Pyroloquinoline quinone (PQQ),
Inositol, Bioflavonoides, Co-enzyme Q10

Essential amino acids:
Isoleucine, Methionine, Tryptophan, *istidine, Leucine, Phenylalanine,
Valine, Taurine, Lysine, Threonine, *Aginine,
* Conditionally essential

Essential fatty acids:
Linoleic acid, Linolenic acid
From some you need a lot, others you need only tiny amounts. But they all have to
be provided in the correct amounts. The first five, which you need in large quantities,
are plentiful present in foods and in the air we breath, so supply is not often a problem.

The remaining 54 nutrients we need in medium or small quantities and are less readily
available in the environment. More important, they may be deficient or entirely absent
in any of the degraded foods, which we now find in most of our food supply.

We know that 13 vitamins, 22 minerals, 6 co-factors, 8 amino acids ( plus 3 more in certain
circumstances) and 2 essential fatty acids are required for optimal bodily function.

All these essential substances interact with each other in precise synergy to produce, maintain and renew your body. IF one is missing or in short supply, the functions of
all the others are impaired.

Although the essentiality of co-factors is still controversial, they are included, because
recent evidence all points in that direction. The meaning of the word ” essential”
in science means:
(a) The nutrients have to be present in adequate amounts or function is impaired.
(b) The body can’t make the nutrients or can’t make enough of them for normal                          tissue function.
(c) You have to get them from your diet.

If you can’t get them from your diet, you have to supplement them from a high quality source. These are the facts on nutrition.

The connection between good nutrition and long term health is beyond dispute and backed by a wealth of scientific evidence.
What you  eat and how you eat effects your health on the long term.

Our diet fails in supplying the essential nutrients we need for optimum health.
We have put good nutrition on the back burner and as a result our diet fails in
supplying even the minimum levels of nutrients that we need for long term health.
Only 9 % of people consume the five daily servings of fresh fruit and vegetables
as recommended by the National Cancer Institute.

Until the 1940’s,farmers used to practice “crop rotation” and returned essential
nutrients back into the soil by mulching,manuring and churning.
Because of growing population it was no longer possible to grow crops this way.
So the farmer use large farms and make use of artificial fertilizers.
But crops can’t make their natural insect repellents with artificial fertilizers.
So the farmer has to use chemical pesticides,which are sprayed on the crop and fruits.
But when we consume those fruits and veges,the chemical pesticides accumulates
in our body and causes disease.

Most of us today are suffering from certain dangerous diet deficiencies,which cannot
be remedied until the depleted soils from which our food come,are brought into proper
miniral balance. The alarming fact is,that fruits and vegetables now being raised on
millions of acres of land that no longer contain enough of certain minerals, are starving
us,no matter how much we eat. In other words,we can’t get the necessary nutrients
out of our food.

In 2006, 90% of the Australian population died of a degenerative disease,like cancer,
stroke,diabetes,heart disease,Alzheimer disease etc.
Over 70% of Australian male  adults are overweight or obese .
We are not even getting the minimum of RDA levels of vitamins, minerals and anti-
oxidants. The RDA levels were designed in the early 1920’s and 1930’s as minimum
requirements of TEN essential nutrients to protect against acute deficiency diseases,
like Scurvy (deficiency of vit.C), Rickets (deficiency of vit.D) and Pellagra (deficiency
of niacin).

The RDA’s did a good job to eliminate Scurvy and Rickets, but consuming the RDA’s
will not even come close to helping prevent a degenerative disease and our EPIDEMIC
health stats prove that.
To protect us against degenerative diseases we need OPTIMUM levels of nutrients.

Just to make a comparison between the RDA levels and Optimum Levels:
The RDA level for vit.C is 60mg.However,the optimum level is 1300mg.
The RDA level for vit.E is 15 IU’s.But the optimum level is 450 IU’s.
The RDA level for vit.D is 200 IU’s, but the Optimum Level is 600 IU’s.
(IU stands for International Unit).

To be able to get the Optimum Level of vit.C (1300mg) out of our food,we have to
consume 17 medium kiwifruits or 16 medium oranges daily, which is unpractical.
Can you even come close to consuming any of them on a daily basis?

So, what’s the solution? We have three choices:
1.Do nothing and pay the price.
2.Become an old fashion farmer.
3.Take a 1st. grade supplement.

