Here is one truly inspirational story: Jo Cantle: “My weight loss journey”

I am delighted to be able to share Jo’s story with you as this is probably one of the most inspirational stories I have come across as Jo has put so much thought into this in order to really inspire those that are ready to take action. She has shared not only her results and how she achieved it, but the entire mind set one needs to have to achieve long term weight loss and health. Thank you so much for allowing me to share your story, Jo, you are an inspiration on many different levels and your determination will never fail you!

(‘Not to be copied without prior permission’)

“I’ve written this for information purposes only and hope that it may help or inspire others to take action. Plus it has always been a personal goal of mine to write my own weight loss testimonial, like I’ve read and admired in so many magazines over the years that I’ve been trying to lose weight.

I have been overweight for as long as I can remember and always would have described myself as ‘the wrong side of slim’ as I was always the slightly bigger one than my friends at school. When I was 7 my parents moved my sisters and I from Birmingham to Weston-super-Mare, where they bought a business….a General Stores called The Chocolate Box – so it was mainly sweets they sold, as you can imagine for a 7 year old – I was literally a ‘kid in a candy store’ and I feel that this was possibly where my weight issues developed.

As I got older and became aware of being larger I of course tried various ways to control my weight, although I’m happy to say, that I was always sensible enough (or was that I just liked my food too much) that I didn’t go the dodgy route of starving myself or purchasing unsafe pills etc – my first real diet that I can remember was at 14 where I think I lost about 7lbs and felt fabulous – however it soon came back on and then what followed for the next 10+ years was some serious yo-yo dieting.

While at Art College, I ate and drank all the wrong stuff as many students do. I ate on the run and drank copious amounts of alcohol and knew little about a healthy diet and continued that style of eating after I left college and moved back to Weston with my husband Colin.

Once in Weston my weight steadily progressed up to a size 22. My husband is naturally quite slim and seems to be able to eat a lot (however I have studied his eating patterns and actually what he does is manage his weight naturally through eating when he’s hungry – now there’s a revelation!). Anyway, I used to match his portions and ate what he did and I got steadily bigger. By the age of 26 I was at my biggest and my doctor was warning me about high blood pressure – having lost my Dad 4 years earlier to a heart attack, I knew I had to take control of my lifestyle.

Colin & I decided to get married in 1998 and I was determined not to be a fat bride, so I joined a club and lost 5 stone – looking back it was not the programme, it was my determination that helped me succeed. I do remember feeling hungry most of the time, which caused a ricochet effect once the wedding was over, as I then made up for the lack of eating during the previous year by making sure I ate everything and proceeded to regain 3 stone.

One positive thing that came from that programme was I became seriously passionate about exercise – in particular running, and had trained myself from running for 5 mins around the block (and then collapsing in a heap) to running over 10 miles at a time. So we then set ourselves a target of running the London Marathon which we did in 1999 in just over 5 hours. This controlled my weight gain to a certain extent, but as any avid runner knows, they advise you carb-load prior to long races – and if you continue to carb-load after racing (which I did) – you gain weight!

Fast forward to 2002 – I was probably at the end of my tether with my weight and certainly an emotional low point, I had tried hypnosis, magazine plan after plan, I had a pile of diet books each discarded as I felt hungry, tired and just completely fed up and really felt I was destined to be fat all my life. I had also become an Aerobics Instructor – but as my eating was all wrong – I was never going to be the shape and size I really dreamed of being.

It was at this point I went searching not for a weight loss solution one day, but a work from home solution, as I was in a personal situation which meant I had to find a way to make more income. This is when I came across Herbalife, now I was very sceptical because it was something that I hadn’t considered before, but once I understood that it was a programme that was built on a very sound nutritional philosophy of over 20 years – it made sense to join the company and use the programme.

So I got started on the programme at which point I was a size 18/20 – within a month I had dropped to a size 16 (sometimes 14 depending on where I shopped). I continued to use the products for weight management, good health and sports nutrition, but the truth is, I got too relaxed with my result and was so busy running our business I forgot that my results ARE my business. Colin & I are fortunate to be asked to be guest speakers and train quite a lot at the Herbalife seminars and when you’re up on stage – you are a representative of the brand, and I was not confident that I was representing the brand that I’m so very proud of.

So in August last year I took some steps to correct this…here is my 4 point plan.

1) I made a decision to lose 30lbs, I didn’t have a time scale in mind, but I knew I wanted to lose 30 lbs and I had also been inspired by friend & fellow distributor Tina Garrett-Clarke who I’d seen lose over 49lbs the previous year (and she’s a Mum of 4, so if she could do it I could too!)

2) I visualised my outcome by getting pictures of bodyshapes I could aspire to and pasting my head onto them, and also wrote out some positive statements.

3) I worked out a plan for myself based on all the knowledge that I have about protein, carbs, calories, exercise and water. I used the Herbalife products (Formula 1, 2 and the Thermo Beverage + others as it makes it easier than trying to work it all out for yourself – this way it was done for me!)

4) I gave myself accountability in the form of agreeing with my dear friends Ian & Karen Goulding that we would set ourselves a challenge and over a 12 week period we emailed each week our results. We then started another 12 week stint straight after.

By Christmas I’d lost over 25lbs and then Christmas, New Year and my birthday got in the way and I ‘relaxed’ a bit – but due to the plan I was following and the control that the Herbalife programme gives me I only regained about 2lbs.

I’ve just got started with a 6 week Distributor Weight Loss Challenge, which is keeping me on track. So I’ve now lost over 2 stone and 55 cms – and I’m fitter and healthier than I’ve ever been.

I’ve increased my exercise as I also had given myself a target of competing in the 2009 London Triathlon with one of my team members, Becky Reeve, and I’m doing the running section which I want to complete in a respectable time So I run or go to the gym 4-5xs per week – which I just LOVE!

