There are two times when your world will spin: When you are in love, and when you have vertigo! Since there is no cure for being in love, this Weekly Wellness Reportwill cover the remedies for vertigo.

Benign vertigo
Vertigo is not usually a sign of a serious disease. It is typically transient (it comes and goes) and resolves on its own without medical care. The most common cause is an upper respiratory infection such as a sinus infection. Most people who suffer with vertigo learn instinctively to sit up slowly and avoid quick movements of the head.

If benign vertigo is associated with allergies, Vitamin C is in my personal opinion an absolutely awesome antihistamine. Using the Vitamin C flush* will often bring relief from signs and symptoms of allergies. If the vertigo is associated with bronchial or sinus congestion, adding TriVita’s Breathe Easy formula to your supplement regimen can help.

Breathe Easy works by drying out excessive mucous, and thinning normal body fluids. This is important because one of the causes of vertigo is abnormal movement of the fluid and crystals in the inner ear. During a recent TriVita event in Vancouver, Canada, I experienced vertigo following a head cold. I was dreading my presentation because of the dizziness. Fortunately, an enthusiastic TriVita supporter shared her Breathe Easy with me and the vertigo – as well as the head cold symptoms – cleared very rapidly.

Dangerous vertigo
Dizziness may also be a sign of serious trouble. It can follow a head trauma, or be a symptom of a tumor or clogged arteries in the head. Vertigo with hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) may be a symptom of Meniere’s disease. See your healthcare provider if vertigo persists.

Head trauma and clogged arteries require medical intervention. These conditions also require extra nutrients called antioxidants. An antioxidant is a special nutrient that reduces oxidation. Oxidation can be likened to rust in your blood vessels, brain and inner ear. One family of antioxidants has a special affinity for the tiny blood vessels in the frontal lobe of the brain, the inner ear and the eyes. These antioxidants are found in TriVita’s VisionGuard.

A certain type of tumor called an acoustic neuroma may cause vertigo. These are rare tumors, but the incidence of acoustic neuroma seems to increase with cell phone usage. The evidence for this link is weak but troubling. Certainly, we should take appropriate precautions when using cell phones while scientists further investigate the link between cell phones and acoustic neuromas.

Meniere’s disease
An extremely persistent type of vertigo is Meniere’s disease. It is vertigo associated with ringing or buzzing in the ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss. Meniere’s is a progressive disease. Trauma, toxins, infections and other causes may trigger Meniere’s. Rapid medical intervention is needed to determine the exact cause of this condition. When the cause is removed the condition may improve.

Unfortunately, damaged nerves heal slowly. Vitamin B-12 may help speed the repair of damaged nerves. Certainly, the antioxidant remedies mentioned above may add to the health of the blood vessels in the inner ear.

Learning to listen
The English language contains over 400,000 words (though most of us use merely 15,000 to 35,000). Our bodies – wonderfully complex and intricate – have only a few dozen “words” in the form of signs and symptoms with which to “speak” to us. Vertigo is one form of communication that indicates distress. Always consult a qualified health professional that knows the language of the human body.

*Please check with your healthcare provider before starting the Vitamin C Flush.

Take Control of Your Health For vertigo associated with: Allergies – Vitamin C Head cold – Breathe Easy Circulation – VisionGuard Meniere’s – Vitamin B-12 plus all of the above See your doctor to determine the cause of vertigo!

Learn More...

• Vertigo
• Acoustic Neuroma
• Meniere’s disease

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports...

• Dealing with holiday stress
• Heart attacks and cholesterol

“It’s so frustrating I just want to pull my hair out!”

Stress, including frustration, anxiety, depression, anger and any other end-point of emotional or psychological distress can literally cause hair loss. Are there other causes of hair loss? What are the different types of hair loss? Most important: What can someone do for hair loss?

Types of hair loss
Alopecia is the medical name for any type of hair loss. This condition can be divided into three subtypes:

1. Genetic (pattern baldness)
2. Scarring
3. Non-scarring.

With pattern baldness and scarring types of alopecia the hair follicle is lost. With non-scarring alopecia the hair follicle remains intact; the hair simply falls out. In scarring and pattern baldness the hair will not return. In non-scarring alopecia there is a chance for hair regrowth.

Scarring alopecia
Certain diseases cause scarring alopecia. These can be related to severe infections (especially fungal infections) or life-threatening autoimmune disorders. An autoimmune disorder is an illness where your body loses the ability to tell healthy cells from sick cells; so, it attacks all cells of a certain type.

