University Study Finds Isagenix Superior to Leading “Heart Healthy” Diet

September 20, 2012 IsagenixHealth.net

Dr. Krista Varaday
University of Illinois
Chicago College of Applied Sciences

Dr. Krista Varady discusses clinical research on Isagenix products.

The highly anticipated results are in—Isagenix products are superior to a leading “heart healthy” dietary plan for weight loss and visceral fat loss. The manuscript has been submitted to two peer-reviewed journals and is still under review; however, you can read more details about the study on our clinical research summary and marketing flyer.

Krista Varady, Ph.D., the lead investigator of the study, is a prolific researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College of Applied Sciences with more than 30 peer-reviewed research publications. She has a Ph.D. in nutrition from McGill University—one of the top universities in Canada. Dr. Varady has devoted much of her time to investigating the ability of weight-management strategies to decrease cardiovascular disease risk and is one of the pioneers in research on alternate-day and intermittent fasting.

Dr. Varady’s research was presented in August at the 10th annual Isagenix Celebration in Phoenix. Eager to share the exciting results, Dr. Varady answered questions from Isagenix Chief Science Officer Suk Cho, Ph.D.:

Q: What did you think when you tried Isagenix?

A: I always try things before I make my subjects do it. I used Isagenix for three weeks in January before we began the study. I didn’t want to lose a ton of weight, but I did want to see if I could lose a few pounds with it. The easy of use was great—no dishes at breakfast or lunch; you didn’t even need to have milk at home. I went out and bought a few shake products to compare it to and I’m not sure what you guys do, but the consistency is like a smoothie. The other shakes were clumpy and it made them less appealing.

Q: What else impressed you about Isagenix products?

A: I was impressed by the Cleanse Day and the high-protein IsaLean® Shake. All the ingredients actually seemed wholesome. I had thought the shake would be a high-sugar beverage, but I found it to be really nutritionally complete.

Q: What attracted you to collaborate with Isagenix on research using their products?

A:  The main thing was that Isagenix incorporates fasting while on Cleanse Days. I find that really novel. If you look at other meal-replacement diets, they never really incorporate fasting or cleansing. Usually it is a shake for breakfast and a shake for lunch, but they don’t use all the other products Isagenix uses. I like that it is a multifaceted approach. You are also using supplements that may provide metabolic benefit and protect against free radicals—I thought that was really neat too, but the main thing was that there was a Cleanse Day every week because I am really interested in fasting research.

Q: What can you tell us about the study’s results?

A: Our main finding was that weight loss was actually greater in the Isagenix group. On average they lost 3.9 kg, so that works out to be around 9 pounds or so. Obviously, some lost more and some less, but the Isagenix group lost 3 pounds more on average than the other diet. We also saw those changes with fat mass. With Isagenix, we saw slightly greater reductions (although not significant) in fat mass. Neither group lost a significant amount of lean mass, which is great because you want to maintain your muscle mass to keep your metabolic rate higher and that allows you to burn more calories per hour.

Q: What are the results for visceral fat (fat that surrounds the organs)?

A: Even though it wasn’t statistically significant between groups, we found that there was a much greater reduction in visceral fat in the Isagenix group—about twice as much. They lost 0.7 kg, about 2 pounds. I find that amazing—they lost 2 pounds around their organs—that’s a lot!

Q: What other part of this study’s results do you find most exciting or intriguing?

A: What I found most intriguing at first was the adherence of the Isagenix group; they seemed to adhere better because of the convenience factor of the Isagenix system. Also, the Isagenix group lost more weight and more fat (especially visceral fat); and the blood chemistry looked wonderful.

Q: What other personal observations have you made about the Isagenix products and how they affect subjects?

A: Isagenix people just seemed happier. Also, the satiety (or fullness) aspect; people didn’t feel motivated to binge after a shake or cheat on the diet because they really did find those shakes quite filling, so I was pretty impressed with that. That is the main reason that I am even testing out these diets—to find diets that people will actually do and adhere to over the long term. They liked the taste of the shake and just in terms of the easiness too, they said small things like “there were less dishes to wash” and “for breakfast all you really have to do is keep the blender clean, there’s not that much prep involved and it is a portable system.” But those are actually really important things—if a diet is hard to do, people aren’t going to do it for very long. So making it easy, making it easy to clean up after—all those things add up for long term weight loss.

Q: You had some products left over after the study and people asked you for them, right?

A: Yeah, I had 3 boxes left of the shakes and I have never seen women diving in there, fighting with each other. They were all over each other. Those were gone pretty quickly after we opened them up!