Key Things I’ve learned – Which I Hope will Help Others….

1) Loving yourself is one of the biggest gifts you can give to yourself and those around you – and if you’re not sure where to start then I recommend Louise Hay “You Can Heal Your Life”

2) Change starts with making a decision and backing it up with a plan of action

3) Giving yourself accountability is important to help you in those times when you feel like giving up (that’s why we do follow up with our clients)

4) Guilt about eating something doesn’t serve you, it’s more likely to send you bingeing, so get over it, enjoy it and forgive yourself, and be better tomorrow.

5) Balance is the key, if I want to have a meal out or enjoy a slice of cake that my Mum has made, I’ll eat it, the Herbalife programme is designed that you can still do that and enjoy yourself.

6) You have to rethink your bodyshape and think of yourself as slim (hence the visualisation), because otherwise your brain will always sabotage your results, by returning you back to your original state of being overweight.

So thank you for reading, I hope you have found it of interest, I continue on my journey, but it’s now a highly enjoyable road, I now truly feel I will be slim for life!”

If you would like to contact Jo regarding her story, here are her contact details: Jo Cantle, Tel 07984 471 271, Email Address healthy_future@btinternet.com or visit her site at www.future-slim.com

Keep Fit with Fit Foods!

Why should you bother to exercise? What should you do and how would you squeeze it into your busy lifestyle, where would you go?

Questions, questions… and everybody else is “doing it” except you, so you’ll feel silly and look out of shape… won’t you?

Wrong! It’s NEVER too late to start a fitness plan, activity isn’t just for under 30s! In fact, your body is probably aching for you to get lively and shake off some human “rust”, after all, the body is designed for activity. If it’s allowed to get too comfortable, it begins to seize-up, fatten-up and generally degenerate.

Think long-term!
Whatever age you are, moderate exercise can only increase your physical well-being. It builds and strenghtens muscles, improves skeletal density (helps keep osteoporosis at bay), gets your heart pumping and oxygenates the body, helps to shift plaque from the arteries, helps mobilise toxins trapped in fat cells, uses up stored fat reducing body weight and many more incredible benefits.

Your commitment to a long-term fitness routine is the best way to avoid an old age ruined by poor health. On top of all this, activity is fun, you meet new people, you discover talents you never knew you had, and, you will look and feel GREAT!

You only get one body so start today!

It is not a science, but having the right information before you start will help you get off to a good start!

Poor fuel= poor performance!
To maintain, or gain, a fit body, the quantity and quality of the fuel you use for energy affects not just your size (excess fat), but your health. Just like a car, good fuel burns clean and bad fuel leaves toxins behind when it burns (in your body!). Fast foods and junk stresses the body with toxic deposits. You need to combine correctly balanced, optimal nutrition with regular activity – the reward – improved long term health!

The importance of optimal nutrition…
People who exercise on a regular basis need to ensure that their body is provided with an abundance of quality nutrients. This is because your nutrient intake is shared between growth, repair and energy output.

Strenuous exercise naturally streses body cells, and this results in increased cell damage and destruction, which therefore need additional nutrients for recovery and repair. In a healthy body, with every second that passes, around 5,000,000 cells die through wear and tear. These are immediately replaced through the body’s continual cell division process. However, a poor nutrient supply coupled with intense training puts pressure on this process, because food is divided between all other bodily functions too.

WATER
Before anything else, ensure you have consumed enough water to prevent dehydration during exercise. Water should also be consumed regularly during and after exercise.

• Muscles are approximately 75% water
• Water is lost in perspiration and through breathing
• Dehydration raises body temperature and energy is then drawn away from the muscles to cool the body down, affecting overall performance.

Aloe Vera makes plain water even more refreshing, with the added bonus that it possesses soothing and cleansing properties beneficial to the digestive tract. Remember to take a water bottle topped with Herbal Aloe Concentrate before you leave…

• Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver, and for each molecule of carbohydrate, nine molecules of water are bound, when the glycogen is released for energy, so is the water.

Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates (whole grain bread and cereals, pasta, potatoes, beans, fruit) are easily assimilated and made available by the body for energy. The fibre in these foods helps to slow the release of sugar providing longer-lasting energy.

• Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram
• Fat provides 9 calories per gram

By cutting out saturated fats and fatty foods you can enjoy additional energy in the form of carbohydrate fuel.

Protein
Dietary protein supplies the body with 25 amino acids, commonly referred as “building blocks”, which are used for repair and growth. Every cell in the body uses protein.

• Protein is a third source of energy if carbohydrates/ fat stores are depleted.
• Protein comes from both vegetable and animal sources.
• Protein assists in maintaining muscle mass and when combined with over-load training, it assists in building muscle mass.
• No two people have the same protein needs – your weight, muscle to fat ratio, health status, dietary intake and the quality of protein you choose, determine how much you need as an individual.

Protein as an energy source can dehydrate the body, so, if you are on a high protein low carbohydrate diet, remember to drink plenty of water!

As with carbohydrates and fats, if you eat more protein than your body needs, the excess will be converted and stored as fat.

Fat
There are two “good” fats vital to health: Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids. Saturated fats and monosaturated fats are not essential though can be used for energy.

Good fats are converted into prostaglandis, which are dynamic hormon-like substances that help keep the blood this preventing clogged arteries, lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation, control blood cholesterol and fat levels, support the immune system and brain function, improve nerve function and regulate blood sugar. We can not survive without good fats!

Fat Loss – Muscle Gain!
Muscle fibres are heavier than fat, so, if you are trying to lose weight and exercise 3-4 times a week, don’t be surprised if you actually put some weight on! This naturally occurs as the stored fat is used as fuel and lean muscle tissue is gradually formed.

