Have you ever used a pedometer? They’re the small, battery-powered devices that usually clip to a belt or the waist of your pants. I remember receiving one a few years ago at a food-industry trade show. I believe it was heart-shaped, red and about half the size of a pager.

I tried it on a couple of walks, more interested in how it actually worked than how many steps it measured. I remember being surprised, despite a few missed steps here and there, at the pedometer’s accuracy. It seemed to do a pretty good job measuring my steps, and if I had planned to make walking a regular part of my exercise regimen, I probably would have continued to use it.

I did find, however, that the steps don’t add up too quickly. Two thousand to 4,000 steps can make for a pretty good walk, maybe 20 to 40 minutes. As I did some research for an article on the benefits of walking, I came across a humorous blog post from a woman in Minnesota who also discovered it takes a little hop in your step to push the pedometer scale.

In the blog, aptly titled “My pedometer fell in the toilet,” Karla explains she started using a pedometer to reach a goal set forth by her local community’s fitness challenge. The goal: 10,000 steps per day. And, well, Karla made it. Sort of.

Within her first 5 hours, Karla had only taken 300 steps. She decided to try again the next day. Wearing the pedometer from morning to night, she logged 5,500 steps, and that included a 45-minute walk around a high school track. She finally recorded 10,000 steps when the pedometer, still hooked to her pants, survived a 4,500-step ride in her dryer. The pedometer finally met its match, though, when it fell into the toilet. Thankfully, Karla had an extra one.

Although many people might find it difficult to reach a goal such as 10,000 steps per day, it’s hard to argue the health benefits walking can provide. In a story at enzymeexperts.com, some encouraging statistics show that walking can decrease the risk for heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes and many other conditions. The story also touches on research that suggests a pedometer can be a great motivator for walkers. It seems even a 5,000-step walk can provide some measurable health benefits.

To supplement those walks, WellZymes™ Metabolic Balance™ might be a good product to try for enhanced energy production. With a powerful blend of enzymes, nutrients and herbs, WellZymes™ Metabolic Balance™ can help regulate sugar and lipid levels in the blood.

Walking has also been cited to help relieve arthritis, osteoporosis and sleep problems. For people experiencing the symptoms of fibromyalgia – fatigue and pain in the muscles, tendons and ligaments – walking could be a difficult task. WellZymes™ Fibro Ease,™ a product formulated to address fibromyalgia, might provide the relief needed to make walking part of a weekly exercise routine. WellZymes™ Fibro Ease™ contains a combination of magnesium, malic acid, ginkgo biloba and proteolytic enzymes.

There was a brief story about the potential creation of a new class of drugs – behind-the-counter drugs (BTCs) – on the fdanews.com Web site in late January. In 1995, the Government Accountability Office issued a report on BTCs, and two democratic congressmen have requested an update to that document.

According to the story, the congressmen want to know about the potential benefits of such a drug class, which although available without a prescription would require pharmacist counsel before being purchased. One side says BTC drugs would improve patient access to medications, while another says it would raise drug costs.

On one hand, a BTC class might be unnecessary for some types of drugs, and it could possibly create longer lines at the pharmacist counter. However, as we learn more about the ineffectiveness of some types of children’s medications and the harmful side effects of NSAIDs and other pain relievers, it might be a better time now more than ever to have pharmacist intervention. And, such a class could keep over-the-counter drugs out of the hands of adolescents who use the products to get high.

It’s interesting that as some modern prescription drugs – such as acid reducers and allergy medications – gain shelf space in nonprescription form, we’re now considering placing some previously nonprescription medicines behind the counter. At the same time, there have been quite a few studies lately that have questioned the safety and effectiveness of some widely used over-the-counter drugs.

The good news for consumers? They have a safe, natural alternative.

Enzyme-based, nutritive and herbal products from Enzymes, Inc., are safe and effective in supporting a variety of conditions. Digestive enzymes help the body better absorb nutrients to promote natural healing, while systemic enzyme products can enhance natural healing. Enzymes, Inc., also carries probiotic products to aid digestion and colon health, and antioxidant supplements can help protect the body against environmental harm. In addition to helping with current symptoms, enzyme-based products can help promote whole-body health.

A story on foodproductiondaily.com reports that probiotics might play a role in metabolism. According to a recent study, probiotics could change the way bile acids are metabolized, which could affect how individuals absorb fat.

