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Former teacher, clinical social worker and now entrepreneur. My focus, no matter what career I am engaged in, has been on helping people. Now I am on an incredible journey to change life in a leaner, cleaner, greener way. I hope you will join me in this transition.
Showing posts with label Isagenix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Isagenix. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The NEW Bedtime Belly Buster plus Sleep Info

Here is the NEW BEDTIME BELLY BUSTER complements of Larry Fuchs, Jr. and Dr.Suk Cho.
So why the NEW Bedtime Belly Buster?During a recent phone conversation, Susan Sly and Dr. Suk Cho started discussing the Bedtime Belly Buster (BBB). They both had concerns about the amount of daily calcium, when calcium was included in the BBB. With 2 IsaLean shakes daily, along with the Ageless Essentials a.m. and p.m. you are getting all the bio available calcium you need for the day. Newer studies shown that at a certain level of calcium, it becomes to high and you can get more calcification in the joints and can lead to greater challenges.

The main reason for having the IsaCalcium in the BBB, was it put you in a deeper sleep, faster. This is know as the REM (rapid eye movement) cycle. Now we have the Isagenix Sleep Spray which can safely accomplish the same objective. You can read more on the REM cycle below.

For the New Bedtime Belly Buster, you will need:
1 scoop Isa Pro (NOT IsaLean Pro!)
1 scoop or 1 packet of IsaFruits
4 ounces purified water
2 ice cubes (optional)
Shake or Blend

1 to 4 sprays of the Isagenix Sleep Spray
2 to 3 IsaOmegas

When do I take BBB?Shut down you computer and shut off the T.V. Take your BBB and Sleep spray, and then brush your teeth. Go to bed and relax, write down your gratitude's for the day, read some kind of self developement. The best time for you to produce growth hormones is getting quality sleep between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Step 1:

 
BBB with Ice: Place 4 ounces of water along with 2 ice cubes in your IsaBlender vessel. Screw on the blade and blend until the ice is dissolved. Then add 1 scoop Isa Pro and 1 scoop IsaFruits and blend again for 5 seconds. Since the IsaFruits blend together better than the former IsaCalcium, a quick 5 second blend will cut down to foam.
 
Without Ice: Place 4 ounces of water in your IsaBlender vessel, add 1 scoop Isa Pro and 1 scoop IsaFruits and blend for 5 seconds and drink. Because the IsaFruits blend easier than the calcium,Take you can also mix this in your Isagenix Shaker Cup.
 

Step 2:Use 1 to 4 sprays of the Isagenix Sleep Spray , your normal amount. If you have not used the sleep spray in the past, start with 1 spray and work from there.

Take up to 3 IsaOmegas. Caution! If you are on blood thinners or at any risk of having thin blood or have a family history of strokes, you want to skip the IsaOmegas.
 
Isa Pro builds muscle, Muscle burn 300% more calories than fat.
 
IsaFruits has many ingredients to help torch body fat. Contains Prebiotics and probiotics
 
Isagenix Sleep Spray help get you into the REM cycle faster.
 
IsaOmegas helps burns fat and help your body get shredded.

There are two main types of sleep:
  1. Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) Sleep (also known as quiet sleep
  2. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep (also known asactive sleep or paradoxical sleep

The Beginnings of Sleep

During the earliest phases of sleep, you are still relatively awake and alert. The brain produces what are known as beta waves, which are small and fast. As the brain begins to relax and slow down, slower waves known as alpha waves are produced. During this time when you are not quite asleep, you may experience strange and extremely vivid sensations known as hypnagogic hallucinations. Common examples of this phenomenon include feeling like you are falling or hearing someone call your name.

Another very common event during this period is known as a myoclonic jerk. If you've ever startled suddenly for seemingly no reason at all, then you have experienced this odd phenomenon. While it may seem unusual, these myoclonic jerks are actually quite common.


Stage 1

Stage 1 is the beginning of the sleep cycle, and is a relatively light stage of sleep. Stage 1 can be considered a transition period between wakefulness and sleep. In Stage 1, the brain produces high amplitude theta waves, which are very slow brain waves. This period of sleep lasts only a brief time (around 5-10 minutes). If you awaken someone during this stage, they might report that they weren't really asleep.


Stage 2

Stage 2 is the second stage of sleep and lasts for approximately 20 minutes. The brain begins to produce bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity known as sleep spindles. Body temperature starts to decrease and heart rate begins to slow.


Stage 3

Deep, slow brain waves known as delta waves begin to emerge during stage 3 sleep. Stage 3 is a transitional period between light sleep and a very deep sleep.


Stage 4

Stage 4 is sometimes referred to as delta sleepbecause of the slow brain waves known as delta waves that occur during this time. Stage 4 is a deep sleep that lasts for approximately 30 minutes. Bed-wetting and sleepwalking are most likely to occur at the end of stage 4 sleep.


Stage 5

Most dreaming occurs during the fifth stage of sleep, known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is characterized by eye movement, increased respiration rate and increased brain activity. REM sleep is also referred to as paradoxical sleep because while the brain and other body systems become more active, muscles become more relaxed. Dreaming occurs due because of increased brain activity, but voluntary muscles become paralyzed.


The Sequence of Sleep Stages


It is important to realize, however, that sleep does not progress through these stages in sequence. Sleep begins in stage 1 and progresses into stages 2, 3 and 4. After stage 4 sleep, stage 3 and then stage 2 sleep are repeated before entering REM sleep. Once REM sleep is over, the body usually returns to stage 2 sleep. Sleep cycles through these stages approximately four or five times throughout the night.