Regular exercise helps to increase and sustain an efficient fat-burning metabolism.

Aerobic Exercise
Jogging, tennis, swimming, walking, cycling are all examples of this less strenuous, sustained form of exercise. To benefit, the heart rate needs to reach 80% of its maximum for a minimum of 20 minutes. Aerobic exercise reduces blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, supports cardiovascular health and helps stabilise blood sugar levels.

What happens when you exercise?
When you exercise, the stressing of the muscles causes muscle tissue to break down, this is known as “catabolism”. The body then has to rebuild the muscles fibres, known as “anabolism”. Both processes use up energy. With regular exercise routine, muscles fibres multiply, gow larger, increase in growth, have more access to oxygen, and consequently, need more fuel (increasing their fat burning potential). The key to a fat-burning exercise routine is to maintain aerobic activity at a constant, comfortable level where the heart rate is sufficiently increased without unnecessary stress on the body, ideally 30-40 minutes, three times a week, taking a day’s break for repair between each session. Doing less than this amount of exercise will not encourage the body to use stored fat, as fat is stored away from muscle tissue and is not tapped into until glycogen stores in the muscles have been reduced.

Doing more than this can over-work and stress the body. To avoid muscle and joint injuries, always do a 10 minute warm-up and warm-down (stretching) before and after each session.

Supplementation
Exercise requires more than just fuel for energy, many micronutrients are also used up in the process. To help minimise oxidative stress, neutralise free radicals and top up the body’s daily needs for vitamins and minerals, include a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement, and antioxidant supplement.

The Ultimate Superfood
If you are considering an exercise routine, Formula 1 is the perfect partner. It provides the ultimate clean-burning, easily absorbed and assimilated fuel. Formula 1 has been scientifically formulated to supply balanced protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and fibre, to ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs for optimum performance.

Think long-term fitness
So, in a nutshell, avoid saturated fats, drink water before, during and after exercise; exercise every other day, exercising on a full stomach can impair digestion and cause cramps; eat both animal and vegetable protein; supplement with Herbalife Multivitamin and mineral complex and antioxidants; to avoid injury, always warm-up and warm-down before a workout with a 10 minute stretching routine; ensure you balance activity with relaxation and quality sleep!

Be consistent!

The Power of Protein: Understanding Protein

Protein is the basic material of all living things. Our bodies are made up of 25% protein. Protein itself is made up of small building blocks called amino acids. There are nine essential amino acids, needed by the body for optimum function, and several non-essential but beneficial amino acids.

Recommendation for protein intake are often based on animal food sources such as meat, eggs and milk. However, a high consumption of animal protein often equals a high consumption of fat.

Soy, on the other hand, is the highest quality plant protein available. Soybeans are the only vegetable cource that contain complete protein. This means that soybeans provide all nine essential amino acids. And the quality is equal to that of milk, meat and egg protein, but with no extra fat. Soy protein is long-acting and slowly metabolised.

Whey protein provides amino acids and mixes well with milk to create smooth, creamy shakes. Whey protein is fast acting and quickly metabolised.

Why do we need protein?
We need protein to stay strong and healthy. If we don’t eat protein our bodies will steal it from our muscles and organs. In fact, protein is essential for the development of our muscles, which lead to an increase in the burning of calories. Our muscles could be described as “fat furnaces” as they keep our metabolism running high.

The Carbohydrate Confusion
Traditionally, we were taught that carbohydrates should provide our body with its primary supply of energy. However, many people have confused fast-releasing carbohydrates (pasta, cakes) and slow releasing carbohydrates (whole grains, vegetables), eating too many of the former – the tempting, convenient, tasty variety! Most of us lead sedentary lives, so any excess energy (from carbohydrate-rich food) is stored as body fat.

Today’s over-consumption of fast-releasing carbohydrates on a daily basis is creating a global population of “overweight” carbohydrate-eaters!

Our bodies need a balanced diet for optimum health. The right daily intake of protein, carbohydrates and fats are determining factors when we try to achieve optimum health and weight.

It makes sense then to reduce your carbohydrate intake, choose “good “unsaturated” fats that provide research-proven health benefits, ensure you eat plenty of fresh wholefoods such as fruit and vegetables, and increae your protein intake in line with your body’s needs. Remember to use lean protein that does not contain significant levels of fat.

Protein helps to satisfy!
When you eat a balanced diet with the right balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates for your body, your appetite is also satisfied, reducing the desire to snack!

See how well this method works for you if you are trying to lose weight while battling hunger-pangs between meals:

1. Optimise you protein and nutritional intake with Formula 1 and lose weight!
2. Choose slow-releasing carbohydrates foods (whole grains)
3. Increase you intake of “live” foods (fresh fruit and vegetables)
4. Eat regular meals spaced throughout the day
5. Identify your body’s protein needs and consume the amount you need!

How much protein do you need?
On average:
• Women need 100g protein per day
• Men need 150g protein per day

Soy! All the goodness of high quality protein, with minimal fat!
Soy protein is one of the highest quality plant proteins available. It is an excellent source of amino acids, in addition to containing antioxidants.

Herbalife’s Personalised Protein Powder or Formula 3 helps you to match your ideal personal protein intake in line with your body’s needs. Its neutral flavour means you can add it to your Formula 1 nutritional meal replacement shake!

Personalised Protein Powder supplies a special blend of whey and soy proteins, and allows you to customise your diet with the right amount of protein, and minimal additional calories. Each 6g serving contains 5g of protein.

