Month: March 2010

Millions of people per year take on the challenge of losing weight. According to some web sites, weight loss is a $30 billion industry. However, research has shown that 95% of those who lose weight eventually gain it back within three years. That has been called the “yo-yo dieting” by some health professionals.

Yo-yo dieting, also known as weight cycling, is the repeated loss and regain of body weight due to excessive hypocaloric dieting. The term “yo-yo dieting” was coined by Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., at Yale University, in reference to the cyclical up-down motion of a yo-yo. In this process, the dieter is initially successful in the pursuit of weight loss but is unsuccessful in maintaining the loss long-term and begins to gain the weight back. The dieter then seeks to lose the regained weight, and the cycle begins again.[1]

Many weight loss companies focus on things that work in the long-term, such as, balanced nutrition with portion control, increased exercise and especially a long-term motivation to keep the weight off. However, their message is usually drowned out by the fad, gimmick and diet pill companies.

As a matter of fact, diets do not work. Diets are temporary. However, when you change your dietary lifestyle, you’re changing your habits – and you’re putting yourself on track for long-term / continued success and weight maintenance. In an article by the Chief Science Officer of TriVita, Brazos Minshew explains the how to lose weight and keep it off. I’ve posted the complete article below.

How to Avoid Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Goals by Brozos Minshew

This is the perfect time for an encouraging article on keeping your weight loss goals. Nearly half of all people in North America make a New Year’s Resolution to change something in their life. The most common commitment is to lose weight. Second is to exercise more. Third is to stop smoking.

Within a few weeks the number of people sticking to their resolve declines dramatically. Given the importance of improving our behavior, an encouraging word from an ally may be just the thing we all need to keep our resolve!

Mechanics of weight loss

Let’s review the best advice for weight loss that we have gathered from expert sources over the last several years.

How: Reduce your calorie intake to match your BMR (basal metabolic rate). BMR represents the number of calories your body needs at rest; in other words, your body burns these calories through basic functions. Click here for a BMR calculator (labeled Basal Metabolism). So, BMR represents the ideal number of calories you should eat in a day. Additionally, increase your activity to burn 1-2 pounds of fat per week.

• When: Never eat within two hours of bedtime. Morning exercise is a bit better than evening exercise. Never consume more than 400 calories in an hour.
• What: Eat according to an organized plan. For example, South Beach, Ornish, Mediterranean, etc. Do both aerobic and resistance exercises most days of the week.
• Why: Your sense of purpose will dictate your actions step by step.

Speed bumps

Somewhere along the way you are going to experience discouragement, disappointment or despondency. It may be when you hit a weight loss plateau. It may be when you see others doing what you used to do and the old habits pull at your heart. It may be when those inner voices – I call them my “counsel of critics” – start to tell you lies about failure and success. What do you do when you hit a speed bump?

The answer to this question does not lie in the “how – when – what” of weight loss. The answer lies in the “why.” Your personal “why” gives you energy. It inspires you, motivates you and drives you to complete your goal.

Remember to let your desire fuel your action; let your actions harmonize with your sense of purpose. Simply be resolved to live a life of purpose and you will have the energy to get beyond the speed bumps.

Common setbacks

• Lack of support – Losing weight with an uncooperative family is very difficult. In fact, diet failure is far more common with kids at home than among empty-nesters. A great solution is to turn those sources of distraction into cheerleaders. Recruit your family into your support group. Ask them for help and you may be surprised how helpful a supportive family can be.
• Social functions – Parties and family gatherings are another trigger for setbacks. Food and a festive environment are catalysts for overeating and skipping exercise. Careful planning in advance can really help with food selection and an exercise schedule. And if you do overindulge, remember the “calories in, calories out” rule and increase your exercise for a week or two to burn off the extra calories.
• Emotional issues – Depression, discouragement and despondency are also common triggers for diet failure. Remembering the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness can be a good antidote. For instance, Essential #6 teaches us that we need to Give and Receive Love for excellent health. Love moves us to make commitments, committing ourselves to a life of purpose. Purpose is the reason for action. Therefore, love can help us balance autonomy, commitment and purpose with fear, shame and doubt.

Conclusion

When we commit ourselves to such noble pursuits, they deserve our very best attention. We need to define our purpose as the foundation for success. Purpose is an important motivation to help us reshape our thinking. Purpose is the antidote to self-sabotage.

Ponder over each of these life-changing rules for healthy living. You will soon see that each of these gems reflect the light you need to see beliefs that no longer serve your best interests. You can confront self-sabotage and slay the dragons that keep you from reaching your goals. Also, learning and living the 10 Essentials provides you with powerful tools to reshape your attitudes into the very ones that can help you to reach your goals, live the life you want and fulfill your purpose. **END of ARTICLE**

Changing your lifestyle takes dedication and determination. Become committed to a lifestyle of change and improve your health and mental outlook. TriVita® has a lot of great information regarding your health. Sign up to receive their weekly Wellness Report. Take a look at their health and wellness products. If you need metabolic assistance with losing weight, try TriVita’s weight loss system.