It’s been scientifically proven that there are substantial health benefits in taking
nutritional supplements. The benefits of nutritional supplements are scientifically
verified over the past two years. Hundreds of scientific studies have proved that
nutritional supplements can significantly reduce the risk of degenerative diseases.

Supplements provide a convenient and effective means of achieving good nutrition
every day for a lifetime.
Chronic degenerative diseases are not diseases of old age. Heart disease starts at
childhood. It appears prudent for all children and adults to take vitamin supplements.

Never before has the need for supplementation been greater than in our present time.

The key to fitness is nutrition, we are mainly what we eat.
It is true that exercise, restful sleep, peace of mind, regular habits of elimination, bathing, etc., are all factors in keeping fit, but these will avail nothing if our nutrition is at fault.

It is now recognized that most common illnesses are closely associated with nutrition
and arise from lack of vitamins and minerals, just as some more serious ailments,  such as
scurvy, rickets, anaemia, beri-beri, pellagra and nerve troubles are equally deficiency
ailments and respond to appropriate vitamin therapy.

Periodically, new and successful uses of vitamins in  diseased conditions are reported
in the world’s medical journals and more and more physicians are prescribing vitamins,
where some 50 years ago they prescribed drugs.

Many people wonder why the terrible epidemics which formerly ravaged the earth –
typhus, yellow fever, typhoid, cholera, malaria, bubonic plague, etc – have largely
been brought under control, yet the degenerative diseases, such as heart ailments,
high blood-pressure, hardening of the arteries, stomach ulcers, nervous breakdowns,
colitis, cataract, and kidney and liver ailments are all on the increase.

The reason is that the plague or ‘dirt’ diseases, spread by vermin, mosquitoes and
human contact are disappearing owing to improved methods of hygiene and sanitation.
The degenerative diseases arise primarily from man’s continual tampering with
natural foods, thereby depriving them of vital nutrients that Nature, in her wisdom,
incorporates in our foodstuffs to ensure good health.

It is a tragic fact that most people these days only begin to take an intelligent interest
in their health, after they have lost it.
Nature requires that we co-operate with her, and we cannot escape the consequences
of our refusal to do so.

6th edition

Food Combining Chart       

The Food Combining Chart  is designed to provide a guide to the way  the different main food groups suit one another at the same meal time.
The chart is based on a variety of reasons for food comparability, especially regarding
the ability to the human digestive system to cater for the proper breakdown of foods
via the action of digestive enzymes.

It is important to note that the fruit groups require the least digestive time and should
not be eaten directly after a meal of protein or complex grains, legumes, nuts or seeds.

For detailed information on the reasons and benefits of proper food-combining,
visit: http://laughwithhealth.com.au/

Over half a million copies sold

Fit for Life is written by Harvey & Marilyn Diamond

The Natural Body Cycle, Permanent weight-loss plan
that proves it’s not  what you eat, but when and how!

All diets work, and all diets fail. Here at last is hope for anyone who wants more than dead-end dieting. Fit for life is a revolutionary eating program that lets you eat
unlimited portions of the foods you like, helps you achieve and maintain your
ideal weight, and leads you to a new level of overall good health.
You’ll never feel better!

Fit for life crushes orthodox medical dogma about the basic four food groups and
debunks myths about  the importance of milk and protein in the diet.
It is a simple and natural eating program that shows you how to exploits your
body’s instincts for food, and teaches you how to eat in accordance with your
natural digestive cycles.

More Health & Nutrition from Nutrobalance

The Key to Fitness
Nutrition as Medicine
Take Charge of Your Health

There has been a remarkable change in medical attitudes towards
nutrition. For the first time in history, on august 19th, 1992 the ultra-
conservative Journal of the American Medical Association recommend
vitamin supplements to prevent atherosclerosis and heart disease.

The highly respected New England Journal of Medicine followed in
May 1993 by publishing two large population studies, involving
130,000 health workers, showing that high doses of vitamin E significantly
reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in men and women.
The researchers showed that it was almost impossible to get sufficient
vitamin  E from our food and made a clear recommendation for vitamin E
supplements, with the agreement of the Journal’s conservative editors.
They boosted the recommendation with a special editorial by
Dr Daniel Steinberg of the University of California, in which he reviewed
the lack of toxicity of vitamin E.

Then the scholarly journal, Nutrition Reviews, the bible of nutrition science
used by researchers themselves, showed that it is impossible to get
sufficient vitamins from our degraded food supply and criticized the FDA
for not allowing companies to tell the public how vitamins prevent cancer.

