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?

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!

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!

Waistline – the best guide to good health and the best indicator of premature death risks!

It has been a while since research has proven that person’s waistline is the most important measure of person’s health. So, the bathroom scales no longer can give us the whole picture. At the same time, Body Max Index can be quite a meaningless measure too and, as tens of thousands of people a year die from obesity related diseases, it seems important to look into the health risk factors…
Doctors have long known that the more weight a person gains, the higher their risk of a heart attack. The first large-scale international study of abdominal obesity has found that a tape measure indeed is a better guide to the risk of heart disease. The risks associated with increasing waists held across all populations, despite the widely varying waist sizes among the 168,000 people who took part. The study was conducted by 6000 family doctors across the globe. Although people in Far Eastern populations have smaller waists on average than those in the West, their risk of heart disease increased at the same rate as they put extra inches.

Body Mass Index, which is a ratio of person’s height and weight, does not take into account the wide variations in person’s shape. American footballers weighing upwards of 300lbs may cross the boundary for obesity as measured by their BMI, but be healthy because they carry most of their weight as muscle rather than fat.

The type of fat and where it accumulates is more important than the amount. Excess weight around the stomach is more harmful then when deposited in other parts of the body, such as legs and hips. Fat deposits deep inside the abdomen, which is seen in an expanding waist, secrets toxins into the blood stream, raises cholesterol and increases the body’s resistance to insulin, essential for controlling blood sugar. A rise in insulin resistance means the pancreas has to produce extra insulin, which can damage other organs, such as the kidneys. Also, fat around waist secretes messenger molecules, compounds and hormones that contribute to heart disease and cancer.

Latest research has found that for every two inches you add to your waistline, you increase your chances of dying early. For every 2 inches (5 centimetres) increase in waist size, the risk of premature death rises by 17% in men and 13% in women, even if you are not classed as overweight.

Two people can both weigh 70 kilos and have the same height, but larger waist circumference in one of them will point to a larger ratio of body fat to body’s muscle mass and, therefore, a larger health risk, despite Body Mass Index being the same for both of them and perhaps even showing a normal weight according to BMI scores. Actually, the study of 350,000 people with normal BMIs of 18 to 25 shows waist size is just as important. People who have slim waists in relation to their hips also lived longer.

Men whose bellies measure more than 47.2 inches double their chances of early death compared to those with less than 31.5 inches round the middle.

Women with waist larger than 39.4 inches are the highest risk compared to those of less than 25.6 inches.

To measure your Waist, you need to follow these instructions:

Press your fingers into your torso near the right side of your waist. Push your fingers into your skin to find the bony pelvis. Keep pushing and moving your fingers along the edge of the hip bone until you find the top curve of the bone. The highest point will be located on the side of your torso, just underneath the lower portion of your ribcage. Generally, this spot will be at around the same level as your bellybutton, and near, or at, the narrowest part of your torso. Position the tape measure horizontally at this spot at the top of your hip bone. Then circle it around your abdomen and entire torso. Make sure that the tape lies horizontal on all sides of your torso. Breathe out when you take measurement, i.e., do not tuck in your tummy…

Now that you have measured it, here is where you can use this measurement to get your Free Instant Body Fat Analysis and see how you can lose those inches.

Have you ever wondered why we Age, get Disease?

I found it rather interesting to hear recently doctor saying that it is NOT normal for people in their sixties or seventies to be running active lifestyles to the point of running a marathon or something similar. Well, regardless what this particular doctor may think, we are what we eat (and drink and think and do) and that diseases, regardless at what point in our lives they happen, are most probably caused by what goes into our bodies and that will determine whether we will be visiting doctor’s surgery on a weekly basis once we are 50 or even a lot earlier, or we will more frequently visit local sport centre and still play tennis at the age of 70…

As our brain uses only 10% of it’s potential, the same could apply to our physical abilities – if we were to give our bodies 100% throughout our lives, the outcome would have been a lot more different than what wellness trends report each and every day… Well, not so long ago, diseases were indeed accepted as unfortunate but inevitable facts of life, but we know now that diseases are caused by what we eat or don’t eat. What you put in, you get out as our focus shifts towards prevention of disease, not it’s treatment!

Our body’s health depends on the health of each and every cell and to slow down the aging, limit sickness and prevent disease, those cells need proper protection and nourishment. We have all heard of Free Radicals. What are those exactly? Well, each and every cell is made up of many atoms and when those are healthy, the cells are too and when healthy cells replicate – our body remains young and free from the disease.

On the other hand, we have another type of an atom that is damaged due to smoking, stress, sunlight, pesticides in our food, pollution, travel, medications, foods and it’s additives, x-rays, exercise, chlorine in water, Mercury in tooth fillings and seafood and many more factors. Those unhealthy and damaged atoms have only one instead of two electrons and are called Free Radicals. Free Radicals alter and eventually destroy cells. And it is exactly those cells that die and cells that replicate themselves in a damaged state that are the cause or contribute to premature aging, sickness and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and many others.

