Yourtraveltoolkit.com

One of my passions besides traveling is animals and when choosing a product I have always tried to buy from companies that are cruelty free. The  products referred to on this site are made by a company that not only does not test on animals, but actively supports research on the developement of non animal alternatives. I would like  to share with you an email on the subject that I just received from Dr. Steve Chaney Ph.D :

                                                                                                            Aug.25 2009 

Hi Susan,

While clinical studies are the gold standard for
determining the effectiveness of a drug or a nutrient,
it is sometimes difficult to avoid animal studies if
you want to determine how that drug or nutrient works.
And those basic “mechanism of action” studies are often
a necessary prelude to the clinical studies.

That is why Shaklee’s commitment not to use any animal
studies in the testing of their products is so
important.

If you are passionate about reducing the use of animals
in research, you will be particularly impressed with
Shaklee’s latest research project.

You see Shaklee wanted to do some basic research on how
Nutriferon works to prevent viral infections in the
lung. So they contacted scientists at Cornell
University to do those experiments.

Shaklee contacted those particular scientists to do the
experiments because they were world experts in the
field of immunology, and they were world experts in the
development of model systems that can be used in the
place of animal studies.

The scientists asked Shaklee if they would first
support their research in developing an animal-free
model system for determining how the airway epithelium
(in layman’s terms this refers to the layers of cells
that line the lungs and windpipe) responds to viral
infections.

Shaklee agreed to support the research at Cornell in
developing a model of the human airway epithelium -
even though that research itself did not involve any
Shaklee products and was, therefore, of no direct
benefit to Shaklee.

The Cornell scientists have published their first paper
using this human airway epithelium (HAE) model system.
(Palmero et al., Journal of Virology, 83: 6900-6908).

That particular paper showed how the lungs respond to a
particular type of parainfluenza virus that is
responsible for croup and bronchitis in children

Shaklee’s support in the development of the HAE model
system was acknowledged in that paper and will be
acknowledged in all future papers using that model
system.

Of course, the research didn’t stop there. Shaklee also
supported a research project by the same scientists to
determine how Nutriferon helps the lungs resist
infection by flu viruses.

I can’t release all of the results of that study yet
because the study has not yet been published. But I can
tell you that the study showed that Nutriferon
activates “natural killer cells” when a flu virus
infects lung tissue.

This is a significant finding because, as their name
suggests, natural killer cells play an important role
in “killing” the flu virus.  We already knew that
Nutriferon helped fight viral infections, but we didn’t
know how. This research is an important part of the
proof that Nutriferon is effective.

In Summary:

1) Shaklee has supported fundamental research at
Cornell University into the development of a model
system that allows scientists to test how human lung
tissue responds to viral infections – and without the
use of animals.

2) This study is significant in itself because it will
allow scientists across the world to answer important
scientific questions that can not be addressed in
clinical trials – and the lives of many thousands of
laboratory animals will be spared in the process.

3) This is yet another example of Shaklee’s commitment
to supporting research that advances scientific
knowledge – not just research that can be used in the
marketing of their products. This commitment to true
science is unique among food supplement companies.

4) These same scientist went on to use this model
system to show that Nutriferon protects human lung
tissue from viral infection by activating natural
killer cells which destroy the virus.

5) This provides even stronger evidence of the
effectiveness of Nutriferon by showing how it works.

To your health!

Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD – P. S. I’m sure that some of you are going to ask me
about the swine flu.

This study was not done with swine flu virus, so it
does not provide direct evidence that Nutriferon will
protect against the swine flu.

However, you should know that natural killer cells are
not particularly choosy. They destroy every virus that
they come across.