On average, we enter the REM stage approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep. The first cycle of REM sleep might last only a short amount of time, but each cycle becomes longer. REM sleep can last up to an hour as sleep progresses.

If you would like to get started on YOUR flat belly please feel free to contact me at:
or visit my website
 

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Get the SKINNY on FAT!!


What Happens to Body Fat When You Cleanse? From Isagenix Health News
Ah, the visual joy of weight loss—your face is more defined, your belly no longer protrudes over the waist of your pants, and parts that used to jiggle are now toned. On the outside, fat loss seems like a fairly simple process. However, what happens in your body during weight loss involves an intricate web of metabolic changes that include structural transformation of fat cells, the breakdown and use of fat for energy, as well as changes in hormone production.

Performing Isagenix Cleanse Days—a combination of intermittent fasting with herbs and vitamins that support detoxification—is an effective approach for weight loss, especially for targeting fat loss. In fact, the UIC study using Isagenix products found that those who follow the Isagenix system had more fat loss and twice as much visceral fat loss than those who followed a “heart healthy” diet.

How does fat loss occur when you incorporate Cleanse Days into your routine? To understand, we’ll have to start with the basics, or Fat 101:

Getting to know fat

Adipose tissue—or body fat—is comprised of millions of fat cells, also called adipocytes, with the average adult having around 40 billion. The weight of adipose tissue is about 20 percent of body weight, making it one of the biggest organs in the body.

Fat can be defined by where it’s found in the body: subcutaneous fat is located just below the surface of the skin while visceral fat is found in the abdominal cavity, surrounding the internal organs. Furthermore, there are two types of adipose tissue: white and brown. White adipose tissue is primarily used as an energy reserve and brown adipose tissue functions to generate heat.

Adipose tissue is a metabolically active organ rather than just an inert mass as many may have guessed. In fact, each depot of the organ even receives its own vascular and nerve supply.

Adipose tissue has been identified as an endocrine organ because of its production of hormones known as adipokines. These signaling proteins influence several important functions including glucose and lipid metabolism, blood coagulation, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and steroid hormone modulation (1). Excessive adipose tissue has been shown to disrupt the normal endocrine functions of fat cells and can negatively affect health through insulin resistance, abnormal blood lipids, and even increased cardiovascular disease risk.

Leptin is an adipokine that regulates hunger and appetite by telling the brain, “I’m full!” Although intuition may assume that leptin levels would be low in obese individuals due to chronically excessive food intake, the opposite is true. Leptin has been shown to be tightly related to fat cell size: the bigger the adipocyte, the greater the expression of leptin (2).

This would mean that obese persons are constantly feeling full, right? Wrong. Obesity is associated with resistance to the effects of leptin on the brain appetite centers, so they actually end up having an impaired response that doesn’t indicate fullness. This exemplifies how complex the relationship is between adipose tissue and the endocrine system.

Fat cells increase in size, then in number

When energy balance becomes positive (meaning there are more calories consumed than burned), the adipose organ increases, particularly in the amount of white adipose tissue. White adipocytes undergo hypertrophy (increase in volume) followed by hyperplasia (increase in number).

It’s been proposed that adipocytes have a maximum volume, referred to as “critical cell size” that may be genetically determined (3). This means that fat cells can only get so big. Once they reach their critical cell size, they trigger production of new adipocytes. In other words, your existing fat cells are filled until they reach their capacity (much like a balloon) and then signal the body to make more fat cells.

You are more likely to make additional fat cells at certain times in your life. Research has shown that the natural production of fat cells steadily increases during childhood and levels off in early adulthood (4). Although more research is needed, this could indicate that children who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults and experience greater difficulties in trying to achieve weight loss.

How the body burns fat

When energy balance is negative in the body (meaning there are more calories being burned than consumed), the hormones that access stored fuel are increased, namely glucagon. In short, the body flips from an energy-storing state to an energy-burning state.

First, the body will burn stored carbohydrate, also known as glycogen, which is found mostly in the liver and muscles. Once the glycogen energy reserve has been exhausted, the body breaks down fat in a process called lipolysis.

What happens to fat cells during weight loss?

During negative energy balance such as on Cleanse Days, the body will use the fat for fuel causing the fat cells to shrink in size. As fat cells decrease in size, so too does the amount of signaling molecules produced. Over time, this reestablishment of normal endocrine function can be immensely beneficial for health including decreasing the molecules that induce inflammation.

Additionally, fat loss accompanied by adequate intake of optimal nutrition—such as  vitamins (B vitamins, vitamins C and E), minerals (selenium, zinc, copper), and other bioactive nutrients including coenzyme Q10 and polyphenols—support the detoxification systems of the body in the removal of toxins. (Read more in The Basics of Detoxification.)

It is interesting to note that fat cells have the ability to shrink but rarely decrease in number. However, during fat loss, cells can decrease as much as 400 percent in size! For many, this morphological transformation supported by dietary interventions such as Cleanse Days means more than just a slimmer appearance; it can improve health and even add years of quality life.

 References

1.    Rossmeislova L, Malisova L, Kracmerova J, Stich V. Adaptation of human adipose tissue to hypocaloric diet. Int J Obes (Lond) 2013;37:640-50. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2012.80

2.    Skurk T, Alberti-Huber C, Herder C, Hauner H. Relationship between adipocyte size and adipokine expression and secretion. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2007;92:1023-33.

