The post Long COVID Support first appeared on ben&biao.

Do you know what you are actually buying?

Any product that makes a specific claim on its label, for example, ‘pregnancy formula’, must be backed up by scientific trials (double blind, placebo controlled clinical trials). In theory this is done to protect public safety. Every ingredient listed in the product must have these highest levels of evidence. If it has not, a company can only use the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) levels of that particular nutrient.

Due to the costs involved in running the clinical trials, many of the vitamins and minerals in a formula have not undergone clinical trials. While there is very good evidence for the use of supplements, as the formula may not have met the highest levels of evidence, RDA levels as opposed to therapeutic levels are used in many products.

Many of these products are therefore potentially very low in the levels of nutrients required for the therapeutic doses that may often be needed in particular circumstances including during pregnancy, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, nervous system conditions and many others.

The quality of the product you take

It costs money to make a high quality product and subject it to the necessary clinical trials.

To save on costs and have the product cheaper at the checkout, the formula may use ingredients in formats that are cheaper and not the most absorbable and usable by the body.

Products that have been formulated by a Biochemist, Herbalist, Naturopath, Nutritionist or Doctor are generally Practitioner Only Products and must be dispensed by a qualified practitioner. They contain the optimal therapeutic doses of nutrients and are formulated with higher quality ingredients that are better absorbed and used by the body.

The cost to you and your health of the product you use

While they may cost more initially, the overall cost to you in the long term will be less in dollars and higher in the level of your health and wellbeing.

Fish Oil is an excellent example to demonstrate the importance of the quality and the cost of a product.

The heavy metals mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic are all contaminants that can be found in fish oils. Fish, particularly larger species, can absorb these heavy metal contaminants from their polluted environments. Heavy metal contaminants can be harmful for health, which is why it is important you choose purified fish oils. Impurities, pesticides and persistant organic pollutants such as DDT, dioxins can be found in fish oils and have the potential to impact health.

These pollutants can accumulate in the body and affect its ability to function and potentially play a role in the development of disease.

It is possible to buy large containers of fish oil very cheaply. However, has the oil been properly cleaned? Does it contain heavy metals? Does it contain pollutants?

The cheap oil that is bought now may cause a greater expense to your health and wallet later on.

Call into the clinic or contact us if you have any questions.

The post Why buy supplements from us? first appeared on ben&biao.

Our immune system can be boosted considerably both before and during infection in order to fight off viruses and bacteria.

Here are the basics

1. Vitamin D
2. Sleep
3. Zinc
4. Vitamin C
5. Good Blood flow
6. Herbal Support

A bit more about these specifically below. I will mention that even with the best efforts occasionally you may get a cold or laid up sick with a bug. When they hit you need to rest and get support for your body and allow recovery.  Remember, antibiotics are no good for anything other than a bacterial infection and with antibiotic resistance on the rise doctors are rightly loathe to hand them out for anything other than the most serious infections. At the clinic we have herbal formulas for colds, coughs and sore throats for both adults and children. You can call us to see if we have something for you on 0403 273 008.

So what about the important stuff above. Why do you need them and how do you get them?

Vitamin D is absolutely essential to a healthy immune system. Living in Sydney you’d think with all this sun it wouldn’t be a problem to get sufficient vitamin D into our bodies. However, it’s not the sun that gives us vitamin D but the sun rays’ that help convert molecules on our skin to the vitamin D we can use. There are many pieces to this process but in short you need the sun, cholesterol (yep!) and magnesium to make vitamin D.  Now, before you pull out the chip fryer and say ‘ the health expert says I need more cholesterol’ I’d like to point out that you probably have more than enough cholesterol from a very clean and green diet. In the West we don’t generally have a cholesterol deficiency problem !! but you may need to up your magnesium which is an important mineral needed in the conversion process and because many of us stay out of the sun very possibly need to up your vitamin D levels with supplements. A supplement providing 2000-4000 IUI a day is good prevention this time of year. We find the pills do not deliver vitamin D as quick as an oral spray. Two pumps into the inside of the cheek and it’s done rather than 6-8 pills a day.  Ask us about our nanocelle D3 spray by emailing us on reception@benbiao.com.au