Thus, I consider Nutriferon to be an important part of
everyone’s health plan to reduce the risk of coming
down with the swine flu. I will address this and other
strategies for avoiding swine flu in my upcoming CD
“Tune-Up Your Immune System”.
Dr. Steve Chaney,Durham, NC 27713 United States 888.860.2075

While cruising the web looking for information about swine flu I came accross this disturbing video news report about the swine flu vaccine. Have a look and see what you think. All the more reason to go the natural and non toxic route of strengthening the immune system as a protection against the flu virus. Click the link below to see the video/news report from “60 Minutes”.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9mh9f_swine-flu-1976-propaganda_webcam

I just received an email on swine flu from my friend Jeanette who is an RN and Iwant to pass on the info. to you: Here is what she says:

Jeannette D Jones

*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

In an earlier post I talked about how to optimize digestion and intestinal health by taking a probiotic supplement with lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria. This is especially helpful to people who are taking antibiotics which kill the good as well as the harmful intestinal flora and those who are traveling to foreign countries where sanitary conditions may be questionable. I recently read that between 40 & 50% of people traveling to developing countries run the risk of coming down with gastrointestinal problems due to microflora imbalances. Taking the best probiotic supplement you can find can do a lot to protect you from digestive upset and “Montezuma’s Revenge” or traveler’s diarrhea.

With the overwhelming numbers of products on the market, how does one find the best probiotic supplement and what makes it the best? In the first place these bacterias are very sensitive to the stomach acids and though many brands claim to have “Live bacteria” in their product it may be that they were live at the time of processing, but  killed off by the stomach acids before ever reaching  the intestines. Without actual testing it would be difficult to say how much live bacteria actually survived.

To determine good probiotic supplement contact the company and inquire if they have done any clinical testing to verify the delivery of live acidophilus & bifidobacteria bacteria to the intestines. Ask if those results have been published.

For travelers there is another challenge, because many probiotics need to be refridgerated and when you are on route that’s often impossible. I did find one that I believe is the best probiotic supplement especially for travel, because it does not have to be refridgereated, it ’s a tiny travel-size and has been clinically tested to deliver  live lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria to the intestines. Click here to learn more about and get this covenient travel-size probiotic.

*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

I’ve known about green tea health benefits for a long time, but wasn’t aware of how MANY health benefits there are until I started reading up on it for this blog post. I also wondered why Shaklee combined green tea with red, white, and Matcha teas in its little travel-size stick and was totally blown away by my findings in the research.

With its high antioxidant content green tea is recognized in Japan as a preventitive of many forms of cancer and it also appears to prevent a recurrence of the disease. According to the American Cancer Society people who drink green tea regularly are 48% less likely to develop stomach cancer and 51% less likely to develop chronic gastritis than those who don’t. Both green and white teas fight colon cancer:Three cups a day are suggested for this protective effect. (WebMD Medical News Mar. 11, 2003).

Additional green tea health benefits include protection of the cardiovascular system,  lowered liver and serum cholesterol, reduction of death from heart attack, it protects the kidneys & brain, helps create a healthy intestinal environment by encouraging the growth of healthy bacteria (bifidus). It increases metabolism and contains ingredients that reduce body fat thereby aiding in weight loss. Green tea  helps lower blood sugar in diabetics.

Matcha, Japan’s highest grade of tea, has 10 to 200 times the level of antioxidants as regular green tea and contains far more beta carotene than either carrots or spinach. Matcha is know to boost energy levels, but without the overstimulaing effects of caffeine. It also contains liberal amounts of the amino acid L Theonine which promotes relaxation and mental alertness.

Rooibos Red Tea, native to South Africa, is know there as the “Miracle Tea” or “Long Life Tea.” Rich in minerals red tea also contains 50 times the antioxidant properties of  green tea! It is said to rduce aging of the skin, brain, and internal organs, support the immune system, protect against cancer, heart attacks, & stroke. Red Tea releives stomach cramping and in South Africa it is often used to treat irritated skin, asthma, eczema, irritability, high B.P., nervous tension and still more.

The combination of these teas maximize the green tea health  benefits and you can get them here in a small travel size-stick which can be conveniently slipped into a pocket, purse, or back pack. You don’t even need to boil water as the  powdered tea easily dissolves  into warm, hot, or cold water.  For the traveler this tea is a healthy and energizing alternative to coffee or soft drinks.