How to Make Turducken!! (Recipe)

What is a turducken? A turducken is a turkey, stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken. Turducken is a dish popular in Louisiana. After reading this article you will be able to (and should) make a turducken. You will not be told, however, how to eat it, or how to make gravy. Read this thoroughly, as if you were instructing someone, before attempting the recipe. It's a long process that requires a lot of work!

Ingredients

17 lb. turkey
7 lb. duck
3 lb. chicken
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. salt
2 gallons water
3 carrots
3 celery ribs
   dash sage
¼ tsp rosemary
2 bay leaves
4 peppercorns
4 garlic cloves
1 onion, halved
15 oz. seasoned dried bread cubes
8 oz. butter
2 c. turducken stock
   Vegetable Oil

Steps

1.  Rinse the birds.

2.  Bone the birds.  Place the bird breast side down on cutting board.
                *  Make an incision to the bone on the right or left side of the spine.
                * Following the rib cage, cut down along the length of the bird until you reach the level                      of the wing and leg joints.
                * Pop the wing and leg out of their sockets and separate from bird. Do not cut the skin.
                * Continue following the rib cage with your boning knife until you meet the keel bone.
                * Follow the keel bone down to the skin of the breast.
                * Repeat on other side.
                * Separate the skin from the keel, keeping the skin intact.
                * For all birds, except the turkey, do the following on both sides of the bird:

                                - Cut along the leg bone with the boning knife.
                                - Using the boning knife, peel the meat from the bones and remove the bones.
                                - Cut along the wing bone with the boning knife.
                                - Using the boning knife, peel the meat from the bones and remove the  bones.
                * Set aside the carcasses.

3.    Brine the birds. Combine the sugar, salt and water in a large 2.5 gallon sealable container. Mix until completely dissolved. Place the meat from the turkey, duck and chicken into the brine and refrigerate overnight.

4.   Make the stock. Put the carcasses, carrots, celery ribs, sage, rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic cloves, halved onion and two gallons of water into the stockpot. Place the collapsible steamer basket upside down on top of the contents of the stockpot. Weigh down if necessary. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer up to 6 hours (until bones are easily broken), stirring occasionally. Pour pot contents through sieve into large resealable container. Refrigerate stock overnight and in the morning, remove the solid fat layer.

5.   Remove the meat from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

6.   Make stuffing. Heat the butter and 2 cups of turducken stock in saucepan until almost boiling. Thoroughly mix with bread cubes in mixing bowl. Allow to cool until it can be handled.

7.   Assemble the turducken.
                * Lay the semi-boneless turkey on a cutting board, skin side down.
                * Dust with pepper and garlic powder.
                * Coat with a ¼ to ½ inch thick layer of stuffing.
                * Lay the boneless duck on the stuffing layer, skin side down.
                * Dust with pepper and garlic powder.
                * Coat with a ¼ to ½ inch thick layer of stuffing.
                * Lay the boneless chicken on the stuffing layer, skin side down.
                * Dust with pepper and garlic powder.
                * Coat with a ¼ to ½ inch thick layer of stuffing.
                * Fold the chicken, fold the duck, then fold the turkey so that the skin of the back comes
                        together

8.   Close the turducken.
                * Insert a skewer along the back of the skin to keep it together.
                * Insert a skewer along the rear end of the turkey, closing the end.
                * Insert a skewer from the right breast side to the top skewer.
                * Insert a skewer from the left breast side to the top skewer.
                * Tie string to top center skewer, run it along the skewer to the left side of the end, then wrap string around the right side of the rear skewer, then wrap string around the left side of the rear skewer, then wrap string around right side of rear middle skewer. Follow right side of center skewer to end, hook around the skewer and wrap around the end of the left breast side skewer. Then bring across to the right breast side skewer, then follow right breast side skewer to left side of center skewer, then follow to end of center skewer where you will tie the string to the skewer.
                * Make sure the string is tight around the skewers.

9.   Roast the turducken. Coat the rack in the roasting pan with canola oil (to prevent sticking). Flip the turducken over as you place it on top of the rack in the roasting pan. Rub bird with canola oil. Insert thermometer into the chicken area of the turducken. Place in 500 degree oven and roast for 20 minutes. Drop the temperature to 225 degrees and roast until the thermometer reads 160 degrees (the residual heat of the turducken will carry over the 5 degrees to the FDA recommended 165 degrees for poultry). Let the turducken rest for 20 minutes.

10.     Serve the turkducken. Cut off the legs and wings and place them on the platter. Cut across breast with electric knife, creating slices with all three meats and move to plate or platter with the pancake turner.

