Kick off the New Year by detoxing from last years unhealthy habits or choices!  Take a look at our Cleanse & Detox Kit or our Diet Kit suggestions.  The Mustard Seed wants to help 2011 be a successful year for you, so we are offering $5 off of your $40 purchase of items from our suggested kits.

Cleanse & Detox Kit

1. Whole body cleanse.  Try: Renew Life Organic 2 Week Cleanse.
2. Digestive Enzyme.  Try: Mustard Seed Superzymes.
3. Probiotic.  Try: Mustard Seed 35 Billion probiotic.

Diet Kit

1. Fresh ground Almond butter.
2. Ezekiel whole grain sprouted bread.
3. Nut Thins crackers.
4. Almond milk.
5. Raw cashews.
6. True organic produce.

Review of the Ecco Bella Vanilla Herbal Body Lotion:

This body lotion leaves your skin feeling hydrated, smooth and smelling wonderfully.  It soaks into the skin quickly and doesn’t leave you with the “greasy” feeling that some lotions can leave behind.  According to the Ecco Bella website this lotion is 100% water-free which helps keep your skin moisturized for hours longer than lotions containing water.  This lotion is 70% organic, 100% preservative free and gluten free.

Review of the Ecco Bella Leave-On Invisible Exfoliant

I tested this product out at night before going to bed, after washing my face of all make-up and other dirt and oils that collected from the day.  At first it looks like this product is going to leave you with an orange film on your skin but after applying a thin layer and letting it dry (only took a minute or so) it is invisible.  I would recommend using this product at night because it does leave your face incredibly shiny.  After the product dried I was able to apply a light moisturizer over-top of the exfoliant.  I could feel the product working immediately.  I have been using this product every night for about a week and each morning when I wake up my skin looks better than it did the previous morning.  Any blemishes that I had prior to using this product have been slowly diminishing and my skin tone has been evening out and has more of a glow to it.  I absolutely love this product!  It does everything that it claims to do.  This product is 70% organic, water-free, preservative-free, gluten-free, vegan and not tested on animals.

• What types of vitamins and minerals are good for my personal health circumstances?
• Is this product made with highest quality ingredients?
• Will there be any interaction with any medication I’m taking with this vitamin and mineral?

All these questions and more will be answered when you stop at The Mustard Seed.  Not only do we have the highest quality ingredients in our supplements, we also have the staff that can help you answer any concerns you might have.  We can custom tailor your supplement regimen to fit your particular needs!

Your body isn’t a machine, it’s a delicate system all ruled by one major function.  Absorption!  Absorption is paramount to good health.  We have an axiom here at The Mustard Seed.  “It’s not what you put in your mouth that gives you your health…it’s what you can absorb that will give you the health and vitality that you desire.  So don’t think that by taking any supplement you are getting health benefits from it.  Are you actually absorbing this supplement you are taking?  If you have experienced or are experiencing digestive issues pay extra attention to how you are absorbing your food and your current supplements.  Just a small change in those two categories can make a tremendous difference in your health.  By eliminating an offending food and getting yourself a clean and highly absorbable supplement, your health can improve dramatically.

For those who exercise daily and like to maximize their recuperation levels we also offer a full range of animal and plant based protein powders that are free of fillers, artificial sweeteners and growth hormones.  These are just one of many examples of our “clean” products.  Unique products you won’t find anywhere else.

We have staff favorites here at The Mustard Seed too!  These are tried and true supplements that have caused a positive impact on our own health.  Carl likes the benefits of Oligonol^®.  It is a tremendous antioxidant that improves circulation in 30 minutes; great for the cardiovascular system and gives you tremendous energy.  He also likes D-Ribose, another energizer that feeds your cells, a direct source of fuel giving great energy and recuperative powers!  Scott, the owner of The Mustard Seed, loves to take his Daily Vitamin Code multi, a truly unique vitamin grown from a raw food base, making it highly absorbable which yields you great energy and health.  Ask us about these supplements!

Happy Holidays from all of us at The Mustard Seed!

We will have a complete line of bath salts, body lotions, essential oils, candles and gift baskets for Christmas Holiday gift giving.

Gift cards are available for the special person in your household who loves our store but you aren’t sure what to get them.