In the condition lupus erythematosus, the immune system attacks collagen and connective tissue. This causes scars where the immune system killed the cells. When lupus affects the scalp, the immune system kills the hair follicle. Only a scar remains where the follicle used to live. That is why this type of hair loss is called “scarring” alopecia.

Non-scarring alopecia
By far the most common type of hair loss or thinning is non-scarring alopecia. With this type of hair loss, hair typically “sheds” and thins rather evenly when you brush or wash it. Hair may also fall out in certain spots, but not others. Because the hair follicle is still alive it is possible for the hair to return and regrow with time. It is vitally important to find the reason why hair begins to fall out and address this cause. Otherwise, hair will not return or, if it does, it will quickly fall out again.

Non-scarring alopecia is often an autoimmune reaction as well. A major difference between scarring and non-scarring alopecia is that scarring hair loss is associated with an autoimmune disease; non-scarring is often associated with an autoimmune reaction, not a disease. For instance, hair loss is often experienced during pregnancy or following childbirth. The stress of birth temporarily overtaxes the immune system. The overwhelmed immune system “loses its way” for a while and attacks both healthy and unhealthy tissues alike.

This type of hair loss occurs with any significant strain:

• Trauma – such as from an accident or surgery
• Toxins – infection, allergy or environmental toxins
• Deficiency – nutrients, water, oxygen, sleep, hormones or other deficiencies
• Emotional stress.

Often, people with alopecia suffer from stresses in one or more of these categories.

What to do...
With non-scarring alopecia we must, first and foremost, determine the stresses triggering hair loss. Then, we need to take steps to insulate and isolate ourselves from these stresses.

Physical exam
A good first step in discovering why we may have hair loss would be to have a thorough physical examination. Certain blood tests can demonstrate if we have inflammation; if our immune system is overactive; if our hormones are imbalanced; and if our organs can properly handle the toxins we face.

Look at your schedule
Another step to take is to examine our schedules. Are the expectations we have for ourselves reasonable? Are we eating a balanced diet? Are we getting enough sleep? These are important factors in building up our health reserves against whatever type of stress may be causing our hair loss.

Nutrients
Nutrients play an important role, too. Certainly, any good program for building nutrient reserves would include taking a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement every day. Many doctors also recommend taking Omega essential fatty supplements (such as OmegaPrime) and antioxidant supplements like Vitamin C.

A sour stomach can indicate poor protein digestion – a common cause of thinning hair. Vitamin B-12 along with prebiotics and probiotics can balance protein digestion. Thinning hair in the front of the head that is not associated with pattern baldness may indicate low thyroid function. This will probably be tested in your physical examination. The amino acid tyrosine (as found in Energy Now!) may nourish the thyroid and help protect it from stress.

I recommend Adaptogen 10 Plus as the cornerstone for building a nutrient bulwark against stress. Many people in the TriVita family who suffer from autoimmune disorders have written us to extol the benefits of Adaptogen 10 Plus. We often hear how addressing the stress component of autoimmune disorders with adaptogens brings them relief from their symptoms.

Your hair is more than a crown of beauty; it is a window on how well your body deals with stress. Learn to listen to this subtle sign of health: beautiful hair!

Take Control of Your Health Get a physical exam; look specifically at your immune system Support healthy metabolism by reducing stress Bolster nutrient reserves with the Healthy Aging Pack Use Vitamin B-12 and Digestive Complex for sour stomach Use Energy Now! to support healthy thyroid function Use Adaptogen 10 Plus to create a bulwark against stress Don’t overcommit yourself; learn to live a life of balance Get plenty of sleep Eat a healthful diet: Include colorful fruits and vegetables and lean proteins

Learn More...

• Alopecia
• Understanding Hair Loss

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports...

• Alzheimer’s
• Psoriatic arthritis

This can be a difficult time of year for many people. It is the time when autumn plants bloom outdoors and mold spores bloom indoors. Both of these trigger allergic responses in people prone to allergies.

What are allergies? Why do some people get them? And how can you find relief if you have allergies?

What are allergies?
Allergies occur when a plant or animal protein or a synthetic substance contacts your mucous membrane and your immune system reacts to reject the irritant. These irritants can include:

• Mold
• Pollen
• Dust
• Animal Dander

When your immune system senses one of these irritants it creates an antibody. The antibody protein is rushed to the site of the irritation and “pops” a mast cell. This releases histamines, which create inflammation in the area surrounding the site. This in turn attracts white blood cells and plasma fluid from the lymphatic system, causing heat and swelling. At the same time, blood vessels in the area dilate, causing redness. This irritation may also cause pain.

Although trigger proteins often come from pollen or mold spores, they can really come from anything. For instance, the most common food allergy in North America is milk. Here, the allergic reactions happen within the intestines, where the milk antibody protein (casein) pops the mast cells in the intestines similar to the way a needle pops a balloon.

Something interesting about the nature of mast cells is that they seem to be connected in groups. The H-1 (histamine-1) receptors line the sinuses, intestines, skin, joints and lungs. So, when ragweed pollen triggers mast cells in the nose or a milk protein triggers mast cells in the intestines, all the body’s H-1 mast cells react. That’s why milk allergy is related to asthma, ragweed-induced asthma is related to eczema, and mold-induced eczema is related to arthritis.

Why do I have allergies?
A more important question than “What are allergies” may be “Why do I have allergies when others do not?” A little story might help us understand where we are in the course of health in North America and around the world.

Many years ago, coal miners took a canary with them into the mines to check whether the air was safe for them to breathe. As long as the canary was alive, the miners knew that the air was safe. However, if the canary began having breathing problems, the miners knew that the air was toxic and that they had to immediately leave the mine. Today coal miners use sophisticated air-quality sensors to test for toxic air.

People with allergies are like canaries in the coal mine: They suffer sooner than others. But make no mistake – toxic air affects everyone sooner or later! Those watching world health trends are seeing incredible increases in rates of hay fever, asthma, arthritis and many other allergy-related disorders.

Therefore, we can easily say that there are only two kinds of people:

1. Those who have allergies today
2. Those who will develop allergies tomorrow

Health research from around the world confirms this startling trend.

What you can do
Allergy protection is possible when you approach the problem from two perspectives: isolation and insulation.

Isolation
This means keeping your environment as allergen-free as possible. You avoid foods that may be allergy triggers as well as keep your indoor air as clean as possible. It may also mean you stay indoors when allergen counts are high.

Insulation
This means keeping your mast cells as tough as possible so they don’t “pop” too easily. All mast cells are made of good fats, such as those in OmegaPrime. In fact, OmegaPrime has specific “anti-allergy” fat called perilla seed oil. Using these fats in a high concentration (two per meal) over time will toughen up mast cells and help prevent histamine release.

Vitamin B-12 also helps protect you from allergies by reducing the total amount of histamines your body makes. According to an ongoing study of B-12 and allergies, it takes about three milligrams of B-12 to break through the allergy process and reduce symptoms. Additionally, there appears to be a long-term effect. People in the B-12 study experienced more allergy relief in their second year than they did during the first.

A few other nutrients play important roles in allergy reduction:

• Maximum levels of Vitamin C (learn about the Vitamin C Flush) act directly to help block histamines
• Calcium assists B-12 in blocking histamine formation
• Probiotics with enzymes (such as those in Digestive Complex) help reduce mast cell triggers found in foods.

What we all can do
The incidence of allergies increases as carbon dioxide increases in our air and toxins increase in our water and foods. Everything we do to reduce these toxins and support organic agriculture decreases the toxic burden that all of us, including our children and grandchildren, are forced to bear. We are the canaries in the coal mine. Each of us must decide for ourselves how to best insulate our bodies, while at the same time, doing our part to help reduce our planet’s toxic load.

Take Control of Your Health Drink only pure water Eat only nutritious food Reduce stress Insulate yourself with nutrients: OmegaPrime Super Sublingual B-12 Vitamin C VitaCal-Mag D Digestive Complex Isolate yourself from airborne triggers Pollen: If pollen levels are high, try to avoid going outdoors. If you do go out, wear a pollen-filtering mask. Use air conditioning in your house and car; close doors and windows when pollen counts are high Don’t line dry clothes or sheets; pollen can stick to them Regularly replace air conditioner/heater filters Mold: Run your bathroom fan after bathing to dry the air Keep windows closed at night when the concentration of spores is highest Don’t go outside after a rainstorm or during damp weather

Learn More...

• Seasonal allergies
• Food allergies

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports...

