Healthy Thoughts About Homes and Families

A 2012 Goal -- Improving Memory

2012-01-09T16:54:00.000-05:00

One of my 2012 goals is to work on my memory. I am aging as a babyboomer and always looking for ways to age in a healthy way. My husband and I are going to Alaska this summer. This brings me to today's post. I have had trouble remembering the types of salmon that my husband likes to fish for because of all the nicknames. So I use this method and have found it to be helpful! Enjoy!

Do you know there are five types of Pacific Northwest salmon species?: Chum, Sockeye, Coho, Chinook, and Pink Salmon. An easy mnemonic device, the five finger method, can help a person remember them all.

How to Remember the Types of Pacific Northwest Salmon Species Using the 5 Finger Method

Instructions

Things You'll Need

5 Fingers!

Use the rhyming word thumb to remind you of the Chum salmon. Chums are the second most common salmon in the Pacific Northwest. Male Chum salmon are notable for their protruding front teeth.
Point your index finger and gesture forward, as though you're about to "sock" someone in the eye. This is how you remember the Sockeye. Sockeyes have elongated, parabola-shaped mouths and more gill rakers than any other Pacific Northwest salmon. It feeds almost exclusively on plankton that it rakes from the river and ocean bottom.
Your middle finger, or the "oh no" finger, will help you remember the Coho salmon. Because of the bright silver scales Coho develop in maturity, they are also sometimes referred to as Silver salmon.
Form your index finger into a hook to remember the Chinook salmon. The index finger is also your ring finger, which can help you remember the common nickname of the Chinook: King salmon.
The pinky finger can help you remember the Pink salmon, the most common salmon of the Pacific Northwest. Males are recognizable by the characteristic humps they develop on their backs, which is responsible for the nicknames "humpback salmon" or "humpies."

Do you use a variety of methods to help your memory?
Please share a couple in the comments below.

Rooney-isms

2011-11-29T13:14:00.001-05:00

If you will take the time to read these, I promise you'll comeaway with an enlightened perspective. The subjects covered affect us all on adaily basis:

They'rewritten by Andy Rooney, a man who has the gift of saying so much with so fewwords. Enjoy.......

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of anelderly person.

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, "You've made myday!" makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the mostpeaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have thestrength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be,everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heartto understand.

I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summernights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets tothe end, the faster it goes.

I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we askfor.

I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life sospectacular.

I've learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to beappreciated and loved.

I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I 've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are onlyletting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surroundmyself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the onesyou miss.

I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one moretime before she passed away.

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, becausetomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned..... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned..... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little fingerin his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all thehappiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I getdone.

I'd love to hear what you have learned in your life. Please leave me a comment below.

Killer Vitamins? - Part 1 & 2

2011-10-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

***************************************

I subscribe to online health tips from Dr Chaney.
I want to share his most recent post with you as
I believe we need to be as informed as possible
when making decisions regarding our health.
Healthy Blessings,
Cheryl.
***************************************

KILLER VITAMINS -- Part 1

A lot of you have been asking me about recent headlines
claiming that use of multivitamins and selected
vitamins or minerals may increase the risk of mortality
- and that supplemental calcium use may decrease
the risk of mortality.

Some of the headlines have gone as far to say that
vitamins can kill you.

What is the truth? Should you throw those vitamins
and minerals away, or are they safe for you to use?

The answer is -
some are and some aren't.

First let me start with a brief description of
the study and the results (Mursu et al, Archives of
Internal Medicine, 171: 1625-1633, 2011).

The data for this report were obtained from the
Iowa Women's Health Study. 38,722 older women (average age
61.6, range of ages = 55 to 69) were enrolled in the
study and followed for 19 years.

The women enrolled in the study filled out
extensive questionnaires in 1986, 1997 and 2004 that provided
information on their diet, lifestyle, health and
supplement intake.

The supplements evaluated on the questionnaire were
multivitamins and individual B complex, A, beta-
carotene, B6, folic acid, C, D, E, calcium,
copper, magnesium, selenium and zinc supplements. Supplements
like omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics and polyphenols
were not included in this study because their health
benefits were not recognized in 1986.

During the 19 years covered by the study, 15,594 of the
women (40.2%) died.

When the data were adjusted for age and calorie intake
use of B complex, C, D, E and calcium supplements were
associated with a slightly lower risk of death and
supplemental copper intake was associated with a
significantly higher risk of death than non-supplement
use.

When the data were further adjusted for medical
conditions and lifestyle differences between the
two groups at the time of entry into the study supplemental
calcium intake was associated with a decreased risk of
death, use of multivitamins and supplemental B6 or iron
were associated with a slight increased risk of
death and use of copper supplements was associated with a
significantly increased risk of death.

And when the data were even further adjusted
for dietary differences between the two groups,
supplemental calcium intake was still associated with a
decreased risk of death, use of multivitamins and
supplemtal B6, folic acid, magnesium, zinc or iron
were associated with a slight increased risk of death and
use of copper supplements was associated with a
significantly increased risk of death.

In analyzing any study like this the best place to
start is to analyze its strengths and weaknesses.

Its strengths are obvious. It is a very large study and
it followed people for a long time (19 years).

However, its weaknesses are many:

1) As the authors have admitted, it is an observational
study and does not prove cause and effect.

