I am really enjoying wearing 5 dress sizes smaller! I had to buy new clothes, but what girl doesn’t LOVE getting new clothes? LOL.

I am now up to at least a mile a day on the treadmill now.  I feel much better and definitely look much better.    It really has not been a hard plan to follow.

Sometimes you need to add supplements to your regimen to make sure you get the proper nutrition.  You need to find the best diet supplement for your needs.

Tired of losing at weight loss? Learn how to get your diet going by goal setting, getting a diet buddy, and finding the best diet for you. Learn about smart snacks and diet danger zones. If you’re thinking about weight loss surgery, read our pros and cons.  To find the best diet pill requires extensive research.

Thinking of trying diet supplements? Consumer Price Watch has taken the guesswork out of the buying experience for weight loss pills.  They’ve reviewed over 200 of the top selling diet pills in the world and ranked them to make it easier for you to make a decision.  They based the rankings on:  value, ingredient quality, customer feedback, safety, company reputation, reorder rates, customer service, customer satisfaction, product sensation, packaging, long-term benefits, product convenience, and weight-loss potential.

I have really enjoyed reading The Feel-Good Diet by Cheryle Hart, M.D., and Mary Kay Grossman, RD.  With this book, you will learn how to:

• Stop thinking about food so much
• Eat smaller portions and feel less hungry
• Stop craving the foods that “do you in”

The book includes dozens of delightful new recipes, easy-to-follow meal plans, menu ideas for eating out, and life-enhancing “feel-good” tips for a healthier, happier, and thinner you!

 Hart and Grossman give a basic physiology lesson on how the body’s neurotransmitters including serotonin and insulin affect the delicate balance of the body’s biochemistry. Many of the carbohydrates we eat are responsible for creating an insulin “spike” from the pancreas to counteract the sugar (glucose) levels in the blood.

My favorite part of the book was the Super pH Water you make and drink before each meal to neutralize the acid produced in the body by stress, certain foods, and illness.  Just this one simple routine can make a huge impact in your overall health and improve how you feel.  Our grandparents knew the benefits of natural apple cider vinegar and were wise beyond their years. 

This is a MUST read book!

It is important to research what weight-loss method will work best for your or help you to reach your goal.  Their are diet plans, workout regimens, diet pills, and surgery options out there today. 

Diet pills are a very popular pick for many people.  With so many choices on the market, how is one to know what fits them best?  Diet pills can often be confusing to figure out.  Make sure you really read the fine print before you choose one over the other to make sure you do not have any interaction issues.

This is a very trying time of year for those of us who try to not over-indulge or try to eat modestly healthy.  Many of us just give up and eat, eat, eat.  We promise ourselves that we will diet or eat healthy again after New Years. 

Many turn to fat burning products that are sold over the counter or on the internet.  How can you find the best fat burner?  Check out this site that lists 25 of these products and rates each one.  There are dozens out there, why not read up on them to see which ones work and which ones do not. 

Well, it’s that time again and the stress mounts  on kids, tweens, teens, and parents as school starts.  The stressors include clothes, appearance, grades, peer pressure, sitting in the right seat, getting a good seat in the lunchroom, school violence, gangs, getting the right classes and teachers, sports, clubs, weight, being socially accepted, and not doing anything stupid.  Peer pressure and stress is much higher than when we were in school. 

Many kids and parents feel a growing anxiety over getting  back to school — the morning rush, the dreaded homework and projects, deadlines, and the quicker pace of life in general.  While this doesn’t necessarily mean we do not like school, the advent of the busier lifestyle, along with the new changes that ‘back-to-school’ time brings (new teachers, new classmates, new material) can all lead to increased stress. 

The stress is also on adults as we drop of our kids at school or watch them catch the bus.  Thoughts race through our minds….will they eat a healthy lunch, did we spend enough time on their homework, did we explain it well enough, did we even understand their homework, are they making friends, do they fit in, are we saving enough money for their college education, and the list goes on and on. 

Some of the symptoms of stress in kids show as stomach ache, grumpy mood, crying about going to school, to wanting to stay home.  Fortunately, most children manage to cope with daily stressors in healthy ways, and get through these challenges just fine.  But, it is a fact that chronic stress can take a toll on young bodies and minds.  Every child and adult needs to learn good stress management strategies in order to be successful in life, and moms can help teach and model these skills.  By learning simple, healthy techniques for managing daily stress and pressure when they are young, kids can avoid turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms later on. 

