Art Studio & Gallery......a must check out!

Going to the opening of Barbara Hanson's new gallery was a phenomenal experience. Ran into friends I hadn't seen in about 14 years. Enjoyed some champagne, strawberries, mango slices, brie cheese, etc. The food was onoliscious and the art is simply amazing! Got a chance to meet Barbara and when you go, you will see why she is so successful. Wall art, decorative pieces, jewelry, sculptures, barettes, keychains, wine corks, bottle openers, kitchen ware and so much more. She is a self taught Polymer Clay artist. I liked the whimsical turtles and dolphins, but I would say the piece that caught my eye is the budha head. Once you go in and find out the extensive process for a single piece that is only 1 cm in diameter, you will appreciate the talent, work, and patience for a piece that size. The tsunami destroyed her place at the Kona Village so it is great to see Barbara opening her new polymer clay studio gallery in the King Kamehameha Mall on Kuakini Highway (808-315-5757.) This is the place to go to meet the artist and see the process and find out the schedule of her workshops.....something fun to learn both if you live here or are here on vacation! http://www.barbarahansonjewelry.com

JULY - Will Play For Food Annual Benefit

That was fun! Thank you Nina for making the ReMixx such a great part of the Kona community! Can't wait for next year and bring the whole family. All we needed was 2 cans of food to get in (or $5 if we forgot cans). Live music......Maggie got nicknamed “The Rockin' Grandma”. Fun for the kids included face and hair painting! There was also ballons animals, etc. fishing for prizes and temporary tatoos. Yep, I'm a big kid and just had to get my face painted. Tons of prizes to be won by raffle and also a silent auction.......many of them from http://www.barbarahansonjewelry.com . Hot dog and chips (a huge bag) for only $1. Grandma said that was the best hot dog she has had in a while! A well worth event where everyone can have fun, spend a little for a good cause and also relax to some good tunes. This was the second annual “Will Play For Food” benefit so stay tuned to the ReMixx website at http://www.remixxkona.com/html/events.html for all the events, concerts, open mic nights, tango nights, and much more fun events.

For more food fundraisers / benefits, check out the calendar of events for the Food Basket http://www.foodbaskethi.org/index.php/calendar/

When in Hawaii......gotta make a stop at Hilo Hattie

Did some background history research and found out that Hilo Hattie was actually the stage name for a very popular entertainer in Hawaii during the 1950’s and 1960’s. She was born Clarissa Haili on October 28, 1901, but everyone called her Clara. She began her career as a schoolteacher however it was her singing and dancing that gave her a place in modern Hawaii history. She popularized the comic hula style with such tunes as "Princess Pupule Has Plenty Papayas" and "When Hilo Hattie Does the Hula Hop".

Hilo Hattie is a fun place to shop or simply browse. When you arrive, you will be greeted with a shell lei and complimentary refreshments such as Passion/Orange juice or 100% Kona Coffee. On the day we went, we also got to sample chocolates.....pineapple chocolate, caramel chocolate, macademia nut covered chocolate......it was a day for enjoying chocolate. Pineapple and chocolate was not at all what I was expecting, but better than I thought it would be.

At the pearl and jewelry counter, you can pick out an oyster to see what kind of pearl treasure you will find inside. While we were there, a kid picked one that had 2 pink pearls inside. Besides striking up conversations with tourists about what some of the shopping selection might be used for......you've got to see for yourself! You too will wonder what some of the items are. Something that looked like a oval slippa' turned out to be a slippa' for your glass, hence a coaster! You'll find all the traditional touristy items, but I enjoyed checking the locally made pottery and gifts. Definitely a neat place to check out whether you live here or are just visiting.

If you are here on vacation, you can also call them to see if you are within their free shuttle pick up area.

July's Family Fun Day!

Of what fun! Today was the Family Fun Day. This is an event hosted by Living Stones Church down on Alii drive and it's open to everyone in the community. This seems to have turned into a yearly event. Water slip-n-slide, climbing tower (my baby......even at 10 he's still my baby......made it to the top), jumping bouncer, shave ice, popcorn, spray on tatoos, “cake walk”, kick the can, some sort of “pick the giant nose” digging in slime to get a prize game, and more. This was definitely a fun event to attend, and yes, I enjoyed some hawaiian snow (shave ice).....picked pineapple orange flavor as you can see here in the photo. And, also got a spray on tatoo. This is something fun for kids and kids at heart!

