Articles
COLLAGEN 101
COLLAGEN 101 Collagen is found throughout your body. It’s a structural element of bones, muscles, tendon, and ligaments in fact collagen and skin are always talked about together. This is because it’s a major component of your largest organ. Below I discuss Collagen 101. You may not be aware that collagen is also found in: • blood vessels • the cornea of your eye (just about pure collagen) • teeth (it’s true!) • cartilage • discs between your vertebrae • the digestive tract The fibrous nature and strength of collagen make it an ideal protective casing for your kidneys and other organs, and connects cells all over your body to each other. It’s “large scale” from bones and organs right down to the cellular level. The structure of collagen protein is what gives it the unique strength your body needs – it’s a triple helix, three chains twisting around each other – and there are 1,050 amino acids in each of the three chains that make up collagen. They’re held together with hydrogen atoms which are the smallest of all the atoms. Glycine is the amino acid that takes up the middle of the triple helix structure because it’s the only one that can fit. These long fibres don’t just exist as single protein ropes, collagen can come together to form striated horizontal sheets. Disclaimer: You can simply click on the name of each product mentioned above (in bold) and a hyperlink will take you directly to the product for an easy purchase. Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/SallyAnnCreedSA/ in 2020.
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DEM BONES
DEM BONES If you think calcium is all you need for your bones, you’d be dead wrong. Without Vitamins D3 and K2, vitamin C and Pure Hydrolysed Collagen. You will not build healthy bone after about 25 years of age. Collagen makes up 90% of organic bone mass in fact not calcium! These three components are critical to healthy bone – Collagen, vitamin C, vitamin D3 and vitamin K2. Calcium gets all the ‘glory’ for bone strength but it’s only one of many elements in bone. In fact it’s actually something that can do great harm to the body. That is if it goes to the wrong place. Vitamin D3 and collagen are intricately involved in the health of your bones, and with vitamin K2, the calcium in food will be transported to bones instead of arteries where it doesn’t belong. Calcium embeds itself within the collagen matrix to provide strength and stiffness to bone. Recent studies show it’s not loss of calcium but rather collagen together with a low vitamin C status which leads to low bone density. This hence leads to an increases fracture risk. With enough Vitamin C, K2 & D3 – calcium can work hand in hand with collagen to make bones flexible not brittle, and thus so much stronger. Think of a green branch – how much stronger it is than a dead, dry branch? Brittle bones is another term for osteoporosis, and this leads to fractures – you want ‘flexible’ but strong bones. Dr Tom Levy also shows how osteoporosis is in fact scurvy of the bones – but that’s another thing – suffice to say Vitamin C in bone healthy is pivotal. Any damage to the collagen network in our bones can lead to up to a 50% loss in bone strength. As well as 30% loss in elasticity or flexibility. Bone mass peaks at the age of 20 years old. Keeping it there is the secret to never getting osteoporosis or osteopenia. Disclaimer: You can simply click on the name of each product mentioned above (in bold) and a hyperlink will take you directly to the product for an easy purchase. Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/SallyAnnCreedSA/ in 2020.
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CAN YOUR LIVER AFFECT YOUR THYROID?
Absolutely! Firstly, remember the inactive T4 hormone made by the thyroid needs to be converted by the liver. It is converted into the active form – T3. So if your liver is not in good nick, you may find your thyroid is somewhat sluggish. Improving liver & gut health is the first step to improving thyroid health. The thyroid gland affects metabolic rate and while the body provides glucose for energy from food – if you are exercising or haven’t eaten for a while – your liver is responsible for supplying the glucose. This glucose is needed for maintaining normal blood sugar levels from its glycogen stores. In order to make glycogen the liver needs the thyroid to ‘tell’ it to do so. First, the pituitary gland secretes thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). This signals the thyroid to make T4 which then goes to the peripheral tissues such as l liver, kidneys and muscles. This is where it is converted to the active form of thyroid hormone called T3. Without enough T3 you won’t get that much glycogen. Which means you will experience low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and very poor phase 2 detoxification by the liver. Disclaimer: You can simply click on the name of each product mentioned above (in bold) and a hyperlink will take you directly to the product for an easy purchase. Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/SallyAnnCreedSA/ in 2020.