How do I include protein in my diet?
If your target protein intake is 100g per day, here is an example of how you can consume 100g every day:

Breakfast: Any flavour Formula 1 Nutritional Meal Replacement Shake with2 scoops of Formula 3 (Personalised Protein Powder (29g)
Lunch: Any flavour Formula 1 Nutritional Meal Replacement Shake with2 scoops of Formula 3 (Personalised Protein Powder (29g)
Snack: Herbalife’s chocolate covered Protein Bar (12g)
Dinner: Balanced Meal with lean chicken, wholegrain rice, vegetables and salad (30g)

Total protein: 100g

If one needs over 100g of protein per day, you can have additional 1-2 protein snacks: choose from our Protein Bars of Soy Beans (12g of protein per serving) and you can also add an extra spoon of protein powder to your shake or meal.

Formula 1 Nutritional Meal Replacement Shakes are loaded with heart-healthy protein. They include essential vitamins and minerals to provide all the nutrition of a meal with a minimum of calories.

This morning, for a moment, I panicked…

There was a pit of a panic in the kitchen this morning. For the past five years, today happens to be one of those totally rare occasions when there was no milk in the fridge. Or juice. Or oranges to make a juice. Well, basically, there was nothing I could make my shake with. Apart from water, but I was just not ready to go that far. Not today. Hey, it is a weekend afterall and, if I was not going to have a smooth, delicious, nutritious chocolate mocca shake, I’ll try to make the most delicious but equally nutritious breakfast. Regular breakfast that is.

I set off on the quest to feed my body with something as nutritious as my shake would be and this is what I came up with:

100gr of low fat Cottage Cheese: 12gr of protein/ 114 cal (low fat cottage cheese is an excellent dairy option as it contains a fraction of fat compared to other cheeses and is high in protein)

2 medium Scrambled Eggs in a pan sprayed lightly with olive oil: 15 gr of protein/ 200 cal (Eggs can significantly contribute towards intake of B2, E, Nicotinic Acid. Iron is present, but not well absorbed. High in cholesterol, but most experts agree that this should not be a problem for those who watch their diet, limit weekly intake of eggs and whose blood cholesterol is normal)

Medium 1/2 Avocado: 75 cal (very good source of vitamin E and monosaturated fats, and contains many other vitamins and minerals)

Slice of granary bread: 5gr protein/ around 200 cal (for people following a calorie restricted diet, dark rye bread is a good choice as it has medium glycaemic index, unlike wheat loaves which have a high glycaemic index, and so keeps hunger at bay for longer. I was not concerned about that as long as it is wholesome)

1/2 a Red Pepper (While green peppers are one of the best vegetable sources of vitamin C, red peppers are much higher in beta carotene and are also very high in vitamin C. I have recently read that they contain natural painkiller capsaicin, clinically proven to be effective when rubbed on joints as a cream; the same effect may be gained by eating peppers and may be useful against arthritis pain)

1 long Celery Stick (a phytochemical in celery can lower blood pressure)

5 Fresh Cherry Tomatoes (Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, the antioxidant phytochemical which is important to prevent heart disease and cancers. Tomatoes also contain the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E.

Naturally, I also had my Formula 2 Multivitamin supplement, 1500mg Vitamin C Tablet, 2 x Omega 3 Herbalifeline Tablets and XtraCal Tablets.

All in all, I consumed just over 600 calories, which would mean that after regular lunch and dinner on top and after a few days of that regime, I would definitely start puttinf on weight, which is what happens to the most of the people. Without bread and avocado, I could have had breakfast with 400 calories, but my aim was not to eat low calorie meal as the only such meal I would attempt to have is Herbalife meal replacement shake. If you cut on calories, you cut on nutrition too. How can anyone think that a bowl of porridge has even closely enough to FEED your body, or a couple of toasts, etc? I say FEED, i.e. nourish, not just fill up the stomack! No wonder one already feels peckish by mid morning!

I then went and compared what I have consumed with what one gets from one shake:

Vitamin A = (equivalent to) 120g cheddar cheese (47% EU RDA)
Vitamin C = 100g boiled cabbage (29% EU RDA)
Vitamin D = 50g tinned tuna (50% EU RDA)
Vitamin E = 50g dry roasted cashew nuts (51% EU RDA)
Vitamin B6 = 100g cooked lentils (33% EU RDA)
Vitamin B12 = two raw eggs (154% EU RDA)
Calcium = 80g tofu (52% EU RDA)
Zinc = 85g cooked crab (32% EU RDA)
Magnesium = 248ml carrot juice (18% EU RDA)
Iron = 155g cooked beef steak (38% EU RDA)
Potassium = 100g cooked soya beans (NA)
Copper = one avocado (NA)
Selenium = 90g cooked liver (NA)
Dietary Fibre = four slices wholemeal bread (20% EU RDA)

All that for 220 calories! It really has everything your body needs in the morning, energy, nutrition, hydration!

One of the recent comments I had when mentioning the shake was that they prefer to eat “normal” food and have something to chew. Well, we definitely are on different planes of existance. There is nothing one can say to that (and I will not repeat what my husband’s comment to that was), perhaps apart from – “I value my health very much and appreciate the nourishment I get from the shake.” No, there is no point saying anything…

When people say that, they obviously enjoy food as I do, but they think of immediate pleasures that food give them, while I, on the other hand, always project what my health will be when I am fifty or sixty and beyond and I am prepared to invest whatever it takes in my health and make healthy choices at any given time to make sure I have healthy heart, enjoy healthy digestion and, eventually, that I age healthily.

On the other hand, there are people I mention the shake to and they automatically switch on and see it as a brilliant replacement for one of their meals they most struggle to get right. Sometimes it is breakfast for busy mums, sometimes lunch for busy professionals.

One thing I do know – You can not say the wrong thing to the right person!

OK, I hope I made my point. I really had to get this one out as it was a different breakfast and a whole new experience for me in a long time, I am talking years now. It is good to make a change every once in a while, although, I think I will stick to my morning shake for a long while now. Because, for me, it just makes the whole lot of sense. That is all!