A healthy diet is essential to help the body cope with stress.  Did you know you can reduce your stress just by eating right? Poor nutrition actually contributes to stress.  Despite best intentions, many people find themselves falling short of their recommended daily allowances of fruits and vegetables.  Make sure you incorporate the guidelines for the recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables for your family as much as possible.  Put your family on a good vitamin supplement to make up for the short-comings of their daily intake.  Juice Plus+®  is a great way to make sure everyone gets their recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.  I have my family on both Juice Plus+ and a great Omega 3 Gummy called Brainiums DHA®  by Nutrilite that tastes great!  The key Omega-3 fatty acids you child’s growing brain needs to supoort focus, concentration, and learning.

Here are some quick and easy stress-buster ideas to teach your kids:

• Get regular exercise.  Stress raises the level of the hormone cortisol, which causes unpleasant symptoms like racing heart, sweaty palms, and shortness of breath. Exercises lowers cortisol and raises the level of other brain chemicals that produce the feelings of well-being. 
• Spend time everyday doing something fun.  Read a good book.  Listen to music.  Daydream.  Overscheduled kids are often overstressed kids.  A little downtime is not only ok, it’s crucial. 
• Get adequate sleep and nutrition.  Sleep-deprived, sugar-fueled kids can’t focus, moderate their moods, or think critically about ways to solve problems. 
• Play with a pet.  Medical studies have shown that petting a dog or a cat can significantly lower blood pressure and heart rate.  If your household doesn’t include a furry pet, a friend’s will do.
• Try some deep breathing.  Relaxation exercises are a proven way to reduce the physical and emotional effects of stress.  They don’t have to be complicated; the easiest techniques is to simply take slow, deep breaths to the count of 4, focusing on filling up the lower belly with air and exhaling completely each time.  Repeat for 5-10 minutes for maximum effect.  Kids and adults of any age can benefit from deep breathing in times of anxiety and stress.
• Have an evening relaxing bedtime ritual such as listening to quiet music, doing a relaxation exercise, or just talking together about the events of the day as a way to practice good coping skills on a daily basis.  It will be good for your kids as well as you.

Can’t eat healthy? Always eating and running out the door? Don’t have time to get in 5 servings of fruits and 5 servings of vegetables each and every day?  Most people do not.  While eating the raw fresh fruit or vegetable is best, Juice Plus+^®  is certainly the next best thing to eating whole fruits and vegetables. 

Juice Plus+^® is recommended by Dr. Sears known for his www.AskDrSears.com webpage…here is his story:

           Juice Plus+^® Complete

Each morning I put a scoopful of Juice Plus+® Complete into my fruit and yogurt smoothie. Every day I take my Fruit and Veggie Juice Plus+® Capsules, and dole out Juice Plus+® to our kids in the form of powder, pills, capsules and JP+ Gummies® according to their age and taste.  Then I go to my office and recommend the Juice Plus+® Children Health Study to the families in my pediatric practice, especially those who are sick a lot.

Do I feel passionate about this product? Yes! Here’s why.

In April of 1997 I underwent major surgery for colon cancer, followed by a long course of radiation and chemotherapy.  Realizing that colon cancer, and all major diseases for that matter, are influenced by diet, I was determined not to let my medical problem repeat itself.  So I began devouring medical literature on the connection between diet and health.  During the year following my surgery, I read volumes about nutrition, subscribed to every nutrition journal I could find, put together a collection of over 500 file folders about food and became what my friends tagged a “health nut.” About three months into my new style of eating, I noticed some amazing changes.  My energy level skyrocketed,prompting my wife, Martha to call me “Zip.” We stepped up our ballroom dancing and even beat some of the younger couples in the swing contest.  My mind was working better, too.  I no longer needed glasses.  I just plain felt good all over – mind and body – and finally learned what it is to experience real well-being.  Too bad I had to get sick in order to learn to eat right instead of eating right to keep from getting sick. 

Why was I feeling so good?  The answer seemed clear: I was putting the right fuel into my body that made it run better. As a father of eight, author of 28 books, a pediatrician at the peak of his career I was going to do everything to keep my health up and not let the cancer reoccur.  Talk about motivation!  During my quests for what constitutes good health I devoured books and articles about supplements and discovered that one of the secrets of good health is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables that contain disease fighting chemicals called “phytonutrients.”  I call them “phytos” for short.  The same phytos that help keep the plants healthy help keep our bodies healthy. Even thousands of years ago Hippocrates said, “let food be thy medicine.”  As I studied the parade of supplements out there I’ve concluded that whatever supplement I take must have good science and make good sense. 

