Healthy Choices E-News

Helping you make healthy choices for life

 

 

February 2005

 

 Welcome to this month's edition of the Healthy Choices newsletter and a special welcome to all our new subscribers.

 Each month we feature up-to-date information on health issues that may affect you and your family.  We also look at one of our many product ranges; provide details of our latest special offers plus give you a chance to win one of the products from our toxin-free range. 

 

This month’s E-News gives an update on the ban of many of our dietary supplements.  We also feature the 2nd Chance hair care system which is available in our exclusive Offer of the Month. 

 

Do remember to enter our competition this month if you live in the UK or Europe.  This month's prize will help to condition your hair without leaving the tacky, lifeless feeling that many conventional conditioners do.

 

I hope you find this month's newsletter interesting and informative.  If you have any suggestions for future articles, I'd be happy to hear from you.

 

Best wishes

Sue Bedford

RGN

Diploma in Nutrition

 

 

Contents:

 

§       EU Ban on Vitamins & Minerals

§       Health Bites

§       NEWAYS 2nd Chance Hair Care System 

§       February's Special Offers

§       Competition – chance to win a 50ml bottle of Exuberance Conditioner from the Hair Care range

§       Useful Websites

§       Alternative Pension Plan

 

 

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EU Ban on Vitamins & Minerals

 

Many of you will be aware that on 1st August, a large proportion of vitamins and minerals currently on sale in Europe will be removed from the shelves forever.  This is happening because of the Food Supplements Directive, which our individual governments passed in 2003. This one Directive will control the fate of dietary supplements for the 450 million or so Europeans dispersed among 25 EU member countries.  In one stroke, 75% of vitamin and mineral forms, the first nutrient groups to be dealt with by the Directive, will be banned. Herbal preparations will also be banned in the future. 

 

Many of the forms to be banned, ironically, are the natural food forms such as natural vitamin complexes and a huge array of organically-bound minerals.  Normally, we should get these from our food but due to modern farming practices, studies have shown a dramatic decrease in these nutrients in the past 50 years. (see http://www.healthychoices.ukhq.co.uk/Our_Food_Today.html)  

 

More than 40% of us take mineral and vitamin supplements and a third of us take them every day.  So who is going to gain from this ban?  Certainly not those who actively look after their health.  It seems incomprehensible that anyone can legally buy health destroying cigarettes and alcohol, yet will be unable to purchase vitamins and minerals which have been proven to benefit health.  The people who will gain the most from this Directive are the pharmaceutical companies.  Not only will they lose competition from alternative health practitioners who recommend natural forms of dietary supplements but they will also be able to sell their synthetic versions of vitamins and minerals which remain on the EU’s Approved List, albeit in lower dosages to those presently available.

 

Campaigners against the Directive point out how illogical and badly thought out the Approved List is.  For example, forms of iron known to cause stomach upsets in some people will be permitted, while ones taken up more easily by the body will be outlawed.

 

And naturally occurring folic acid - found in spinach - will be banned, while the form sold by pharmaceutical companies will be allowed.

If this is the first time you have heard about the Food Supplements Directive, then it shows how clever our governments have been in giving this issue a low profile.  Thankfully, there are organizations campaigning against this, the largest of which is the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH), led by Dr. Rob Verkerk.  For the past 2 – 3 years he has tirelessly been gathering evidence to show how devastating this new legislation would be to the people of Europe.  It goes against all our basic human rights to choose what we consume.

 

In 2004, Dr Verkerk and a similar organization to the ANH, made a legal challenge against the Directive stating that it is unlawful.  They had a hearing by a High Court judge, Mr. Justice Richards, who granted ANH permission to challenge the Food Supplements Directive at the Courts of Justice in Luxembourg.

This challenge took place in Luxembourg on 25th January 2005.  The UK, Portugese and Greek governments had all made objections to the challenge but only the Greek government representative turned up in court. 

 

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice stated that the Directive was “as transparent as a black box!”.  He was appalled at how the Approved List had been put together.

 

Dr Verkerk said after the hearing:  “It was remarkable that the vast majority of points that we had gone to great length to show the Court were not countered in any effective way by the opposing parties. The Commission, the Council and the Parliament were not able to give any adequate scientific explanations for why so many forms of vitamins and minerals that naturally occur in foods could be banned across the EU.”

 

The Advocate General announced that he would deliver his opinion on 5th April 2005, while the Court is expected to give its judgment in June, shortly before the ban would otherwise be set to come into effect on 1st August 2005.

