It is my hope that through this newsletter, you will receive
information that will improve the quality of your life.
Included in each issue will be information about health,
nutrition, herbals and supplements, simplifying life, living
more frugally, fun, faith, and joy!

It's all about empowerment, stuff that helps you be
in control of your life, your own pathway to better living!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I have posted a special page on our website to celebrate
the day, and share with you some Irish Blessings and a
little fun! Check it out-

http://www.empoweredpathways.com/irishblessings.html

You can pass the link to the page to your friends to send
them some blessings, too!

And don't forget to check out our Jigsaw puzzle of the Week!
Many of the pictures I am posting are images I have shot-
hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy taking them!

http://www.empoweredpathways.com/puzzle.html

Thanks for subscribing!

Gen (-:

In this Issue:

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Health, Nutrition and Supplements
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The Essentials - Minerals

What are minerals?
Minerals are the ionic, or charged, form of metals and other
elements. Like vitamins, all minerals are necessary in the
human body,and many of them work synergistically with other
minerals, vitamins, and micronutrients. Some mineral deficiency
symptoms can be relieved within a half hour,unlike some vitamin
deficiency symptoms which may take a month or more before there
is a noticeable difference! If caused by mineral imbalances,
examples of this are potassium for insomnia or magnesium for
menstrual cramps.

Most minerals are needed throughout the body for it to function
properly, though certain minerals target certain areas or body
functions. For example, magnesium alleviates constipation and
iron aids in blood production. Without minerals, we are missing
essential building blocks in achieving optimal functioning of
our bodies, and we may not have the balance we need to keep us
healthy.

Details, Details-
Here are some details about a few of the major and trace minerals
our bodies need everyday:
Iron is part of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component
of the blood. Iron-deficient people tire easily because their
bodies are starved for oxygen. Iron is also part of myoglobin,
which helps muscle cells store oxygen. Without enough iron, ATP
(the fuel the body runs on) cannot be properly synthesized.
As a result, some iron-deficient people become fatigued even
when their hemoglobin levels are normal.
Manganese is needed for healthy skin, bone, and cartilage
formation, as well as glucose tolerance. It also helps activate
superoxide dismutase (SOD)-an important antioxidant enzyme.
Individuals with osteoporosis sometimes have low blood levels
of manganese, suggestive of deficiency.
Zinc is a component of more than 300 enzymes that are needed
to repair wounds, maintain fertility, synthesize protein, help
cells reproduce, preserve vision, boost immunity, and protect
against free radicals, among other functions.
Molybdenum is an essential trace mineral. It is needed for
the proper function of certain enzyme-dependent processes,
including the metabolism of iron. Preliminary evidence indicates
that molybdenum, through its involvement in detoxifying sulfites,
might reduce the risk of sulfite-reactive asthma attacks.
Chromium is an essential trace mineral that helps the body
maintain normal blood sugar levels. Chromium may also play a
role in increasing HDL (the "good" cholesterol), yet lowering
overall cholesterol levels. The high incidence of adult-onset
diabetes suggests to many doctors of nutritional medicine that
most people should be supplementing small amounts of chromium.
Selenium activates an antioxidant enzyme called glutathione
peroxidase, which may help protect the body from cancer.
Selenium has also induced "apoptosis" (programmed cell death)
in cancer cells. A recent double blind study following over
1,300 people found that those given 200 mcg of yeast-based
selenium per day for seven years had a 50% drop in the cancer
death rate compared with the placebo group. Another recent
trial found that men exposed to the most dietary selenium
developed 65% less advanced prostate cancer than men with
the lowest levels of selenium. Selenium is also essential
for healthy immune functioning. As a result, selenium
supplementation has reduced the incidence of hepatitis in
deficient populations. Even in a nondeficient population of
elderly people, selenium supplementation has been found to
stimulate the activity of white blood cells-primary components
of the immune system. Selenium is also needed to activate
thyroid hormones. Although details are not understood, selenium
supplementation has partially normalized the actions of sperm
cells in infertile men in double blind research.