In non-scientific language, this means that this study
does not prove that vitamin use increases the risk of
death, only that it is associated with increased risk
of death under the particular conditions of
the study. Thus, it is important to carefully examine the
conditions of the study to see if there are confounding
factors that might have contributed to the results.

2) The data initially showed an increased risk of
death only associated with copper intake. It had to be
extensively massaged before any other adverse
associations became apparent.

3) The authors also observed that several of their
conclusions were not supported by previous studies.

Again, when you see this kind of discordance
between one study and several previous studies, further studies
should be performed to confirm or refute the results of
the study before recommendations are made to the
general public.

And when this kind of discordance arises, it is also
important to examine possible confounding
variables to see if there are some unique variables that may
have contributed to the results of the study.

In my opinion, there are at least two confounding
variables that merit further evaluation.

3a) While the vitamin users had slightly better diet
and lifestyle than the non-supplement users, those
differences were fairly small.

However, the use of estrogen hormone replacement
therapy was almost twice as prevalent in the supplement users
than the non-users. That is a concern because use of
hormone replacement therapy is known to be associated
with a significantly increased risk of death in this
population group.
Although an attempt was made to adjust for estrogen
use, Ithink that further studies are needed to see if
hormone replacement therapy has skewed the results of
this study.

3b) The percentage of women using supplements almost
doubled during the course of the study and the
"supplement group" included both the women using
supplements at the beginning of the study and the women
who started supplement use during the study.

As the authors noted this raises the possibility that
the supplemented group may have included a significant
number of women who started using supplements because
of medical conditions that arose during the study.

Ideally, the supplement using group and the non-
supplement using group should both be disease free at
the time supplement use was initiated if you are going
to have a valid comparison.

4) The sample size was extremely small (108-530) for
some of the groups where adverse effects were reported
- especially copper, vitamin B6 and folic acid.

5) The study only reported supplement use versus non-
use. It did not report the dosage of the individual
supplements used by the women in the study. This is
critical information, because both iron and copper
are known to be toxic - and magnesium and zinc have the
potential to be toxic - when used as stand-alone
supplements at high doses.

6) This brings me to my most important critique. This
study evaluated individual, probably high dose
supplements. This is a concern because individual
high dose supplements can cause harm by interfering with the
absorption of similar nutrients from food or multivitamins.

As an example, this study reported that use of
individual B6 or folic acid supplements were
associatedwith a higher risk of mortality, but a B complex
supplement containing B6 and folic acid (along with the
other B vitamins) had no effect on mortality.

Next week (see Killer Vitamins --Part 2 below) in part two of this series I will discuss
my "bottom line" recommendations for you based on an in-
depth analysis of this study's results and other pertinent literature.

##########################################################

KILLER VITAMINS -- Part 2

Last week I discussed the strengths and weaknesses of
the Iowa Women's Health Study (Mursu et al, Archives of
Internal Medicine, 171: 1625-1633, 2011) which has been
interpreted as suggesting that multivitamins and
certain individual vitamin or mineral supplements could
actually increase the risk of mortality in older women.

This week I'd like to focus on the bottom line for you,
and give you my personal recommendations.

1) As I mentioned last week the sample size for women
taking a copper-only supplement was exceedingly small
(108), so I do not have much confidence in the data
reported for copper supplement users in this study.

However, high doses of copper can be toxic and there is
no reason to be taking a stand-alone copper supplement
unless it is recommended by your physician.

On the other hand, copper is an essential nutrient, so
some copper should be included in your multivitamins. I
recommend looking for multivitamins providing around 1
mg of copper (50% of the DV) on a daily basis.

2) The potential toxicity of iron in adult men and
post-menopausal women is well documented. About 5-10%
of these population groups have an increased need for
iron that can be easily diagnosed by their physicians.
There is another 10-15% that have a genetic condition
that can lead to iron overload and premature death.
This condition is insidious and is often not diagnosed
until considerable damage has been done. For the rest
of the people in these population groups iron offers
neither a risk nor a benefit.

This is why the standard recommendation for adult men
and post-menopausal women is to avoid iron supplements
and iron-containing multivitamins unless supplemental
iron is specifically recommended by their physicians.

To be quite clear, if you are an adult man or post-
menopausal woman there is no reason to be taking an
iron-containing supplement unless it has been
recommended by your physician.

3) The potential toxicity of vitamin B6 and folic acid
as stand-alone supplements in this study was quite
small and was not seen in several previous studies.
However, as I pointed out last week there was no risk
involved in taking a B complex supplement containing
B6 and folic acid.

This reinforces a continuing theme of mine - namely
that we should be focusing on a holistic, balanced
approach to supplementation rather than relying on
supplements providing individual, high potency
nutrients.

4) Similarly, the potential toxicity of magnesium and
zinc was also quite small, was seen only after
considerable adjustment of the primary data, and has
not been seen in several previous studies.

My recommendation would be to get both of these
nutrients from a well-designed multivitamin supplement
where all of the essential minerals are provided in the
appropriate amounts and balance. If you do use
magnesium and zinc as stand-alone supplements my
recommendation would be to avoid very high doses of
either unless directed by your physician.

5) The very slight increase in mortality associated
with multivitamin use is not completely surprising
because some previous studies have suggested this
posiblity.

As last week one needs to know why the participants
were taking a multivitamin (ie, was it because they had
a medical condition) to appropriately evaluate these
data.

