Anne Parr PRO TRAINER

This was a reply from a question asked to an Arbonne Senior Vice President Product Development personal.  We all get so confused with gluten-free products.  When shopping for baking powered I never thought once that it was not gluten-free & suppliment who would know?

  You have to ask otherwise we are in the dark with the simplist of ingredience. 

The following comes from:

Michelle Schaeffer Executive Regional Vice President - Arbonne International 306-957-4525 (Hm) 306-529-9197 (Cel)

This information come from US standards.

I have a new client who has 2 children with Celiac. They currently take a multivitamin recommended by their doctor that is labeled "Certified Gluten Free". She is looking into our Power Packs and Kid's Chews, and I have emailed her the list of products that are Gluten Free, as well as our Ingredient Policy. She is just questioning why if they are Gluten Free don't we have that stamped on our packaging? Figured I'd go to the source for the answer. Thanks in advance!

From Dr. Peter:

"About the gluten; please note that there are 2 guidelines set to be considered formulated without gluten in food/supplements.

Two rules apply:

Rule 1 - It requires ingredients not containing wheat, barley and rye in the ingredient names.

Rule 2 - Detection unit of gluten is less than 20 ppm

As you can see, in the US food law “Gluten Free” is not gluten free, and just has to be less than 20 ppm. And 20 ppm though small, is not gluten free.

Internationally various countries are proposing different numbers. We want to communicate truthful information with a higher commitment. We do not want to hide behind nebulous tolerance levels that change from country to country. In fact, all of the products in our Nutritional and Personal Care line are tested to date and they are not at 19 ppm, not 10 or 3; they are non-detectable! We need Compliance Legal language that is universal, global, and sustainable (in a world where countries’ laws and definitions are not harmonized). “Formulated without gluten” is the most truthful and universal for all countries. By this we mean zero/non detectable and we will explain this more clearly on our website..

Therefore they should realize all our products are fine for their use even without a stamp."

Peter Matravers PharmD

Senior Vice President Product Development

Ingredient Policy: http://www.arbonne.com/products/index.asp ; By: Kim Saquing, Arbonne Independent Consultant Michelle Schaeffer Executive Regional Vice President - Arbonne International306-957-4525 (Hm) 306-529-9197 (Cel)

www.opportunityofalifetime.myarbonne.ca

"You miss 100% of the shots you do not take"

Wayne Gretsky

     Watch this exciting video.

Enjoy your Weekend.  Anne

I went to get more calcium today and spoke to the Herbologist at the Nurtrion House who highly recommended  I lower my does of calcium from 1500 to 750 or less.  Recommended Fish Oil as very important for health.  I found this guide below when researching.

This is information and a guide I am not promoting just sharing the information.

8 Fish Oil Benefits Proven by Research

OMEGA 3/DHA BUYERS' GUIDE 

This guide will give you information about fish oil that is not usually available to consumers. It contains transparent facts that will help you make a more informed decision when considering which omega-3 fish oil to choose in order to optimize the health of you and family; regardless of which product you are currently using or considering buying.

It will advise you how to choose the best fish oil supplement and give you a better understanding of the differences between the various fish oil supplements available.

You will also learn why Xtend-Life's Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil is 'head and shoulders' above all other fish oils based on all the key parameters. But first, let us recap on why omega-3 fish oil is so good for you.

HEALTH BENEFITS FROM A SUPERIOR FISH OIL Most scientists and health professionals agree that omega-3 fish oil contains an array of health benefits pertaining to areas of the body such as your:

Heart

By helping reduce the risk of arrhythmias and sudden death by a heart attack. 

Brain

Better brain function though more efficient neurotransmitters leading to improved concentration, memory, less likelihood of depression and reduced risk of ADHD in children.

Cholesterol & Triglycerides

By lowering triglycerides and help balancing your cholesterol.

Joints and Arthritis

Better joint function from reduced inflammation and a reduction in pain. 

Skin and Beauty

Improves the health and appearance of your skin, helps keep nails strong, as well as your hair healthy and shiny.

Immune system and cancer

A stronger immune system, proven to be beneficial for the body's immune function, lowered risk of breast and prostate cancer.

Vision

Improved focus, colour, perception and clarity of vision. 

Digestive system

By improving intestinal health and reducing inflammation assisting those with IBS or Crohn's Disease.

Allergies

"Omega-3 fatty acids benefit heart health. Whether you are in good shape, at risk, or suffering cardiovascular disease".

(American Heart Association) 

Omega-3 fatty acid intake by mothers during pregnancy may  protect babies against the development of allergies.  It may help people with existing allergies.

Diabetes

Fish oil enhances insulin secretion from beta cells in the pancreas, regulating blood sugar levels. DHA plays a protective role in diabetic neuropathy in all forms of diabetes.

What is it about fish oil that gives rise to these health benefits?

Fish oil is packed with a variety of beneficial nutrients including omega-3 EFAs (essential fatty acids) ranging in complexity and functional properties for key parts of the body.

The body cannot readily produce these omega-3 EFAs on its own. They need to be introduced to the body through food and dietary supplements known to contain high levels of omega-3. We will be discussing these omega-3 EFAs and their key roles in more detail later on in this document. Xtend-Life's Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil is arguably the most effective and most natural fish oil on the planet. It is also one of the purest and freshest products that the fish oil market has ever seen

Xtend-Life Natural Products, a family-owned, integrated manufacturer and distributor of natural supplements and skin care products has been constantly raising the bar on standards pertaining to purity, freshness and the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fish oils. For nearly 10 years, Xtend-Life has cemented itself as the preferred brand in the natural supplement industry.

