Words On Wellness

Three Consecutive Weekends in January with Three Great Today’s Specials!

2012-01-04T16:46:00.001-08:00

I am so sorry for not writing this blog sooner, but the holidays have a way of being not just distracting, but almost overwhelming. Between all the normal wonderful craziness of the holidays, I also wanted to spend a lot of time making sure that this year’s shows are the best ever and I think we have succeeded. I am confident you will agree.

Plus, this year we will be doing something different. Rather than my usual four days of shows that start on Thursday evening and run through Sunday, we will have three short weekends that commence on Saturday evening with a Today’s Special all day Sunday. We begin on Saturday January 7th at 11 PM ET and continue throughout the day on Sunday the 8th. We will then return on Saturday January 14th at 11 PM ET and continue throughout the day on Sunday the 15th. Our last January shows commence on Saturday January 21st at 11 PM ET and continue throughout the day on Sunday the 22nd. This last weekend will be broadcast live from our factory in Henderson, Nevada, so you can see exactly where all your vitamins are made. Of course, ALL my products will have Special New Year’s pricing with FREE shipping on everything! We will also have three very special Today’s Specials on each of these three weekends that I will briefly outline below.

It is not easy to continue to offer ever-improving versions of your favorite products at better values year after year, but I think we have done it again. Our Secure Complete Meal Replacement offers the lowest calorie, best tasting opportunity to embrace the proven weight-loss benefits of a protein-rich, nutritious, delicious meal replacement. There will be four options to choose from beginning at 20 Meals and going up to 200 Meals. Even the smallest size is less than $1 per meal and the largest size far less. Plus, the 50 Meal, 100 Meal and 200 Meal options all come with an equal quantity of our CarniSlim-250, which provides Carnitine – by far the most important molecule in fat burning metabolism. Also, the 200 Meal size can be all one flavor (chocolate, vanilla or coffee) or any combination of two flavors. As an added bonus, the 200 Meal size also comes with a copy of a cookbook that my friend Muriel and I created that includes 25 of my favorite soups. I have received requests to do a cookbook for many years and an enormous amount of effort went into preparing and creating this book. I hope you enjoy it and I know it will help you eat healthier. We can't wait to hear your thoughts. By the way, it really does contain soups that I have relied on for wellness and weight-loss for decades. Just as a reminder, our Secure Complete Meal Replacement contains 26 vitamins and minerals and is also low in fat, low in carbs, low in sodium and contains zero cholesterol, zero saturated fat and zero trans fat. It contains less than 8 grams of carbohydrate per meal for those watching carbs and is barely 70 calories per serving. I have still never found another meal replacement that comes close to our combination of ultra-low calories, great taste, high quality protein, high levels of vitamins and minerals and yet ours is a fraction of their cost! There is truly nothing like it in terms of quality, taste and most importantly – affordability!

Next up are everyone’s favorites: Circulation and Vein Support for Healthy Legs or Energy and Fat Metabolism Factors. You can purchase them separately at our best pricing ever, or enjoy even greater savings buying them as part of a bundle. There are even two choices of sizes of bundles – Economy or Ultra-Economy. There are more than 1,000 combined reviews for these two remarkable products and almost 80% of those reviews are a perfect 5 stars and approximately 90% are 4 or perfect 5 stars. Of course, nothing speaks more clearly about a product than reviews by those who use it and with those amazing numbers, it is safe to conclude that you will not be disappointed. In short, these products do not disappoint.

Our last January broadcast, which will be live from our solar-powered factory in Henderson, Nevada, will have as its Today’s Special our Resveratrol-100 combined with Pomegranate 40:40. Of course, it will be at best pricing ever and there is even more great research to discuss, since it would be difficult to find two natural ingredients that receive more coverage by researchers or in the media than these two ingredients and you will get to enjoy both of them for a price below what you would expect to pay for either on its own. You can try this product with confidence, since both our Resveratrol and our Pomegranate products possess hundreds of combined reviews with an exceptional average rating of 4.5 out of a perfect 5 stars.

Best of all, throughout all three of these quick weekend visits we will have more time to discuss an even greater array of different products and of course, all these products will be at Special Pricing and with FREE shipping and handling.

I hope you will enjoy the new format.

Best of health.

Andrew
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In response to questions raised by a few folks regarding Secure and Soy:

I am pleased that so many folks are eager to receive their Secure Meal Replacements at this weekend’s Today’s Special pricing and I have also read with interest some of the comments and questions posted about this product and I will try to respond briefly below in the short time I have before my shows this weekend. I know that many of these questions result from abundant misinformation about soy, but this matter reminds me that I can never please everyone all the time, but it is a lesson I struggle to learn since I still try so hard to do so. Although tens of thousands of folks love Secure, it disappoints me that it does not work for everyone and for that reason we continue to research other Secure formulations that will hopefully please everyone. Of course, we will continue our current Secure with soy protein, since soy protein is my first protein source for weight-loss, but I hope to one day in the near future succeed in designing a sugar-free Secure, as well as another version of Secure using rice or pea protein, along with another version using whey protein, casein, etc. Despite our pleasing enormous numbers of people with our Secure formula, my goal is to please everyone, so we will continue all our research efforts.

As far as the comments and questions, I will do my best in the limited time before my shows to hopefully create some degree of greater understanding below:

General Background.

Unfortunately, there is an enormous amount of misinformation and disinformation circulating about soy. There are individuals who have made it their career to bash soy. I have waded through all the research carefully and the bottom line is that absent an allergy, normal consumption of soy (like all foods) is not harmful and is actually beneficial. An important point to realize is that the soy present in Secure is not present at moderate levels, but really at minimal levels. Each serving of Secure delivers 7 grams of soy protein from a source that is concentrated to at least 90% soy protein, which means that the total amount of soy in each serving of Secure is approximately ¼ of an ounce, which is 1/60^th or less than 2% of a pound – truly minimal! Plus, there are less than 15 mgs per serving of soy isoflavones.

Too Much Sweetness and Flavor?

I have been making meal replacement for almost 30 years. My initial meal replacements were sugar-free and no one liked that at all. No one! They contained great flavors (some of the same we use today), but the absence of sweetness meant that no one wanted to use them, so no one benefitted from them and no one lost weight. After listening to criticism regarding their lack of sweetness, I eventually and very reluctantly decided to add about 60 calories of sugar per meal. That was almost 20 years ago and not surprisingly, folks began to like the product, but others agreed with me and complained that 15 grams of sugar was too much, particularly those with diabetes or who were watching their carb intake. We then set out to redesign the product to be under 100 calories with less than 10 grams of carbs and less than half of those from sugars. This is a far cry from my original meal replacement with more than 200 calories and 25 grams of carbohydrate (including 15 grams of sugar). Most importantly, I wanted to reduce the carbs, sugar and calories and I think we succeeded admirably. This redesign was a slow process that took several years and unfortunately, along the way, I realized that human nature made it almost impossible to make a meal replacement, since what we crave are the high calorie tastes that to lose weight we must avoid (fat, sugar, carbs, etc). Watching the obesity epidemic spread in America, I realized that the enormous health risks posed by overweight and obesity were far greater than any that might be posed by a minimal use of specifically selected artificial sweeteners. Where possible I try to avoid sweeteners of all kinds and I have never approved of the use of Aspartame or Saccharin, so I would never consider their use in Secure, but only after a careful review of the science and careful consideration of the minimal levels we would be able to use, I opted for extremely low levels of sucralose and acesulfame-K. By combining a small amount of fructose and tiny amounts of these sweeteners, we were able to achieve a sweetness never possible before and at a caloric level never possible before. I considered it an enormous breakthrough when we were able to create the sweetness of Secure with just a few grams of non-glycemic sugar (fructose) and extremely low levels (milligram quantities – fractions of a gram) of those two sweeteners. Of course, it was not my first choice, but it was the only option available and we continue to review our options, but even Stevia has its own issues, including whether people like its taste or whether I really consider a concentrated chemical (like Stevia) to be a “natural” sweetener. As I mentioned above, we will be developing Secure without sugar in the future and also a version without soy using both vegetarian protein sources and others, such as whey or casein.

As far as Secure being too sweet or having too much flavor, I understand. But I ask that you consider the most common complaints that any manufacturer receives about their meal replacements. Twenty years ago, I had always heard that my original product lacked sufficient flavor and sweetness, but today we occasionally hear just the opposite, which I consider a great success. The reason why most meal replacements shortchange consumers on flavor and sweetness is because they are extremely expensive. Instead, I decided to invest heavily in flavor and sweetness and shortchange no one. If my products are too sweet, then that is good, since it just became more economical for you, because you can use less and/or dilute it more. In short, you can’t fix a meal replacement with too little flavor, but you can always dilute it if you think I have invested too much in its flavor or sweetness. I leave the decision to you rather than depriving you of it. Of course, when it comes to flavor or sweetness, I know I cannot please everyone, but I listen carefully and I will continue to do my best to please as many of you as I can.

As I mentioned above, I will endeavor to bring out different versions of Secure in the future that will satisfy all your wishes. I just ask that you be patient, since each new protein source or ingredient requires enormous testing and I will not accept an ingredient that adversely affects the flavor, mix-ability, nutrient profile, etc. of Secure.

Soy and Breast Cancer?

First of all, I would never make a product that could increase the risk of any disease – let alone breast cancer, a disease that over the course of my lifetime has deprived me of three of my dearest friends. In fact, my nonprofit’s other focus (beyond prenatal vitamins) has been breast cancer prevention and treatment. Some of you might even remember a video I did many years ago entitled “You Can Prevent Breast Cancer” and I have a manuscript for a book of that same title that I hope to find the time to complete some day in the future. In that book, I discuss the primary causative factors and preventative factors involved in breast cancer risk and at the very top of that list is overweight, obesity and inactivity. Clearly, I would never make a product that could increase the risk of breast cancer…never! Secure is designed to help combat being overweight and all the health issues that flow from being overweight. Secure has enabled tens of thousands of individuals to better manage their food intake and their body weight.