However, it is also important to ask how well designed
and tested the multivitamin was. There are some
multivitamins in the marketplace that are so poorly
designed and/or manufactured that they could possibly
cause more harm than good. Here are the questions
that you should ask about the supplement that you are
using:

- Does it represent a holistic approach to
supplementation?

I have already talked about the value of having all of
the B vitamins in balance rather than high dose B6 or
folic acid alone. However, both pure alpha tocopherol
alone (even all natural d-alpha tocopherol) or pure
beta- carotene alone have the potential to cause some
harm by interfering with the absorption of similar
nutrients.

You should look for a supplement that provides all of
the naturally occurring tocopherols and tocotrienols -
especially gamma-, beta- and delta tocopherol rather
than pure d-alpha-tocopherol alone.

You should also look for a supplement that provides all
of the major carotenoids (beta-carotene, alpha-
carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) rather than
beta-carotene alone.

And finally, a truly holistic supplement will contain
omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols and probiotics.

- Does the manufacturer do quality controls that
guarantee the supplement does not contain contaminants
that can harm you? Ask them how many quality controls
they perform with the product that you are using.

- Can the supplement manufacturer provide you with
clinical studies done with their product showing that
it delivers the nutrients to your bloodstream and has
the intended effect in your body? Animal and cell
culture studies don't count.

- Are there clinical studies showing that long term use
of the supplement actually decreases disease risk? The
study should be at least as long as the Iowa Women's
Health Study (19 years).

6) Finally, we should not ignore the "good news" part
of the study - namely that calcium supplementation
decreased mortality risk. Of course, this conclusion is
subject to the same limitations as the previous ones
and not every previous study has come to the same
conclusion.

The DV for calcium for women in this age range is 1,200
mg/day and some 40-60% of older women do not achieve
this from diet alone. I recommend that everyone strive
for the DV for calcium from diet plus supplementation.
Intakes slightly above 1,200 mg/day are probably safe
for older women, but I don't recommend going above
2,000 mg/day.

I've covered a lot of ground over the past two weeks.
Let me close with a quick summary.

- The Iowa Women's Health Study has a number of
significant design flaws and its conclusions should be
confirmed by subsequent studies before recommendations
are made to the public.

- The study's warning against taking iron-containing
supplements and copper-alone supplements is, however,
right on. In postmenopausal women these supplements
should only be taken if prescribed by a doctor.

- Individual high dose B6 or folic acid supplements are
also probably not a good idea unless prescribed by a
physician, but a well designed B complex or
multivitamin supplement containing those nutrients
appears to be safe.

- The risk associated with individual high dose
magnesium and zinc is weak and needs to be confirmed by
additional studies. Holistic supplements containing
magnesium and zinc should not be a problem.

- The risk associated with multivitamin use was also
weak and needs to be confirmed. My take on this is that
many of the multivitamins on the market are poorly
designed and could conceivable cause more harm than
good. I recommend looking for holistic supplements
backed by strong clinical studies showing that they are
safe and effective for long term use.

- This study suggests that supplemental calcium may
decrease the risk of death. While this needs to be
confirmed by subsequent studies, it does make sense to
make sure that you are getting the DV for calcium on a
daily basis.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney
Shaklee Master Coordinator

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. This information is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
any disease.

****ABOUT DR CHANEY:
Dr. Stephen Chaney, Phd

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University
and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He currently holds
the rank of Professor at a major university.

Dr. Chaney has taught biochemistry to medical and dental
students for more than 30 years and has won several awards
for teaching excellence.

He runs an active cancer research program and has published
over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific
journals. He has also written two chapters on nutrition for a
popular medical biochemistry textbook.

Dr. Chaney and his wife have also built a business part time that
has earned them a 6 -figure income for the past 15 years and he
has spent the last 10 years teaching other people how to do the same.

[If you want more information about Shaklee supplements,
please check out my website at www.babyboomerhealth.myshaklee.com]

How to Freeze Peaches

2011-08-27T09:52:00.000-04:00

Today is a good day. Today is the day I am going to help out my dad and freeze Red Haven peaches. They are our favorite tasting peach--and it started in Michigan! Here's a brief history. The Red Haven was introduced in 1940. It was created by Dr. Stanley Johnston of Michigan State University. It was first grown in South Haven, Michigan. There is a park in South Haven that bears Stanley’s name. His “Haven” series of peaches had a major effect on the peach business in the eastern part of the country.

Today is special. I might just eat a fresh peach (or two?) before the rest go into freezer bags. Yum! Next I anticipate taking a bag of peaches out of the freezer when Michigan fresh fruit is a thing of the past--February in Michigan--and savor a little taste of late summer peaches. Oh yeah!

The following article is from another blog post that gives great instructions as to freezing peaches.

***

Freezing Fresh Peaches

It is a pretty simple thing to put up fruit in the freezer. You save some money and have the taste of summer all year long. We used to can peaches, then we progressed to freezing them in syrup and finally over the year we perfected this really simple way to freeze peaches.

The most important thing to do is to start with a good peach. They should be freestone peaches and be ripe, but not soft. They should also have a skin that peels easily without having to blanch the fruit. The peaches we get are Red Haven peaches. This is the variety that we like to use for freezing and it always produces a great result.