The Xtend-Life Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil is a product that is fast becoming a trusted health supplement among thousands of people who share our passion for health improvement and the many benefits associated with the daily intake of pure natural fish oil.

The following sections highlight the main reasons why we believe Xtend-Life's Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil is the best fish oil supplement available on the market. We give you all the transparency and facts that you need in order to decide for yourself. We want you to establish trust, not only in our fish oil, but also in our policy that each one of our products should be as natural as nature itself.

WHY IS FISH OIL SO IMPORTANT?

Every effect has a cause. One thing leads to another - it's a fact. In terms of aging and deteriorating health conditions, your body's main culprit is almost always inflammation - which fish oil helps fight.

What makes inflammation so deadly is that it sneaks up on you and over time, the cumulative effect is a chain reaction of various health conditions ranging from arthritis and chronic pain to more serious issues such as atherosclerosis, aneurisms, strokes, brain disorders and ultimately, death.

The key is to accept that everyone has a certain amount of inflammation in the body, but often with no symptoms. More often than not it is the underlying cause behind sudden unexpected fatal heart attacks.

Fish oil fights inflammation Most scientists and health professionals believe that it is the anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil that enable it to provide so many health benefits particularly in areas of the: heart, brain, joints, skin, immune system, vision and, digestion.

However, like any nutritional product on the market today there are good and bad ones. Fish oil is no exception. With a bad one you may be unwittingly introducing substances into your body that you do not want, for example: mercury, PCBs or even increasing your load of free radicals. You may also only be getting minimal anti-inflammatory benefits - or even none at all.

You owe it to yourself to use only the purest, and thus the safest omega-3 fish oil available, plus it also has to be the most effective in order for you to receive the benefits above. If you and your family want the best product possible there are certain guidelines that you need to follow.

The Guidelines

Anti-inflammatory properties: Does your current fish oil have the best possible anti-inflammatory properties?

Bio-availability: It must be in its natural form NOT a synthetic triglyceride which many fish oils are.

High content of quality omega-3 and DHA: Be reasonably high in omega-3 with the dominant essential fatty acid being DHA.

Purity: The fish oil must be free from any contaminants with supporting evidence to prove it.

Freshness: This means low oxidation levels; once again with cold, hard evidence to back-up such claims.

Xtend-Life's Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil complies with all of the above guidelines.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties Second To None - Proven! The researchers at Xtend-Life have focused their expertise on improving the anti-inflammatory properties of the Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil with amazing success - as it is a product that is now setting new standards for fish oil products across the world.

The Xtend-Life Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil stands head and shoulders above all other fish oils. In fact, it is two and half times better than most fish oils on the market. In addition to this, we even have the results from a recently completed clinical study to prove it!

These results were established as part of a clinical study carried out in 2009 by Trinity Bioactives, part of the Wellington School of Medicine in New Zealand.

The study tested the inflammation inhibition properties of three fish oils while using aspirin as a dose-related control.

The three fish oils were:

A 'normal' consumer fish oil 18/12 consisting of 18% EPA and 12% DHA A concentrated tuna oil with 85% omega-3 content Xtend-Life's Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil

Resultant Inhibition Properties (as illustrated in the graph below):

'Normal' consumer fish oil (consisting of 18% EPA and 12% DHA) - 14% Concentrated tuna oil - 20.6% Xtend-Life's Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil - 38.1%

tend-Life's Omega 3 DHA Fish Oil had almost double anti-inflammatory properties compared with a highly concentrated oil and two and a half times more anti-inflammatory properties than a 'normal' fish oil.

*Aspirin was used as a control and it had an inflammation inhibition percentage of 38.6%. The Xtend-Life Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil blend was just as good as aspirin with an inflammation inhibition percentage of 38.1%. The concentrated tuna oil and normal fish oil scored 20.6% and 14% respectively. Xtend-Life cannot chart aspirin's percentages as direct comparisons to the fish oils as the drug is dose-related.

BIO-AVAILABILITY

(Ethyl Esters versus Triglyceride forms) Your digestive system is probably the most efficient production line known to man, however it is as natural as nature itself. It converts food particles into natural molecules that the body recognises and therefore can easily absorb. The food particles are now said to be bio-available to the body.

Bio-availability is influenced by the molecular shape of fatty acids, sugars, proteins, and other nutrients that are easily absorbed by the body. When it comes to fish oil, the benefits associated with it can only start taking effect once the body has absorbed the nutrients contained within it. The more natural the molecular structure the better

So, when assessing how 'natural' fish oil is, it is important to know about the different forms currently available on the market: Natural fish oil comes in a triglyceride form. This is the oil that you get when you 'squeeze' the fish and extract the natural oil from it. The drawback from this particular form of fish oil is that it usually has low overall omega-3 content because it's not concentrated and generally has high levels of contaminants such as heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins etc. Ethyl ester oil occurs when you take natural triglyceride oil and concentrate it whilst molecularly distilling the oil to eliminate impurities. The concentration process cannot take place until the natural triglycerides are converted to an ester form. The ester form is still in a semi-natural state because it is the result of a process that naturally occurs in the body to allow for bio-availability. It's not uncommon to double or even triple the omega-3 content of fish oil using this concentration process. Synthetic triglyceride oil is another form of fish oil that is very common and marketed as 'natural' when in fact it isn't. It is a triglyceride, but not a natural one. It is produced after concentration. As mentioned above, the natural triglycerides are converted to ethyl esters for concentration. This is perfectly fine however; but some manufacturers then re-convert the esters back into triglycerides - a synthetic form which occurs as a result of this re-conversion process.

