The Allergy-Immune System Connection

A food allergy is an over-reaction by the body’s immune system to foods that would not ordinarily pose a real threat. It’s a bit like calling in a SWAT team for a simple knock at the door – eating a peanut triggers a flood of chemicals that produce immediate, and sometimes even life-threatening symptoms.
“Anaphylaxis” is the most dangerous form of allergic reaction – a person’s blood pressure drops and their airways – the tubes that carry the air from their nose and mouth to their lungs – can close. It kills 10 to 20 Australians each year and about one-third of cases are caused by foods. People with asthma and those who have had previous lesser reactions are at risk of have a severe allergic reaction, as are those who’ve had a large skin-prick test result.
Because the immune system is involved, your body has to know the food before it can recognize it as a hostile threat. That explains why a toddler might eat a peanut butter sandwich for the first time and be fine but the next time they react.
The reactions we’re talking about are caused by chemicals such histamine, which are produced by the body and released from the mast cells just under the surface of our skin, in the gut lining and in the nose and throat. These chemicals cause skin welts and rashes, make the gut reject its contents, and cause noses to run and airways to swell.

About Mannatech, IncorporatedMannatech, based in Coppell, Texas, is a wellness solutions provider that sells more than 24 proprietary and scientifically validated glyconutritional supplements and products for adults and children that address health and wellness issues, weight management and skin care products, through a global network-marketing system throughout the United States and the international markets of Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Denmark. For additional information about Mannatech, please visit its corporate Web site: www.mannatech.com

Children's Nutrition

One of the best things you can do for your child when you teach them about nutrition is to model a healthy diet yourself. Begin to introduce vegetables and low fat dip, popcorn, and fruit as snacks and join them at snack time. After all, if it's not good enough for mom or dad to eat, why should they? Also, check with your child's school nutritionist to see if there are potentially unhealthy menu choices at school. Surprisingly, many schools still have high calorie fruit drinks, chips, and cookies available in their lunchroom. Encourage your child to limit their junk food purchases to once a week and substitute fruit and milk or pack the other days.
When you do pack your child's lunch, make sandwiches on whole grain white or wheat bread and supply them with bottled water, real fruit juice or have them buy milk. Pack low-fat chips or pretzels or pieces of fruit to go with their sandwich. You don't have to scale down the lunchbox contents, just make sure you are putting in healthy foods. An occasional sweet treat is OK, just keep it minimal in both size and frequency.
It is so important to introduce kids to the concept of nutrition at an early age, because as they begin to grow, they begin to develop the eating habits they will have all their lives. Make healthier eating a family project and you may be surprised at how well your child responds. Granted, some kids may be resistant to changes, especially if they have been allowed to eat sweets and sugary drinks at will, but in time they will adjust and accept the changes. In the long run, it's better for them and for you as well.

Mannatech’s executives say, the company is not limiting its activities to markets close to its Texas home. Mannatech now operates in 10 countries, with many more on the way as associates eagerly spread the news about glyconutrients to consumers. While other firms might dread the thought of dealing with a multitude of consumers with unfamiliar shopping habits, Mannatech has found that its existing business model — network marketing — works effectively in almost any culture.

Children's Nutrition

As America continues to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, it is important to remember that educating our own kids on nutrition and healthy eating can vastly improve that situation. Even if you've never broached the subject of nutrition and healthy eating with your child, it's never too late to start. Many people feel that if they lecture their kids on nutrition and healthy eating, they might be sending the signal that they believe their child is overweight. However, educating kids on nutrition isn't about weight, it's about life-long health.
Start by introducing your child to the food pyramid. If they haven't already been introduced to this concept at school, visit the USDA's website and print a copy of the food pyramid. Ask your child to think of foods he or she likes to eat and have them place those foods in their proper food group. Next, have your child think of something from each food group that they would like to try and help them think of ways they can incorporate foods from each group into their daily diet. Children enjoy being part of decision-making processes and will often astound their parents with their choices.
Educating kids on nutrition requires more than just an understanding of food groups. You should explain to them why healthy eating is important. Tell them that what they eat now can help shape the health of their bodies as they grow and become adults. You don't have to scare them into thinking they can never eat another cookie, just remind them that sweets and junk food should be limited and that healthy snacks can substitute junk foods sometimes. Avoid using words like “diet” and “weight”, especially with teens and adolescents. Remember your objective is to educate your kids on nutrition and healthy eating, not make them self-conscious.

“The world as a whole is becoming much more aware of the need for wellness, rather than just the need to manage illness,” says Mannatech’s vice president of international finance. “And with science increasingly validating the essential role of the glyconutrients in our patented and patent-pending products, Mannatech is uniquely positioned to provide the missing ingredient in the wellness puzzle.”

Protecting Your Family

Everyone wants themselves and their loved ones to have the best life possible. However, some factors of life cannot be controlled, while others can. One of the easiest ways to improve your family’s life and health are by providing healthy nutrition and exercise. A healthy lifestyle includes a variety of factors including eating certain foods, avoiding or limiting others, and getting plenty of exercise. If you give your family healthy choices and teach them the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, you can ensure a better future for all of you.

Avoiding and limiting certain foods can also help to improve your family’s quest for healthy nutrition. Eating foods containing excessive amounts of sugars, while they may be tasty, can lead to a world of problems including obesity, tooth decay, and diabetes. Too many foods that are high in fat content or fried raises your cholesterol, adds extra weight, and can increase your risks of stroke or heart disease. High salt intake is another heart risk factor, so anything containing salt should be used in moderation. Artificially sweetened foods are also unsafe when used excessively. A good rule of thumb is if its flavours aren’t natural, eat it sparingly.