Jeffrey Sloe
Independent TriVita Business Owner – 12871028
440-725-3729
Visit My TriVita Business Site

The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

resources:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo-yo_dieting

Does taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements actually help? Well, just read the article below about a the results of a new study conducted by Professor Mark Hall of the University of Leeds in the UK.

Read the article by clicking on this link: New omega-3 preparation protects against bowel polyps.

According to the study, there’s new hope for patients diagnosed with a “rare inherited condition called FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis), thought to be responsible for about one in every 100 bowel cancers.”[1] There were several notables from the case study;

1. Omega-3 EPA found as effective as drugs prescribed to prevent pre-cancerous bowel polyps;
2. It’s plausible to presume that omega-3s could help prevent all bowel polyps;
3. Researchers observed a significant reduction in the number and size of polyps in a group of patients that were given 2 grams daily of a new highly purified formulation of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid EPA.

Omega-3 fatty acids have also been known to help fight heart disease. Since omega-3s are safe and good for cardiovascular health, the UK team noted that EPA could be especially suitable for older patients at risk of both bowel cancer and heart disease. It’s been noted that “around 85 per cent of people diagnosed with bowel cancer are over the age of 60.”[1]

Extensive research has been done on omega-3 fatty acids, which indicates that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent risk factors associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. These essential fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be particularly important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function.

So to answer the original question; Does taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements actually help? I guess you have to be the judge. However, form my research, I have yet to find an article or case study that says, omega-3 fatty acids do nothing. That’s why I promote a supplement like omega-3 fatty acids.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) support our wellness in so many ways, and it all starts with helping to reduce runaway inflammation. Many of us don’t realize this, but it’s that runaway inflammation that can lead to various serious health problems in the body involving the heart, arteries, lungs, joints and more.

If you’re not doing something to prevent inflammation and/or heart disease, maybe it’s time to start. We are all getting older, and it’s the aging process that increases our chances of getting cancer or heart disease.

You can find additional information on Omega-3 Fatty Acids and many other nutritional products by going to My TriVita Business Site. TriVita® ensures that you get the safest, freshest, and most effective products available on the market today. Each product is made under the strictest quality controls in the nutritional supplement industry.

Shop for Omega-3 Supplements

Jeffrey Sloe
Independent TriVita Business Owner – #12871028
440-725-3729
Visit My TriVita Business Site

The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resurces:

[1] www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/764/new_omega-3_preparation_protects_against_bowel_polyps

Vitamin B12 is a key contributor in your body to the formation of cells, especially in helping make healthy red blood cells and important parts of your nerve cells. Vitamin B-12 is typically called the energy vitamin, because many people that take B12 shots and/or B12 supplements feel an extra burst of energy shortly thereafter.

Vitamin B12 is a key contributor in your body to the formation of cells, especially in helping make healthy red blood cells and important parts of your nerve cells. The benefits of taking vitamin b12 supplements far outweighs the lack thereof. It’s quite possible that stress, exercise and vitamin b12 may all be related to one another.

In his latest Wellness Report, Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief science Officer explains how stress, energy and exercise relate to one another. The complete report is posted below. Please read and enjoy!

The Physical Side of Stressby Brazos Minshew

According to health experts, we need about 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. The benefits of this are too numerous to list but include:

• Heart health
• Increased energy
• Decreased obesity
• Improved mood

Exercise has been called “the best thing we can do for our body.”

We also need resistance training to build lean body tissue and strong bones. Resistance training increases the ability of our individual cells to accept sugar and insulin. Indeed, resistance training is seen by some as the antidote to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis.

Stress in – stress out!

Despite all the benefits of exercise, it must be recognized that exercise is stressful. Exercise is work; it is a struggle against gravity and in the end, gravity always wins! That said, there are nutrients that can help us succeed in the struggle against gravity and help us meet our desired objectives of fitness and wellness.

First, we need energy to exercise (and then exercise gives us energy). Energy comes from metabolism, and the sensation of being energetic is “stored” in the nerves.

Our polyphenol product Energy Now! helps convert about 200 calories of energy from stored reserves per serving. This is the amount of energy we need to walk about two miles.

Sublingual B-12 adds to our energy delivery system by nourishing the nerves. Have you ever had a day when you felt light as a feather? Conversely, have you ever had a day when you felt like you were weighted down with lead weight? Most of us have that experience from time to time. Much of the sensation of feeling energetic is related to the potential of our nerves to conduct energy. Vitamin B-12 facilitates that energy delivery so we have more “light as a feather” days.

Sublingual B-12 also helps in another way. When we exercise we contract one group of muscles and stretch an opposite group of muscles. Vitamin B-12 facilitates muscle stretching – so muscles can stretch with ease.