The most labor intensive part of the process is the peeling and slicing. I make a slice around the seam of the peach and pull the skin off starting with the peach. If the peach is of proper ripeness the skin should pull off without having to cut off any of the flesh. After peeling, I cut slices off the stone. Next you need to treat the peaches with Ascorbic Acid so they don't go brown. I use Fruit Fresh, but I don't follow the proportions on the label as they use too much sugar in my opinion. Finally you need to pack you fruit in sugar.

Recipe for Freezing Fresh Peaches

8 quarts of skinned and sliced fresh ripe peaches
8 quart freezer bags
8 T Fruit Fresh
4 C sugar

Divide the peaches among the bags making sure to leave some head room. Mix 1 T of fruit fresh and 1/2 of sugar into each bag. Stir the fruit and sugar mixture in the bag. Allow to sit for 15 minute or so until some juice forms. Seal bags and place them in the freezer.

I love to eat these peaches all by themselves or over vanilla ice cream. You can also use a quart for the filling for a pie or a peach cobbler.

Enjoy!

[Taken from http://househubbie.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-freeze-fresh-peaches.html]

***

I would love to read your favorite peach recipe.
Please leave me a comment.
Now that would just be peachy!

The best six doctors anywhere

2011-08-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water,
rest, and air
Exercise and diet.

These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.

~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

The Meaning of Memorial Day

2011-05-28T09:51:00.000-04:00

The following was shared by Tom DeVries, Lead Pastor of Fair Haven Ministries in Hudsonville, MI. He received it from his friend, Mike Atkinson.

As we move toward Memorial Weekend, and look to think, thank, and remember veterans this weekend, Tom shares a story from Mike (the father of a Marine), which I believe will touch your heart and help you reflect on what Monday means to us as Americans. It may be a little long, but worth the read. I'm sure there are some that roll their eyes about this holiday, others that find meaning only as the official start of summer, but for others the meaning of this day is special, and even more, personal.

As you reflect on Memorial Day, may you be reminded that for all, God has truly shed His grace on thee.

CEMETERY WATCHMAN

I just wanted to get the day over with and go down to Smokey's. Sneaking a look at my watch I saw the time - 1655. Five minutes to go before the cemetery gates are closed for the day. Full dress was hot in the August sun. Oklahoma summertime was as bad as ever - the heat and humidity at the same level - both too high.

I saw the car pull into the drive - a '69 or '70 model Cadillac Deville, looked factory-new. It pulled into the parking lot at a snail's pace. An old woman got out so slowly I thought she was paralyzed; she had a cane and a sheaf of flowers - about four or five bunches as best I could tell.

I couldn't help myself. The thought came unwanted, and left a slightly bitter taste: 'She's gonna spend an hour, and for this old Marine, my hip hurts and I'm ready to get out of here right now!' But for this day, my duty was to assist anyone coming in.

Kevin would lock the In gate and if I could hurry the old biddy along, we might make it to Smokey's in time.

I broke post attention. My hip made gritty noises when I took the first step and the pain went up a notch. I must have made a real military sight: middle-aged man with a small pot gut and half a limp, in Marine full-dress uniform, which had lost its razor crease about thirty minutes after I began the watch at the cemetery.

I stopped in front of her, halfway up the walk. She looked up at me with an old woman's squint.

"Ma'am, may I assist you in any way?"

She took long enough to answer.

"Yes, son. Can you please carry these flowers? I seem to be moving a tad slow these days."

"My pleasure, ma'am." Well, it wasn't TOO much of a lie.

She looked again. "Marine, where were you stationed?"

"Vietnam, ma'am. Ground-pounder. '69 to '71."

She looked at me closer. "Wounded in action, I see. Well done, Marine. I'll be as quick as I can."

I lied a little bigger: "No hurry, ma'am."

She smiled and winked at me. "Son, I'm 85-years-old and I can tell a lie from a long way off. Let's get this done. Might be the last time I can do this. My name's Joanne Wieserman, and I've a few Marines I'd like to see one more time."

"Yes, ma 'am. At your service."

She headed for the World War I section, stopping at a stone. She picked one of the flowers out of my arm and laid it on top of the stone. She murmured something I couldn't quite make out. The name on the marble was Donald S. Davidson, USMC: France 1918.

She turned away and made a straight line for the World War II section, stopping at one stone. I saw a tear slowly tracking its way down her cheek. She put a bunch on a stone; the name was Stephen X. Davidson, USMC, 1943.

She went up the row a ways and laid another bunch on a stone, Stanley J. Wieserman, USMC, 1944.

She paused for a second. "Two more, son, and we'll be done."

I almost didn't say anything, but, "Yes, ma'am. Take your time."

She looked confused. "Where's the Vietnam section, son? I seem to have lost my way."

I pointed with my chin. "That way, ma'am."

"Oh!", she chuckled quietly. "Son, me and old age ain't too friendly."

She headed down the walk I'd pointed at. She stopped at a couple of stones before she found the ones she wanted. She placed a bunch on Larry Wieserman, USMC, 1968, and the last on Darrel Wieserman, USMC, 1970. She stood there and murmured a few words I still couldn't make out.

"OK, son, I'm finished. Get me back to my car and you can go home."

"Yes, ma'am. If I may ask, were those your kinfolk?"

She paused. "Yes, Donald Davidson was my father, Stephen was my uncle, Stanley was my husband, Larry and Darrel were our sons. All killed in action. All Marines."

She stopped. Whether she had finished, or couldn't finish, I don't know. She made her way to her car, slowly and painfully.

