Sleep Apnea, Insomnia, and Narcolepsy

I will tell you of my experience so far. I have been diagnosed for sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy, Restless legs syndrome, as well as ADD and Insomnia. According to the Drs., they believe there are other problems that exist also, but suffice it to say these are the truly diagnosed problems they believe I have. Two years ago I went on long term sick leave with my company, due to the fact I was falling asleep on the job. Being a person who works on the phones 8 hours a day, this was hazardous to keeping my job secure, so I chose to get more help. I had already been diagnosed previously with narcolepsy and was taking up to that time 90 mg of Ritalin a day. The Ritalin was working quite well for a number of years until 2004. As the dosage kept going up my bodies response went down. That is when I began to fall asleep at my job. I was also concerned as to whether I could continue to drive to work successfully without an accident.

With that background I will tell you that I was referred to Stanford University in Central California for treatment and surgery if warranted. In my case, and I stress that very strongly because many other people have had successful operations from this Dr. He has done very well in this area, so we went to him for help. After approximately 5 surgeries and 3 tongue reduction procedures, I have yet to go back to work, or feel any better after having these operations performed. I do not receive any better results from my C-pap machine either.

I tell you these things because of your inquiry, not to keep you from surgery. It could possibly be the answer for you. You should know however that some of the surgeries can change the configuration of your face as well as how your teeth line up after surgery. I have found the teeth problem to be the most irritating. The fact that the surgeries were not successful didn't help either.

You may ask...How does this affect family life? Well, in my case it has really taken a spin..Thank Heavens we have companies like Market America that are trying to help in as many circumstances as possible to help people in our situation.

A few products that have been helpful are: 1.) Mutitech vitamins help me keep up on the daily RDA's, 2.) Mochatonics 3.) Awake, 4.) weight control is a must also, so if that is an issue the Transitions can help with that. As far as a solution, all I can offer is that somewhere in between using Market America products and following Drs. who are familiar with our products seem to be the best result. If that includes surgery by all means do it! I hope this helps you before you take this leap that can be a help or detriment depending on how things go.

Kevin Lister

Lou Gehrig's Disease

Amyelotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), aka Lou Gehrig's disease

Amyelotrophic lateral sclerosis (or Lou Gehrig's disease, a motor neuron disease) appears to have an autoimmune component associated with it. Whenever the immune system is involved (particularly the phagocytic cells such as macrophages and granulocytes), there are usually oxygen radicals being produced at the affected site. In order to protect the nervous system from oxidative damage, you need to be able to get antioxidants across the extensive membranes of nerve cells into the cytoplasm or have the antioxidants dissolve into the lipid bilayer; that is, some antioxidants (vitamin C, proanthocyanidins) are particularly water soluble while others (vitamin E, beta-carotene [vitamin A
> precursor], co-enzyme Q10) are fat soluble. Since proanthocyanidins can cross the blood-brain barrier, we can surmise that they have at least some lipophilic properties.

Vitamin C is a difficult molecule to get to diffuse across the barrier; however, recent studies have shown that an oxidized metabolite of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) called dehydroascorbic acid can penetrate the blood-brain barrier in significant concentrations. Dehydroascorbate is derived during the oxidation of normal vitamin C, so the only way I see to achieve elevated blood concentrations of dehydroascorbate is to take large, but safe, doses of vitamin C (500-1000 mg/day).

Once in the nerve cell, the regenerated (reduced) vitamin C molecule can help to maintain the vitamin E in an unoxidized state in the membranes. The nerve cells have extensive membranes that wrap around the cell body numerous times, so it is beneficial to keep plenty of vitamin E dissolved in the membranes. It is thought that co-enzyme Q10 can help vitamin E insert itself into the cell membranes, and of course co-enzyme Q10 is a critical constituent of mitochondrial membranes and helps to shuttle electrons for energy production. Like vitamin E, it too should help protect against lipid
peroxidation. I hope this discussion helps.
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I have a cousin with ALS (Lou Gerighs) . When he first found out he has this disease, he went up in Va., to what he thought was an herb and vitamin specialists (only to find out he was going to a quack.) She put him on something like 50 pills daily at a cost of like $1000.00 a month.

