We all can agree that losing weight is a challenge. Many healthcare professionals argue over the cause(s) of obesity: is it nature or nurture? Saying that the problem is “nature” (genetics) may make us feel like victims. Saying it is “nurture” (behavior) may make us feel guilty, like we are real failures. How can we come to terms with the obesity challenge? We can “lose the labels” and deal with weight loss in a positive and constructive way..

Remember, we are unique; we are “one of a kind.” We need a program that speaks to us as individuals because what solves the problem for us may not exactly be what someone else needs. However, one strategy that helps everyone in the weight-loss struggle is to create a deficit between the calories we eat and the calories we burn – fewer calories “in,” more calories “out.” This simple formula will give us the best chance for success with weight loss.

Your Diet
Very few aspects of your life are as emotionally charged as securing your right to choose for yourself. From early childhood until today, one of the most important choices you make concerns your diet. You must have choices and they must be your own. Recognize that restricting yourself from available choices goes against your very nature. A restrictive diet is doomed to failure. Select a diet that is uncomplicated and appealing to you and you will have a greater chance for success.

The first challenge we face in diet selection is committing to the discipline of thinking ahead instead of eating impulsively. So, start with something small and attainable:

• Many health experts recommend fresh fruits and vegetables daily
o 5 servings for children
o 7 servings for women
o 9 servings for men
• Add high quality protein such as seafood, poultry or lean red meats to your diet every day
• Drink plenty of water

These are easy steps that you can accomplish today! Remember, the time you spend selecting the right diet for yourself is an investment in your health and your future. Give it the attention it deserves.

Calories in – calories OUT!
We must burn more calories than we consume in order for weight loss to occur.

Exercise is the key to permanent, lifetime weight control. There is no way around it. However, exercise does not have to be a punishment; it can really be pleasurable. The key is finding something you enjoy doing. I recommend that you start with three forms of activity; this prevents exercise boredom. Add more activities every month. Get in the habit of participating in at least 30 minutes of activity every day.

There are basically two types of exercise that you need every week:
1. Aerobic exercise is defined as any activity that increases your need for oxygen. Aerobics make you breathe harder. You need at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. Some examples include walking, swimming and an exercise bike. If you’re new to exercise, start out slowly and get your doctor’s OK. As the weather gets cooler, look for indoor alternatives like a brisk walk at your local mall.

Aerobic exercise can balance hormones, relieve anxiety and depression, and mobilize your energy for the great works of your life. Aerobic exercise speeds up your metabolism.

But where does metabolism originate? It comes from your lean body mass – your muscles! That is the domain of resistance training.

2. Progressive resistance training is defined as any exercise where the load to the muscle is increased by some mechanical means – weights, bands, springs and many other methods. The key is to progressively increase the weight or resistance over time. This results in more lean body mass and less fat mass. If you increase your muscle strength, you increase the “engines” that produce muscle energy. Nothing builds metabolism (muscle energy) as well as progressive resistance training. You can get useful training tips at your local library or by going online.

Supplements for weight loss

The Leanology Smart Weight Loss System can also be an important part of your weight loss plan. For many people it represents the critical difference between success and failure in lifetime weight control. The Leanology System has three steps:

• Fat burning capsules – Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help increase metabolism and energy to support your body’s ability to burn more calories. Plus, they help limit cortisol production – the stress-induced hormone that can lead to abdominal fat.
• Snack replacement chews – Leanology Appetite Control Chews* contain ingredients that are clinically proven to help curb the appetite and contain fewer calories than other snacks.
• Nutritional shakes – Leanology Nutritional Shakes can be used as a low calorie meal substitute; they provide a healthy balance of wholesome carbohydrates, proteins, good fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

However, you must always remember that these are supplements; they supplement a healthy diet and exercise program. Use them wisely as an important part of your total Wellness program.

Take Control of Your Health

· Plan a balance of calories and activity for lifetime weight control
· Eat 5, 7 or 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
· Plan 30 minutes of aerobic activity most days of the week
· Do resistance training 2 to 5 times per week
· Supplement your weight loss program with Leanology

To find out more about TriVita’s products including Nopalea, go here or if you’d like to find out how you can earn an additional stream of income, call me on 856-264-7802.

Es Riggins
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13160615

Technorati Tags: diet, fat burning, leanology, Nopalea, nutritional shakes, obesity, snack replacement, TriVita, Weight Loss, weight loss plan, weight loss supplements

In one of my previous posts, I discussed the toxins that come into our body through our drinking water. What happens to these toxins when they enter our body? Can toxins lead to liver or kidney disease? What are some early signs of liver and kidney toxicity?

Early warning signs
Your liver and kidneys cooperate with another detoxification organ: the lungs. Signs that your liver and kidneys are struggling and pushing the toxic overload through your lungs can include:

• Breathing problems
• Bad breath
• Frequent lung and sinus infections
• Allergies.

Toxicity in the liver and kidneys affect another organ of detoxification: your skin. If your detoxification system becomes overloaded, your body will try to compensate for this overload by pushing some of this waste out through your skin. Early signs of this include:

• Itchy skin
• Bad-smelling perspiration
• Discolorations.

Eventually, you might even experience a breakdown in your skin when it can no longer handle this toxic load. A good example of this: When someone with diabetes has a toxic level of glucose, cracks can appear in the skin of the feet.

What about kidney/liver disease?

Kidneys
Kidneys filter your blood and ensure that proteins and minerals are in the right balance. Too many proteins from an unbalanced, low-carb diet may injure the kidneys. Too many minerals, such as too much phosphorus from soft drinks will injure your kidneys, and too much sugar will damage your kidneys beyond repair.

So, for good, healthy kidneys:

• Drink pure water
• Eat a balanced, healthy diet
• Avoid concentrated sugars.

Many toxins can destroy the kidneys, such as toxic levels of homocysteine and glucose. Still, one of the most common kidney toxins is aspirin, so it should be taken in moderation.

The liver
Many of the toxins excreted by the liver are either absorbed (taken out of your body) by fiber or reabsorbed into your liver. This is why it is so important to eat a high fiber diet and supplement your diet with fiber when needed.

Many toxins can destroy the liver, such as those from alcohol and hepatitis virus. However, the number one reason for liver transplants is acetaminophen toxicity. That’s why I suggest minimizing consumption of any products containing acetaminophen.

Toxic minerals such as lead and mercury can damage both the kidneys and the liver. Protect yourself from these serious diseases by isolating yourself from common toxins and insulating yourself with nutrients and fiber.

Fiber and detoxification
Our liver has a four-step process for detoxification.

1. First, toxins enter the liver, typically from the intestines. They are changed in the liver by an enzyme called CYP, which stands for cytochrome. In the first stage of detoxification the CYP enzyme makes the toxin expand and creates a large surface area – like a sponge.
2. The second stage is to douse this sponge-like toxin with antioxidants and other special nutrients.
3. The third stage is to convert this fat-based sponge to a water base so that it can be attached to fiber.
4. The fourth step in detoxification is to push the fiber and the toxin out through the colon.

Now you can see why fiber in our diet is so important. To properly detoxify we must have at least 30 grams of fiber in our diet every day. In many cultures, people ingest 60 grams or more of dietary fiber every day. These groups have the absolute lowest cholesterol on the planet, as fiber helps detoxify cholesterol as well.

Technorati Tags: adaptogen, antioxidant, detoxify, fiber, kidney, liver, Nopalea, pollutants

One of my health challenges is being diabetic. I know I am not alone with this challenge. There is no doubt that type 2 diabetes is an epidemic in North America. Every year the number of people with this disease rises dramatically – and it does not appear to be slowing down. How can we protect ourselves against this trend? It is only with the vigorous application of the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.

Essential #4 encourages us to eat nutritiously. This requires a little education concerning the difference between a nutritious food and an “empty calorie.” Much of the information about the way particular foods impact diabetes is found in the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load.

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
Several years ago a group of researchers decided to create a chart based on the impact of carbohydrates on a person’s blood sugar. This would help people with diabetes select foods that would have the least impact on their disease. The Glycemic Index (GI) measures the impact of foods on blood sugar when compared to pure sugar: glucose. The higher the GI number, the greater the impact on blood sugar and the worse a food was supposed to be for a person with diabetes. Later, the GI was used as a tool for weight loss and cardiovascular health.

Glycemic Load is a way of refining the information of the Glycemic Index to find a truer nutritional value for food. For instance, the Glycemic Index may rate the carbohydrate value in a food as very high. This would seem to make the food unacceptable for people who want to restrict sugar. The Glycemic Load gives us a more global value of your food beyond sugar content.

Glycemic Load takes into account the fiber, fat and water content of a food. Let’s take the example of parsnips:

Parsnips are creamy-colored root vegetables in the carrot family. They are delicious and have therapeutic value as well. Parsnips have a GI rating of 97, compared with pure glucose at 100. That would seem to make parsnips “bad” – unacceptable as a healthy carbohydrate source. However, parsnips contain so much fiber and water, as well as protein and fats, that they have only a tiny impact on the total load of carbohydrates (the Glycemic Load). Because of their protein and fat, they help keep your appetite satisfied for so long that you may even eat less at your next meal. So, parsnips are really very healthful despite their high GI number.

Potatoes have become taboo in most low-carb diets. Yet, potatoes have attributes similar to parsnips. They are good for you as long as you don’t deep-fry them and load them with bacon, sour cream, gravy, cheese and other high-calorie, high-fat condiments.

Compound carbohydrates – the true “bad” carbs
Though many fruits and vegetables are high on the Glycemic Index they are “good” complex carbs because they are low in Glycemic Load. Refined starches, such as pastries, pastas, pudding and pancakes, as well as gravies and similar sauces are a different story.

Compound carbohydrates:

• Contain low amounts of water and fiber
• Contain high amounts of “bad” carbohydrates and bad fats
• Quickly turn to sugar in your bloodstream
• Trigger insulin and inflammation
• Increase your risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes

These are truly sources of “bad” carbohydrates. They are examples of “compound” carbohydrates: foods which have been processed beyond recognition from their original whole food sources. They are never good in any amount.

Diabetes epidemic
In conclusion, the way to place yourself in the lowest risk category for type 2 diabetes is to eat whole foods which minimally impact your blood sugar. But that’s not all; did you know that stress alone may cause diabetes? Breathing deeply breaks the cycle of stress. And, since type 2 diabetes and obesity are related, getting enough sleep is essential. Add in the lessons from all 10 Essentials and you have a bulwark of protection against the epidemic of type 2 diabetes.

Learn More…

• Low Glycemic Diet
• Agave Nectar
  Agave nectar is similar to honey, but with a lower Glycemic Index. For example, honey is between 55 and 85, depending on how many solids remain in the honey. Agave nectar is as low as 27. This means that Agave nectar absorbs slowly into the bloodstream, which allows your body to allocate it to the appropriate areas. Since it’s four times sweeter than sugar you can use a lot less when using it as a sweetener.

Find out about Sonoran Bloom Nopalea that has Agave Nectar in it. Nopalea is based on the prickly pear cactus and has been proven to reduce inflammation and it also promotes optimal celluar health. Only 5 calories - it tastes good and it’s good for you.

If you’re interested in finding more about TriVita’s products that can help you on your Wellness journey or you’d like to find out how you can earn an additional stream of income, call me on 856-264-7802.

Es Riggins
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13160615

Technorati Tags: diabetes, glucobalance, glycemic, leanology, Nopalea, TriVita, Wellness

Your memory is an amazing miracle. Each second, your brain processes billions of bits of information from your five senses. You may consciously perceive only a very small percentage of this information because one function of your brain is to filter out unimportant information. The things you remember will usually be advantageous to you, such as remembering your wedding anniversary date as well as where the speed trap is on your drive home.

Memory is divided into two basic groups:

1. Short-term memory
2. Long-term memory

Short-term memories are quickly forgotten when they are no longer important. Practicing or rehearsing can improve your memory by moving more information into the long-term category. For instance, when I am distracted by stress I may not be able to remember where I left my car keys. That information was deleted from my short-term memory. However, if I consciously say, “I am hanging my car keys on the hook,” I am far more likely to remember where they are.

How to keep a memory

Reduce stress
Stress kills your memory. The stress system is designed to ensure survival. It helps us fight off a snarling dog or flee from a menacing bear. As important as that is, humans do more every day than merely survive. If you want to have a good, healthy memory, do all you can to reduce the need for fight or flight stress responses.

Learn something new
As I mentioned earlier, practicing or rehearsing something enhances memory. So does learning something new. You see, memory is facilitated through the billions of neurons and synapses in your brain by patterns: retracing old patterns as well as creating new patterns. The more new things we master, the more connections we create and the better our overall memory will be.

If you want to remember your anniversary, start learning a foreign language. If you want to remember important names, learn how to play a musical instrument. The more you learn – and the more you connect the old with the new – the better your overall memory will be.

How to nourish a memory
Certain nutrients help the memory remain sharp. These nutrients fall into two basic categories: those that create brain structure and those that nourish brain function.

Your brain is made mostly of fat. And the majority of that fat is an Omega-3 fatty acid called DHA. So, to have a healthy brain we need healthy fats like TriVita.com/13160615″ target=”_blank”>OmegaPrime. Your nerve cells convert some fats into functional nerve proteins called myelin. Formation of myelin requires dietary protein and Vitamin B-12. So, for healthy brain structure and function we need Omega-3 fats, healthy dietary protein and Vitamin B-12.

When the memory is activated it creates heat in the brain. To fuel the memory, quench the heat, and repair the daily wear and tear on your brain, you need antioxidants. Certain antioxidants specifically target brain function. A recent study at Arizona State University demonstrated that the antioxidants found in Optima4 not only helped golfers perform better on the course, but they also significantly improved their memory.

What do you remember?
To recap: Occasional memory lapses usually indicate you are distracted by stress. Rehearsing things you want to remember will help and practicing new things that you have learned will help as well. Because new behaviors create new pathways in your brain, learning something new such as a foreign language or musical instrument can improve your overall memory.

Stress kills your memory. Nutrients such as Omega-3, Vitamin B-12 and brain-specific antioxidants such as those found in Optima4 help rebuild and restore your ability to remember. With all of these tools at your disposal you have access to the power of a healthy memory.

Take Control of Your Health

* Reduce stress
* Increase physical and mental activity
* Learn something new
* Rehearse before an important event
* Practice and review the things you want to remember
* Nourish your memory with

• OmegaPrime
• Super Sublingual B-12
• Optima4

If you’re interested in finding more about TriVita’s products that can help you on your Wellness journey or you’d like to find out how you can earn an additional stream of income, call me on 856-264-7802. And ask me about our new product, Nopalea, that is proven to reduce inflammation.

Es Riggins
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13160615

Technorati Tags: health, Health Products, Memory, omega, TriVita, Wellness