3.    Cinti S. The adipose organ at a glance. Dis Model Mech 2012;5:588-94.

4.    Spalding KL, Arner E, Westermark PO et al. Dynamics of fat cell turnover in humans. Nature 2008;453:783-7. doi: 10.1038/nature06902

For More Information Contact me at newtraditions99@yahoo.com
or go to our web site www.thehealthyhelms.com
 
 

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Be a Bear and Burn Your BAT (All About Thermogenesis)


By Michael Colgan, Ph.D.
Take a lesson on fat loss from bears that activate their brown adipose tissue during winter months.
Thermogenesis is the creation of heat in the body. It occurs when you eat and when you exercise, but also through an extraordinary mechanism involving brown adipose tissue (BAT), which permits the production of heat directly from body fat by bypassing the steps of the energy cycle (1).

A hibernating bear, for example, can lose 300 pounds of fat while it sleeps through the winter. Its body converts body fat to BAT, then creates the heat required to prevent freezing to death in the winter. And the bear does not have to move a muscle!

We are not as efficient as bears at burning fat with BAT. Nevertheless, the amount of BAT in the body of a 40-year-old man or woman is still sufficient to use 10 to 15 percent of their total energy.

But you have to get your BAT moving. Turn up the inner heat. Exposure to cold is very effective. It’s a bit extreme, but it works.

I am busy at my annual task of convincing clients to sit and meditate under a freezing waterfall, or lie in the snow in swimmers by the pool (frozen). These are popular methods for fat loss. I wear a 30-below suit with hood and balaclava so they don’t notice my hysterics.

Usual weight loss programs don’t activate BAT at all. Quite the opposite! If you go on a sudden food restriction diet, the body automatically turns down its heat production and its energy production as a defense mechanism to conserve its fat. That’s why dieters generally feel cold and tired.

You Can Increase BAT Activity

If you can’t face the freeze, there are several things in natural foods that raise BAT activity nicely. The best known is caffeine from coffee. Controlled studies show that a cup of ground arabica coffee on an empty stomach in the morning increases thermogenesis and burns body fat for up to four hours afterwards (2,3).

Green tea also has a separate thermogenic effect, originally thought to be because of its caffeine content. Recent studies, however, show that a group of chemicals called catechins in green tea are mostly responsible. The main catechin in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), induces thermogenesis by itself (2-3).

In a placebo-controlled study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, two groups of 19 healthy, middle-aged men used a moderately reduced-calorie diet, plus tea for 12 weeks. Green tea extract was added to the tea of 19 subjects to yield high levels of catechins. Tea without the extract, containing only low levels of catechins, was used by the 19 controls. The group consuming tea with high catechins lost an average of 5.4 pounds of body fat, approximately twice the body fat loss of the control group. Much of the loss was visceral fat from the belly and fat from the thighs.

The researchers concluded: “Body weight, BMI, waist circumference, body fat mass, and subcutaneous fat area were significantly lower in the green tea extract group than in the control group” (4).

You don’t have to freeze off the flab. Lose that belly fat nice and easy with Isagenix. Brain Boost & Renewal contains high levels of EGCG from green tea, and e+ shot contains both green tea caffeine and catechins. Take both before your workout and green tea with every 400- to 600-calorie meal or an IsaLean Shake to support improved weight loss. It’s a great way to fine-tune abs and buns for the summer, with the bonus of a better brain.

References:

1. Stock MJ. Thermogenesis and brown fat: relevance to human obesity. Infusionstherapie, 1989;16(6):282-284.

2. Wolfram S, Wang Y, Thielecke F. Anti-obesity effects of green tea: from bedside to bench. Mol Nutr Food Res, 2006;50(2):176-187.

3. Nagao T, Komine Y, Soga S, Meguro S, Hase T, Tanaka Y, Tokimitsu I. Ingestion of a tea rich in catechins leads to a reduction in body fat and malondialdehyde-modified LDL in men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;81(1):122-129.

4. Nagao T, Hase T, Tokimitsu I. A green tea extract high in catechins reduces body fat and cardiovascular risks in humans. Obesity, 2007;15(6):1473-1483.
 
Note from Donna:  Our new e+ Energy Drink aids in the burning BAT and helps you lose weight.  Contact me for more information:  www.thehealthyhelms.com
 

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Lose the Toxins -- Lose the Fat

What have I learned about toxins and fat and weight loss?  I have been overweight all my life.  For fifty years I lost weight, only to regain it along with the proverbial 5 to 10 pound bonus.  Then I learned about the link between toxin overload and my inability to lose weight and fat. 

I started a deep cleansing program and have subsequently lost 90 pounds of fat in less than five months, while I gained lean muscle mass.  Even when I decided to take a break from my active weight loss program and went on maintenance, I was able to maintain that 90 pound loss for a year because I kept cleansing weekly.

I have added back the weight loss aspect of my program, and once again the weight and fat is just melting off.

I have included excerpts from two books that explain this link between toxins and fat.

Please contact me if you would like more information.

From Suzanne Somers book Sexy Forever:

"Obesity rates have more than doubled in the past thirty years.  Doesn't this raise the question of why?  Toxins make you fat.  It's that simple, and that complex.  Here's why. Mitochondria are the little powerhouses inside every living cell in your body.  They provide power for your cells by creating energy from fats and sugars, thereby driving your metabolism and fueling your whole body.

When toxins enter your body the buildup damages the mitochondria, your cellular power plants, so they no longer work effectively.  As a result fats and sugars that aren't being burned for fuel pile up all over the body in the form of extra pounds.  Also, without the mitochondria working optimally, you lose your physical energy." 