When I got in the MA business, I went to him and showed him our line and I told him "Gary, I would like for you to try our vitamins and explained the delivery system and I told him,"you know and I know there is no cure for this disease, but I look up daily this disease, and if I do my part to help, you could do your part and at least try, all I can offer you is hope.

I started him off on OPC-3 and after the first 3 days they were so excited how easy his bowels moved on their own. (His wife had been giving him suppositories plus having to dig his bowels out, She said things we just take for granite in life like bm's they get excited about.) I know this may sound awful to some of you, but my whole point is we really take our health for granite sometimes till we lose it, but this precious cousin of mine is really trying.

He has no income, so my husband and I furnish him monthly with OPC-3, Isochrome, B12, Aloe juice, vitamin c, and Antioxin. It gets expensive, but I do have a dear friend that gives him a bottle once in a while, but if I can continue to give him some hope and maybe keep him in remission, then that is a lot to be thankful for. He said "I know it's by the grace of God that I'm still here, and he is so thankful that ALS is also a kind disease,that there is no pain with it. He is tube fed, because he can't swallow well anymore, so Dr. Wilmer told us to mix these up and let them sit till the foam goes down (so no gas gets in him) then pour in tube.

He lives on 6 cans of Ensure a day plus Isotonix Vitamins and if you walked in the room and seen him, you'd never know he was sick, he looks like a picture of health. This disease robs the body of so much and as long as it's been around, a cure should have already been found, but we can certainly hope and pray for a miracle one day. Whenever he is about to run out of vitamins , he lets me know he needs more. At least he still has HOPE ! He knows he will be looked after till God is ready for him and I certainly will keep on doing my part as long as I'm able also.
May God Bless all the people who have this disease and hope in some way our vitamins play a part in helping. Karen Allred Lex.,NC
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Where Can I Find Good Health Products?

Most of the products that you read about in these testimonials can be found at www.winn.unfranchise.com. Not only are these some of the best health products in the world, but they are also very competitive in price.

Asthma

My younger brother has severe asthma and was on a nebulizer (sp?) getting 5-6 treatments a day. Within 4 months he was weaned completely off of it. He also used to be in the hospital like clockwork every year in October from a severe attack. We almost lost him a few times. He has not had one attack of that kind since he started on OPC, Multi Vitamin and Isochrome almost 4 years ago. Isochrome he takes for reasons other than asthma as he diabetes too.

And the chilling part is about a year ago, Colin had a bad episode and my mom couldn’t find any of his medication – that being her first reaction – she decided to give the OPC a try and within minutes his breathing was underway and he was OK. No trip to the emergency room.

He had been consistently taking OPC-3 – 2 caps every morning and one at night but in the middle of the day on some days if pollen is high or whatever, he can feel congested. She started him recently on the Aloe too to drink in the midday.

He is doing great and is med- free and has lost 60+ pounds too!!

Lupus

Woman Says Natural Supplement Ended 30 Years of Pain

Studies show nearly half of you don't think natural supplements are worth buying. The Food and Drug Administration doesn't even regulate them. But a Southern Tier woman who could barely walk because of intense knee pain decided to give supplements a try. The woman says she's now pain-free for the first time in 30 years.

"I was in so much pain, took so many drugs, (and) I'd get up in the morning, take a shower, and fall asleep drinking my coffee," said Belva Felker, 49, of Corning. Felker has lupus. That means for 30 years, her immune system's been attacking her body's tissues. The disease has nearly destroyed her joints and has caused extreme fatigue. "I was on 13 different drugs for lupus."

Today, she's on none. Instead, she's taking a natural antioxidant supplement called Isotonix OPC-3. It's supposed to improve your circulation and fix your cells that oxygen has damaged.

Felker says she never knew what a "leisurely" stroll was because she was in so much pain. But she says only 3 days after taking the antioxidant, she noticed a big difference. "I noticed right away I could walk up the steps, you know, normally."

Debra Coggins is a wellness consultant who sells the product. She says the supplement brought back a kind of fluid to Flecker's knee. "(It's) kind of like greasing a joint on the axle or something... It reduced the inflammation and it got all the blood flowing properly."

Coggins says there are no risks or negative side effects. The powdery antioxidant is made up all natural stuff - like pine bark, and wine and grape-seed extracts. "It's the most powerful antioxidant in the world," Coggins claimed.

Felker wasn't always convinced a supplement could work. "I'm very skeptical." So when her pain started going away, "I thought it's probably something else. So I quit taking the product, then the pain came back."

Doctors say natural supplements won't cure you or prevent a disease. But Flecker's sold on it."I do not take any prescription drugs at the moment."

It won't hurt to ask your doctor before taking supplements. They're not known to react with medications, but doctors prefer that you check in with them first.

You don't have to feel sick or have a disease to take supplements. In fact, many healthy people take them to make sure they're getting all the nutrients they need. Supplements can also supply amounts of nutrients larger than the diet can provide. Larger amounts of some nutrients may help to protect against future disease.

So what can you get from a supplement? A group of experts in Sacramento, California - who are trained in both conventional and alternative medicines - have come up with a "Top 10 List:"

1. Omega-3 fatty acids: they're important for healthy heart, nerves, blood vessels, skin and hair-and they reduce inflammation anywhere in the body.

2. Ginkgo biloba: It's one of the world's most popular herbal products. Known as the "smart herb," ginkgo enhances blood circulation and increases the supply of oxygen to the heart, brain and other body parts.

3. Saw palmetto: This one's mostly for men who have to urinate a bunch of times at night or who notice that their "flow" is weaker than it used to be.

4. Black cohosh: Ladies, it's your turn. This can alleviate hot flashes and night sweats.

5. St. John's wort/Tryptophan: May treat mild to moderate depression.

6. Echinacea: Known for its ability to boost the immune system; strong ally during cold and flu season.

7. Glucosamine sulfate: Commonly used by osteoarthritis sufferers seeking pain relief; better tolerated than anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

8. Coenzyme Q10: A powerful antioxidant that helps to maintain a healthy heart and healthy cholesterol levels and boosts cellular energy.

9. Feverfew: Migraine sufferers may find relief from this herb.

10. Garlic: It's one of the most health-promoting of all the herbs; it's used to kill bacteria and viruses, boosting the immune system, lowering blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, treating fungal infections, and aiding circulation and digestion.

Celiac Disease

My husband suffers from this problem.  He tends to go through cycles of
avoiding wheat (his biggest grain problem) and then eating it again.
His celiac manifests not only in digestive problems, but in depression
first.
For him Aloe and digestive enz are great when he is eatting wheat and
being bothered digestively.  When he stops eating wheat again we always
do a NutriClean cleanse, which makes him feel so much better in just a
week.  For the depression I cannot usually get him to take many of our
products; Multi-tech, B-12 complex and Omegas have been extremely
helpful.  But the main thing is to avoid the grains that set it off.

Celiac in relation to grains is like a diabetic with sugar.  Although
our products help to control symtoms and problems, the real solution is
through diet.  If you need some help with alternatives that support the
diet let me know.

Laura Hulleman
ATG 1941

Multiple Sclerosis

My name is Darlene Sweigard - age 51. In 1990, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. At that time, my balance was very poor, and I seemed to be tripping and falling a lot. I was also extremely fatigued to the point of exhaustion. My symptoms gradually progressed, and it became obvious that something was very wrong. I could not stand nor walk without assistance.

Ten years prior to 1990, I had had similar symptoms and was admitted to the hospital where a spinal tap was done. MRI technology was not yet available. The diagnosis given me was that perhaps an unnamed virus had invaded the fluid in my brain and was affecting the nerve endings, resulting in the symptoms I had been experiencing. After many days of constant sleep, I gradually improved and returned to work.

My job was in Human Resources at a large corporate company where I had been working since 1973. The job was extremely stressful. It was my responsibility to take care of approximately nine hundred to twelve hundred employees. I was involved in all hiring, benefit concerns, disciplinary actions, employee relations, management relations, etc. I was unable to work longer than a few months before another exacerbated flare-up would begin.

In 1992, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, which involved surgery and six months of chemotherapy. I once again returned to work only to last for two or three months. Over the next four or five years, many MS flare-ups took place. Some of my symptoms were: slurred speech, dropped foot, numbness, needle-feeling, loss of handwriting ability, bladder problems, loss of flexibility/mobility, and some blurriness in vision. In approximately eight months to a year, I was in a wheelchair, then upgraded to a walker, then a cane.

Sometime in 1997, my doctor told me that if I ever wanted to have good quality of life, I would have to stop working. This was devastating to me since I was a very career oriented person. I had always been very involved in music at my church, and was, in fact our music director. Due to my debilitating symptoms I had to give that up. I knew that it was only a matter of time until I had to give up my job, as well. I have never been bitter

about my illness and have always known that God had a reason for choosing me to have MS - if only to make me a bigger person and perhaps to help inspire someone else who is suffering the same illness.

In 1998, I did stop working and over the next one to two years improved so that I used my cane only occasionally. My legs were still very stiff from spasticity and my balance was still very bad. At that time, I was taking approximately twelve to fourteen different prescription drugs, including Betaseron injections (approved by the FDA in 1995). In May of 2000, I attended a "ladies-night-out" at our local YMCA. It was there that I was introduced to the Health & Nutrition products of Market America. I was told about

OPC-3 and the other products also in the Isotonic formulation. Within a week or so, I started taking three capfuls of OPC-3 on a daily basis. Two weeks later, I learned, through reading and research, that Co-Enzyme Q-10 was especially important for MS sufferers. So, in addition to the OPC-3, I started taking one capful of Co-Enzyme Q-10 and one capful of B-12, which, I knew, would benefit my weakened energy level.


When my husband began to see a difference in my balance, flexibility, and mobility, I knew that I wanted to know more about Market America. One day I ventured up into our attic on my own, and my husband was amazed. I knew I felt better, but it was difficult to verbalize. Then one day, I took a very deep breath and felt as though I had filled up with oxygen from head to toe. That was such a good feeling. I felt in control, and I wasn't swaying the way I had been the night I was introduced to Market America by Suzanne Jones and Tony Edwards. They told me later that they had been concerned that night that I might fall because I had been swaying so badly.

In June of 2000, my husband, John, and I became Independent Distributors of Market America products and began our own UnFranchise business partnered with Market America. I continued taking three caps of OPC-3. Had I known then what I know now, I probably would have started with at least five or six caps daily - perhaps three in the a.m. and three in the p.m. prior to the evening meal. This would have been an effort to saturate my system to more quickly flush out the toxin buildup and promote a quicker response towards seeing improvement. I continued with one cap CO Q-10, one cap B-12, one cap vitamin C, and one cap Multi Tech - all products of Market America in Isotonic form. After further research, I learned that calcium was very good for muscles, and started taking three caps of calcium per day. About that time was when I started weaning myself off of my oral prescription drugs. My doctor said only - "Whatever you are doing, just keep doing it, and don't stop because you are the strongest I have ever seen you." Since adding calcium, the stiffness and cramping in my legs was eliminated after about 6 weeks. In addition, I am taking one cap Mineral Blast and Digestive Enzymes also in Isotonic form. I feel the best and the healthiest I have ever felt - since even before being diagnosed with MS.

During these years, I also had acid reflux and was taking two Prilosec a day. The doctor I was seeing for the reflux told me that I had developed a grandaloma on my esophagus. The acid had actually burned a hole in my throat. When I heard that Prilosec could damage my liver, I began taking the Ultimate Aloe drink (Apple/Cranberry flavor) three to six ounces a day. In a few weeks, my reflux problem was taken care of.

Since that time, many blessings have come my way - the biggest one being that I now know that my purpose in having MS is being fulfilled through the vehicle of these great nutritional products to be shared with others whose paths I cross. When a person has been robbed of her health and independence, she quickly knows how to appreciate and recognize that life is short and, most of all, every second of it is very precious. So I salute Market America and these great products, and thank them for my newfound quality of life - my physical independence - and for the opportunity to pass on to others the hope for better optimal health and prosperity through products that do what my friends at Market America say they will do.