 

Although this is great news, we cannot hold our breath just yet.  The outcome of this will have repercussions across the whole world as the U.S is considering implementing the same ban there under pressure from the pharmaceutical industry.

 

To read more about all that the Alliance for Natural Health is doing on your behalf, visit http://www.alliance-natural-health.org.

 

For the sake of the future health of the world, this ban must be defeated. 

   

 

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Health Bites

 

Colon Cancer Link to White Bread

Scientists in Oxford who followed 11,000 men and women for 17 years have shown that those who ate more than 15 slices of white bread per week had twice the risk of colorectal cancer.

Whilst this may be in some way due to refined carbohydrate, the findings may occur because people who eat lots of white bread have poorer diets anyway.

The scientists also found that there was no link to meat consumption, even though vegetarians were less likely to develop the disease.

Source: Icon Magazine, Nov-Dec 2004; Vol 3, Issue 4, p32

 

Second-Hand Smoke Can Kill Your Children

Children who are exposed regularly to second-hand smoke are three times more likely to suffer from lung cancer than peers who live in non-smoking homes, according to a new study. In a survey of more than 120,000 people in the U.K., all of whom were exposed at some point to second-hand smoke, some 125 people were diagnosed with lung cancer and related diseases such as cancer of the larynx and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Moreover, the incidence of lung cancer was particularly acute among those who had never smoked at all.

Ex-smokers weren't off the hook either. They faced up to twice the risk of respiratory diseases from passive smoke than those who never smoked, largely because their lungs were probably already damaged.

Source: BBC News January 28, 2005

 

 

Eggs Can Prevent Blindness

Age-related macular degeneration is a common cause of blindness. But, lutein is an antioxidant that can help prevent this condition. Lutein is a carotenoid found in green, leafy vegetables (eg. spinach), fruits and eggs, and it is just as important to your health, if not more so, than beta carotene.

Lutein acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells against the damaging effects of free radicals. But, because your body doesn't make lutein, it must be obtained from food or vitamin supplements.

A group of patients were given different sources of lutein, including supplements, spinach and eggs, all of which provided the same amount of lutein per day. When the results were measured, however, those who had eaten eggs had THREE TIMES more lutein circulating in their blood. Why? The lutein in eggs comes in a lipid form and is more highly bioavailable.

Source: Journal of Nutrition August 2004;134(8):1887-93

 

 

SUNSHINE:  It's really good for you, and it prevents cancer
Most people believe that sunbathing is bad for you, and can cause the skin cancer malignant melanoma.  Study after study has confirmed this, and even government agencies advise against exposing your skin to the sun.  But two new studies reveal that the sun can fight malignant melanoma and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. 

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have discovered that the UV rays from the sun and sun lamps can reduce the risk of developing cancer - and especially non-Hodgkin's - by up to 40 per cent.  In a separate study, researchers at the University of New Mexico found that people who had high exposure to the sun were less likely to die from skin melanoma.

The key may be the health-giving benefits of vitamin D from the sun, which triggers the body's own immune system.  Other studies have suggested that arthritis can also be the result of sunlight starvation.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2005; 97: 195-9 (melanoma study), and 199-209 (lymphoma study)

 

 

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NEWAYS 2nd Chance Hair Care System

 

 You only have to take a walk down a busy road to see how many people suffer from hair loss. It's not just men but an increasing number of women have this deeply embarrassing problem too.

If your hair is thinning then you can do something about it. 2nd Chance Shampoo has been called the Baby Bio of hair care. If you really have a big hair loss problem then you can also use the 2nd Chance Conditioner and Super Booster as well.

You can find out more about these products by clicking on the following links:

UK – http://www.healthychoices.ukhq.co.uk/UKStore/2ndchance.html

Europe - http://www.healthychoices.ukhq.co.uk/EuroStore/2ndchance.html

Also see February’s Special Offer for some great savings.

  
  

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February's Special Offers

 (Available to residents of the UK & Europe, only)

 

 Skin Care Offer

 

If you are concerned about recent findings which show that some skin care products can actually age your skin prematurely, then you will want to find safe alternatives that help to protect and nourish your skin.

Our skin care offer consists of Extra Gentle cleanser, Bio-Mist moisturising spray and Skin Enhancer moisturising cream which are the basic 3 products for optimal skin care.

