Grace’s Blog

I happened to catch the Oprah Show yesterday (Wednesday, March 24, 2009). It seemed like I was watching a science fiction show.

Did you catch it?  If not, go to Oprah.com and see what’s going on in the field of science.  Amazing things!

There was a guy who had lost the end of one of his fingers.  He got some stuff, who knows what, from his brother.

He applied it to the end of his finger, wrapped it in a bandage, and like magic his finger re-grew…fingernail and all.  It was un-real.  You have to go and see it.

Dr. Oz was showing Oprah all the new things science is discovering to help us live longer healthier lives.  Good stuff.

At the end of the show, Dr. Oz said there was one thing everyone could start doing now to help the body live longer.  Start taking a resveratrol product.

I would encourage you to look at my February 24, 2009 post for the article on resveratrol.  It will be a good review.  Remember, not all resveratrol products are created equal.

The resveratrol product I use and recommend has another anti-aging ingredient in it.  This product has been patented twelve different ways to protect the formula and the technology to produce it. 

Resveratrol mimics a calorie restricted diet.  Some of the guests on Oprah’s show practice a calorie restricted diet. 

This means they eat fewer calories than suggested for their height and weight. They get their calories from nutrient dense foods.

Following a calorie restricted diet is really hard to do. I know it is for me.  I take my resveratrol in a liquid tonic each day.  Delicious!  It also increases mitochondria which give me energy.  See my Mitochondria post of March 2, 2009.

Shaklee Dist.

New word.  Mitochondria?  What is it?

Mitochondria are what I call tiny energizing batteries in our cells.  They are what convert our food into energy.  Without them, the body cannot live.

Mitochondria are linked to about everything that goes on within the cell.

You can trace about any condition that has to do with energy balance…like diabetes or muscle wasting, which comes with age, at least in some part, to problems with mitochondria.

Mitochondria are more likely to get damaged in the course of everyday living.

They help convert fat, protein or carbohydrate into ATP (big words here…adenosine triphosphate).  ATP is what transports energy the cell uses to fuel the chemical reactions that keep us alive.

As we age, our “little batteries” start to decrease and don’t have the energy they once had.  Damaged mitochondria can lead to disease.

What can you do to increase your mitochondria?

Aerobic exercise can increase mitochondria. You need to run, cycle, walk briskly, or swim for at least 15 to 20 minutes a day three to four times a week.

So get moving…or you can take an anti-aging tonic proven to increase mitochondria.

Shaklee Dist.

Have you ever thought of buying a new car, what the color would be, the make and model?  Then once you bought it,  you started seeing cars just like yours everywhere.

It’s the same thing with “resveratrol.”

If you are like me, you are seeing “resveratrol” pop up all over the place.  What is it? 

Basically it is an ingredient in red wine, but we can’t drink enough wine to get all the beneficial effects. Therefore, supplement companies are putting it out in pill or liquid form.

Resveratrol is a molecule so tiny it penetrates the wall of almost any cell in an organism.  It continues into the cell nucleus, to the cell’s genetic machinery.  There, it selectively switches on genes that aid the survival of an organism. 

Do you feel like you are in biology class?

Using gene silencing, it switches off genes involved in the initiation and progression of disease, blocking replication of bacteria, viruses, fungi and tumor cells.

Resveratrol extends life by influencing gene functions.  It has been shown to extend the life of yeast cells, fruit flies, round-worms, fish and even over-fed laboratory mice.

New studies show it slows the onset of virtually all aging diseases: heart, arthritis, cancers, and Alzheimer’s.

Other new discoveries show it does still more–repairs alcohol-damaged livers, slows bone loss (osteoporosis) boosts endurance, promotes hair growth, and re-energizes cells. 

You can understand why scientists are spending billions in research dollars trying to unlock the secrets to longevity and those studies include resveratrol. In fact, there are over 2000 research publications about it.

Many news organizations have reported on what scientists are discovering, including:

The Barbara Walters Special, April 2008, “Live to 150: Can You Do It?” Fortune, January 19, 2007, “Can Red Wine Help You Live Forever?”  “Could We Live Forever? (Or Even Come Close?)” ..CBS News, Nov. 11, 2007, and “Red Wine Ingredient The Secret To Long Life?” ..CTV.ca News Staff, June 4, 2008.

Before you run out and purchase the first resveratrol product you can find, be aware, not all resveratrol is created equal.  You may find yourself sitting on the “john” more often than you want to. 

Resveratrol naturally contains an ingredient called Emodin, a natural laxative which causes many people to have diarrhea.

Shaklee Dist.