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!

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?

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.

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?

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…

Vitamin B12 Keeps Your Brain Young! Are you getting enough of the nutrient that is absolutely vital for your brain health?

Older individuals with low levels of vitamin B12 are at increased risk of having brain atrophy or shrinkage. Brain atrophy is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and impaired cognitive function. Vitamin B12 deficiency is a public health problem, especially among older people.

In a study involving more than 100 volunteers aged 61 to 87, all participants underwent annual clinical exams, MRI scans and cognitive tests, and had blood samples taken. Individuals with lower vitamin B12 levels at the start of the study had a greater decrease in brain volume. Those with the lowest B12 levels had a sixfold greater rate of brain volume loss compared with those who had the highest levels. However, none of the participants were actually deficient in vitamin B12 — they just had low levels within a normal range.

Other risk factors for brain atrophy include high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.

“Our results suggest that rather than maintaining one’s B12 at a level that is just above the cut off for deficiency, it might be prudent to aim to keep it higher up than normal range”, the study’s lead researcher said.

This is really important to hear, as most people would assume that if their levels are within the normal range, they’re fine. In reality, you cannot always count on the “normal” reference ranges that come with your blood tests. Vitamin D is another example of a test that lists “normal” ranges that are not nearly adequate to keep you healthy. For many decades the “experts” believed that all you needed was 400 units per day. Now we know that you need about ten times that much or the equivalent amount of sun to produce that in your skin.

To really know if your nutrient levels are where they should be to keep you optimally healthy, you need to do some major research of your own, by seeking out scientific studies like this one, or you need to seek the guidance of a health care practitioner who thinks outside of the box and understands that there is a major difference between “average” and “optimal.”

Getting back to vitamin B12, though, there are many important reasons to make sure you’re getting enough in your diet. Why is Vitamin B12 so Important?

It’s been estimated that 40 percent of the U.S. population is deficient in vitamin B12, a serious public health problem when you consider how important this vitamin is for your health. Vitamin B12:

• Is needed for proper digestion, food absorption, carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
• Helps folic acid regulate the formation of red blood cells, and helps your body use iron.
• Keep your nervous system healthy by assisting the nerves of your body to function and communicate in an optimal manner.
• Helps in cell formation and cellular longevity.
• Helps support female reproductive health.
• Promote normal nerve growth and development by maintaining the fatty sheaths, which play a vital role as they cover and protect your nerve endings.
• Is critical to your circulation and adrenal hormone production
• Helps boost your immunity.
• Supports a healthy mood and feelings of well-being, and provides excellent support for your memory, mental clarity, and concentration.
• Helps to boost your energy levels.

Who is at Risk of Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

The group most at risk is those who do not eat meat or animal products. Vitamin B12 deficiency is VERY common, almost universal, in strict vegetarians and vegans, as vitamin B12 is NOT readily available, if at all, in plants.

Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in animal tissues, including foods like beef and beef liver, lamb, snapper, venison, salmon, shrimp, scallops, poultry and eggs. And, the few plant foods that are sources of B12 are actually B12 analogs. Simply put, an analog is a substance that blocks the uptake of true B12. The result being, your body’s need for the nutrient actually increases.

You may also be at risk of B12 deficiency if you have stomach problems. This is because B12 needs the help of a protein in order to be absorbed. That protein is called intrinsic factor, and if your stomach is irritated or inflamed, it may stop producing intrinsic factor, making it nearly impossible for your body to absorb B12.

Other factors also influence your body’s B12 levels:

• Age: People over 50 tend to have a limited ability to absorb B12.

• Drinking coffee: A study in Clinical Chemistry found that people who drank four or more cups of coffee a day had a 15 percent reduction in multiple B vitamins compared to those who drank no coffee.

• Taking medications: Many prescription drugs diminish your body’s levels of B12, including antibiotics, anticancer medications, anticonvulsants, anti-gout medications, antihypertensives, antiParkinson’s medications, antipsychotics, antituberculosis medications, birth control pills, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and potassium replacements.

• Those who have undergone weight-loss surgery, which can impair your body’s ability to absorb B12 and other vitamins.

• Those exposed to laughing gas anesthesia or nitrous oxide.

If you are concerned about getting enough vitamin B12, it is important to know that Vitamin B12 is the largest vitamin known and it is not easily absorbed. Saying that, Herbalife nutrition is Cellular Nutrition and it makes sure that you get the most of the intake of our supplements. You can find adequate and optimal levels of B12 in the following products:

Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix (150% RDA of B12 per shake)
Formula 2 Multivitamin Tablet (600% RDA per daily intake: 3 tablets)

These two definitely nicely do the trick!

