Wednesday, August 31, 2011

“B” in the Best Vitamin Pack


You already get your omega 3′s, Vitamin D, resveratrol, Vitamin C and a list of other essential nutrients every morning and night thanks to our age-defying daily pack,Ageless Essentials™, but you may be missing one powerful daily supplement: Product B™.
So, what if you could get all of your daily vitamins needed for youthful aging and vibrant energy all in a handy packet and never have to struggle with another pill bottle again?
Introducing Ageless Essentials with Product B — a convenient compilation of all of the nutrients your body needs to combat the key mechanisms of aging such as exposure to toxins, obesity, stress and poor nutrition.
Our telomere-supporting Product B contains the key youthful aging antioxidants to protect telomeres, promote higher antioxidant enzyme defenses,* and help your body maintain youthful cell function and healthy telomeres. When taken in conjunction with our other Pillars of Health (Cleanse for Life®, Ionix® Supreme, IsaLean® Shake and Ageless Essentials), you’ll reap the greatest rewards in your health so you can live long and live healthy.
The best part? By purchasing Ageless Essentials with Product B, you’ll be getting Product B at the lowest price (just $69 when included in the pack) and it will be also be in each of your daily packs to ensure that you never miss a dose of this telomere-supporting product. You’re already saving a truckload of money by purchasing Ageless Essentials Daily Pack over purchasing each individual supplement so why not save a little more and add convenience to your life?
Everyone needs Product B and quality nutrition. Here’s why your body (and your telomeres!) are crying out for Product B:

To learn more about Ageless Essentials with Product B, take a look at our Ageless Essentials with Product B Website.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Sponge People
by Martha Beck


Virginia is a medical researcher who came to see me in a last-ditch attempt to deal with overwhelming negative emotions that tended to beset her at work. She liked her job, but when she interacted with certain colleagues, she was flooded with anxiety, sadness, indignation and other inexplicable feelings. Virginia was sure those reactions came from her own neuroses, but therapy hadn't fixed the problem. After talking to her for half an hour, I thought I knew why.

"I don't think you're neurotic," I told her. "I think you're spongy." I explained that some people put out a lot of emotional energy—her noxious coworkers, for example—and others pick up a lot of it, like Virginia.

She stared at me as though she'd just noticed crunchy granola spilling from my ears. In her orthodox science worldview, my Theory of Emotional Sponginess was definitely not kosher. But I've seen so many people struggling with the effects of this mysterious phenomenon that I now take it for granted. Not everyone is spongy like Virginia, but those who are can learn to protect themselves from inadvertently taking in other people's stress



Ever since Emile Durkheim's landmark work Suicide appeared in 1897, sociologists have accepted the possibility that self-slaughter can be communicable. So can panic, laughter, hope, violence, financial strategies, and the urge to solve Rubik's Cubes. Behaviors, moods, and fads seem to infect people just like germs, spreading through populations in epidemic waves.

A few researchers have tried to pinpoint the mechanism of contagious psychological phenomena. For example, biologist Rupert Sheldrake, PhD, studies the experience of "telephone telepathy"—knowing who's calling on the phone before you answer it. When subjects were asked to guess which friend or relative was calling them, they were far more accurate than would be expected by chance. When the callers were strangers, though, their guesses were statistically random. Sheldrake concluded that we can sense when people we care about are thinking about us, even at great distances.

We all know this is irrational. How embarrassing, then, that so many of us have had the experience of knowing who's calling the second the phone rings, or even a few seconds before. How unbelievable that my son, who has Down syndrome, regularly talks to me about things I'm thinking, even when I haven't said a word out loud. How ridiculous that so many of my clients, like Virginia, walk away from interpersonal interactions flooded with whatever emotions happen to ride in on the coattails of their associates.


Humor me," I tell Virginia. "Let's try something. Hold out your arm, parallel to the floor. I'm going to push down on your hand. You resist me. Keep your arm stuck out straight."

Virginia plays along, and I give several experimental pushes. Sometimes as I push, I think, 
You're a terrible person! Sometimes I think, You're fabulous! I try to keep the pressure consistent and my face expressionless. Just as I expect, Virginia's arm feels much stronger when I'm thinking positive thoughts about her. When my thoughts are negative, she's as weak as a kitten.