Other excerpts from Suzanne Somer's book:

"Scientific studies show a strong correlations between levels of toxic burden, higher body weight, and the risk of diabetes."

"No matter how the toxins get into our bodies, whether through the lungs, stomach, or skin, they all meet in the liver at some point and from there get sent to the kidneys and colon for elimination, become trapped in bones, muscles, tissues, or other organs, or they get locked in the liver itself, or they get stored away in fat cells!

The fact that many toxins get trapped in fat cells deserves special attention.  Fat cells don't get broken down easily, so the toxins literally weigh the body down.  If you carry excess fat, burning up that fat releases toxins into the bloodstream for proper removal.  As toxins accumulate, they act in unsuspected ways.  You begin to experience health problems, like allergies, colds, migraines, and infertility, or major diseases like breast cancer and dementia."

Dr. Walter Crinnion points out in his book, Clean, Green & Lean, that excess fat hiding toxins are making you sick AND fat:

"If you're more than 25 pounds above your ideal weight and you're suffering from one or more of the following illnesses, your body is telling you that it's in toxic overload." 
                         * Allergies
                         * Asthma
                         * Autoimmune disease (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's Thyroidtis
                         * Bone marrow cancer (lymphomas, leukemia, multiple myeloma)
                         * Chemical sensitivity
                         * Chronic fatigue
                         * Diabetes
                         * Fibromyalgia
                         * Infertility
                         * Parkinsonism
                         * Obesity

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Why Isagenix? Your Body Will Love You!!! -- Video

I am so grateful that I found Isagrenix. My husband and I have lost a ton of weight, I have turned my poor health around so now I am healtier and more vibrant. We have also supplemented our income to we can live a life of comfort.

 If you would like to know a little more about our products and and company, please watch this video.  If it sounds like something you would like to know more about write to me at newtraditions99@yahoo.com or log on to my website: http://www.thehealthyhelms.com.
 
WHY ISAGENIX?


Contact us Today!!

Friday, April 26, 2013

What is High Intensity Interval Training and What Are The Benefits?



Image from WhyExercise.com

No Time for Exercise? Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIT)

FROM: Isagenix Health
April 24, 2013

 With high-intensity interval training, you reap the benefits of exercise without spending hours at the gym.

We all know that exercise is good for us, and we’ve heard that we should be getting 30 to 60 minutes per day most days of the week. But in today’s fast-paced world, where the demands of work, child care, and home maintenance seem to endlessly steal from our ever-shrinking depot of availability, finding the time to meet these recommendations can be quite a challenge.

What if there was a form of exercise that would allow you to reap the many health benefits of regular physical activity in just a quarter of the time? According to a recent review written by Australian researchers, high-intensity interval training (HIT) is a form of exercise that may do exactly that. Mounting evidence cited by the authors suggests that HIT is a time-efficient and effective alternative to traditional endurance exercise for boosting weight loss, aerobic stamina, and cardiovascular and metabolic health (1).

What is HIT?

HIT involves alternating intense bouts of exercise, ranging from 30 seconds to several minutes, with recovery periods spanning one to five minutes. For example, a cyclist might incorporate HIT by pedaling as fast as possible for 30 seconds against a strong resistance, lowering the resistance and leisurely cycling for 4 minutes, and then repeating this alternating schedule 4 to 6 times per session.

Such a training regimen adds up to about 20 to 25 minutes of exercise, which has shown substantial benefits when performed as few as three times per week (2). Just 2.5 hours of HIT completed over a total of 2 weeks has demonstrated benefits that are equivalent to 10.5 hours of continuous moderate exercise.

What are the benefits of HIT?

1. Improved Body Composition

Many turn to traditional endurance exercise in the attempt to lose weight and improve their physical appearance, yet HIT may deliver even better results. HIT has been shown to reduce body fat, particularly abdominal fat (1, 3). In comparison with continuous moderate exercise, HIT increases energy expenditure and fat burning to a greater extent in the minutes and hours after a workout (1). This “after burn” is formally known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and reflects the body’s extra use of energy to replenish depleted fuel stores, repair cells, and restore hormonal and other body systems to their pre-exercise state. (This is also prime time for consuming IsaLean Shake or IsaLean Pro to fuel greater muscle growth!)

In addition to increasing EPOC to a greater extent than traditional endurance exercise, HIT also promotes greater releases of growth hormone (4). This transient increase in growth hormone may be important during the post-workout period when muscles are primed for growth. During exercise, muscle damage occurs and muscle synthesis stops. Spikes of growth hormone promoted by HIT may quickly mitigate protein breakdown after exercise and serve as a signal for muscle growth (5).

HIT may also help preserve muscle mass in other ways. During long bouts of steady-state exercise, glycogen (the storage form of sugar) becomes depleted, and the body begins to break into its muscle reserves to get protein that can be used for energy. Because HIT relies on intervals of intense exercise broken up by intervals of more leisure, less intense exercise, muscle reserves are better preserved. Together, increases in growth hormone and the protection of muscle protein results in the preservation of muscle mass, which keeps metabolism running high and supports greater fat loss over the long term.

2. Improved Cardiovascular Health

It is well known that several different markers of cardiovascular health—such as VO2 max, blood vessel wall elasticity, and blood pressure— can be improved by steady-state endurance training. HIT has also demonstrated equivalence or superiority over traditional endurance training in improving these markers (1). VO2 max is a measurement that determines the physical fitness of a person. It detects the maximum ability of the body to transport and use oxygen during exercise. The higher the VO2 max, the more efficiently a person can get oxygen to working muscle, and the more rapidly this oxygen can be used to power performance. Because the heart is a muscle that can be strengthened by exercise, HIT can improve the heart’s ability to contract, increasing the amount of blood and oxygen that can be pumped to muscle. HIT has been shown to increase VO2 max to an even greater extent than traditional endurance training (1).

An important indicator of cardiovascular health is blood vessel wall elasticity, often referred to as endothelial function; the better the endothelial function, the greater the capacity of the blood vessel to expand or contract when necessary. Unhealthy arteries tend to be harder and less flexible. HIT has also demonstrated improvement in endothelial function and in reduction of blood pressure (1).

In addition to increasing VO2 max, improving endothelial function, and lowering blood pressure, HIT may help lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol), while also increasing blood levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) when combined with a balanced diet. Improved levels of cholesterol, as well as better blood pressure and endothelial function, can lead to reduced cardiovascular disease risk.

3. Improved Metabolic Health

Another well-known benefit of regular exercise is improved blood sugar control. Exercising muscle has a high demand for sugar as a fuel source. The more intense the exercise, the more muscle relies on sugar from the bloodstream and stored forms of sugar (glycogen) for energy. HIT has been shown to be effective in reducing blood sugar, and has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity (1).

As a gatekeeper of sugar’s entry into body cells, the hormone insulin has a primary role in keeping blood sugar levels within a healthy range. Resistance to insulin ultimately leads to high blood sugar levels and impaired energy production. The ability of HIT to enhance insulin sensitivity helps ensure the delivery of sugar to the cells that need it as well as proper blood sugar control.

4. Improved Aerobic Stamina and Exercise Performance

Although steady-state endurance training is notorious for improving aerobic stamina and conditioning, studies show that HIT is also an effective exercise strategy for achieving this goal. Not only does HIT increase VO2 max, it also increases time to exhaustion during exercise. In one study, the length of time that a group of eight athletes were able to cycle at 80 percent VO2 max nearly doubled—from 26 minutes to 51 minutes—after undergoing six HIT sessions over two weeks (6).

Another factor that contributes to endurance performance is the ability of the muscle to store sugar as glycogen. Glycogen is used for energy as exercise progresses. There is a limit to the amount of glycogen that each person can store, but HIT has been shown to increase this amount (1, 2, 7). HIT also causes muscle to lower the rate at which it uses glycogen for energy, resulting in a greater reliance on the use of fat for fuel. Increasing and preserving energy stores in the form of glycogen will extend time to exhaustion, ultimately improving exercise performance (1, 2, 7).

HIT is for (Almost) Everyone

Most people can benefit from HIT. Studies have shown that it is safe and effective for those with health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and offers numerous advantages for healthy people simply looking to save time or switch up their workouts (1). Even professional endurance athletes are using HIT to improve performance by incorporating it alongside traditional endurance exercise in a comprehensive training program.

HIT is a fun way to break up the monotony of conventional workouts, and according to the Australian researchers, may even be easier to stick to than traditional endurance training. HIT can yield substantial health and fitness benefits with minimal time commitments, making it the perfect prescription for those who don’t have 30 to 60 minutes every day to meet the current exercise recommendations. However, before starting HIT or any other exercise program, a consultation with a person’s physician is advised to determine if appropriate.

References

1. Shiraev T, Barclay G. Evidence based exercise – clinical benefits of high intensity interval training. Aust Fam Physician. 2012 Dec;41(12):960-2.

2. Gibala MJ. High-intensity interval training: a time-efficient strategy for health promotion? Curr Sports Med Rep. 2007 Jul;6(4):211-3. Review.

3. Boutcher SH. High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss. J Obes. 2011;2011:868305.

4. Pritzlaff CJ et al. Impact of acute exercise intensity on pulsatile growth hormone release in men. J Appl Physiol. 1999 Aug;87(2):498-504.

5. Post-exercise hypertrophic adaptations: A re-examination of the hormone hypothesis and its applicability to resistance training program design. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Feb 25. [Epub ahead of print]

6. Burgomaster KA, et al. Six sessions of sprint interval training increases muscle oxidative potential and cycle endurance capacity in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2005 Jun;98(6):1985-90. Epub 2005 Feb 10.

7. Gibala MJ, McGee SL. Metabolic adaptations to short-term high-intensity interval training: a little pain for a lot of gain? Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2008 Apr;36(2):58-63.


Wanting to get into shape? 
 

Isagenix Success Story: Amy Hanson

Amy Hanson, Isagenix distributor and user said she has never seen her abs since she was in her 20s.  Here is how she looks at 40!!!

 
Congratulations Amy!!!!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Body Brushing How-To -- Video

I read this testimony from one of my friends on Facebook and I decided to look into this technique further.  She said "brushing does AMAZING things for tightening skin. Since doing it I haven't seen a lot of those results because I still have lots more to lose. But I have a friend who started the same time and she had a "tummy" of loose skin from when her youngest was born (19 years ago) , after 6 months of consistent brushing... GONE! It's amazing!"

Why is Body Brushing Good for Your Skin
Body brushing is an easy and inexpensive way of stimulating your circulation and lymphatic system, helping to eliminate toxins.

The skin is an organ of elimination, just like the kidneys and liver and even without extra help, it discharges more than a pound of waste products every day. Given the extra boost of daily body brushing, this elimination process can become much more effective, not only improving the appearance of your skin but also giving general health benefits - such as improved blood circulation and immune system.