If you are here in July, you can call 326-7720 Living Stones Church to get the exact date of their next Family Fun Day.

An afternoon at Harold Higashihara Park

Spent the afternoon at the park. The kids got to play until they were smelly and completelly covered in dirt and wet from the rain as that wouldn't keep them from playing. (Thank goodness for windows that open for the car ride home!) With a family reunion, birthday parties and being the 4th of July weekend, the park was jammin' with kids. Harold Higashihara Park is known as one of the best play spaces on the Big Island in Hawaii. It was created by community efforts and continues to be a beloved place for families and visitors alike. It's built on the hillside with a spectacular view and has plenty of shade provided by monkeypod and palm trees. It has both historical and creative design. Kids get to play on a life-size whale, a Kona Sugar Company 1897 model train, a replica of a Polynesian double-hulled canoe, wooden turrets for climbing, a twirl machine, a baseball diamond, basketball and tennis courts, a drawbridge, ring toss games and covered picnic tables. There is even a separate play area sized for those with little little kids. And for those who like brain play, check out the chess tables with boards built into the rock......simply pick up the nuts that have fallen all around and you have game pieces! It's a fun place to go for the young and young at heart! Even Grandma Maggie went climbing on the equipment and had fun.

Akaka Falls & Kahuna Falls

What a great day for a drive to Hilo and checking out Akaka Falls & Kahuna Falls. Before going on the trail, we spoke for a bit with the parking lot attendant. After all, we are in no hurry and it's always fun to “talk story” with folks everywhere we go. Anyways, he didn't know much about the water falls but what he had been told is that Akaka Falls is the only water fall on the island that is fed by an artesian well which is why it never runs dry. But, living here, I know there is always a story to be told so I did a little digging and found a couple stories. So, without further a due, here they are:

“A long time ago a chief named 'Akaka lived there with his wife and dog. Chief 'Akaka had a lover and one day his wife caught him. The wife and dog chased Chief 'Akaka and his lover to the cliff, where the chief slipped and fell. His lover jumped after him right before the wife and dog caught up. They were so horrified Chief 'Akaka fell that they turned into two boulders at the top of the falls. At the bottom of the falls is a large, brownish stone they say is the chief and somewhere in Kahuna Falls is another stone that is the lover."


There there is a song from back in the 1930s by Helen Parker "'Akaka Falls." In the lyrics "Legend says 'Akaka fell to his death from the 442-foot falls now called 'Akaka Falls. His two lovers, Lehua and Maile, could not stop crying and they can be seen in a ravine close by, disguised as two smaller waterfalls."

Another story tells that 'Akaka had earlier made a cousin who had offended him jump into the pool, and that man became the rock upon which 'Akaka later fell. It's said that if one strikes a stone here called Pōhaku-a-Pele (stone of Pele) with a lehua-'apane branch, "the sky darkens and rain falls,"

But, no matter which story you read, it doesn't change just how majestic and magical that area feels. As you walk around on the path, with the birds singing while flying though the bamboo, you can also hear the babbling of the brooks and the roar of the falls simultaneously. Being a warm afternoon, we could feel the refreshing coolness of the water simply by being nearby. As we walked around on the trail, I watched as a leaf detached from a branch and slowly danced to reach the forest floor. It surprised me to see that it made a trail of dust creating a sparkling effect in the air......just like we see in fairy tales. That was just one of the many spectacular sights we got to witness. Whether you live here, or come for a visit, this is one of the many sights you will wants to be mesmerized by.

I am blessed to have my own business which allows me the time to enjoy such beauty and blessed to be able to help others enjoy such freedom and relaxation too. I get to live where I've always dreamed about and I have more adventures to share with you....... so stay tuned!

"Grease" Party!

Went to the opening performance of “Grease” at the Aloha Theater and had a blast. The cast, crew and all the volunteers, did a fantastic job in bringing to life the classic 50's rock and roll musical. It was so much fun singing along to all the familiar song "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightnin'," "Beauty School Dropout," "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee," and ""We Go Together." When it comes to live theater, you can expect each performance to be slightly different from the previous one. “Roger” and “Teen Angel” were light on their feet and brought forth big cheers from the audience. Then, after the show, it was the big Opening Night party.....and I loaded up on desserts! Blueberries, strawberries, whipped cream. All I can say about that is...... finger lickin' yummmmmy!