Sources: U.S. News & World Report September 8, 2008 & Neurology 2008; 71: 826-832
and Dr Mercola’s E-zine

Omega-3: Lifelong intakes necessary for benefits in old age!

Latest research on Omega 3 suggests the importance of getting the right amount of nutrient from an early age as it’s effectiveness lowers with age. According to three new studies, higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), may decrease the risk of dementia, and improve survival in older people, if taken throughout one’s life.

Two prospective studies from Norway and France measured omega-3 levels using biomarkers and showed positive benefits for the fatty acids in relation to mortality and cognitive function, respectively. However, supplementation of older people with high dose omega-3 does not affect mood or well-being, according to the findings of a third study from the Netherlands.

Putting the studies into context, William Harris from Sanford Research at the University of South Dakota commented in an accompanying editorial:

“In short, the story they tell is this: low in vivo concentrations of EPA and/or DHA predict an increased risk of death in frail, hospitalised octogenarians from Norway and an accelerated cognitive decline in free-living septuagenarians from France. On the other hand, intervention with EPA plus DHA in the healthy elderly had no effect on mental well-being. Together, these findings suggest that dietary habits that include higher versus lower intakes of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may bring certain health benefits that short-term supplementation cannot provide.”

Norvwegian Study: Omega-3 versus mortality
In the Norwegian study, Morten Lindberg from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim and co-workers recruited 254 frail, elderly patients and measured dietary intakes of omega-3 fatty acids using plasma phospholipid concentrations of EPA. Over the course of three years of follow-up, the researchers found that people with the lowest average plasma phospholipid EPA concentrations were about 40 per cent more likely to die, compared to people with higher levels. “Overall mortality in frail, elderly, acutely sick patients was inversely and nonlinearly associated with EPA concentrations,” concluded the researchers.

Commenting on this study, Harris said:

“The authors concluded that only those in the at-risk quartile might have benefited from omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Clearly, this is a speculative extrapolation; nevertheless, it is fair to say that higher tissue omega-3 fatty acid (at least EPA) concentrations appeared to be protective. Although no specific mechanism of action was identified, a generalized health benefit arising from a prolonged dietary intake of oily fish (the presumed source of the plasma EPA) would surprise no one familiar with the omega-3 fatty acid literature.”

French Study: Omega-3 versus dementia
In the French study, Cecilia Samieri from Inserm (U897) in Bordeaux and co-workers followed the 1214 non-demented participants in the Three-City Study from Bordeaux. Over the course of four years, 65 of the participants developed dementia, state the researchers. Comparing blood levels of EPA, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and total omega-3 levels, the researchers found that only higher blood levels of EPA were associated with a 31 per cent lower incidence of dementia. Moreover, higher ratios of omega-6 fatty acid blood levels, particularly arachidonic acid (AA), to DHA and total omega-3 levels were linked to a greater dementia risk.

“A high plasma EPA concentration may decrease the risk of dementia, whereas high ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids and of AA to DHA may increase the risk of dementia, especially in depressed older persons,” stated the researchers.

Dutch Study: Omega-3 and mood
For the Dutch study, Ondine van de Rest from Wageningen University and co-workers performed a 26-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 302 volunteers. The 65-year old subjects were randomly assigned to consume high dose omega-3 (1800 mg/d EPA plus DHA), lower dose omega-3 (400 mg/d EPA plus DHA), or placebo. While plasma concentrations of the fatty acids did increase according to the omega-3 dose, this was not associated with any significant change in the mental well-being of the volunteers in any of the groups.

“In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial we observed no effect of EPA plus DHA supplementation for 26 wk on mental well-being in the general older population studied,” concluded van de Rest.

Commenting on this study, Harris said:

“Although one can always suggest that higher doses may have been more effective, it is more likely that what is done is done; at 70 years of age, supplementation is simply unable to materially alter emotion or mentation. All three studies underscored the importance of maintaining high dietary omega-3 fatty acids intakes throughout life”

All the studies are published in the new issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (Source: Nutraingredients.com)

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Heart Health: Vitamin C linked to lower stroke risk: study

Increased blood levels of vitamin C may reduce the risk of stroke by 42 per cent, suggests a large European-based study.

Increased levels of the vitamin, associated with increased intake of fruit and vegetables, were found to offer significant cardiovascular benefits among the 20,649 men and women taking part in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer.

The authors, led by Phyo Myint from the University of Cambridge, state that blood levels of the vitamin could be used as a biological marker of lifestyle used to identify people at high risk of stroke.

“An intriguing possibility is that the plasma vitamin C concentration is a good marker of a wider range of health behaviors, such as fruit and vegetable consumption, that may be protective against stroke,” wrote Myint in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “It is also plausible that vitamin C may biochemically affect stroke risk.”