Iridology is scheduled for January 7th.  There are just a few appointments available.  Reserve your spot with Bing Thomas, a master herbalist.  Call 788-2463 and ask for Joel.

We are hosting a holiday vegan cookie baking class in our kitchen.  Mark Saturday, December 12 on your calendar.  Spots are extremely limited at only 5.  Class is from 3-5pm, cost is $25 and you can take home the Simple Treats cookbook we use and the cookies you bake!  Call 788-2463 and ask for the deli.

Don’t forget that with the gathering of friends and family, coupled with the normal stress of the holidays we have the most extensive line of immune formulas available.  Ask our staff for their pick on stress products such as B-vitamins, Holy Basil, L-theanine, Rescue Remedy, multi vitamins and much, much more.

Scott personally guarantees all of his products and is sure we can help relieve stress through supplementation at this holiday season.

Stress and the holidays do not need to go together.

Did you know…?

-          Holy Basil works like this:

• In Ayurvedic and western traditions, Holy Basil has also been used as an adaptogenic tonic to support and enhance the body’s response to physical and emotional stress.  Stress can elevate cortisol levels, which triggers the production of inflammatory COX-2 enzymes.  This cascade effect then influences blood sugar changes and increases metabolic inflammation.  Research has shown that ursolic acid and the triterpenoic acids, isolated from holy basil, effectively improve the body’s response to stress.  Research demonstrates that Holy Basil safely increases physical and emotional endurance, improves the body’s response to stress, and enhances adrenal function.  Given our fast-paced lifestyles, Holy Basil’s unique health benefits can be a wonderfully invaluable addition to our health maintenance routines.

-          B-vitamins work like this:

• B-complex vitamins are actually a group of eight vitamins, which include: thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic acid (B5), Pyridoxine (B6), Cyanocobalamin (B12), Folic acid and Biotin.  They are all essential for breaking down carbs into glucose for energy and breaking down fats and proteins for normal functioning of the nervous system.

-          L-theanine works like this:

• L-theanine creates a sense of relaxation in approximately 30-40 minutes after ingestion via at least two different mechanisms.  First, this amino acid directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation and mental alertness similar to what is achieved through meditation.  Second, L-theanine is involved in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA).  GABA influences the levels of two other neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, producing the key relaxation effect.  Theanine has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress, and improves cognition and mood in a synergistic manner with caffeine.  It also may help the body’s immune response to infection by boosting the disease-fighting capacity of gamma delta T cells.

-          Bach’s Rescue Remedy works like this:

• The Bach Flower Remedies® are a safe and natural method of healing. They gently restore the balance between mind and body by casting out negative emotions, such as, fear, worry, hatred and indecision which interfere with the equilibrium of the being as a whole.  Rescue® Remedy helps you go through difficult situations, stressful events, an exam or job interview in a calm and relaxed matter.

-          Whole Food multi-vitamins work like this:

• Supplements made from whole foods contain not only recognized vitamins and minerals, but a whole symphony of other micronutrients (phytonutrients or phytochemicals) that work in concert with vitamins and minerals to orchestrate a natural harmony in our bodies.

Ask our educated staff for our favorite “staff picks.”

There are many types of Vitamin D, but our bodies can only utilize D3 (Colecalciferol).  D2 (Ergocalciferol) comes from food sources, but still has to be converted in the body.  D3 comes from lanolin or fish oil and can be assimilated more readily.

Vitamin D is produced in the body by a reaction between a small range of UV frequencies and a cholesterol derivative in the body.  “However, season, geographic latitude, time of day, cloud cover, skin cover, skin color, smog, and sunscreen affect UV ray absorption and vitamin D synthesis. For example, sunlight exposure from November through February in Boston is insufficient to produce significant vitamin D synthesis in the skin. With longer exposure to UVB rays, an equilibrium is achieved in the skin, and excess vitamin D simply degrades as fast as it is generated.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D)  Obviously, our location in Northern New York means that we bundle up for half the year, and our bodies cant simply produce enough Vitamin D.