Being a big theater buff, it was great seeing so many familiar faces both on stage and in the audience. And, for those of you who have seeing other APAC plays over the years, you won't want to miss the final appearance on the Aloha stage of Jaque as Rydell High's Sandy who is spreading her wings and going off to study musical theater this coming fall. Aloha Performing Arts Company productions are actually a great way for youngsters to learn from seasoned veterans. It's great to see them grow, working together, in an environment that encourages creativity and comradery. And, eventually, they grow up and spread their wings. If you didn't get a chance to see last night's fantastic performance, it's being performed fridays, saturdays, and sundays through July 16th so get your tickets now as I think it's going to be another sell out show. Www.AlohaTheater.com

Kona Coffee tasting & art exhibit......a great combo!

Going for coffee tasting is fun (and Kona coffee is yummy!), but what a treat to run into Bobbi Caputo at her art exhibit. She took the time to share the story behind her paintings which made for a fun coffee experience. Bobbi is a self-taught folk artist who grew up in Hawaii picking coffee with her family in the Kona coffeelands. It was always a pleasure to visit with her when she would stop in and browse around in my shop (back in the days of working like a nut and getting nowhere). She has now become a well-know artist around these parts. Bobbi's paintings are of her childhood memories and has painted quite a nostalgic collections. Each painting rekindles her child's eye recollections of moments in time, reflecting the hard work, youthful antics and the many, many baskets and bags of picked coffee beans that made up each and every dawn to dusk workday of the coffee picking seasons.

If you want to meet her in person and enjoy some Kona coffee with some great talk story time, she will be at the artist reception this coming saturday (June 25th) from 3 to 8pm at the Kona Coffee & Tea Co. behind Tesoro on Queen K. Hwy.

If you can't make it to this exhibit, you can see some of her collection at www.konacoffeeart.com .

Heel Thuds

A Hiatal Hernia or a jammed gastroesopageal junction can easily be pulled back down below the diaphragm by following this simple HEEL THUD procedure:

First thing in the morning, drink about 1 quart of water. The purpose is to fill the empty stomach with water and make it very heavy.



Then, standing in a doorway support yourself by holding on to the each side and go up on your toes, and drop as hard as you can on your heels (heel thuds). Do about 15 heel thuds each morning. Since the stomach is so heavy, this will help to start to gently bring it back down where it belongs.



You may have to do heel thuds every morning for many days...anywhere from one to four weeks to get the stomach pulled back down to where it belongs. You will know when its down because you will not experience the acid reflux.



The esophagus will take some time to heal from all of the burning. Many have also been helped through the healing process by supplementing with Vitalizer, Citriboost and Optiflora.

NOTE:

Shaklee's Stomach Soothing Complex, Chewable Calcium Complex (for heartburn) and EZ-Gest (digestive enzymes) have brought many people relief from digestive disorders as well. The information on this procedure is usually available from your local chiropractor or naturopath. And, it is always a good idea to check with your health practitioner on proper diagnosis and procedure technique.


Per FDA guidelines: This information is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any “disease”. It is simply a resource to help you make an informed choice to rebuild your health.

Is it insanity?

While browsing through a magazine Grandma brought with her, I expected to see advertisements, but not this many. Out of 218 pages, almost half of them were paid advertisements. I counted 134 advertisements..........and the advertisements for medications were usually 2 pages and sometimes 3 pages long! With the sad understanding that many medical professionals are in the business of treating symptoms instead of promoting good health through prevention, I wasn't entirely surprised. I decided to read the details of one of the advertisements for a medications.