As you might expect, I have reviewed the research on soy and breast cancer many times and each time I am left concluding that if there is an association between soy and breast cancer, it is an inverse association. In other words, in these studies soy was found to be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. I could provide dozens of examples and quotes from the research in that regard, which is why I am so comfortable with the small amount of soy in our meal replacement. Remember once again, it is a very small amount of soy and soy isoflavones present in this product. It is also very important to note that the countries with the highest intake of soy (far higher than contained in Secure) are also those countries with the world’s lowest breast cancer rates. Nevertheless, when it comes to your specific health concerns, I recommend that you follow the guidance and direction of your physician.

Soy and Thyroid.

When it comes to the thyroid and soy there is an abundance of contradictory information, but it is clear to me that once again, given the low levels of soy and soy isoflavones present in this product, there is no reason for concern. This is a complex area with commentators arguing both sides of the issue, but as I just said, given the low levels of soy and soy isoflavones in this product, there should be no issues for healthy individuals with adequate iodine intake. Moreover, there are enormous populations in Japan, China and elsewhere that consume levels of soy and soy isoflavones many times higher than the low levels present in this product and they do so without thyroid issues or problems. Most importantly, one should eat a diet that is comprised of a variety of foods and without too much of a reliance on any one food or food component. Nevertheless, when it comes to your specific health concerns, I recommend that you follow the guidance and direction of your physician.

I will endeavor to discuss some of these issues during my shows and to elaborate further on these issues by posting some research on my blog in the future.

Thanks so much for your respectful comments and feedback.

Best of health.

Andrew

Latest Vitamin Bashing…Consider the Source of the So-Called “Science.”

2011-10-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

The results of a recently released, severely flawed observational study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, (a well-known, pharmaceutical-backed publication that is equally well-known for its supplement bashing articles) titled "Dietary Supplements and Mortality Rate in Older Women" uses both bad science and questionable methods to derive the ridiculous conclusion that dietary supplements, overall, are not helpful for increasing longevity in older women. Of course, this is contrary to a wide body of established, reputable science and research. Without getting too technical, the key thing to remember, when looking at observational studies, is that the results do not prove cause and effect, but only associations. For example, umbrellas are associated with rainy days, but umbrellas do not cause rain. This study tells us nothing about what effect dietary supplements have on longevity, which is contrary to what the media would have you believe. This study did not use original data and instead used decades old, self-reported data from questionnaires and, contrary to the sensationalized news reports, the study did not show that multivitamin supplementation causes an increase in mortality. Press releases and sensational news headlines that state otherwise are grossly misinterpreting the findings of this flawed study and are doing so only to stir up controversy and to increase viewers and readers. Unfortunately, sensational and misleading articles, whose sole purpose is to create controversy and confusion, often lead people away from safe and effective supplements of essential nutrients that have been shown to benefit overall health and improve quality of life. It is irrefutable that vitamins and minerals are an essential component of a healthy diet and lifestyle and that most of us simply do not get adequate levels of these required nutrients by diet alone, therefore making dietary supplementation really the only reliable way of ensuring adequate nutrition. Sadly, articles like this with no real science undermine all the wonderful and reliable research and science on nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin C, Calcium and all the other essential nutrients we require, but do not adequately consume from our diet. It is unfortunate that the providers of news do so little investigation of what they report beyond its being controversial and “newsy" and, therefore, effective at bringing an audience.

Best of Health.

Andrew

The shows will go on without me...

2011-10-11T03:09:00.000-07:00

It appears my too active lifestyle has finally caught up with me. Recently, I had a surprise while mountain biking and although I managed to avoid the deer in the trail; unfortunately, I suffered a bit of crash and I will be unable to attend my shows this weekend. At first I considered postponing my shows until I was recovered, but I remembered that I couldn’t do that, since everyone relies on my show schedule to carefully plan the timing of their purchases to maximize their savings. As a result, the shows will all go on as planned and I will do my very best to call-in and provide the same important information I always provide. In other words, there will be no difference except you will not see my blue shirt and smiling face, but I will be on the phone sharing the same information I would provide if I were in the studio and doing my best to help you make informed decisions about your health and wellness.

Twenty years on TV and thousands of shows later, these will be the first shows I have ever missed. You have no idea how disappointed I am, since my favorite ingredient, which everyone has known to reorder at its best pricing each October, will be the greatest CoQ10 Today’s Special in my 27 years of CoQ10 history. I am so frustrated and saddened to not be in the studio, but I will be on the phone. By the way, there is also a Friday Today’s Special with best pricing ever on two of our most popular reorder products: Ultimate Women’s Wellness and Calcium-Magnesium Intensive Care. Plus, there will be special bundles for our two key products for your memory and brain function: PC Liver & Brain bundled with Memory and Brain with ALC. We have also done special bundles with two of this season’s most popular products: Immune Factors and Night Time. These bundles are almost like buying one and getting one free.

I am heartbroken to miss my Anniversary shows, but I knew it would not be fair to cancel them, since I know how important the timing of my shows and pricing is to everyone. They will go on as scheduled with the same amazing offers and, although I am very sorry I will not be in the studio, I will be on the phone throughout the visit and I look forward to healing quickly so I can be back soon.

Best of health.

Andrew

Happy Anniversary! October’s Today’s Special offers Best Value Ever on CoQ10.

2011-09-26T03:36:00.000-07:00

My 15^th Anniversary October visit is only a few weeks away and it will be our best ever with a breakthrough value on everyone’s favorite ingredient – Coenzyme Q-10. It is interesting that most people consider CoQ10 to be a recent innovation, but we have been creating unique CoQ10 formulas for more than 27 years! That unique experience has allowed us to create the most comprehensive, effective and affordable CoQ10 formulas available. Best of all, this year’s Today’s Special is, without question, our best ever because of an unexpected breakthrough price that brings new meaning to the words “Today’s Special.” We all seek value just as much as quality and on October 16^th you will get our uncompromising quality, and at a value I never dreamed possible when I created my first CoQ10 formula almost three decades ago. Plus, we offer this exceptional value without compromising the source and quality of our CoQ10, so after 27 years, we still use the world’s finest, purest, natural Kaneka CoQ10 made right here in America.

I doubt if there is another company with more history and experience with CoQ10 than ProCaps Labs and this unique formula reflects that expertise. It is often said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so it makes no sense to deliver CoQ10 for its energy benefits without the key cofactors required for CoQ10 to accomplish its remarkable energy work. It is well established that not only is our body’s CoQ10 supply reduced as we get older, or experience stress, or take certain medications, but there are other critical energy nutrients that are just as scarce (or even more scarce) as CoQ10, such as Vitamin B12. We learned long ago that a CoQ10 formula that only offers CoQ10 will often fail to deliver its benefits to the folks who need them most, which is why our CoQ10 formulas have always been so uniquely comprehensive and, as a result, uniquely effective. In short, if you want your investment in CoQ10 to deliver, then we must give the remarkable power of CoQ10 the support it requires to function at its very best. After a few decades of experience, our CoQ10 has evolved into a proven comprehensive formula combining our pure Natural CoQ10 with its most vital synergistic (beneficial) nutrients. It is unique in many ways, but most importantly in how well it works when you use it.

As I said above, I have learned that it is not just important that I bring you the finest quality vitamins that are easy to swallow, gentle on your stomach and promise exceptional benefits, but in this day and age, VALUE is perhaps the most important thing I can offer. No Today’s Special exemplifies the value better than this one. You will notice that this year’s Today’s Special is 100% pure CoQ10 (ubiquinone) and not combined with 10% TruQ10 (QH – ubiquinol) as in the past. It is important to remember that both forms are virtually identical, apart from the presence of two tiny hydrogen atoms that easily come and go making the two molecules completely interchangeable and easily convertible from one into the other. After years of using both ingredients, I have shifted my personal use back to pure CoQ10 rather than TruQ10, since it delivers its benefits and at a far greater value. Our Medical Director, Dr. Joe D. Goldstrich, MD, a cardiologist, has also concluded the same thing from his own personal experience and review of the science. These two forms of CoQ10 are all but indistinguishable in the laboratory and in our bodies, so I find the dramatically higher cost of TruQ10 (3 to 8 times more!) not warranted, particularly given our present economy. I would rather see you spend less and get more benefits. I suppose it is unusual that the person selling the product tells you that the less expensive option is better, but it is clearly the case where TruQ10 (QH) costs 300-800% more. After years of experience using both forms of CoQ10, I am convinced that by far the best value, the most researched and the most important ingredient to deliver is pure CoQ10. TruQ10 is a wonderful ingredient, since it is really just CoQ10 after all, but I cannot justify paying three to eight times more for TruQ10 when the huge weight of the research compels a decision to enjoy the benefits of pure, natural CoQ10. The ingredients are virtually identical, yet TruQ10 (QH) does not have the research to justify spending so extravagantly on it. Of course, I will always have both ingredients available, but my first choice and by far the smarter value is to spend less and get more science and research with pure, natural CoQ10.

It will be my privilege to offer the world’s finest natural CoQ10 in an ultra-high potency, comprehensive formula at its best price ever – on ALL sizes! Plus, for anyone who wants to save the most, we will have our largest size ever – a 600 capsule supply. In other words, on Sunday October 16^th we will offer the best value ever on what I have always considered to be the most important single capsule I produce. I never expected to be able to offer this kind of value and I doubt it will ever repeat itself, so please take advantage and enjoy!