Alright, so minerals are important- where do I get them?
Eating a balanced, healthy diet is crucial. The sources of
minerals in the food we eat is varied. The widely important
element selenium is found in onions, broccoli, tomatoes, fish,
and whole wheat products, for example.
The problem is we have depleted the nutrition in our foods
significantly, in a number of ways (please see Gen's Soapbox
in this issue). Even when we do eat a healthy diet, it may
not be enough.

Email me for more information...
Gen@empoweredpathways.com

*This statement has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease.
This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to friends
or family who may benefit from this information!

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Gen's Soapbox
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Why should I take supplements?
There was a time in my life that I would have asked that...
a time when I was younger, life hadn't happened so much to
me yet. And I thought I am in good health, eat what is
average, I should be already getting all the nutrients my
body needs. I know now that that is not the case, let me
tell you why...

A little history
Early in the last century, the idea of food as medicine was
realized as specific substances in foods were found to "cure"
certain diseases. The diseases were, of course, vitamin
deficiencies such as scurvy, pellagra, beriberi and rickets.
If you think these are old diseases for those of us in well
developed, well fed nations like the United States, you are
wrong. Health researchers told a conference in San Antonio,
Texas, in January 2003 that they had treated a well-fed
college student who had come down with the old-time mariner's
disease of scurvy (absence of vitamin C in the student's
steady diet of cheese, crackers, cookies and soda).

Recent surveys say...
In the February 2003 addition of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings,
over 1,200 adults living in Olmstead County, Minnesota were
contacted by phone during a several week period in 1999. The
survey noted that only 16% of the population in this survey
reported meeting standard dietary recommendations for consuming
both five or more servings of fruits and/or vegetables per
day and no more than 30% of calories from fat. 51% of the
population actually did not meet either recommendation. It
was concluded that few individuals in Olmstead County were
meeting the national recommendations for intake of fruits,
vegetables and dietary fat. Olmstead County could be just
like your county...and this study actually had better results
than many other recent studies.
In one study conducted in an elderly population, 2/3 of the
surveyed group did not even receive the RDA for multiple
nutrients and vitamins. Similar results have been reported
in other age groups from early infancy on up. As a matter of
fact, in the prestigious journal Pediatrics from September
1997, a study indicated only 1% of children between the ages
of 2 and 19 ate a healthy diet. When the data was further
reviewed, it was noted that 40% of the energy the children
were receiving were from fat and added sugar.

Hold on, it gets worse-
Years ago the U. S. government set up a standard for minimum
vitamin and mineral intake known as the RDA - Recommended
Dietary Allowances. This standard was developed not for
purposes for optimizing health but rather minimum nutrients
necessary to prevent disease such as scurvy and beri beri.
The RDA for vitamin C in an adult is only 60 mg and only 30
units for vitamin E. The amount of vitamin C that provides
the maximum defense against oxidative stress is much higher
than the amount that prevents scurvy. Clinical studies have
demonstrated that dosages perhaps 10 - 30 fold or more are
necessary for optimal health.

Optimal Health?
We are not even meeting the minimum requirements! In this
wealthy, bountiful country, with all of our education and
resources, and the availability at you local Meijer of
practically every type of conceiveable, edible food stuffs
we do not choose the things that would allow us to function
OPTIMALLY. Instead, we are eating over-processed food,
refined sugars and flours (flour that is bleached!). We
worry about eating red meat, but ignore our over consumption
of other (more?) harmful fats, partially hydrogenated fatty
acids. Our foods are devoid of adequate levels of most
nutrients. Just read the labels and look at the sugar carbs
(high), sodium levels (high), fiber levels (low) and vitamin
/mineral levels (low or missing entirely). In the mean time,
diabetes and obesity levels- especially in our children- are
rising. In a study published in The New England Journal of
Medicine in June 1998, 200 children and young adults were
autopsied after being involved in fatal accidents. In the
autopsy, children between the ages of 2 to 15 fibrous
plaqueing was noted in 8% of coronary arteries. This fibrous
plaqueing is the earliest manifestation of coronary artery
disease. In the autopsied individuals between the ages of
16 to 20, 35% had fibrous plaqueing in their coronary arteries.
And by the mid 20s and early 30s, an amazing 70% had this
abnormality noted.

