Enzymedica announced today that three of its products, Acid Soothe, Digest Gold + Probiotics and Kids Digest Chewable, have been recognized by nutrition expert Ashley Koff, RD, as “Ashley Koff Approved (AKA).”

Koff has been named among the Top 10 Registered Dietitians in the US by Today’s Dietitian Magazine, and can be regularly seen appearing on leading national media outlets, such as Dr. Oz, CNN, and E!. She has also been frequently featured in national publications such as The New York Times, Readers Digest, and Oprah Magazine.

In 2002, she began presenting the AKA recognition to assist consumers, healthcare practitioners, and the media identify products that best contribute to an individual’s healthy lifestyle.

According to her website, products that are AKA Approved have been evaluated by Koff as not including any nutrition “no, no’s” (artificial ingredients, too much of an ingredient, too little of an ingredient, etc.). In addition, a product’s marketing message must be truthful and fit into “a nutritional plan for optimal health.”

The AKA stamp is presented throughout the year, and is applied to a wide range of products, including: groceries, dietary supplements, prepared foods, restaurants, lifestyle accessories and beauty care.

It is often easier during the summer months to maintain digestive and physical health than during the winter. The warm temperatures of the summer bode well for large amounts of exercise, and the opportunities to spend time outside can truly be beneficial to the body’s health.

During the winter months, however, daily exercise becomes more of a challenge and often our best eating habits start to falter. Keep these tips for better digestion in mind as you prepare for family get together during the winter season.

- Try to eat your meals at regular times. As winter approaches, the amount of daylight may vary. Try to eat at the same times each day as even though the amount of light may change, your body appreciates a regular schedule.

- Take time to savor your food and don’t forget to chew properly. Eating more slowly can help you to better digest your food, and you may find that your stomach may feel “full” sooner, so you won’t eat as much.

- Get enough sleep at night, at least 8-9 hours. Sleep is a great healer and we tend to underestimate its importance in our sleep-deprived culture.

- Drink plenty of H20. Have you ever noticed that your lips or mouth feel dry? That can be a sign that it is a great time to take a drink of water. Sometimes it can be easy to drink enough when our stomachs get full of food (or sweets!)

- Replace a cooked meal with a raw meal daily. Sometimes this tip can be a difficult one during the winter months. If you find it difficult to completely change over a meal to raw fruits and vegetables, consider using them as hors’devours. Raw fruits and vegetables contain valuable enzymes that are lost when foods are heated in cooking.

-Take a good probiotic to maintain healthy flora in the intestines. Enzymedica recommends our Pro-Bio ™ product, or Digest Gold+Probiotics ™ .

– Reduce stress through daily exercise, yoga and meditation, and take a relaxing walk after you eat. For those living in Southern climates, this tip is a little easier during the winter months. Still there are plenty of opportunities for exercise at home, even if the snow is up to your windows outside!

- Try a product containing a full spectrum blend of the four key enzymes, viz., protease to digest protein, amylase to digest carbohydrates, lipase to digest fats, and cellulase to digest fiber.

– Take the “enzyme deficiency test” from Enzymedica – The Enzyme Experts, and initiate steps for healthy digestion throughout the colder months.

School doors around the country will soon be flung open as a new season of education, athletics, band practice, and every student’s favorite class-period of the day (lunch!) begins. Maintaining a nutritious diet is tremendously important for young bodies and young minds.

Supplemental enzymes play a key role in helping children digest foods more efficiently and getting the most out of every bite, as well as offering support to numerous other systems within the body.

Before sending enzymes in the brown paper lunch bag with your children, it is always a good idea to discuss necessary procedures with school officials. Talk to your child’s teacher, school nurse, or another administrator and ask them about policies for students taking supplements. Many schools have a “zero-tolerance” policy for bringing any sort of capsules into school, and it is always better to ask permission first.

It can also be helpful to get a letter from your doctor saying that your child can take supplements at school. Many doctors are willing to do this, and it can often be a helpful tool when working with school staff to build a routine for your child.

Sometimes, school staff will be curious about the benefits, or risks, of taking enzyme supplements. Our website provides extensive educational information on enzymes, and each of our product pages also contains a link to a handout detailing information on the product.

Enzymedica believes in providing extensive education about our products, and these resources can prove valuable to both parents and school administrators. Often, building solid communication between you and school staff will allow your child to take supplements as a natural part of their daily activities.

If you’ve ever felt a burning sensation in your gut after eating a greasy pizza or devouring a bar of chocolate, you know that occasional heartburn is not easily dismissed. Its infrequent occurrence offers a painful reminder of digestive distress, and typically demands immediate attention. According to Western statistics, heartburn may be more widespread than you know.

Recent research has shown that in Western populations, 25% of individuals experience heartburn at least once a month, 12% at least once a week, and 5% experience symptoms daily. When these numbers are compared with the current US population, they may indicate that around 77 million people suffer from symptoms of heartburn at least once a month.

So what causes heartburn? While factors such as genetics and environment can certainly play a factor, those who experience symptoms of heartburn are often encouraged to avoid certain trigger foods in their diet in hopes of minimizing this uncomfortable and often painful condition.

Some of the most common trigger foods include things like tomatoes, garlic, onions, spicy foods, cheese, nuts, alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, and carbonated beverages. The huge scope of the items on this list, as well as the hundreds of items not mentioned here, demonstrates that it may be impossible to completely avoid heartburn just by modifying one’s diet.

Many sufferers of occasional heartburn choose to take a supplement or other product to try to easy their symptoms, and these options do work to various levels of effectiveness. The problem comes from the fact that many, if not most, of these products are designed to address only the symptoms of heartburn, and may often mask the underlying causes of the condition.

Before banishing chocolate, pizza, and Philly cheese steaks from your diet, you have another option to consider. Enzymes can offer a unique solution for improving the body’s ability to digest a vast array of foods, and can also help the body digest food more efficiently, making better use of the precious nutrients in what we eat. (Although the “precious nutrients” in a slice of pizza can often be up to debate!)

Some suffers of occasional heartburn have found solace in Enzymedica’s Acid Soothe™ product. Acid Soothe™ contains natural digestive enzymes that work with the body to soothe occasional indigestion and enhance the natural digestive process. Also, new this month is Acid Soothe™ Chewable, which offers the same benefits of the encapsulated version of Acid Soothe™, but with a chocolate mint or berry burst flavor.

Enzymedica is excited to see that the health benefits of enzymes have reached the mainstream!

We are thrilled to share that ABC News’ Good Morning America Health on Friday, April 8th, 2011 featured the conversation topic of Autism and Digestive Distress.  Steven Lamm, MD appeared with Tanya Rivero in honor of Autism Awareness Month, and discussed the alarming statistic that 1 in 91 children are diagnosed with autism every year and that many living with the disorder often also suffer from digestive distress.

Featured in the segment were nutrition and health tips, including a product roundup of gluten-free, casein-free foods and supplements.  The roundup includes Enzymedica’s Digest Spectrum and GlutenEase.

Video Quotes:

“Improve the nutritional status of your child, improve your own nutritional status, and you’re likely to reduce the likelihood of all illnesses, autoimmune and others, dramatically.”

“If you have any digestive disorder, [and] most of us have acquired disorders as we get older, one of the digestive enzymes would be a terrific idea.”

About Good Morning America Health:

“Good Morning America Health” provides you with the most up-to-date medical advice for improving your lifestyle.

Video link at:  http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/autism-digestive-distress-gluten-free-diet-autistic-food-13331378