Eventhough not surprising, I still find it shocking what some people are willing to risk and put up with just for the sake of a quick fix. Maybe they just don't have a full understanding of the ramifications or they don't understand them. So, what are people willing to put up with? This particular medication can cause serious effects including low calcium levels in your blood, severe kidney problems, severe jaw bone problems, bone, joint or muscle pain, and unusual thigh bone fractures. This medication can cause allergic reactions, such as hives or, in rare cases, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. And, the most common side-effects include flu-like symptoms, fever, muscle or joint pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

After reading the long list of side effects for just that one medication, I decided to read more about some of the others. Many side effects listed were the same and then the list just kept on growing as side effects others listed included kidney failure, liver damage, chest pains, digestive problems, heartburn, groin pain, numbness or tingling in fingers, toes or around the mouth, cancer, lump or swelling in neck and the list goes on and on. Is that insane, or what?

Too many times, I have also seen the rows of medication in people's medicine cabinets. Many of which are to “take care” of the side effects of other medications they are taking. It can become quite an insanity. So not only are people taking medication that have effects, some of which can even be deadly, but they then are taking more medications because of what the first medications are doing to them. What a viscious cycle!

There are lifestyle choices one can make to have and maintain good health. There is a time and place for medications, but prevention is the best medication.


About the writter:
Marie-anne is a Home Business Consultant and Wellness Advisor. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Holistic Nutrition and is currently attending the American Health Science University. Visit her websites http://www.LaunchYourDestiny.com and at http://getrevitalizednow.com/rouse

Life's Basics

When people are first hear about nutritional supplements, they can get quite confused by the claims and many times......contradictory recommendations. When it comes to nutrition, there are some basics just like when baking a cake. There are the basic ingredients needed to make the cake, but then you can add frosting, sprinkles, fruits and so much more to make the cake unique. It is the same for people. We have a basic recipe but then add on the extras and that makes each and everyone of us different. The basic “human” recipe needs to be followed to maintain proper balance.

Some elements, or group of nutrients, are considered Life's Basics. They are of the utmost importance to maintain the health of healthy individuals and are to be the foundation of any diet. Unfortunatelly, they will not usually correct imbalances that have progressed over the years. I've heard it being compared to making your mortgage payment. If you make your payments on time, then all is well. But if you start http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifgetting behind, you will eventually have to pay extra to make up what is owed in addition to penalties. And, if you don't, you then lose your home. Proper nutrition is the same. Either you do it right. If you don't then you have major catching up to do if you want to avoid unwanted “side-effects” and regain stability.

Looking at today's lifestyles, we do recognize that our diet is lacking and supplementation is necessary to maintain proper stability and balance. But, how do you select the essential supplements? It is important to recognize a reliable and reputable manufacturer that guarantees their products and that perform as expected.

About the writter:
Marie-anne is Home Business Consultant and Wellness Advisor. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Holistic Nutrition and is currently attending the American Health Science University. Visit her website at http://getrevitalizednow.com/rouse

What is Parkinson Disease?

What is Parkinson Disease? It is quite a dreaded word for some, but in plain english, it is a disorder of the nervous system.

The nervous system itself has the very important job of communication by way of impulses to control the body's hundreds of functions to keep it alive and healthy. During the communication process, chemical substances called neurotransmitters are released to pass “messages” to their destination. An easy way to relate to that is by looking at people's traditional form of communication. When we speak, we emit sound waves. Those sound waves, in turn, are intercepted by the ear which translates the meaning of the sound waves. One way that the nervous system communicates is through those chemicals called neurotransmitters.

In the case of Parkinson Disease, certain parts of the brain have a deficiency of (for full article go to: http://www.getrevitalizednow.com/Rouse/article/parkinson-disease

THE BASICS OF GOOD NUTRITION

When asked, what plan do you follow to supply your body with complete nutrition?

A great man once said......

That question has been asked me of hundred upon hundreds of times. My answer has always been the same, for I have been following the Nutrition Way to Health for over 60 years. It is not a difficult plan to follow. In fact, very simple.

I eat simple foods. I eat much less than the average person, yet my weight is normal. I stand 5 feet 9 inches and weigh 164 pounds. That weight hasn't changed for at least 50 years.

I am not bound to the habit of three-meals- a-day, for I eat only when I'm hungry. And, I leave the table with plenty of room in my stomach for more food - if I wanted to stuff it down.

Never have I allowed my appetite to dictate the type of food I eat, for I eat to live, not live to eat. I know that the food which I eat may not always contain all of the nutritional elements necessary for the welfare of my tissue cells, so I supplement my diet with natural and organic protein, vitamins and mineral tablets. I travel a great deal, so it is not always possible to obtain the proper foods, but whenever possible I demand that my food be in its natural state.