The original position of the triglyceride's carbon bonds change and the molecule's overall structure is altered. Part of it becomes foreign to what the body is used to - negatively impacting the bio-availability of the fish oil. Why do they do it? Because they can state that it is a triglyceride form and infers to the customer that it is natural - when in actual fact, it's not.

Xtend-Life's Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil is the perfect blend of 50% exceptionally pure, natural hoki fish triglyceride oil and 50% highly purified molecularly distilled ethyl ester tuna oil.

XTEND-LIFE HAS THE 'X-FACTOR' Xtend-Life.s natural hoki fish oil seems to have a synergistic effect when combined with the highly purified tuna oil that creates this remarkable increase in anti-inflammatory effects. We call it the x-factor.

Even though the total amount of omega-3 in our blend is lower than the concentrate (because we combine it with the natural non-concentrated hoki oil), the anti-inflammatory properties have actually doubled! For now, the 'x-factor' has to remain one of the mysteries of nature. We say 'nature' because it is something in the natural component of the hoki oil that is giving these benefits.

This is one of those rare situations in which we are able to get the best of both worlds - oil that is 100% natural and 100% safe with a subtle touch of mystery from Mother Nature herself.

PRISTINE AND PURE

Unbeaten Purity - Proven Purity is measured by the amount of heavy metals, PCBs and dioxins present. One simply has to look at the locations where most fish oils come from to get a clear idea of why so many omega-3 fish oil products are tainted with toxins. They are often in the middle of major shipping routes and surrounded by large, heavily populated land masses, where pollution and waste is the inevitable outcome. Other fish oil areas are shared by deep sea oil rigs, hardly the sort of purity perceptions you would want as a customer.

The Southern Ocean is known for its rugged beauty, geographic isolation and unspoiled waters. Located in the 'roaring 40s' and 'raging 50s', this body of water off the coast of New Zealand is one of the most remote and purest oceans on earth with nothing but open water separating it from South America (over 9 000kms to the east) and Africa (10 000kms to the west) - ensuring that it experiences minimal 'ship traffic'. The entire population of New Zealand is also only a fraction of one major US city - have a look on your atlas to fully appreciate how remote New Zealand really is to the rest of the world.

When measuring the purity of fish oil products, four international standards are generally used. Interestingly enough, we at Xtend-Life have set our own specification standards because we don.t think that the normal standards are good enough as they have been set with the fish oil industry in mind rather than the wellbeing of the consumer.

You can view the tough standards we set by going to our website at www.xtend-life.com and going to Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil and clicking on the purity tab.

There you will find that:

Our levels for mercury are 10 times lower than the standards set by international organisations. Our PCB level is set at 18 times lower than the US CRN. In Europe they don't even set a minimum level. The dioxin levels are also set at a level four times lower.

Below is a table which sets out the various international standards for purity

Component    

1/ Xtend-Life Specifications  2/ International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS)    3/ Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) 

4/ European Pharmacopoeia  5/ Norwegian Medicinal Standard

                                                             1/                2/                    3/                      4/                      5/

Arsenic (ppb)                                  <90            100                100                    100                   100

Cadmium (ppb)                              <10             100                100                    100                   100

Mercury (ppb)                                  <10             100               100                    100                    100

Lead (ppb)                                       <50             100               100                    100                    100

Total PCBs (ppb)                            <5                  45                90                      N/A                     N/A

Total Dioxins &Furans (ppt)         <0.5            1*                         2                      2                         2

Notes: 

* N/A means 'Not Available'

* '<' means less than the indicated Xtend-Life Specifications which are the minimal levels of detection for standard testing equipment.

* ppb means part per billion / ppt means part per trillion

* IFOS although included in the table is not a recognised entity. It is a private organisation and it is claimed by some 'observers' that it was established for the benefit of a few marketers of fish oil.

If you look at the column containing the Xtend-Life Specifications, it’s important to remember that these figures are the minimum levels of detection for standard testing equipment.

Even at these low levels none of these contaminants are detected in our oil (hence the ‘<’ symbol) – and we can prove it! Have a look at our current Certificate of Analysis which is on our website. We have the independent government-approved laboratory data on file.

WHAT MAKES XTEND-LIFE'S OMEGA 3 / DHA FISH OIL SO FRESH?

Exceptional Freshness Guaranteed

Professional product management and control is the answer. We handle our raw ingredients with the utmost care - from the boat to the bottle - ensuring that freshness is maintained throughout the manufacturing process. This is particularly crucial for our hoki oil and we are probably the only company in this industry that has full traceability for our hoki; which is critical as we use it in its natural form.

Unlike most fish which are caught by large factory ships and frozen at sea, our hoki fish are caught by smaller vessels fishing within seven hours travelling from the hoki fishing grounds. The catch is able to be kept fresh in ice and processed immediately upon arrival back on shore. Our hoki are only caught in the height of the season and there is no by-catch mixed into the oil.