Virginia doesn't like this. She frowns and demands many repeats, just as I did when I learned this homespun experiment from two social-scientist friends. I was stunned at how noodle-like my arm became when my friends thought negative things about me. Since then I've repeated this process with dozens of clients. When speaking to groups, I often choose two volunteers (one pusher, one pushee), who test their strength as everyone else in the room thinks critical or supportive thoughts about the person being pushed. I give the crowd random hand signals—thumbs up for nice vibes, thumbs down for mean ones—that can't be seen by the volunteers. The group's thoughts should not affect the subject's strength. But they almost always do.

Grab some friends and try this experiment yourself. If your group is anything like the ones I've worked with, you or your compadres will find your arm strength varying in response to one another's thoughts. Perhaps one of you will insist that this shift happens because you were communicating subtle cues through facial expression, body language, or some other physical action. Could be true, but whatever the mechanism—telephone telepathy or imperceptible physical signs—the fact is that many people are sitting ducks for social contagion.

If this experiment doesn't affect you—if your arm strength doesn't vary depending on what other people are thinking—feel free to become a repossession officer or divorce lawyer. What the heck, run for president. You'll continually interact with people who dislike you, but it won't bother you a bit.



Shielding yourself from a coworker's or family member's stress or high-pitch negativity requires constructing a suit of psychological armor. Most of my clients, Virginia included, can do this simply by visualizing a situation in which they feel deeply calm. Picturing the best day you spent with your funniest friend or remembering a day at the beach with your dog might be enough protection for you.

Extremely spongy people may have to try a number of visualizations before finding the right defense. Check for effectiveness with the arm test: Ask your friends to come back over; keep holding different positive images in your mind's eye until you find that your arm is able to retain its muscle strength no matter what ugly thoughts others are sending your way. The delightful thing about this kind of safeguard is that it allows nourishing energy to reach you but deflects the stuff that's poisonous.



I wrote a checklist on the back of a business card so that Virginia could read over it in emergency situations and learn to "armor up."

A is for Acknowledge
Spongy people who start to feel uneasy in company will often dismiss or tamp down their feelings, but a better idea is to let those emotions loose. Like a spiking fever in an ill patient, the wave of emotion is the beginning of the healing process.

R is for Recognize
What, exactly, does the emotion feel like? You may realize that the feeling fits the person next to you better than it does you (you're angry when they've been wronged, anxious when they're stressed out). The mismatch is evidence that a feeling is contagion based.

M is for Monitor
Sometimes the difference between your feelings and the other's is hard to describe—a bit like the difference between nutmeg and cinnamon—but you might be able to discern which is which if you track what happens in your psyche before, during, and especially after you've been around specific people. You'll begin to notice patterns—that you're always angry after dinner with one friend or nervous after a day with your high-strung aunt.

O is for Observe
The most powerful tool for emotional detachment is observation. As a highly contagious person gets closer to you, watch the interaction and resulting emotions as if you were a third party—something like "Huh, there's that surge of envy I always get around jealous Marcella." Active observation can help the spongiest person detach.

R is for Relax
If simply noticing the extra sensations rattling around your consciousness isn't enough of a remedy, take a deep breath and exhale completely while relaxing all your muscles. Negative energy will lessen.

Space is for Space
The gap between the words armor and up is a reminder to get real physical distance from emotionally contagious people. Walk into the next room. Take a potty break. If only for a minute, find a little private turf to continue watching your mind, breathing deeply, and relaxing physically.

U is for Understand
Few contagious people are deliberately trying to upset others; most are unaware that their anger or frustration or post-work venting can affect more yielding friends and family. Understanding that this is simply the way they're built frees you to tap into your compassion for them. If a stressed-out person wants to inflict her anxiety on you—and she's successful at it—simply realizing that you have methods to block social contagion can help you feel far less susceptible to it.

P is for Protect
The last step in the "armor up" process is to return to the mental image (or images) that connects you to the peaceful balance of your core self. Maintain your psychological shield by spending a few minutes a day visualizing this image, say, while you're driving or washing dishes. The idea is to make the image easily accessible, a way of keeping your armor at the ready.

If you're a bit spongy, vulnerable to the unsettling energy of others, count yourself lucky. You've been given an incentive to armor up, to consciously screen out the ubiquitous stresses that afflict humanity. Create your shining suit, keep your checklist on hand, and head out into battle, knowing that the power to keep yourself safe from social contagion is one thing you'll always find within.

Friday, August 26, 2011

10 Unhealthy Habits

By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding




Decades ago, around the time of Steven Tyler's last haircut, a completely wrong-headed idea started being passed around America's dinner tables: Eating fat makes you fat.

