New Leaf Wellness

Dietary supplements: Do They Help or Hurt?

Original article: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/dietary-supplements-do-they-help-or-hurt

What you need to know before taking a vitamin or mineral supplement.

The average American diet leaves a lot to be desired. Research finds our plates lacking in a number of essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and D. It’s no wonder that more than half of us open a supplement bottle to get the nutrition we need. Many of us take supplements not just to make up for what we’re missing, but also because we hope to give ourselves an extra health boost—a preventive buffer to ward off disease.

Getting our nutrients straight from a pill sounds easy, but supplements don’t necessarily deliver on the promise of better health. Some can even be dangerous, especially when taken in larger-than-recommended amounts.

How Much of Each Nutrient Do You Need? Here are the recommended levels of daily intake for several important nutrients.
Nutrient	How Much You	Don’t Exceed
Calcium	1,000–1,200 mg	2,000 mg
Folate	400 mcg	1,000 mcg
Iron	8 mg	45 mg
Vitamin A	700 mcg RAE*	3,000 mcg RAE
Vitamin B 6	1.5 mg	100 mg
Vitamin B 12	2.4 mcg	No established upper limit
Vitamin C	75 mg	2,000 mg
Vitamin D	600–800 IU	4,000 IU
Vitamin E	15 mg	1,000 mg
*Retinol activity equivalents

The Excitement Over Supplements

We’ve heard a lot of encouraging news about supplements. A series of studies hailed vitamin D as a possible defense against a long list of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, depression, and even the common cold. Omega-3 fatty acids have been touted for warding off strokes and other cardiovascular events. And antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and beta carotene were seen as promising silver bullets against heart disease, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Here’s the big caveat: Many of those exciting supplement studies were observational—they didn’t test a particular supplement against a placebo (inactive pill) in a controlled setting. The results of more stringent randomized controlled trials haven’t yielded the same good news.

“Often the enthusiasm for these vitamins and supplements outpaces the evidence. And when the rigorous evidence is available from randomized controlled trials, often the results are at odds with the findings of the observational studies.”

– Dr. JoAnn Manson, Chief of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Principal Investigator of a large randomized trial known as VITAL (Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial).

Because observational studies may not fully control for dietary factors, exercise habits, and other variables, they can’t prove whether the treatment is responsible for the health benefits. “People who take supplements tend to be more health conscious, exercise more, eat healthier diets, and have a whole host of lifestyle factors that can be difficult to control for fully in the statistical models,” Dr. Manson continues.

Diving Deeper

Some supplements that were found to have health benefits in observational studies turned out, with more rigorous testing, to be not only ineffective but also risky. Vitamin E, which was initially thought to protect the heart, was later discovered to increase the risk for bleeding strokes. Folic acid and other B vitamins were once believed to prevent heart disease and strokes—until later studies not only didn’t confirm that benefit but actually raised concerns that high doses of these nutrients might increase cancer risk.

How to Get Your Nutrients

We need a variety of nutrients each day to stay healthy, including calcium and vitamin D to protect our bones, folic acid to produce and maintain new cells, and vitamin A to preserve a healthy immune system and vision.

Yet the source of these nutrients is important. “Usually it is best to try to get these vitamins and minerals and nutrients from food as opposed to supplements,” Dr. Manson says.

What Are The Best Sources?

Fruits, vegetables, fish, and other healthy foods contain nutrients and other substances not found in a pill, which work together to keep us healthy. We can’t get the same synergistic effect from a supplement. Taking certain vitamins or minerals in higher-than-recommended doses may even interfere with nutrient absorption or cause side effects.

Food Sources of Nutrients
Nutrient	Food sources
Calcium	Milk, yogurt, sardines, tofu, fortified orange juice
Folic acid	Fortified cereal, spinach, lentils, beef liver
Iron	Oysters, chicken liver, turkey
Omega-3 fatty acids	Salmon, sardines, flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans
Vitamin A	Sweet potato, spinach, carrots, cantaloupe, tomatoes
Vitamin B6	Chickpeas, salmon, chicken breast
Vitamin B12	Clams, beef liver, trout, fortified breakfast cereals
Vitamin D	Salmon, tuna, yogurt, fortified milk
Vitamin E	Wheat germ oil, almonds, sunflower seeds, peanut butter

How Dr. Manson Weighs Supplements

Before you take any supplements for disease prevention, it’s important to know whether the potential benefits outweigh the risks. To make that conclusion, you need to look at the results of well-designed studies. A recent randomized trial in men suggested multivitamins have possible benefits for cancer prevention. For many of the other popular supplements, including vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, results from randomized controlled trials should be available within the next five years, according to Dr. Manson.

