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Featured in this month's issue:
1. HEALTH BYTES: Facts and Tips for Better Living!
2. WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
3. THE HERBAL CORNER: Fenugreek - "For Diabetes, Heart Health, Weight Control"
4. HEALTHY RECIPE-OF-THE-MONTH: Pineapple Sweet Potatoes

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There are some important elements that may affect the way your body uses calcium.

BONE BUILDER is a special nutritional formulation that supplies many natural ingredients essential for proper skeletal structure maintenance. It effectively prepares your body for proper calcium absorption and utilization.

Read more about BONE BUILDER at: http://www.theolivebranch.com/bones.htm

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1. HEALTH BYTES - Facts and Tips for Better Living

WATCH YOUR HEART -- Monitoring your heart rate while exercising is a simple, very effective way to maximize the time and energy you put into your workouts. By exercising at an intensity that is right for you, you are much more likely to achieve better results in less time. Your age, sex, fitness level, and goals all combine to make you unique, so it is very important that you train at a heart rate that is best suited for you.

LONGEVITY STRATEGY -- If you take up checkers, chess, or Parcheesi, your mind may be sharper in your golden years. Participation in leisure activities appears to be one of many factors affecting the risk of dementia. A recent study revealed that people who frequently played board games in their leisure time had a reduced risk of developing dementia. Other mind-preserving leisure activities included playing a musical instrument, reading, and dancing.

TANNINS FOR GASTROINTESTINAL HEALTH -- Astringent herbs are recommended for gastrointestinal complaints such as irritable bowel syndrome. It is nice to think that your cup of tea or glass of iced tea (Camellia sinensis) is rich in tannins. Other astringent herbs containing tannins are bayberry, bugleweed, bilberry, black walnut, English walnut, carob, and raspberry leaf.

VITAMINS MAY EASE ALZHEIMER'S -- Vitamins E and C may help protect the aging brain against damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, scientists say. "Our study suggests that the regular use of vitamin E in nutritional supplement doses, especially in combination with vitamin C, may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease," says Peter Zandi, lead author of the study reported in the "Journal Archives of Neurology" and assistant professor of mental health in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers think antioxidant vitamin supplements may benefit the aging population because they are relatively nontoxic and are thought to offer wide-ranging health advantages. In the study, the researchers found a trend toward reduced Alzheimer's in study subjects who took a combination of vitamin E and C. They noted no reduction in the risk for the disease when the vitamins were taken singly or when multivitamins were taken. The researchers speculate the use of vitamins E and C may offer protection against Alzheimer's when taken together in the higher doses. The scientists say further studies are needed to draw any firm conclusions about the vitamins' protective effects.

What is 50 times more potent than vitamin E and 20 times more potent than vitamin C? PROANTHENOLS-100 from Life Plus, of course! See http://www.theolivebranch.com/opcs.htm for more information.

ATTENTION MINERAL -- If you are feeling more distracted than usual, you might want to look at your diet. A recent study of women revealed that an inability to concentrate could be a symptom of iron deficiency. In the study, iron-deficient women performed worse on a cognitive test compared to women who had sufficient levels of iron circulating in their blood. Food sources of iron include enriched bran flakes, lentils, lean read meat, and turkey. Do not take iron supplements unless directed to do so by your physician. Excessive iron intake may be harmful to your health. Most people who eat red meat probably get enough iron through their diets. However, vegetarians may need to plan their meals carefully to help ensure they get the minimum daily requirement of iron. The optimum dose of iron is approximately 18 milligrams per day minimum.

BOOSTING VITAMIN D -- If you are not drinking much milk and do not get out in the sun very often, you may be deficient in the bone-building nutrient vitamin D. When that happens, your body starts to pull calcium out of your bones, boosting your risk for osteoporosis. Try this: Make sure your multivitamin contains 400 IU of vitamin D. That is what you will need each day up to age 50. When you are 50 plus, shoot for 800 IU a day. Concentrate on eating high-D foods, like fortified breakfast cereal, milk, and canned salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, and tuna (labels will list how much D each contains per serving.) Or take a calcium supplement that contains 100 to 200 IU of vitamin D.

START YOUR DAY WITH OJ -- Sipping some folate-rich orange juice in the morning may give you reason to smile. Diets that contain ample amounts of folate-rich foods, such as orange juice, keep homocysteine levels in check. Scientists recently found a connection between homocysteine levels and emotional well-being. In a study, people with high levels of homocysteine in their blood were more likely to experience depression.

BROCCOLI AND CANCER -- Did you know that eating broccoli cuts your chances of getting cancer? And it is not just broccoli but all its vegetable kin - cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mustard, kale, and collard greens - which have this extraordinary power to fight cancer. The cabbage-family vegetables contain potent chemicals called indoles that block harmful carcinogens before they do their dirty work. That is certainly great news for people who love to eat these foods.

