Natural Healing For Knee Tibia Joint Complex

Q. Any recommendations to promote healing after surgery to the knee/tibia and associated joint complex for my 35 year old son? After the placement of plates and screws he is entering a lengthy rehabilitation program. He is on a multi vitamin program and Omega 3s, and has just come off blood thinners.

A. During his healing period it would be good for him to get 1200mg of calcium (through diet and supplements) for the bone healing, along with other important bone nutrients: vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin K, boron.

For joint repair I would recommend this:

• Joint Optimizer by Pure Encapsulations - take 2 capsules in the morning and 2 capsules in the evening, with meals, with 8-10 ounces water.

To support the bone mineralization I would recommend these products:

• OsteoGenesis ES by BioGenesis - provides a comprehensive blend of ingredients to support the maintenance and development of healthy bones. There are 2 products featured on the weblink, but I recommend the ES formula, as it has more key nutrients: vitamin D and calcium per serving.

• Osteo-gen by Genestra - This Phyto-gen stimulates chondrocytes, boosts osteoblastic formation, inhibits osteoclastic destruction and fixates calcium to bones to enhance, strengthen, remineralize and regenerate the bone matrix. This remedy works directly on reconstructing bone health and integrity and is indicated in any skeletal changes with hyaline cartilage inflammation.

Now that he is off the blood thinner program, I would recommend this product for pain and inflammation:

• PainX by BioGenesis - along with anti-inflammatory nutrients and enzymes, it also has White Willow Bark, which is the natural form of aspirin, which does not have the same negative GI effects as aspirin or NSAIDS. It will not provide the same level of pain relief as prescription pain meds, but it is something he could use to help reduce the amount of pain meds he may need to take.

Correcting Vitamin D deficiency with the right type of Vitamin D

Q. Since July I have low Vitamin D levels (lab values 17 & 23 ng/ml) even with Rx supplementation of Vitamin D ergocalciferol. What can you recommend?

A. I have to say ergocalciferol (D2) form of Vitamin D is not the best form to be taking to correct a Vitamin D deficiency. Your Vitamin D level should never be below 32 ng/ml.

VITAMIN D3 (Cholecalciferol) is the biologically active form of Vitamin D. Cholecalciferol is a pro-hormone that has multiple roles in maintaining bone mineralization and serum calcium levels. Active Vitamin D induces proteins that serve to enhance calcium transport across intestinal mucosal cells. In response to low serum calcium, Vitamin D also stimulates calcium re-absorption in the renal tubules to help maintain calcium levels.

There are two types of Vitamin D supplements: Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), which comes from fish oil or lanolin (from sheep), and plant source D2 (ergocalciferol), which is found in fortified foods and some supplements. D2, found in plants and made active by irradiation, is less biologically active.

Vitamin D3 is found in eggs, organ meats, animal fat, cod liver oil, and fish. It is the equivalent to the Vitamin D3 formed on your skin from UV-B. You should stay away from high dose synthetic D2 as it has been shown to be toxic at the higher dose ranges.

There are additional reasons why Vitamin D2 has a greater potential for harm. First, Vitamin D binding protein has a weaker affinity for the Vitamin D2 metabolites than Vitamin D3. Second, unique, biologically active metabolites are produced in your body from Vitamin D2, but there are no analogous metabolites derived from Vitamin D3.

In summary for these reasons, you will only want to use Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) - Vitamin D Supreme by DFH

You should be taking a higher dose of Vitamin D3 (10,000 IU /day - 15,000 IU) and getting at least 10-20 minutes of sunlight daily to help you get your levels up. Making sure you are taking calcium along with it is recommended, and continue to go to your doctor to get your Vitamin D levels monitored.

Benefits of Green Superfood Drinks

Q. What are the benefits of taking a green superfood drink? If I already eat enough vegetables, are they necessary? I've heard some brands contain mostly fillers such as rice bran and lecithin. Which do you think is the best one in terms of the combination between nutritional density, taste, and price. I've tried a couple that just tasted like swamp water.

A. Green superfood drinks provide additional antioxidant support and nutrients to help aid the body's protection of cellular damage, and the nutrients are important to support the liver's detoxification process. Overall, these greens help the body maintain a more alkaline pH, which results in lowered risk for disease and lessens the burden of many of our organs to function in a healthier way. Enzymes that are provided in these green drinks help clean up unnecessary waste products and reduce inflammation in the body which can burden the body's overall health over time.