Dr. John Gray's Bounce, Shake & Flex Technique

Excerpt from:  The Mars and Venus Diet and Exercise Solution, pg. 195-200, St. Martin’s Press, 2003

The Method:

1. Stand with your knees slightly bent, feet comfortably apart, bounce up and down easily without lifting your feels off the ground.

2.  As you bounce, let your arms hang in a relaxed and floppy manner by your side.  Shake your hands by your side as you bounce.

3.  While you gently bounce and shake, slowly nod your head up and down in a comfortable range of no more than two to four inches.

4.  As you nod back and look up, breath in through your nose to the count of five seconds, and then exhale to the count of five seconds as you lower your head.

5.  During the first minute, breathe in and out through your nose.  During the next minute, breathe in and out though your nose while making a noise originating at the base of your throat.  This sound comes from the air flowing through your throat and not your vocal cords.  You will sound like you are quietly snoring.  During the remaining one to three minutes, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.  When you exhale through your mouth, pucker your lips and blow out as if you were trying to put out a candle two feet in from of you.

6.  Stop bouncing and shaking.  While standing in a relaxed position, take a quiet minute simply to feel the tingling in your body.  This is best felt while standing straight with arms relaxed by your side and knees slightly bent.  Besides the important aspect of activating your lymphatic system, this vibration is the activation of billions of cells to make you healthy.

Tips from Dr. Gray:

·         Do this technique before and after doing a light to moderate exercise program.

·         Start your exercise session with John Gray’s energized water – One ounce of cold process, undiluted, pure, whole leaf Aloe Vera.

·         Don’t over exercise because it interferes with the brains ability to create balanced brain chemistry.

·         If you are overweight, avoid intense exercise until you are closer to your goal weight.

·         After doing the Bounce and Shake routine, do about 20 minutes of low-intensity exercise with stretching and flexing your body and spine.

Benefits of the Bounce, Shake and Flex Routine:

·         Burns fat, tones muscles, increases lean body mass due to increased cellular vibrations.

·         The rhythmic flexing of the spine increases vitality and stimulates healthy production of brain chemistry.

·         Increased oxygen to your body and stimulates metabolism to burn more fat throughout the day.

·         The gentle whole body movement stimulates the lymphatic system to purify and cleanse the body.

Read more about this great technique and Dr. Gray’s other important solutions for diet and exercise whether you are from Venus or from Mars in his book, “The Mars & Venus Diet & Exercise Solution.”

The Benefits of Body Brushing

Image from terawarner.com

Your skin is your largest single organ within your body, and the one responsible for removing about a quarter of the toxins from your body daily. Because of this, it is the most important of all of your waste elimination organs!

The History of Dry Brushing:

In her article entitled “The Key Benefits of Dry Brushing and How to Do It,” Vanessa O’Neill explains that dry brushing is an ancient technique and aids the skin in the process of releasing and removing toxins from your body. Many cultures have historically practiced dry brushing. For example, the Japanese have traditionally used the dry brush techniques (or loofah) to vigorously brush their skin prior to taking a hot bath.  In our own country, Comanche Indians traditionally used river sand to scrub their skin, and Cherokee Indians used dry corn cobs in order to enhance the strength and beauty of the skin.

Benefits of Dry Brushing:

There are many benefits of dry skin brushing. Dry skin brushing works to exfoliate dead skin cells, aids in stimulating circulation, assists the lymphatic system in removing toxins from the body, and promotes healthy, glowing skin. It is probably one of the simplest and most cost effective ways of promoting overall health and beauty available.

1. Dry brushing cleans the lymphatic system. The lymph system is an important part of our immune system because detoxification starts here.  This system is made up of white blood cells (called lymphocytes) and interstitial fluid. The combination of the blood cells and interstitial fluid bathes our cells, removes cell waste and delivers nutrients to the cells.

2. Dry brushing strengthens the immune system. Dry skin brushing may reduce the duration of infections and accelerate the clearing of toxins. One example of the benefit is that the brushing helps support the immune system during cancer and other chronic illness treatments. By stimulating the lymph vessels to drain toxic mucoid matter into organs of detoxification we can purify the entire system. After several days of dry brushing, sometimes you may notice a gelatinous mucoid material in your stools. This is a normal sign that the intestinal tract is renewing itself.

3. Dry brushing stimulates the hormone and oil glands, which helps all of our body systems perform at peak efficiency. The skin is your body's largest organ. If your skin is not properly taken care of the process of eliminating toxins from your system fall on your kidneys.  Daily brushing before you bathe or shower will keep your skin clean and rejuvenated.  This daily routine allows blood to flow to the skin surface making it easier for the toxins to escape.