Wrong. Eating fat won’t make you fat, any more than eating money will make you rich. Calories make you fat, and most “low-fat” or “fat-free” foods actually have just as many calories as their full-fat versions, because of added sugar and chemicals. And there’s no debate on this one: Since we made “cut down on fat” our favorite food craze roughly 30 years ago, the U.S. obesity rate has doubled. Among children, it has tripled. That’s a failed food policy if ever there was one.
But it’s just one of many “get fat” habits that can be turned into a “slim-down” habit, starting today. All you need is a pinch of resolve and a few new routines. Here are the 20 habits you can replace right now, compliments of the Eat This, Not That! No-Diet Diet. 
FAT HABIT #1: Eating "low-fat"
It sounds crazy, but I want you to stop buying foods marketed as low-fat or fat-free. Typically, they save you only a few calories and, in doing so, they replace harmless fats with low-performing carbohydrates that digest quickly—causing a sugar rush and, immediately afterward, rebound hunger. Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that meals that limited carbohydrates to 43 percent were more filling and had a milder effect on blood sugar than meals with 55 percent carbohydrates. That means you’ll store less body fat and be less likely to eat more later.



FAT HABIT #2: Not seeking nutrition advice
Good news here: By reading this, you’re already forming habits that can help you shed pounds. When Canadian researchers sent diet and exercise advice to more than 1,000 people, they found that the recipients began eating smarter and working more physical activity into their daily routines. Not surprisingly, the habits of the non-recipients didn’t budge. 


FAT HABIT #3: Sleeping too little or too much
According to Wake Forest researchers, dieters who sleep five hours or less put on 2½ times more belly fat, while those who sleep more than eight hours pack on only slightly less than that. Shoot for an average of six to seven hours of sleep per night—the optimal amount for weight control.
FAT HABIT #4: Eating free restaurant foods
Breadsticks, biscuits, and chips and salsa may be complimentary at some restaurants, but that doesn’t mean you won’t pay for them. Every time you eat one of Olive Garden's free breadsticks or Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits, you're adding an additional 150 calories to your meal. Eat three over the course of dinner and that's 450 calories. That's also roughly the number of calories you can expect for every basket of tortilla chips you get at your local Mexican restaurant. What's worse, none of these calories comes paired with any redeeming nutritional value. Consider them junk food on steroids.
FAT HABIT #5: Drinking soda—even diet!
The average American guzzles nearly a full gallon of soda every week. Why is that so bad? Because a 2005 study found that drinking one to two sodas per day increases your chances of being overweight or obese by nearly 33 percent. And diet soda is no better. When researchers in San Antonio tracked a group of elderly subjects for nearly a decade, they found that compared to nondrinkers, those who drank two or more diet sodas a day watched their waistlines increase five times faster. The researchers theorize that the artificial sweeteners trigger appetite cues, causing you to unconsciously eat more at subsequent meals. 
  
FAT HABIT #6: Skipping meals
In a 2011 national survey from the Calorie Control Council, 17 percent of Americans admitted to skipping meals to lose weight. The problem is, skipping meals actually increases your odds of obesity, especially when it comes to breakfast. A study from the 
American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who cut out the morning meal were 4.5 times more likely to be obese. Why? Skipping meals slows your metabolism and boosts your hunger. That puts your body in prime fat-storage mode and increases your odds of overeating at the next meal.
FAT HABIT #7: Eating too quickly
If your body has one major flaw, this is it: It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it’s had enough. A study in the 
Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that slow eaters took in 66 fewer calories per meal, but compared to their fast-eating peers, they felt like they had eaten more. What’s 66 calories, you ask? If you can do that at every meal, you’ll lose more than 20 pounds a year! 
FAT HABIT #8: Watching too much TV
A University of Vermont study found that overweight participants who reduced their TV time by just 50 percent burned an additional 119 calories a day on average. That’s an automatic 12-pound annual loss! Maximize those results by multitasking while you watch—even light household tasks will further bump up your caloric burn. Plus, if your hands are occupied with dishes or laundry, you’ll be less likely to mindlessly snack—the other main occupational hazard associated with tube time.
FAT HABIT #9: Ordering the combo meal
A study in the 
Journal of Public Policy & Marketing shows that compared to ordering a la carte, you pick up a hundred or more extra calories by opting for the “combo” or “value meal." Why? Because when you order items bundled together, you're likely to buy more food than you want. You're better off ordering your food piecemeal. That way you won't be influenced by pricing schemes designed to hustle a few more cents out of your pocket.
FAT HABIT #10: Facing the buffet
Cornell researchers found that when eating at a buffet-style restaurant, obese diners were 15 percent more likely to choose seats with a clear view of the food. Your move: Choose a seat that places your back toward the spread. It will help you avoid fixating on the food.