In this video, Kate Leinweber demonstrates HOW to dry brush:

 

Body Brushing Directions from Liz Earle's Skin Care Website

The traditional Chinese version of skin brushing uses the dried fibers of a ground fruit called 'silk squash' - more commonly known as loofah - but natural bristle brushes are proven to be far more effective. The brush should have a long handle (making it easier to reach all areas of the body), firm, natural bristles and must always be kept dry.
Once a day, preferably first thing in the morning before you take a shower or a bath, sweep the brush over every surface of the body except the face or any areas of sensitive or delicate skin. It's important to brush in the right direction (always towards the heart) starting with the soles of the feet and working upwards. Use long, smooth strokes and brush arms, legs and buttocks in an upward direction. Then brush your back and torso in a downward direction and finally sweep across the shoulders. Concentrate on the hips and thighs to help improve the appearance of cellulite and dimpled skin. It may seem laborious to begin with but it will soon become second nature and is truly invigorating! Start off with gentle strokes but gradually increase the pressure after the first few days or weeks as you get used to the sensation.

For reasons of hygiene, we recommend you keep a separate body brush for each member of the family and wash the brush itself every couple of weeks;  and allow to dry in an airy place. Sensible precaution: a body brush should not be used on cut, broken or very tender skin or over varicose veins.

My Recommendation for Skin Care Products
For your shower I recommend the Isagenix Refreshing Body Wash (IsaDermix Skin Care Line) because it boosts your skin’s natural repair process after daily exposure to environmental aggressors that can damage and prematurely age the skin. It also nourishes, hydrates and softens the skin using beneficial botanicals—aloe vera, green tea, pomegranate, grape seed, and oat kernel extracts.

Then follow your shower by applying the IsaDermix Ultra Hydrating Hand and Body Cream.  This rich formula absorbs quickly to provide deep, all-day moisture. Nourishing botanicals and antioxidants restore, replenish and revitalize your skin. Shea butter, sweet almond oil and sunflower oil provide deep hydration, and Vitamin E and other antioxidants such as green tea, pomegranate, grape seed, cucumber and oat kernel extract nourish and protect.

Friday, April 12, 2013

New Natural Berry Harvest: The Dairy-free Shake Alternative



I just heard that Isagenix has release a new DAIRY FREE protein shake.  I really think this is an awesome, if not life changing, solution for my friends out there with different allergies and sensitivity to certain ingredients, hoping this makes someone's day, I know it has made mine!!!    :)

Natural Berry Harvest: The Dairy-free Shake Alternative
IsaLean® Shake Natural Berry Harvest is a premium dairy-free meal replacement shake made from nutritionally complete plant-based protein.
 
Derived from hemp and pea protein, IsaLean Shake in Natural Berry Harvest is loaded with energy-boosting carbohydrates and healthy fats to provide your body with maximum dairy-free nutrition. Ideal for those committed to non-dairy, vegetarian or vegan dietary lifestyles, you’ll be on your way to achieving a healthier body while giving it exactly what it needs. Also a great flavor addition to the IsaLean Shake family.

• Highly digestible with quality, bioavailable, plant-based protein
• Helps maintain and build lean muscle
• Safe for those with dairy allergies or lactose-intolerance
• Sensible and effective for those with soy-based allergies
• Great protein source for vegetarian populations.
 
 

Friday, April 5, 2013

How to Stop Night Time Eating!!

I was a night-time grazer.  I was also an insomniac so I had plenty of time to graze!!  I used this information from Isagenix Health to get past the night eating problem and now I have also solved the sleep problem with our Brain and Sleep Support System.
 
How To Stop Late Night Cravings

It’s 11 p.m. and you’ve just scarfed down a slice of leftover pizza and a few too many Oreo cookies. The satisfying taste of salty and sweet is quickly overcome by guilt, frustration, and what is now an uncomfortably full belly. After eating balanced meals and healthy snacks all day, you are defeated by your late-night craving for junk food
.
How can you avoid this self-defeating debacle? New research shows that eating a high-protein breakfast is the best way to avoid those p.m. cravings.

A study from the University of Missouri-Columbia showed that subjects who ate a high-protein breakfast had increased levels of satiety along with reductions in brain activity responsible for controlling food cravings that lasted into the evening.

The study looked at 20 overweight or obese adolescent females aged 18 to 20 years old. Participants were split into three groups: a high-protein breakfast group that consumed eggs and lean beef, a normal-protein breakfast group that ate ready-to-eat cereal, and a group that skipped breakfast. The breakfasts all consisted of about 350 calories and had similar fat, fiber, and sugar amounts.

The researchers found that those who ate breakfast had increased daily fullness compared to those who skipped, with the high-protein group having the greatest ratings of satiety throughout the day. Additionally, the high-protein group, but not the normal-protein group, had reduced levels of the hormones (ghrelin and peptide YY) that increase appetite compared to the no breakfast group.

With greater satiety and decreased appetite hormones, its no surprise that subjects in the high-protein group reported reduced evening snacking on high-fat foods. As lead researcher Professor Heather Leidy stated in a press release, “Eating a protein-rich breakfast impacts the drive to eat later in the day, when people are more likely to consume high-fat or high-sugar snacks.”

In addition to eating a breakfast rich in protein, here are some breakfast rules to follow so you can avoid late-night binging:

Bump up the Fiber: The faster a meal digests, the sooner you will feel hungry again. Simple sugars found in white flour products like pastries, doughnuts, or bagels can have you battling hunger pangs soon after eating. Make sure your breakfast has at least 5 grams of fiber to keep you feeling fuller, longer.