*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

My first real experience with the power of  good nutrition and natural supplements came when my father, Raphael, had to have gallbladder surgery shortly after he had driven from New York to Key West. It couldn’t have come at a worse time. First there was the age factor: He was eight five. I was in N.Y. with  a job and ten rescue animals to care for so I couldn’t just drop everything to go down to Key West on the spur of the moment. My sister who lives in Vermont had already bought a plane ticket to visit him later on in the season and to top it off my dad’s doctor scheduled his surgery for  the New Year holiday weekend when it’s  very expensive to fly even if you can find an opening on a flight.

Somehow my sister managed to get down there and fortunately my dad came through the surgery very well, but then he was put in a hospital bed right next to someone who had an upper respiratory infection and was coughing constantly. A few days later my dad came down with something  that the doctors thought was pneumonia so they put him on antibiotics which upset his stomach. As a result he had no appetite which the  doctor interpreted as a depression and put him on an antidepressant: The antidepressant really wiped  him out. To make a long story short my father took a nose dive and seemed to be getting worse by the day. My sister thought we were about to lose him so I  packed my bags along with my Shaklee vitamins and their energizing soy protein figuring that it wouldn’t hurt and maybe, just maybe it would help.

I arrived in Key West to find out that my dad had been discharged from the hospital since there was nothing more that they felt could be done for him there. He was at home, frail, no appetite, and pretty out of it.  My sister and I got the doctor to agree to stop the antidepressant and the antibiotic (he’d been on the antibiotic for a long enough time).  I blended of some of the vanilla energizing soy protein powder with a little  bit of water and pineapple juice, put it in a shot glass and gave it to him along with two Shaklee vitamins. My dad took all of it and then went back to sleep. I repeated this a couple hours later and kept it up throughout the day.  After twenty four hours he ate breakfast and then sat up in the living room chair to read the newspaper.  After four days Dad  drove his van to the store to get some item he wanted and when the visiting nurse came to check on him her jaw dropped. She saw the Shaklee vitamin bottles on the table and said “Oh, so that’s what you’re taking! You know, I used to take Shaklee vitamins years ago.”

My Father, Raphael,Traveling At Age 91 To Key West, Fla.

I forgot to mention that my father  has chronic renal failure and  has to be on dialysis three times a week. When he first began the treatments he got frequent infections. Since he’s been on the  Shaklee’s “Vitalizer” the infections have stopped. My dad is able to drive and does very well as long as he keeps up with his supplements and nutritional regime. This is a photo of him that was taken when he was 91 in front of his Key West condo with his white car. He will be 93 this July and everyone thinks he is a walking miracle(me too). I am thankful for Shaklee vitamins and to my dad’s strong spirit and willingness to try them. He is taking “Vitalizer” Vivix and CoQHeart.

watch video > Vivix Antiaging Supplement With Resveratrol+

*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

Just received and would like to share with you this update on Swine flu by Dr. Steve Chaney, professor of biochemistry & biophysics at the University of North Carolina:

Hi Susan,

Many of you have been asking me about the “swine flu”.

I apologize for not responding sooner. I’ve been
traveling the past several weeks so my “Tips From The
Professor” were cued up ahead of time.

Here’s the lowdown:

By now you’ve probably heard that the “swine flu”
doesn’t come from swine and it appears to be milder
than originally feared.

However, it is still the flu. It is very contagious and
it can make you very sick for anywhere from a few days
to a week or more.

There is also a real concern that the virus could
mutate further and come back in a more deadly form this
fall.

The flu vaccine is completely ineffective against this
new strain and the most commonly used flu medicine has
relatively little effectiveness.

There are some newer flu medicines that appear to have
some effectiveness against the swine flu, but they also
have some significant side effects.

No one is currently recommending that anyone take these
medicines to prevent the flu. However, if you do come
down with swine flu you should have a serious
discussion with your doctor about risk versus benefit
of these medicines for someone of your age and your health status.

You’ve probably already heard about the common sense
precautions. If not, go to www.cdc.gov/swineflu for up
to date information.