I waited for a polite distance to come between us and then double-timed it over to Kevin, waiting by the car.

"Get to the Out gate quick! I have something I've got to do."

Kevin started to say something, but saw the look I gave him. He broke the rules to get us there down the service road. We beat her. She hadn't made it around the rotunda yet.

"Kevin, stand at attention next to the gatepost. Follow my lead." I humped it across the drive to the other post.

When the Cadillac came puttering around from the hedges and began the short straight traverse to the gate, I called in my best gunny's voice: "TehenHut! Present haaaarms!"

I have to hand it to Kevin; he never blinked an eye - full dress attention and a salute that would make his Drill Instructor proud.

She drove through that gate with two old, worn-out Marines giving her a send-off she deserved, for service rendered to her country, and for knowing duty, honor and sacrifice.

I am not sure, but I think I saw a salute returned from that Cadillac.

[forwarded by Ken Davis, the proud son of a war hero]

Spring Cleaning Tips: 10 Simple Steps for a Greener and Healthier Home

2011-05-23T10:38:00.000-04:00

Spring and "springtime" refer to the season between Winter and Summer, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. We are now fully experiencing the Spring season--flowers and trees are blooming, and some of us are opening their windows for the first time in months. Many in northern climates experience Spring Cleaning this time of year--cleaning a house from top to bottom in the first warm Spring days of the year. This can be a daunting task for some of us but I found a book that really helps break it down into easy steps--and they are healthy, too!

A few years ago, Sloan Barnett came out with a book that cuts through the complexity of getting clean and green in our homes. Below is an excerpt that is worth repeating.
For more info on Sloan's book, please refer to
http://greengoeswitheverything.com/about.html

Sloan's 10 Simple Steps for a Greener and Healthier Home:

Start by replacing a bunch of your cleaners (your general spray cleaner, glass cleaner, counter top cleaner, floor and bathroom cleaners) with a natural, nontoxic all-purpose cleaner. You will only need one to do that. Really!
Replace your laundry detergent with a natural nontoxic one so the clothes you wear and the sheets you sleep on have no fumes for you to breathe.
Go to your bathroom and read the shampoo, makeup and moisturizer labels. Ask yourself, “Do I really need scent in these products?” Take stock of all of your other products and try to replace one a week with a safer, greener choice.
Use BPA-free plastic baby bottles and fill them with breast milk or organic formula. Choose powdered formula over canned formula to avoid BPA leaching from the can-lining.
Pay attention (without freaking out) to the toys you buy for your kids. Avoid lead paint and soft plastics that contain phthalates.
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid processed food. Even better, choose organic and locally grown meats, dairy, fruits, and vegetables.
Try to get the plastic containers out of your kitchen and replace them with glass containers.
Make a vow to stop buying bottled water—NOW. Instead, buy a water filter pitcher and keep two in your fridge at all times.
For cleaner and healthier air, open your windows once a day when the outside temperature is comfortable.
When buying new stuff for your home, focus on green products especially mattresses and carpets.

Want to learn more about how your household products may be contributing toward your "Body Burden" with the amount of harmful chemicals and pollutants you have in your blood? Start below with the Body Burden Quiz:

http://greengoeswitheverything.com/quiz.html

Want to know more about Green, Safe, Powerful cleaning products that Always Work? Let me know and I'll share some Clean Fun facts with you.
~Cheryl

FIBER

2011-05-14T10:09:00.000-04:00

Would you agree that most people today do not get enough fiber in their diets?

Need to increase your FIBER intake?

Get your fiber from a variety of sources

Bran, oatmeal, beans, fruits, berries, raw vegetables & whole grains

Eat lots of fresh fruits & vegetables

At least 2 servings of fruit & 3 servings of vegetables each day

Use legumes in your meals

Aim for several times per week

Use bran cereal or add it to your foods

Cereals, Salads & Yogurt; Be sure to store bran in the refrigerator

Use 100% whole grains & brown rice

Read the label, many restaurants will substitute.

Add berries, nuts & dried fruits to your foods

Cereal & Salads—be creative

Use real foods rather than purified fiber
Increase your fiber intake slowly

7 Secrets of Success

2011-05-11T09:40:00.001-04:00

The Answer is Closer Than You Think...

Making YOUR home healthier this Earth Day

2011-04-22T10:33:00.001-04:00

[Please read all the way to the bottom for a special TODAY-ONLY offer]

Let's team up and make 50,000 homes healthier this Earth Day!

For a limited time, starting this Earth Day 2011, at the time you join Shaklee, you have an opportunity to make your home healthier by purchasing a very special selection of Get Clean products that includes:

___Basic H2 (16oz)

___Two Spray Bottles

___Get Clean Super Microfiber
Cleaning Cloths

___Get Clean Dish Wash
Liquid Concentrate (32 oz)

___Shaklee Energy (chews)

Only available at the time of sponsoring at
an incredible MEMBER PRICE of $30.*

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW #59729

* This purchase can also qualify you for our Join Free with $30 promotion!
See below for details.

Join FREE with a$30 Purchase

Through May 20, 2011, purchase any Shaklee products with a minimum total purchase price of $30, and we’ll waive the $19.95 Shaklee membership fee!

This is the best “Join Shaklee” promotion ever offered! As a Shaklee Member, you will get ...