Off to stock up on milk now, I know what I’ll have for lunch!

P.S. By the way, it is past midday and I am still full after that breakfast. So, protein and complex carbs combination works, shake or otherwise, but I prefer to save on breakfast calories and be able to “go wild” with my lunch or dinner, or both! I really LOVE my food, can’t you tell?

Herbalife Dispels Five Myths about Metabolism…

LOS ANGELES: (BUSINESS WIRE): Jan. 15, 2009: We often blame ’slow metabolism’ for our inability to keep our weight under control. But what is metabolism, exactly? And, is there anything we can do to change our metabolic rate?

“Metabolism refers to all the chemical processes that take place in the body in order to sustain life – processes that allow you to breathe, pump blood, keep your brain functioning and extract energy from your food,” says Susan Bowerman, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D. and a consultant to Herbalife. “Your basal metabolic rate refers to the number of calories your body uses each day, at rest, just to keep all your vital organs functioning.”

The metabolic rate is directly related to your body composition. Every pound of body fat you have burns only about 2 calories a day. But the rest of you – your lean body mass – burns about 14 calories per pound each day. A big portion of your lean body mass is made up of muscle, so one of the best things you can do to boost your metabolic rate is to build up muscle through strength training. And, make sure to take in adequate protein from the diet, which helps to build and maintain lean muscle, too.

Here are the facts surround five myths about metabolism:

Myth: Aging slows your metabolism.

Truth: People do tend to put on weight as they get older – but it’s typically because they tend to exercise less, or less vigorously, than they used to – and that means fewer calories burned per day. As a result, loss of muscle mass can occur which reduces the body’s lean body mass – which results in a slower metabolic rate. Cardiovascular exercise to burn calories and strength training to preserve or build up muscle are great defenses against age-related weight gain.

Myth: You’re stuck with the metabolism you have and you can’t change it.

Truth: While it may appear that there are people who eat all the time and never seem to gain, chances are they make healthy, relatively low calorie selections naturally. Many of these “lucky” people also burn more calories simply because they move more – they might fidget more, or get up from their desks frequently during the day to stretch, or walk down the hall to talk to a colleague instead of e-mailing. So, once you’ve made the commitment to boost your metabolism by building more muscle, use those muscles more by moving around frequently throughout the day.

Myth: You burn more calories digesting ice-cold foods and beverages than foods that are room temperature or warmer.

Truth: In a laboratory, very slight increases in calorie burn have been measured in people who drink very cold beverages. But the change is too small (amounting to about 10 more calories burned per day) to have any meaningful impact on weight loss.

Myth: If you cut calories, your metabolic rate will slow down, so what’s the point?

Truth: It is true that your metabolic rate can slow a bit when you cut calories – your body’s natural inclination is to try to conserve calories as best it can. But, these decreases are relatively small, and if you become more active as you lose weight, you can offset these small changes. With a combination of diet AND exercise, you can help to preserve the rate at which your body burns calories.

Myth: If you stop eating at night, when your metabolism is slower, you’ll lose more weight.

Truth: When people lose weight because they stop eating after a certain time of day, it’s only because they’ve cut their overall calorie consumption – not because they are eating their calories earlier in the day. Consuming all your calories before the sun goes down won’t speed up your weight loss unless you also eat fewer calories than you need.

Source: Herbalife Ltd., press release

City of Bath Weight Loss Challenge: losing weight with a difference!

Inspired by the latest Government initiatives to cut obesity, exciting new, revolutionary initiative, 12 Week Weight Loss Challenge Workshop, comes to the City of Bath, and there could be one around you too!

Eating healthily and lowering the risk of obesity related diseases does mean that each of us need to take personal responsibility. However, it is easier said than done as getting into the weight loss balance is a science as a long term weight loss is only achieved through understanding how our body works and what constitutes a nutritionally balanced diet. It is exactly through applying that knowledge it is possible to make the right changes to our diet to ensure not only long term weight loss, but also healthy digestion, healthy heart, healthy aging, healthy immune system etc.

At the same time, it is exactly that knowledge that the majority of people who need it the most lack making it difficult to make any real, long term progress. Many weight loss programs around do not offer this sort of support and concentrate solely on weight loss ignoring nutritional demands of the body, causing well known yo-yo dieting effect. Media could be doing even more damage by allowing those programs to be promoted in the first place…

Weight Loss Challenge is a 12 week workshop conducted by professional weight loss and wellness coaches, initialised by Herbalife International, world leader in weight loss and nutrition, where participants, regardless of what weight loss program they follow, meet weekly to follow up their weight loss progress, are empowered with advice on nutrition and healthy food choices covering topics like Importance of Protein, Reading Food Labels, Good and Bad Fats, Good and Bad Carbs, Understanding Metabolism, Importance of Exercise, Heart Health, Healthy Breakfast, Importance of Water, etc.

The cost of 12 week Weight Loss Challenge workshop is an equivalent of £3.75 per week, making it very affordable. Majority of the registration fee goes back to the participants in terms of Weekly Gift Prizes, Free Healthy Beverages and Snacks and Cash Prizes to the three biggest losers at the end of 12 weeks.

Three biggest losers will have a chance to win up to £800 between them, final winner’s pot depending on the number of total participants. Participants are free to use any method of weight loss they wish, but those who best apply the information we give in our weekly training sessions are likely to be the ones who win the competition.

Most of all, it will be FUN and we envisage it to be the place where participants will feel comfortable to come together and compete in a friendly atmosphere with one another, keep track of their progress, share knowledge and experiences, get advice on healthy eating, get necessary recognition and earn some much needed cash in this financial climate!

Next Bath Weight Loss Challenge Workshop start date & venue details: Monday, 16 February 2009 @ 7PM, The New Oriel Hall, Larkhall, Bath.

Call Sanela on 01225 313 218 to Register or text “WLC” to 07737 053 498.

The WLC is where the “Biggest Losers become the Biggest Winners!”

Should New Year Diets come with a health warning?

flu

I have recently come across an article from The Daily Mail advising that one should wait until spring before losing weight as the latest research suggests that “having a healthy appetite in the winter protects against flu” and the article further suggests that New Year Diets are not just bad for your health, but for your spirits too. Hmmmm, I thought, how very interesting, I could not resist to comment.

Well, the research from Michigan State University supports the popular idea that nourishing winter meals can stave off colds and bugs and it suggests that having a body ready to fight a virus will lead to a faster recovery and less severe effect and that we need the reserves so our body is ready for any additional stress, including fighting a virus.

The researchers believe that cutting down on food impairs the immune system and reduces the production of antibodies to fight infection and say the findings, based on the study on mice, also apply to people – and that eating sensibly in the flu season can protect against viruses.

So, is this just a lot of nonsense? Well, depends on how you read it. To many who do indeed need to lose weight, I am afraid that this might just give another excuse to prolong overeating as, while research is pretty clear, I do not think that the message is.

What the article is not clear about is that “diets” do not need to mean that one needs to starve to lose the weight. Diets that they refer to where calories are cut by 60% should be out of the question at any time during the entire year.

Of course those diets will weaken your body in the same way as having a “healthy appetite” suggested in the article can too weaken your body as it is not about a “healthy appetite” but “healthy eating” full stop. This actually could make a lot sense if people indeed are looking after their diet and their weight during the entire year by living on more wholesome, fresh and cooked-from-scratch meals. It is quite easy to eat a nourishing balanced diet and also stay healthy and slim.

Statistics show that 90% of American diet is processed food and us Britons can not be far behind as the majority of the population in the UK (that also happens to be overweight, surprise, surprise) also lives on processed foods.

When it comes to calorie restricted diets, the truth is – if you cut the amount of food that you eat, you also cut on the nutrition your body gets. Meal Replacements are ideal way to control your weight without compromising on nutrition, but not all of them are created equal as majority, especially those bought across the counter, i.e. in the shops, not to mention any brands, while they will indeed reduce your calorie intake, they will not be able to nourish you properly and, therefore, are not a long term solution.

I personally enjoy nourishing and absolutely delicious Herbalife’s meal replacement shake for breakfast. I have been doing it for over 4 years now, since August 2004, virtually without exception. It has about 300 calories with all the fruit that I add to it and it has a perfect balance of nutrients, i.e. carbs, protein, fibre and fats are all in perfect balance with 23 different minerals and vitamins also added. My young children enjoy them too with their meals.

I enjoy the shake for dinner too on most evenings and will tuck into a regular, balanced meal during the day with a couple of snacks mid morning and afternoon. I also supplement using highest quality supplements, from Herbalife naturally, and my diet is still around 1700 calories per day minimum, which helps me to control my weight with no stress or much effort, but, more importantly, I hardly get sick.

This winter in particular, while flu epidemic is all around me, I do not think I even sneezed once. Actually, friends will know that I am not even avoiding to give them a good hug despite them being completely stuffed, as I know just how strong my body is. I am very grateful for my health, but I know it is not an accident.

Now, it is a whole new year, a new year that has enormous possibilities of a better life for you and your loved ones. For abundant success. For turning the tide against the negative impacts of last year. My wish to you is your best health ever and your weight is absolutely crucial to how you manifest great health, therefore, remaining overweight is not the path to feeling fit and fabulous! But, please do take caution… many weight loss methods can indeed compromise your health. So, educate yourself on healthy eating and make it your priority as health indeed is your biggest wealth. You owe it to yourself!

So, make this year count! Let this year be the one when you will shed last year’s body and make it one of the greatest years of your life!

Give Your Digestive System a Break This Festive Season!

When you realise that we eat about 500kg of food every year on average, it is no wonder we sometimes get a bit of indigestion! In fact, thanks to the festive season, many might feel as if they’ve eaten that much during December alone! If you will be over-indulging or will be starting (or re-starting) weight management programmes in January, it is doubtly important that you make sure, whatever you decide to do, that it also helps you to maintain a healthy-functioning digestive system.

Do you have a dodgy digestion?
Our digestive systems are remarkably resilient, although bad eating and lifestyle habits can stress them out, leading to a number of unpleasant symptoms such as bloating, water retention, constipation, flatulence, cramps and indigestion.

If any of the above sounds familiar, read on for some simple ways to improve your digestive health…

It is not just what you eat, but how you eat it…
For healthy digestion, it is as important to look at how you eat as what you eat.

Chew your food as saliva can only break down food so far – your teeth need to do the rest.

Eat regularly and moderately as if you eat too much and too often, your digestive system will not get a minute’s peace and it is important it does!

Eat slowly and calmly: high stress levels are a major cause of both constipation and diarrhoea. If you rush when you eat, you’ll increase your chances of bad digestion.

The essential ingredients of good digestion

Wonderful water!
If you aren’t drinking your daily eight large glasses of water, then start today! The fluid you drink dissolves minerals, vitamins and nutrients, which are then more easily absorbed by your body. Water also relieves constipation by lubricating and softening food waste.

Friendly Fibre!
The average European only consumes half the daily recommended amount of fibre (25-35g), even though it is crucial for healthy digestion. Essentially, fibre is food your body can’t absorb or break down, which passes into the colon and is eliminated as waste.

As well as aiding digestion and relieving constipation, fibre also has other health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Some tips for including fibre in your diet
Try to eat as wide a variety as possible for the greatest health benefit:

Try wholegrain bread, brown rice and whole-wheat pasta. Refined products like white bread remove the outer coat from the grain, which lowers fibre content.

Eat fruit at every meal – apples, oranges, pears and berries are great sources of fibre. But beware! Removing the skin from fruits and vegetables decreases their fibre content.

If you want to snack, how about some (low-fat) popcorn? Two air-popped cupfuls give you 2.4g fibre.

Herbalife Solutions for Healthy Digestion
If eating too much of all the wrong kinds of foods has really taken its toll, you may benefit from Herbalife’s core nutrition product – Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, which can be used as a healthy breakfast as it contains protein and complex carbs and 4 wholemeal toasts equivalent of fibre.

In addition to Formula 1 shake, the following Herbalife products have been specifically formulated to aid Healthy Digestion:

Cell Activator
Your diet is only as good as what your body can absorb. Cell Activator contains a blend of nutrients, plants, and B-vitamins that support energy production and improves performance by helping essential nutrients reach their destination. More about Cell Activator…

Herbal Aloe Concentrate
Stressed digestive systems can be soothed and cleansed by Herbal Aloe Concentrate’s aloe vera and camomile. A couple of glasses a day will also held up your fluid intake, so essential for healthy digestion. More about Herbal Aloe Concentrate…

Florafibre
Digestive problems are often a result of an imbalance of “friendly” and “unfriendly” bacteria in your digestive tract. Florafibre contains millions of good bacteria to help ease a stressed system, plus fibre to boost your daily intake. More about Florafibre…

Also, let’s not forget Herbalife’s Christmas Survival Kit:

FibreBond Tablets and Formula 1.

The rule is – ‘never to go to the banquet hungry’!

As long as you take a Formula 1 shake half an hour to an hour before heading out to the party – it means you won’t be famished and eating everything in sight at the buffet table! Also, take 1-2  FibreBond Tablets before your meal to ensure up to 50% elimination of fats from your food. This is one cheat you will not feel sorry about!

Changing seasons? In bed with a cold? Here is how to ensure Consistent Health throughout the year…

It’s that time of the year, the weather’s all over the place – freezing cold, brief sunshine, wind, rain, some sleet at some places. Because of these changes in weather conditions, we become susceptible to colds and bugs and stay in bed! Saying that, our body, given the right conditions, is a powerful self-healing organism. It is only when we let down our guard and don’t provide those “right conditions” that ill health creeps in.Here is how to put the Right Conditions in place, Right Now and defend your health…

Let’s start with stress!

Our modern lifestyle means that many of us are under constant pressure. Stress releases a flood of chemicals that should only really be triggered in life-threatening situations. These chemicals must be eliminated, which is a process that depletes essential nutrients needed by the body to maintain health.

This is where daily moderate exercise, preferably in the fresh air, becomes essential. It distracts us from our daily troubles, enlivens the body, oxygenates the blood, and like laughter, releases healing endorphins. Exercise also improves the flow of lymph around the body – the lymph system is the body’s waste disposal system, essential for toxin elimination.

To minimise stress, you also need to relax and rest properly. At the end of each day, escape for 15-30 minutes, sit quietly, empty your mind and focus on gentle breathing to minimise stress. Just 60 seconds focusing on your breathing can take you from fast, anxious breathing, to calm, controlled breathing, curbing a stress response and saving your body a lot of unnecessary work.

You need 6-8 hours sound sleep every night so that your body can concentrate its efforts on repair and maintenance. Go to bed in good time, avoid loud, upbeat music, intense exercise or heavy meals three hours beforehand – a busy digestive system doesn’t contribute to restful sleep.

Finally, the key to a healthy defence system is a rich supply of hard working nutrients – antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fats and colourful carbohydrates.

GROUND RULES:
Fill your plate with colourful carbohydrates – seasonal fruit and vegetables: include a generous salad every day (raw food provide more nutrients than cooked foods). Choose light steaming or quick frying when cooking, to preserve nutrients.

Go for organic. This reduces your intake of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, growth promoters and other chemical toxins (toxins overload the organs of elimination, wasting precious energy and nutrients).

Eat fruit on an empty stomach, not with other foods, to ensure proper digestion.

Eat when relaxed, chew properly, take your time and enjoy.

Five portions of fruit and vegetables daily is the minimum. Double up for double protection!

FOCUS ON:
Sprouted Seeds
They are living foods bursting with vitality and nutrients – a must for winter health maintenance.

Vitamin C rich foods
Such as citrus fruit, kiwis, blackcurrants, dark green leafy vegetables, strawberries and red peppers. Vitamin C enhances immunity and can shorten the duration of colds.

Winter berries
They also help protect against colds and flu. Try blackberries, blueberries, elderberries, cranberries.

Vitamin A rich foods
Vitamin A helps to fight infections and accelerates healing. Found naturally in oily fish, offal, yellow, orange, red and dark green vegetables, egg yolk, milk and dairy products, yellow and orange fruits.

Zinc rich foods
Zinc helps to fight infections and accelerates healing. Found naturally in lean meat, shellfish, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, wholegrains, eggs, seeds and nuts.

Antioxidant rich foods
These include apples, berries, carrots, citrus fruits, garlic and onions, greens, red grapes, seeds, soy foods, sweet potatoes, green tea, turmeric, walnuts, winter squashes…

Healthy Fats
They protect and insulate the cells. Increase your intake of Omega 3s, found in oily fish. If you do not like fish, take a supplement (such as Herbalifeline).

Hot spicy food
Include a hot curry once a week with garlic, which helps fight infection, ginger which relieves cold and flu symptoms and turmeric for its powerful antioxidant properties.

Water
Drink eight glasses of water daily, vital for the transport of precious nutrients!