But, let’s talk about something else that is just as
important, if not more so – a strong immune system.

If you go back into history and look at the worst
plagues known to man, some people were completely
unaffected.

The bubonic plague or “black death” killed 25% of the
population in some parts of Europe, but 75% of the
population recovered quickly or were never infected.

The Spanish Flu killed millions of seemingly healthy
people, but millions of others never even had a
sniffle.

What was the difference? You guessed it! It was their
immune system that protected them.

So, what is the secret to a healthy immune system?

Start by eating right, getting plenty of sleep,
exercising regularly and focusing on the positive.

Then add a supplement program to fill in the gaps and
assure that your immune systems is functioning
at its peak efficiency.

My recommendation for adults is Shaklee’s Vitalizer
Wellness Program.

Vitalizer and the Cinch Shake Mix provide the nutrients
that your immune system needs.

The Optiflora pearls in Vitalizer also provide the
friendly bacteria that your gut needs to function
optimally. That’s important because up to 80% of your
immune system is located in the intestine.

Finally, the Nutriferon in the Vitalizer Wellness Program was designed by a Nobel Prize winner to provide a purely natural means of supercharging your immune system for just this sort of challenge.

For example, a recently published clinical study
shows that Nutriferon reduces levels of the hepatitis C virus in the blood by 1/3 in just one month.

For kids I recommend Shaklee’s new Incredivites along with either the Cinch Shake Mix or Meal Shake. Once again, this combination assures that your kids will get the nutrients that their immune systems need.

But that’s not all. Incredivites also contains lactoferrin, an iron-containing protein found in mother’s milk that supercharges their immune systems.

Finally, for infants and toddlers I recommend Shaklee’s new Multivitamin & Multimineral Powder. It contains, inulin – a complex carbohydrate found in Jerusalem artichokes that encourages the growth of healthy bacteria in their intestine and, therefore, supports a strong immune system.

In times like these an ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure. So eat healthy foods, exercise, get your rest, think positive thoughts and take your supplements.

To your health!

Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD
Shaklee Master Coordinator

Wake Up Marketing, Inc. 6409 Fayetteville Rd. #120-302 Durham, NC 27713 United States

The outbreak of swine flu and circulating news reports have inspired me to write a post about natural measures travelers might take to optimize their immune systems in order to ward off the swine flu and other  viral strains. I became interested in the power of the immune system, our body’s natural defense mechanism, when I was in grade school. Some of  my classmates were continuously out sick with every cold and flu that went around. In fact, they were out of school more than they were in. Then there were others who seemed to be resistant and were rarely ill. Clearly there were other factors involved besides the virus itself, because we were all exposed, but not all of us became ill.

We can think of our immune system as a kind of standing army waiting to defend us against any foreign invaders – viral or bacteria strains that try to get a foothold in our bodies. The stronger our army the better it will be able to defend us against pathogens. So what can we do to strengthen our immune system? Besides reducing stress, getting enough sleep, eating well and taking a good multi vitamin  mineral supplement with adequate A, D, & C  there are certain vitamins, minerals, and herbs that have been clinically shown to support and optimize immune function. Some of these are:

• larch tree
• zinc
• echinecea
• black elderberry

There is a natural supplement that contains all four of these ingredients, has a pleasant taste, and is indicated for seasonal immune support to be taken at the first sign or symptom of cold, or flu. It has antibacterial and antiviral properties which would make it a good addition to any travel medicine kit.  Click here for more info. and to get this supplement: Emergency Immune Protection

The scientific community has identified a substance called INTERFERON as being critical to proper immune function. Interferon was discovered in 1954 by renown Japanese immunologist, Dr. Kojima, who then spent many more years searching for a natural interferon booster. His research resulted in the creation of a natural botanical formula, the only dietary supplement in the US that increases the body’s natural production of interferon stimulating immune function at the cellular level. When taken daily it is especially helpful against air born pollutants and irritants. Stale air in planes, changes in climate, food, water and poor sanitary conditions can all compromise the traveler’s immune system. This clinically proven natural supplement can offer protection WITHOUT ANY HARMFUL SIDE EFFECTS.  It is available here: Natural Interferon Booster

