Supplementation

Nutrients, primarily vitamins and minerals, are essential to life-they drive the biochemical reactions in our bodies. If the body has optimal levels of nutrients, the biochemical pathways are more apt to run efficiently, keeping cellular damage in check. Taking nutritional supplements is a way to ensure that your body has the necessary levels of nutrients for optimal health, not just disease prevention. Most importantly, nutritional supplements provide the vital nutrients our bodies need when our diets are lacking, our stress levels are high, or our health is compromised.

Diet

We have all heard it: "Get your nutrition from your food." And WAC Nutritionist Shana Hopkins' motto is "Food first." However, even with the best intentions, our diets are not always optimal.

National surveys show that only 9 percent of Americans eat the five recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. And according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, roughly one-third of the average American diet consists of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. If one-third of the calories in the average diet come from foods laden with fat and empty carbohydrates or sugar, and we are far from meeting the minimum fruit-and-vegetable requirement, how are people getting the vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal health and longevity?

Even when we do eat more fruits and vegetables, food handling, shipping and processing all contribute to a loss of nutrition. For instance, a head of lettuce can lose up to 50 percent of its folic acid from the time it is picked until you eat it. The bottom line is, nutritional supplementation will never replace food, but it can give people the extra nutrition they are missing if they are unable to make healthy food choices on a consistent basis.

Stress

The stress common in today's busy lifestyles can deplete nutrient stores in the body. This, in turn, can compromise the immune system, which can mean more frequent infections, and over time, reduced ability to fight off bigger diseases. We also live in a more toxic world today. Our bodies are constantly detoxifying environmental pollutants we take in through our lungs and skin, and pesticide residues found on our foods. Nutritional supplementation can provide the body with adequate nutrients to cope with our modern-day stresses.

Disease Prevention

One of the greatest benefits of nutritional supplements is disease prevention. Supplements also slow the aging process by providing the body with higher amounts of disease-fighting nutrients called "antioxidants." Antioxidants help "quench" disease-causing free radicals before they can damage the cellular genetic material known as DNA. Some of the most studied antioxidants include carotenoids, Vitamin E, Vitamin C and selenium. Evidence continues to prove the disease-fighting power of antioxidants, and supplements are an excellent way to ensure that you are receiving these nutrients on a daily basis.

Customvite

The WAC is proud to offer Members the most comprehensive and specialized nutritional supplement program available: CustomVite®. CustomVite is a nutritional supplement designed for you with the expert knowledge of WAC Nutritionist Shana Hopkins, MS, CN, according to your specific physiological needs based on your height, weight, age, gender, activity level, health concerns and diet. After determining your personal supplement needs, NutriLab, an FDA-registered pharmaceutical facility, encapsulates your formulation.

Getting started is easy. First, fill out the CustomVite Lifestyle and Medical History Questionnaire and a three-day food diary. Then set up a brief nutrition consultation with the WAC Nutritionist to assess your needs and review your goals. Shana will then work with the nutritionist and biostatistician at NutriLab to develop your CustomVite supplement, which is mailed to your doorstep upon your approval. CustomVite allows you to quit guessing what nutritional supplements your body might or might not need. A formulation created from high-quality raw materials ensures the most absorbable and active ingredients available. Simply call WAC Nutritionist Shana Hopkins, MS, CN, at 206.839.4782, or email her at shopkins@wac.net.

Designs for Health

Designs for Health® is a professional line of therapeutic nutritional supplements. The company's Science First philosophy is demonstrated by their commitment to research-driven products, synergistic formulations and meaningful quantities of nutrients in their products.
These underlying principles define the DFH philosophy of designing pure and effective nutritional products:
1. Science First: Our team of experts, nutritionists and industry specialists use only peer-reviewed, scientifically researched literature on nutrient metabolism as the basis for designing DFH products and protocols. The DFH "science first" commitment contrasts with a "marketing first" approach that involves product design with non-meaningful doses of nutrients and/or the inclusion of ingredients that lack adequate scientific research.

2. Do No Harm: We research the nutrients in our products for their metabolic pathways and potential side effects. We provide appropriate guidelines for the usage of all our products in both healthy and diseased patients. This includes specifications for the nutrient itself and interactions with other nutrients and pharmaceuticals.

3. Nutrient Form Selection: Nutrient form selection is aimed at maximizing stability, absorption and metabolism of that particular nutrient or combination of nutrients.

4. Nutrient Delivery: Often a variety of nutrient delivery vehicles are chosen, including capsule, soft gel, powder and liquid. DFH recognizes different health conditions and personal tastes necessitate these options.

5. Pure Formulations: DFH minimizes the use of excipients whenever possible. For example, many of our products are made through a process of low-speed encapsulation, which allows for the elimination of the flow agents. In addition, DFH uses an exhaustive selection process for raw materials that meet or exceed accepted purity standards.

6. Synergistic Formulas: Many of the DFH formulas contain groups of nutrients that fit therapeutic goals for various deficiency states and conditions. The DFH holistic approach takes into consideration the complexity of human metabolic pathways. Administering one particular nutrient in high doses may create metabolic imbalances. DFH always reviews the complete clinical picture when formulating a complex array of nutrients. Combination (synergistic) formulas often enhance patient compliance by minimizing the number of supplements a patient consumes.

7. Practitioner Feedback: DFH works closely with the practitioners that use our products. Feedback and suggestions from their clinical experience are always invited. Often, practitioners are the initiators of new formulas. DFH continually monitors new research and clinical results and adjusts existing formulas accordingly.
Competitive Prices: Maximizing the DFH products price/quality ratio is a primary goal. DFH will not produce a product unless it is safe, effective and affordable to patients.