At Xtend-Life, we endeavour to give you the freshest products possible. We are very proud of our 'fresh, pure and natural' policy and strive to maintain our exceptionally high standards. The fish oil remains fresh in the capsule because of a natural rosemary extract which is a very powerful anti-oxidant combined with a broad spectrum natural vitamin E oil.

Put us to the smell test We are so confident that our fish oil is the freshest in the world, we encourage you to cut open a soft gel of Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil and smell it. You should only smell a faint oceanic aroma - if anything at all. We don't add masking flavours or fragrances unlike other fish oil companies.

No rancidity = no repeating Our Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil is so fresh that we guarantee no repeating or 'burping'. If you don't have any digestive ailments which could compromise your system, we can definitely assure you that no 'fishy' repeats will occur. If you have experienced this rather unpleasant case of 'burping' due to a rancid product, we will be glad to introduce you to ours - the freshest fish oil in the world. We will even give you a refund on the return of the partially opened bottle should you not be entirely convinced.

How to determine the freshness of your fish oil Freshness is measured by oxidation. Always look out for the total oxidation (TOTOX) value on the supplier's COA - it is made up of two components:

Anisidine value Peroxide value

Some manufacturers in Europe do not publish their anisidine values and although the peroxide values may be reasonable, the overall TOTOX value can be very high.

Interestingly, some of them do their testing just for the peroxide value (conveniently after encapsulation and after an elapsed period of time). The peroxide values in a soft gel actually go down over time but the anisidine values go up, therefore pushing the TOTOX value up as well.

It is a trick of the trade that some manufacturers use. Although the 'N/A' indication on the COA may mean 'Not Available', it should really mean 'Not Acceptable' - don't be fooled.

Freshness facts Our Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil has oxidation specifications that are significantly lower than any international standard (the lower the better).  However, the actual results of the oil are always better than the specification. Please refer to the COA for the actual values. When compared to the oxidation specifications set by a US-based monograph, our standards are nearly double the freshness levels - from the peroxide to TOTOX values, including the all important anisidine value. Our peroxide specifications are four times better than those set by the European Pharmacopoeia and Norwegian Medicinal Standard, while our anisidine and TOTOX values cannot even be compared to these organisations as they all list their respective values as N/A - and we all know what that means.

As an extra measure to ensure that freshness is maintained across the spectrum, each and every batch of the Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil is comprehensively tested by independent government certified laboratories. The laboratory used depends on the test being carried out. Xtend-Life uses two labs, namely: Cawthron Laboratories and Agriquality Laboratories.

The following is a table that shows comparative oxidation specifications between acceptable international standards and Xtend-Life standards. All of the indicated values are absolute minimum standards.

Oxidation Specifications Component Xtend-Life Specifications International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) European Pharmacopoeia Norwegian Medicinal Standard Peroxide Value (mEq/kg) 2.5 3.75 5 10 10 Anisidine Value 12 15 20 N/A N/A Total Oxidation (TOTOX) 17 19.5 26 N/A N/A Notes: 

* N/A means 'Not Available'

* IFOS although included in the table is not a recognised entity. It is a private organisation and it is claimed by some 'observers' that it was established for the benefit of a few marketers of fish oil.

SERIOUS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY

Our hoki fishery in New Zealand is controlled by the New Zealand government and is considered to be the best managed and sustainable fish resource in the world. The total allowable catch set for New Zealand is constantly reviewed by scientists at the various New Zealand fisheries every year. The hoki fishery is in such good shape that the government is considering raising the quota levels for the 2009 season.

The raw tuna oil which we use in our Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil is sourced only from trusted suppliers. The tuna oil does not have any impact on tuna stocks as it is a by-product of the tuna caught for food. We put it through a proprietary purification process in addition to the molecular distillation and concentration system. This results in levels of purity not achieved by other 'normal' purification processes.

MORE ABOUT DHA AND EPA DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is without a doubt the most complex and beneficial fatty acid (that has been isolated and studied) as far as the human body is concerned (more so than EPA) as it is a 22 carbon chain bond with six (cis) double bonds. DHA is essential for the growth and functional development of the brain in infants. It is also required for maintenance of normal brain function in adults.

The inclusion of plentiful DHA in the diet improves learning ability, whereas deficiencies of DHA are associated with deficits in learning. DHA is taken up by the brain more readily than any other fatty acid.

Other omega-3 fatty acids follow DHA in order of complexity, number of carbon chain bonds and overall efficacy for your body. They are:

EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) has 20 carbon bonds. It is difficult for the body to convert EPA to DHA because it has to add two carbon bonds. On the other hand the body only has to 'drop off' two carbon bonds from DHA to create EPA. ALA (alpha linolenic acid) - commonly found in flaxseed oil, this omega-3 fatty acid only has 18 carbon bonds, making it almost impossible for the body to manufacture DHA from. A special mention must be made with regards to another omega-3 fatty acid - DPA (Docosapentaenoic acid). It acts as the 'sidekick' for both DHA and EPA. There has not been a lot of research carried out on

DPA; however, it does appear that there are some real benefits associated with DPA because - like DHA - it has 22 carbon bonds. WHAT MAKES XTEND-LIFE'S OMEGA 3 / DHA FISH OIL SO UNIQUE? There are two important reasons why it cannot be copied or duplicated by others:

Xtend-Life has an agreement with New Zealand's largest fishing company to acquire all the oil extracted from freshly caught hoki. Other hoki oil from other sources has been frozen and is handled differently with different levels of purity and freshness. The tuna oil we use goes through a proprietary purification process prior to molecular distillation and concentration. This process removes impurities such as PCBs and dioxins to a level not possible by molecular distillation alone. There are other points of difference as well; all of which - when combined with the above - make Xtend-Life's Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil a product that cannot be matched or bettered.