So, continue to travel, have fun, and take your immune system boosters for protection. Here is a short video clip on natural interferon and how it works click here 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

I’m headed for Key West tomorrow where I will look for my old friend Max. Max is 88 years old and travels from the North every fall to Key West where he lives out of an ancient yellow van. He volunteers for the National Park Service and in return they permit him to camp on their property . Max confessed to me that he is one of those people catagorized as “Sort of homeless,” in that he has no stationery place to live. A disagreeable home situation compelled him to hit the open road years ago living out of his van wherever it was beautiful and the climate right.Under the shade of a palm Max has a beach chair set up, sometimes a small table, and enjoys the view of the sea and the gentle breeze. ”I don’t need anything fancy or lots of posessions – living like this is as good as it gets and it hardly costs anything” he tells me while pointing out the flowers that he has planted  around the palm tree to give the feel of a garden.

Not  fancy by any means, but Max van is all equipped with simple practical basics: a space to sleep, a spice rack, tiny refridgerator, a small stove and even a little gym that he rigged up in the rear for doing exersizes. He demonstrated with some Jack La Lane type glamour stretchers and small weights. Everything is very compact and efficient. As for cooking, Max whips up a simple breakfast for himself and later has lunch (only $2.00)with friends at the senior citizens center of Key West. He  works out at  a fitness center several  mornings a week to keep in shape and has become friendly with local fishermen who gift him free fish from their catch on good days. This will be his dinner. Max enjoys dancing, art and just sitting outside in his chair under the palm chatting with others who, like him, have found an inexpensive way to survive, spending their winters in paradise.

 

 

Michael Angelo of Key West, Fla.

In Guatemala they called it “Tourista.” In Mexico it was jokingly referred to as “Montezuma’s Revenge.” Let me tell you, it is no joke.  Nothing can ruin a trip like traveler’s diarrhea. On the brighter side it did get me to start speaking Spanish very quickly. The first  sentence I learned to say fluently was, “Where is the bathroom?” Seriously though, Montezma’s Revenge is something you will want to be proactive about and avoid in any way possible.

The common form of traveler’s diarrhea is usually caused by bacterial contamination of food or water in areas with poor sanitary conditions. People traveling to some of the developing  countries in Latin America, Asia, & Africa are considered at risk, but even campgrounds in the U.S. can pose a threat if the facilities are primitive and not sanitary.

So, how do we prevent getting sick with Montezuma’s Revenge? Besides taking the usual precautions -  eating only fruit that you can peel, cooked food, and drinking potable water, you can take a probiotic with lactobacillus acidophilus to create an intestinal environment that is inhospitable to many pathological bacteria. Lactobacillus acidophilus is a healthy bacteria found in the small intestine which creates an acidic environment that discourages harmful bacterial strains. Another helpful bacteria is bifidus which inhabits the colon. Research suggests that if present in sufficient amounts the lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus bacteria can help maintain gastrointestinal health in people traveling abroad. It promotes long term health of the colon cells and may also inhance the immune system. It’s a good idea to begin taking the probiotic about five days before leaving on your trip and throughout the duration.

Finding a good quality probiotic can be challenging, because these bacterias are sensitive to stomach acids and many are killed off before they ever reach the intestines. I have found one that is perfect for travelers because it has:

• A special triple encapsulation system guaranteeing live delivery of acidophilus & bifidus to the intestines

• It does not have to be refrigerated.

• It comes in a tiny, convenient travel size bottle.

• It comes with a 100% money back guarantee.

You can get it by clicking here: lactobacillus acidophilus

I recently gave a bottle to my sister and brother in law who were on their way to Mexico and neither of them came down with Montezuma’s Revenge. So, I think that if you exercise reasonable caution about where and what you eat and take lactobacillus acidophilus with bifidus you’ll stack the odds in your favor.

*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.