This plan of mine for supplying complete nutrition has worked so well for me that I have been free of all aches and pains for half a century. My hours of work each day are about twice that of the average person, yet I find time for exercise and recreation. It is my belief that the average person fails to exercise enough to keep his body free of stagnating waste. And when I say "his" I mean "hers", too.

If you want to get well and stay well, you MUST free your body of accumulated waste and provide the nutritional elements so necessary to strengthen your resistance against disease and to build vital, vigorous tissue cells. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY.

I practice what I preach. I avoid waste-producing foods as I would a plague. I set aside a regular time for tissue cleansing.one day each week, every week. During this day I eat no solid foods, but drink plenty of water, fruit juices and raw vegetable juices. Even on the other days of the week, I see to it that I get plenty of these.

And if I were suffering from any type of disease, I would STAY on a raw vegetable and fruit juice diet until I was sure that all disease-breeding waste was cleared from my body.

I can't remember the day when I suffered from a headache. No, friend, you do not have to suffer the distress caused by accumulated waste in the body. You can live.you should live.in a "house"that is clean. All foods may have some value, but that priceless body of yours demands the best.

Choose your foods carefully, as though your life depended on them.for it does! Cleanse your body regularly and thoroughly.eat only when hunger demands it. Never over-eat. Avoid the saturated fats and all greasy foods. Eat very little starchy foods, such as breads, pies, cakes, candies, ice cream, cookies, soft drinks, etc.in fact, it is better to eliminate all refined sugar products. If you must eat some sweets, enjoy the fine, natural sweet of fruit. Do this and you will live longer. I know! I am thoroughly enjoying the GOLDEN TWILIGHT YEARS OF LIFE.

Everyone working together

For a chapter in your area, go to www.BNI.com and if you are in Kailua-Kona www.BNIKonaKrew.com

Student's hand on fire!

This is a call out to all parents, grand-parents, caregivers, and teachers out there. My son came home from school the other day and on the ride back he shared the "excitement" of the day. I am glad that he trusts me to where he knows he can share openly. He shares about the fights, the smoking, the kids that get high, etc. So my first requests is....keep the line of communication open with your kids and if you have lost that connection (or are seeing that it's getting lost), connect with Aunty Lorraine....she is a great resource and support.

Secondly, teach your children (and educate yourself) if you haven't done so about chemicals found in personal care products and household products. Too many kids are being poisoned and harmed. You can do research for yourself using the government's "Household Products Database"

The latest incident happened right in the classroom and it went unnoticed by the teacher! A student was using hand-sanitizer (the same one our local schools request parents send in for classroom use). If one takes the time to look at the ingredients, one will see just how damaging it can be to the skin. But, here is the crazyness that happened in class:

Just for fun, the student decided to put his hand on fire! The hand-sanitizer caught on fire immediately and to his surprise.......he could feel the burn and the fire didn't go out on it's own!

So folks, this is something that happened intentionally (it just didn't have the expected results), but too many children suffer from accidents that could have been avoided. It's time for more parents, grandparents, caregivers, teachers, and all those who have children within their care to make a change.

Help us save children one household at a time.

Education.....Education.....Education. It is so important.

And, let's all make the change to using products in our homes that are safe for our families and the environment. If you want to find out more about what I use around my house, feel free to ask questions. The Who I Am page also has a link to a video my kids helped to make about green cleaning solutions. Check it out. It's pretty cool actually!

I was blessed that my mom had the awareness about what was used in our house, but with the passing of time I learned that some of the products we were using were not as safe as we thought.

Do you realize that YOU can SAVE A CHILD's LIFE simply by sharing this story! The Gift of Life & Good Health is in your hands.

Detoxification Bath

Aloha,

Some folks think of the upcoming New Year and their resolutions of being healthy, or healthier! Why wait for a the New Year? Removing toxins from the body is an important step to building a strong foundation.

Detoxification Bath
(as shared by Martha Wilmore)

The combination of the bicarbonate of soda and the lemon draw poison out of the body through the skin. This reduces the amount of toxin load that the kidneys have to deal with. This is especially good for diabetics and people with kidney disorders such as psoriasis.