Thursday, August 25, 2011

4 Superfood Fruits You Haven't Tried—but Should

Apple, banana, yawn. These exotic alternatives are packed with vitamins and fabulous new flavor.




Rambutan


Peel off the spiky red covering of this iron-rich Southeast Asian treat to reveal a translucent white orb with a taste that marries grape and watermelon.




Feijoa


This vitamin-C-packed fruit from South America looks and feels like a lime, but cut it open to reveal juicy flesh that's reminiscent of a tangy pineapple.




Pepino Melon


Also native to South America, this aromatic fruit is single-serving in size, entirely edible and a crisp flavor blend of honeydew and cucumber. It's also an excellent source of fiber.



Dragon Fruit


This is the pop star of fruit—hot pink on the outside, bubblegum sweet on the inside. Scoop out the antioxidant-rich, seed-specked flesh and eat it like a kiwi.



Wednesday, August 24, 2011


Are You Overweight Because You are Being Poisoned?

Posted By Dr. Mercola | August 24 2011

Recent research has implicated environmental contaminants in the pathogenesis of obesity. A new study sought to explore the relationship between persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and fat mass.
The results showed that blood plasma concentrations of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD), PCBs, and the pesticides HCB, TNK, and DDE were all positively related to fat mass. Subjects in top 20 percent of PCB 105 showed a mean fat mass that was over 10 pounds higher than those in the lowest 20 percent.
You're probably aware of the role diet and exercise play in maintaining a healthy weight, however, while these are the primary culprits in obesity for the majority of people, they are not the only ones.
Your body is actually the product of your environment, and this includes not only your personal lifestyle choices, like what you eat for breakfast and how active you are, but also what chemicals you are exposed to in your food, water, personal care products, and so on. It is becoming quite clear that these chemicals interact with your body on multiple levels, leading to complex changes in your endocrine system, organs, tissues and even your fat cells.

What are Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)?

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) include chemicals like dioxins, DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pentachlorophenol (PCP). They persist in the environment and resist breaking down, accumulating in the food chain and posing serious risks to human health and the environment. For instance, even though PCBs have been banned in the United States for decades, they are still present in your environment.
"Many POPs were widely used during the boom in industrial production after World War II, when thousands of synthetic chemicals were introduced into commercial use. Many of these chemicals proved beneficial in pest and disease control, crop production, and industry. These same chemicals, however, have had unforeseen effects on human health and the environment."
Among them, POPs have caused birth defects and other abnormalities among wildlife, along with damage to virtually every human bodily system. As the EPA notes:
"Studies have linked POPs exposures to declines, diseases, or abnormalities in a number of wildlife species, including certain kinds of fish, birds, and mammals. Wildlife also can act as sentinels for human health: abnormalities or declines detected in wildlife populations can sound an early warning bell for people. Behavioral abnormalities and birth defects in fish, birds, and mammals in and around the Great Lakes, for example, led scientists to investigate POPs exposures in human populations …
In people, reproductive, developmental, behavioral, neurologic, endocrine, and immunologic adverse health effects have been linked to POPs. People are mainly exposed to POPs through contaminated foods. Less common exposure routes include drinking contaminated water and direct contact with the chemicals."

New Research Shows POPs Play a Complex Role in Obesity

A new study of 70-year-olds set out to determine whether POPs were related to a person's fat mass and, as you might suspect, a connection was indeed found. After measuring fat mass and blood levels of 21 POPs, researchers found that participants with the highest levels of PCB 105 had a fat mass that was over 10.5 pounds higher than those with the lowest levels -- and this was afteradjusting for other factors like physical activity, gender, height and so on.
This means that it's possible your exposure to environmental chemicals could be causing biochemical, hormonal or other changes in your body that are making you gain weight. Researchers noted that the results "implicate a complex role of POPs in obesity," meaning these chemicals probably impact your weight in a number of ways.
One could be their impact on how your body synthesizes the stress hormone cortisol. POPs are known to impact cortisol levels, even in utero, and this hormone promotes the storage of fat in your belly (not to mention could influence your risk of developing heart disease and diabetes).Further, a review of 450 studies found that exposure to certain endocrine-disrupting chemicals is associated with an increase in body size in humans. Of particular concern was the chemical dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), which is a metabolite of DDT, and the form of DDT most often detected in foods and people.
As the study's abstract noted:
"Nearly all the studies investigating dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) found that exposure was associated with an increase in body size …"
Also studies on prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals showed that exposure in utero could cause permanent changes that could predispose you to weight gain later in life.

Can You Reduce Your Exposure to Environmental Chemicals?

Yes, you can, but there are about 75,000 chemicals regularly manufactured and imported by U.S. industries. Rather than compile an endless list of what you should avoid, it's far easier to focus on what you should do to lead a healthy lifestyle with as minimal a chemical exposure as possible:
By optimizing your diet you will amplify the ability of your beneficial gut bacteria to grow and colonize in your intestine. This is one of the most important detoxification mechanisms you have, as the bacteria will greatly facilitate your body's ability to detoxify these poisons. Just remember, though, every time you eat sugar you damage your good bacteria, reduce their growth and actually increase their pathogenic counterparts, the bacteria, yeast and  fungi that actually cause disease.
Other helpful strategies include:
  1. As much as possible, buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic foods to reduce your exposure to pesticides and fertilizers. Since animal products tend to bioaccumulate toxins from their pesticide-laced feed, concentrating them to far higher concentrations than are typically present in vegetables, I strongly recommend you buy only organically raised animal foods.
  2. Rather than eating conventional or farm-raised fish, which are often heavily contaminated with PCBs and mercury, supplement with a high-quality purified krill oil, or eat fish that is wild-caught and lab tested for purity.
  3. Eat mostly raw, fresh foods, steering clear of processed, prepackaged foods of all kinds. This way you automatically avoid artificial food additives of all kinds, including dangerous artificial sweeteners, food coloring and MSG, as well as the chemicals found in food packaging.
  4. Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap and canned foods (which are often lined with BPA-containing liners).
  5. Have your tap water tested and, if contaminants are found, install an appropriate water filter on all your faucets (even those in your shower or bath).
  6. Only use natural cleaning products in your home.
  7. Switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. The Environmental Working Group has a great safety guide to help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals.
  8. Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances. if you like the idea of using air fresheners, scented candles, or dryer sheets because you like the scent, then therapeutic essential oils are an excellent, and safe, alternative for all of these uses.
  9. Replace your non-stick pots and pans with ceramic or glass cookware.
  10. When redoing your home, look for "green," toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint, carpeting and vinyl floor coverings.
  11. Replace your vinyl shower curtain with one made of fabric.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Is Your Energy Bar a Healthy Snack?


Grabbing a granola or energy bar may seem like a sensible choice for a healthy snack, but be wary. Many of these seemingly healthy choices have no more nutritional value than a candy bar. Here are five of the worst offenders, plus our ridiculously healthy pick that you can feel great about noshing any time of day.

1. PowerBar ProteinPlus: Chocolate Brownie

Don’t reach for a protein bar designed for serious weight trainers. This chocolaty bar is packed with 360 calories, 11 g of fat, and nearly as much sugar as a can of cola.

2. Quaker Oatmeal To Go

Oatmeal may be one of our favorite foods because of its hefty serving of fiber and protein, but—nutritionally speaking—this bar ranks nowhere near its cereal cousin. The key to keeping this square together is sugar, and lots of it: High fructose corn syrup and brown sugar are the primary ingredients after rolled oats.

3. Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bar, Peanut

This sweet, salty bar is sure to give you give you a sugar high—and subsequent crash. It has 11 g of sugar, 170 calories, and no significant servings of vitamins or minerals.

4. Kudos Chocolate Chip Granola Bar

This chocolate-dipped granola bar comes in at only 120 calories—but it will leave you with a hankering for more in no time. It offers a paltry 1 g each of fiber and protein.

5. Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Yogurt Bar, Strawberry Yogurt

At 130 calories and 3.5 g of fat per serving, this cereal bar seems to be a fine choice, but one look at the ingredient list brimming with scientific jargon makes it a no-go. The ooey-gooey center of this snacker is mostly made with sugar, some fruit puree, and Red Dye #40.

