Monday, September 27, 2010

Plants that help and taste delicious!


My good friend and fellow health guru, Kate mcCoy, has shared some wonderful information about various plants we eat or at least know about. I'd like to share her mailing with you over the next few days and hope you will find the wisdom here that I have found. Better yet, begin to include these foods in your diet for great health benefits.

When time doesn't allow for eating right, you can rely on Shaklee's Vitalizer to provide the foundation.

Here we go with Basil
Did you know that basil, aside from being a delicious herb, is also a powerful antioxidant? Basil is rich in beta-carotene, which is a more powerful antioxidant than vitamin A and helps prevent cholesterol from getting oxidized in the blood stream – which keeps it from sticking to the walls of blood vessels.

For a great scientific article about the health benefits of basil, just click here.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Low Fat vs. Low carb????

So which is it? My favorite medical professor has some thoughts to share about this so read on:

You would think the question of low carb versus low fat
diets would be settled by now.

Literally dozens of studies have been published on the
subject and they are all in pretty much agreement that
initial weight loss (mostly water) is faster on the low
carb diets but that weight loss at one or two years is
essentially the same on the two diets.

The unique feature of the study just published in
Annals of Internal Medicine (153: 147-157, 2010) was
that it included an intensive behavior modification
program to optimize the weight loss over the two year
period of the study.

Here is how the study was conducted:

The low-carbohydrate group was instructed to eat no
more than 20 grams of carbohydrate per day for 3 months
and then to increase the carbohydrate by no more than 5
grams per day each week until they achieved their
desired weight.

The low-fat group was instructed to decrease calories
and restrict fat intake to no more than 30% of
calories.

All of the patients were enrolled in a lifestyle
program designed to help them improve their physical
activity and other lifestyle factors.

The program met weekly for 20 weeks, every other week
for another 20 weeks, and then monthly for the rest of
the 2-year study. In short, this was a very good
behavior modification program.

Weight, blood pressure, blood lipid levels and side
effects were measured at the beginning of the program
and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months.

Considering the enormous effort put into behavior
modification, the results of this study were somewhat
disappointing.

The participants lost an average of only 22 pounds and
the end of year one and had gained back 7 of those
pounds by the end of year two.

And that only included the ~50% who stayed with the
program for the whole two years. Who knows how much
weight was gained by the people who dropped out of the
study?

Since the behavior modification program used in this
study did not significantly impact either weight loss
or weight maintenance, it's perhaps not surprising that
the other findings of this study are pretty much the
same as the findings from previous studies.

Weight loss was slightly greater in the low carb
group at 6 months, but did not differ significantly
between the two groups at either 1 year or two years.

Triglyceride levels and blood pressure were lower for
the low carb group at 6 and 12 months, but were the
same for both groups at 2 years.

The only significant differences between the two groups
at 2 years were LDL (bad) cholesterol levels - which
were significantly lower in the low fat group - and HDL
(good) cholesterol levels - which were significantly
higher in the low carb group.

Ironically, I've already seen blogs from proponents of
the low carb diets trumpeting the increase in HDL
levels as "proof" that low carb diets are better for
your heart.

But, it's not just HDL or LDL that's important, it's
the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol that
determines your risk of heart disease.

And at two years the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL
cholesterol was virtually identical on the two diets.

As for side effects, the patients on the low carb diet
reported more constipation and more problems with bad
breath. If you've beeen on a low carb diet before,
that's probably not news to you.

So what is the take home message from this study?

1) The laws of thermodynamics still work. It's all
about calories in versus calories out. Low carb and low
fat diets work equally well for weight loss.

2) If you just focus on blood lipid levels and blood
pressure there is also no significant difference
between the two diets.

However, I still recommend against high fat (low carb)
diets as a long term lifestyle strategy.

We know that high fat diets are much more likely to
cause inflammation - which is a risk factor for
multiple diseases.

We also know that long term consumption of high fat
diets is associated with increased risk of heart
disease, certain types of cancers & diabetes.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney



P. S. Coming next week: "A Diet Plan That Works"

In good health, Betsy
Betsy Bell's Health4u
206-933-1889
www.HiHoHealth.com
www.TiredNoMore.com

Monday, September 13, 2010

Help after a brain injury

This is an unusual story I thought worth sharing as is shows two things:
First the power of supplementation for overcoming serious health problems.
Second, the value this person placed on buying Shaklee vitamins even when she lost her job.

Here's the story as passed along from Bob Ferguson by Miranda Mercuri:

Hi Bob,

Not sure what exactly you are looking for in terms of learning disabilities. I am a 2 year survivor of a brain injury due to a ruptured brain aneurysm. I lost my home and my job due to my cognitive difficulties. I started the shaklee business because i always knew the importance of creating a second source of income, I just didn't do it prior to my injury. The past is past.