Do this bath before bedtime and then go straight to bed. The detoxification will continue as you rest and sleep.

Needed:

~ 5 pounds of baking soda
~ 3 to 4 fresh lemons (skins too)
~ blender
~ nylon stocking

1. Dice lemons, place in blender with ½ cup water and blend until lemons are as fine as possible.

2. Hold a nylon stocking over the bathtub and pour the lemon mix into the stocking. Tie it off, and throw in the bathtub.

3. Fill bathtub with enough warm water to cover the body entirely if possible and add baking soda.

Don't make the water too hot!

4. Remain in the tub for 45 minutes to one hour (drink Shaklee's Performance while soaking to keep from getting light-headed)

5. Take a treatment each day for two consecutive days, then one treatment per week until eight treatments have been taken.

6. Use this series of 8 baths twice each year, or more often if needed. Some people do it once a week.

NOTE: If the skin shows an irritation, cut down on the lemon. Very few people are allergic to lemons.

Do cleaning products cause breast cancer?

Dear Friends,

I thought you might be interested in new results of another research that was published earlier this week in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health. You might have already heard, or suspected it, but now there's proof. The linking of cleaning product use with higher breast cancer risk among women! The journal's press release is pasted below.

Because of our concern with products containing mammary gland carcinogens or endocrine disruptors, we recommend alternatives that eliminates exposure to toxic chemicals.

NEWS RELEASE – HEALTH

Do cleaning products cause breast cancer?

Women who report greater use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk than those who say they use them sparingly. Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access journal Environmental Health asked more than 1500 women about their cleaning product usage and found that women who reported using more air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control had a higher incidence of breast cancer.

Julia Brody, from the Silent Spring Institute, USA, worked with a team of researchers to carry out telephone interviews with 787 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 721 comparison women. She said, “Women who reported the highest combined cleaning product use had a doubled risk of breast cancer compared to those with the lowest reported use. Use of air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control were associated with increased risk. To our knowledge, this is the first published report on cleaning product use and risk of breast cancer.”

The researchers questioned women on product use, beliefs about breast cancer causes, and established and suspected risk factors. They found that cleaning products, air fresheners, and insect repellents were associated with breast cancer, but little association was observed with overall pesticide use. Women with breast cancer who believed that chemicals and pollutants contribute ‘a lot’ to the risk of developing the condition were more likely to report high product usage. Speaking about this potential bias to the study, Brody said, “When women are diagnosed with breast cancer, they often think about what happened in the past that might have contributed to the disease. As a result, it may be that women with breast cancer more accurately recall their past product use or even over-estimate it. Or, it could also be that experience with breast cancer influences beliefs about its causes. For example, women diagnosed with breast cancer are less likely to believe heredity contributes ‘a lot’, because most are the first in their family to get the disease.”

In order to avoid possible recall bias, the researchers recommend further study of cleaning products and breast cancer using prospective self-reports and measurements in environmental and biological media.

Here's the link to the page in Environmental Health journal: http://www.ehjournal.net/content/9/1/40

Juice or Junk?

Letter from Dr. Chaney:

I found a couple of interesting articles on the acai berry and the mangosteen fruit in the October and December 2009 issues of Environmental Nutrition.

Environmental Nutrition is not a peer reviewed scientific journal, but they do a good job of researching peer reviewed scientific journals to find out whether there is any sound research behind many of the nutritional products that you find in the
marketplace.

I thought that you might be interested in what they found out about the scientific backing for all of those claims that you have been hearing about for acai berries and mangosteen fruit.

In both cases they found very little scientific backing for the claims made for those products.

In the case of the acai berry they found one clinical study that showed that when people consumed a single serving of acai juice or acai pulp the antioxidant
capacity in their blood was increased over the next 12 hours.

While that sounds impressive, you need to realize that the same is true when people consume a serving of blueberries, raspberries or blackberries.

They also found a study showing that acai extracts destroyed cancer cells in a tissue culture dish.

Again, that's not as impressive as it sounds because other fruits, such as grapes, mangos and guavas, have been shown to do the same thing in cell culture studies, and there is no evidence that any of those fruits have the same effect in the human body.