When muscles ache after exercise it is because we have exceeded the limits of the muscle group at that moment. As we learn to listen to our body we really have only two choices: either don’t exercise so we will never feel that pain or take discomfort as a signal that we need to increase our nutrient reserves. Adaptogens are a group of nutrients from specific plants known to help us resist the stress of exercise while speeding a return to “normal” after exercise. Adaptogens are non-toxic by nature. So, if you find yourself sore after exercise, take more adaptogens!

Of course, pain is one of the cardinal signs of inflammation (pain, swelling, redness and heat accompanied by loss of function). Nopalea contains anti-inflammatory bioflavonoids called Betalains. Reducing inflammation quickly can help our body repair and return to normal function more quickly.

My routine

I am often asked about my exercise routine and the supplements I take. The answer really depends on what goal I am working on at the moment. If I am preparing for an event (like a bicycle race or triathlon) I will train every day, but I will only work out with weights twice a week. On the other hand, if I am preparing to hike the Grand Canyon, I may run a few miles a day but increase my weight training to five days a week. However, I always begin my workout routines with four ounces of Adaptogen 10 Plus and four ounces of Nopalea.

I use Healthy Aging supplements and add Energy Now! just before performing – it really gives me a boost!

I don’t like to exercise but I really do like to play! As an adult my “play” is more structured and organized than when I was a kid. It is also much less frequent. Still, I know that the more I move, the more I will be able to move and the more I will enjoy activity. Conversely, the less I move, the less I will be able to move and the less I will want to move.

Happiness and self-esteem come from setting and achieving worthwhile goals. One worthwhile goal is to enjoy activity daily and use nutrients and nurturing to combat our inevitable opponent: stress! ***END of ARTICLE***

With TriVita’s Sublingual B12, you can be assured that your body is getting the B vitamins it needs. The original, patented formula bypasses the digestive system, speeding the nutrients directly to your bloodstream, where they can go to work right away.

In my opinion, taking a b12 supplement on a daily basis is a must. To learn more about the sublingual vitamin b12, its patented delivery system, Dr. Libby, and/or Vitamin B12, click on the previous link, or contact me.

Jeffrey Sloe
Independent TriVita Business Owner, 12871028

The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

We have probably heard a thousand times that calcium builds strong bones. If you’re like me, your mother probably told you to drink your milk. The reason; because you need it to build strong bones. Whether you believe it or not, that was, more than likely, the ulterior motive behind getting you to drink your milk.

I always drank my milk, and continue to do so, no matter what the motive because I know how important vitamins and minerals are to staying healthy. That’s why, even to this day, I take daily vitamin supplements to make sure I get the necessary vitamins and minerals that will keep me on a healthier course as I continue to age. Included in those supplements are, of course, vitamin d and calcium, two bone building and strengthening nutrients.

As a mater of fact, a recent study says that “taking both calcium and vitamin D supplements on a daily basis reduces the risk of bone fractures, regardless of whether a person is young or old, male or female, or has had fractures in the past, a large study of nearly 70,000 patients from throughout the United States and Europe has found.”[1]

Aging has a way of affecting the bones in our body, which leads to what is called bone density loss. Bones, a “living tissue like other tissues and organs”[2], are subject to calcium depletion during the aging process. The depletion of calcium leads to lower bone mass, which in turn, leads to increased susceptibility of fractures.

“Normal calcium intake and exposure to Vitamin D often create healthy bone tissue until people peak at age 30. Then, people begin to lose bone density; by age 50, it can become problematic. Osteoporosis – a term used to describe the loss of normal bone matrix – is common and is estimated to afflict approximately 40 million Americans.”[2]

Many people think that vitamin d and calcium are only needed for aging women. However, according to the study, the “combination of supplements (vitamin d and calcium) benefits both women and men of all ages, which is not something we (the scientists) fully expected to find.”[1]

As you can see, aging is the great equalizer. Aging does not happen to women only; it happens to both men and women! Loss of bone mass, due to the aging process does not happen to women only; it happens to men also. Even though a greater percentage of women are affected by the loss of bone density, men and women alike need to monitor their bone density. In so doing, it’s also smart to adhere to a daily supplement of vitamin d and calcium.

Everyone of us is getting older, and everyone’s body ages differently. However, as the study revealed, there is a “growing consensus that combined calcium and vitamin D is more effective than vitamin D alone in reducing a variety of fractures.”[1]

TriVita® provides a great vitamin d and calcium supplement. Their vitamin D provides, five forms of chelated calcium, over 20 bone-fortifying vitamins and minerals, 100% RDI of Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and Vitamin D, and Chlorophyll-coated tablets that protect valuable nutrients, time-releasing optimal absorption.

To learn more about TriVita’s Vitamin D supplement, Visit My TriVita Product’s Site.

Jeffrey Sloe
TriVita Independent Business Owner, 12871028

Sources:

[1] http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=72928595
[2] http://www.muschealth.com/healthyaging/bone_density.htm

The above information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.