A WORD FROM WARREN, CHAIRMAN OF XTEND-LIFE

"The search for a better and purer natural fish oil has been an ongoing 'labour of love' of mine for almost nine years. My family, our staff, friends and myself all rely on our Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil to contribute to our overall general health. We make NO compromises. If you take it every day like we do, your body will thank you for it and you will feel the benefits".

To keep up to date with general health developments you may wish to subscribe to my blog at http://blog.xtend-life.com

In good health,

Warren Matthews

Love new studies.

“New evidence suggest that the majority of age related conditions, such as Diabetes, Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's and Arthritis are more closely linked to inflammation in the body than most other factors. According to Dr. Britt Burton-Freeman of the National Center for Food Safety, the following foods are recommended to prevent inflammation in your body: colourful rainbow fruits and veggies rich in bioactive compounds, such as strawberries, blueberries, grapes and green leafy veggies.”

- Dr. Travis McDonough

Feel these foods most certainly can make a difference would like to see more studied information.

For myself eat these foods regularly yet still have a lot of inflammation in the body.  Have been told low in vitamin D thus calcium.  There are so many factors to consider but eating right most certainly can made a difference for all.

Thanks to Dr. Travis McDonough for sharing.

Sharing somthing to consider in your own studio or area.  Nothing like motivation and an idea to run with.  Helping as many people as we can throughout our communities, areas, provinces and Country.  Win to success where ever you may be.

Spring is here and people start thinking about shedding body fat in time for summer.  So it’s a perfect opportunity to offer a Fat Loss program or Weight Loss challenge.

At Northwest Personal Training, our Spring Weight Loss and Makeover program has been a huge winner both from a financial and a client success perspective. Here are some of the details of our program:

How does the challenge work? Everyone will be assigned to a trainer’s group and the groups will compete against each other throughout the challenge.  A client can either be randomly assigned to a trainer’s group or request a certain trainer. A client can make this challenge as self-motivated as they like or they can utilize our services to help them through the process and maximize their results. Weekly weigh-ins are required so we can check their progress, and adjust their plan accordingly. The teams’ trainer is there to help clients stay motivated and answer any fitness questions they might have.

The program will be launched Wednesday April 25th at our Vancouver studio.  At the program launch clients will be weighed in and provided with exercise and nutrition guidelines to help them transform their body!  Note: If for whatever reason they cannot make it to the program launch, they must be weighed in at the Vancouver studio between April 23rd – April 29th unless otherwise arranged.

The final weigh-in will occur between June 4th -10th at Vancouver studio unless otherwise arranged.  All results must be in by June 11th at the very latest with no exceptions in order to calculate results.

The team with the greatest percentage weight lost will be deemed the winning team (although everyone is a winner in our books!).  Bragging rights go to the Personal Trainer with the winning team!

Spring makeover Challenge Options:  Clients pick an Option that works with their needs.  Here is how we promote the various options.

Flying Solo: I know what I need to do.  Just give me a finisher’s gift, weigh me in, and I’m good to go. The competition is all I need to keep me going.  Cost:  $47

Jump-Start: In addition to a finisher’s gift, can you please provide me with a NWPT Results Manual and take my pre and post girth and body fat measurements (2-30 minute appointments).  Cost:  $97

Rookie: I’m new around here and this will be a great opportunity to get me started on a trial membership.  Please provide me with a Group Training membership during the challenge in addition to the finisher’s gift, NWPT Results Manual and pre and post measurements (2-30 minute appointments).  Cost:  $197

Coach Me: Help me through this process.  Includes finisher’s gift, NWPT Results Manual, Pre/Post Measurements (2-30 min appts), and 12-30 minute private training sessions (suggested 2 sessions/week).  Cost—Members: $527  Non-members:  $597 (includes Group Training membership during challenge)

Tandem: Guide me closely on this journey.  Includes finisher’s gift,  NWPT Results Manual, Pre/Post Measurements (2-30 min appts), and 12-60 minute private training sessions (suggested 2 sessions/week). Cost—Members: $927 Non–members:  $997 (includes Group Training membership during challenge)

Inspire a Friend – Motivate a non-NWPT buddy to join & you BOTH get 10% off entry fee!

Besides the health benefits and bragging rights… This year, each week we are going to reward the individual that loses the most weight with a gift… $25 gift certificate for Northwest Personal Training.   

Grand Prize: Overall Male & Female winner will receive a plush gift basket filled with gift certificates and products… Including but not limited to an hour massage, 3 Endermologie treatments, $50 to Fit Right NW, Manicure & Pedicure, Climbing 201 – Belay On course, One night stay at Briar Rose Inn Bed and Breakfast, a bottle of Sycamore Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and $40 Dinner ~ Uptown Pasta.

Each registrant also receives a Fat Loss workbook that includes nutrition and activity logs, educational information, homework assignments and more.  We sell the rights and license to use this “NWPT Results Manual” for your own Fat loss programs or Weight Loss challenges and this month we are offering 20% off the normal rate. You can find more details on this topic, all of the forms we use to bring clients through this process and so much more in our Fitness Results Manual.   Learn more about it in this video where I walk you through all of the different sections of the manual.