15% discount (off retail prices) on product purchases

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* Join through my affiliate site (link above) and get additional member bonuses from me.
Click on the CONTACT ME button if you need help. I will help you place your order.

* TODAY ONLY (4/22/2011) The first 5 people to join Shaklee and order through my
affiliate link will receive a copy of Sloan Barnett's book, Green goes with Everything.

It's Never Too Late to Communicate

2011-04-05T21:08:00.000-04:00

It's Never Too Late to Communicate

Always be the first to forgive and say "I'm sorry." Don't wait for fear of what the response might be. Remember Parkinson's latest law: "The vacuum created by a failure to communicate will quickly be filled with rumor, misrepresentation, doubt and poison."

In the communication process, knowledge is not always wisdom; sensitivity is not always accuracy and sympathy is not always understanding. Empathy is never assuming anything until you have "walked a mile in the other person's moccasins." Take full responsibility for success in the communication process. As a listener, take full responsibility for hearing the meaning behind what the others are trying to say. As a talker, take full responsibility for being certain that they understand what you are saying. Never meet anyone halfway in your relationships. Always give 100 percent.

This week make the call or have the conversation you have been putting off or dreading.

Denis Waitley

Reproduced with permission from the Denis Waitley Newsletter.

To Subscribe to Denis Waitley's Newsletter Use this link

© 2011 Denis Waitley International. All rights reserved worldwide.

All contents Copyright 2011 Denis Waitley International except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide. **Duplication or reprints only with express permission or approved Credits (see above). All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

****
The above is from Denis Waitley's Newsletter and it spoke to me this week.

It is my hope it speaks to you as well.
Healthy Blessings,
Cheryl

Should We Just Take a Vivix Chaser With Our Next Fast Food Meal?

2011-02-15T20:16:00.000-05:00

THOUGHTS FROM THE PROFESSOR...
About a completely independent study of a patented blend of resveratrol and muscadine grape polyphenols
(You may know it as Shaklee Vivix). This study was conducted by Dr. Paresh Dandona and his colleagues at the State University of New York at Buffalo and
published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology.

***************************************

I subscribe to online health tips from Dr Chaney.
I want to share his most recent post with you as
I believe we need to be as informed as possible
when making decisions regarding our health.
Healthy Blessings,
Cheryl.

***************************************

Shaklee leads the industry in clinical trials that
prove their products work. Shaklee has funded over 100
clinical studies - more than the next 5 companies in
our industry put together.

But Shaklee isn't resting on their laurels. They
continue doing clinical studies and their studies
continue to be published in peer-reviewed scientific
journals.

In fact last week was an outstanding week for Shaklee.

Two of their studies were published in the same week!

But, I'm not going to talk about both studies in
today's column.

This week I'm going to focus on the study with
Shaklee's patented blend of resveratrol and muscadine
grape polyphenols (You know it as Vivix).

This was a completely independent study conducted by
Dr. Paresh Dandona and his colleagues at the State
University of New York at Buffalo and published in the
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (H.
Ghanim et al, J. Clin. Endocrin. Metab.,
doi:10.1210/jc.2010-1812). It is currently available in
online form and will appear in print in May 2011.
(Here is the link to the study:
http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/jc.2010-1812v1)

The fact that it is an independent study is important.
That means that Shaklee didn't control the data. If
Vivix had turned out to be no better than placebo,
those would have been the results that would have been
published!

But, of course, Shaklee's Vivix did perform much better
than the placebo and therein lies the story.

In this study a group of young, healthy, normal-weight
adults were fed a typical fast food breakfast of egg
muffin and sausage muffin sandwiches and two servings
of hash browns.

That's a whopping 910 calories with 51 grams of fat
(1/3 of that saturated), 88 grams of carbohydrate and
34 grams of protein!

In a previous study (Ghanim et al, Diabetes Care, 32:
2281-2287, 2009) Dr. Dandona had shown that a fast food
meal like that turns on genes that cause a massive
increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS).

The increase in ROS then activates a number of genes
that trigger an inflammatory response - including two
genes, SOCS-3 and TLR-4, that are thought to interfere
with insulin signaling (which can lead to insulin
resistance) and damage to the walls that line the
arteries (As you might imagine, neither of those
responses is good).

And, if that weren't enough SOCS-3 also interferes with
the leptin signaling pathway. Simply put, interference
with the leptin signaling pathway means that your brain
doesn't realize that you just ate 910 calories. You
will probably want to eat more.

Now we do have a gene called Nrf-2 that is supposed to
be turned on when reactive oxygen species are detected.
It, in turn, activates a number of antioxidant genes
that will neutralize the reactive oxygen species and
protect our cells from oxidative damage.

In the cruelest blow of all the fast food meal turns
off Nrf-2 and all of the antioxidant genes that it
controls.

Are you sure that you still want to eat that fast food
meal?

With that as background, let's turn to the study that
was just published.

Dr. Dandona choose to use the fast food experimental
model because fast food meals give such a dramatic
response in such a short period of time that it is easy
test whether a given food or supplement can prevent
inflammation and oxidative damage.

Dr. Dandona simply gave one group Vivix and one group a
placebo 10 minutes before the fast food meal.

As you might suspect, the placebo did not alter any of
the bad effects of the fast food meal.

However, when Vivix was taken just prior to the fast
food meal:

- The genes that generate free radicals were not turned
on.

- The genes that trigger the inflammatory response were
not turned on.

