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:

newtraditions99@yahoo.com

or visit my website

www.thehealthyhelms.com

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

Donna Helm -- newtraditions99@yahoo.com -- www.thehealthyhelms.com
 

Thermogenesis and Visceral Fat Loss by Dr. Michael Colgan

Dr Michael Colgan
22 March 2013

Thermogenesis is the creation of heat in the body. It occurs mainly through an extraordinary mechanism called brown adipose tissue (BAT), which permits the production of heat directly from bodyfat without going through the energy cycle.(1) 

A hibernating bear for example, can lose 300 lbs of fat while it sleeps, as its body converts bodyfat to BAT, then creates the heat required to prevent it freezing over the winter. 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% -15% of their total energy, and get all of it from bodyfat.

But you have to get your BAT moving. Turn up the inner heat. Exposure to cold is very effective. Bit extreme but it works. I am busy at my annual task 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 right now, every Canadian springtime. 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 defence 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 raise BAT activity nicely. 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 bodyfat 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, 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 lbs of bodyfat, approximately TWICE the bodyfat loss of the control group. Much of the loss was visceral fat from belly and 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. Brain Boost contains high levels of EGCG from green tea, and the e+ shot contains both green tea caffeine and catechins. Take both before your workout and green tea with every meal. It’s a great way to fine-tune abs and buns for the summer, with the bonus of a better brain and more giddy-up to boot.

For more information go to http://www.thehealthyhelms.com/

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.

How to Reduce Your Body Fat Percentage

Image from LiveStrong.com

Wonder how to reduce your body fat percentage?  Here is a great presentation from the LiveStrong  blog.

Click HERE for presentation.

EFT (tapping) To Raise Your Metabolism - Try It, You'll Like It

I have recently started using EFT ("tapping") techniques and have had amazing results (more about that later in this post!!) I found this tapping sequence on "raising your metabolism" on YouTube. I decided to give it a shot and I could feel the difference immediately.  This was not just in my head.  My husband did this sequence with me and he had the same sensation after we completed the rounds!!

At first you don't really have to understand "why" this works ... just follow along with the tapper ... be sure to note how you feel before and after you do the "rounds."

Here is the video:

I know this is going to look and feel stupid (at least that is what I thought at first), but do it anyway ... here is my testimony after my first tapping experience.

Due to my diabetes I have had nerve damage to my toes.  It had become so severe that I couldn't sleep at night due to the "pins & needles" sensations.  I would have to take a scalding hot bath each night to overwhelm those nerves so I could sleep.  My husband talked me into trying EFT for the problem with my toes ... skeptically I agreed.  I did 3 rounds of tapping where the beginning pain was at a "10" and when I finished it was at a "1."  (This process took less than 5 minutes).  That was the first night I went to sleep without pain.  The next night the pain was back, but just in my big toe.  I did one more round of tapping and the pain went away and has not returned, even though it has been over three weeks.

I am not really sure why it worked ... but it did!!!  I hope you have this kind of success with your tapping experience.

Four Days in Gym May Be Better than Six! Just Sayin'

Feeling guilty about not hitting the gym every day? Maybe you shouldn’t, new research suggests.  The New York Times reports on a new study.

Working out four days a week may be at least as beneficial — or even better — than six, according to a new study by sports scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. What’s more, working out as little as a couple times a week can provide substantial health benefits.

The UAB study, published in the journal Exercise & Science in Sports & Medicine, tracked 72 sedentary women — aged 60 to 74 years — who were divided into three groups and asked to follow different exercise regimens for a 16-week period.

The first group exercised twice a week, lifting weights one day and doing aerobic exercises (bike riding or jogging) on another. The second group engaged in four workouts a week, lifting weights twice and riding a bike or jogging on two other days. The third group exercised six days a week, lifting weights three days and doing aerobic workouts on three others.

For each group, researchers gradually increased the intensity of the workout routines to moderate levels to build endurance and muscle strength. By the end of the study, the workouts were 40 minutes long on each exercise day.

The results showed that all of the women lost weight and improved their strength and endurance. In addition, the researchers noted there was virtually no difference in fitness or strength levels among the groups, regardless of whether they exercised two, four, or six times a week.

But the results also indicated that, after four months, the women exercising four times per week were expending far more energy on workout days — by more than 200 additional calories — than they were at the start of the study. They were also burning more calories per workout than either of the other two groups.

The twice-a-week group was expending slightly more energy on each workout day — about an additional 68 calories — than at the start of the study. But, unexpectedly, the six-times-a-week exercisers were actually burning less daily energy — about 150 fewer calories — than at the start of the study. They also complained that the workouts took too much time out of their weeks, and made them less likely to be active when they weren’t formally exercising.

But even the six-day exercisers were not overly fatigued. The researchers also found that their blood levels of stress-related cytokines, believed to measure nervous system changes that may signal stress in the body, were not any higher than women in the other two groups.

The findings contrast with some past studies that have suggested working out only a couple times a week isn’t enough to be beneficial, boost fitness, or lose weight. They also differ from previous research that has indicated vigorous daily exercise may be too physically taxing and can cause problems with the central nervous system and increase stress in the body.

In fact, the UAB team’s findings suggest even two workouts a week can produce substantial benefits and that people who have time and like to exercise almost every day don’t suffer ill effects.

“All groups increased fat-free mass, strength, and aerobic fitness, and decreased fat mass,” the researchers concluded. “No changes were observed in cytokines or perceptions of fatigue/depression.”

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!

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 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

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