The New Year is a natural time to think about giving the body a much-needed vacation. Tune in to this encore podcast presentation to find out what to expect and avoid on a whole-body cleanse, and the simple ways to make the most of your efforts to reduce the “body burden” in this popular encore presentation. Dr. Gaetano Morello is a licensed naturopathic physician practicing in West Vancouver, British Columbia.

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While cleansing is an everyday function of the body, beginning a detox cleanse offers many benefits:

• There are tens of thousands of toxic chemicals wiggling their way into our lives on a daily basis through the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe.
• Although our body is naturally designed to process and eliminate these toxins, the sheer number creates an overload and accumulation within various body tissues.
• The concept behind cleansing is to reduce the amount of toxins in these tissues by first, reducing exposure and second, improving our body’s ability to get rid of them.
• The end result will lead to overall improvement and well-being.

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Looking for healthy eating resources? At Whole Foods Market®, we have developed Health Starts Here® to help guide wise nutrition choices. Listen in and learn where to focus for the most benefit. Akua Woolbright holds a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and is Whole Foods Market’s Senior Healthy Eating and Wellness Educator.

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Whole Foods Market has developed a simple program to support your health and wellness goals:

• Health Starts Here® uses a commonsense, back-to-basics approach to provide healthy eating education and support.
• Our ultimate goal is to educate people about the benefits of eating real, whole foods (specifically plant foods) in order to live more vibrant, healthy lives.

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It’s the time of year that we need to take extra good care of our bodies and specifically the immune system. Join us in exploring herbs and nutrients available at Whole Foods Market that may offer support. Malia Curran, MS, MPH is a nutrition consultant, speaker, and mom of two young children.

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The immune system is a powerful defense team nourished by specific nutrients found in food or supplement form:

• Garlic and ginger both contain compounds that can help optimize the body’s immune system.
• Vitamin C is integral for white blood cell production and healthy inflammation response in the body. Whole Foods™ brand Vitamin C 1000mg is a “sustained release” formula.
• A high-quality medicinal mushroom complex that includes shiitake, reishi, maitake and cordyceps contain polysaccharide compounds that can stimulate the body’s immune system.
• Probiotics, found in fermented foods and supplement form, can aid the body in maintaining healthy levels of beneficial bacteria in the gut that are very important for immune system function.

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Homeopathic remedies have a long history of use worldwide, but can they really help at this time of year? And are they okay to use with immune-supportive formulas? Tune in to this encore interview for the answers and some expert recommendations. Dr. Christophe Merville is the Director of Education and Pharmacy Development for Boiron USA.

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Homeopathy has a long history of use all over the world:

• Homeopathy comes from the Greek words homeo meaning “similar” and pathos meaning “suffering.”  It was first used by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann in 1796.
• Homeopathic medicines are therapeutically active micro-doses of mineral, botanical, and biological substances.  Similar to other over-the-counter medicines, homeopathic medicines can treat acute health conditions such as allergies, coughs, colds and flu symptoms.
• Homeopathic medicines are regulated as drugs by the FDA and are made according to the specifications of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS), which lists approximately 1,280 medicines.

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Ever wonder what your immune system is actually made of? Learn how the body responds to foreign invaders and what you can do both internally and externally to support winter wellness in this revealing encore presentation. Nancy Angelini is National Science Educator for Source Naturals and Planetary Herbals, with more than 15 years (and 1500 lectures!) in the natural products industry.

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The immune system runs all throughout the body and includes various organs and glands that work together to keep the body balanced:

• The immune system is a network of cells that defends the body from foreign invaders.  It includes protective barriers such as the skin and all mucus membranes, which are used as transport vehicles by the body to rid it of any foreign materials.
• The immune system begins in the bone marrow where stem cells are formed and from there, all red and white blood cells.
• The spleen is important because it brings blood into contact with white blood cells called lymphocytes. Any foreign invader will activate the lymphocytes by their presence.
• The thymus gland is where T-lymphocytes are proliferated and is also a part of signaling and orchestrating immune defenses.  It is likened to a crossing guard at an intersection and cross-walk.
• Lymph nodes are found distributed around the body to filter and destroy bacteria.

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Thanks to their humanitarian efforts, Vitamin Angels is an organization that holds a special place in the heart of Whole Foods Market. Discover the ways they are profoundly changing the lives of children around the world and how easy it is to get involved. Want a quick way to help? Post a comment below telling us what you think about Vitamin Angels and we’ll donate $1 for every comment received in September, 2011.

Listen to Howard Schiffer, founder of Vitamin Angels, share his passion.

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Howard Schiffer, founder of Vitamin Angels, was honored with the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance’s Hero Award in 2003 for his work in “making a difference in the lives of so many children throughout our country and around the world.”

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Supporting the health of a child’s skin is an important consideration for every parent. From baby to teen, discover which ingredients are most beneficial and how to choose better body care for kids. Jessica Iclisoy is the founder of California Baby, a full line of natural skin care products for babies, kids and sensitive adults.

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Choosing better body care products to support the health of a child’s skin is an important consideration for every parent:

• Most conventional skin cleansers include ingredients that are harsh and stripping of the skin’s protective oils, leaving the skin dry and open to irritation. Reading labels is a must.
• Look for glucosides in shampoos, hand cleansers and bubble baths, which are very mild, non-stripping and extremely biodegradable natural cleansers.

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Like nutritional supplements, herbs are an effective option to help support immune health, stress and brain function in children. Learn specific recommendations for kid-friendly herbal supplements that can be used all year round. Dr. Mary Bove is a pediatric naturopathic physician, author and formulator of children’s herbal supplements with Gaia Herbs.

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In addition to a multivitamin, herbs can be taken regularly to support a child’s overall health:

• Include an omega-3 supplement and a probiotic to support immune function, mucus membrane health and digestive wellness.
• Choose astragalus root for supporting the immune system and promoting gut membrane health. This may be taken as a tea, tincture or powder depending on the age and preference of the child.
• As a powder, ½ to 1 tsp may be added to foods such as smoothies, apple sauce, oatmeal or yogurt.

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Don’t know where to start when it comes to products designed for children? Join us as we clear up the confusion and outline the most important nutrients and supplements to support growing kids and teens. Malia Curran, MS, MPH, is a nutrition consultant, speaker and mother of 2 young children.

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A multivitamin is the most important supplement to give to children:

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a multivitamin for kids with poor appetite or erratic eating.
• A balanced healthy diet with a variety of whole foods can provide all the nutrients kids need; but children are all different and some eating patterns pose specific problems that can cause nutrient deficiencies.
• Children have special nutrient requirements and therefore need special multivitamins. Additionally, requirements change as they grow – such as calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C – these all have specific recommendations for children and teens.

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Our commitment to provide the highest-quality ingredients and products extends to every aisle of our stores. Join us for the latest updates in Whole Body where we discuss the benefits of our Premium Body Care and Organic Body Care standards. Lecia Rand is Category Manager and Product Developer for Whole Foods Market store brand supplements and body care.

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Whole Foods Market™ developed Premium Body Care standards to help define what “Natural” means:

• There are a lot of products that claim to be natural, but there is no regulatory standard for making that claim.
• Whole Foods Market™ experts spent years examining ingredients according to the strictest criteria for safety, efficacy and impact on the environment.
• More than 380 ingredients have been found that do not meet our standards.

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