Best of health,

Andrew

Essential Omega-3, Maximum Essential Omega-3 & the former Ultimate Omega-3.

2011-06-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, I did a Today’s Special offering a higher potency version of Essential Omega-3. It contains the same fish oils as my Essential Omega-3, but in order to reach the desired level of 1,000 mgs of Omega-3s per two capsules, we placed it in a slightly larger capsule than our standard Essential Omega-3 (830 mgs of Omega-3s per two small capsules). We called it Ultimate Omega-3 because it delivers about 20% more Omega-3s per capsule in a slightly larger capsule. Many folks assumed this was an entirely different formula, but it is not. It is merely a higher potency of total Omega-3 and all-important DHA. It also contains the exact same proportion of proprietary orange essence to neutralize any fishy aftertaste.

The process of coming up with the name for this higher potency Omega-3 formula was not complicated. I just did what I normally do with a formula that is higher potency or more comprehensive, such as Ultimate Eye, Ultimate Acai, Ultimate Women’s Wellness, Ultimate Antioxidants, etc. Apparently, I could have chosen a better name, since by calling it Ultimate Omega-3, many folks thought it contained entirely different fish oils than my Essential Omega-3, but it is not really different at all. It is a blend of the same fish oils and flaxseed oil placed in a slightly larger capsule and it therefore provides 20% higher levels of total Omega-3s and 30% higher levels of DHA. Apparently, by using the name Ultimate Omega-3 I caused confusion, but the only difference is the higher potency, since Essential Omega-3 already uses the best fish oils possible – there was no reason to change. To avoid future confusion here and in the marketplace, I thought that a very straightforward name for this product would be Maximum Essential Omega-3. Such a name clearly lets everyone know exactly what it is: Our Maximum potency version of Essential Omega-3.

The capsules of Essential Omega-3 are approximately 50-60% the size of the typical large Omega-3 capsules you see in stores, but nevertheless they still contain equal or higher potency levels and without the other potential undesirable attributes of store-bought Omega-3s (fishy aftertaste, stomach upset, inferior ethyl ester form, contaminants, etc.). The new Maximum Essential Omega-3 (formerly our Ultimate Omega-3) is in a slightly larger capsule that is approximately 60-70% the size of the typical large Omega-3 capsules you see in stores. Basically, if you want the smallest capsule, but still high potency, choose our Essential Omega-3. However, if you don’t mind a slightly larger capsule (still much smaller than typically large capsules), then choose our new Maximum Essential Omega-3 and get 1,000 mgs of Omega-3s per two capsules. In any case, you can rest assured that both formulas contain precisely the same ultra-pure, high quality fish oils without any fishy aftertaste due to our unique orange extract. The only difference is the higher potency you get with Maximum Essential Omega-3 (formerly Ultimate Omega-3).

Sorry for the confusion and I hope that cleared things up.

Best of health,

Andrew

5-HTP in Night Time.

2011-06-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

A surprisingly negative review was posted about the ingredient 5-HTP in my Night Time product and I just thought I would respond, since it communicates inaccurate and inappropriate information. This review falsely states that, “5-HTP is unsafe to be taken by ANYONE.” That is patently inaccurate and completely false. 5-HTP is not unsafe – least of all in the 10 mg dose present in this gentle, relaxing product. As background, 5-HTP is the biochemical “nickname” for 5-Hydroxytryptophan, which is a naturally occurring amino acid (component of protein) and plays numerous roles in biological systems, such as being a necessary precursor for the body’s normal, natural creation of protein, enzymes, serotonin (natural neurotransmitter), melatonin (natural neurohormone) and more. Tryptophan might sound familiar, since it is found in virtually all food protein sources and is abundant in dairy products, fish, meat and various nuts and seeds. It is one of the reasons why some folks associate a warm glass of milk as a good pre-bedtime ritual or expect to feel drowsy after a large turkey dinner at Thanksgiving or Christmas. The mechanisms for those relaxing effects are not as simple as drinking milk or eating turkey, but Tryptophan’s normal presence in protein sources and its natural role in the production of neurochemicals required for sleep and relaxation are well established. The absolute inaccuracy of any assertion of risk from 10 mg of 5-HTP is brought into perspective by the fact that a small 3.5 ounce portion of Turkey naturally contains 25x more Tryptophan while 3.5 ounces of dried egg white contains 100x more Tryptophan than Night Time! In short, this ingredient is not even remotely risky at these levels and I would never deliver it at any other level other than an entirely safe level. In fact, Night Time is formulated specifically to include a comprehensive list of natural, relaxing ingredients rather than high levels of any single ingredient. It is formulated to be extremely mild and to rule out any risk whatsoever, including that of hangover in the morning.

By the way, I suspect the inaccurate statement regarding this risks of 5-HTP comes from the fact that about 20 years or so ago, there was a bad batch of contaminated Tryptophan produced in Asia that made it into supplements. It was not natural Tryptophan and the impurity was the problem – not the Tryptophan, but that was over 20 years ago and, just as any product can be contaminated if a chemical producer overseas makes errors, it does not mean that all foods or medicines or supplements are therefore contaminated. I believe what might have happened is that while the Internet is a great tool for gathering information, it can also make even very old information seem current and new.

Summarizing, Tryptophan is abundant in food and the levels present in my Night Time are a small fraction of what is consumed in the normal diet. I would never recommend that Tryptophan be consumed in mega-doses or doses that are more than a few hundred mgs per day – unless recommended by a physician. As I said above, we deliver 10 mgs of 5-HTP with Night Time. It is completely safe and it is not genetically engineered and we provide it from a naturally safe and reliable source.

Additionally, there are currently over 420 reviews for Night Time on HSN.com with a collective rating of 4.2 stars out of a perfect 5 stars, which means that more than 70% of those reviews are a perfect 5 stars and an amazing 80% are either 4 or a perfect 5 stars. That is not what you would expect from a product whose formula was so harshly, but falsely, criticized.

I hope that put anyone’s mind to rest regarding that ingredient and our mild Night Time formula.

Best of health,

Andrew

Secure Flavors Have Not Changed.

2011-06-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to respond to a topic I have seen raised recently on the bulletin boards and also heard about from a few inquiries through my Customer Care Center. Specifically, that the Secure flavors have recently changed. This is a topic that I have heard off and on over the years (despite there having been no changes) and the most recent discussions surround our Chocolate and Coffee. Mind you, as popular as the meal replacements are, there are very few inquiries as to a change in flavor, but I just want to assure everyone that we have not changed the flavors that are used in these or any of the other Secure flavors. Obviously, flavor is a very personal and subjective thing and unlike the potency of vitamins and minerals in a product, it is not something we can specifically measure and be 100% certain it is 100% identical. We do our best to make sure that the flavors we use are precisely the same and consistent every time we produce the product, but with some natural materials, like the real cocoa or real coffee powder that we use, it is possible that there can be some natural variation. We do our best to rule it out, but it is always possible there can be subtle variations in flavor. Plus, from time to time our sense of how things taste can change. In other words, taste is a challenge for any company to be 100% perfectly certain it is always identical, but I use Secure too and I think the flavors are remarkably consistent.

As I have mentioned in the past, we put a tremendous amount of work into the development of these flavors (more than a decade) and they have become extremely popular, so we would never just change them suddenly and abandon all that work unless we clearly informed everyone that we were doing so. The flavors are designed to make the people who use the product happy, so we would never make changes to flavor unless they were openly communicated. In fact, we might even keep around the former version for those who love it if the change was dramatic. As you might expect, we are always working on ways to improve the formulas in terms of nutrient content and flavor, but there have been no changes in the flavor composition of the current Secure formulas since I introduced them more than five years ago. So rest assured, there have been absolutely no flavor changes at all to these formulas in many years and I promise that before I make any changes, I will let you know.

Best of health,

Andrew

Early Advance Notice on the July Today’s Specials.

2011-06-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

We are about a month out from our July Today’s Specials and to make up for my not providing advance notice in April, I wanted to make sure that I gave everyone plenty of time to plan for the upcoming July’s Today’s Specials. For more than a decade, we always kept our Today’s Specials a secret and a surprise until midnight when we would reveal it. Everyone seemed to enjoy the fun, anticipation and excitement, but I have since learned that many of you would like to plan your purchases in advance, so it helps to know the Today’s Special a bit in advance. As a result, a few years ago, I started to reveal the Today’s Special a bit in advance. Mind you, we never start producing the Today’s Special products until a few weeks before the visit and we often change products at the last minute, but I am trying to do my best to provide some advance notice of what is coming up. Last year, we got the word out in advance in almost all cases and this year we did well until April, when I managed to do a bit of damage to myself mountain biking, so I was not able to get on my computer to blog and we neglected to post the information on Facebook early enough. Sorry about that. But July will be different and I am glad to share the news, since the Today’s Specials will indeed be very, very special.

Lets start with Sunday and how about the most amazing Healthy Hair Skin and Nails Today’s Special ever! Healthy Hair Skin and Nails continues to be my number one reorder product throughout the year and that really comes as no surprise, since if you go to HSN.com you will find more than fifteen hundred reviews averaging 4.5 stars of which over 90% are four stars or a perfect five stars. It is truly amazing! Best of all, this visit I offer the highest levels of Biotin ever and a major bonus of our standardized extract of Pomegranate 40:40 in each and every capsule. Of course, this all comes with prices that are the best ever. It is truly a “see the difference” product at a remarkable price that still comes in small easy to swallow capsules that are gentle to even the most sensitive stomachs. It is important to note that this Healthy Hair Skin and Nails is a Special HSN Birthday formula, which means it is a special one-time formula, so if you want to take advantage of it and its extremely special price, then it will only be available for as long as it lasts on Sunday July 17^th.