Strokes occur when blood clots or an artery bursts in the brain and interrupts the blood supply to a part of the brain. It is the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in Europe and the US. According to the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE), about 575,000 deaths are stroke related in Europe every year. In the US, every 45 seconds someone will experience a stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.

Myint and co-workers followed the subjects for 9.5 years and documented 448 strokes during this time. The subjects completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire at the start of the study, and blood samples were taken to measure vitamin C levels.

The highest average blood levels of vitamin C (greater than 66 micromoles per litre) were associated with a 42 per cent lower risk of stroke, compared to the lowest average blood levels (less than 41 micromoles per litre), after adjusting the results for potentially confounding factors such as age, sex, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, BMI, physical activity, and use of supplements. When the Cambridge researchers excluded participants who consumed vitamin C-containing supplements the results were the same, indicating that the benefits could have been from vitamin C-rich foods, such as fruit and vegetables.

“We believe that these findings are of interest for several reasons,” stated the authors. “First, the strong inverse association between plasma vitamin C and stroke suggests that plasma vitamin C is likely to be a good biomarker of whatever causal factors affect stroke risk, most plausibly the dietary intake of plant foods.

“Second, irrespective of any causal associations, plasma vitamin C appears to be a good predictive risk indicator of stroke, independent of known risk factors such as age, BP, smoking, lipids, diabetes, and BMI.

“Given that about half of the risk of stroke is unexplained by conventional cardiovascular disease risk factors and that the predictive validity of traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors appears to diminish with age, risk markers that may help to identify those persons at greatest risk of stroke for targeted preventive interventions with established therapies, such as BP reduction, may be of interest.”

While further study is necessary, Myint and co-workers aid that it is unlikely that long-term randomised controlled trials using isolated vitamin C supplementation would be conducted using cardiovascular disease as an end-point. “Nevertheless, the magnitude of the association between plasma vitamin C and subsequent stroke is substantial and independent of known major risk factors for stroke,” they concluded.

In an accompanying editorial, Sebastian Padayatty and Mark Levine from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) welcomed the study as “refreshing in that its findings are both clear and not overstated”.

“We need readily measurable and reliable biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake,” they continued. “Vitamin C is an attractive marker of fruit and vegetable intake because these foods are the primary sources of dietary vitamin C.

“However, use of vitamin C as an intake indicator has limitations. With ingestion of pure vitamin C, there is a steep sigmoidal dose-concentration relation in humans for doses between 30 and 100 mg. At 100 mg, fasting steady state plasma vitamin C concentrations are about 60 micromoles per litre. At 200 mg, corresponding to an intake of about 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, fasting steady state plasma concentrations are about 70 micromol/L and do not increase much with higher doses. It is unknown whether the same dose- concentration relationships hold for vitamin C in foods.”

The take-home message from the study, said Padayatty and Levine, was that the public should aim for between five and nine servings of fruit and vegetables per day and to consume a wide variety of such foods.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2008, Volume 87, Pages 64-69, “Plasma vitamin C concentrations predict risk of incident stroke over 10 y in 20 649 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer – Norfolk prospective population study”, Authors: P.K. Myint, R.N. Luben, A.A. Welch, S.A. Bingham, N.J. Wareham, and K.-T. Khaw
Editorial: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2008, Volume 87, Pages 5-7, “Fruit and vegetables: think variety, go ahead, eat!”, Authors: S.J. Padayatty and M. Levine.

Herbalife Solution

This study is rather interesting but minor compared to the well known research done by Dr Louis Ignarro, who was awarded Nobel Prize for his 25 year research on Nitric Oxide, signalling mollecule in our body that is, amongst other things, responsible for our cardiovascular health and it’s production involves comsumption of antioxidants, including Vitamin C as well as some specific aminoacids, some of which are difficult to consume through a regular diet. Dr Louis Ignarro’s research was revolutionary as it made and proved a direct link between our diet and the lifestyle choices we make and our cardiovascular health.

Herbalife is proud to have Dr Louis Ignarro as a member of our Nutritional Advisory Board (NAB). We are also quite proud of NiteWorks, nightime heart supplement that aids natural production of Nitric Oxide, which could reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes in particular. The following are the articles that are directly related to Dr Louis Ignarro and his awarded research, NiteWorks supplement and Herbalife’s solutions for Heart Health:

Herbalife’s Healthy Heart Programme Introduction

NiteWorks™ – Herbalife Heart Nutrition – Amino Acid and Vitamin Drink Mix

Heart Nutrition: Ways to improve levels of Nitric Oxide in the body – key to a longer, healthier life

Celebrate February – the Heart Month! Healthy Heart: Dr Louis Ignarro and Niteworks: Say YES to NO!

Other Targeted Nutrition Articles