4. Dry Brushing tightens the skin by increasing the flow of blood.  Believe it or not, dry skin is a sign of detoxification. With daily brushing, you are removing dead skin cells and revitalizing the skin and improving the skin texture and cell renewal. This process moves toxins and lessens the appearance of cellulite. Our bodies make a new top layer of skin every 24 hours. Skin brushing removes the old top layer, allowing the clean new layer to come to the surface, resulting in softer, smoother skin.

5. Dry Brushing tones the muscles. Hate doing free weights but still want to tone those muscles? Dry skin brushing helps to tone muscles by stimulating the nerve endings which causes the individual muscle fibers to activate and move. Brushing also helps mobilize fat and helps to even out the distribution of fat deposits.

6. Dry brushing stimulates circulation. I mentioned that brushing helps stimulate blood circulation earlier in this post, but did you know that your skin actually breathes? For most people, their pores are so clogged with dead skin cells and un-removed waste (which was excreted through perspiration), the toxins are unable to eliminate your body’s metabolic wastes.   The increased blood flow to your skin will increase electromagnetic energy and you will feel more energized and invigorated.

7. Helps digestion. Dry skin brushing helps your skin to absorb nutrients by eliminating clogged pores. Healthy, breathing skin contributes to overall body health. When you brush, the pores of your skin open allowing your skin to absorb nutrients and eliminate toxins. Healthy, breathing skin contributes to overall body health.

How to Choose the Right Brush:

When choosing a body brush for dry skin brushing, you will want to choose a natural bristle brush because synthetic bristles can actually produce toxins themselves. Body brushes generally come in two different styles – ones that fit in the palm of your hands and ones with a handle on them. Sometimes you can find a palm brush that includes a handle to extend it. Body brushes with handles work well on the back of your body, but may be a little difficult to use in close in areas such as your feet. Choose the stiffest bristles you can stand. The stiffer the bristles are on your body brush, the better as you will be able to generate more lymphatic system stimulation. If your skin is really delicate currently, you may have to work your way up to a stiffer brush over time. Cactus body brushes are excellent for this technique and aids in stimulating circulation, assists the lymphatic system in removing toxins from the body, and promotes healthy, glowing skin. It is probably one of the simplest and most cost effective ways of promoting overall health available.

Dry Skin Brushing Technique:

Image from veggienook.com

1. Always use brush strokes inward and upward toward your heart. Brushing towards the heart facilitates detoxification, while brushing away from the heart can adversely affect circulation in the blood vessels and lymph system.

2. Start with the bottom of your feet first.  Acupuncturists tell us that the nerves in the soles of our feet are connected to every other area of your body. Include clockwise and counterclockwise strokes on the bottoms of your feet.

3. Move up from the feet to the legs, brushing up your torso. Start at the fingertips and move inwards towards your heart. When brushing the sensitive areas like your breast and neck, begin with gentle strokes and work up to stronger strokes as you become more accustomed to dry brushing. Use several clockwise strokes on the stomach, both sides of the chest, and your arm pits. Then repeat these areas with counterclockwise motions. You can also brush in a circular motion on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. Concentrate on areas which suffer from dryness or cellulite, but avoid areas of broken skin or rashes.

Tips:

■Its best to sit or stand on a towel or in your tub to collect any dead skin from exfoliation.

■Do not wet yourself or the brush – this will stretch your skin and you will not get the same benefit.

■Wash your body brush after use to every few weeks and allow it to dry completely before using again.

■It is generally recommended to use dry brushing once or twice a day.

You can experiment to find a method of brushing that is comfortable to you

So now you know the facts. Keep up your dry brushing and you will assist your body in its detoxifying process, increase your circulation, and increase the natural beauty of your skin.  Skin brushing is also notorious for increasing your energy level because of these effects.

The Difference Between Being Fit & Fat

"One of the first things successful people realize is the old adage, "if it is to be, it is up to me." This doesn't mean that you do it all alone. It simply means that you take responsibility for your life and your career." -- Jim Rohn

Why You Should Take Epsom Salt Baths

I was reading some cleansing tips and one of the suggestions was to take Epsom salt baths.  I had heard that Epsom salts were great for soaks when you sprain and ankle, but I began to wonder how they helped in the detoxing process.

According to the Epsom Salt Council, Epsom salts contain sulfates and the sulfates help to flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells.  .