Our Friday Today’s Specials are just as exciting as Sunday’s and you get two options on Friday with two of our other most popular reorder products: CholestaCare and Fibermucil. They are both customer picks with hundreds of reviews and they are both available at their best prices ever – individually and as super-saver bundles. For years, there has been a steady flow of research advising us to use substantial caution when consuming cholesterol lowering statin drugs and recently, there has been more research and news calling into question the safety and efficacy of cholesterol lowering drugs. Given the fact that CholestaCare is among my most popular reorder products, along with all the news about the risks of those cholesterol lowering statin drugs, I thought it appropriate to offer the best pricing ever on a natural product that can safely help to lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, which can also be safely combined with cholesterol lowering drugs to reduce the dosage required and thereby reduce the side effects from those drugs. So, whether on its own or in combination with cholesterol medications, CholestaCare is a wonderful, natural tool for cholesterol reduction that can also help to naturally reduce the risk of heart disease – everyone’s goal. Of course, work closely with your physician before you make any changes in the medications you consume. As far as Fibermucil, it is hard to believe that a fiber product has become one of our top reorder products, but if you read the reviews for Fibermucil, it becomes very easy to understand its popularity. Regularity is something we take for granted when we have it; however, we desperately miss it when we do not. The way I describe Fibermucil is as “the gentlest, easiest and most natural path to regularity” – while also being incredibly affordable all year round – but never more affordable than July’s Today’s Special. Also, it has been shown to improve the cholesterol-lowering power of CholestaCare, so whether it is regularity, heart health or cholesterol reduction, there is no better choice than our 100% natural Fibermucil.

Best of all, each of the three Today’s Specials discussed above are not just at their best pricing ever, but also with FREE shipping and handling plus FlexPay on the largest sizes. We set out to make HSN’s July Birthday Month the best ever and from all indications, we have succeeded!

Enjoy and best of health!

Andrew

Why I Don’t Take Live Calls During My Shows.

2011-01-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

This is a question I have been meaning to answer for quite some time and with my shows coming up, it seemed like a perfect time to respond. I know that many of you would like to call-in and share your experiences live during my shows and I enjoy nothing more than answering your questions and hearing your praise for my products, but it is not something someone can ethically and legally do on live-TV when selling health products. I know that some folks even feel it is disrespectful of me to ignore the people who are so devoted to my products and who have years of experience to share about those products. For obvious reasons, nothing works better for product sales than an enthusiastic live call, but sales is not my focus and because we are talking about health products, I can’t take live calls. Out of respect for you, the integrity of the shows and the law, live calls cannot be ethically taken with health products. I’m sorry if I seem unfair, but it is my desire to be fair that prevents these calls.

As you know, virtually all my products are “Customer Picks” with wonderful reviews on HSN.com. I am grateful and proud of the praise they receive, but those incredible reviews give an idea of the potentially inappropriate praise and medical claims that occur when taking live calls during shows. There were a number of past live calls praising my products that prevented me from continuing to take calls in the future. The calls were great – in fact, too great – and their praise crossed into areas that were medical claims. In the eyes of the law, the well-intentioned but medical claims of a caller are just as if I made those claims. They are not made legal just because they are made by a well-intentioned caller. I can’t undo a medical claim once made even by the most well-intentioned and enthusiastic user of my products. In other words, if I cannot make medical claims during my shows, then the law also considers a medical claim by a caller the same as if I had made that claim. It is a pretty strict and harsh rule, but live TV is a unique place to offer health products, which comes with serious responsibilities that I take very seriously. It would be foolish of a broadcaster to think that they are immune from the legal consequences of their claims because they are made by callers. And when you think about it, the law makes sense, since folks suffering from health conditions can be very vulnerable to statements about treatment and cure of their disease or condition. It is important to protect these folks from being mislead and leave medical issues for their relationship with their medical doctors. The law also prevents unscrupulous advertisers from being “cute” by using callers to make claims that were otherwise illegal for them to discuss directly.

I hope that was not too “legal” of a discussion, but let it suffice to say, I would love nothing more than to include live calls during all my shows. Taking these calls was always my favorite part of my shows in the past, but my respect for the law and for everyone who watches my shows prevents me from doing so now. Nothing sells products better than the wonderful enthusiasm and emotions of a genuine, live testimonial caller who has used my products for decades; however, my ethics and respect for you and the law, prevents me from taking live calls. As much as I’d love to talk to you during my shows and as beneficial as that might be from a sales standpoint, it would not be ethical to do so. It is ironic that precisely because my customers’ experiences are so remarkable and my products so well-liked that I cannot take live calls, but regardless, I still make sure to share your words using thousands of Customer Experience charts and I always make sure to encourage to learn more by reading reviews at HSN.com. In closing, I hope you understand that although I would love to take live calls, I must preserve the integrity of my shows and protect your right to make informed, independent decisions.

Best of health,

Andrew

Atlas Shrugged…why I have not written a blog lately.

2011-01-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

The title of this blog probably does not make sense, but I will do my best to explain below. Unlike many blogs, I write my own blog. There is no ghost writer, so when I run out of time, I can’t write and recently, a project for my nonprofit has consumed a large amount of my free time.

Many of you know that I am fluent in French. I speak, read and write it as easily as I do English. Many of you might also know that one of the most influential books in my life is a novel entitled Atlas Shrugged, which was published in 1957 by a woman named Ayn Rand who had the misfortune of growing up in Russia at the horrific times of the Russian and Bolshevik Revolutions in the early 1900s. Those tumultuous times gave rise to Communist Russia and the Soviet Union as we knew it. In this book Ayn Rand praises what a uniquely wonderful creation America is. I guess that is not surprising coming from someone who lived through the horrors of those times in Russia, which gave her a unique appreciation of what makes America great. She admires our wonderful freedoms and the bold, creative individual spirit that defines our great country and she reminds us of how blessed we are to be here. Each of the three times I have read the book in my life, it has influenced three of my most important business decisions. First, when reading it back in 1986, I was encouraged to close my law practice and devote myself full-time to my passion – my then 7 year old vitamin-hobby. And then, when reading it in 1996, it reinforced my decision to leave QVC and then reading it again a decade later in 2007, it reminded my why I should not return there. This book has positively influenced three of the most important business decisions in my life and as a result I have always felt an enormous debt of gratitude to its author, which is why I now find myself translating this American novel into French - to both repay a special debt of gratitude to its author and as a gift to the French people who need to read it so desperately.

The translation project started about 4 years ago when I decided to reread the book in French, but much to my surprise, the book had not been translated into French…German, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, etc., but not in French. Apparently someone began the French translation 50+ years ago, but never finished. I then contacted the author’s estate (Ayn Rand is now deceased) and I acquired the rights to perform the translation. The French translation is now complete, having been translated by a wonderful French translator/writer, and I am repaying my debt to Ayn Rand by editing it – going through it word for word to make sure that it is faithful to Ayn Rand’s English. The book is over 1,400 pages long in French so this is no small undertaking. It will be done in the next few months and it will then be distributed in France. It is not a profit-making venture, but it will repay my debt of gratitude to Ayn Rand for the creation of the book while enabling the French to also read this important American novel that many Americans say is their second most influential book – only to the Bible.

I hope you now understand why I have not blogged recently and that things will soon return to normal. As I said, I am so dedicated to this translation because without it I would not have a vitamin company, nor would there be any shows of mine to watch on HSN, nor hundreds of millions of prenatal vitamins to donate to needy mothers, etc., etc. I thank God and this book (and my parents J) for insuring that my life followed its intended path.

Healthy New Year!

Andrew

Live Remote Today’s Special Revealed at Your Request.

2011-01-06T04:37:00.000-08:00

I have to get ready for my shows, but I have seen your questions and rest assured, ALL my products have Special Pricing (even Healthy Hair, Skin and Nails) during this visit and due to popular request, the Today’s Special during my live broadcast from my facilities in Nevada will be Resveratrol-100 with Pomegranate 40:40. Tonight will be Circulation and Vein Support for Healthy Legs, along with Energy and Fat Metabolism Factors and Sunday is my Secure Complete Meal Replacement with Special Pricing on ALL my other products on TV and on HSN.com.

 See you tonight!

 Andrew

2011 is Here with Three Amazing Today’s Specials!

2011-01-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

A great deal of work has gone into creating all three of this year’s Today’s Specials and most importantly, we have managed to make them available at what are likely their best prices ever! I hope everyone understands how difficult it is to continue to offer improved versions of your favorite products at better values year after year after year, but this year I think we have truly outdone ourselves. Just to give you an idea, the Economy Size Secure Complete Meal Replacement on Sunday will be less than 50 cents per Meal. That’s right! Less than 50 cents per Meal for 7+ grams of Heart, Bone, Brain Healthy Soy Protein, which has proven to be the best protein for weight-loss. It also includes 26 vitamins and minerals and it is also low in fat, low in sodium and contains zero cholesterol, zero saturated fat and zero trans fat. It also contains less than 8 grams of carbohydrate per meal for those watching carbs and just over 70 calories per serving. I am not aware of any meal replacement that even comes close in terms of offering the lowest calories, best taste and highest quality – yet ours is a fraction of their cost! I can go on and on, but I hope the fact that my Meal Replacement is so affordable is not considered a compromise, since there truly is also nothing like it in terms of quality, taste and most importantly – affordability! By the way, even the smallest Try-Me Size of Secure will still be less than one dollar per meal!