Sleep I hear you ask? Oh yes, sleep is the only time that the body really goes into repair. Let me give you a quick analogy. For those that drive imagine, if every year you put your car in for a check at the mechanics but want it back in an hour . So, while he gets the essentials done he’ll miss out on the smaller jobs. Over time, the car, while it still runs to the shops it’s no longer smooth, and it starts making noises and eventually you don’t feel it will do the trip to the blue mountains and back. Well that is exactly what happens to the body if you don’t get enough sleep. You get the basic essentials done but everything else gets left and the longer you miss out on sleep the worse the body feels, looks and operates. If you aren’t getting enough sleep (7-8 hours adults and 9-12 for children including teens!) then now is the time to address that problem. If you think your sleep depravation is not down to watching late Netflix but more related to emotional or unknown reasons then it would be good to chat to either Sally or Heidi at the clinic to see how to address this. It may be a nutritional deficiency but may be from stress or anxiety in which case we may suggest a course of acupuncture.

Zinc and Vitamin C: These anti-oxidants are the powerhouses of immune health.  Zinc we suggest 10g for adults, teenagers about 20g a day and children about 5g a day. Not all zinc powders are the same so check the absorption level. For vitamin C, if you are eating citrus fruit or drinking orange juice regularly you should have your dietary requirement. It’s when you catch a cold or virus that you can up your dose. You can go to 2000mg a day for a short while but long periods of high dosage will cause diarrhea and possibly organ damage so don’t stay on those levels.

Blood flow: you need to get those nutrients to the right place so blood flow is important. Regular exercise and movement is key when you are well. Walking daily with stretching is great for the days you don’t want to go to the gym. Remember when you are ill to give your body a rest. If its exerting energy on physical exercise it’s taking away from the recovery which will take longer.

Herbal support: You can do this with pills, powders, teas and broths before and during cold season. My absolute favourite herbs for boosting immunity before getting a cold are Huang qi (astralagus) and Ling Zhi (Reishi). I have reish tea most mornings during autumn and winter and, my chicken broth tends to contain a bag of herbs which include astralagus and reishi as well as some other immune enhancing properties. I then add the resulting broth to everything that I cook.  It makes NO difference to the taste but adds in really immune boosting properties. If you’d like reishi tea, mushroom powder or a bag of herbs for your soups or broths chicken we sell it in the clinic.  * Stop taking both astralagus and astralagus in the acute phase of a cold…other herbs are needed then.

On that last note, now is a great time to ditch the salads and move to warm soups and stews. Dig out the slow cooker and make your life easy by throwing everything in a pot and coming back 8 hours later to dinner.  To celebrate winter solstice, I also make a mulled wine in the slow cooker which I throw in all our Kidney Yang tonics. It’s gained the nickname ‘libido love tonic’ . If you need the recipe then email me on Heidi.dunn@benbiao.com.au as I’m not sure its right for this blog! !

In the meantime I’ve put a a nice winter breakfast recipe below

Take care and stay healthy..

Immune boosting Tea – Peppermint tea and mix in a ¼ tsp of reishi powder. Available at the clinic.

Immune boosting breakfast – Ingredients for 1 serve

15g Astragalus root (Huang Qi)
2 cups water
1/2 cup rolled oats
A small handful of coarsely chopped walnut pieces
30g Goji berries (Gou Qi Zi)
A pinch celtic sea salt
Honey or Maple Syrup to sweeten

Directions

1. Place the astragalus root and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for about 20 minutes. You should end up with about 1 cup of astragalus ‘tea’.
2. Remove the astragalus root from the liquid with a slotted spoon.
3. Add the rolled oats, walnuts, goji berries, and salt to the liquid and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked to the desired consistency.
4. Serve warm, drizzled with a small amount of honey, if desired.

You can prepare the astragalus tea the night before if you prefer and then soak your oats, salt and goji berries over night in it. Add the walnuts in the morning and then briefly cook your porridge.

Book now or call to 0403 273008 to find out how we can help you.

The post Winter Immune System first appeared on ben&biao.