In this issue:
Meow,
Guggul Plus (Formerly Cholesterol X) Update
Since we sold our last bottle of Cholesterol X back in early fall, members
have been hissing to this kat to bring back the
guggul, policosanol
and hawthorne berry formula.
So we have but with a couple of important announcements:
Members recommended that we change the name to highlight the guggul extract
ingredient, which has been shown to help normalize both "bad" cholesterol and
triglycerides (another type of blood fat).
Our label says that every 750 mg of guggul extract should contain 2.5%
guggulsterones (yielding 18.75 mg per tablet). The results for the raw material
came back at 2.33% vs. 2.5% guggulsterones (which would yield an estimated 17.5
mg per tablet) – or a difference of 1.25 mg per tablet.
Some of you may be wondering, “why test the raw material?” The answer is
simple. Once guggulsterone is in formulation, you cannot test accurately. The
same is true for policosanol in formulation.
To boot, botanicals (herbals) are some of the hardest critters to test. You
see, botanicals are created in nature and not in a lab, which means that they
can vary slightly from sample to sample, even when they are supposed to be
standardized.
As our long-time members can testify, we are committed to meeting label
claims. Being under on anything is no everyday occurrence. Ask any lab director
about botanicals and you will get the same story.
Alas, we tested and retested and we believe this last production run is
slightly under our label claim. We spent a lot of anguished time discussing what
to do.
Teri,
who listens to all the members begging for this product, wanted to make
Guggul Plus
available as soon as possible.
Cindy,
who is a big pain when it comes to testing, wanted to send the production run
back to the manufacturer. And,
Stephen,
who hates to see waste, said, “Let’s let everyone know about the results and
give a discount for those who want the product anyway.”
Given the commotion about Guggul Plus, this kat decided to “let the
market decide.” It’s up to
you to decide whether you approve.
You can review the test results for the guggulsterones and the policosanol,
which passed with flying colors, at:
http://www.ourhealthcoop.com/products_quality.htm
Members Enthusiastic About Guggul Plus
Here’s what some of members said about
Guggul Plus
(formerly Cholesterol X):
- “I'm a medical
intuitive, and very often I find that products from Our Health Co-op are the
best remedies available for the people who consult with me...I have found
Guggul Plus a very effective and safe way to bring [cholesterol] numbers
down, and certainly a far better alternative than statins and their
concomitant liver concerns.”
Timothy
- “…My husband takes
Guggul Plus and he got his cholesterol within a range to make his statin-obsessed
doctor happy!”
Norma
- “The Guggul Plus is
the ONLY product I took for the last year to help lower my total cholesterol
reading. I went from 258 down to 228 in one year’s time. I am really proud
of this accomplishment.”
Marilyn
- “You must promote
this product more. Cholesterol is such a big problem, and this product
works! You have to hammer away on this point.”
Doug
Again, we are offering
Guggul Plus at $2 off or
$16.75 in our product catalog.
Member Highlight: Photographer, Thomas Wintz
Despite being the big cheese,
Cindy
likes to chat with members directly. She saw a note Teri forwarded from a member
about a product request and she clicked through to
Thomas Wintz’s web site.
Thomas, as it turns out, is a wonderful photographer, specializing in
weddings, family portraits, and recording special events. He and his wife live
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Cindy sent a note to Thomas complimenting him on his
site and asking how he and his family survived the hurricanes last fall.
Thomas wrote back with a touching story:
Cindy,
Thank you for noticing my
message and for your kind comments about my web site and images. Life has been
great for my wife, Valerie, and I since the “storms.” We had only minor damage
from the first storm and none from the second.
We were living in a 3 bedroom
house when the first storm hit and had a one bedroom apartment above my office
that was “for rent.” Our children are all grown and out of the house and, while
we love them, we don’t want any of them to move back in. So, we leased our house
to a family from New Orleans and moved into the apartment. The smaller space has
been very enjoyable and comfortable. Valerie is happy that it is much easier to
keep clean.
My business did go down after
the storms. I do lots of event photography and portraits. All but one event
between the storm and the end of the year were cancelled and all events booked
for the first half of 2006 cancelled. The people in this area had too many other
things on their minds to even think about portraits.
Our city grew…Baton Rouge went
from a population of 350,000 to over 450,000, and this has been stressful for
all of us. This will be good for business in the future and the photography
business is now picking up rapidly.
How did I survive the last
three months plus with little business? I am not one to sit around doing nothing
and I am good at carpentry. I started helping friends with clean up and repair
and my work was noticed by others. Soon I was busy doing carpentry work, some as
a volunteer and some for pay.
My time is now divided about
half and half between photography and carpentry and we are doing very well.
While I am enjoying the carpentry work, I am glad that the photography business
is picking up and I look forward to the day I am back to just photography. It is
and always will be what I love to do. All in all, I say that we are blessed.
Again, thank you for your
kindness and keep up the good work in the Co-op.
Thomas
It’s easy to be cynical in this world of bad news, so it’s nice to share
stories about wonderful members like Thomas and Valerie.
To check out Thomas’ portfolio:
www.wintz.net
If you or someone in your family has an interesting story or a health report
to share with our far-flung Co-op community, please drop a line to moi:
guido@ourhealthcoop.com
Health in the News
From stories on turmeric and prostate cancer to soy isoflavones and breast
cancer, the New Year is full of health in the news. Take a look!
Okay! That’s it for now!
Still purringly yours,
Guido
Guido Housemouser
Chief Kat and Community Manager
Our Health Co-op
|
