GWTP Step by Step

GET WITH THE PROGRAM™

A Program to Complement Your Healthy Lifestyle

Are you struggling with a list of health goals and don't know where to start? Perhaps you lack energy or have muscle soreness that won't go away. Or maybe you feel like you just cannot focus mentally. You’d like healthy options for your health to-do list but the multiple choices for your multiple questions are so confusing that you choose to do nothing!

Try a simpler way: Get with the Program™

Whether you're new to supplements or not, you need simple answers and perhaps a few guidelines, too. Your body may already be telling you that something is amiss. Staying well or getting well is a process and no two people are alike so there is no "one answer fits all".

That's the simplicity of the Program. You learn about which supplements do what and choose based on what your goals. It may take a little adjusting and time to get to a point when you feel they are "working" for you. Don't give up! We know it is not easy to get help with non-drug, complementary therapies. Get with the Program was developed to help you navigate the supplement shopping aisle and make informed choices for your health.

You do need to know one important fact. Supplements are not magic bullets and they cannot prevent or cure any condition or symptom that you have. Supplements are designed to complement a healthy diet and fill in any nutritional gaps to help your body function better. Your body has basic requirements that need to be met on a daily basis that include proper nutrition, restorative sleep, flexibility and movement and relaxation from stress. Making sure that your lifestyle is balanced is your role in the program.

With all the interest in nutrition and its role in the ever-increasing obesity, heart and other health problems, it makes sense to consider supplements as part of your healthy lifestyle. Research has established many nutritional deficiencies and imbalances in many health conditions. As a company which offers supplements to help meet some of these nutrtional gaps, we hear first hand from people who want to use supplements wisely but may not know how to make those wise decisions. That's why we developed Get with the Program™ (GWTP). The beauty of the Program is that the products are designed to work together.

So let's get started!

THE PROGRAM Step by step

1. Customize YOUR program.

You may be living a healthy lifestyle and watching your diet, staying in motion and guarding your sleep. But you feel that you could feel better. A nagging feeling of low energy or muscles that don't seem to recover well. Symptoms are your body's way of telling you that it needs help functioning. Whatever your reason, supplements may be missing piece of your health puzzle. You may want to start with one supplement and track your progression before adding others. As with most endeavors, time, practice, consistency and patience are come before changes.

2. Evaluate your GI health before you start.

A healthy gastrointestinal (GI) system requires a balance between "good" and "bad" bacteria for proper digestion and nutrient absorption. Pre- and probiotics, fiber, fermented foods and certain plants help support the microbiome of your GI tract. You need your digestion and GI tract in optimum working order or your health will be compromised. Some people like to do a cleanse for a week or two before starting a supplement regimen. You can read about it in the Pre-Program Detox article to see if it might be helpful for you. Work with your health care professional if you have food allergies andante GI disorders such as celiac, irritable bowel and Crohn's.

3. Take a daily multiple.

A multi-vitamin-mineral (MVM) is the foundation of the Program as it fills in any nutritional gaps. A good MVM contains the daily value of required nutrients in bioavailable forms for best absorption. Check the MVM for it contains minerals, often left out of one-a-day vitamins as they simply don't fit in the tablet or capsule. That's why taking a MVM with that requires multi-dosing is needed to provide a good nutrient profile. You eat several times a day for energy needs and taking a MVM with meals is an easy way to remember and insure nutrient coverage. Check the Supplement Facts box and do comparisons to make sure you are getting value for your health dollars.