The New England Journal of Medicine concurred with a large study of
89,000 female nurses, followed for 8 years.
The research showed that nurses who took 30% more vitamin A than
the RDA, had significantly less risk of breast cancer.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study by
Dr. Charles Butterworth of the University of Alabama School of Medicine.
The study showed clearly that women with insufficient intake of the
B vitamin folate, had no resistance to the papilloma virus that causes
cervival cancer.
Folate deficiency, very common in America, was shown to be a worse
risk for cervival cancer than smoking.

These are some samples of the hundreds of  reports in mainstream medical journals showing that decent nutrition, including vitamin and mineral supplementation is a major force in preventing a wide range of degenerative diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular
diseases, adult-onset diabetes and many liver, kidney, skin, eye and
other organ disorders. Read the medical references and be convinced
to take care of your nutrition for life.

There are also negative reports about vitamins. They get unfair media
coverage, because the powerful pharmaceutical advertisers don’t like
media that support non-patentable vitamins to prevent illness as they
rely on a growing number of people who become dependent on
patented prescription drugs.

Media are being cleverly manipulated to misinterpret a study appearing
in the New England Journal of Medicine.
This study, sponsored by the US National Cancer Institute examined
the effects of beta-carotene and vitamin E on 29,000 smokers, aged 50
and above over a period of 3 to 5 years.
The reports of researchers showed no evidence of a decrease in
lung cancer risk.

The widely quoted comments about this study by Dr. Gilbert Omenn,
Dean of Public Health of the University of Washington, are particularly
disturbing. Hopefully, Dr. Omenn was misquoted when he stated that
the study applies to healthy people, “because smokers are getting
the same diseases as the rest of us.”

The study has no application whatsoever to healthy people and little
application even to smokers.
Study subjects were all long-term heavy smokers, averaged 57.2
years old, smoking  20 cigarets per day for 35 years on average.

Most cancers grow slowly for many years, before any symptoms appear.The disease processes caused by smoking were already
well advanced in these men before the study began.
To give them a small dose  of vitamins and expect a cure is not sensible.
It’s like taking aspirin to cure a rotting tooth, by comparison.

The media reports fail to publish the amounts of vitamins used.
The 50mg of synthetic dl-alpha tocopherol acetate per day in the study
(50 IU), is a tiny amount and the poor synthetic form to boot.
By comparison,a bowl of wheatgerm cereal contains about 20 IU of
vitamin E.

A recent review of all the major studies in the conservative Journal of
the American Dietetic Association recommended 200 – 800 IU of
vitamin E per day for health protection. And that applies to non-smokers.

Similarly, the 20 mg of beta-carotene (33,320 IU) per day in the study
gives very little protection against the massive disease processes
already at work in subjects who have smoked heavily for many years.
The amount of 20 mg of beta-carotene is the same as in two large carrots.

Smoking is a deadly practice. It is stated on the cigarette packets:
“Smoking Causes Lung Cancer.”
Please note; it does not state: ‘might’ or ‘can’ cause lung cancer,
but it does…..period!!

It is ridiculous to suggest that you can stop this disease process with
a couple of carrots a day.

The National Cancer Institute, a two billion dollar institution, does not
want its power and income being eroded by cancer prevention strategies
that the public can use by themselves.

If you don’t believe me, check out the activities of the N C I by getting
“The Politics of Cancer” by Samuel Epstein, Professor of Medicine
at the University of Illinois. Dr. Epstein shows clearly how ineffective
our cancer health authorities really are today!.

.

Oxidation in our body is the main cause of many forms of cancer, heart disease,
atherosclerosis, adult-onset diabetes, cataracts, lung – and liver disorders and
degenerative diseases of the brain and can be prevented and even reversed,
by the proper use of the right antioxidants.

These are:
Nutrient Daily Amount
N-Acetyl cysteine 50 – 350 mg
L-Glutathione 100 – 200 mg
Vitamin-A 5.000 – 10.000 IU
Beta Carotene 4.5 mg
Vitamin-C as:
ascorbic acid 2.000 – 10.000 mg
calcium ascurbate 1.000 – 1.500 mg
magnesium ascurbate 250 – 500 mg
ascorbyl palmitate 250 – 500 mg
Vitamin-E as:
tocopherol complex 500 – 660 mg
d-alpha tocopheryl succinate 400 – 1200 IU
zinc picolinate 10 – 60 mg
Selinium as:
selenomethionine 200 – 400 mcg
sodium selenite 100 – 200 mcg
Co – Enzyme Q10 60 – 100 mg

The major antioxidants and their co-factors listed here are used in laboratories
to successfully inhibit a wide variety of diseases and improved the vitality of people
already in excellent health.

