If you have problems with your digestion, you’re in good company. More than 100 million Americans have digestive problems. Whether it’s irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, reflux, or gas, getting your digestion in order will bring you much needed relief and save your from potential embarrassment.

Don’t let digestive discomfort become a fact of life. By making simple changes, you can help your digestive system find its groove again so it can absorb nutrients and keep things running smoothly.

Stay hydrated: the best way to stay regular is to keep hydrated and encourage the flow of food through your intestines. Dehydration is one of the most common culprits of constipation. Not drinking enough water slows your digestive system down, forcing it to get water from your food waste. The result is hard, difficult-to-pass stools. You know you are getting enough water if your urine is clear (as opposed to yellow) all day long.

Keep on moving: Exercise may be the next best thing for your digestion, as it stimulates all the muscles in your GI tract. Brisk movement speeds up digestion, makes your organs work more efficiently, and signals your intestinal muscles to contract. A toned colon pushes out stools better and keeps your gut in good shape.

Choose healthy fats: Fried and rich foods throw a wrench into your digestive tract, making it sluggish. Instead, opt for healthy fats to help support the GI tract. To help break down your food, Hazle Drugs brand of “Digestion Eze” is a comprehensive blend of enzymes that supports healthy digestive function. Bromelain, Ox Bile, Pancreatin and Papain have been formulated to optimize the breakdown of fats, carbohydrates and protein for maximum assimilation resulting in proper active digestion. These enzymes aid in breaking food down properly and allowing nutrients to be absorbed in the small intestine.

Choose bulk: Fiber is constipation’s sworn enemy. The typical American’s low-fiber diet causes all the wrong bacteria and yeast to grow in the gut, damaging its delicate ecosystem. Fiber quickly plows its way through a plugged-up gut by softening stools and adding bulk. Seek out fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

Probiotics: Gut-dwelling friendly bacteria keep pathogens in check, aid nutrient absorption, reduce bloating, and boost immune function. Especially relevant is their ability to normalize bowel movements.

Hazle Drugs brand of “Probiotic Balance” can aid in proper digestive balance maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal tract. Probiotic Balance contains 8 strains and has 4 Billion potency to promote positive probiotic balance and help support immune function. If you have any questions regarding Hazle Drugs nutritionist formulated “Probiotic Balance” or “Digestion Eze”, please contact Compounding Pharmacist and Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Bill Spear, R.Ph, CCN at Hazle Drugs 1 E. Broad St., Hazleton, Pa. 18201. Call 570-454-2476 for more information or to schedule your Nutritional Consultation today!

While we are beginning to understand the influence of probiotic microbes, our level of current knowledge is most likely only the tip of the iceberg. We know that probiotic bacteria and yeasts provide support to our digestive tract and help us break down and absorb nutrients. We also know that they can help to protect our digestive tract from more pathogenic organisms by consuming space and resources. We are beginning to understand the complex ways that probiotics communicate and interact with our immune cells, increasing and balancing their function.

A new study published in the journal “Pediatrics International” demonstrated that school-age Thai children (ages 8-13) taking a probiotic containing L. acidophilus and B. bifidum over the three-month study period had significantly lower risk of fever, cough, rhinorrhea, school absence, and common cold than children in the placebo group. This study’s results are consistent with the results reported in August in “Pediatrics” demonstrating that children aged 3-5 taking a probiotic containing L. acidophilus NCFM strain in combination with Bifidobacterium lactis for six months effectively reduced fever, rhinorrhea, and cough incidence and duration, as well as decreasing the need for antibiotic prescription and the number of school days missed due to illness. With rampant concerns of overuse of antibiotic therapies combined with the annual “superbug” that seems to take the press by storm each winter, it seems like use of probiotic in children (and adults) may be a logical choice to provide the additional support our immune system needs to stay healthy.

When thinking about immune health for your children, Hazle Drugs brand of “Children’s Acidophilus” is a combination of several probiotics in a grape flavored chewable. Each chewable provides one billion viable cells of beneficial bacteria to build up your child’s immunity. The probiotics in this blend are both acid-resistant and do not require refrigeration. For more information on keeping your children healthy, please contact Compounding Pharmacist and Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Bill Spear, R.Ph, CCN at Hazle Drugs 1 E. Broad St., Hazleton, Pa. 18201. Call 570-454-2476 for more information or to schedule your Nutritional Consultation today!

For people diagnosed with asthma, they probably have a better understanding than most of what it actually feels like to be a “fish out of water”. This disease is characterized by classic indicators like frequent coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, wheezing, and chest tightness. There isn’t a cure for asthma, but it can be managed with proper prevention and treatment. Try these natural remedies to help manage asthma symptoms and prevent attacks.

Omega-3-Fatty Acids: Naturally found in fish, omega-3s may help support a balanced level of inflammation-one of the underlying mechanisms behind asthma. If fish isn’t regularly on the dinner table, try taking an omega-3 or fish oil supplement to support healthy cells and maintain a healthy level of inflammation. Hazle Drugs brand of “High Potency Omega-3 Fatty Acids” provides the healthy oils (“good fats”) scientifically proven to be nutritious to our body as opposed to harmful fats so common in our diet. Hazle Drugs “High Potency Omega-3” is a concentrated product that provides the proper balance of EPA/DHA fatty acids that are derived from molecularly distilled fish oils.