- SOCS-3 and TLR-4 were not turned on

- Nrf-2 and the antioxidant genes it controls were
turned on.

In other words, Vivix completely reversed the short
term bad effects of the fast food meal.

So what is the take home lesson for you?

Does that mean that you should just take a Vivix chaser
with your next fast food meal?

Perhaps, but think how much good Vivix could do for you
if you ate a good diet!

Even if you don't eat fast food meals you should know
that oxidative damage, chronic inflammation and insulin
resistance have many causes. You don't need to eat a
fast food meal to generate that kind of metabolic
stress.

And it would be foolish to think that Vivix could undo
all of the bad effects of fast foods. Vivix simply
prevents that immediate effects of a fast food meal.

If you continue to eat fast foods on a regular basis
you will pack on the pounds, plug your arteries, raise
your blood pressure - the list goes on and on.

But, to me the most important conclusion from this
clinical study is that Vivix works.

It gets into your bloodstream and turns off the genes
that need to be turned off and turns on the genes that
need to be turned on.

If you look at the marketplace, you will find all sorts
of different potencies for resveratrol products, and
you will find resveratrol combined with many different
ingredients. And, of course, all of those companies
make fantastic claims for their products.

But, unless they have published a clinical study like
this one, they have no proof that their product
actually works.
To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. This information is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.

* * *
If you are interested in reading more about Vivix, please check out this link: http://bit.ly/fSIUkb.

* * *

****ABOUT DR CHANEY:
Dr. Stephen Chaney, Phd

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He currently holds the rank of Professor at a major university.

Dr. Chaney has taught biochemistry to medical and dental students for more than 30 years and has won several awards for teaching excellence.

He runs an active cancer research program and has published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He has also written two chapters on nutrition for a popular medical biochemistry textbook.

Dr. Chaney and his wife have also built a business part time that has earned them a 6 -figure income for the past 15 years and he has spent the last 10 years teaching other people how to do the same.

What do Future Masters and Bird Feeders have in common?

2011-01-24T12:35:00.001-05:00

I saw a lot of action at our bird feeder this morning. What a flurry! There were red cardinals, blue jays, finches, sparrows, chickadees—all kinds and shapes of birds. Some were pushy. Others were timid. It wasn’t easy for them to get to the feeder. There was heavy snow in the trees and it was very cold outside. Some traveled a long way to get there. There were other feeders they could have gone to but perhaps they came to our feeder because of the good quality black sunflower seeds.

It made me think how we humans are similar in nature. It made me think how important it is for us humans to feed ourselves. Sure physically, but also mentally. Why? Because we have to feed ourselves mentally in order to grow. If we quit doing that—if we stop connecting at a feeder or go to the wrong one--we diminish our ability for action. When we come together to feed our brains, we can dream. We can get energy and focus that we need for our activities. Then we can truly fly!

I attended a 3-day Future Masters conference last week. It wasn’t easy for me to get to this conference. I had some financial conflicts. I had to travel a long way from Michigan to get to California. I could have gone to an online conference or even just attended a few phone call conferences. But I came to this conference. Why? It is important to feed myself with the best quality content in order for me to get the energy and focus I need for my activities that will help my team as well as myself accomplish our goals this year. This conference gave me that. Corporate people and others in my field taught me that I can dream. They gave me productive tools for the activities I need to do when achieving my goals and for helping others in my organization achieve their goals. Now it is up to me when I leave the feeder as to what I do with these tools. I flew away armed with energy and focus for both personal and business goals. Wow! That was a good feeder!!

How is your energy and focus? Have you been to any good feeders lately?

Drugs that make me go hmmmm

2011-01-15T12:03:00.000-05:00

Do you take Aspirin for the headache
caused by the Zyrtec you take for the hayfever
you got from Relenza for the uneasy stomach
from the Ritalin you take for the short attention span
caused by the Scopederm Ts you take for the motion sickness you got
from the Lomotil you take for the diarrhea
caused by the Zenikal for the uncontrolled weight gain
from the Paxil you take for the anxiety
from Zocor you take for your high cholesterol
because
exercise,
a good diet,
and regular chiropractic care
are just too much trouble?

As seen on this t-shirt

hmmmmmm.

Monday's Eating Healthy & Losing Just 10

2011-01-10T11:55:00.010-05:00

Today is weigh-in day (and NO, I am not posting my weight
out here today, however, I will post net pounds lost as well as
net inches lost--not even giving any consideration to any gains.)

Continuing the theme of Eating Healthy & Losing Just 10,
I am looking at tonight's fish dinner choices. Either:
Alaskan
Grayling
or
Halibut.

Below are two recipes that are worth checking into.
Hmmm, both sound good. Both fish are in our freezer.
~Cheryl

***Arctic Grayling

INGREDIENTS
(1) One whole grayling cleaned and dressed
(fins removed leave the head and skin)
2 tbsp chopped green pepper
2 tbsp chopped red pepper
2 tbsp chopped onion
2 thin slices of lime
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp tarragon
2 tbsp dark rum
seasoning salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Coat the cavity of the fish with seasoning salt, pepper and tarragon.
Mix peppers and onion and stuff into cavity
Crumble butter into the cavity, finally adding the lime slices.
Take the stuffed fish and wrap with tinfoil.
Just prior to sealing pour the rum over the fish.

Cook on medium high BBQ for approx 7 min / side or until
cooked through. Be careful not to overcook as the bones will
pull away with the meat if overdone.

Once complete scrape skin away and using a fork tease the
meat away from the medial line in the fish. This should leave
all the bones attached to the skeleton
Bon Appetite!
(by Ken Davies of Alberta Canada)

Nutritional Information not available

***Halibut Kabob

INGREDIENTS
1 lb halibut steak, 1 inch thick
¼ C fresh lemon juice, juice of 1 lemon
¼ C olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 t Italian herb seasoning
½ t dried thyme, crushed
½ large red onion, cut lengthwise into thirds

DIRECTIONS
Preheat broiler. Cut fish into 1 inch cubes and set aside.
In a bowl, mix lemon juice, oil, shallots, herb seasoning
and thyme. Add fish and toss to coat. Marinate in
refrigerator for at least 5 minutes, but no more than 1 hour.
Pry onion apart in single layers. Thread each skewer,
alternating with onion and fish, using four pieces of fish
and five pieces of onion. Place skewers on a broiler pan
and broil four inches from heat 2 to 2 ½ minutes on each
side or until fish is no longer translucent.

Makes 4 servings.
Calories: 295/serving

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
30g protein
4g carbohydrates
17.5g fat
82mg sodium
48mg cholesterol
0g fiber

For more delicious Halibut recipes, check out:
http://www.fishalaskamagazine.com/recipes.htm

Eat Healthy and Lose Just 10!

2011-01-08T19:02:00.003-05:00

It is my goal to lose 10 pounds at a time until I reach my
goal weight. It is also my goal to eat healthier. How about you?

In preparation for healthier eating, I am sharing this recipe.
Note to husband: Honey, you're going to need to go to Alaska again.
We need more Alaskan salmon!!

Honey Soy-Broiled Salmon
From "Eating Healthy"

Ingredients
1 scallion, minced
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned (see Tip) and cut into 4 portions
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (see Tip)
Directions
Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.

Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

How to skin a salmon fillet: Place salmon fillet on a clean cutting board, skin-side down. Starting at the tail end, slip the blade of a long knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.

To toast seeds: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Source: Find frozen wild Alaskan salmon

Thoughts About Weight Loss

2010-12-30T10:51:00.010-05:00

THOUGHTS ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS
Thinking about starting a 2011 weight management program?
Consider these beginning thoughts.

Keeping It Real With SMART Goals (1)
Like Yogi Berra once said "If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." Don't let this happen to you. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time driven (SMART) goals from the beginning of your weight management program is essential to your success.
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Achievable
R = Realistic
T = Time driven

Specific
The more specific you can be the more it will help you focus on your effort and clearly define what you are going to do. Instead of setting a general goal to lose weight or be healthier, set a specific goal to lose 2 lbs per week or take off 2 inches on your waistline or to walk 3 miles at a challenging pace.

Measurable
If you can't measure it, you won't be able to manage it. Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. Then pull out the scale, tape measure or smaller pair of pants and see how your goal measures up.

Achievable
If your goals are too far out of reach you probably won' be able to make the commitment to accomplish them. Your goal should stretch you slightly but just enough to feel like you can accomplish it with a real commitment. Then when you do achieve that goal you will feel successful and feelings of success, not failure are what keep you motivated.

Realistic
Realistic does not mean "easy." Realistic, in this case, means "do-able." A goal of never again eating sweets, cakes, and chocolate may not be realistic if you really enjoy these foods. It may be more realistic to set a goal of eating a piece of fruit each day instead of one sweet item. You can then choose to work towards reducing the amount of sweets gradually and realistically.

Time Driven
Setting a timeline for reaching your goal (i.e. in a week or over 12 weeks) provides an end point and a clear target to work towards. Without a timeline, you'll feel you can start at any time, and you'll lose your sense of urgency. Telling others your timeline also helps keep you on purpose. Ask them to check in with you at certain dates to confirm you're on track.

Getting a SMART Start (2)
These 6 simple steps apply to weight management activities.
Shaklee Cinch is my product choice so you will see it referenced below. ~Cheryl

Congratulations! You've made the commitment to improve your health by losing weight and inches. Cinch will help you get there and getting started can be a cinch too. Just follow these 6 simple steps:

1. Set a realistic weight loss goal. A realistic goal is one that you know is achievable with in a reasonable time frame. We recommend planning on a 1-2 lb. per week weight loss with adherence to the Cinch Inch Loss Plan. So for example, a realistic goal would be "I will lose 20 lbs in 12 weeks."

2. Find your starting calorie level. Use the chart on page 6 of the Cinch Success Guide or calculate your calorie needs using the Cinch Coach™ software (both found in the Cinch Starter Kit) to help you determine which calorie level to begin at.

3. Decide on your meal-planning approach. Some people like a more structured approach. If that's you, follow the meal plans available on Cinch Coach or posted on CinchClub.com. Pick the meal plan closest to your estimated calorie needs and that fits your food likes and dislikes (ex. Lacto-ovo vegetarian or no red meat). If you prefer to build your own meals and choose your own snacks, follow the flexible approach using the servings and portion control guidelines on page 7 of the Cinch Success Guide. Using the food group and portion control lists that follow on pages 8-12, eat the foods you enjoy from that food category to achieve your allotted serving. Remember to watch your portion sizes and get familiar with what a "serving" is for each category of food.

4. