Living Nourished Lives

This is the time of year that those wonderful blooms and blossoms grace our landscape. However, for some this also creates more difficulty breathing easily or brings on lots of extra sneezing and watery eye. Here in the Phoenix Metro Area, I looked east and west this week in an area that gave a distant view both ways and I saw “hazy” air. All the pollen and other allergens in the air were full force along with the usual dust from a dry desert climate.

There are several things that Shaklee has to offer that have helped people deal with allergies.  However, today, I am going to just talk about one of them, Alfalfa.  Shaklee’s Alfalfa is one of Dr. Shaklee’s original signature products.  Alfalfa has extremely deep roots which can extend ten feet, twenty feet, and up to sixty feet into the soil, allowing it to access many trace minerals.  Alfalfa is rich in amino acids/protein and has 8 digestive enzymes.  Alfalfa is a natural anti-histamine and blood cleanser and can really help people with allergic reactions.

A few weeks ago my husband was sneezing continually through the day.  He has been taking 5 Shaklee Alfalfa tablets every day to help with a bunion he has.  However, realizing that there was some pollen in the air that was causing him to constantly sneeze, he took 10 Alfalfa the following day and only sneezed a couple times at the end of the day.  This is a perfect example of how the necessary dosage for Alfalfa for each person differs for different issues.  The “normal” dosage is 1 tablet a day per 10 pounds of body weight.  It is important to understand this is what is recommended for a normal healthy person, not someone suffering from some particular issue.  Yet Frank found that five is normally all he needs for reducing discomfort from his bunion and increasing to 10 helped with the sneezing he was experiencing from the pollen in the air.  However, this is not the typical dosage needed for sinus relief.  Usually, it usually takes up to 18 tablets a day  for sinus relief  and 40 for Arthritis.  This is because Alfalfa contains nutrients in trace amounts, though percentage wise, it is rich in nutrients.  It is interesting to note that five tablets of Shaklee’s Alfalfa equals one teaspoon of Alfalfa leaf powder and 15 tablets equals one tablespoon.  It is best to experiment a little for relief of symptoms to find the best dosage for the individual.  Even though someone may need to take quite a few tablets depending on their particular needs and circumstances, taking the tablets is much more desirable and simple than mixing green alfalfa powder that doesn’t taste that great, into a drink and having to take it that way every day.

Also, it is good to realize that Shaklee’s Alfalfa is different than other products that you might find available.  The plants which Shaklee uses to obtain its Alfalfa are grown organically without being heavily sprayed with the toxic chemicals commonly used to control weeds and pests in most Alfalfa crops.  This is in addition to still testing the leaves for 350 contaminants (Shaklee’s standard testing for every botanical that Shaklee uses in its products).   Also, for peak chlorophyll content, the leaves must be harvested at peak maturity and from mature plants.  Shaklee does this.  Shaklee uses plants that are five to seven years old.  Many times the “green” health drinks available to purchase use green leaves from young Alfalfa plants which are shallow rooted and contain much lower concentrations of  nutrients.  Plus, young plants and alfalfa sprouts are not good for those with autoimmune disease like lupus, but leaves from mature plants are beneficial because they are anti-inflammatory.  Shaklee also uses only the nutrient rich leaves and not the stalks and stems.  Shaklee also uses only cold processing in harvesting, drying, and tableting.  This ensures that the delicate enzymes are protected and bioavailable.  There are many other health issues that Shaklee’s Alfalfa can help with other than allergies, including the healing of ulcers (6 tablets/meal).

Essentially, whether or not you suffer from allergies, Shaklee’s Alfalfa may be something you want to consider using to nourish your body on a regular basis.  Some of the nutrients that those deep roots pull out of the soil are:  iron, copper, iodine, chromium, molybdenum, selenium, manganese, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, amino acids, Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, U, niacin, pantothenic acid, inositol, biotin, folic acid, fats, organic acids, chlorophyll, and eight digestive enzymes which help with digestion of all food groups:  Lipase, amylase, coagulase, emulsion, invertase, peroxidate, pectinase, and protase.  Is it any wonder that Alfalfa has been called, “King of the Plant World?”