Our skin is a very porous membrane.  If you add the right minerals to your bathwater, they trigger a process called reverse osmosis, which actually pulls salt out of your body, and harmful toxins along with it.

But how does it work?  Imagine your body as a party with lots of people -- both those who were invited and those who weren't. When the party's over, usually at least some of those uninvited partygoers are still sticking around. It's late, and you're trying to figure out how to politely send them on their way. When you take an Epsom salt bath, those "uninvited" pollutants are told to leave your body. That message is delivered by none other than magnesium sulfate.

A little more about Magnesium Sulfate:  Magnesium helps keep your bodily functions running smoothly, including some of the pathways that lead toxins right out of your body. Sulfate helps to strengthen the walls of your digestive tract so that it's easier to release toxins. As a compound, magnesium sulfate also raises the amount of digestive enzymes in the pancreas.

Epsom Salt Baths: If you're ready for an Epsom salt bath, consider your tub size and water depth before you begin pouring in the salt. More salt isn't necessarily better. The Epsom Salt Council suggests that a common formula is to add a cup or two (about 0.25 or 0.5 liters) of Epsom salt to warm water in a standard-size bathtub. If your bathtub is bigger or smaller than most, you may want to adjust the amount of Epsom salt you add.

The water you use in an Epsom salt bath -- and any bath, for that matter -- should be warm, not hot. Warm or tepid water is best for your skin because it doesn't strip away as much protective oil, and it helps to dissolve the Epsom salt. Before you climb into the bath, make sure that all of the salt has dissolved so that it can be more easily absorbed into your skin. Any salt that hasn't dissolved in the water may dry on your skin as an opaque white powder. If you see this residue on your skin after the bath, don't worry; excess salt should be harmless and is easily rinsed off.

The Epsom Salt Council recommends soaking in an Epsom salt bath for about 15 minutes up to three times per week.

Cautions and Contraindications: Despite the benefits, Epsom salt baths generally aren't recommended for people who have conditions such as heart problems, high blood pressure or diabetes. If you aren't sure whether an Epsom salt bath is safe for you, consult your doctor first.

 Epsom salt has been a cure-all for generations: It has been used to soothe aches and pains, and more recently for softening skin, preventing wrinkles and detoxifying your body.  As an example, soothing baths, Epsom salt baths can be incorporated into your beauty routine as a way to exfoliate, as an at-home facial when mixed with a cleansing cream and as bath crystals when mixed with a fragrance.

Now … take some pamper time for yourself, draw a warm bath, swirl in some Epson salts, light some candles …. And relax!!

How to Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Overweight and obesity are not the same, rather they represent different points on the same path of weight, ranging from being underweight to being morbidly obese. Where you fall on this path is determined by Body Mass Index (BMI).

BMI is a measure of weight proportionate to height. Generally, BMI is considered an effective way to evaluate whether a person is overweight or obese, though there are exceptions to the rule. Some muscular people may have a BMI that puts them in the overweight range. However, these people are not considered overweight because muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal while a BMI of more than 25 is considered overweight. A person is considered obese if the BMI is above 30, and morbidly obese if the BMI is above 40.

BMI Ranges

• Underweight = 18.5 or less
• Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
• Overweight = 25-29.9
• Obesity = 30 or greater

Link to Body Mass Index Calculator (BMI):
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html

Percentage of Body Fat Calculator

This is a great tool to figure out the percentage of body fat you are carrying.  Even more exciting is watching how much body fat you are RELEASING!!!!

Body Fat Calculator:  http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator

About the Body Fat Calculator:

How much fat are you carrying? Find out if you are in the healthy range with this fat calculator. This tool provides: body fat percentage for women, body fat percentage for men. This body fat calculator is based on the body fat algorithms developed by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corp and the YMCA.

Here is the information you will need to provide so the calculator can calculate your percentage of body fat:

Are you male or female? 

Waist size at narrowest point:  inches

Waist size at your navel:  inches

Hip size at widest point:  inches

Neck at narrowest point:  inches

Select your height: feet and inches

What is your weight?  lbs

SHORT VERSION BODY FAT CALCULATOR: http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/bfc

How much fat are you carrying? Find out if you are in the healthy range with this fat calculator. This tool provides: body fat percentage for women, body fat percentage for men. This calculator is based on the YMCA formula.

Information you will need for the short version calculator:

Are you male or female?

