In the final analysis, we are all in charge of our health. How well do we eat? How much do we exercise? And how do we support our friends, our community, and our planet? All these types of daily decisions are referred to as the “determinants of health”. [1]

But please, don’t roll your eyes. This is not going to be a lecture. As a doctor, it was my job is to encourage my patients to take “baby steps”, one at a time, to improve their health and happiness. For that reason, this newsletter will touch on all the aspects of the Shaklee Lifestyle, in the hopes that one (or more) of them will “call to you”, and open a new pathway for you to enhance your health and satisfaction. Let us begin with what you are already doing, just by being a Shaklee Member, and then finish by focusing on all the nutritional things we can do to support our health.

There are very few corporations that command our respect. A good example would include Steve Jobs and Apple, because of the Mac, the IPod, the iPhone and the iPad, and Volkswagon also comes to mind, but the list is dismally short. Shaklee is just such a company. Dr. Shaklee started his company back in 1956 and set an example for the “Save the Earth” movement, by creating the first 100% biodegradable cleaner (Basic H) in 1960. [2]

Shaklee continued to be an environmental advocate, by sponsoring the very first Earth Day in 1970, and by creating the very first phosphate-free laundry product in 1971, to protect our waterways. During the ensuing years, Shaklee Corporation sponsored the planting of millions of trees, and became the first company to be certified as Climate Neutral back in 2000. [3] So, as a Shaklee member, we are ALL part of a much larger community that demonstrates reasoned concern for our planet.

Our membership also supports Shaklee Cares®, a program that provides volunteers and charitable giving, during times of disaster. In 2020 alone, Shaklee Cares provided support to first responders and survivors of the Puerto Rican Earthquake (January), the Coronavirus Pandemic (ongoingly), the Nashville Tornado (March), and the Australian Bushfires (Summer 2020). [4] Shaklee helps to fund these kinds of projects, and we can ALL feel enormous pride for the work that is done on our behalf.

Shaklee and Nutrition

Dr. Shaklee was one of the first nutritional researchers. He created his first multi-vitamin/mineral supplement in 1915, the same year that he became a Doctor of Chiropractic at the Palmer School.

In the 4 years after founding Shaklee Corporation in 1956, Dr. Shaklee developed the Vita-Lea multi-vitamin, created the original Instant Protein, the first soy isolate protein formula, and perfected the first Alfalfa and Herb-Lax natural herbal products. Those early legacy products remain among the company’s most popular products 70 years later.

Dr. Shaklee informed us that the core of any nutrition program includes a high-quality, balanced multi-vitamin, and a plant-based source of protein. We have regularly reviewed the multis and protein products over the years, so whether your core plan is Vita-Lea and Energizing Soy Protein, or you have adopted Vitalizer or the Life Strip, along with one of the delicious Life Shakes, it’s equally important to determine what other Shaklee products you may need, to help address any particular health challenge, or to help you attain the next level in your sports activities, or professional life. That’s what we will review today.

Antioxidants

Our first stop on the quest for Health is to review the antioxidants, and the dangers posed by free radical damage. MedicalNewsToday has a nice basic review on that topic. [5] Antioxidants are natural substances that can prevent or slow the damage to our cells that are caused by free radicals (an unstable molecule) that the body produces as a reaction to physical damage, and exposures to chemical or environmental pollutants. That’s why antioxidants are also referred to as “free-radical scavengers.”

Factors that increase the production of free radicals in the body may be internal, such as inflammation, or external, for example, pollution, UV exposure, and cigarette smoke.

The classic antioxidants are Vitamins A, C and E, but many other more recently discovered, food-derived phyto-nutrients, found in a spectrum of fruits and vegetables, also provide very powerful antioxidant protection.

They include thousands of different polyphenol molecules [6], including;

• Flavonoids/Bioflavonoids, which include the

  Isoflavones (from soy),
  Proanthocyanidins (from grapes), and
  Quercetin (a pigment that adds color to many fruits and vegetables)

• Phenolic acids, which include

  Ellagic Acid (berries and fruit),
  Gallic acid (berries and citrus), and
  Tannic Acid (grapes, green tea). [6]

You can see why dietary recommendations put major emphasis on fruits and vegetables in our daily diet. It’s for protection against disease. I hate to say it so bluntly, but if I was to put 2 to 3 cups of fruit, and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables in front of you right now, you’d need to hang a trough around your neck, and graze all day, just to capture the MINIMUM amount of the phytonutrients you need to maintain your health.

And don't forget that MINIMUM requirements won't work for any growing child, pregnant Mom, or sick anyone. THAT is why we need to supplement.

This is why Shaklee adds all of the above-named nutrients into their supplements. The CDC [7] and the NHAINS databases [8] confirm that less than 10% of Americans actually eat the minimum dietary recommendations, and probably less, considering that the “required” list is padded with “foods” like French fries and sugared fruit drinks, which both count as “servings”.