Don’t Forget the Fat: Fat takes longer to leave the stomach than protein or carbohydrates. Because of this, a little healthy fat can be beneficial in controlling cravings. Of course, a little fat goes a long way so be careful not to go overboard.

The 60-minute Rule: Try to eat your first meal of the day within an hour of waking. The longer a person waits to eat, the greater their hunger may be and it may be more difficult to feel satisfied. This can lead to overeating and making poor food choices. Instead, feed your body with a balanced breakfast and have control over cravings throughout the day.

Want a breakfast that has all the makings of a late-night craving killer? Look no further than Isagenix IsaLean Shakes with 24 grams of high-quality protein, 8 grams of fiber, and a healthy balance of fat, IsaLean Shakes will have you feeling satisfied and confident with your food choice. Also, the ease and convenience of IsaLean Shakes will help you stick to the 60-minute rule so breakfast doesn’t turn into lunch. Say “no” to tempting junk food at night by starting your day off right with Isagenix.

Reference: Leidy HJ, Ortinau LC, Douglas SM, Hoertel HA. Beneficial effects of a higher-protein breakfast on the appetitive, hormonal, and neural signals controlling energy intake regulation in overweight/obese, “breakfast-skipping,” late-adolescent girls. Am J Clin Nutr 2013;97:677-88. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.053116

To find out more about our IsaLean Pro Shakes (with 36g protein), IsaLean Shakes (with 24g protein) or our Brain and Sleep Support System go to our website The Healthy Helms.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Yo-Yo Dieting? -- You Need High Quality Protein


Here is a great article from Isagenix Health.

You know how it is with regular dieting—your long-lost skinny jeans make a temporary reappearance only to be retired to the back of your closet six months later. This frustrating scenario of weight cycling is all too familiar for most people.

Although decreased motivation and will-power greatly contribute to “falling off the wagon”, weight regain is also influenced by biological changes in the body in response to decreased intake of energy or calories. The main biological reason for weight regain is a slowing metabolism. A reduction in calorie intake can make the body become very efficient and work to conserve energy. Unfortunately, this means you are burning fewer calories. Loss of lean tissue (such as muscle) rather than fat mass during weight loss is also to blame for a lower metabolic rate (more on this below).

In a world where yo-yo dieting has become the norm, how does one keep lost pounds off for good?
New research carried out by a group of scientists from the Netherlands reveals that a diet higher than normal in protein may be the key to sustaining permanent weight loss (1). Seventy-two overweight and obese men and women took part in the study, which compared the effects of two reduced-calorie diets after weight was previously lost, the only difference between the diets being that one counted as high protein intake (1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day) and the other as normal protein intake (0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day). After six months, the group eating more protein was found to retain greater muscle mass and a higher rate of metabolism, helping to better keep that lost weight from returning.

Previous studies investigating the effect of energy-restricted, high protein diets on weight maintenance have reached similar conclusions (2). The fat-fighting power of protein lies in its ability to keep energy expenditure elevated as well as curb hunger despite reduced calorie intake.

Rev Up Your Metabolism with Protein

Energy expenditure, or the number of calories burned by the body, is greatly influenced by basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of energy, or rate of metabolism, required to support basic body functions when your body is at rest.

The greatest contributor to BMR is fat-free mass. Fat-free mass is largely made up of muscle, which is very energy demanding. Even when no work is being performed (such as when you are sleeping), muscle requires energy just to exist. Muscle cells and their components are constantly using calories to rebuild what is broken down during normal protein turnover. A higher protein diet not only increases energy-demanding protein synthesis and turnover, but has also shown to better preserve muscle during caloric restriction (1, 2). Keeping muscle mass and turnover rates high results in a higher BMR, faster metabolism, and greater energy expenditure.

The thermic effect of food (TEF) is another factor that affects energy expenditure and refers to the amount of energy needed to break down, absorb, and digest food. The TEF differs between nutrients, with protein requiring more calories for digestion and metabolism than both fat and carbohydrate combined. Specifically, 0 to 3 percent of the calories obtained from fat are used for fat digestion, 5 to 10 percent of calories from carbohydrate are used for carbohydrate digestion, and 20 to30 percent of calories from protein are used for protein digestion (2). This means that protein requires a substantial amount of calories for the body to metabolize and use it compared to the other macronutrients. Simply by eating more protein in place of carbohydrate or fat, a person will burn more calories.

Feel Fuller, Longer with Protein

Successfully committing to a reduced calorie diet can be difficult when you are bombarded by cravings and hunger pangs. Ravenous hunger will only encourage overeating and weight regain. Research has shown higher protein diets to be superior to low or standard protein diets in causing a feeling of fullness, thereby leading to lower calorie intake (2). A reduced calorie diet will lead to greater use of existing fat stores, as a person quickly burns through the energy provided by the food they consume, as well as the carbohydrate stored in the body (glycogen). This increased reliance on fat for fuel has been suggested to reduce appetite.

Protein may also boost satiety by sending hormonal messages to the brain signaling fullness. When protein is eaten, sensors located in the gut are activated. Hormones such as glucagon are released, sending a message to the brain saying, “I’m full!” (3).

Isagenix: Making the higher protein lifestyle easy

Sustaining weight loss over the long term is challenging but not impossible. A higher protein diet offers numerous metabolic advantages that will not only help a person lose weight, but may also prevent regaining pounds, or worse, surpassing your starting weight.
Isagenix offers a variety of convenient and delicious higher protein meals and snacks that can aid weight maintenance efforts. Incorporating these Isagenix snacks and meal replacements in your reduced calorie diet will not only help you get into those skinny jeans, but stay in them, too.

For more information about Isagenix, contact me at newtraditions99@yahoo.com or go to my website The Healthy Helms.

References:
1) Soenen S, et al. Normal Protein Intake Is Required for Body Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance, and Elevated Protein Intake for Additional Preservation of Resting Energy Expenditure and Fat Free Mass. J Nutr. 2013 Feb 27. [Epub ahead of print]
2) Westerterp-Plantenga MS, et al. Dietary protein – its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health. Br J Nutr. 2012 Aug;108 Suppl 2:S105-12. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512002589.
3) Belza A, et al. Contribution of gastroenteropancreatic appetite hormones to protein-induced satiety. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Mar 6. [Epub ahead of print]

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Exercising but Not Losing Fat? Maybe This is the Problem by Dr. Michael Colgan

Dr Michael Colgan -- 14 March 2013
from Isagenix Nutritional Sciences

Image from compareweightlossprogram.com
One of my fat loss clients, has been steadily losing about one pound of fat per week on our nutrition and exercise program, 32 lbs overall. Eager to make a Size 4 for the summer, she thought she wasn’t losing enough. So she joined another gym and hired a trainer.

First week he had her jogging on the treadmill, a hard puff-and-pant exercise for an overweight girl who never jogged. He told her she had to keep going for 30 minutes or she would not lose any fat. Then she had to do an aerobics class for 30 minutes. But she was allowed an oatmeal muffin and some nice organic fruit juices to keep her going. She did both bouts of exercise for five days for one week, then came back to me exhausted, pleading that she had gained weight, and that perhaps ours was the best way.

As often occurs, there were several things wrong with the gym exercise she was given. First, the treadmill jogging was anaerobic for her. That is, she was puffing and panting, indicating a shortage of oxygen. Bodyfat is calorie dense. At 9 calories per gram it needs plentiful oxygen to enable the body to burn it. All endurance athletes know this well. Their VO2 max is the maximum aerobic effort they can make and still burn fat. Any greater intensity and they will turn anaerobic, stop burning fat, quickly burn up all their sugar, and hit the dreaded “wall”.

Second thing wrong; the trainer didn’t give her a diet beyond telling her some healthy things to eat, and he encouraged her to take fruit juice during exercise to keep her going. She told me she also had an oatmeal muffin and juice at the gym beforehand, “or I just couldn’t face it”. We estimated that she had at least 400 calories before starting and another 200-400 during the exercise, about 600-800 extra calories per day, a total of 3,000 – 4,000 extra calories for the five workouts. Bottom line. Any calories you put in your stomach before or during exercise to lose fat, will be preferentially used first by the body. So she was setting herself up to grow plump as a goose.

How much fat did she burn? If you could burn fat perfectly, (remember, no calories in the stomach and no panting) aerobic treadmill work or aerobics classes can use up to 200 calories of fat in an hour. So, if everything was perfect, she could burn a total of 1000 calories (about 4 ounces of fat) over the 5 workouts. Because of the mistakes in her program, likely she burned half that, probably only 500 calories (only 2 ounces of fat loss) over the whole 5 workouts. Meanwhile she ate an extra 3,000 – 4,000 calories, at least half of which would be turned to fat (6-8 ounces of fat gain) just to be able to do the workouts.

For comparison, steady housework uses about 130 fat calories per hour. It’s a good level of effort for burning fat, and costs nothing. Because you are in proximity to food, however, you have to resist eating anything, or you switch to burning mainly sugar. Two hours housework a day will burn far more fat than most gym workouts. Let’s consider perfect fat burning again: 2 hours housekeeping per day x 6 days a week = 12 hours. Twelve hours at 130 calories = 1,560 calories (6 ounces of fat loss) per week. Beats her gym workouts – no contest.

Whenever I see nonsensical gym programs for fat loss I turn back to the rigorous meta-analysis of 25 years of controlled research on exercise and fat loss published in The International Journal of Obesity. These were all medium intense gym programs for fat loss, supervised and motivated by university trainers. They counted only people who attended regularly for 4-6 hours per week. Average weight loss over all the studies was 6.4 lbs in 15 weeks. That’s an average loss of only 7 ounces a week.(1)

The researchers also examined studies that added a reasonable nutrition program to the exercise. Results got much rosier. The same meta-analysis examined the best of the exercise-plus-diet studies over 25 years. In 15 weeks, on a good diet plus 4-6 hours per week in the gym, subjects lost an average of 24.2 lbs. That’s a loss of 1.6 lbs per week.(1)

So, if we compare the exercise alone groups (loss of 6.4 lbs) with the exercise-plus-diet groups (loss of 24.2 lbs), adding the nutrition resulted in a loss of 17.8 lbs of fat. Now you know, no matter what anyone tells you, fat loss is mostly dependent on what and when you eat.

My client is back on her diet track now. After torturing herself very expensively in the gym for 5 hours, our body composition machine showed a gain of 4 lbs, about 3 lbs of water because her body was swollen from the effort, and about 1 lbs of fat. By working out until (in her own words), “my legs turned to Jello”, she had wiped out a week of the fat loss she was getting from a simple diet of two shakes and one meal a day. As I have written many times before, the usual exercise program is excellent at removing fat – but only from your wallet.

If you want to learn more secrets of weight loss go to The Healthy Helms Website.

 1. Miller WC, Koceja DM Hamilton EJ. A meta-analysis of the past 25 years of weight loss research using diet, exercise or diet plus exercise intervention. Int J Obesity, 1997;21:941-947.