The science behind mangosteen is only slightly better.

Cell culture studies show that mangosteen extracts can stop certain bacteria from growing and can attenuate inflammation and insulin resistance in cultured human
fat cells.

Again, this is true of almost any food extract with high antioxidant potential, but that alone does not mean that it will have the same effect in the human body.

In animal studies mangosteen extracts suppressed tumor growth in mice and reduced oxidative damage in the brains of rats.

While animal studies are a bit more definitive than cell culture studies, we need to remember that rats and mice are not just little humans.

I have been actively engaged in cancer research - anticancer drug development specifically - for 37 years. Based on my years of experience I can tell you that only about 10% of the effects that we see in animals also show up in humans.

As with the acai berry, there appears to be only a single clinical study with mangosteen fruit. In that study a mangosteen supplement with vitamins and minerals enhanced immune responsiveness.

Again, that sounds impressive. But you need to know that numerous studies have shown that supplementation with vitamins and minerals alone increases immune responsiveness. There is no evidence that the mangosteen had anything to do with the results.

You might be asking "What about all of the fantastic testimonials that the proponents of these products offer?"

You should know that the placebo effect approaches 50% when it comes to things like pain relief, energy levels and feelings of well being. Unless there is strong
scientific evidence, I always discount testimonials.

Environmental Nutrition concluded that there was probably no risk of consuming moderate amounts of acai berry or mangosteen.

However, they cautioned that there was little or no evidence to support the many claims made for those products.

Finally, they stated that you can probably get exactly the same antioxidant and health benefits - at a fraction of the cost - by consuming many of the fruits
and vegetables that you can find at your local grocery store.

I concur!

To Your Health!

Carrots, Eggs and Coffee

How do you handle adversities?

Twas The Night Before Shaklee....

Twas The Night Before Shaklee....

Twas the night before Shaklee, when all through the place,
Not a corner was gleaming, there was no Basic-H.

Our food was all packed in the closet with care,
In hopes when we ate them some nutrition would be there.

The children all wrestled and tossed in their beds,
Because they lacked Calcium from their toes to their heads.

And Mamma without Protein and me without Herb-Lax
Were both quite a wreck and about to collapse.

When from out of nowhere there came such a clatter,
I feebly got up to see what was the matter.

Over to the window I moved like a snail,
My struggle with the shutters all left me quite pale.

The soot and pollution on the new fallen snow,
All made me quite nauseous to see it below.

When what through my bloodshot old eyes did I see,
But a shiny new car, and a license plate that read "Shaklee".

With Aunt Mildred driving and moving so quick,
I thought, she must be on drugs, or some brand new health kick!

With boxes and bottles and bundles she came.
She jumped up and kicked her heels calling them by name.

"I've got Protein & Vita Lea, Herb Lax & Lecithin,
Basic H & G and some bottles to mix them in."

She leaped to the porch, almost kicked down the door.
We were all quite amazed cause her health used to be poor.

As I drew in my head and was turning around,
She had flown in the kitchen in one single bound.

She was dressed in a cloth coat and a cute little hat,
But they were both sparkling clean, and you couldn't miss that.

A bundle of bottles she dropped on the table,
And said soon I'll tell you the Basic H Fable!

Her eyes how they twinkled. She said, "I've a mission!"
Then she sat us all down and began with nutrition.

She was sharp as a whip and her memory quite keen,
As she told us of Herb-lax, Vita Lea and Protein.

She told us that Calcium was good for our teeth,
And that smoking would make them turn green as a wreath.

Then she took off her coat and said "Look at this belly,
Before Shaklee's Cinch, it looked all full of Jelly."

She used to be plump and a crabby old elf,
And she laughed as she said, "I've gotten hold of myself!"

Then I pinched myself hard and I rattle my head,
Perhaps I am dreaming, I must be in bed.

She spoke lots of words about cleaning and work,
And filled all those bottles and turned with a jerk.

Picking up a sponge and the sinks sprayer hose,
She cleaned off the sink, now the porcelain shows.

Then she whipped on her coat as she sprang to the door,
"I've got Shaklee Members to sponsor, haven't time to do more!"
But I heard her exclaim as she drove down the street.

"If you're not into Shaklee, your life's not complete!!!"

Author Unknown