I have noticed huge differences in my brain health when it comes to my cognitive disabilities. My brain injury affected me on the right side of the brain, more specifically the right frontal lobe. They corrected it through open head surgery. That right frontal lobe, is responsible for planning and organizing. When any part of the brain is affected, it disturbes the other parts of the brain, so memory became my disability. It put me out of a job. So you can imagine what my days were like. I wasn't able to do simple things like plan a meal. We don't think of it, but all the things we do involves planning and organizing. In addition with a brain injury, it is very common to fatigue quickly and want to sleep after doing any activity. It is not that you are physically tired after a brain injury, but you are mentally exhausted and the only way to correct it was to sleep a few hours. I have been taking the vitalizer and the omega 3's. What a difference Bob! Mentally I have more energy. What that means to me is I can focus longer on any specific task. It didn't cure me, as I still struggle with it, but I don't take as many naps. I am able to read now for 30 minutes straight without needing a nap from exercising my brain in a book. How long I will have these challenges no one knows. It's up to the brain and God. Wether I will have a permanent cognitive disability is unknown. But the omega's and the vitalizer are important in my day. I know when I don't take them. Wether I remember to take them or not, my body reminds me.


Miranda Mercuri
www.squidoo.com/livingwithbraininjury
613-255-5473

In good Health, Betsy

BetsyBell's Health4U
206-933-1889
www.HiHoHealth.com

Monday, September 6, 2010

Are you trying to reduce sugar cravings?

This seems to be one of the major problems people have when changing their diet to one that will support weight loss or a stable diet once ideal weight has been achieved. I've found that you can trick your body to not want sugar all the time by increasing your protein at breakfast, by cutting way down (eliminating gluten, ie. bread), and by eating less fruit than vegetables. One of my gurus, Barbara Lagoni, has just reminded me of her classic program to curb the sugar cravings. I offer it for you to read. It does contain several suggestions for Shaklee products, but is also generic enough to find guidance if you're not interested in products at this time.

Good luck. This is a hard one to crack. I had to work at it for several years before I found what works for me. Imagine having a bar of dark chocolate in your cupboard and being able to eat just one square after lunch. That can happen for you.

-----

Healthy Eating … Breaking the Sugar Habit
One of the biggest challenges of eating healthy is removing simple carbohydrates and sugars and empty-calorie snacks from our diet . Sweets and snacks, chips and pasta, crackers and pretzels, potatoes and rice, and soda pop and juices… are everywhere…
These foods are high-glycemic . That means they spike your blood sugar...only to see it plummet an hour or so later thus creating fluctuating blood sugars that lead to cravings and bingeing and no room for healthy choices.
Such cravings are not about will power. They are about metabolic imbalance that creates cravings for fast sugar and carbohydrate snacks.
The following are ways many people have successfully kicked that sugar habit and enjoyed good healthy food again.
Ideal Diet
The ideal diet emphasizes fresh raw vegetables, some fresh fruit and fish and poultry.
• Breakfast –Include high protein foods...
o eggs, turkey sausages, Swiss oatmeal ( rolled oats softened overnight in milk or plain yogurt and fresh fruit.. blueberries, strawberries, etc and almonds)
o or one of the Shaklee Protein shakes - Energizing Soy Protein, Cinch shakes, Meal Shakes
o Or Shaklee Cinch bars ( 10 grams of protein)
o Fresh fruit ( avoid high glycemic fruits such as pineapple, banana and grapes)
• Lunch -- a great place for a main dish salad
o Be sure to include lots of vegetables whether in salad or with a plate of fresh veggies, maybe with a dip.
o Ideas for salads --try a variety of at least 6 different ingredients to create crunch, color, and flavor…
 lightly steamed green beans or asparagus, a variety of greens ( except no iceberg lettuce .. no nutritional value there) , sprouts, red cabbage, green cabbage , peas, shredded carrots, chopped broccoli, cauliflower, fresh white mushrooms, green onions, baby bok choi, spinach, jicama, etc
 Add a little sweetness occasionally with dried cranberries or dried cherries, 1 fresh orange, rind removed and chopped, sliced apples, pears, grapes,
 Add crunch with sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds…
 Add flavor with sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs ( water cress, parsley, cilantro, ), pesto,
 For protein …chopped, cooked chicken, turkey , tuna, Garbanzo beans, chopped hard-cooked eggs, etc
o Cinch shakes
• Mid afternoon snacks... Cinch bars, Cinch tea, vegetables and dip, fresh fruit, nuts, peanut butter fudge ( 1 cup organic peanut butter, 1 cup Energizing Soy Protein, 1/3 cup honey , )
• Dinner – avoid high glycemic starches like potatoes, pasta and rice, avoid fried foods… Include, LOTS of vegetables... fresh or lightly steamed, meat, poultry and fish
• Beverages… Get Clean filtered water in a pitcher with cinnamon sticks, ginger root slices, or fresh mint for flavor
• Evening snack – no popcorn... ( high glycemic carb) nuts, Cinch bars, veggies and dip, fruit,
Basic Supplements...to stop cravings for sweets and carbohydrates
• Vita Lea or Cinch 3-in-1 Boost
• B Complex ( consider one with each meal)
• Glucose Regulation Complex
• Fiber Tabs or Fiber Advantage Bars
• Optiflora Probiotic ( start with the capsule alone for 1 week before adding the Prebiotic )
• Energizing Soy Protein or Cinch shakes
• Vitalizer
Detoxifying
• Get Clean non-toxic cleaning products
• Shaklee Enfuselle and Minerelles skin care and cosmetics
• Liver DTX, Shaklee Alfalfa Complex, Herb Lax gentle colon cleanser, Optiflora