We need to wake up!
It's about life, not what is trendy!
One trend is a good thing, but the wave is coming so slowly...
The levels of vitamin intakes that support optimum health
are a new area of interest. Recommendations, based on studies
done by the Institute of Health, are being reformulated. The
new group of recommendations are collectively known as DRIs
(Daily Recommended Intakes). DRIs still include RDAs, but
also now include Upper Limits (Uls). Unlike the RDAs, which
established the minimal amounts of nutrients needed to be
protective against possible nutrient deficiency, the new
values are designed to reflect the latest understanding about
nutrient requirements based on optimizing health in individuals
and groups.
This is the good news. The question remains- will we listen?

Listen to this-
Even if you try, it is almost impossible to get adequate
nutrition from our food supply. The reason for this is quite
simple. The mineral content in our soil has been depleted
through the years. In the 1950s, (yes, the 1950's!) a researcher
by the name of Dr. Firman Bear (yes, really) from Rutgers did
an extensive study of the food supply in this country. The
Studies revealed an alarming decline in the mineral content
of commercially grown foods. In these studies, samples of a
variety of basic food crops from different regions of the
U.S. were obtained and analyzed and the values recorded.
This procedure was repeated each year using samples of the
same foods obtained from the same regions until ten years of
annual sampling had been performed. In almost every case, the
nutrient mineral content values were lower each year than
that of the previous year. These Rutgers University studies
have been confirmed by similar results from a research group
at the University of Missouri, headed by Dr. William Albrecht.
Clearly, these results warn us that the foods that we have
relied upon for our nutrient minerals are no longer dependable
sources. In addition, the way we harvest our food supply has
an effect on the vitamin content. Premature picking of foods,
transportation and long term storage can significantly cut
down on the vitamin content. For example, carrots that are
harvested early will have only ½ to 1/3 the vitamin A content
they would if they were left to fully ripen. Over-processing
of the foods we eat further yet depletes the nutrition available
in them.

So what are we to do?
Pay attention to what you are eating, and what your kids are
eating. Read the labels. Use unbleached four, honey instead
of sugar, eat less fried fast food. Continue to educate
ourselves, and listen and take action. Choose a fruit instead
of a cookie, it is our choice to feed our bodies what they
need. Live optimally! Eat a wide variety of foods! Don't
eat things that are full of chemicals - choose real food!
And take supplements to meet our bodies requirements for
optimal functioning! After all, don't we deserve the best?

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Tips for Frugal Living
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~Packing lunches? Don't rely on those pre-packaged convenience
items! This a good rule for all things, I think, but especially
for everyday school or work lunches, you will save a lot of
money buying big bags of chips, carrots, or making a batch
of pudding and transporting them in reusable containers. If
you look at the cost per ounce of the prepackaged items, this
is a very frugal thing to do! Just watch that the portion sizes
don't increase!

~Plastic baggies are costly and not so good environmentally!
We reuse them when we can, and be sure to use the right size
for the job- sometimes a snack size bag is big enough! Plain
food storage bags, the ones without a zipper, can be used for
many items and are much less expensive! Choose the right
tool for the right job, and it will save you some money!

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Bible Verse
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But I say unto you, Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:
for he maketh his sun rise on the evil and on the good,
and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.
Matthew 5:44-45

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Remarkable Quote
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Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.
-Unknown

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Reader Feedback
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If you have comments or questions, any feedback is greatly
appreciated! Please let me know if it is okay to share your
comments with other subscribers!
You can email me anytime at: Gen@empoweredpathways.com

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Disclaimers:
*These statements have not been approved by the Food and
Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose,
treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required
by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
The purpose of this newsletter is informational only, and
the publisher cannot be held responsible for actions taken
as a result of the information provided herein.
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