That’s how I came across Juice Plus+®.  It had good science behind it and made good sense. A whole food based supplement! Whole foods, a bunch of the healthiest fruits and vegetables, juiced and dried at low temperatures, removing the water, sugar, salt and bulk. These nutritious juice powders are then put into capsules, chewables and gummies! Intrigued by this concept of packaged phytos I realize my life depended upon eating the right foods and taking the right supplements.  So, I did my life saving detective work.  While visiting the company where Juice Plus+® is made I saw first hand the care and quality that went into this product.  In examining their independent research I discovered that they had measured the blood levels and found that disease-fighting “phytos” go way up after taking Juice Plus+®.  This was a vital discovery since it’s not what’s on the package label that’s important, it’s how much gets into the body.  Finally I grilled the company executives.  They were honorable people.  The combination of good science, good sense and a reputable company convinced me that this would be my supplement of choice. 

Since taking Juice Plus+® daily and following an overall healthy eating and exercise program I have not even had so much as a cold, even though my wonderful little patients share their germs with me everyday. The parents of children who are sick a lot often thank me: “Since my children have been taking Juice Plus+® they haven’t been sick as often.”  Juice Plus+® is now the only whole food supplement I take. I’m pleased to recommend the joy of taking Juice Plus+®. to everyone who takes their health seriously. ~Dr. William Sears~

Juice Plus+^® :

• delivers key phytonutrients that are absorbed by the body
• reduces oxidative stress
• helps support a healthy immune system
• helps protect DNA
• positively impacts several key indicators of cardiovascular wellness

Is Juice Plus+^®  as good as eating fruits and vegetables? There’s no complete substitute for eating the real thing. But how many people actually eat such a wide variety of raw fruits, vegetables and grains every single day? Juice Plus is a convenient way to ensure you and your family get all the benefits over time from adding more nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. These benefits include prevention of cancer and chronic illness, stronger immune system to protect against disease, slower aging, healthier heart and lower cholesterol.

One very important factor about fruits and vegetables that is often neglected by Americans is that they need to be eaten raw. Heat destroys the enzymes, fiber, and other active nutrients present in raw foods. In order to receive all the benefits of fruits and vegetables we need to eat them fresh and uncooked.

How many of us actually eat five servings of raw fruits and vegetables every day? Most Americans may eat an orange with breakfast and maybe an apple with lunch. We are pretty good at making sure we finish our one or two cooked vegetables at dinnertime. However, virtually all of us fall far short of the quantity of raw fruits and vegetables required to protect us from cancer, chronic disease, infection, high cholesterol and heart disease. Very few of us are receiving the nutrition required to help our bodies run smoothly and efficiently and to maximize our potential for a healthy life.

It is difficult to get adults to consume their share of fruits and vegetables, but trying to coax children, from toddlerhood through the teenage years, to eat enough of them is near impossible. Many parents worry about their two-year-old who barely seems to eat anything at all or the busy teenager on-the-go who doesn’t sit down to eat. The active nutrients in fruits and vegetables can maximize the physical and intellectual development of our children as they grow through the school-age years.

What is Juice Plus+^® ?      Juice Plus+^®  is more than extra vitamins and minerals. It is actually a whole food supplement. The fruit capsules are made from apples, oranges, pineapples, cranberries, peaches, cherries, papayas, dates and prunes. The vegetable capsules are made from carrots, barley, parsley, beets, kale, broccoli, cabbage, oats, spinach, tomatoes.

How is Juice Plus+^®  made? The fresh fruits and vegetables are juiced, then dehydrated to a powder form. It’s carefully tested to ensure no pesticides or other contaminants are present in the product. It is never exposed to high temperatures that would destroy the nutritional value of the fruits and vegetables. Most of the vitamins, minerals, active plant enzymes, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and fiber are preserved in the final capsules. When re-hydrated with water, the nutrients are absorbed into our bodies as if we had eaten the fruits and vegetables whole.

This all may sound complicated, but the simple truth is that Juice Plus+^® is the best way to get your entire family to reap all the benefits of a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables.

Do your children get sick all the time?

Do you frequently feel tired and run-down?

Is there a strong family history of cancer or heart disease in your family?

Is it nearly impossible to get your children to eat fruits and vegetables?

Are you lacking the recommended 7 servings of raw fruits and vegetables each day?