Monday, August 22, 2011





Children are overeating, but not eating enough fruits and vegetables. These are the trends that recent studies show are putting our kids’ healthy futures at risk. Getting a child’s diet back on track with nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods (and not the ultra-tempting “junk foods”) can be difficult, as any parent will tell you. Luckily, Isagenix makes encouraging healthy food choices easier.
First, let’s review the stats: a study published in 2010 in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that from 2007 to 2008, about one out of three children and adolescents were considered overweight (BMI at or above the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile for children of the same sex and age), while almost one out of five were nearing obesity (BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same sex and age).
“The prevalence of high BMI in childhood has remained steady for 10 years and has not declined,” wrote Cynthia Ogden, Ph.D., and her colleagues from the National Center for Health Statistics. They also warned, “Children with high BMI often become obese adults, and obese adults are at risk for many chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.”
Another study published in 2010 in The Journal of Nutrition reports that an overwhelming majority of children and adolescents are not meeting any of the dietary guidelines for adequate nutrition. The study examined data from 2001 to 2004 from dietary records for more than 4,700 children and adolescents. The table below summarizes the findings of percentages of boy and girls who did not meet the recommended dietary guidelines for the different food groups:
Sex, Age GroupFruitsVegetablesMilkWhole GrainsMeat and Beans
Males, 9-13 yrs old78.4%96.2%67.5%98.9%52.0%
Females, 9-13 yrs old80.6%94.6%83.8%99.9%76.7%
Males, 14-18 yrs old86.6%97.0%67.7%99.8%51.1%
Females, 14-18 yrs old84.8%98.6%92.2%99.8%75.8%
The numbers speak for themselves: almost all kids are not meeting requirements for a healthy diet. According to the authors of this study, these numbers suggest a strong “need for individual- and environmental-level interventions” to encourage healthier eating habits.
Sneaking Nutrients Into Kids
So what’s a parent to do to get their kids to eat right and stay healthy? No parent wants to force-feed children foods they need. Maybe it’s time to consider sneaking delicious, healthy products in here and there. Why not try some of these examples?
  • Replace sugar-sweetened drinks with Isagenix IsaFruits or Greens!. These two liquid-dissolvable drink powders pack in antioxidants and phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables without the calories.
  • Treat children to Want More Energy?® during or after sport games or outdoor activities. The sports drink makes for an excellent alternative to empty-calorie or artificially flavored drinks for hydrating andreplenishing needed carbohydrates, B vitamins, and electrolytes.
  • Power young, healthy bodies with IsaLean Shakes and Bars. Unlike ice cream shakes or candy bars, these offer children the protein and nutrients they need for important stages of growth and development. However, they should be used to supplement, not replace entire meals that should contain healthy portions of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. If a child is overweight or obese, we also recommend parents seek the advice of a doctor familiar with their child’s complete medical history before beginning any weight-loss program. For extra fun, have kids make shakes themselves adding in fruits or vegetables as they prefer. They’ll love it! (Hat tip: Andreja Scanland and Natosha Lank from Facebook)
  • Get kids snacking on SlimCakes and FiberSnacks!Unlike typical snack foods like potato chips or cookies, they provide kids healthy doses of fiber that keeps their little hearts and guts healthy.
  • Give children only the best nutrition with IsaKids EssentialsThese tasty chewables are sweetened with tooth-friendly xylitol (no artificial flavors) and help ensure kids receive vitamins and minerals at recommended levels daily. Start them young (ages 4 and above) so their bodies crave good nutrition.(Hat tip: She-She Killough from Facebook.)
There are also many other Isagenix products that can contribute to a child’s healthy diet. If interested in making positive changes to a child’s diet, parents or guardians can review our complete list of products and the ages appropriate for use, and then be well on the way to keeping kids off the stats lists above and on to a regimen of health and nutrition.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Amazing Experience in California


Paul and I just had the wonderful opportunity of attending the 2011 Isagenix Conference in San Diego, California.
If some of you are not aware Isagenix is the World Leader in Whole-Body Nutritional Cleansing, Cellular Replenishing & Youthful Aging.
We just got home last night and had so much fun.  We have a lot of exciting information to share with you.
We would have to say the highlight of our trip was meeting so many wonderful people and sharing in their experiences with all the wonderful Isagenix products.
There was a lot of recognition for people that have lost weight over the past year.  It was amazing to watch well over 50 people on stage to celebrate their weight loss success of over 100 lbs - AWESOME!!  We had the opportunity to meet a wonderful couple that have both lost 100 lbs since January 4, 2011.  What an amazing accomplishment.  Next up was a lady we met that was in the 200 lb club, we spoke with her and tears streamed down her face.  Her goal is to loose 50 more lbs by Thanksgiving and then she said see you next year at Celebration when I am in the 300 lb Club.  It was truly inspiring to meet people with such determination.  This was a very emotional experience, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house when the next lady was announced in the 400 lb club.  She has lost 400 lbs and said she is determined to make it to the 700 lb club.  She thanked Isagenix for saving her life.
For those of you on Isagenix already, you will be familiar with the Want More Energy.  There is a new flavour now out called Tropical Fruit and Hibiscus.  Paul and I were able to sample it and it was very tasty.  We were told it was also very good in the vanilla shake. 
Want More Energy is a refreshing drink powder containing Vitamins A, C and B-complex, electrolytes and nutrients that are lost during stress and exercise.  It also comes in orange and citrus flavours.  It is great for kids, has no added food colouring and sugars.
For more information on Want More Energy, please click on the following link.
There has also been new paks added to the Isagenix Line-up.
They are the:
Total Health and Longevity System -