What is your waist size? Inches

What is your weight? lbs

Quick & Easy Grilled Salmon and Salsa

Prep: 4 minutes                                Cook: 27 minutes

Wild Alaskan Salmon and Arctic Char are your best choices

4            6-oz        Skinless salmon fillet
1/2         tsp         Salt, divided
1/2         tsp         Black pepper, divided
                             Cooking Spray
4             large     Plum tomatoes, halved
1             small     Red onion, cut into 1/2” slices
1                           Jalapeño pepper, halved
1                           Lime, halved

1.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2.  Sprinkle fillets with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Place on grill rack coated with cooking spray and grill for 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

3.  Place plum tomatoes, red onion, and jalapeño on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill tomatoes, cut side down, for 6 minutes. Turn; Grill for 1 minute. Grill onion and jalapeño for 6 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.  Remove from grill, and cool slightly.

4.  Coarsely chop tomatoes and onion; chop jalapeño finely. Combine tomatoes, onions, jalapeño, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and juice from ½ lime. 

5.  Serve salsa over fish. Garnish with lime wedges.

Yield: 4 (1 fillet and about ½ cup salsa) servings.

 Calories: 336, Fat: 18.5g (sat 3.7g, mono 6.6g, poly 6.8g), Protein: 34.7g, Carb: 6.2g, Fiber: 1.7g
Chol: 100mg, Iron: 0.9mg, Sodium: 399mg, Calc: 32mg

Seven Ideas to Add More Steps to Your Life!

Someone told me once if you wanted to really lose weight that you needed to walk 10,000 steps a day.  OMG – that is about five miles!!  When I was at my sickest … I could barely make it from my bed to the living room … I think that was only 60 steps.  I am doing better now (in spite of bad knees) and have worked up to 30-45 minutes without having to stop and rest.  But still … that is a long way from 10,000 steps.

There are some good reasons for walking beside weight loss.  According to The American Heart Association, it is a great way to prevent and treat heart disease and the risk factors that lead to heart disease.  Because walking is a weight-bearing exercise it also helps in preventing osteoporosis.  When I was depressed my doctor suggested that instead of just sitting around feeling bad, I should go for a nice walk.  Between the exercise, getting outside and enjoying the beautiful scenery, I found that my depressive mood was definitely lifted even after a short walk.

At this year’s Isagenix Celebration, my hubby bought me a pedometer.  I have been trying to hit the magic mark of 10,000 steps since then … but it just ain’t happening!!!  L

I found this article on Shine (http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/seven-easy-steps-away-10-000-steps-day-130200639.html), that gives some suggestions on how to get in your steps every day.

1. Get a pedometer:  (Okay, I’ve done that!).  The reason this is important, beside keeping track of your steps, is that it keeps you mindful of your goal.  One of the suggestions that the Shine article made was to get pedometers for the whole family (or your walking group) and have a friendly competition to see who gets in the most steps each day!!)  Making it a game makes it seem more like fun and less like work if you ask me!!

2.  Check your progress: Check the pedometer several times during the day. If you get to your first coffee break and you are not up to 2,000 steps yet, you might want to take a couple of laps around the building instead of sitting down for a fattening latte (wow … that is two good things!) If you are heading home after work and notice you are still below 7,000 steps, you need to think quickly if you have any errands you can run (or more precisely “walk”) before you get home.  If not, how about walking the dog or doing a trip around the park with the kids.  (This is when a crockpot comes in handy so you don’t have to worry about fixing dinner right away when you get home).

3. Walk your kids to school:  If they are not in high school it can be a really great bonding time for you and the munchkins.  If they are in high school, forget it!! They wouldn’t be caught dead having a parent escorting them to school. The walk home gives you time to run errands, have time to plan out the rest of the day, or just have a peaceful time for yourself. All these activities will add steps to your meter and a smile to your face!

4. Work drop-ins:  If you are at work, get up to see a colleague instead of texting them, emailing them, calling them or instant messaging them. Have a walking meeting instead of a phone call. Talking face-to-face is almost a lost art. Walking over to someone’s desk to actually speak to them will be a shock for them I am sure, but it might catch on.  Think of how much healthier everyone would be if it did.

5.  Skip the elevator:  Walk up and down stairs instead of using the elevator.  If you have bad knees like me, take the elevator up, and then use the steps to walk back down to the ground floor.  Too many floors to walk?  Break it up. Take the stairs up one flight and then take the elevator the rest of the way.  When that gets easy, walk up two levels before taking the elevator. Keep adding flights until you can easily make it to the top.  If you are a real adventurer, try doing this more than once a day.