Check it out!

Speaking to an associate the other day I was horrified to learn the badpractices with our meat.  I had thought we had a very good program in Canada thatprevented bad and unsafe practices from the farms and abattoirs.

I was told the farmers have to follow bad practices by keeping theirlive stock in dark in over crowded barns, many cows living in filthy placeswhere the manure is so bad it covers the cow’s skin.  When it goes to the abattoir they can not washoff the dung because it is so thick there for they are slaughtered with much ofthis on their bodies.

One farmer complained the regulations and lost her license to farm.

I really don't know how true this is but if it is happening what iswrong with the legislation practices in our farming industry.  What happened to the health & safety ofCanadians.

Better reason to shop local get out and see the farms in yourarea.  They will be smaller most importantly cleaner and more healthyanimals and product at market.

If you have heard about this or if this is wrong let us know becauseconsumers can make a difference and help out the good farmers out there who arebeing forced to create such unhealthy care for their animals and products.

Looking forward to feed back on this one.

Have a wonderful day.

Anne

One of my participants sons is the author of this well researched book.  Read the review posted on Literary World.

It is turely amazing how the body can heal itself give the will power to choose to and the resources within our reach to change what can be changed.  Know death is the end of our beginnings many are given a new lease on life to live longer healthier happier lives while we can.

The Cure for Everything! Untangling the Twisted Messages About Health, Fitness and Happiness

By Timothy Caulfield

Viking Canada

320 pp; $32Reviewed by Julia Belluz

To read Timothy Caulfield’s The Cure for Everything! is to wonder how we are not all waddling around at 350 pounds, out-of-shape and sickly. Caulfield, an Edmonton-based health law professor, documents the alarming ways the simple truth about what makes us healthy is distorted by interest groups, from Big Food to Big Pharma, who unduly complicate our relationship with food and fitness.

But Caulfield, the Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, is no scaremongering skeptic: His cure for the mess we’re in is this lucid and well-researched compendium of the best-available science about diet, fitness, genetics, pharmaceuticals and alternative medicine. In other words, it’s a kind of diet book for the evidence nerd.

On his “quest to find the truth about the things that make us healthy,” the editor of the Health Law Journal lives his journey, seeking out a naturopath, consuming a mega-dose of homeopathic solution, going on a diet and getting his genes tested. In a chapter on fitness, Caulfield — a lifelong exercise nut — nearly expires after a workout with Hollywood trainer Gina Lombardi. Through the experience, we learn about what it takes to get the hard bodies we see onscreen. Of one nameless actress, Lombardi says the prescription is “two hours of intense, intense work — hard intervals plus weights — every day, seven days a week, all year. Plus, she doesn’t eat.” Other evidence-based truths about fitness: Working out by itself won’t make you lose weight, there is no such thing as “toning” and the best exercise is a combination of intense resistance and interval training.

Furthermore, the calories in, calories out approach to slimming down — that we can burn off that extra pizza on the treadmill — is a myth perpetuated by industry. Why do you think Coca-Cola has been the lead sponsor of so many physical fitness initiatives? “While it is hard to knock Coca-Cola for promoting exercise, it is equally difficult to imagine that the company is not at least partly motivated by the financial upside of sustaining the exercise-as-a-weight-loss-strategy myth,” Caulfield writes.

He also points his quack-busting finger at his peers in the academy. He tells of fitness researchers who want their work to be seen as “socially valuable” and, perhaps inadvertently, suppress the truth that diet is 80% to 90% of the weight-loss equation. On genetics, he shows that while the promises of the genetics revolution are overblown by media, much of the hype has been manufactured right in the ivory tower. One geneticist tells Caulfield, “The genetics community wants to make it look like we are on course to help with common diseases, even if we aren’t.” It’s a fact some researchers don’t want to escape, should the money go elsewhere. And much of the money backing genetics research can be traced back to one industry: Big Tobacco. (If we found the genetic on switch for lung cancer, whether we smoked might not matter.)

When Caulfield focuses his attention on food, he assembles a Food Advisory Team (FAT) made up of nutrition experts who guide his quest for the most healthful eating habits. Building on the foodie activist-journalist Michael Pollan’s work, Caulfield uncovers the science behind the simple things that actually improve health: smaller portions, cutting out junk and doing so as part of a lifelong approach. It seems like stuff we already know. But not so fast: Caulfield is brilliant at describing how industry spins these simple truths. For example, we’re bombarded with messages to eat more of many foods, but never less of anything, and the conventional wisdom that everything in moderation is OK. This is all wrong, Caulfield contends. In the some 1,700-calorie a day diet most of us need to maintain a healthy weight, “there is no room for a moderate amount of crap.” (Italics are the reviewer’s own).

The health-care insider who can write like an outsider becomes a living example of his argument. Though he starts the book a fit man, the chocolate-coated peanut addict loses 25 pounds and nearly halves his body fat “all due to simple eating. Smaller portions. No poison. Healthier choices.”

In order to sustain weight loss and stop the number on the scale from creeping up as we age, Caulfield finds that we need to be ceaselessly vigilant. He speaks to one successful dieter who lost 75 pounds a decade ago and managed — against all odds — to keep it off. Her trick? She consumes only 1,600 calories each day by doing things such as only ordering starters at restaurants.