 

You can find out details by clicking on the following links:

 

UK – http://www.healthychoices.ukhq.co.uk/UKStore/Month_Offer.html

Europe - http://www.healthychoices.ukhq.co.uk/EuroStore/Month_Offer.html

 

 

** Exclusive to E-News Subscribers **

 (Available to residents of the UK & Europe, only)

 This exclusive offer for E-News subscribers only is great value for money.

 

2nd Chance Pack

 

If you have thinning hair, you may be keen to try these special products to see if they will improve your hair condition.  They have had impressive results with hundreds of people in the past.

 

We are offering a 50ml bottle of 2nd Chance shampoo and 2nd Chance scalp conditioner for just £12.50/€18.85, saving you £1.48 / €2.09

You can find out details by clicking on the following links:

 

UK – http://www.healthychoices.ukhq.co.uk/UKStore/0205.html 

Europe - http://www.healthychoices.ukhq.co.uk/EuroStore/0205.html

 

 Offers end on 5th March

 

 See next month’s issue for more offers.

 

 

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* Competition *

 (Available to residents of the UK & Europe, only)

 

 Answer the question below and you could be the winner of a 50ml bottle of Exuberance Conditioner worth £3.29/€4.91.  For details on Exuberance, go to http://www.healthychoices.ukhq.co.uk/UKStore/Haircare.html
 

Question:  What month this year is the EU ban on vitamins and minerals due to come into force?:

    a) April

    b) June

    c) August

 

 To enter, e-mail competition@healthychoices.co.uk and put your answer in the Subject line.  Closing date is 5th March.  Should there be more than one correct entry, the winner will be chosen at random.

 

January’s Competition Winner:  Conny from Stockton-on-Tees.

 

Congratulations Conny. The correct answer was b) As we get older, our production of gastric acid actually decreases.  Quite a few of you got that one wrong but the answer was in the main article.

 

You should receive your prize of a 50ml tube of UltraShine Radiance toothpaste, shortly

 

 

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Useful Websites

 

At Healthy Choices, we frequently come across websites which we believe you may find interesting and useful.  Here are 3 sites:

 

The Fresh Food Company

http://www.freshfood.co.uk

Numerous studies show that organic food contains many more nutrients than non-organic food besides the health benefits of being free from pesticides and artificial fertilisers.  But it can be quite difficult to find a good supplier who has everything you need.  The Fresh Food Company operates across the UK and has a very large choice of food and drink which they deliver to your door.  Definitely worth checking out if you are interested in staying healthy.

  

Cancer Active

http://www.canceractive.com

Cancer Active is a new charity launched by the people who publish ICON magazine (Integrated Cancer & Oncology News) which we have recommended in the past.  They want to focus on preventing cancer rather than spending money on drug research.  Education is also high on their list of priorities and they have already started a school’s programme to help children understand how to prevent becoming a victim of cancer.

  

You Gov

http://www.yougov.com

If you enjoy giving your opinion about a range of topics, you may wish to register with this site and be paid for sharing your opinion.  You Gov operates in the UK and sends an e-mail when a survey is ready.  The surveys are not very long and when you have earned £50, they will send you a cheque, although that could take several months as you only get paid about 50p per survey and only receive them occasionally.  Still, they are fun to do and it’s good to know that your opinion counts.

 

There will be more sites listed next month.  If you have come across any websites which you feel would be of benefit to subscribers of Healthy Choices E-News, please e-mail healthychoices@ecoworld.co.uk with the details and we’ll check them out for future issues.

 

 

 

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Alternative Pension Plan

 

Retire at 86 'to escape the poverty trap'   Headline from Daily Mail, 4th June 2004. This report states that 1 in 10 young people will have to work till they are 86 to escape poverty because of the pension trap!  How do you feel about that? 

 

One very simple way to avoid this situation is to start an Alternative Pension Plan with NEWAYS.  By transferring your spending on products you would normally buy for the home, car and family to NEWAYS toxin-free, eco-friendly alternatives, you could end up with a potential monthly income of over £15,000 in just 15 years. This is based on a transfer spend of £124 a month. A conventional pension plan, investing the same amount of money over the same period of time would give you around £250 a month.  All that you are required to do with the NEWAYS Alternative Plan is to recommend the products to just 4 other people over the next 6 years who then do the same as you.

 

How many pension plans have you come across which actually give you products that keep you healthy each month, and help prevent cancer and protect the environment, in return for your investment?

 

For more detailed information on the NEWAYS Alternative Plan and a rundown of the figures calculated by independent financial advisors, click on the following link: www.healthychoices.ukhq.co.uk/Pension_Plan.html

 

 

 

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