Now, the story never went into what altering “how much fat the body is able to absorb” could mean for humans, but another story at healthcarerepublic.com asserts probiotics might assist in weight loss. In fact, the report says the findings could lead to the development of probiotic therapies for obesity or diabetes.

It’s hard to say where this type of research might lead. Although probiotics are being widely used in a variety of food products, the mechanism by which they act is largely a mystery. The stories pointed out that the research, performed on mice that had human microbes in their guts, was important because it pinpoints one way probiotic strains might work.

That probiotics could help increase energy and improve metabolism is great news, especially if it leads to more healthful choices when it comes to dieting for weight loss. It seems there’s a new weight-loss pill or method on the market every week, and the long-term safety of many of these products is anybody’s guess.

The popular weight-loss product on the market today, alli, works by preventing the body from absorbing some of the fat ingested from food. Is the $60 per month price tag and side effects, including fecal urgency, loss of bowel control and gas, worth it? Plus, is it healthful, in the long term, to keep a body from absorbing fat, an essential nutrient?

A natural way to achieve weight loss, of course, is exercise and proper diet. And to supplement those methods, Enzymes, Inc., carries an extensive line of highly effective digestive enzyme products that help the body fully absorb nutrients from food. Digestive enzyme supplements also can boost energy for immune function and ease gastrointestinal problems, such as gas and bloating. The great thing is, enzymes occur naturally in the body.

Other natural products include WellZymes™ Metabolic Balance,™ which contains herbal extracts to stimulate the body’s metabolic processes. It helps the body burn fat calories and possibly helps burn stored fat. Also, WellZymes™ Colon Health, a probiotic supplement, contains more than 3 billion “friendly bacteria” for digestive health. These strains help to impede the growth of harmful gut bacteria. They also can promote a healthy immune system.

Be sure to check out the story on www.enzymeexperts.com about insurance companies and alternative care options. Today, it seems that several employers are trying to find new ways to decrease health insurance costs. In this election year, when health care is a top political issue, stories such as this show how consumers are responding to the costly and sometimes ineffective U.S. health care system.

One option is to include coverage for alternative health care from chiropractors, acupuncturists and other practitioners. Also, some plans are covering the costs of supplements, such as herbals and nutritional products. In addition, some plans could allow participants to purchase supplements with money from health savings accounts.

This is great news for people who have already found relief from chronic or bothersome conditions through alternative practitioners and supplements. And for those that haven’t looked beyond traditional medicine, this could open their lives and minds to highly effective alternative care. It would be wise to ask employers about these options, as that will send a message to insurance companies that alternative health care could be one step toward healing what ails U.S. medicine. According to smartmoney.com, about 75 percent of U.S. adults have tried some sort of alternative care.

We can also encourage our local, state and national representatives to consider the benefits of alternative health care. At the very least, it would be nice to hear more discussion about the options as legislators and presidential candidates offer their solutions for the country’s medical woes. As the rates of diabetes, obesity and other chronic conditions keep climbing, we have to make it clear that alternative medicine might not only decrease the costs of health care coverage, but might also help create a more healthful society.

Check out the SmartMoney story here, as it also offers some excellent suggestions we should all consider about alternative health care options in our insurance plans. For example, some plans might only offer discounts, and some might not accept claims for myriad reasons. Also, it’s a good idea to use caution when choosing a practitioner for alternative care. Of course, we strongly recommend BioSET™ certified practitioners, as well as those that offer the BioSET,™ Advanced Formula™ and NESS™ lines of nutritional supplements.

What is a digestive enzyme?

To understand how a digestive enzyme supplement can help improve health, it’s important first to know that enzymes occur naturally in the body. Human digestive enzymes include protease, amylase and lipase, which help the body break down protein, carbohydrates and fat, respectively. Raw foods also contain natural enzymes that aid the body in digestion.

Unfortunately, the modern diet includes many cooked and processed foods heated to temperatures greater than 118 degrees. These foods contain little or no natural enzymes to support the digestive process. As a result, the body must expend a significant amount of metabolic energy during digestion, when the burden is placed on digestive organs to produce all of the required enzymes.