Pillars of Health Maintenance System -
Now for the really exciting part.  Isagenix is now offering a product called “Product B”.
“Product B protects against oxidative stress, which accelerates telomere shortening.  It fights free radicals and it helps support the antioxidant defense systems.








Please take 10 minutes to watch the following video.

To read more information about product B, please visit www.stayyoung.info

If you have any questions or require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.   We have been on the Isagenix products for two years now and love the product.  It is our goal, to help people reach their health goals and stay healthy.

We will be having an Open House the first of September, date to be determined.  

Thanks for your continued support.

Paul and Diane

Monday, August 15, 2011

I recently received an e-mail regarding this post and thought I had to share.  Bullying has become such a huge problem and when I read this article it really hit home.  Healthy Living is about keeping our bodies, minds and spirits alive and healthy.  Bullying can affect our spirits which in turn can greatly affect our health.  Be sure to check out the Healthier Kids Now website to read some fantastic articles.


A Radical New Approach to END BULLYING!

by PATRICK on AUGUST 7, 2011
You’ve probably heard the term “self-fulfilling prophecy” which means we are likely to manifest into our experience that which we repeatedly focus our thoughts and emotional energy upon.  “Be careful what you wish for because you might just get it” is another phrase most of us are familiar with which also means we are likely to experience that which we wish for (thinking about what we want with emotion).   Also interesting is that when we wish to NOT experience something we use the word “hope” when we say things like “I hope I don’t…,” “I hope they don’t…,” or “I hope it doesn’t…”
Most of us were told by our parents what they DON”T want us to do or be and we end up doing the same with our kids.   If you are a parent you can clearly see how the habit of asking for what we don’t want develops.
Don’t be late, don’t forget to brush your teeth, don’t be mean to others, don’t talk back, don’t run in the halls, don’t run with scissors, don’t hate others I don’t like that, I don’t want to go to bed, I don’t want to go to school,
We develop a habit of thinking this way over time and later in life we tend to focus on what we do NOT want like debt, weight, depression, illness and yes, bullying.
With school starting in only 3 more weeks, and for some kids even sooner, as parents we want to prepare our kids to get back into “learning and growing mode” and to start the new school year on the right foot.  But the truth is for tens of thousands, and perhaps even millions of kids anticipating the new school year starting in a few weeks is an extremely stressful time.
Last year more than 160,000 children stayed home from school every day because of emotional/physical stress, fear and anxiety and unfortunately that number is expected to be even higher this coming school year.  But why does that have to be?
Bullying is a huge culprit for a staggering number of children not receiving the education they deserve and as reasonable as it sounds that we would all love to eradicate bullying from our schools, THIS SIMPLY CANNOT HAPPEN WHEN THAT IS WHERE ALL OF OUR ATTENTION IS FOCUSED!
We all know that “what we focus our thoughts, emotions and actions upon expands or gets bigger in our experience,” so why do we focus so much attention on bullying when we know we are likely to then see more of it?
Bullying, bullying and more bullying…
Bullying is thrown in the face of parents and kids everywhere and every day during the school year.  Anti-bullying posters and NO HATE signs line the school halls, anti-bullying assemblies and interventions, national news features about bullying and cyber-bullying, not to mention anti-bullying programs and “zero tolerance” policies our schools are required to implement.   Yet we wonder why we are seeing a steady rise in the number of incidences and severity of bullying.
Awareness and education about the ramifications and consequences surrounding bullying is of course necessary and we want a bully to know their behavior is just not acceptable.
Can there be a solution to this global dilemma that is destroying the futures of so many of our children?
YES! TRY THIS ON…
Rather than focus all of our attention, emotions and actions upon something we DO NOT WANT FOR OUR KIDS (i.e. bullying) and WHAT IS WRONG (i.e. the decaying of our children’s moral character) Instead…
WE FOCUS ON WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR KIDS
Increase emotional literacy, compassion caring and kindness, community involvement, resilience, optimism and happiness.
WE FOCUS ON WHAT IS RIGHT WITH OUR KIDS
Our children’s ability to develop ALL OF THE ABOVE!
And there is actually a name given to this approach and it’s simply called Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and in fact this is starting to become a more widely accepted approach for schools across the country and around the world.
BUT HERE’S THE RUB MOM AND DAD…