Breaking the Sugar Habit Programs

If you want to break sugar’s hold on you, get rid of those cravings, reclaim your energy and your health and just plain feel great, start with a healthy low carbohydrate diet, exercise and weight control. Then add one of Shaklee’s “Breaking the Sugar Habit” Programs for a holistic approach to optimal health.


Starter Program: Shaklee’s Vitalizer Pack
80 bio-optimized nutrients clinically proven to create a foundation for a longer, healthier life

Vita Lea - Because most of us do not get all the nutrients we need from diet alone -AND- the American Medical association recommends that every adult take a multivitamin/multimineral supplement daily to prevent chronic diseases.

Sustained Release B – C Complex:
Vitamin C - Because vitamin C helps protect us from the dangerous free radicals associated with high carbohydrate diets, which increase our risk of cancer and other degenerative diseases -AND- many of us do not get enough vitamin C from our diet.

B Complex - Because B vitamins support immune and brain health and help us fight food cravings -AND- most of us do not get enough B vitamins in our diet

Caroto–E-Omega:
Carotenoids - Because Caroto-E-Omega contains all 6 of the essential carotenoids found in those fresh fruits and vegetable that we are not eating on a regular basis - AND - carotenoids are important antioxidants that reduce risk factors associated with cancer, heart disease, and eye disease.

Vitamin E - Because all of the naturally occurring forms of vitamin E are important antioxidants, and Caroto-E-Omega contains all 8 naturally occurring forms of vitamin E in optimum balance. Clinical studies have shown that supplementation with vitamin E reduces the risk factors associated with many diseases and boosts the immune system -AND- we cannot get the amount of vitamin E used in the clinical studies from our diet alone.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Because Caroto-E-Omega contains all 7 naturally occurring omega-3 fatty acids in an ultra-high purity form. Omega-3 fatty acids combat the inflammation associated with high carbohydrate diets and overweight -AND- clinical studies show that omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of heart attack, inflammation & migraines, but cold water fish, which are the best dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids are often contaminated with heavy metals, dioxin and/or pesticides.
.
Optiflora Probiotic - When harmful bacteria and yeast take up residence in our intestine, they metabolize the food that we eat into cancer causing substances and other toxins that harm our body and weaken our immune system - AND - Optiflora pearls contain Acidophilus and Bifidus, essential friendly bacteria that crowd the harmful bacteria & yeast out of our intestines. Optiflora guarantees delivery of 500 million live beneficial microflora to the intestines, due to its unique triple encapsulation which protects these essential bacteria from the acidity of the stomach.


For Better Results: Vitalizer Wellness Pack
Add:

Nutriferon - Because carbohydrates deplete the immune system, and a healthy immune system protects us from deadly diseases and cancer -AND- Shaklee’s revolutionary Nutriferon formulation both strengthens and normalizes the immune system – providing us with increased protect against disease and cancer while it reduces allergy symptoms.

Cinch Soy Drink Mix - Because we need to increase our intake of healthy proteins if we are to successfully reduce our dependence on carbohydrates -AND- Cinch Soy Drink Mix is particularly good at stabilizing blood sugar levels and helping with effective weight loss. [Note: We do have a Cinch Whey Drink Mix for those who are soy-sensitive].

For Best Results: The Optimal Health Program
Add:

Glucose Regulation Complex – Because high carbohydrate intake and obesity are associated with insulin resistance, which causes blood sugar swings, food cravings & mood swings and can lead to a number of serious diseases – AND – Glucose Regulation Complex is designed to reduce insulin resistance and help you regulate blood sugar levels more effectively.

The information in this pamphlet is not meant to be used in the diagnosis or treatment of disease. The recommendations are geared towards the prevention of disease. Furthermore, the descriptions of individual products in this pamphlet are not meant to indicate that they can significantly reduce the risk of disease by themselves. Rather the descriptions are meant to indicate the role that they may play as part of a holistic approach to optimal health.
Lagoni Health Associates Oct/ 10

Betsy Bell’s Health4U
206-933-1889
www.hihohealth.com



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