6. Park farther away: This is my hubby’s favorite trick.  I have a disability parking placard for my car, and yet he decides to take the furthest parking space he can find.  I used to get all huffy about it, but now I just think of it as an easy way to get more steps in.  If you take the bus or tram to work, get off a stop or two early and then walk the rest of the way.  Walking is a nice way to clear your mind in the morning and you’ll be ready to sit behind your desk the rest of the day.

7.  Browse more:  I used to say that my favorite exercise was “power shopping.”  I loved to go to the store and walk up and down the aisles looking at everything they sold.  It was a lot of fun.  You don’t have to spend money, and you still get the fun of shopping.  My hubby and I also mall walk or aisle walk when the weather is bad outside.  We both enjoy it even though the cashiers keep wondering if we are ever going to buy anything.

Well there are seven easy ways to get more steps on your pedometer.  I am going to try them out starting tomorrow morning.  I know that you have to make a plan and then work it. Being mindful of your goal will help you reach it.  As you are walking, think about how good you are going to feel as you get ready for bed and see that you really did accomplish 10,000 steps.

Happy Walking – Let me know how you do!

Choices

I've made my choice ... Have you made yours?

Image from strengthfortomorrow.com

Confused About Portion Sizes? I Was!!

During my "Welcome to Diabetes Survival Class" (that's what I called it anyway), the instructors talked a lot about "portion sizes."  When I compared the sizes of the food portions I was actually eating to the pictures of the proper portion sizes, it turns out that I was misjudging the size of my portions by quite a bit (erring usually on the side of "too much" rather than "too little.") I think this is a natural consequence of eating in restaurants!!  The portion sizes you get on your plate are usually double the portion size you SHOULD be eating.

This article by Jane Kirby, RD and The American Dietetic Association can be found on Dummies.com, and it gave me a handy guide for determining the size of the portion I should be eating.  The bonus is that I can usually get two dinners for the price of one at most restaurants!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When considering your nutritional needs, the amount you eat is as important as what you eat. Because people have diets filled with restaurant and convenience store foods, it’s difficult to remember how large a serving should be.

Portions of takeout food are much larger than the standard portion sizes defined in the Food Guide Pyramid. Even cookbooks are instructing people to serve larger portions. For example, the 1964 edition of The Joy of Cooking recommends cutting a 13-x-9-inch pan of brownies into 30 bars; the 1997 version is cut into 16 bars.

The following table lists the sizes of many foods that constitute one serving.

What Counts as a Serving:

Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta: 1 slice of bread; half a hamburger bun or English muffin; 1 small roll, biscuit, or muffin; 5 to 6 small or 3 to 4 large crackers; 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta; 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal.

Fruit:   One whole fruit, such as a medium apple, banana, or orange; half a grapefruit; a melon wedge; 3/4 cup fruit juice; 1/2 cup berries; 1/2 cup chopped fresh, cooked, or canned fruit; 1/4 cup dried fruit.
Vegetable: 1/2 cup cooked vegetables; 1/2 cup chopped raw vegetables; 1 cup leafy raw vegetables, such as lettuce or spinach; 1/2 cup cooked beans, peas, or other legumes*; 3/4 cup vegetable juice.

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese: 1 cup milk, 8 ounces yogurt, 11/2 ounces natural cheese, 2 ounces processed cheese.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts:   Amounts should total 2 to 3 servings (for a total of 5 to 7 ounces) of cooked lean meat, poultry without skin, or fish per day. Count 1 egg; 1/2 cup cooked beans, peas, or other legumes*; or 2 tablespoons peanut butter as 1 ounce of meat.

Fats, Oils, and Sweets: Use sparingly.

* Note that you can count dry beans, peas, and other legumes as a serving of vegetables or a serving of meat, but the same bowl of beans can’t count as a serving from both groups.

A half-ounce of peanuts. An ounce of cheese. Two cups of popcorn. A quarter cup of sunflower seeds. A teaspoon of butter. A 3-ounce chicken breast. These are foods that you’re apt to run into when you’re eating on the run. After all, no one goes to a restaurant or movie theatre packing measuring spoons or cups. So how are you going to know what a serving of these foods look like?

A deck of cards is about the size of a 3-ounce chicken breast, but if the cards you play are on your computer screen, you may not recognize what a portion looks like. But you take something with you wherever you go that can help you with portion size — the palm of your hand. That is, if you’re an average female. Gentlemen, hold your honey’s hand more often to get a sense of size. Better still, make sure to take her to restaurants and movies with you. Some other “handy” measurements are shown here.

You can use your hand to judge portions sizes.