My first thought was “how depressing.” By the end of the book, I wondered whether that reaction has been shaped by the food peddlers who make us believe it’s depressing not to overindulge.

For those who follow matters of health evidence closely, some of Caulfield’s revelations may not be groundbreaking. Still, A Cure for Everything! is insightful and entertaining. If there are parts that are repetitive or gimmicky, it seems forgivable: The author is waging a noble battle against a mountain of misinformation. Gently and with humour, Caulfield guides readers through the funhouse world of health sciences with an openness and spirit of inquiry sometimes missing from the arsenal of eager myth-busters in the debunking genre, such as Ben Goldacre and his Bad Science. Next, though, we need to figure out how to fix the broken systems that generate the spin.

By the end of the book, Caulfield gets at the deep irony in the fact that we’ve never had so much scientific knowledge at our fingertips, yet “it is being subjected to an unprecedented number of perverting influences.” This geeky diet tome, then, becomes a compelling and timely argument for science and a reminder that science is an iterative process, breakthroughs are rare, and there are no magical cures for everything.

“Science, when done properly, is worth defending,” he writes. “And it’s worth defending because when it’s not twisted, it actually can make us healthier.”

• Julia Belluz, associate editor of the Medical Post, writes the blog Science-ish (macleans.ca/science-ish).

Posted in: Afterword, Guest Editors  Tags: Book Reviews, Julia Belluz, medicine, Non-Fiction, Science, The Cure for Everything!, Timothy Caulfield

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To your health Anne

This is a pet peeve of mine. I remember going to the diabetic clinic with myhusband when he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and the dietitian told himhe could 1 drink diet pop a day.  I made the comment “he might as wellhave a Persian once a week.  Well the fight was on.  And of course myhusband didn't get it either.  I didn't realize he was drinking 1 to 2liters of coke every day much more on the weekend with rum.

Many people ask me why they can’t loose weight when they watch what they eat,lots of healthy choices, read labels etc. yet they think nothing about drinkingcoke or Pepsi regularly & diet thinking they are helping themselves by nothaving the regular. 

 Posted on January 31, 2012 by Stone Hearth News

Individuals who drink diet soft drinks on a daily basis may be at increasedrisk of suffering vascular events such as stroke, heart attack, and vasculardeath. This is according to a new study by Hannah Gardener and her colleaguesfrom the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and at Columbia University Medical Center.However, in contrast, they found that regular soft drink consumption and a moremoderate intake of diet soft drinks do not appear to be linked to a higher riskof vascular events. The research¹ appears online in the Journal of GeneralInternal Medicine², published by Springer.

In the current climate of escalating obesity rates, artificially sweetenedsoft drinks are marketed as healthier alternatives to sugar-sweetenedbeverages, due to their lack of calories. However, the long-term healthconsequences of drinking diet soft drinks remain unclear.

Gardener and team examined the relationship between both diet and regular soft drink consumption and risk of stroke, myocardial infarction (or heart attack), and vascular death. Data were analyzed from 2,564 participants in the NIH-funded Northern Manhattan Study, which was designed to determine stroke incidence, risk factors and prognosis in a multi-ethnic urban population. The researchers looked at how often individuals drank soft drinks – diet and regular – and the number of vascular events that occurred over a ten-year period.

They found that those who drank diet soft drinks daily were 43 percent more likely to have suffered a vascular event than those who drank none, after taking into account pre-existing vascular conditions such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes and high blood pressure. Light diet soft drink users, i.e. those who drank between one a month and six a week, and those who chose regular soft drinks were not more likely to suffer vascular events.

Gardener concludes: “Our results suggest a potential association between daily diet soft drink consumption and vascular outcomes. However, the mechanisms by which soft drinks may affect vascular events are unclear. There is a need for further research before any conclusions can be drawn regarding the potential health consequences of diet soft drink consumption.

”###Reference

1. Gardener H et al (2012). Diet soft drink consumption is associated with an increased risk of vascular events in the Northern Manhattan Study. Journal of General Internal Medicine. DOI 10.1007/s11606-011-1968-2

2. The Journal of General Internal Medicine is the official journal of the Society of General Internal Medicine.

News that matters read more

It will be 2 year this coming March that my husband had  triple bypass surgery.  He still drinks his diet pop?????

Just a wife who hopes the diabetic clinics will refocus their teaching of soft drinks with caution and limit amounts or 0 since as all  wives know husbands like kids don't always listen to advice we give.

Have a great eveing.

Anne

It's important to eat right  most imporant meal of the day is your Breakfast.  I love my raisin toast.

Here's a Quick Tip #290

“According to the author and researcher Laurie Deutch Mozian, Cinnamon contains phytochemicals, Eugenol

and Geranoil, which can both help to combat against candida (overgrowth of yeast) due to their antimicrobial

properties.”

- Dr. Travis McDonough

One of my new favourate beverages Almond milk is a great source of calcium excellant for those who have  lactose intolerance this is the dairy alternative people have been searching for.  

[It is a good source of unsaturated fats; the fats found in almond milk derive primarily from the natural almond oil. Almond milk is high in protein and omega fatty acids, contains no cholesterol or saturated fat, and has high levels of iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc, as well as the antioxidants vitamin A and vitamin E.   Posted on January 19, 2012 by Stone Hearth News ] 

This beverage comes in many flavours great for smoothies, shakes and much more.

Enjoy your day.