4. Take a bioavailable magnesium form.

More than 75% of Americans are deficient in this important mineral. An estimated 600 cellular reactions require magnesium, including the energy production cycle. Every cell in your body requires magnesium for the energy it needs to stay alive. Nerves and muscles contract and relax with the help of magnesium. The list is too long to mention. There's an intracellular test to check for low levels, but most health care professionals do not order this particular test so if you do check your magnesium status, be sure to ask for the test by name, Magnesium RBC Test. If you struggle with poor energy, unrestorative sleep or vague muscle aches, your body may be telling you it needs magnesium. While a common form like magnesium oxide is often used in supplements, it is not GI friendly. An organic form that is 2-3 times the absorption over oxide or sulfate is Albion's organic chelated magnesium bis-glaciate and di-magnesium malate. Albion has a strong history of clinical testing and human trials and that's why companies who care about your health use it in their formulations. When you are looking at magnesium, understand that it requires certain co-factors for absorption and utilization like B1, B6 and manganese. Since malic acid is required for the energy, cycle and helps with muscle soreness too, look for it in a high absorption magnesium formula.

5. Maximize energy.

Mitochondria are the energy powerhouse of every cell and studies suggest a malfunction in many health conditions. Magnesium is critical to the energy production in the mitochondria as are other nutrients. Co-Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is fuel for mitochondria and supports heart and muscle energy needs. CoQ10 also appears to be a neuroprotective antioxidant as well to nerve cells. CoQ10 comes in two forms, ubiquinone, and the reduced form, ubiquinol. Alpha lipoic acid is another antioxidant found in the mitochondria that is crucial part of the energy cycle. Malic acid, as mentioned, supports energy production, too, often combined with magnesium in supplements for that reason.

6. Sleep, Rest & De-Stress.

Healthy functioning requires restorative sleep. Besides the act of resting, the brain is involved in repairing, resetting and other vital processes for optimal functioning to reach REM stage, the body cycles through several sleep stages and any interruptions may mean not getting to that restorative state. Most pharmaceutical drugs do not get you into REM sleep. Melatonin is a hormone your body uses to tell you to sleep or wake up (your body "clock"). If you are low in serotonin, the neurotransmitter precursor to melatonin production, you may wake from sleep. 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin and is available in supplement form, as is melatonin. Plants that offer relaxation include valerian root extract which contain the 0l.8% valerenic acid content and lemon balm extract. The standardized form was used in studies. Another way your body relaxes is with the neurotransmitter GABA which has a calming action on over-excited mind and body. GABA is also available in supplement form.

7. The serotonin connection & 5-HTP.

Muscle aches and discomfort disrupts sleep at night. A low or sad mood can dampen your day. The neurotransmitter serotonin is a key to your mood, muscle aches and restless sleep. Often selective serotonin norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitors (SNRI) or serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be prescribed for mood or sleep. The medications are designed to control your body's ability to use its own supply of serotonin but does not help your body "make" more serotonin to correct the imbalance. 5-HTP is the precursor or building block for serotonin which in turn influences mood, body aches and is. precursor to melatonin, your body clock. One important note is that 90% of serotonin is made int eh GI tract which requires magnesium for proper synthase. So a healthy GI and adequate magnesium levels are needed for mood, aches and sleep too!

8. More help for active muscles.

Are you aware that D3 is not a vitamin? Its role for body health is mainly acting like a hormone. One of

its functions is its role in how nerves relay pain signals. Dr. Pellegrino, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician who treated more than 40,000 patients in his practice, notes that he often finds low D3 levels in some of his patients whose muscle soreness or pain persists. He checks D3 levels with a common blood test offer by most labs. Restoring D3 levels to 50 ng/dL often helps those with low levels. Another D3 function is helping to regulate calcium into bones so it is a required nutrient for bone health (along with magnesium). Other nutrients help relax muscles and nerves to ease soreness are GABA, valerian root extract and lemon balm extract. Since some soreness is caused by an over-active inflammatory response, consider plant power from curcumin extracts, too. Curcumin as a supplement if often bound to a phospholipid shown to help its absorption so less dosing is needed. Finally, denatured chicken collagen appears to interfere with enzymes involved in the inflammatory response, as demonstrated in studies with a patented form of UC-II®.

9. Brain & Cognitive Support.

It's no surprise that it's not just the brain that contributes to cognition and thinking, even with its 80-100 trillion nerve cells. There are millions of nerve cells in the spine and the central nervous system, is a vast network of 80-100 trillion nerve cells in the brain alone with millions more in the spinal column that convey trillions of nerve signals for you to move, think and function. Concentration, recall, speech and mental performance can be affected by anything else going on the body which takes the brain's attention off thinking. Poor sleep, when your brain is trying to "reset" to normal, contributes to the problem. Several nutrients support nerve signaling such as acetyl-l-carnitine that helps with energy needs and is a precursor to acetylcholine that helps neurons "talk" to each other. Phosphatidyl serine is a fatty lipid that helps the stability of nerve cell membranes (which are lipid) both to protect them from oxidative stress and healthy membranes are needed for proper signaling. Because the brain uses a lot of energy, free radicals are inevitable. Plant power from ginkgo biloba gingolides, huperzine, RoseOx® and Gotu Kola pass along their ability to help with blood flow that delivers needed oxygen and nutrients, as well as to a healthy immune response against damaging free radicals. Another antioxidant that is fat soluble and helpful for nerve cell health is alpha lipoic acid. While these nutrients cannot make you smarter, they do support healthy thinking!

10. Add an Omega-3 oil. (Fish or Krill).

The importance of omega-3 oils to health is so strong that the FDA, which helps regulate the supplement industry, has allowed a heart health claim for it. Most supplements companies cannot claim any health benefits from taking supplements even though it's one of the number one ways to establish health is through nutrition. Omega-3 is found in cold water fish like salmon and crustaceans like krill and part of the essential fatty acid family or EFAs for short. EFAs are polyunsaturated fats that the body required for health. But the body cannot produce EFAs and that's why they need to be diet supplied. Since so few Americans consume the needed omega-3 in diet, supplementing for your brain and nerves is the way to go. Look for molecularly distilled omega -3, though, that is tested free of contaminants, especially mercury.

11. Consider colostrum.

Colostrum is a nutrient rich superfood that mammals produce for their newborns to provide important growth factor nutrients. About 75-80% of Dr. Pellegrino's patients report benefits from taking colostrum. Colostrum also contains important enzymes and immunoglobulins. Human growth factor is produced in small amounts after exercise and sleep. It helps the muscle repair, energy levels and cognitive function but declines with age. Although the liver breaks down growth hormone too quickly to check easily in the blood, it is converted to IGF-1 which can be measured. While HGH injections are available they are too expensive for most. A bovine colostrum supplement is considered an alternative as it is naturally high in growth hormone.

12. Moving through life.

The human body was meant for motion. Flexibility is your ability to move without compromise. Life, injury and trauma all affect muscles, nerve and joints and wear away your ability to function as you would like. Safe exercise and not overdoing is one way to help, especially when combined with a healthy diet that meets your body's nutritional needs. Supplements that provide some of the building blocks for joint cushioning that naturally occurs in joint spaces include hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, chondroitin and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) may help with the body's natural repair processes. As your body makes these substances, they are well tolerated in supplement form. Activity requires energy which in turn creates free radicals that also cause cellular damage and provokes inflammation. Antioxidants quench free radicals and support a healthy immune response while UC-II® chicken collagen and curcumin phospholipids help with a healthy inflammatory response. Support the integrity of your bones with minerals magnesium, calcium, vitamins K2 and D3. While calcium is readily available in many foods, the rest of your bone nutrients are not and a comprehensive formula would include them.

YOUR Program

You may be overwhelmed after reading through these 12 steps but don't forget. It is YOUR program and your choices! Educate yourself to what the supplements that may help do and decide whether your health goals include that benefit. Try one supplement or two and keep notebook of whatever you take and when (with meals is often a good strategy). Put your best effort in and you'll get your best results. If you have questions about the Program, we're here to help. Email [email protected] and we'll get back to you!

One Final Note: Before you begin any supplement program, talk to your health care professional for individual medical advice, especially if you are currently on any prescription medications.