THE SOLUTION ARE ANTIOXIDANTS!
Antioxidants are super atoms that have extra electrons that they can give to those Free Radicals to neutralise them and eliminates their harmful effects. Antioxidants are indeed a body’s defence against destructive free radicals and they help prevent aging, sickness and disease.

Antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables, nuts, oils, beans. Organically grown local produce will have more antioxidants than non-organic alternatives that have travelled for miles, even across different countries or continents. Antioxidants are also found in high quality supplements as most adults do not eat the right foods to properly feed their cells.

“Don’t underestimate the threat free radicals pose to our health. Scientists now believe that free radicals are causal factors in nearly every known disease, from heart disease to arthritis to cancers to cataracts. In fact, free radicals are a major culprit in the aging process itself. By controlling free radicals, antioxidants can make the difference between life and death, as well as influence how fast and how well we age.”, Lester Packer, Head of Packer Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley

Heart Disease and Cancers are the most common killer diseases that are caused by the damaging effects of Free Radicals.

Heart Disease mostly comes from the build up of fatty deposits on the inner surfaces of arteries, which stops the normal blood flow and could lead to heart attack or stroke. Recent research has highlighted that those fatty deposits are influenced by free radicals, which cause it to become sticky and stick more easily to the walls of arteries. Antioxidants can therefore help in reducing the risk of free radicals oxidizing the fat and making it more sticky.

The common explanation for Cancer is that damaged and altered DNA that controls cell growth, development and replication, is the cause for the disease. The DNA has been proven to be damaged by Free Radicals, which is believed to be the main cause for most cancers. Antioxidants, once again, not only can protect DNA from free radical damage, but can also repair it.

So, the importance of antioxidants can not be overemphasized and next time when you get a simple cold remember that it is a symptom of your body lacking antioxidants in order to fight free radicals. It does not need medication, it needs nutrition, antioxidants.

And for the question Why should you take Vitamin and Mineral Supplements, please read on related article on The Importance of taking Supplements. Be careful, not all supplements are created equal!

The role of vitamins and minerals in your body: Why we must supplement?

Vitamins and minerals are natural substances found in living things such as plants and they are vital nutrients for bodily functions and prevention of disease. In a massive study of 26000 people it was concluded that not one person received nutritional requirements set by Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). This pretty much does it for an archaic argument of “I can get everything I need from food!” Well, no, you can not!

The fact is that every one of us will eventually die, however, how you look and feel for the last 20 to 50 years of your life will depend on your lifestyle and vitamin and mineral intake throughout your life as Vitamins and Minerals influence the following:

Your Immune System: They help build up your immunity as heart disease, cancer and other illnesses and ailments are created due to deficiencies based on what you eat or don’t eat.

Your Energy Levels: Optimum consumption of vitamins and minerals will increase your energy levels and vitamins and minerals are involved in the release of energy from digested foods. Strong and long lasting energy levels are pretty good indicators of a healthy nutrition.

Your Appearance: Vitamins and Minerals influence the appearance of your skin, tone, elasticity, hair strength, thickness and colour, fingernail strength, colour and texture, etc. Ever came across someone who looks 50 at 30 or someone who actually looks 30 at 50?

Your Intelligence: Brain function, ability to concentrate and memory are boosted by proper vitamin and mineral intake.

According to the research in the US alone, 96% of Americans die of disease attributed to NOT getting proper nutrition. This figure will be close to majority of the Western countries. Considering that the UK is The Fat Capital of Europe, straight after the USA in the World, this figure could be closer to the UK than any other country.

“A deficiency of a vitamin or mineral will cause a body part to malfunction and eventually break down – and, like dominos, other body parts will follow“, James F. Balch, M.D., Prescription for Nutritional Healing

Here are the reasons why there is an increasing evidence that vitamin and mineral supplementation is absolutely necessary:

Crop nutrient losses – decades of agriculture have overworked and depleted soils of minerals.

Poor digestion – eating too much or too quickly and stress can cause indigestion, which, in turn, reduces absorption of vitamins and minerals.

Over-cooking – can easily destroy valuable food nutrients.

Microwave cooking – easily alter the nutritional structure and value of food

Food storage – length of storage and freezing deplete the nutritional value of most foods.

Food selection – eating a too limited range of different food groups will result in nutrient deficiency.

Food omission – allergies to foods, crash dieting and poorly designed vegetarian diets omit significant dietary sources of nutrients.

Environmental factors – herbicides and pesticides are used on crops, leaving them wit low nutritional value.

Antibiotics – interfere with the intake of essential nutrients.

Poor lifestyle habits – smoking, alcohol and caffeine can inhibit the absorption of vitamins and minerals or accelerate the loss of nutrients.

Stress – be it physical or emotional, it can increase body’s requirement of vitamins and minerals.

Out of balance – the level of each mineral and vitamin in the body has an effect on others, so, if one is missing or out of balance, all will be effected. All combined enhance the power of the others.

Nutrient variance – there are substantial differences between one fruit or vegetable and another. One tomato can have 10 times more nutritional value than another – which one did you eat?

“Insufficient vitamin intake is apparently a cause of chronic diseases… Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone. Pending strong evidence of effectiveness from randomised trials, it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements”, American Medical Association.

Vitamins and Minerals in your body work in synergy as a network of nutrients working together and if one nutrient is missing, it will throw the entire network of nutrients out of balance. That is why supplements should include many different types of vitamins and minerals, combined in the right proportions.

Please note that not all supplements are beneficial. For a supplement to be beneficial to your body, it must be absorbed by your body. Research has proven that many, especially low cost supplements from high street stores, “name brands”, would do you absolutely no good as the x-rays have shown that they simply remain in your colon, completely undissolved!

Herbalife’s products are Cellular Nutrition and, as such, guarantee to be of the highest quality and completely absorbed by your body. That is why people say that they feel a difference when taking Herbalife products. Find out more about Herbalife’s Cellular Nutrition Technology.

So, considering the above and the fact that your health, intelligence, energy levels and your looks are dependent on you replenishing your vitamins and minerals several times per day, have you decided which life are you designing for yourself?

Eating Healthy in an Unhealthy Economy (MarketWatch.com)

LOS ANGELES, Oct 28, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE): In these uncertain financial times, we’re all watching how much we spend on food a little more closely, and it may seem that it’s nearly impossible to eat a healthy diet on a tight budget. There’s no question that many of the least expensive foods, like starchy foods, sugars, and fats, are also the ones that provide less nutrition than the more expensive items like fruits, vegetables, and healthy sources of protein. But eating well and saving money can go hand-in-hand.

Here are some tips to get you started from nutrition experts at Herbalife:

Go vegetarian once a week. Combining grains, like rice or corn, with beans, split peas, or lentils, is an inexpensive way to include good quality protein in the diet. Use seasoning to enhance the flavor in dishes like curried lentils with brown rice or spicy black bean soup with cornbread or corn tortillas. Round out the menu with a salad or some fruit in season, and you’ve got a nutrition-packed meal for pennies per person.

Skip the drive-through. A protein-packed meal replacement shake like Herbalife Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, mixed in the blender with milk (or soy milk) and fresh or frozen fruit, can provide more healthy nutrition for a lot less money than fast food choices, while still delivering convenience and nutritional value.

Freeze the season. Frozen fruits and vegetables are as nutritionally valuable as fresh, in fact, in some cases freezing may preserve more nutrients because the foods are processed so quickly after harvest. Shop the farmer’s markets, buy what’s in season, and freeze it. Frozen pre-made side dishes and vegetables with sauces on them cost more, too. It’s less expensive and better for you to purchase plain vegetables and season them yourself.

Frozen meals are convenient, but they can be pricey. And, these meals often don’t feel complete unless you add a salad, vegetable or fruit to them, which drives up the total cost of the meal. Instead, cook in bulk some one-dish meals, such as soups, stews, or pasta dishes, and freeze individual portions for workday lunches.
Don’t let a thinner wallet lead to a thicker waistline. With a little planning, you can watch your budget and still eat well.

Herbalife (HLF) is a global network marketing company that sells weight-management, nutritional supplements and personal care products intended to support a healthy lifestyle. Herbalife products are sold in 69 countries through a network of more than 1.8 million independent distributors. The company supports the Herbalife Family Foundation and its Casa Herbalife program to bring good nutrition to children. Please visit Investor Relations for additional financial information.

Source: MarketWatch.com

Importance of Proteins, Vitamins and Minerals

Here is really simple but powerful explanation about the importance of proteins, vitamins and minerals for our body. It has been taken from Paul Zane Pilzer’s much acclaimed book, The Wellness Revolution.

Paul Zane Pilzer is a world-renowned economist, a multimillionaire software entrepreneur, an adjunct professor, and the author of eight best-selling books and dozens of scholarly publications.

He was an appointed economic adviser in two presidential administrations and warned of the impending $200 billion savings and loan crisis years before official Washington was willing to listen…

“One of the major problem with the diet of most people is that they are not getting the minimum amounts of building blocks and/or catalysts that their bodies require.

Although most adults think of their bodies as fully grown, the individual cells that comprise their organs actually replace themselves on a daily to monthly schedule. Our bodies manufacture 200 billion red blood cells each day, replacing all the blood in our body every 120 days. Skin is completely replaced every 1 to 3 months. It takes 90 days for old bone to be broken down and replace by new bone.

The cells that comprise these replacement organs contain over 100,000 different proteins made up of 20 different amino acids. Food supplies us with plant and animal proteins containing the amino acids that our bodies require as the building blocks of this living tissue.

Without a daily supply of proteins, vitamins and minerals, no matter how much energy we get in the form of calories, our bodies and minds deteriorate because we are not able to fully replace the dying cells in our internal and external organs.

Food also supplies with certain minerals we require as building blocks to repair and regenerate our living matter. There are 14 essential minerals, some of which are required as catalysts rather than as mineral blocks. Seven of these are major minerals, defined as those of which we need more than 100 milligrams per day – Calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur. The remaining seven are called trace minerals, such as iron and zinc.

In addition to supplying proteins and minerals as building blocks, food contains the 13 essential vitamins our bodies require as catalysts to convert food into energy and to convert amino acids into bodily tissue. A catalyst is a substance that must be present, typically in a very small quantity, for a specific chemical reaction to occur. For example, without vitamin B3, which is contained in green leafy vegetables and unprocessed grains, our bodies cannot break down plant and animal proteins into basic amino acids. It doesn’t matter how much protein you eat if your body cant convert into the building blocks of your living tissues.

When we don’t get enough protein, vitamins, and minerals, our initial symptoms include mood swings, fatigue, nervousness, headaches, confusion, and muscle weakness. Over the longer term, such poor nutrition can cause cancer, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other diseases that we used to just accept as part of our aging process.”

Omega-3 and soy may protect against pollution harm: Study

Supplements of omega-3 or soy may protect the heart against certain damaging effects of air pollution, according to a new study from an international team of researchers.

Exposure to high levels of particulates from vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions is known to detrimentally affect the heart, possibly by inducing oxidative stress. Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres may also inhibit the action of protective antioxidant enzymes in the body, such as copper/zinc (Cu/Zn) superoxide dismutase (SOD), manganese SOD, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px).

Supplementation with omega-3 or soy may cause an increase in Cu/Zn SOD activity and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, according to findings of a study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The greater protective effects were observed following omega-3 supplementation, which the researchers said could be due to the different types and amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the two supplements: fish oil contains EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), while soy oil contains ALA (alpha-linolenic acid).

“This is the first study to evaluate the impact of supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on biomarkers of response to oxidative stimuli related to air pollution exposure among individuals in a non-controlled environment,” wrote lead author Isabelle Romieu from the Mexican National Institute of Public Health.

Study details

Romieu and her co-workers recruited 52 elderly nursing home residents (average age 76.5, average BMI 26.1 kg/m2) and observed them for seven months. An initial three-month stage with no supplementation was followed by four months of receiving either fish oil or soy oil supplements. There was no placebo group, and the subjects acted as their own controls.

Analysis of blood samples taken before and during supplementation showed that consumption of the omega-3 supplements was associated with lower levels of oxidative damage in blood cells, with the greater effect observed in the fish oil group.

Moreover, Cu/Zn SOD activity increased by 49 and 23 per cent in the fish and soy oil groups respectively. GSH levels increased by 62 and 55 per cent in the fish and soy oil groups respectively, report the researchers.

While no effect on levels of lipoperoxidation (LPO) products – a marker for oxidative stress – was observed in the soy oil group, a 72.5 per cent decrease in LPO products was recorded in the fish oil group.

“A major concern with dietary supplementation is the effective dose,” stated the researchers. “The fact that fish oil appears to be more effective against oxidative stress related to PM2.5 exposure than soy oil suggests that the small amount of ALA – further elongated in EPA and DHA – in soy oil might be insufficient to protect against the adverse effects of PM2.5 exposure.”

“We based our results on a limited sample size but suggest that essential fatty acids might play an important role in modulating the impact of PM on health, which warrants further investigation in larger populations,” they concluded.

Source: NutraIgredients.com
Environmental Health Perspectives, Volume 116, Pages 1237-1242, doi:10.1289/ehp.10578, “The Effect of Supplementation with Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Markers of Oxidative Stress in Elderly Exposed to PM2.5”, Authors: I. Romieu, R. Garcia-Esteban, J. Sunyer, C. Rios, M. Alcaraz-Zubeldia, S. Ruiz Velasco, F. Holguin The journal is open access. The full article is available here

Herbalife Solution
High quality Omega 3 Fish Oils are found in Herbalifeline – a premium-grade nutritional marine lipid complex (Omega – fish oil) capsule with special nutritional and herbal factors.

Also, our Formula 1 Nutritional Shake mix and Formula 2 Multivitamin Complex are ideal combination to increase body’s defence against environmental effects such as chemicals, fumes, dust and smoking…