Until then, be judicious about your use of supplements. If you’re lacking in a particular nutrient, ask your doctor whether you need to look beyond your diet to make up for what you’re missing—but don’t take more than the recommended daily intake for that nutrient unless your health care provider advises it.

Choosing supplements do not have to be hard with New Leaf Wellness‘s compounding pharmacy, New Leaf Rx. Learn more about you can have them delivered directly to your door step and formulated specifically for you!

Testosterone and Fatigue

Learn More about Testosterone and Fatigue

“Mark”, a 48 year old gentleman came to my office complaining of fatigue, an increase in aches/pains, an increase in irritability, and a decreased ability to build muscle. He still has a good libido but had noticed a decrease in morning erections. “Mark” had seen his regular doctor who told him his labs were normal and that he needed to exercise more but he was too tired to do that. He knew there was something else going on. When NLW doctor reviewed his symptoms and lab results, we both agreed that he suffered from low Testosterone. At first, “Mark” was concerned about the risks associated with replacing Testosterone based on recent news releases. We went over the study that the news was citing. The news reports were telling men that Testosterone replacement increased heart disease risk.

However, the study being cited had tested older, high heart disease risk men whose Testosterone level was never in an optimal range and they were treated for too short a time to even show a benefit. Optimal Testosterone levels are around 600-1400 depending on the male, men in this study were averaging levels in the 300 range. This was a poorly done study, and it is a shame that it was used to scare men away from seeking help.

More on Testosterone Studies

In fact, there are many studies showing that when Testosterone levels are optimized and given enough time to work, that Testosterone actually is protective for the heart as well as the brain. Remember that the normal Testosterone lab values are not optimal–they are simply the expected values based on testing the male population—both ill and healthy. You want optimal levels if you want a life of vitality.

Optimizing a man’s Testosterone level involves replacing his Testosterone along with starting healthy lifestyle changes. Testosterone is best replaced with bio-identical Testosterone–biologically identical to what your body is designed to respond to. Mark was given the choices on replacing his Testosterone. Creams which are applied twice a day. There are synthetic gels and patches on the market but they are not bio-identical-using them can cause unforeseen complications since they are chemically different from what your body is designed to work with. A compounding pharmacy makes the bio-identical Testosterone. You can not buy it at a regular pharmacy. A quality compounding pharmacy offers safe and effective bio-identical creams.

What Are Other Options?

Creams are painless but you do need to remember to apply them daily and there can be a pulse like absorption after application. In addition, you do need to be careful about getting the Testosterone cream on others. Testosterone injections are another possible form of Testosterone replacement, and they tend to be more effective than creams but your liver has to process it into a bio-identical Testosterone. There is also a pulse like absorption, and you need an injection once to twice a week. This mode of replacement requires the most monitoring by lab work.

Testosterone pellets are bio-identical and are absorbed on a more constant level with a natural increase when your cardiac input increases–similar to your natural physiology. They work very effectively. Testosterone pellets have been well documented to protect the heart, bones, and brain as well as resolve symptoms. It does involve an in office procedure where the pellets are inserted in the fatty tissue of your buttocks and it is the more costly of the three choices. Which form of Testosterone replacement a man chooses depends on the individual.

What about “Mark”?

“Mark” chose Testosterone pellets, and after about 2-3 weeks he felt better- he has energy, is able to build muscle, feels mentally balanced and can pole vault out of bed again. He also has the focus to get back into the gym and fine tune his diet to include more vegetables (organic) and less processed foods.

Do you have symptoms similar to Mark? Take our hormone health quiz for a quick, overall checkup! Click here > Hormone Health Test for Men

We also offer a Hormone Health Test for Women!

Who Should Take This Food Sensitivity Challenge?

Do you ever feel like you may have certain symptoms related to foods, such as headaches, stomach pain, diarrhea, or fatigue?Who should take a Food Sensitivity Challenge? Why? Do you feel you may want to try eliminating possible triggers, but you are not sure where to start?

Our Food Sensitivity test measures your body’s IgG immune response to 90 foods that are commonly found in diets.

An improvement in food sensitivity symptoms after eliminating the triggering food source is always the best test. Rather than randomly eliminating foods over many months and assessing your change in symptoms, you can have a directed elimination plan. An antibody IgG immune response can offer guidance on what foods may be the best to eliminate temporarily, then complete an add back challenge to identify symptom producing foods.

What To Look Out For

Food can trigger an immune response which may manifest itself in physical symptoms such as:

Dry and itchy skin
Other miscellaneous skin problems
Food intolerance
Feeling bloated after eating
Fatigue
Joint pain
Migraines
Headaches
Gastrointestinal (GI) distress
Stomach pain

To learn more or schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss with one of our staff members, contact us today!

What Now?

Follow the Dr’s recommendation on the elimination diet. Test yearly for the latest information on what is causing inflammation in your body. Be sure you are getting your follow up tests completed and you will not have chronic health problems due to inflammation caused by sensitivities of food.

Water. Everything You Need To Know.

Yeah, yeah. You’ve been told many times that you should be drinking more water. Here’s everything you need to know.

But is water really that important? Why all the fuss? Does it really matter that much? The short answer is ‘Yes!’ The long answer is ‘If you don’t drink enough water, crazy bad things can happen to your body!’ What sort of things? Read our 11 reasons why you should seriously be drinking more water and find out!

Reason #1: To Essential for you body! Let’s start with the most obvious reason to drink water: you’ll die if you don’t! Generally speaking, the body can’t survive for more than a few days without water. If you’re in a dry environment, the timeframe is even shorter.

As noted in LiveScience, your body tends to follow the “Rule of Threes”:

You can live for 3 minutes without air, though we don’t recommend trying it. In a harsh environment — say, it’s snowing — you have 3 hours to survive without shelter. After 3 days, you need water or you’ll perish. You can make it 3 weeks without food, though we promise you that won’t be fun.

The first and most important reason to drink water is that it is absolutely essential for your body to function. Neglecting water eventually leads to total shutdown of your body and, ultimately, death.

Reason #2: To Maintain the Proper Amount of Fluids Your body is approximately 60% water. The presence of water in your body is essential for transporting nutrients, maintaining your body temperature, blood circulation, producing saliva and tears, digestion, and a bunch of other functions.

Failing to stay hydrated can lead to significant health problems. In fact, Mercola noted that driving after failing to drink enough water can be as serious as driving while drunk:

When you’re dehydrated, you’re more prone to irritability and fatigue. Your cognitive functions, including your ability to concentrate, also take a hit, and this can have serious ramifications if you’re behind the wheel. According to a recent study published in the journal Physiology and Behavior, dehydrated drivers made twice the amount of errors during a two-hour drive compared to hydrated drivers. Remarkably, this is similar to driving drunk!

Reason #3: To Lose Weight Water is not a magical weight loss tool. No matter what crazy diet commercials tell you, drinking more water won’t cause the pounds to literally melt away.

However, water can play a vital role in losing weight. First, you can use it as a substitute for insanely high-calorie beverages like soda. Drinking soda is basically like drinking a candy bar. It’s loaded with calories and sugar and almost always leads to weight gain.

Drinking water also can fill the stomach and stave off hunger pangs. There’s a reason why dieters have been consuming water as a part of dieting for years. The more you have in your stomach, the less hungry you feel. Consuming a large glass of water before a meal can significantly aid you in portion control.

Reason #4: To Boost Muscle Performance – Failing to drink enough water can cause your electrolyte levels to fall. Lower electrolyte levels lead to muscle fatigue which then leads to poor muscle performance. This is why it’s so crucial for athletes to consume large quantities of water. If you find your muscles flagging too quickly, it may be a sign that you’re not drinking enough water.

Reason #5: To Keep Your Skin Looking Fresh Remember, your body is 60% water. Your skin contains large amounts of water, which prevents your body losing excessive amounts of fluid. When you become dehydrated, your skin can quickly dry out and become flaky. You’re also more prone to wrinkles when you are significantly dehydrated.

If you want to keep yourself looking youthful and vigorous, be sure to drink large amounts of water every day. If you consume significant quantities of caffeinated beverages such as coffee, you’ll need to drink even more water since coffee is a diuretic.

As Randall K. Packer wrote in Scientific American:

“Drinking alcoholic beverages actually causes dehydration because ethanol depresses the level of the anti-diuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP). As a result, urine volume increases such that more fluid is lost in urine than is gained by consuming the beverage.”

Reason #6: To Keep Your Kidneys in Tip-Top Shape Your kidneys are primarily responsible for flushing waste out of your body. However, they require significant amounts of body fluids to remove waste from your cells and excrete that waste through urine waste.

When you become dehydrated, your body is less efficient at cleansing itself from toxins. If your urine is a dark color, it’s probably a sign that you need to drink more water

Reason #7: To Keep Your Bowels Moving Smoothly Have you ever found yourself sitting on the toilet with a wicked case of constipation? It may have been because you didn’t have enough water in your system. Water keeps things moving smoothly in your gastrointestinal tract and keeps you from getting plugged up.

When you don’t have enough water, your colon will begin drawing water from your stool as a way to prevent dehydration. When this happens, you become constipated.

Reason #8: To Stop Being Cranky Dehydration can significantly affect your mood, making you feel grumpy and even confused. Plus, when you’re dehydrated your body functions less effectively, which can lead to feeling even more irritable.

As CNN.com noted:

A small study published in the Journal of Nutrition tested mood and concentration in 25 young women who were either given enough fluids to remain properly hydrated or who became mildly dehydrated by taking diuretics and exercising. The dehydrated women—who were at a level that was just 1% lower than optimal—reported headaches, loss of focus and irritability. When you fail to drink enough water, your body begins sending signals to let you know that you need to be better hydrated. If you find yourself in an unreasonably irritable mood, consider drinking water.

Reason #9: To Minimize Joint Pain Water keeps the cartilage between your joints supple and hydrated. In fact, the reason glucosamine helps minimize joint pain is by increasing the ability of cartilage to absorb water. Staying properly hydrated can minimize aches and pains in your joints. If you’re regularly afflicted by joint pain, reach for water first, before you take the painkillers.

Reason #10: To Minimize Headaches It’s a terrible feeling. Your head is pounding and there’s nothing you can do to escape it. Except maybe there is. Dehydration can often lead to headaches. A pounding headache is yet another way your body may signal that it is dehydrated. The next time you find your head throbbing, down a couple glasses of water.

Reason #11: To Ensure Your Body Is Getting Proper Nutrients Water is absolutely necessary for circulating nutrients throughout your body. When you don’t have enough water in your system you can’t properly feed your body, which can lead to a variety of problems. To maintain optimal health, drink water on a regular basis.

Simple Ways to Drink More Water…

Constantly carry a water bottle around with you. Keep a bottle on your desk, your car, and on your end table. They will serve as a constant reminder to drink water.

Use an app to regularly remind yourself to drink water. You could use a simple reminder app, such as the one that comes standard on an iPhone, or an app designed specifically to help you remember to drink water.

Set a goal. Ideally, you should be drinking approximately 64 ounces (1.9 liters) of water every day. If you drink coffee or alcohol, this should be even higher as those beverages tend to dehydrate you.

Add a small amount of flavoring to your water. Many people don’t like the taste of plain water. A simple way to get around this is to add a bit of fresh fruit to your water. A slice of lemon, a strawberry, or even a slice of cucumber can add a fresh flavor to plain water.

Drink a glass of water before every meal. As mentioned above, drinking water before a meal fills your stomach and can help you eat less. This also can be a fantastic reminder to drink more water.

Get a smart water bottle that will regularly remind you to drink water. For example, the Hydrate Spark water bottle will track your water consumption and remind you to drink more frequently.

Drink carbonated water. If you’re trying to kick the soda habit, carbonated water can be a great alternative. It allows you to still have the fizzy taste while also allowing you to consume more water.

Conclusion

You should drink more water! Whether you’re an athlete looking to improve your performance or you just want to be happier, water is the key.

Now drink up!

Sleep without Medication

Want to know how to sleep without medication?

Do you ever have trouble sleeping?? Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?? You are not alone! Lack of quality sleep is a big problem and it is a cause of many other problems.

There are prescription medications that can help you, but they can be addictive and have side effects. If you want to avoid prescription medications and still get good sleep, you can!

What first…

First, you want to try to figure out why you are not sleeping. If it is something that is on your mind then you will want to seek the help of a counselor. Daily journaling and regular exercise has proven to help calm your mind. If you are drinking caffeine limit your intake to 1 or 2 cups a day and no later than 1 pm. Be sure that you are eating small meals throughout the day and keeping your blood sugar balanced. If it is hot flashes or night sweats that wake you up, then get your hormones checked. Balancing your progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen definitely help hormonal symptoms.

Take a quick Hormone Health Quiz to check!

For WOMEN

For MEN

Please note: If you think that you have any underlying medical concern affecting your sleep, you should get a medical evaluation.

What’s safe?

There are several natural supplements that can help you to sleep. Melatonin, kava, and valerian are the most effective. It also helps to take slow deep breaths when lying in bed and keeping your bedroom dark and quiet. With a little effort on your part, you can get great sleep without medication!

We offer a free consultation to discuss these symptoms and figure out if you are in need of hormone balancing. Contact us to get started!

MIC Injection for Weight Loss

What is in MIC Injections?
It can be said that MIC Injections will reteach the body how to function. MIC Injections can give weight loss efforts a boost and the benefits of weight loss will be seen sooner.

What is in MIC Injections? The name stands for the MIC injection’s ingredients:

Methionine: This is one of the ten essential amino acids. Methionine is considered a lipotropic amino acid, so it is responsible for reducing fat and cholesterol levels. It is the M in MIC injections.
Inositol: This is a co-factor that works with Vitamin E, C, and B vitamins to also metabolize fats and cholesterol, but also does the extra work of transporting and redistributing fat in the body so that it can be used where it is actually needed (not around the belly or in the thighs, for example). It is the I in MIC injections.
Choline: This is a co-factor that works beautifully with Methionine because it also is responsible for metabolizing lipids. It is the C in MIC injections.

Exactly How Can MIC Injections Benefit People Who Are Overweight?

As a team, the combined work of the three ingredients in MIC injections help your body learn to use fat properly, breakdown fats, and prevent the body from storing extra fat. Combining MIC injections with Vitamin B12 shots can also will get even better results. The Vitamin B12 shot makes a great compliment to the MIC injections for weight loss as it speeds up the metabolism, boosts energy and mood, and reduces stress. MIC injections and the Vitamin B12 shot make a powerful combination of nutrients that conquer not only the causes of excessive weight gain (fat utilization) but also the effects (weight gain, low energy, and depression). Together, the MIC injection and Vitamin B12 shot reteach your body how to lose weight, and keep you motivated in your new diet and exercise lifestyle through increased mood and energy, without giving you the jitters or stress that often come from taking pharmaceutical drugs or caffeine as a metabolism booster. MIC and Vitamin B12 injections help your body naturally learn how to lose the weight and feel great, until it is ready to do it completely on its own through diet and exercise.

Do MIC Injections Replace The Need For A Change In Diet Or Lifestyle?

MIC injections do not replace the body’s need to change a diet or lifestyle. It helps the body learn what to do with the fat that the body is still ingesting in the new diet and combined with exercise, will help burn the fat better. Changing the diet and increasing exercise is essential to losing weight. MIC injections will help see the effects faster and help the body maintain the weight loss longer because it helps reprogram the metabolism.

To learn more, talk to one of our NLW team members to get your questions answered. Contact us today!

Slow the Effects of Menopause and Andropause Naturally

We often hear about menopause, and it is frustrating symptoms for women, but did you know that it can happen to men too? Male menopause, or andropause is real, and like in women, it can cause symptoms that range from uncomfortable to life-altering, even increasing your risk for diseases and other serious health issues. We are sharing 5 helpful tips to slow the effects of menopause and andropause naturally to better help you live your best life.

Did You Know?

Both types of menopause can cause the person to stop feeling like themselves. In women, these symptoms can start in the 30’s and 40’s and/or last until the 60’s. In men, by the age of 60 most will have hormone deficiencies, particularly in testosterone.

5 Natural Weapons to Fight Male and Female Menopause Symptoms:

1. Bio-identical Hormone Therapy
Natural Hormone Therapy is the most effective treatment for relieving symptoms and preventing age-related diseases. Individualized testing by a hormone therapy expert is necessary to safely and effectively restore the proper balance of all your hormones.

2. Remove Inflammatory Foods
We all know we should eat healthy to get healthy. But you may be eating “healthy” yet consuming foods that cause inflammation in your body. Pay attention to how you feel after you eat certain foods, or even better, take a food sensitivity test to know for sure.

3. Exercise
Regular strength exercises can help both men and women alleviate certain symptoms, build muscle and bone strength and reduce stress.

“They help me get my life back- play, work, sex and to feel great again! I feel young again!”

– Rodney W., New Leaf Wellness Patient

4. Try Meditation
The slow movements, focus on breath, and meditative nature of practices like yoga, tai chi and qi gong can help relieve symptoms like hot flashes and improve mental focus.

5. Reduce Stress
Everyday, chronic stress is toxic and leads to elevated cortisol levels and in turn, serious health issues and symptoms. Slow down, don’t sweat the small stuff, and make changes to remove stress-inducing triggers from your life.

Find out how you can take control of your menopause and andropause symptoms and what your personalized treatment might be at New Leaf Wellness, West Des Moines, IA!

Do you know where your hormone levels are now? Know more about your hormone health with our simple quiz that provides immediate results.

Hormone Health Checker- for Women

Hormone Health Checker- for Men

Bio-identical Hormone Pellets

When replacing your hormones with bio-identical hormones you have several options: capsules, creams, troches, and pellets. Pellet therapy is not well known but has been around for decades. It is a safe and effective way to get Testosterone (for men and women) and Estrogen (for women). The dosage that you receive is customized based on your age, sex, weight, activity level, symptoms and lab work. Bio-identical hormone pellets are not a one size fit all solution.

Personalized Medicine

Bio-identical pellets are about the size of a tic-tac (but thinner)and are placed in the fat in the upper outer quadrant of your buttocks. This is done in an office setting after local anesthesia is applied. The procedure takes a mere minutes and is very well tolerated. The area is slightly sore for a few days for women and about a week for men. It is easily tolerated and the incision site is so small no sutures (stitches) are needed.

Message for Women…

For women, it is advised that for four days to avoid exercise that works the buttocks muscles and avoid baths and jacuzzi tubs. Basically, you are not to immerse your incision site in water or heavily work your buttocks for four days after the procedure. Walking and showering is fine.

For Men…

For men, we advise the same restrictions but for seven days. Men get more Testosterone pellets than women do which can be a little bit larger incision for additional pellets. So again, you are not to immerse your incision site in water or heavily work your buttocks for seven days after the procedure.

Could your hormone levels be off? Is that what is causing YOUR SYMPTOMS?

Find out now with our Hormone Health Test that provides immediate results!

Hormone Health Test- for Men

Hormone Health Test- for Women

For Everyone

The hormones in the pellets are released over time and most closely resemble the body’s natural hormone production. With initial pellet therapy, it may take one to three weeks to feel the effect of the hormones and then the results are maintained over a period of three to six months. If there is no effect four weeks after the initial pellet insertion then consult with your physician. Most individuals can start to feel a difference in a week. **Lab work and a possible booster may be in order if you are not seeing bodily changes after a month.

We have had the pleasure of working with thousands of individuals who like you are just searching to find something to feel better or on the verge of accepting these aging symptoms as the new quality of life, and we are here to share with you the thousands of people have chosen not to accept this as good as it gets. To read our testimonials from our patients, click here!

Testimonials from Men

Testimonials from Women

Once your hormones balance, your physician will work with you individually to come up with an optimal time for you to re-pellet. This is dependent on your body’s needs and usage of Testosterone and/or Estrogen. Bio-identical hormone replacement is a customized therapy that is individualized to you! To schedule a complimentary consultation, please contact us today and start living a better life!

Why Add a Hyaluronic Acid to Your Skincare Regimen?

Why add a Hyaluronic Acid to your skincare regimen?

Is it good for acne and also normal to dry skin?