Herbed Chicken w/Raspberry Balsamic Sauce (Recipe)

I served this for company dinner last night ... and it was a major "hit" with everyone.  I didn't tell them how easy this was to make or that it was only 230 calories. The prep took me about 5 minutes, and it took the chicken about 20 minutes to cook up to the proper temp!!  This is a perfect recipe for a summer dinner.

Herbed Chicken with Raspberry Balsamic Sauce

1       teaspoon       olive oil
1/2    cup               red onions, chopped
1       Tablespoon  garlic, minced
1       pinch            red pepper flakes
1/2    teaspoon      dried thyme OR 1-1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2    teaspoon      salt, divided
4      (4-6oz)         boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3   cup               seedless raspberry preserves (I used low sugar raspberry preserves)
2      Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/4   teaspoon      black pepper

1.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat, add onion and garlic and saute 5 minutes.

2.  Sprinkle thyme and 1/4 teaspoon of salt over chicken.

3.  Add chicken to the skillet; saute 6 minutres on each side (or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees).

4.  Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

5.  Reduce heat to medium, add 1/4 teaspoon salt, preserves, vinegar, and pepper to skillet, stirring until the preserves melt.

6.  To Serve:  Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately Or return chicken to pan and coat chicken evenly, serve immediately.

Nutritional Information:  (1 serving = 1 chicken breast with sauce)
Calories:  229.1         
Total Fat: 4.1g (Sat. Fat 0.8g)         
Cholesterol:  72.5         
Sodium:  433.5mg
Total Carbohydrates:  21.7g (Dietary Fiber 0.7g, Sugars 14.9g)         
Protein: 24.4g

Notes: 
             1.  If you want a thicker sauce, let it cool slightly before pouring it over the chicken.            
             2.  I am going to try this with other no-sugar preserves to see how it works:  apricot, blackberry, peach.

             3.  This recipe is also diabetic friendly..
            

How to Build a Salad

With all of our veggies coming ripe at the same time, we are eating a lot more salads.  I found this article on CalorieCount.  Now I am really ready to take on all those vegetables in our garden.

How to Build a Salad that Satisfies
By Brittany Mullins



People often think of a salad as an appetizer, diet food or something that won’t fill them up for longer than an hour. This isn’t always the case. With a little planning you can make a nutritious salad that will satisfy your taste buds and keep you feeling full for hours. You don’t even need a recipe! The key to building a meal-sized salad that won’t break the calorie bank is having about three quarters of the salad be fresh vegetables and the other quarter protein and a healthy fat.

Simply choose your favorite greens as a base and top with veggies, a protein and a healthy fat. Here’s a list of items to help you get started creating hearty, healthy and delicious salads:

Greens:

• Spinach
• Arugula
• Romaine
• Spring mix
• Kale

Vegetables: (It’s best to choose veggies that are in season)

• Tomatoes, fresh or sun-dried
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini or other squash
• Mushrooms
• Yellow, orange, red, or green bell peppers
• Cabbage, sliced
• Carrots
• Beets, roasted or boiled
• Radishes
• Sweet corn
• Sweet potatoes, roasted or steamed
• Peas
• Onion
• Artichoke hearts
• Roasted red peppers
• Hearts of palm

Protein:

• Lean cuts of grilled or baked meat – chicken, turkey pork or beef
• Shrimp, crab meat, scallops or other seafood
• Salmon, tuna or other fish
• Tofu, plain or cooked
• Tempeh, plain or cooked
• Edamame
• Beans - black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans
• Hummus
• Crumbled veggie burger
• Hard boiled eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Low-fat cheese

Healthy Fats:

• Avocado
• Nuts (I like almonds, walnuts and pine nuts)
• Sunflower seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Olive oil based dressings
• Flax seed oil or ground flax seeds
• Hemp seeds
• Olive oil (and vinegar)
• Olives

 Other Notes:

• Don’t drench your salad in dressing. If the salad ingredients are fresh and in season they’re often very flavorful on their own.
• Throwing leftovers on salads is the best- leftover grilled and roasted veggies (straight from the fridge) make great salad toppings.
• Complex carbs are a fun addition as well – wheat berries, whole grain cous cous, quinoa or orzo are all great options
• Fruits are also a great addition to salads in the summer time – try adding strawberries, blueberries, pears, and figs.

As for preparing the salad, simply toss the ingredients of your choice into a large bowl (or small bowl for a single salad) and enjoy. You can plan ahead and prep some of the more time consuming items early. For instance you can chop veggies and cook a pot of beans on Sunday evening so weekday lunches or dinners can be thrown together in a flash. Have fun trying out the endless number of salad possibilities!