• Hair loss
• Alzheimer’s

Cold and flu season is here. What do we do to stay well or speed the healing process if we are sick? Here are some great recommendations from a number of different sources:

• Wash your hands
  First, the largest contributor to infection is unwashed hands. Washing your hands with soap every few hours will reduce the chance for pathogens to gain access to your system. As important as washing your hands is making sure they are completely dry. Then, use the disposable towel to open the door out of the washroom. Many ugly microbes lurk on door handles – usually from people who have not properly washed and dried their hands.
  
  
• Clean surfaces
  Next, disinfect surfaces that are shared by many people. For instance, public telephones bring you within kissing distance of hundreds or even thousands of people. Who knows what their hygiene habits are? In a typical day we may be exposed to germs from as many as 150 countries or more!
  
  
• Reduce stress
  Reduce stress during this season. Stress decreases the effectiveness of your immune system. Your immune system may begin to overreact or not react in time to stop an infection when you are under stress. The source of the stress really does not matter. For instance, job stress and an injury may seem like entirely different stresses to your mind but they are treated exactly the same way by your body.

What determines if you get sick or not?
To better understand viral infections we need to look a bit deeper into medical research. In the book, The Promise of Sleep, William Dement, MD describes a routine where live rhino viruses are cultured and people are routinely infected. Yet, not all of them get sick. Some people actually feel better after the virus has been introduced.

Viruses have existed on earth far longer than humans have. We exist in the same time and space constantly. You even have many, many thousands of live rhino viruses in your nose right now! Why aren’t they causing an infection? It has to do with an argument that occurred 150 years ago between Louis Pasteur and Antoine Bechamp.

Pasteur and Bechamp were physicians in France. They were keenly aware of the same things you and I experience every year: during the cold and flu season, some people get sick and some people don’t. Pasteur spent his life looking for what makes sick people sick. Bechamp spent his career looking for what keeps healthy people healthy – and how we can be like them! They settled their argument with the discovery that illness visits people with poor habits much more frequently than those who care for their health.

It turns out that microbes prefer to wreak their havoc on people with compromised immune systems. Dr. Dement discovered that simple things will make you vulnerable to infection with a cold or the flu, such as:

• An imbalanced diet
• Alcohol and caffeine consumption
• An argument with someone you love

He noted that the greatest contributor to wellness or illness concerning these infections is the amount of sleep that we get. Just as Pasteur and Bechamp discovered more than a century ago, our health revolves around a healthy lifestyle more than the virulence of a microbe.

Help protect against seasonal illness
The phrase that describes our vulnerability or resistance to disease is “biological terrain.” The terrain or landscape of our health is made up of our genetics, our environment and, most importantly, our lifestyle. Vigorous application of the 10 Essentials yields the healthiest, most sickness or illness-resistant terrain. Skipping even one of these principles will change your terrain and leave you vulnerable to infection.

• A base of healthy nutrients
  Establishing a base of healthy nutrients can provide us with a very resilient terrain. The more dense the base is, the more sickness or illness-resistant our terrain will be. Taking a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement every day is an excellent start. Almost all physicians recommend an Omega-3 supplement as well. If your terrain is being remodeled by stress, you may need adaptogens to help you keep from getting sick. Indeed, the long-term studies of adaptogens in Russia clearly demonstrated that these plants help your body resist infections and aid in healing.
  
  
• Vitamin C
  Vitamin C is a favorite for protecting against the common cold. Russell Jaffe, MD, former director of the National Institutes of Health, recommends a loading dose of Vitamin C: one teaspoon of Vitamin C crystals every 15 minutes until you “flush.” By this, he means a complete bowel evacuation. After the flush, he recommends a daily serving of Vitamin C (for one month) that is equivalent to 75% of the amount it took you to flush. This should really improve your terrain!
  
  
• Echinacea
  Echinacea is used in a similar way. Significant medical research from Germany suggests that an hourly dose of Echinacea will help reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of a virus infection. Taking a gram of Echinacea every hour for three days may even reduce chances of an infection that has already begun. Continue taking Echinacea three times daily for up to two weeks afterward to protect against a relapse.

What are the best ways to protect against virus infections from colds and flu? Build up your terrain with the 10 Essentials, and reduce your exposure through hand-washing and other sanitary procedures. If your lifestyle has become so hectic that you become vulnerable, aggressive nutrition can restore balance to your immune system. If you feel a bug coming on, traditional remedies such as Vitamin C and Echinacea may be the final bulwark between you and a serious infection.