Hyaluronic acid is phenomenally helpful for all skin types. For those with oily skin, and sensitive or normal skin hyaluronic acid does remarkable things in the skin. Most acne patients are terrified of the word moisturizer, but Hyaluronic Acid is exceptionally lightweight texture that feels weightless on skin even though it has such concentrated moisturizing properties. It also replenishes moisture level so the helping the skin from overproducing oil. For those with sensitive skin it’s also incredibly gentle but drenches skin with long-lasting hydration.

“You don’t want the audience to be staring at your frown lines when you’re playing a beautiful song.”

– Brooke, 31 age, NLW Patient

10 Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid

The dermatologic and aesthetic benefits of Hyaluronic Acid Serum are too numerous to count. Here are just ten of the amazing ways hyaluronic acid enhances the health and appearance of your skin.

Hydration – Able to hold up to 1000 times its molecular weight in water, hyaluronic acid penetrates the skin and binds skin cells to water, infusing all layers of the skin with valuable, rejuvenating moisture.
Humectant – After infusing the epidermis with valuable moisture, hyaluronic acid continues to draw moisture in from the surrounding environment to provide lasting hydration benefits.
Lipid barrier enhancement – Hyaluronic acid fortifies the skin’s natural barriers to lock moisture in for an even more dramatic hydrating effect.
Increased resilience – By enhancing the skin’s natural barriers, the skin is better able to defend itself against environmental age-factors and pollutants.
Tighter skin tone – As it fills the skin with moisture, Hyaluronic acid tightens the overall complexion and firms facial contours for a more youthful appearance.
Smoother texture – Much in the same way it tightens the skin, it also smoothes the texture of the skin for a silky smooth finish you can see and feel.
Less visible fine lines and wrinkles – Hyaluronic acid reduces the size and visibility of fine lines and wrinkles by stimulating skin cell production of collagen and elastin, two fibers that contribute to skin elasticity.
Stimulates skin cell regeneration – In addition to stimulating skin cell production of collagen, hyaluronic acid promotes skin cell regeneration for healthier cells and a more vibrant complexion.
Pigmentation – A description of hyaluronic acid wouldn’t be compete without mentioning ability to reduce and prevent age spots and pigmentation issues.
Clarity – By promoting proper moisture balance in the skin, hyaluronic acid prevents the over-production of oil that clogs pores to cause breakouts.

“I’m a competitive person by nature and my appearance is important to me.” – Clint, age 54, NLW Patient

To schedule a consultation, contact us today at 888-728-7555 !

Sugar and Memory Connection

We should all be able to live a long time and with a good memory. Losing your brain function is not normal, nor should it be accepted. It is time that we all realized that we are meant to live vibrantly and not slowly deteriorate for many years. So, let’s talk about the relationship of sugar and memory.

Sugar and Memory

In today’s society, many people lose brain functioning as they age and there are many causes. Of course we all know about Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease but did you know that stress, nutrition, and hormonal imbalance all can cause a bit of brain fog? I have seen a lot of patients get evaluated for memory loss, only to find out that it was one of those three things.

Sugar and Gluten

Sugar and gluten are two of the big culprits I see in a person’s diet that can affect memory. Excess alcohol/caffeine and artificial sweeteners are other things that can impact memory. Also a lack of certain nutrient can cause you to have an issue with memory. Low testosterone is often a cause and rarely checked for by doctors. If you are having memory issues that no one can figure out for you, then I advise a full nutritional evaluation, hormonal evaluation, and an evaluation of how you can manage your stress. You will be surprised how easy it can be to fix your brain when you appropriately find the problem.

Tired of Being Tired?

A common symptom we see in first-time visitors is brain fog or fatigue. Most patients say something to the tune of, “I am tired all the time” or “I am so tired of being tired“. Feeling energetic is also one of the first after effects of being a NLW patient. Like Kim and other NLW patients, they enjoying life much better!

“More energy, weight control, better sex drive, sleep better, no hot flashes or night sweats anymore.”

– Kim S., NLW Patient

More Testimonials from Women >

“Before [NLW] therapy, I was always tired and lethargic, not much get up and go, not much interest in sex, low exercise tolerance, irritability and mood swings. lack of sleep. All around not too happy. Now since [treatment], sex drive sky rocketed, more energy, better nights sleep, much much happier person and happy wife.”

– Dan H., NLW Patient

More Testimonials from Men >

To learn more about NLW services, visit our service page:

NLW services for MEN

NLW services for WOMEN