If the answer to any of these is yes, then Juice Plus+^® is extremely important for you and your family. 

Juice Plus+^® comes in three forms:

• capsules for adults
• chewable tablets for older children
• great tasting gummy bears for toddlers and younger children

Eat the fruit capsules at breakfast and the vegetable capsules at dinner with a glass of water to rehydrate them.

I am very excited about Juice Plus+^® and have seen the benefits in myself and my children. Our physician recommended for us to try it, and we are glad we did.  Start your family on Juice Plus+^® today and see the benefits over a lifetime!

Certain foods deliver amazing health perks, but did you knoow scientists have now discovered how to amplify these benefits merely by seasoning fruits and veggies with key indredients? Amazing, but true!

Unfortunately, most people get nowhere near the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables each day. 

“Eat more fruits
and vegetables.”

It’s the one recommendation in almost every diet plan, every guide to nutrition, every fitness book. Even organizations such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the World Health Organization, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion agree. But as much as it’s preached, most people still don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables every day.  Juice Plus+^®  helps fill that gap making it easier to make sure you and your family meet the recommended daily requirments for fruit and vegetable servings. 

Memory Improvement 

USDA research has shown that eating just 1 cup of raspberries daily can double the average person’s intake of anthocyanins.  These plant pigments mop up nerve damaging free radicals and improve cellular function.  The study subjects who ate anthocyanin rich foods such as raspberries experienced a 100% improvement in short-term memory within only eight weeks! (First)

We can amplify this effect by sprinkling them with ground flaxseed.  Flaxseed’s phytic acid helps to keep the anthocyanins in the body for 6 hours after consumption.  The beneficial dose of ground flaxseed = 1 Tbs. per cup of raspberries. (First)

Better Eyesight

Eating 1 cup of coleslaw twice weekly reduces a woman’s risk of developing cataracts and other vision problems by a startling 52% according to Harvard University research.  Cabbage’s indole-3-carbinol (I3C), sulforaphane and vitamin E is responsible for the benefit.  These three antioxidants work synergistically to repair ocular tissue. (First)

Toss in some sesame seeds to amplify this benefit.  Adding 2 Tbs. of sesame seeds to each cup of coleslaw will block the decomposition of vitamin E in the body which, in turn, raises the internal levels by 19%. (First)

 For Pain-Free Joints

Green tea’s polyphenol catechins reduce a woman’s risk of suffering from achy joints by as much as 53%, according to studies at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University.  The catechins mop up the free radicals that would do long-term damage to delicate joint tissue.  The proven dose is about 4 cups of green tea daily. (First)

If you flavor it with a twist of lemon, the ascorbic acid can safeguard catechins against breakdown increasing the body’s absorption by 80%.  (First)

Cold Defense

One-half cup of sweet potato fries daily reduces the risk of catching a cold by an average of 33%.  Sweet potatoes are packed with beta-carotene which revs the immune system’s output of virus-fighting T cells. (First)

Dusting them with black pepper improves the body’s absorption of beta-carotene by up to 60%.  Black pepper is loaded with piperine, a plant alkaloid that stimulates the gallbladder’s output of bile salts.  These compounds help separate beta-carotene from theh fiber in food, allowing it to enter cells more easily. (First)

Slimming Effortlessly

Spinach is a top source of lipoic acid, an antioxidant that jump-starts production of appetite-taming leptin within the body’s fat cells.  Lipoic acid absorbs into cells’ energy-producing mitochondria, where it helps convert blood sugar into fuel.  Eating 3 cups of spinach weekly can help women shed up to 5% of their weight while nearly doubling their energy.  (First)

Top it with walnuts enhances the body’s absorption of lipoic acid by 430%, according o one study.  Sprinkle 1 oz of walnuts on your next spinach salad. (First)

 Radiant Skin

Mushrooms are as rich in antioxidants as many colorful veggies.  One of the most powerful is L-ergothioneine which defends against and may even reverse some signs of UV damage to the skin. (First)

Add a pat of butter which can triple the body’s absorption of L-ergothioneine without causing weight gain, thanks to its blood sugar-balancing abilities.  Butter’s fats bind to plant chemicals, helping them to be shuttled through the digestive tract more readily. (First)

I know after learning this, I will certainly try to eat more of these foods together.  Anytime you can gain health benefits from foods rather than a pill, I am all for it!  Happy eating!

First.  “You-on top of the world.” September 1, 2008.  pp 16-17.