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Antibiotics do more than kill bacteria - They stop nutrient absorption too
Antibiotics kill the bacteria that are causing illness by bursting bacteria cell walls, and destroying the proteins and DNA that keep the bacteria alive. Unfortunately, they also kill the good bacteria in your gut that you need for healthy digestion, and interfere with your body’s ability to absorb some critical nutrients. While there are hundreds of different antibiotics, most can be grouped into six classes that treat different conditions: Penicillin Cephalosporins Aminoglycosides Tetracyclines Macrolides Fluoroquinolones Each of these medications is used to kill different bacteria in different parts of the body, each interacting differently with nutrients in your diet and supplements – some more devastatingly than others. They can interfere with your ability to absorb critical vitamins and minerals, which can lead to additional health problems and nutrient deficiencies. They kill gut bacteria – both good and bad and all antibiotics have this effect. INTERACTIONS There are MANY, but here are 3 examples: TETRACYCLINE (usually used for acne) can block absorption by binding with minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc in the GI tract. Taking Vitamin C with tetracycline may increase levels of the antibiotic, but the antibiotic may decrease the effects of Vitamin C in the body. It interferes with vitamin B activity and absorption – and likewise the other way round. So take them away from each other. This particular drug is very damaging to the liver. Using these antibiotics in the long-term can lower the body’s levels of B2, B9 (folic acid), B7 (biotin), B6, and B12. The University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) recommends that people taking tetracycline for longer than two weeks ask their doctors about supplementation. NEOMYCIN interferes with B-12 and folic acid activity by decreasing absorption or increasing elimination. UMMS recommends supplementing if taking neomycin for more than a few days. CEPHALOSPORINS reduce Vitamin K absorption. But essentially they ALL can have long-term side-effects which can be devastating. OUR ADVICE IS AS FOLLOWS: AVOID them if you can!!! Use instead the highly effective “protocol” of AV/AT and AntiBiobotanical with PLENTY of Vitamin C like we do, to avoid antibiotic use. They work as well without the damage to the gut and to the liver. (You will find these all at https://sallyanncreed.co.za/shop Take a good probiotic anyway, like MaxiProbiotic. Don’t be too quick to take antibiotics unless you are seriously infected. Get bed rest and change your diet if you get frequent infections. Read 63 DAYS TO OPTIMUM HEALTH on how to remain healthy. That’s the key STAYING HEALTHY! A healthy body will avoid most disease, viruses and other ills. It’s your ‘health insurance’ You can get AntiBioBotanical, AV/AT, Vitamin C, MaxiProbiotic, and 63 Days to Optimum Health from our online store at https://sallyanncreed.co.za/shop.
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Time to Ditch the Boxed Cereals
It’s pretty scary – you will find entire aisles devoted to ‘dead’ food in the supermarket, one of the biggest and longest aisles is usually the cereal aisle. Do you have any idea how toxic these so-called ‘healthy breakfasts’ are? Sure, they are touted as slimming aids, promise boundless energy, supposedly supply nutrients to growing children and appear from adverts to be an absolute daily essential for all ages. Sorry but this is far from the truth. The healthiest part of that boxed cereal is the box itself, I really mean it. Have you ever read what’s on the back of a cereal box? No? Let me enlighten you then. Here are a few of the ingredients in cereal boxes (and I mean a few) – I have several cereal boxes here (I bought them, tossed the contents in the bin, & kept the boxes for my research): Sugar (usually the first item on the list) – more sugar than you can imagine! Wheat bran and wheat variants (very bad for the gut) Added gluten (if you don’t know yet, gluten’s not good for you!) “Flavouring” features heavily – these are chemicals, not real flavours TBHQ – a carcinogenic “antioxidant. No, this is not an antioxidant – it simply prolongs shelf life (not your life), it’s not safe – and is one of many such ‘antioxidants’ Very many “E” numbers, which almost always signal chemical additives Vegetable fat/palm fat (hydrogenated or not, this is ghastly for the arteries and lungs) Malt (more sugar) – and is in so many products Plenty of maize (GMO and not good for the body, nor is it nutritious) Loads of soya (don’t even get me started on soya…but this too is GMO) Lots more, check them out yourself next time you wander down the ‘cemetery’ aisle Cereals also have carbohydrate and calorie counts through the roof, so don’t be surprised if your scale disappoints you next time you weigh yourself if you are a serial cereal eater (sorry, couldn’t resist that ). In some cereals, you are getting 12-17+ teaspoons (or the equivalent) in sugar per serving as well as all the other gunk and chemicals. Another disturbing thing is that the maize and soya (bad enough on it’s own) is genetically modified in this country. The so-called “vitamins” added are in such miniscule amounts (and almost 100% synthetic) that a flea would not benefit from their intake. Cereal puffs, flakes, and shapes made in factories are subjected to such intense pressure and heat that they actually liquefy into a slurry. This slurry allows the grains to be easily shaped into puffs, flakes, and other shapes that make each cereal distinct, before soaking it in sugar and chemicals. But at the end of the day, it’s all the same gunge. The manufacturing process used to make boxed cereal is called extrusion – if you want more eye-popping