Herbalife Solution: Take out extra health insurance with our potent antioxidant supplements:

RoseOx
Stone Age man knew instinctively how to protect his health; his diet was rich in seasonal berries, fruit and plants, all loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants support the body’s natural immune function, which is far busier during the cold season, fighting off bugs and colds. Modern Day man can turn to nutritional science for an equally effective supply of antioxidants, in the form of RoseOx. This powerful supplement provides a daily top up of antioxidants within its exclusive blend: Rosemary extract, Sage leaf, Extracts of Curcuma (Turmeric), Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Carrot, Tomato and Clove. It works synergistically with the body’s own resources, helping to regenerate Vitamins C, E and carotenoids, and replenish precious nutrients lost daily through pollution, stress and poor diet. More about RoseOx.

Schizandra Plus
The colourful berries of the Schizandra plant have been highly regarded by Chinese and Asian herbalists for centuries and more recently, the berries have been recognised by western civilisation for their positive effect on the body as an “adaptogen” – a sophisticated substance that can help the body adjust to environmental conditions. Together with Kelp, Vitamins C, E, B6, B5 and amino acids L-Phenylalanine and L-Cysteine, Schizandra Plus provides a powerhouse of antioxidant nutrients to help fight bugs and viruses, perform 24-7 repair and maintenance and disable free radicals. More about Schizandra Plus.

ShapeWorks Formula 2 Multivitamin Complex
Most health experts recommend taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement, with good reason: depleted soils produce harvests with reduced nutrient content, modern fast foods typically have all the goodness “processed out”, poor diet, smoking, alcohol, stress, pollution, excess weight, all create a demand for a higher intake of vitamins and minerals. The kindest habit you can adopt for your health is a daily multi-supplement; it’s the most authentic all-year-round form of health insurance and Herbalife’s Formula 2 is one of the best quality multi-supplement you can find around! More about Formula 2 Multivitamin Complex.

Shakes of my youth

Well, for change, this story is not about those Herbalife shakes of mine. Not so much, anyway. It is about “where I am today is where my mind put me” kind of moment and here it goes …

I have recently put an old ex-colleague who now lives and works in Milan in touch with my old childhood friend whom I have not seen for over 15 years who also happens to live and work in Milan. To cut the long story short, I asked Stefania, an ex-work colleague, how the meeting went with Laura and whether Laura shared some of the things from our childhood. Well, the first thing she mentioned was that Laura has talked to her about the shakes that I used to make and how I made her drink them.

 

I have become very passionate about nutrition issues for the past four to five years, however, Laura saying this has reconnected me with my early age aspirations. I have completely forgotten about my early ambitions to make myself and, eventually others, healthy and those shakes that I used to make, I believed, were one of the ways to achieve it. I remember making them by mixing absolutely every piece of fruit and vegetable I had in the kitchen or garden together with the herbs from the garden, then I would add skimmed or semi skimmed milk or even freshly squeezed juice and finish it off with a couple of raw eggs. That could be my breakfast, snack or even my dinner.

 

There could be easily 10-15 different fruits and veg in the mix as I have already known then that the more of it – the better as you get more nutrition. Actually, there would be so much of it that I would always have to invite someone to share it with me while it was still fresh. In absence of a (rather apprehensive) friend, my parents were the next target who were happy to oblige as long as I promised them that there were no raw eggs in the shake. I remember those were my first white lies that I felt good about at the time. I would watch them drink the mix, chuckling at them with satisfaction. I understand now why everyone felt uneasy about drinking those shakes as they were mostly brown or green on some good days (They obviously left an impression on Laura). As we ate all seasonal stuff, I had to wait for summer for a dash of colour with all those summer berry fruits being in season, frozen ones just could not do the same thing.

 

I was not more than 14 or 15 at the time when I started improvising with the shakes. I have read in one of the health and nutrition magazines at the time that those shakes were really healthy, I think they called them Elixir Shakes as it is all now coming back to me, and it made all sense to me then and I followed that routine on most of the days up until I escaped the conflict in Bosnia and lived in Croatia for a while and then came to the UK. During that time, I will admit that I have lost my healthy ways completely (ex-work colleagues could read this in disbelief as they might remember me solely by indulging in my KFC lunches pretty much every single day), all up until Herbalife found me a few years back.

 

So, I am a shake person again, this time with a lot more sophistication to my shakes and a lot tastier set of flavours and a proper and achievable plan to really make a difference not just for myself and a few friends.

 

This story might be just “So what?” to many people, but, to me it means a lot as I ended doing something that is the closest that it possibly can get to the dream and ambition I used to have. We all have a dream when we are young and most of us end up going astray from time to time, but, if we could connect to that child of ours and ambitions and aspirations we had when we were young, answers could possibly lie right in there. All that is left is to follow that dream and try not to miss the opportunities on the way.

 

So, while Mark Hughes was opening Herbalife in the UK 20 years ago, I was in my early teens, living in Bosnia, oblivious to the tragedy that was going to unravel in the country in a few years time, living with a dream of wanting to make myself and everyone around me healthy (unaware, too, that someone has already invented a lot better and simpler solution to healthy eating).

 

Thanks to Herbalife, I have reconnected with my childhood passion and it feels wonderful as that tiny dream of mine can now be achieved on a grander scale that I have ever imagined.

 

My husband Mugi, who knows me better than anyone, when I told him about these shakes and the way of life I used to live as a teenager (and shall I dare to say – unlike many teenagers I knew at the time), just commented that he understands why I am where I am now (adding that he is no longer scared of me) and that he can appreciate now why I feel so much passion for what I do with Herbalife.

 

It will be a while before I make a difference on a scale that I am able and I dream of, however, my aim is not to live in the future but to enjoy this wonderful journey as long as it takes me as it, anyway, is all about making a difference to “one person at the time”. It all comes together on the end when you do it from the heart.

 

Laura, Stefania – thank you so much for this…. And see you in Milan soon! I’ll make you a shake really worth remembering this time!