Coenzyne Q10 is used successfully to treat various oxidation conditions and is
prescribed in Japan against heart disease.
L-glutathione is the only anti-oxidant you can use as an oral supplement.
Our body makes L-glutathione, but when we age, it is not enough to inhibit
particular types of oxidation.

The figures for daily amounts are averages, extracted from more than 500
successful studies, guided by the antioxidant use of athletes, which is effective
and without toxic.

Long term use of antioxidant supplements is still an experiment and the safety
of amounts shown here has not been confirmed. We would recommend to use
not more than the lower figures for average people.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, cancer is still on
the rise. Dr Deva Davis and her colleagues confirmed that cancer increase is
presumably the result from exposure to carcinogens in our environment,
including pesticides, herbicides, chemical solvents, smoking and industrial
and auto emissions.

Smoking is the worst out of those mentioned. The damage is done mainly
by oxidation and in combination with other air pollutants, it is the cause of
33% of all cancers. Overweight follows as the next big cancer risk with 24%.

The American Cancer Society began a massive study in 1959, involving
more than one million people in 25 American States, which ended in 1980.
The results showed that people who are 40% or more overweight have
higher rates of a wide variety of cancers.

Many of these cancers are caused by lipid oxidation, that means excess
fat molecules in your body go rancid and initiate cell damage, that develops
into cancer.

For the average person, pesticides seems a bigger cancer threat than overweight.
Cancer risk from too much body fat is much higher than all the pesticides together.

Nourish and Protect  Your Skin
The skin is the largest organ of our body. It account for approx 16%
of an adult’s overall weight. It’s primary components are water ( 70%),
proteins (25.5%) and fats (2%). It is a dynamic, living organ that
continually sheds its outermost layer through a process called exfoliation.
In fact, our skin replaces itself every twenty-seven days.

Our skin performs a number of vital roles.It is a barrier against micro-
organisms and toxic compounds entering our body.
It permits a selective exchange of fluids necessary for our survival.
It is our natural radiator: by regulating our body’s loss of fluids, the skin
helps us maintain our body temperature It is a primary component of
our sense of touch. At the same time, our skin defines so much of the
outer beauty we desire.

Manipulating our skin has been a component of the human beauty
regimen for thousands of years. For centuries we bathed our skin with
oils, painted its surface and manipulated its texture – all for the sake
of outer beauty. The role of our skin as a vital organ took a back seat
to visual appearance.

Today, a remarkable shift is occurring. Skincare is assuming a primary
position in our health. Indeed, we now see that healthy skin is the basis
for the beauty we desire and that our lotions, masques and creams
can nourish the skin in incredible ways.
Healthy skin and elegant appearance are synonymous.

Every day our skin is exposed to a number of environmental toxins.
Factors like UV light , smog and smoke trigger a cascade of free-
radical activity in the cells.
To prevent new damage from UV rays, use a sunscreen every day,
and reapply it after swimming and prolonged sun exposure.
SPF15 works well for most skin types; however, a higher SPF may
be necessary for some.

In addition, look for new, deep-penetrating compounds in products
that amplify the body’s natural cell-renewal process and minimize
the effects of environmental exposure.
Scientifically advanced, natural products can help you defy the
aging process and enjoy radiant, healthy skin at any age.

Nutrition and the skin
Like every organ in our body, our skin is composed of billions of cells.
When we see the skin as an organ, we realize that cellular nutrition
is vital for a healthy skin. Any deficiency of vitamins or essential
nutrients in our body, negatively effects our skin.
The skin is the last organ to receive nourishment from the body and
the first to show signs of nutritional deficiency, imbalance or illness.

The impact of diet on our skin can not be overemphasized.
Poor dietary habits generally appear first in our skin’s texture, tone
and color. It also has long-term effects on our skin – the kind that will
not be seen until it is well beyond your control to correct the problem.

For example, a vitamin C or E deficiency weakens our skin’s firmness,
tone and texture. Low levels of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) damages skin
cell membranes and cracks appear in the corners of our mouth and
on our lips. An iron deficiency can create poor skin color.
The list is endless, but the message is clear: optimal cellular nutrition
is critical for healthy skin.

Free-radical damage.
Only recently was the discovery of the free radical and its impact on
our body associated with our skin.It is now clear that free radicals
are primary contributors to the aging process and can destroy the
cells of our skin.

Free-radical oxidative stress destroys skin-cell membranes and
accelerates the sagging and wrinkling effects we experience
as we age. The effects of free-radical damage are cumulative.
It is a process that can continue for years before we receive any
alert. We may never “see” the damage that free radicals cause until
it has irrevocably harmed our skin.

Free-radical damage is such a major aging factor that we must
incorporate unique substances in our skincare regimen to combat
its ill effects. The primary agents which combat the free radicals
are antioxidants. They include several vitamins as well as a number
of phyto nutrients found in botanical extracts.

Any beauty regimen must take into account the nutritional needs
of the skin and combat the free-radical activity that damages its cells.
Without addressing both of these requirements, our creams and
topicals merely hide the unsightly impact of oxidative stress and aging.
Rather, we need to enhance our natural beauty while we nourish and
protect our healthy skin.

The skin – A Vehicle for Health
Knowing that our skin is a living organ that facilitates the transfer of
nutrients and realizing that proper nutrition is critical for healthy skin,
you would assume that the connection between skincare and skin
nourishment would be obvious. Not so!

We appreciate the damage we do by applying toxic chemicals to
our skin in the name of beauty. We no longer poison ourselves for
the sake of appearance. Yet we failed to see the real opportunity
before us. The skin is a powerful vehicle for health.
Indeed, its selective passage of compounds into and out of the body
is an instrument for wellness.

Today, scientists use the powerful properties of the skin to deliver
pharmaceutical compounds to the body. Medicinal introduction
through the skin is now common practice. It is referred to in the medical
community as transdermal application. Topical estrogen creams
deliver hormones to our bodies.
The transdermal introduction of substances has proven to be, in many
cases, the most efficient method of introducing drugs to our body.

Once the importance of the skin was accepted and its status as a vital
body organ was established, all was needed was a fresh approach
that considered more than surface beauty in the creams and lotions
we apply  to our skin.

The relationship between proper nutrition and healthy skin was proven
by Dr. Myron Wentz, a cellular biologist.
He saw the power of nourishing the skin through topical applications.
The question was: could both beauty-enhancing and antioxidant
constituents be provided directly to the skin via a skincare regimen?
Could skin cells absorb and be nourished and vitalized through the
topical delivery of these compounds and could such a system deliver
the anti-aging enhancements that consumers demand from their beauty
products?

The initial Sense formulas, developed by a team of biologists, chemists
and beauty consultants were provided to an independent third-party
laboratory with instructions to test their effectiveness in several ways
and under incredibly rigorous controls.

At the end of  8 weeks clinical tests, the results were above all expectations.
In short, the viewpoint of a cellular biologist, implemented
through the efforts of an interdisciplinary team, brought about
a revolutionary advance in the science of skincare.
Indeed, it delivered beautiful science!

USANA Health Sciences is a leader in this field with a product line
called Sense. For more information about Sense, visit: www.nutrobalance.net

Australia leads the world as the country with the highest rate of skin cancer,
about 140,000 new cases of non-melanomic skin cancer occur every year.

Melanoma, which is the most dangerous form, causes 800 deaths
each year. The rate has doubled over the last 40 years and the incidence
of skin cancer has almost doubled in the last 10 years.

The victims are getting younger each year, according to the Australian
Journal of Public Health, from 40% to 70% of teenagers have permanent
skin damage to some degree.

We can recognize three types of skin cancer .
(Sun spots, the most common of all skin diseases in Australia, are not
cancer but may be proceeding real cancer).

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
This is the least dangerous form. It rarely spreads to other parts of the
body and is seldom fatal.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
This type is also common and seldom fatal. However, it has to be
treated as soon as possible, because it has a greater risk of spreading.

Malignant Melanoma. (MM)
This is the most rare kind of skin cancer, but the most dangerous.
It behaves like an internal cancer and will spread to other parts of the
body and has to be treated early.

In the begin stage it looks like a mole, unusual freckle or a birth mark.
Warning signs are: changes in colour, texture, seize or shape.
It can bleed or become sore.

The current skin cancer rates has reached epidemic proportions and
is caused by ultraviolet radiation, which is more intense in areas where
there is a hole in the ozone layer.
As the hole gets larger and presumably the rest of the layer gets thinner,
more UV rays reach the Earth’s surface. Including the very dangerous
UVC radiation. As a result, our skin cop an extra severe battering when
we are outdoors.

We would expect skin cancer rates to be higher in Nth Queensland,
but yet the mortality rates from Melanoma are higher in Tasmania and
Brisbane. However, as the hole in the ozone layer sometimes reaches
the Australian mainland and ozone thinning as far north as Brisbane,
it is impossible to determine what is the greater factor: the ozone layer
or the tropical sun.

Surprisingly, there is a higher number of people with melanoma among
those who work indoors all year long compared to those who work
outdoors all year.

This removes any doubt that other factors play a part in it as the
incidence of melanoma is increasing on parts of the body least
exposed to sunlight.

We can conclude that just over half of the present cases of melanoma
can be explained as caused by the sun. Conventional wisdom can’t
explain the remainder.

There is strong evidence that melanoma ( skin cancer in general) is
yet another ‘degenerative disease’.
According to Professor Laura and John Aston in ‘Hidden Hazards’,
Bantam Books, 1991.
They say that sunlight is therapeutic and may help to prevent many
diseaes, including melanoma. Regular daily exposure to sunlight is
an essential preventive measure, with the emphasis on ‘regular’.

This explains why indoor workers, who go out in the sun only
occasionally, will not have developed the protective mechanisms,
including pigmentation. But there are still other factors then just the sun.

Environmental factors.
The research of Ronald Laura and John Aston in their report from
40 years ago,’Hidden Hazards’ 100 substances had already  been
recognized as being photo sensitising agents.

These agents include:
* Many commonly used drugs, like some broad-spectrum
antibiotics, tranquillisers, high blood pressure drugs and
drugs for hypoglycaemia.
* Some artificial sweeteners, including cyclamates
* Deficiency of vitamin B6 – refining removes much of the
B6 from grains, with white bread containing one-fifth as
much as wholemeal.
* Synthetic riboflavin (vitamin B2), which is used extensively
to fortify cereals – it appears that natural riboflavin does not
sensitize the skin.
* Ethyl alcohol, which is used in beverages.
* Some synthetic chemicals, including solubilisers.
* Some fungicides and insecticides.

The paradox of skin cancer now seems to be resolved.
Regardless the hole in the ozone layer, the appearance of artificial
chemicals in recent years that sensitize the skin to light exactly explains
the explosion in skin cancer incidence.

We don’t need to be in the tropics to be at risk. By using these
chemicals, we increase our accessibility wherever we are.

Hormonal factors.
“The effect of light on the regulation of our hormonal system appears
to have the greatest potential for explaining the melanoma enigma,”
say Professor Laura and John Ashton.

The existence of oestrogen receptors in melanoma cells may
explain why oral contraceptives may increase the risk of melanoma,
underscoring the important role of female sex hormones.

Also, the ovulatory cycle is regulated by light, both light entering the
eyes, which influences the pinal gland and light falling on the skin.

Artificial light, which is inadequate and incomplete compared to
natural light, tends to hinder these light dependent mechanisms,
which lead ultimately to the production in the skin of the protective
pigment: melanin.

Another unexpected effect of deprivation  of natural light has been
found in UV radiation, to increase the cholesterol content of the skin.
Both light entering the eyes and light falling on the skin regulate
blood cholesterol levels.
The higher cholesterol content provide greater protection against
the effects of the radiation, with less risk of tumor formation.

Research has also raised the possibility that unnatural fat, like
polyunsaturated margarines, affects the fat composition of the skin,
disturbing the balance of the above mentioned mechanisms,
thereby explaining another factor that can cause melanoma.

There is strong evidence that vitamin D stimulates the entire hormone
system to protect against melanoma and other cancers.
It is important to know that vitamin D is made in the body, both when
sunlight falls on the skin and when it enters the eyes to regulate pineal
function.

An Australian study revealed that working under fluorescent light
doubles the risk of melanoma.
Contrary to this, when sunlight strikes the skin, the UVB component
in particular stimulates melanin production, which gives remarkeble
resistance against the damaging effect of ultraviolet radiation.

It has been proposed that very moderate exposure to sunlight every
day during late winter and spring might provide enough protective
melanin to withstand the intense UV radiation during  summer.