information on the food industry and extrusion, look here. Just make sure you’re sitting down first. This process is so violent and denaturing that the proteins in the grains are actually rendered toxic and allergenic by the process itself. Don’t think “organic cereal” is any different – it’s not. Sugar is sugar is sugar. And don’t forget, cereals are heavily treated, processed ‘food-like’ products – they are not classed as real, whole food. If you don’t feel like egg and bacon every day, here are a few other ideas: Good old-fashioned egg and bacon is still a very healthy meal by the way, with a few tomatoes, even a piece of steak from last night’s dinner, mushrooms etc – you won’t even think about food the rest of the day Make a healthy wrap (use an egg in a pan to form a ‘wrap’) fill with your choice of mushrooms, chicken livers, salmon, rocket, etc. Or use a healthy wrap you’ve made. Nothing wrong with leftovers from last night either – there are no rules! Make a healthy smoothie with blueberries, homemade almond milk, Pure Hydrolylsed Collagen or Whey Protein Isolate, walnuts or pecans, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, a touch of honey, and some BarleyLife powder or a green powder of your choosing. If you absolutely must have cereal. Make your own Swiss Bircher Muesli or similar, grate in an apple and you have a delicious cold brekkie. Eating a whole food breakfast sets your blood sugar on the right path daily. Your health is too important to pour damaged/junk food down your or your children’s throats. Our precious bodies are worth caring for. Treat yours well and you will reap the benefits. Disclaimer: You can simply click on the name of each product mentioned above (in bold) and a hyperlink will take you directly to the product for an easy purchase. Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/SallyAnnCreedSA/ in 2020.
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The magic of L-Glutamine
Why you’ll LOVE Glutamine: Encourages weight loss Dramatically curbs carb and sugar cravings! Intestinal repair, particularly leaky gut Helps bowel regularity Enhances mental clarity Improves overall digestion Improves nutrient absorption Helps calm stress Speedier recovery from exercise Faster recovery from operations Here are some other ways glutamine supports your body: Relieves muscle soreness (amazing for recovery from exercise) Athletic injuries Excellent in autoimmune conditions Helps chronic fatigue Prevents gas and bloating Prevents cachexia in cancer victims Controls diarrhoea and constipation Eliminates food sensitivities Helps eliminate rashes/hives Reduces/eliminates bad breath Improves absorption – prevents nutritional malabsorption Excellent for healing eczema, acne Good in Crohn’s disease, colitis Excellent in managing diabetes Helps adrenal fatigue Why wouldn’t you want to take it? Get it here – couriered to your door! Mine is the purest grade available in the world (there are many grades). Disclaimer: You can simply click on the name of each product mentioned above (in bold) and a hyperlink will take you directly to the product for an easy purchase. Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/SallyAnnCreedSA/ in 2020.
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More vitamin D3 premium benefits:
Here are just a few more great benefits of Vitamin D3 Premium: Supports intestinal permeability and manages Zonulin levels Enables normal mineralization of bones and teeth Enhances insulin production and supports beta cells in the pancreas Supports emotional health and cognitive function There are too many to mention (see earlier post), but it’s nice to know more of the amazing benefits of Vitamin D3 – SO important for respiratory function too. Find Vitamin D3 Premium here https://sallyanncreed.co.za/shop/ Disclaimer: You can simply click on the name of each product mentioned above (in bold) and a hyperlink will take you directly to the product for an easy purchase. Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/SallyAnnCreedSA/ in 2020.
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Are you collagen deficient?
In the same way that eggs ‘bind’ cake ingredients together when you make a cake, so collagen is the ‘glue’ or binding agent which holds your cells together so effectively. Collagen enables your skin to move flexibly, and to bounce back into place when you press it. Now – just imagine this glue “drying up” over time as it does as we age, and that’s precisely what starts happening once you get into your 30’s and 40’s. Eventually, you may not have enough collagen in your skin or joints to do the job which leads to all sorts of collagen-deficiency problems such as: Stiff, achy joints – have you ever walked up the stairs and your knees start cracking? Or when you stand up, your hips crack? If your bones crack frequently, you could be deficient in collagen. Wrinkles and fine lines start becoming evident – if you’re losing collagen, you’re losing the glue holding your body together. Your skin loses its elasticity, so fine lines and wrinkles begin to show in your face and hands. Unexpected weight gain – because collagen is LOADED with gelatine, a gut-healing nutrient, it heals the gut. Now if you have a leaky gut, you pack on the pounds so much easier, plus it’s that much harder for you to lose weight. Heal your inflamed gut with collagen to support weight loss. I highly recommend my unique non-GMO, grass-fed Pure Hydrolysed Collagen powder – or if you prefer capsules – my Beauty Bullets (collagen-filled capsules). Disclaimer: You can simply click on the name of each product mentioned above (in bold) and a hyperlink will take you directly to the product for an easy purchase. Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/SallyAnnCreedSA/ in 2020.
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