Improper digestion can lead to health problems
Gastrointestinal problems such as heartburn, reflux and indigestion often result from improper digestion. To ease discomfort, over-the-counter and prescription remedies only mask the problem, never addressing the root cause. What’s more, the body is unable to maintain its enzyme output as it ages, which further contributes to poor digestion and insufficient nutrient absorption. Incomplete digestion also can lead to an increase in food sensitivities, allergies and other health problems.

Thankfully, vegetarian-based digestive enzyme supplements can help reduce the enzyme-producing burden placed on the body. When taken immediately before meals or snacks, enzyme supplements help to predigest foods in the upper stomach 45 minutes to 1 hour after consumption. This, in turn, can help relieve gastrointestinal problems because food is more fully digested as it moves through the digestive process. This greater state of digestion also can increase nutrient absorption; while a reduction in the metabolic stress placed on digestive organs can boost energy for immune function, maintenance and overall health.

Vegetarian enzymes are more effective
In addition, enzymes derived from vegetarian sources are able to begin digesting food almost immediately after entering the stomach, as the enzymes are active over a broad pH in the digestive system. In the treatment of inadequate digestion, studies have demonstrated that it takes less active units of vegetarian-based digestive enzymes to provide the same results as animal-based enzymes. Also, production of vegetarian enzymes takes place in highly controlled laboratory conditions, which protects against the inclusion of hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and other environmental contaminants.

What is a systemic enzyme?

Systemic enzyme supplements, when taken between meals, have shown to reduce inflammation, boost immune function, maintain cardiovascular health and promote normal respiratory function. Absorbed intact into the bloodstream, systemic enzymes appear to help restore and maintain healthy blood and tissue functions. Systemic enzyme supplements also are referred to as proteolytic, as they make use of protease enzymes that perform their work in the physiological conditions of the blood and tissues.

Proteases act differently in body tissues than they do in the digestive tract, and the amount needed for systemic activity is often much greater than that required for digestion. Systemic enzyme supplements can contain different blends of acidic, alkaline and neutral proteases, depending on the purpose of each product. There are several systemic products, including formulations that support the adrenal glands, vascular system, liver, joints and lungs.

A clinical study shows accelerated wound healing
Enzymes, Inc., uses a proprietary blend of proteases, known as pHysioProtease,™ in most of its vegetarian-based systemic products. The proteolytic enzyme blend activates alpha-2 macroglobulins when the supplement is taken in the absence of food. These macroglobulins seek out sites of immune function and cleanse inflamed or infested tissue. In a University of Texas Southwest Medical Center study, a protease-based nutritional supplement from Enzymes, Inc., accelerated wound-healing time by 17 percent in 77 percent of healthy subjects.

In addition, systemic enzymes are a natural alternative to Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other over-the-counter and prescriptions drugs. NSAIDs such as aspirin and ibuprofen have been shown to induce gastrointestinal problems and possibly harm the heart. As a substitute for NSAIDs, options include systemic enzyme supplements that offer support for headaches, premenstrual syndrome and arthritis.

Hello everyone,

Well, it’s been quite a while since we’ve updated the blog. Sorry for the downtime. It seems the blog has received a lot of readership in the past, and we hope you’ll continue to visit www.enzymeswork.com for health- and enzyme-related discussions. Don’t forget about www.enzymeexperts.com, where we’ll be posting the lateset enzyme-related news weekly. Also, remember the corportate Web site, www.enzymesinc.com, as well as www.buyenzymes.com.

With the blog, we’ll also be letting you know which tradeshows we plan to attend month-to-month. And, we’ll be sure to post our reactions and highlights from the events.

Please post comments and questions to the blog, and if you have more direct questions, you can always e-mail me, marketing coordinator Bryan Scribner, at bscribner@enzymesinc.com.

The new year has arrived, and with it, we want to continue to provide you with the resources, education and support that will help you run a more productive business and live a more healthful lifestyle.

That said, what’s on your mind?

What tools can we provide to help you better manage your practice? What types of educational materials, and in what formats, would help increase your understanding of our products? How can our communications efforts better assist you with your business and personal needs?

Also, what is it that you like? What are we doing well, and which areas can we build on?

Please e-mail marketing@enzymesinc.com with your comments and suggestions.

Thanks for your continued business. We look forward to serving your needs in 2008.

Yours In Health,

Enzymes, Inc.