Supplements are for the Dogs

Watching my parents 8 year old Golden Retriever, Wylow, try to walk up the basement steps is heart breaking. She takes one step at a time and pauses before taking her next step, almost like she is preparing for the pain. Like many Golden’s and dogs her age, she has hip problems and the beginnings of arthritis. This time of year cold weather makes it more difficult for arthritic pets to get around and icy, slick surfaces make it more difficult to get traction. Much like the supplements that humans take for arthritis, some veterinarians recommended similar supplement for pets. Glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM are supplements that help to protect the lining of the bones inside joints and maintain the proper amount of joint fluid for lubrication and aid in flexibility and mobility. Fish Oils provides Omega-3 acids that help reduce inflammation. In the case that your dog spits out any pill given to them (how do they know?!)most Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements come in a soft gel that can be broken and drizzled over your pet’s food. Supplements are best started early because they act more as a preventative measure rather than a cure. As with humans, proper nutrition and regular exercise is key in maintaining pet health. Always tell your veterinarian what supplements, as well as any medications that your pet is taking.

As for Wylow, I'm sure after the cold weather breaks she will have no problems chasing tennis balls around the yard.

-Community Assistant

Ginger & Motion Sickness

In a couple weeks I am going on a trip to Antarctica! (Really I am!) To travel there we take a cruise boat from the tip of Argentina to Antarctica through the Drake Channel. They tell us it will be very rocky and that we should prepare for motion sickness. I am getting ready to bring the patch (transderm-scop) that you wear behind your ear (a pharmaceutical drug). However, I had a memory of something I used for motion sickness once before.

Before my "vitamin" days, I was in Australia on a boat on the Great Barrier Reef and we were all seasick. Someone handed me a ginger pill and I instantly felt so much better.

After doing some research I found that ginger has historically been used to help prevent motion sickness. One study in Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology found that ginger "helps prevent the development of gastric dysrhythmias and the elevation of plasma vasopressin." A number of other studies also recommend 1 g of ginger for motion sickness.

It all makes sense to me now that growing up when I was nauseous my parents would tell me to drink Ginger Ale! Taking ginger tablets, however, is a much more potent and pure form. I'm definitely going to try this natural route on my trip!

Cold Sores & Lysine

I recently received a call from my cold-sore-stricken sister who was desperately seeking a cure for the painful sore on her lip. She did some on-line research and found a supplement I was unfamiliar with... until now. She had come across lysine, an amino acid known for its anti-viral properties. It helps prevent outbreaks of cold sores and is needed for hormone production and the growth and maintenance of bones in both children and adults. Lysine is involved in the production off antibodies for a strong, healthy immune system, which may be part of the reason it is so effective at fighting viruses associated with cold sores.

Lysine supplements have also been used to prevent eruptions of shingles and it is even more effective if taken in conjunction with vitamin C, bioflavonoid and Zinc. This amino acid promotes the formation of both collagen and muscle protein, and may help speed recovery from surgery and sports injuries as well. Lysine is one of the essential amino acids, which means it cannot be manufactured in the body and must be obtained from dietary sources. Good sources of lysine include cheese, eggs, fish, lima beans, milk, potatoes, red meat, soy products, and yeast. Most people get enough lysine from their diet, but there have been recorded cases of lysine deficiency, particularly in those that have a low-protein diet or eating disorder. A lysine deficiency may include symptoms of bloodshot eyes, hair loss, an inability to concentrate, irritability, lack of energy, poor appetite, reproductive disorders, delayed growth, and weight loss- not to mention cold sores.

Stress and illness, particularly the flu and the common cold, increase the likelihood of an outbreak, there is still no definitive answer as to what causes cold sores, but be sure to wash your hands and to avoid touching your face during a cold sore occurrence.

-Community Assistant

Lutein Protection

As we've mentioned before in our blogs, lutein is a very important supplement, especially for eye health. You can search our blog for more information about lutein for macular degeneration, skin protection, heart health and more. Today I found a great interview with an ophthalmologist about taking lutein with medications. Click here to watch this short interview.

A Toast to Health

For many people champagne is a drink meant for special occasions, such as weddings, New Years and the occasional anniversary party. Recent findings have convinced me that the bottle of Moet I have been saving, might be worth opening sooner rather than later.

We have all heard that red wine is good for our hearts, white wine is good for our lungs, and, of course, all wine is good for our taste buds. An April 2007 article published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reported champagne as a source of brain protection. This sparkling wine, according to the study, may help protect the brain from the injuries common with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and stroke. Polyphenols an agent in champagne, is a is an antioxidants containing anti-inflammatory characteristics, on the cellular level. These findings have now led to further investigation of champagne’s influence on health and human lifespan.

So, uncork that bubbly and drink to your health- Make everyday a special occasion!

-Community Assistant

A Resolution for Better Health

Every year I make a resolution. Then I re-resolution a few weeks later, a few months later and again the next year when I don't reach my goal. For 2009, many of us will resolve to be healthier. For some of us this means losing weight or quitting smoking. For others, it may be working out more or lowering our blood pressure. Whatever the resolution may be, the end result rarely lives up to our expectations. By the next day, week or month, most of us have given up trying.

How do we go about achieving some measure of success? Maybe the failure and disappointment is because we are focusing on the wrong thing. If we are only concerned about losing weight, it is a difficult struggle because anytime the scale does not go down, or even worse go up instead, we feel that we have failed. If someone is only concerned about quitting smoking, having just one cigarette feels like a failure. To succeed we have to focus, not just on one specific resolution, but the larger picture of being healthy. The rewards are feeling better, having more energy, increased self-esteem and knowing that we are "doing our body good." When you focus on improving health, you get the benefits right away. Any small change that you make is going make you feel better and give your body a boost. Try adding a daily multivitamin to your routine or another vitamin that may help you in an area you are lacking such as omega-3 for heart health, lutein for skin health, or glucosamine for joint health.

-Community Assistant