On Friday, you will have a choice of Today’s Specials:

Either a new and improved version of everyone’s favorite Circulation and Vein Support for Healthy Legs or another New Year’s Favorite – Energy and Fat Metabolism Factors. We have added an exciting new ingredient to Circulation and Vein Support – of course keeping everything you love, but just making it an even more powerful and effective formula. Best of all, despite the new addition, the product can be purchased at its best pricing ever! Speaking of best pricing ever, that is what you will also find with our Energy and Fat Metabolism Factors, which provides all the instant energy of my Urgent Energy with all the ingredients from my original Fat Burning Factors to support the most difficult and important form of energy metabolism we seek – Fat Metabolism. We all work hard at weight-loss this time of year and the most important thing we can do is manage what we eat and my Secure Complete Meal Replacement makes that easy and enjoyable while Energy and Fat Metabolism Factors helps sustain the energy necessary to make those sound decisions on diet and exercise.

The good news only continues, since ALL my products will have Special Pricing whether on TV or at HSN.com and ALL my products will come with FREE Shipping and Handling. It will be the perfect time to reorder or try something new since everything is at Special Pricing and with Free Shipping and Handling. It will be a great way to celebrate making this the Happiest and Healthiest of New Years!

I will see you tomorrow!

Healthy New Year!

Andrew

A Special 14 Year Anniversary Celebration!

2010-10-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

It has been about 20 years since I first brought my products to television and I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to celebrate 14 years at HSN. The last several years have truly been the most gratifying of all, particularly since Mindy Grossman became the CEO of HSN a few years back. Mindy has assembled a wonderful team whose sole goal is to improve the experience of everyone who shops at HSN, which has always been my focus since arriving at HSN 14 years ago. At the same time, she has truly made it a wonderful experience to work at HSN and she and her team fully supported our charitable activities with Vitamin Angels. I know her goal is to make HSN the premier home shopping destination and in my mind she has already succeeded, but I know she will continue to work tirelessly on all our behalf and it makes me very happy to celebrate 14 years…and I am anxiously looking forward to MANY more! So, after 14 years, I owe all of you who watch my shows the biggest Thank You and I also owe Mindy Grossman and the wonderful folks who work behind the scenes at HSN an enormous Thank You, since without them I would not get these wonderful opportunities to share anything with you. Again, from the bottom of my heart thank you for watching my shows.

Past experience has taught me that the best way to say thank you is with special products and special savings, so this Anniversary will be no different…just better. Of course, there will be Special Pricing across the board on ALL my products and FREE shipping across the board on ALL my products plus there will be a number of products with Extra Special Pricing, and then of course and most importantly, there will be three very, very special Today’s Specials.

I will start with Sunday’s Today’s Special, since I am so proud of what we have been able to accomplish that I must share it immediately. As many of you have guessed already, it is CoQ10 with TruQ10 but what you could never guess is the potency we have managed to fill in a small easy-to-swallow capsule. Plus, the most astounding thing of all will be the price. As you know, I am perhaps the first person to ever offer CoQ10 having offered it for more than 25 years. Many of you likely remember my first CoQ10 product on TV more than a decade ago that was 30 mg potency, and a 360-capsule supply cost almost $200. It was a remarkable bargain and literally overnight became my #1 product! Since that time I have endeavored to not just increase the potency, but to also do so without increasing your cost. This Sunday you will see a 200 mg CoQ10 with TruQ10, which is remarkable enough considering that we fit it into our same small capsule, but the most exciting thing of all is that with the help of the world’s largest supplier of natural CoQ10, I am able to bring it to you for under $200 for a 360-capsule supply…AND if you choose to spend $50 more, you will get another 180 capsules…since the 540-capsule supply is $249! Sunday’s pricing will be lower than the prices of the 30 mg or the 60 mg or the 90 mg or the 100 mg products over the last decade that preceded this unique once per year…or once in a lifetime opportunity. Of course, the smaller sizes are also at bargain prices. In a quarter century of making and offering CoQ10, I have never offered anything close to this value and I will likely never be able to repeat it again.

Now for some quick information about Friday’s Today’s Specials, which include two products. The first is my Ultimate Women’s Wellness at a Today’s Special price that is so special it is even far lower in price than standard Women’s Wellness. It includes all of the Women’s Wellness ingredients, plus several others including costly Indole-3-Carbinol from Breast Health. There is truly no other product like it in terms of supporting women’s health and wellness, particularly when it comes to maintaining hormonal balance and reducing the normal symptoms of menopause and PMS. Ultimate Women’s Wellness also provides levels of key ingredients that are respectful to women by being balanced to ensure only benefits, without risks of any problems. Also, you will be able to purchase it as part of a very special product bundle with my second Today’s Special product.

I have been referring to this second product as the “new Vitamin D,” since like Vitamin D this ingredient has been around for a long time, but the research over the past decade has been truly amazing. The product is my Complete Tocotrienols with Tocopherols, which offers ALL the very unique and special forms of Vitamin E referred to as Tocotrienols and combines them with ALL the Tocopherols (particularly Gamma). There is no more Complete or Comprehensive Vitamin E product available anywhere – at any price. Best of all, you can purchase it at an exceptional value – more than 50% off during the Today’s Special. It is really worth tuning-in to this presentation to learn about the research on this new ingredient, since typical Vitamin E does not offer any of the benefits you get when you use Complete Vitamin E the way Mother Nature intended. We provide all eight God-given forms of Vitamin E – not just the single less active form that chemical engineers and manufacturers selected a half a century ago and we have been stuck with ever since. These new forms of Vitamin E are the subject of some of the last decade’s most exciting research, just like Vitamin D, CoQ10 and Resveratrol. I encourage you to tune in to learn about, and possibly enjoy, the health benefits of the latest research…just as so many of you have done so when I brought you Glucosamine 30+ years ago, CoQ10 25+ years ago, extra Vitamin D 30+ years ago, Resveratrol 10+ years ago, etc. A Complete Vitamin E product with Tocotrienols and Tocopherols is the wave of the future in terms of brain, heart, skin and eye protection. Just as with the basics like CoQ10, Vitamin D, Resveratrol, EGCG, etc., I would not go a day without my Complete Tocotrienols with Tocopherols and feel free to tune-in Friday to find out why. Remember, it is free to tune-in and learn…you don’t have to buy a thing, but I will be discussing important research that I am sure you will find fascinating and beneficial, which can only help you make your own informed decisions.

I must sign off now and go back to work writing some of the final show charts…since yes, I write all the show charts, too.

See you in about 24 hours.

Best of Health.

Andrew

Why is my Shirt Blue? The Blue Shirt “Controversy.” :)

2010-10-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

 This is one blog I never thought I would need to write and although this might be “much ado about nothing,” I suppose it is nice to write a blog that is not vital to anyone’s health and that confirms that someone is actually watching my shows. When I first went on TV almost 20 years ago, my primary concern wasn’t the color of my shirt, but whether fear would prevent my mouth from working and therefore prevent me from talking on national TV. My second concern was, even if I managed to talk, would anyone tune-in to watch my shows? Fortunately, I managed to speak on live TV and folks must be watching my shows or no one would comment on my shirt color. It is hard to believe that this discussion about my blue shirts has gone on for almost two decades, but recently, with the help of the Internet, it has only increased. Hopefully today’s blog will put the matter to rest. Amid all the major issues in the world, it is good that this controversy is of no consequence beyond hopefully causing a few smiles. This blog should answer all related questions since it was written by me and that would make it a pretty reliable source of information regarding my choice of clothing.

 I have always heard and constantly read that the reason I wear blue shirts is because my eyes are blue. That is false. Well, it is true that my eyes are blue (no tinted contacts), but that has nothing to do with my choice of shirt color. I have never sought to make my eyes look bluer with blue shirts. Does that even really work? Anyway, if my eyes were brown, I would still be wearing blue shirts, since my choice of blue shirts comes from a much simpler source and one that, if you know me, you will understand. Remember, I am a science guy and research is what helps me make decisions. So, when I was scared to death about going on national television a couple of decades ago and I had no idea what to wear, what do you think I did? Research! I read articles about newscasters, spoke to folks who go on television and I basically did my homework to determine what would be the best color(s) for television. I even went “scientific” and researched what colors are best reproduced given the optical characteristics of television cameras, television sets and their interactions with the human eye. All of this research from a multitude of different sources, as well as simple observation of TV newscasters, talk show hosts, etc., led me to one and only one conclusion: Blue. White, very light colors, black, brown, dark colors in general and most detailed prints or patterns do not reproduce well on TV. Blue is where TV always excels and where our eyes ability to perceive excel as well. So, given that I was about to go on TV, I chose not to go against the grain and I followed precisely what the science and the experience of others indicated as my one and only choice to appear my best on TV – Blue. Mind you, I am not Brad Pitt or George Clooney, so I need all the help I can get when you’re watching my shows. Therefore I have chosen Blue pretty consistently over the years although during most visits at HSN the color, hue and intensity of the Blue can change dramatically. And sometimes, if I go way outside the box and get truly wild, I throw in a green, violet or turquoise shirt. Of course, when I do so, I hear the comments, but please rest assured that my blue shirts are merely chosen to help the broadcast be as visually pleasing as possible, so as not to detract from the important information I share.

 By the way, I have no “wardrobe consultants,” no personal shopper, and HSN does not plan my wardrobe. I personally shop for all the shirts and ties you see. They are neither custom-made nor custom-designed. They are the same brands that you would purchase straight off the rack at normal department stores or at bargain prices at the factory outlets here in Las Vegas. The sum total of my wardrobe consultation team is when my Goddaughter, niece, mother or others tell me, “that shirt or tie looks…great, terrible, etc!” I am sorry to be somewhat disappointingly normal in that regard.

 I hope this helped…or at least made you laugh.

 See you soon. Best of Health!