Mannatech has championed revolutionary discoveries designed to help boost your body's ability to stay healthy. Inspired by aloe vera saccharide research and the exploding field of glycobiology, Mannatech developed the first glyconutritional dietary supplement, Ambrotose® complex, in 1996.

Why vitamin D is good for you

Vitamin D’s most important role is to regulate how much calcium is absorbed from the food that is eaten and to ensure that levels of calcium are regulated properly.
The immune system also needs vitamin D to function effectively.
To get enough vitamin D, a general rule of thumb is: in winter, get about 1.5-2 hours a day of sunlight directly on the face and in summer, 10-20 minutes (but not in the hottest part of the day).
The ultraviolet light in sunshine makes a type of cholesterol that is found just under the skin, into cholecalciferol (or vitamin D3). The vitamin D3 gets carried to the kidneys, where it becomes even more active. Some of the vitamin D stays in the liver and kidneys, where it helps to reabsorb calcium from the blood. Some goes to the bones to help them hold onto their calcium. The rest goes to the intestines to help absorb calcium from food.
Vitamin D is found naturally in some foods, in a slightly different form, called ergocalciferol or vitamin D2. The body can use this form of vitamin D just as well as the other type from sunshine.

Important vitamin D facts
· Cod liver oil was the main source of vitamin D for a long time.
· Fish oil contains a lot of Vitamin D, which is in fish liver, mackerel, herring, sardines, salmon, tuna and other oily fish
· Today, vitamin D is added to milk as well as to breakfast cereals
· Vitamin D is fat soluble, so when a lot is made, by spending a day at the beach, some of it gets stored in the fatty tissues and in the liver
· Vitamin D is also classified as a hormone

Mannatech’s executives say, the company is not limiting its activities to markets close to its Texas home. Mannatech now operates in 10 countries, with many more on the way as associates eagerly spread the news about glyconutrients to consumers. While other firms might dread the thought of dealing with a multitude of consumers with unfamiliar shopping habits, Mannatech has found that its existing business model — network marketing — works effectively in almost any culture.

Functional Foods

According to the definition given by the National Centre for Excellence in Functional Foods (NCEFF), "Functional Foods are foods that support human health and wellbeing, providing health benefits beyond basic nutrition".

In other words, functional foods look like their conventional counterparts and are intended to be consumed as part of a normal diet, but have been modified during processing to contain additional nutrients and ingredients in an attempt to provide a particular benefit.
Food manufacturers have been adding nutrients to processed foods for years. Usually this has been to restore nutrient content to the level that existed in the raw food before processing. In this case the food is not considered functional.
There are a wide variety of functional foods available throughout Australia and there doesn’t seem to be any slowing down in the rate of development of new functional foods. The majority of those available are dairy products (milk and yoghurts), however they can also be breads, cereals, fruit juices, non-alcoholic beverages and ‘fast foods’.
Examples of functional foods currently on the market include:
· Milks enriched with calcium and iron
· Cereals containing additional folate
· Eggs containing omega-3 fatty acids/oils
· Yoghurts containing bacterial cultures
· Breads containing extra fibre, DHA, phytoestrogens or Hi-Maize
· Margarines containing plant sterols
· Fruit juices containing calcium and iron

PhytoMatrix™ contains vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that have been absorbed by a plant’s roots and stored in its tissue. When harvested, these plants provide all-natural ingredients. Mannatech has obtained exclusive rights to a patented, hydroponic cultivation technology that allows plants to absorb significantly greater quantities of minerals. The plant based delivery in PhytoMatrix™ provides greater absorption and utilisation of nutrients than any other existing supplement technologies.

The upshot of antioxidants

While news reports this week have questioned the antioxidant value of some high profile drinks, one of Australia’s leading naturopaths reminds us of the benefits of getting your antioxidants from a standardised source.
Flipping back the clock 10 years, it’s possible a trip to the supermarket involved few sightings of the word ‘antioxidant’ emblazoned on everything from frozen berry packets to olive oil bottles. Today the story plays out differently. Having a television, reading a newspaper and tuning into the radio all go hand-in-hand with exposure to antioxidant media. So why all the hype?
Perhaps this has something to do with growing concerns over toxins, and the subsequent popularity of ‘detoxing’. “Antioxidants help prevent damage to cells caused by anything from cigarette smoke and pollution, through to ultraviolet radiation and toxic substances in our food,” explains naturopath Pam Stone.
Essentially a ‘protector’, antioxidants assist in countering the effects of free radicals. A by-product of the metabolism of oxygen, free radicals damage cells.
“If our cells are damaged it will show in the form of premature ageing and reduced resistance to infection,” says naturopath and radio personality Russell Setright in The A-Z get Well Encyclopaedia. Pam Stone agrees, noting that antioxidants contribute to tissue fortification, and hence offer anti-ageing properties: “They’re doing two things: strengthening the tissue and helping make the intercellular mass stronger.”
So where can you find them?
Beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, the amino acid methionine, zinc, vitamin B6 and selenium form the core group of antioxidants. Running a close second are the herb milk thistle and grape seed extract. In terms of food, look for brightly coloured fruit and vegies, including tomatoes, blueberries and dark leafy vegetables such as spinach. Antioxidant powers are even found in wine, so don’t shy away from a glass of red over dinner.
When it comes to supplementation, look for a formula containing beta-carotene, selenium, zinc and vitamins C, E, B1, B5 and B6. “There is ample evidence to show that these, in combination, make an ideal antioxidant preparation,” says Setright.

Mannatech was founded in November 1993 by current CEO and Chairman Sam Caster. During its first two years, the company focused on products that contained aloe vera extract. Mannatech announced its flagship product, Ambrotose, 1996 based on the discovery that the body’s immune system needs eight plant-based sugars – also known as glyconutrients – to function properly.