One of our favorites is PaleoGreens because it is made from mostly certified organic ingredients. This comes in lemon-lime or mint flavors. Both are tasty, and sweetened with stevia. The fact that most of the ingredients in this are certified organic is reflected in the price. Design's for Health reports one serving has equivalent antioxidant capacity to 4 servings of vegetables, based on ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity), a USDA-developed method for measuring antioxidant activity.

This is some further information from DFH: "Unlike other greens products, we never add fillers or bulking agents (such as whole grasses, apple fiber or pectin, rice bran, or flax), which can greatly dilute nutritional potency and are a potential source of genetically modified material. Because the cellulose fiber in whole grass is indigestible, it prevents the grass’s valuable phytonutrients from being released in the digestive system." and "No alfalfa, a common ingredient in all other leading brands (which has been shown to cause autoimmune disease)"

Please see the link I've included for this product and to read our many customer reviews. PaleoGreens does contain organic rice flour and unbleached lecithin.

NanoGreens is also a nice greens mix. You get more powder for the money, but it doesn't contain as many certified organic ingredients as PaleoGreens, though many are. There is only one flavor, and it has a mild taste and it is also sweetened with stevia. BioPharma Scientific states that NanoGreens supply the proven phytonutrition / antioxidant power of up to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables of all the colors. This is based on their independent lab test for ORAC values.

NanoGreens does not contain alfalfa either, but it does contain rice bran and lecithin. Both companies are very careful about their formulation techniques and are quality products.

This being said, it is great you are eating vegetables, current ADA recommendations are 9-13 servings daily of fruit and veggies for better health. This is a lot of servings, but if you do not get this in your diet, then you may want to consider supplementing with one of these greens products to get the additional nutritional support.

Muscle cramps, muscle stiffness, and workout recovery

Q. What do you recommend for workout recovery? I have muscle cramps, muscle stiffness, and I would like to optimize my fat burning during workout.

A. Here are my recommendations for you with links:

• MuscleAid by Biogenesis - To support muscle growth and proper contractions. Also helpful to relieve muscle cramps and stiffness. Add one heaping teaspoon (4.5gm) to 3-6 fl. oz. of water/juice or to food, once or twice daily.
• Maxi-HGH by DaVinci Labs - This is a high-potency amino acid supplement which supports normal human growth hormone levels, as well as cardiovascular health and reduces sugar cravings. Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, mix 1 scoop per day in 8 oz. juice or water and take on an empty stomach at bedtime or right after strenuous exercise.

Another supplement to consider is CLA. It helps target fat around the waist. This has been demonstrated in some published research studies.

Also for smoothies you might check out our organic whey protein smoothie packages! This is very high quality protein whey that provides a complete protein with all the amino acids. Other products featured here (PaleoGreens & PaleoReds) have great antioxidant and immune system support. If you want to give our products a try for your mid-day smoothie, you can still add your nuts/nut butter and flax oil. Wait until the end of the blending process before you add the protein. Too much blending is going to damage the fragile proteins, and it is best to leave them intact as much as possible. Also for guys, I recommend using fish oil instead of flax oil. The first package comes with a fish oil we often recommend to our clients.

For a good low-carb bar, I would recommend any of the bars that are on this webpage: Low Carb Bars. Please take a minute to look through to see which one may appeal to you. You can purchase a few to try, but normally we sell these by the box.

Please suggest a female multi-vit to replace Centrum that will help eye fatigue?

Q: Could you recommend a good women's multi-vitamin to replace Centrum and an eye vitamin (I have floaters & spend many hours in front of the computer)?

A. Since you work many hours on a computer, it is important to take care of your eyes. I would recommend these:

• OcuForce by DFH - is an excellent eye vitamin. It protects the eyes against exposure to light-generated free radicals.
• Krill Oil - is a high quality fish oil with natural carotiniods which provided added benefits to the eyes, while the essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the oil help reduce inflammation which can be contributing to your eye floaters.
  
• Finest Fish Oil Capsules by Pharmax - I would suggest taking 2-4 softgels in addition to the Krill. This also comes in a liquid. If you can take up to 6 fish oil softgels (about 3g of fish oil) a day this should help the floaters and also improve dry eye if you have it.

I addition, to the Ocuforce and fish oils, for a supportive Multi here are a couple of recommendations:

• Women's Synbiotic Nutritients - if your are not pregnant or lactating, this one might be good for hormonal support and basic nutrient needs
• Woman's Twice Daily Essential Packets, which contain prepacked doses of this DFH Twice Daily Multi along with a bone mineral formula, a female-hormone balancing formula and a fish oil. These daily packets are appealing because they are ready to go and easy to take.