I thought that the RDA for D was always 400IU and that it was only recently, in the last few years it has been recommended to increase the RDA.  “Interestingly, the recommended daily amount of vitamin D in Finland was as high as 4,000 to 5,000 IU in the early 1960s. In 1964, it was reduced to 2,000 IU per day, in 1975 to 1,000 IU, and 400 IU in 1992. At the same time, incidence of type 1 diabetes has been on the rise in Finland, particularly throughout the 1980s.” (http://www.mustardseednaturalmarket.com/common/adam/DisplayMonograph.asp?storeID=DF049EAB9C4B4C51ABC60DDCDDA8E452&DocID=33_000340)  This decrease in the RDA has shown a direct correlation in the rise of Diabetes type I.

Vitamin D can be found in the following foods:

Fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil, 1 Tbs. (15 mL) provides 1,360 IU (one IU equals 25 ng)

• Fatty fish species, such as:
  • Herring, 85 g (3 ounces (oz)) provides 1383 IU
  • Catfish, 85 g (3 oz) provides 425 IU
  • Salmon, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz]) provides 360 IU
  • Mackerel, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz]), 345 IU
  • Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 50 g (1.75 oz), 250 IU
  • Tuna, canned in oil, 85 g (3 oz), 200 IU
  • Eel, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), 200 IU
• A whole egg, provides 20 IU
• Beef liver, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), provides 15 IU
• UV-irradiated mushrooms (Vitamin D₂)^[27][28]

The practical reality is that on average, the U.S. diet provides 100 IU/day. One problem is that much of the fortified milk is not fortified to the required amount (Vitamin D Dietary Reference Intakes, pp. 256-57).

Adequate Intake has been defined as 200 IU/day for ages infant to 50, 400/day for 51-70, and 600/day over 70. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics argues that these recommendations are insufficient and instead recommends a minimum of 400 IU, even for infants.^[29] The 100% Daily Value used for product labels is 400 IU. The NIH has set the safe upper limit at 2000 IU, but acknowledges newer data supporting a UL as high as 10,000 IU/day.^[30] The Institute Of Medicine is revisiting vitamin D and calcium recommendations. The report is expected in the northern spring 2010.

The Mustard Seed offers many Vitamin D3 choices ranging from 400IU to 5,000IU in tablet and soft-gel form.  Personally, I’m taking Now Foods 2,000IU soft-gels.  Last week I was pretty sick, and I started taking Natures Plus zinc lozenges (which taste pretty good) and the D3.  I swallowed one D3 soft-gel and broke one open in my mouth (where absorption starts), so I was actually taking 4,000IU.  I was only sick for 3 days, and had good energy on the 3rd day, while my family was still feeling pretty sick for a couple of days longer.  I attribute that to the extra Vitamin D, which is an immune booster.  That’s all I took, since we were out of Allibiotic at the Mustard Seed, and New Chapter isn’t making Host Defense any more (new formula in January ’10).

Buy Vitamin D3 here

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D

http://www.mustardseednaturalmarket.com/common/adam/DisplayMonograph.asp?storeID=DF049EAB9C4B4C51ABC60DDCDDA8E452&DocID=33_000340

Many people take melatonin to regulate their sleep cycles especially if they find themselves not being able to sleep through the night.  Melatonin is a great product, but not for everyone to take.  A good rule of thumb is that if you do not find relief with a 3-5mg dosage in a week, you do not need melatonin.  Also, young children should not be taking melatonin, even young adults do not need to use this unless as a last resort or under medical supervision.

Melatonin is naturally produced in our pineal gland.  Supplements from a natural source include the pineal glands of animals.  It actually may be more beneficial to take tryptophan (or L5HTP), which is an amino acid, and let the body convert the amount it needs into serotonin and melatonin.  There are many foods high in tryptophan (not just turkey) and I believe the natural products we carry are sourced from the Griffonia bean.

Before resorting to products like this we would suggest trying other minerals or herbs to relax the body before sleep, such as magnesium to balance the central nervous system and relax the muscles or herbs such as valerian root, lemon balm, kava kava, etc.  The root of the sleepless problem may be stress related, and melatonin will be of little help with that.  Interestingly, low levels of serotonin are associated with compulsive eating disorders.

Stop in the Mustard Seed (969 Arsenal St, Watertown, NY  13601) or give us a call (800-241-2575) to find the right supplement for you.

Some references:

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/258.html

http://www.enotes.com/drugs-substances-encyclopedia/melatonin/what-made

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=103

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffonia_simplicifolia