 Andrew

Today’s Specials and Our New Weekend Specials. The Latest on Joint Ingredients (Glucosamine and Joint Effort).

2010-07-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

I have read and heard your comments regarding the upcoming July Today’s Specials and I am very pleased I have made so many of you happy, but for those of you who are disappointed – fear not. I was not kidding when I said there would be some amazing Weekend Specials. I realize I am only on four times per year and my 13+ Today’s Specials of years past no longer exist and we are now limited to only 8 or so Today’s Specials per year, which deprives you of opportunities to save. As a result, a few months ago, I introduced a Weekend Special and it did so well that we are now going to expand that in the future. In fact, the Weekend Specials will be just like another Today’s Special, but throughout the visit, which simply creates greater savings for you on even more products during each visit. Also, just like my Today’s Specials, I am always thrilled to hear your suggestions, so please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts. By the way, some of the July’s Weekend Specials July will be CholestaCare (huge savings!), Fibermucil and PC Granules.

 Also, I know many of you wanted to see a Today’s Specials on my Joint ingredients and they would normally have been a Weekend or Today’s Special this visit, but changes to these formulas have required I postpone their new special offerings. These changes have already been incorporated into the autoship versions of my Joint formulas (Joint Effort+Plus and Maximum Joint Effort) and they will become part of my non-autoship Joint formulas (Glucosamine-1500, Chondroitin-1200 and Glucosamine-Chondroitin) in the coming weeks. In fact, this visit will mark the introduction on TV of the brand new Joint Effort autoship formulas, which have already been received by all existing autoship customers. These new versions employ somewhat different sources of Glucosamine Sulfate and Chondroitin Sulfate and although they might actually look like the same white capsules in their purple packets, they are actually better than ever. As I said, the changes in my current autoship Joint formulas will soon be coming to the three non-autoship formulas: Glucosamine-1500, Chondroitin-1200 and Glucosamine-Chondroitin, but unfortunately, they were not ready for this visit. Of course, the values offered on all my autoship Joint products - Joint Effort+Plus (soon to be called Complete Joint Effort) or my Maximum Joint Effort are always exceptional and they always come with free shipping forever…plus Flexpay when purchased during a visit.

 Best of all, despite the use of unique, more costly materials to make my Joint products, these new and improved formulas will cost the same or less than they did a decade ago. If you are interested in the new Glucosamine-1500 – that will be coming soon and although the changes in materials will now make it a three capsule per day formula (instead of two), those three capsules will not cost you a penny more than the two capsules cost previously. In short, it will be an even better product and as good or better value than before. The new Glucosamine-Chondroitin will be five capsules (instead of four), but those five capsules will still cost the same as four capsules previously, so again, there will only be an improvement in quality and no increase in price. These changes in the number of capsules result from density changes in these superior, new materials. By the way, our new Complete Joint Effort offers the same levels of Glucosamine and Chondroitin as recommended five capsules daily of the Glucosamine-Chondroitin formula and comes in convenient daily purple packets at an always great price and you never pay shipping. I suppose I rambled on too long about the Joint products, but I know that many of you expected to see them this July and the new autoship versions will be here next week and the non-autoship versions will be at HSN.com shortly and on TV in October.

 In closing, I know that I can’t make everyone happy with just two Today’s Specials each visit and only four visits per year, so now each visit will also contain a few Weekend Specials, which will dramatically increase everyone’s opportunities to save and allow you to get the greatest and healthiest return on your investment. See you soon.

 Best of Health.  

Andrew

Calcium’s Magic Number = 500! When It Comes To Calcium More Is Not Better.

2010-07-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

It is very well-established that when you take a calcium supplement, you will experience best results if you consume no more than 500 mgs at a time. It is also best to be consumed with food, since food stimulates changes that increase Calcium absorption. The most important point to remember with Calcium is that best absorption requires consumption of 500 mgs or less at one time. If you must take more, simply divide it up throughout the day. I have emphasized this for over a decade and despite government and medical recommendations stating the same, products still exist that provide more than 500 mgs of Calcium in a single dosage. It is even more shocking to me to see multivitamins that include 800 mgs or even 1,200 mgs of Calcium in a single dose - which not only insures that the Calcium won’t be well-absorbed, but that it can also interfere with the absorption of other nutrients and contribute to a high risk of stomach upset. It amazes me that companies can be so ignorant of the basic science and research on Calcium. In any event, given Calcium’s central role in reducing the risk of osteoporosis, it is critical to know that when it comes to supplementing Calcium, more is not better and in fact, too much at one time is actually much, much worse.

Please note that my Complete multivitamin for Women provides the recommended 500 mgs of Calcium and even my separate Calcium Intensive Care has for 30 years always provided 500 mgs of Calcium in each recommended dosage. Of course, if you want to consume 1,000 mgs of Calcium daily, you don’t take your Complete and your Calcium Intensive Care at the same time, since they each deliver 500 mgs of Calcium – you simply take them at separate meals. By the way, my new Calcium-Magnesium Intensive Care also now contains 500 mgs of Calcium (up from 400 mgs of Calcium) and will be available on Friday July 9th as my Today’s Special.

The Science is the sole reason why these products contain 500 mgs per recommended dosage. Unlike other manufacturers, I formulate my products based upon the research. The basic reason the science (I will attach some links below) instructs you to take less than 500 mgs at one time is taking more offers no additional benefits. If you take too much at one time, then it will not be effectively absorbed and you will be wasting your money. Even worse, you will not absorb the levels your skeleton requires and that your doctor had recommended. Also, as you go above 500 mgs of Calcium, you drastically increase the risk of stomach upset and high levels of Calcium can interfere with the absorption of other essential nutrients. In short, take 500 mgs or less of Calcium at one time. If you need more, divide it with meals throughout the day.

I can go on at length discussing the various Calcium forms and their solubility, but my focus here is even more simple and more important. Regardless of the form of Calcium you use, do not consume more than 500 mgs at a time. If you need to take 1,500 mgs, then divide it to be consumed with three meals throughout the day. No more than 500 mgs at one time and always with a meal. I have also found it to be simple common sense to deliver Calcium using the enhanced solubility of an ultra-fine powder in a capsule rather than as a large, difficult to swallow and difficult to dissolve tablet. The capsule and powder create a more soluble, mild, gentle formula. I have found that if you want to increase the likelihood of stomach upset, then put your Calcium in a big tablet.

Lastly, and without getting too deeply into the discussion of Calcium forms, experience has shown me that there is one form of Calcium I would avoid, since it is extremely insoluble and also increases the risk of stomach upset. That form is Dicalcium Phosphate and sadly, it’s not just a cheap form of calcium but it is also commonly used to make tablets. In short, it is my least favorite Calcium source. As far as Calcium Carbonate, it is affordable, effective and an excellent form of Calcium, but you don’t want to take too much of it at one time. Calcium Carbonate gives the greatest yield of all the Calcium sources in terms of elemental Calcium content, but because it can suppress its own absorption, it underscores the importance of Calcium’s “Magic Number” of 500 mgs. Of course, forms such as Calcium Malate, Calcium Citrate, etc are also excellent and extremely soluble forms of Calcium. As mentioned above, I have found that with any form of Calcium, it is best to consume it as a powder in a capsule rather than a tablet to enhance its solubility.

Best of Health.

Andrew

The following technical references underscores the scientific validity and exceptional importance of limiting any single serving of Calcium to no more than 500 mg.

Nutrition in Clinical Practice   

“The maximum dose of elemental calcium that should be taken at a time is 500 mg.”  

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17507729

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research   

“Results indicate that 0.5 g of calcium is the optimum dose….”  

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3213620

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition   

“If an adequate calcium intake is not possible in the diet, a calcium supplement may be required and should optimally be taken in doses ~500 mg at a time to maximize absorption, because absorption decreases with greater calcium loads.”  

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/81/5/1232S

MayoClinic   

“You can take calcium supplements at any time of day. However, it's important to note that calcium is absorbed most efficiently when it's taken in amounts of 500 milligrams (mg) or less. If you take 1,000 mg of calcium a day, split it into two or more doses over the course of the day.”

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calcium-supplements/AN01428

National Institutes of Health   

“The percentage of calcium absorbed depends on the total amount of elemental calcium consumed at one time; as the amount increases, the percentage absorption decreases. Absorption is highest in doses ≤500 mg. So, for example, one who takes 1,000 mg/day of calcium from supplements might split the dose and take 500 mg at two separate times during the day.”

http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp

So What Was The Real Introduction Date Of My New ESSENTIAL-1 Multivitamin.

2010-07-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for the confusion regarding the inception date of my new ESSENTIAL-1 multivitamin, since clearly I am the source of that confusion. When I was on HSN just a few weeks ago talking about ESSENTIAL-1, I emphasized how this formula was brand new and yet several folks pointed out that they purchased it in 2008 and they are correct. Back in 2008 you could purchase ESSENTIAL-1 directly from my company, but it was not today’s ESSENTIAL-1, since it was still a work in progress, but I had chosen to make it “quietly” available at my company. The 2008 version of ESSENTIAL-1 contained no Gamma Vitamin E (only Alpha Tocopherol) and as a result, it was not finished and not yet suitable for full roll out or introduction on HSN. First, I would need to figure out how to include dry Gamma Tocopherol in the finished formula. Frankly, I would have loved to have brought it to HSN sooner, but until it was a fully finished product that met my standards, it would remain only quietly available. The 2008 version was still far superior to every other single pill multivitamin on the market, but I was not yet happy nor was I finished with it. As a result, I did not make it available on HSN. Nevertheless, the handful of folks who found it on my website loved it so much that I became truly committed to figuring out how to get Gamma Vitamin E into a single capsule daily product. We continued to work on the Vitamin E challenges and toward the end of last year when we succeeded in adding dry Gamma Vitamin E to my new COMPLETE multivitamin, the next step was to test and to determine if it would also be possible to include that same technology with ESSENTIAL-1 despite the severe limitations of a single capsule. To make a long story short, after much work, we succeeded and the result is the ESSENTIAL-1 formula that you saw me proudly present on HSN only weeks ago from my facilities. Two years ago, ESSENTIAL-1 was still by far the best formula of its kind, but my extreme standards were not yet satisfied. Today I am incredibly proud of this unique formula. Best of all, apparently I am not alone in my thoughts, since it now has over 60 reviews at HSN.com with an almost perfect 4.9 stars! Wow! Thank you so much!

By the way, many of you have suggested that as a public service this product should be made available in retail stores as an alternative to their standard, artificially colored, lower potency, tableted multivitamins. As you know, I have never had a desire to see my products on retail stores shelves, but as many of you have pointed out, “the public deserves options,” and this might be a bit different so I promise to consider this in the future.

Best of health.

Andrew

More about ESSENTIAL-1 and my COMPLETE family and LIFE Rx family of multivitamins.

2010-06-12T03:48:00.000-07:00

First of all, if you are taking COMPLETE, you don’t need to take ESSENTIAL-1 and if you take ESSENTIAL-1, you don’t need to take COMPLETE. In other words, because they are both stand alone multi-vitamin-mineral formulas, you simply choose the one formula that meets your needs. As I will describe this weekend, COMPLETE is a five-capsule daily multivitamin providing far higher levels of vitamins and minerals than we can fit in the single daily capsule of ESSSENTIAL-1. One capsule is a serious limitation, but ESSENTIAL-1 is as good as it gets for a single capsule daily multivitamin. I do not take ESSENTIAL-1 because I choose to take a higher potency daily multivitamin, but there are many people who can’t afford COMPLETE, but still want its purity and gentleness or who simply prefer to take only one single pill as their daily multivitamin, which by the way, is why products like Centrum, Theragran, One-a-Day, etc are by far the top selling multivitamins in America. This is my brand new alternative to those products. At a minimum, a single pill can never provide the Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Calcium that I choose to take on a daily basis, since those are each one or two pills just on their own. I often refer to COMPLETE as being more than a half-a-dozen separate formulas in a single daily packet, since it contains the equivalent of a separate Vitamin C, Gamma/Alpha Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B-Complex, Biotin, Calcium, Magnesium and more.

Since I am aware that many folks prefer a single pill daily multivitamin, I put my personal preferences aside and created ESSENTIAL-1 as the best choice and a pure, gentle, easy-to-swallow alternative to the other single-pill multivitamin formulas. ESSENTIAL-1 is 100% additive-free and provides more than two dozen nutrients in each small, easy-to-swallow capsule that are present at levels many times higher than the leading single tablet multivitamins. It also contains ingredients like Zeaxanthin and Gamma Tocopherol not present in any of the leading brands. Some folks will choose ESSENTIAL-1 because they can’t afford to invest as much as COMPLETE requires in their daily multivitamin and some folks prefer its simple one-capsule convenience. As I have said before, no single one-per day pill can deliver the levels of vitamins and minerals the science requires, but ESSENTIAL-1 comes closer to any other product and does so in a pure, simple, easy-to-swallow capsule. I have already seen my friends and family fall in love with the simplicity of ESSENTIAL-1 and they also then can add things like their CoQ10, Healthy Hair Skin and Nails, Omega-3, Circulation, Joint, etc. ESSENTIAL-1 or COMPLETE…The Choice is Yours. If you take extra Vitamin C, Calcium, Vitamin E, etc, then COMPLETE is a bargain. If not, then ESSENTIAL-1 is a great start.

As far as what I take on a daily basis, I always take one of my COMPLETE family (LIFE Rx) of formulas. I also add a few dozen capsules of separates every day, which relates to how I have eaten during that day, since I supplement to complement my diet. For example, if I eat a good amount of fish, I take fewer Omega 3s. If I eat lots of fiber, I take less Fibermucil. If I eat lots of cruciferous veggies, then I take less Cruciferous Veggie Extracts, etc, etc. All of the members of my multivitamin family of formulas have the same basic structure and the more complex formulas simply contain more separate and specialty ingredients.

In fact, I am in the process of reformulating all the multivitamins in both of these families with the COMPLETE and COMPLETE-100 already finished. The COMPLETE and LIFE Rx families of formulas will contain essentially the same levels of vitamins and minerals and their differences will be found in the other specialty ingredients that are added. A perfect example of this is the new COMPLETE-100 at HSN, which contains the same vitamins and minerals as COMPLETE – plus five of the most popular and important specialty ingredients. In the case of COMPLETE-100, the specialty ingredient additions are CoQ10, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Resveratrol, EGCG and Pomegranate (100 mgs of each ingredient added) – plus extra Lutein, Lycopene and Zeaxanthin. For me, the one thing that never changes is that I take one of my COMPLETE family of formulas as my nutritional foundation everyday and then I add varying daily levels of my specialty formulas based upon how I eat. I generally take at least one of virtually all my key specialty products on a daily basis, but I just vary the amount based upon my diet.

Getting ready for the live remote, so I will answer some other questions very quickly…

The PC granules cannot go in a capsule, since they are too sticky and waxy. The other option is my PC softgel capsules which offer the same PC, but just at a lower level of potency given its liquid form.

Although many folks would like me to offer it, SAM-e (s-adenosyl-methionine) is not something I offer, since the science and the research has not been convincing to me. Just because a product will sell does not mean I should make it. Until I am more convinced of the benefits of SAM-e, I will not be making it. I am sorry.

As far as opening a store in or near our factory, it is something we have considered, but it is not a simple decision here in Nevada and we have thus far chosen to focus on making our products at that location rather than selling them directly there, since the local regulations are not that simple.

Personally, I take 1,000 to 2,000 mgs of Vitamin C on a normal day. Dr. Linus Pauling was a brilliant man, but I do not agree fully with his recommendation to consume exceptionally high levels of Vitamin C daily (greater than 10,000 mgs daily). I prefer to consume balanced levels of many natural protective compounds (emulating a balanced diet) rather than “putting my eggs in one basket” and taking Vitamin C at such a level that it really becomes nothing more than a drug and in my mind and a potential source of dietary imbalance. My approach has always been more moderate and balanced – just as I desire my diet and my life to be.

I am not aware of soluble fiber blocking the absorption of fish oil or vitamin E, which are both fat- and oil-based. If that was the case, your doctor just discovered the magic weightloss tool, since whenever we ate fatty food, we would just have to eat soluble fiber to block its absorption. Sadly, to my knowledge it does not work that way.

Thanks and sorry if all the information above was typed too quickly and was not sufficiently clear.

Best of health and see you soon.

Andrew

The Vitamin Angels are Flying High! More than 250,000 Bottles Donated in April! We hope to reach 2 million bottles by January!

2010-06-11T02:14:00.000-07:00

April was a wonderful month for Vitamin Angels, since my nonprofit (The Andrew Lessman Foundation) committed to create, and by now has already donated, another 257,000 bottles of Prenatal Vitamins to needy mothers around the world. It is hard to believe but we are now well beyond the one million bottle mark. That is a lot of bottles to give away! To put that number in perspective, there are less than a dozen US cities with more than one million inhabitants. In other words, we have already given away enough bottles to give one bottle to each and every person living in Philadelphia! I find that absolutely astounding…and exciting! It is truly gratifying that the founder of Vitamins Angels, Howard Schiffer has enabled my little idea about prenatal vitamins to become a pretty big idea with major influence worldwide. If you consider the quantity of vitamins we have distributed with the role that a prenatal vitamin plays throughout the developing world, then it is no exaggeration to describe its impact as lifesaving to a vast number of women and their babies. This is not just a handful of vitamins affecting a few women, but more than one million bottles! Not only are these vitamins saving lives, but they also increase the physical and intellectual potential of every child born to a better-nourished mother.

There is no time where food and nutrition play a greater role than when a mother is pregnant and must also nourish her growing child. Correspondingly, there is also no time when a vitamin supplement plays a greater health role than when a mother lacks sound fundamental nutrition in the developing world. The science and research has always been clear on this point and I am thrilled we can make such an enormous difference in the lives of so many women and their future babies who are in desperate need of sound basic nutrition. I can’t thank you enough for helping to make our dream a reality. Thank you so much for helping so many! 

Plus, our goal of giving away 2 million bottles by January 2011 is now well within reach. This weekend, my nonprofit Foundation will once again donate a bottle of Prenatal Vitamins for every bottle purchased at HSN. My friends often remind me how unique that is: “Sell a bottle – Give away a bottle,” but I prefer to look at it as just another exciting opportunity for us to do things differently.

Best of health.

Andrew

Live from ProCaps Labs. June 12/13 Today’s Special: New ESSENTIAL-1 – Single-Capsule Daily Multivitamin.

2010-06-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

Based upon all the positive feedback from our last live shows from my facilities and given all the requests that we do it again, I thought I’d invite you back to Henderson, Nevada for another look at where your vitamins are made. These shows should provide the peace of mind you deserve and show you that your vitamins are more than some guy talking on TV. You’ll see that unlike other vitamins on TV, I am not a hired spokesman with some anonymous contract manufacturer, but actually the person who founded the company more than 30 years ago and who actually designs and makes all the products you see.

Whenever we do these live shows it gives me a chance to show you just how unique we are – not just among TV vitamins, but among all products available anywhere. And I am not just talking about our all-solar manufacturing. In most cases, when we buy something, we have no idea where that product really came from or who really made it. In most cases, we assume it is made by an American company right here in the USA, but that might not be the case. Also, we generally assume that the person who “sells” the product actually made it; however, in most cases, the product was made by a third-party manufacturer that we don’t know at all. I have often wished I could see a live tour of the companies that make all the foods I eat, but I don’t think that will happen any time soon, since I am not sure how many companies would be willing to have their facilities filmed live as we do.

Since we have nothing to hide, you will notice that we shoot the live show right in the middle of our facility. Plus, your tour guide is me - the person who founded the company 30-plus years ago and who even designed and built the manufacturing facility itself. Whenever we do these tours, it reminds me of what an exceptional privilege I have been given by HSN to provide you with this unique insight and direct view of something few get to see – the inside of where their products are made. Plus, I also get to show-off the cleanliness of our NSF-certified facility and process, along with our expanded solar-panel array, which is likely the largest private solar energy installation in the USA. I will show you how responsibly we make your products not only in terms of their quality but also as it relates to our planet and environment.

So, if you would like to see our new ESSENTIAL-1 Today’s Special and also get a tour of my vitamin manufacturing facility, please tune-in Saturday June 12th at 11pm, as well as Sunday June 13th at noon, 5pm and 9pm – all Eastern times. This will be ESSENTIAL-1’s first TV appearance. As I write this, it has a perfect five-star rating on HSN.com. I created ESSENTIAL-1 for everyone who requested I make a pure, mild alternative to all those one-tablet-per-day multivitamins in supermarkets, pharmacies, etc, such as One-a-Day, Centrum, Theragran and all the generic brands. Of course, ESSENTIAL-1 is very different and it comes in small, soft, easy-to-swallow capsules and contains no artificial colors or other chemical additives. There are no enormous, stomach-challenging tablets to contend with – just a mild, pure powder in a small, soft, easy-to-swallow capsule that is gentle to even the most sensitive stomachs. ESSENTIAL-1 is incredibly convenient and economical, since it is just one capsule per day. It is an exceptionally affordable opportunity to get all the purity of my COMPLETE packeted multivitamins without the expense and effort of taking five capsules per day. Mind you, COMPLETE is what I take and it is both higher potency than ESSENTIAL-1 and more expensive. I will discuss this in detail during the shows. ESSENTIAL-1 and COMPLETE are both exceptional values with the former providing a single capsule daily and the latter five daily capsules in our Purple Perma-Fresh packets.

For over 30 years, COMPLETE has set the standard for a high-potency packeted multivitamin and now, ESSENTIAL-1 will establish the new standard for a single-capsule-daily multivitamin. Now that ESSENTIAL-1 has arrived, you will no longer have to tolerate the large tablets, artificial colors and additives of the leading one-tablet-per-day mass market vitamins.

Best of all, on Sunday, a 50-day supply of ESSENTIAL-1 will cost less than 30 cents per day and more than a year’s supply will cost less than 20 cents per day! Add to that…Flexpay and Free Shipping and it will certainly be a great visit to Henderson, Nevada.

Best of Health and see you soon.

Andrew

Answering Roger about Lead in Vitamins and ProCaps Labs Certification.

2010-05-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Roger.

Sorry about the reptilian divergence, but some photos of my tortoise were posted on our Facebook page and there were some questions about her, so we posted the answers both here and also on Facebook.

Of course, we have nothing to hide regarding my products and I am proud of our quality and it is never my intention to avoid any question at any time, so I will answer your great questions below.     You will never find inappropriate levels of Lead in any of my products. The same goes for Mercury, heavy metals or other contaminants. I have discussed this during my shows, especially when the issue of Lead in Calcium products or Mercury in Fish Oils came up on many occasions in the past. Lead is not an issue in any of my supplements because before we purchase any raw material, we require that the supplier of that raw material perform stringent tests for Lead, heavy metals and other contaminants. Unless their Certificate of Analysis is absolutely spotless attesting to its safety and purity, we will not use it. Also, unless a vitamin manufacturer is trying to cut corners, it is actually easy to find reliable suppliers with quality standards that make the presence of improper Lead levels virtually impossible. Of course, we only buy our materials from established, reputable sources that test all materials to our complete satisfaction before shipment.

Additionally, even though we only purchase raw materials from the most reliable sources and even though they test those materials and provide us with a Certificate of Analysis, we still perform further validation. There is an old saying, “trust nothing – validate everything,” which means that I am extra-careful about anything that my family, you and I put in our bodies. Also, you may have noticed during our live broadcasts from our facilities that there is a large closed-off area in my warehouse that is totally fenced-in. This is where new inbound raw materials arrive and where they remain in quarantine, “imprisoned,” unless and until they are proven safe for use. It is not easy for a raw material to qualify for use at my company and in over 30 years of making supplements, high levels of Lead or any other contaminant have never been found in any of my products.     As far as being featured on the Dr. Oz show, we might be well-known in the world of TV Retailing, but I think Dr. Oz focused on mass market products, so I was not invited. Of course, my absence from his show has nothing to do with quality. More than 30 years later, we still make all our own products at purity standards unheard of in our industry and despite many requests, I refuse to make products for any other company. We only offer our unique quality and purity exclusively and directly to our customers – no one else. Most vitamins sold in the US are sold in the mass market at supermarkets, pharmacies, discount stores, as well as health food stores. Mass market retailers have sought to sell my products, but I won’t allow them on store shelves. I have chosen a different path and I refuse to place the control of my quality products in the hands of mass market distributors and retailers. Basically, we are not high profile enough for a national TV show like Dr. Oz, but I would not hesitate to put my products up against anyone’s in terms of purity, quality, ease-of-use, mildness, etc. Also, I will try to get a copy of the show, so I can comment intelligently on its content, since some of it does not seem to make sense.

At this point, I must also acknowledge an error on my part. For quite some time, we have been NSF-Certified and I should have stated that on our labels. I have also hardly mentioned our NSF certification on TV. It is an important accomplishment that warrants discussion, but I did not do so. NSF is the leading certification authority when it comes to a supplement or pharmaceutical manufacturing company and obtaining their certification means that the production of our products meets or exceeds all GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices). This is enormously important and I should have mentioned it previously. ProCaps Laboratories, our manufacturing environment, our raw material handling, testing and purchasing procedures; our, production processes, along with our laboratory analytical capabilities and methodologies were all certified to meet the exacting standards of the NSF. As you mention, I should state that on my labels and you are correct. The only reason I did not do so is because so many companies make misleading claims about certification that I did not want to add to the “noise.” Instead, I proudly accepted this important certification while continuing to focus on what is most important and that is making our same exceptional products. I now know that this certification is important to you and I should have emphasized it previously. Resta assured, I will do so in the future. Also, beyond our certification, my goal has always been to make products that provide quality that’s easy to identify and appreciate. Our quality is simple to assess by reading our full-disclosure labels and seeing our pure powders in clear capsules.

In closing, we are NSF-certified, but more importantly our labels are full disclosure and there is nothing we hide in any product we make. You always know exactly what you are getting: The highest quality capsules containing a pure, ultra-fine powder and a full disclosure label informing you of all amounts and standardizations.      Those were great questions! Thanks Roger! I should have written this blog a year ago and placed our NSF-Certification proudly on our labels long ago, but thanks to Roger, I will do so in the near future. Much appreciated.

Best of health.

 Andrew

New Essential 1. Unique One Capsule Multi-Vitamin-Mineral.

2010-05-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Video: Andrew discusses his new, single-capsule multivitamin.

CholestaCare and Plant Sterols. How To Naturally Lower Cholesterol.

2010-05-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Video: Andrew discusses the use of CholestaCare.

Devyn the Tortoise.

2010-05-24T02:07:00.000-07:00

I appreciate everyone’s comments on FaceBook about Devyn the tortoise (here) – who happens to be named after and was also named by my Goddaughter Devyn when she was about 9 years old. When I asked Devyn to suggest a name, much to my surprise, she suggested her own and since I promised she could name my tortoise, I had no choice but to accept, so now I have a Goddaughter and a Reptile named Devyn. Amazingly enough, Devyn the tortoise is not scared of Lincoln at all and Lincoln just wants to play with her. He seems to think that Devyn is just a slow moving variety of dog and someone else he can be friends with and play with.

Devyn the tortoise is quite the ham and amazingly active and friendly…but then again, so is Devyn my Goddaughter. :) Devyn the tortoise hibernates about six months per year in a little stone shelter I built for her in my yard. In case you did not know, Desert Tortoises are considered endangered and they occasionally become available for adoption when they lose their home because their habitat has been disturbed and they become displaced. That is how Devyn became available for adoption when she was very young.

As you can see from the photos, Devyn enjoys eating her way around my yard. Desert Tortoises are principally vegetarians and are absolutely amazing survivors living in what is among the most inhospitable environments on our planet – such as the Mohave Desert – with very little food, water or vegetation. If you were at my house, every time you’d look in the yard you’d see that Devyn had moved somewhere else. She is always on the move, but she is never in a hurry. She always reaches her destination at a peaceful, consistent, comfortable pace. It is rather meditative to watch Devyn patiently pursue her day. I think I have lots to learn from my tortoise.

Best of Health.

Andrew

Wow! Thanks for the rapid feedback to my blog yesterday about the upcoming TS.

2010-04-03T02:29:00.000-07:00

Based upon your comments, I guess I should disclose the Today’s Special in advance. I will do so in the future. Thanks for letting me know.

By the way, during the April visit, all of my products will have Special Pricing and there will be an abundance of Flexpay, including an option for an extra Flex-payment on the Today’s Specials with the HSN charge card. Also, I think HSN’s Special Pricing begins on Tuesday. Enjoy!

See you in just a few days.

Best of Health.
Andrew