Anne

It seems like every year we are bombarded with messages about some new unknown supplement, fitness trend, or other health-related product that’s supposed to be the next big panacea for producing mind-boggling weight loss and the body you’ve always wanted. Don’t you know if somebody actually came up with that ever-elusive “magic pill” gimmick for improving weight and health that they’d make Bill Gates look like a welfare recipient with all the money that would start pouring in hand over fist? But, alas, it’s never gonna happen. Even still, the diet industry is big business because clever marketing and strategic products are being aggressively targeted to a captive audience of desperate people who are tired of being overweight, unhealthy, and out of shape. That’s why tactics like these have helped crazy diet schemes strike it rich seemingly out of nowhere overnight preying on the innocent. The latest of these is the “Body By Vi” program from Visalus Sciences. I first heard about this company from a friend of mine at church (I’ll call him John) who has worked in various sales jobs as his primary source of income for most of his life. Knowing that I have a substantial following online from people who are interested in the subject of weight and health, John invited me over to his house to make me a healthy milkshake that he said he could taste like any flavor I wanted. Wow, sounds impressive. Actually, not really. I’m a natural skeptic and was hesitant about spending any of my valuable time listening to what he had to say. But because I respect John’s faith and sales success over the years, I decided to hear what he had to share. What I discovered in those two hours was a much bigger lesson in why low-carb dieters should be wary of these Visalus products.

What’s funny about Visalus is it is a typical MLM (multi-level marketing) company requiring you to buy into the company and to find other enrollees to sponsor as part of your personal pyramid network. I’ve never understood why I’m always approached by people to join their favorite MLM (from Amway, Avon, Pampered Chef, MovaVie, Cutco, Shaklee, Pre-Paid Legal and every other one you’ve ever heard of), but I guess I have that certain special something they are looking for. Maybe it’s because I enjoy talking to people and feel comfortable holding conversations that they think would make me a great salesman. I dunno, but I’ve been bombarded with people trying to get me to join their MLM since I was a teenager and it’s still happening to this day. John just knew with what I already do for a living promoting healthy nutritional concepts on my popular blog and podcasts that Visalus would be the perfect fit for me.

I suppose he knew what he was getting himself into asking me to try a protein shake product from Visalus…but maybe not. As he and one of his fellow Visalus promoters were trying to paint a picture of how I could attain financial freedom through being involved in this company (this is the major thing I ABHOR about MLM schemes–”join our team and all of your money woes will disappear”–UGH!), I was reading through the paperwork they had in a big 3-ring binder describing the Visalus plan featuring the aforementioned protein shake mixes. Anyone who knows me will tell you I read labels very carefully before putting something inside my body. If there is an ingredient in a food I am going to consume that I don’t want to have in me, then I want to know beforehand. Scouring the ingredients list of this Visalus protein shake mix, I noticed the very first ingredient in the shake was the primary source of protein–SOY!

I engaged John in a conversation about this expressing my concerns about the protein source being soy instead of whey, for example. He said, “Oh, I’ve only heard good things about consuming soy. I thought it was supposed to be healthy.” I explained to John about my podcast interview with Dr. Kaayla Daniel who wrote the book The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food and that I personally prefer to steer clear of this darling ingredient of the low-fat diet advocates. Speaking of dietary fat, there was only 1g of it in this Visalus protein shake mix along with 7g carbohydrate (5g of which is dietary fiber) and 12g protein in this 90-calorie meal replacement shake. When I told John the fat-protein ratio was way off base from what I would typically consume (my ideal food intake is high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb), again he repeated that he thought consuming less fat was healthier. It was a teachable moment that I didn’t mind sharing with him because I respect him and wanted to make sure he fully understood the concerns I had with this MLM company he had associated himself with.

Reluctantly, I agreed to have him make me one of the Visalus shakes as he promised to me when we spoke on the phone. He said, “I’ll make whatever milkshake you want and it will taste just like the real thing!” My favorite flavor is cookies & cream, so that’s what I requested. When I inquired about how many flavors Visalus made, he said he likes to take the vanilla shake mix and blend it with ingredients to make whatever flavor I wanted. I was confused somewhat by this answer. When I inquired further about my cookies & cream milkshake, he assured me it would taste amazing and be healthy because he used skim milk and Oreo cookies! O-M-G! Are you freakin’ kidding me?! Here I thought it was a cookies & cream flavor and he’s putting sugary, wheat-based carbage in this “healthy” shake. I was flabbergasted to say the least and explained that the supposed benefits of consuming the nutrition contained in this shake don’t override the huge insulin-spiking carb bomb he just added to it. Since he took the time to make the shake, I appeased him by having one small sip. YUCK! It was so gross I told him I wouldn’t be able to finish it. I was sorely disappointed. John said he’d share my concerns about the soy, fat content, etc. with the Visalus company and see what they say in response. More on how they responded in a moment.

I’d been meaning to blog about this for a while, but it came to a head again recently after I received the following e-mail from a new blog reader who was excited about this new company she’s involved with–Visalus:

More information: http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/low-carb-dieter-beware-soy-based-body-by-vi-visalus-protein-shake-mixes-not-a-panacea/12336

More important is Healthy balanced eating than short term quick fix products that don't allow a journey to wellness to occur.   Mantaining proper exercise and nutrition is the key to a better life.  If you are struggling see the professionals who will help you make a change for life. 

Share your comments and your concerns.

Wishing you a fun safe Christmas! 

Anne Fitness & Health for life!