Antioxidants: Many patients with severe asthma have decreased levels of the antioxidants founds in fruits and vegetables. Taking supplements of vitamin C, vitamin A, and magnesium may help
to replenish some of these missing antioxidants and support an optimal-functioning immune system. Homeopathy: there is some evidence that homeopathy can reduce symptoms in long-term, chronic asthma cases. This practice involves exposing the individual to very small, diluted (homeopathic) doses of substances that stimulate the body’s self-healing response.

Ginko Extract: The seeds and leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree have long been used as traditional remedies for conditions including bronchitis and asthma. Ginko has been shown to reduce and
relieve airway inflammation, so it may be useful therapy to support a health respiratory system.

Butterbur: Petasites hybridus, also known as butterbur, may be useful to promote healthy breathing. Either used alone or with other products, butterbur may be a good choice to support clear, easy breathing.

Before trying an alternative method of treating asthma, be sure to talk to your health care practitioner, they can help decide with remedies are the best course of treatment.

For more information regarding natural remedies for asthma, please contact Compounding Pharmacist and Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Bill Spear, R.Ph, CCN at Hazle Drugs 1 E. Broad St., Hazleton, Pa. 18201. Call 570-454-2476 for more information or to schedule your Nutritional Consultation today!

Hazle Drugs own unique brand of AntiOxidant Essentials contains a varied blend of nutritional antioxidants to help neutralize a range of free radical molecules.

Free radicals are constantly being created in the body, from normal physiological processes. Free radical production is a consequence of energy production in the cells.

In the immune system white blood cells actually use free radicals as a weapon to destroy foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. Free radicals are also generated from exposure to chemicals, drugs, smog, and radiation. Evidence suggests that oxidative stress contributes to the development of many common health problems, including atherosclerosis and diabetes. In addition, it is implicated in the aging process, in part through negative effects on mitochondrial DNA.

Antioxidant nutrients are necessary to protect the body from the destructive effects of harmful molecules that cause oxidation. Hazle Drug’s AntiOxidant Essentials provides a comprehensive blend of water soluble antioxidants (including Vitamin C and glutathione) and fat-soluble antioxidants (including Vitamin A and Vitamin E). Alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant capable of neutralizing both fat- and water-soluble free radicals. Zinc, copper and manganese are necessary components of the endogenous antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Also included in this formulation is Vitamin E, Vitamin B-2, Vitamin B-6, Selenium, N-Acetyl-Cysteine, L-Cysteine HCL, L-Glutathione and Quercetin. This product contains NO added sugar, salt, dairy, yeast, wheat, gluten, corn, preservative, artificial colors or flavors.

Hazle Drug’s brand of AntiOxidant Essentials may be a useful dietary supplement for those who wish to be on a disease prevention or anti-aging supplement program and for those who are exposed to chemicals, drugs, smog, or radiation.

Bill Spear, R.Ph., CCN is a Compounding Pharmacist and Certified Clinical Nutritionist. He is available for personal nutritional consultations at Hazle Drugs, 1 E. Broad St., Hazleton, Pa. 570-454-2476 / 800-439-2026. www.hazledrugs.com

Chronic Stress may be due to work or family crisis, chronic illnesses, infections, pain, financial problems, loss of a loved one, or environmental exposure. Prolonged stressors can be a source of much anxiety and eventually lead to depression. Cortisol is a major hormone produced by the adrenal gland. Its production takes priority over all the other hormones. This hormone mediates the physiological changes which occur in response to stress. Cortisol production takes priority over female sex hormone production, which leads to irregular periods, worsening, PMS, perimenopause, and menopausal symptoms.

Chronic stress decreases thyroid hormone function. Decreased thyroid function causes fatigue and weight gain. Insulin function is decreased, causing elevated blood sugar and eventually diabetes. Bowl function is altered, causing a decrease in absorption of nutrients and irritable bowl symptoms.

Eventually, the body’s ability to make cortisol at high levels diminishes. In healthy individuals cortisol is normally elevated in the morning and decreases as the day progresses. This allows you to be alert and productive in the morning and to wind down as the day closes, so that you can sleep at night. With prolonged stress, adrenal functioning diminishes. As cortisol levels drop, so does your ability to cope with daily stressors. The normal rhythm of cortisol production may be reversed leading to low cortisol levels in the morning and high nighttime cortisol levels. These reversed cortisol levels produce fatigue during the day and insomnia at bedtime, thus making you feel tired and wired.

If the stressor continues, the adrenal glands begins to fail leading to chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, poor bowel function, abnormal insulin and glucose function, abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism. Patients with adrenal dysfunction are also more likely to develop cancer, autoimmune diseases and infections.

The best way to test for the effects of stress is through saliva testing. Hazle Drugs provides Saliva Testing Kits for patients. Saliva testing allows the physical effects of stress to be measured. Hazle Drugs certified nutritionist, Bill Spear can provide options for Adrenal Dysfunction. Most of the symptoms can be corrected by using nutritional supplements such as Hazle Drugs own brand of “Adrenal Health Support”. Hazle Drugs “Adrenal Health Support is a synergistic blend of vitamins, minerals and glandulars designed to support normal adrenal health and stress management.

If you would like more information on Adrenal Dysfunction, please contact Compounding Pharmacist and Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Bill Spear, R.Ph, CCN at Hazle Drugs 1 E. Broad St., Hazleton, Pa. 18201. Call 570-454-2476 for more information or to schedule your Nutritional Consultation today!