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2. WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

** Q & A #1: Why do decongestants affect sleep?

Decongestants have their affect on the body by shrinking the size of the small blood vessels in the nose, sinuses and mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Unfortunately, the same effect that causes this blood vessel constriction, is what has its affect on our sleep patterns. These drugs stimulate the same receptors in the body that are affected by adrenaline. For instance, the feeling you get when you are scared or nervous - your heart races, your blood pressure goes up, and you feel anxious. These are all side effects of decongestants. For this reason, people may find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. If this happens to you, contact you doctor or pharmacist about dosing regimens that may help reduce these effects. Also, you should avoid using these products if you have certain medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism or high blood pressure. If your not sure, call your doctor or pharmacist before taking these types of products.

** Q & A #2: What is the difference between a Brand Name and Generic Drug?

Once a Drug company has developed a brand name product, they can apply for a patent. If granted, they are given a 15-year patent life. This prevents anyone else from marketing this product until the patent expires. The prices on these products are usually high due to the amount of research and development that particular company put into its development. Once the patent expires, anyone who is approved by the FDA can begin to market that product as a generic drug. Of course, they will have no research and development cost, so they can sell their product for a much lower price. Many brand name companies will manufacture their drug to sell to generic companies once their patent expires. The active ingredients in these medications are exactly the same as their brand name counter-part, although the inactive ingredients and fillers do not have to be the same. If you have a question or concern about whether to use a particular generic, contact your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

** Q & A #3: What is the benefit for some people to take a low dose aspirin everyday?

The use of a low dose aspirin every day can be beneficial for many reasons. An aspirin, even in low doses acts as a blood thinner to the human body. This works by decreasing the blood's ability to clot, therefore, preventing the formation of blood clots in the body that may lead to stroke or heart attack. This can be beneficial to many people. Anyone who is at risk of a heart attack or has had the previous heart attack should consider the use of a low dose aspirin every day. Also anyone at risk of a stroke, previous history or family history of stroke should consider this as well. In some cases your physician may wish to use some other form of blood thinner, so you should consult with your physician first before beginning the use of low dose aspirin. The use of low dose aspirin may also be beneficial to the person with circulation problems. Preventing the formation of small clots, and allowing the red blood cells to move more freely into the smaller blood vessels will increase circulation dramatically. There are some situations where low dose aspirin should not be used. If you have a stomach ulcer or have had problems with ulcers in the past, the use of low dose aspirin may create that situation again. Also, any one who is allergic to aspirin or aspirin like products should not use low dose aspirin. If you are not sure if you should take aspirin or not, it is a good idea to check with your doctor or pharmacist first, before beginning a low dose aspirin regimen.

** Q & A #4: What is "sunburn"? Why does my skin turn red and why is it so painful?

If you have been inside all winter and then go sit out in the sun on a bright spring day, it is very easy to get sunburned. Over the course of several hours, exposed skin turns bright red and becomes extremely painful when touched. The skin will often feel very warm as well. When you get a sunburn, you are basically killing skin cells. The outer layer of skin on your body is called the epidermis. The outermost cells of the epidermis - the cells you see and feel on your arm, for example - are dead. But just below the dead cells is a layer of living cells. These living cells continuously produce new dead cells to replenish your skin. By sitting in the sun, you expose yourself to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light has the ability to kill cells. Ultraviolet light hits the layer of living cells in the epidermis and starts damaging and killing them. As your body senses the dead cells, two things happen: 1. Your immune system comes in to clean up the mess. It increases blood flow in the affected areas, opening up capillary walls so that white blood cells can come in and remove the damaged cells. 2. The increased blood flow makes your skin warm and red. The nerve endings for pain begin sending signals to your brain and damaged cells release chemicals that activate pain receptors. This is why sunburned skin is so sensitive. The ways to avoid sunburn (without having to stay inside) are to use a sunscreen, which blocks ultraviolet light, or pace yourself so you get a tan first. When you get a tan, your body essentially creates its own sunscreen using special pigment cells in the epidermis.

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3. THE HERBAL CORNER - Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)

Traditionally, Egyptian, Ayurvedic Indian, Greek, and Roman healers used it as an aphrodisiac and to remedy colds and sore throats, indigestion, and other complaints. Lydia Pinkham included fenugreek in her famous 19th century "Vegetable Compound" nostrum for menstrual aches. Recent studies support traditional uses for digestion, menopausal complaints, heart disease, weight control, and diabetes.

More Information: http://www.theolivebranch.com/herbs/fenugrek.htm

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4. HEALTHY RECIPE-OF-THE-MONTH * Pineapple Sweet Potatoes
See http://www.theolivebranch.com/recipes/sweetpotato-pineapple.htm

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Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you know that might benefit from any of the above information.

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PAST EDITIONS: Special Topics, Herbs, Recipes

We have several Special Editions that we issued on particular Health Issues or Complimentary/Alternative Botanicals.

Special Topics - SPECIALS

Herbs - HERBS

Recipes - RECIPES

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Be Healthy! Be Happy!

The Culbreths

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Please note: the information contained herein has been compiled from various sources. The above statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. We make no claims, either expressed or implied, that any products mentioned in this newsletter will cure disease, replace prescription medication, or supersede sound medical advice.