Character and SEL education CANNOT BE LEFT SOLELY UP TO OUR SCHOOLS AND EDUCATORS TO PROVIDE OUR CHILDREN!
Character education MUST BEGIN AT HOME AND PROVIDED BY PARENTS!
A child is not born to be angry, temperamental and jealous or to be a bully.  We, their parents teach it to them and then we wonder why or simply deny our child is a bully or why our child is a target of bullies.  It means taking a close look at who their role models are.
I am a single dad with two amazing young boys who are 13 and 10 years old and like any parent my heart aches with sadness when one of my kids tells me about how mean other kids have been to them.  When my eldest son started sixth grade at a new school after our divorce a couple of years ago the bullying was almost overwhelming.  He was shunned as the “new kid” and made NO friends the entire school year.  At the time this was a massive blow to his self-esteem and self-confidence, not to mention his beliefs about others.
My first thought was “how can the school just stand by and watch this happen to my child”?  There MUST BE ACCOUNABILITY
But then I realized HE IS MY CHILD, and no one cares for him or loves him more than I do, so how could I expect his teachers or principal to be sole guardians of his emotional health?
It’s My Responsibility!
My children’s experiences throughout childhood help them learn how to react to future situations and circumstance that arise throughout life and by observing how I react to my own situations.   But to really help my kids I know I must model for them how to grow from adversities and react to situations in ways that ensure a positive outcome, but unless I learn how to find the learning and growing opportunity in my own adversities and interactions with others I can’t expect my children to handle their own in positive and productive ways.
Thoughts of Compassion
I mentioned to my son that when someone seems angry or is behaving in a way that looks like they are intentionally trying to hurt others feelings, it is likely because deep inside they feel powerless.   They may be in a situation in their life where they are being bullied by either a sibling or a neighbor or one of their own parents.  They may be in a situation where they are witnessing bullying on a regular basis at home, and they may have learned over time by watching a parent that when they feel powerless, anger and bullying others gives them a sense of power.  Even though it is a destructive sense of power, it still provides them a way to dispel the feeling of powerlessness.
We can begin to see those who bully others in a different light.  We and our children can learn to see others who are hurting with compassion and empathy rather than anger and fear.
The “Pool of Tears”
When I told my 10 year old son that it’s easier pull someone down into the pool when you are in it than it is to pull someone up and out of the pool when you are out of the pool on the edge, and the same is true when someone is angry or mean in that is easier for them to bring us down than it is for us to make them happier.  He said “it’s like the pool of tears” and he could feel compassion for those kids who are in that pool.  The term “Misery Loves Company” means others who are feeling poorly about themselves, hopeless or powerless will subconsciously want to bring others down with them to avoid the feeling of being alone in their misery, and those who are “on the edge of the pool” are the easiest pull down.
Helping Your Kids Recognize Their POWER!
Help your kids recognize when they have used their powerful character traits to overcome adversities and how using them resulted in building resilience and created a positive outcome of feeling great about themselves.  I want to teach my children that we all have the power and the strength to choose our own thoughts and even though others may TRY to influence our thoughts and emotions, the truth is all they are doing is TRYING! And if they succeed at shifting our emotions and cause us to think negative thoughts it is only because we allowed them to pull us down into the “pool of tears.”  Recognizing their true power and strengths helps our kids back away from the “edge of the pool.”  In fact as their strengths grow they may even find it easier to help lift others “out of the pool of tears.”
The Radical SHIFT in Thinking!
As Dr. Wayne Dyer says, “if we change the way we look at things the things we look at change” or as Maharishi Mahesh, the founder of Transcendental Meditation says “don’t fight the darkness, bring the light and the darkness will fade” perhaps if we incorporate this way of thinking into how we teach our children to be “good people” by focusing on being good people ourselves we will start to see change.
To actually focus all of our attention and education of being the people we want to be, having the life we want to have and living in a world we all want to live in will become the “self-fulfilling prophecy” we all want and deserve.
If we as parents adopt this way of being in our own lives our children can’t help but adopt the same in their own life, and bringing this way of thinking to our schools, our teachers and classrooms we just might start to see the shift we all want to see.
How about we give it a shot?  What have we got to lose?
Your thoughts??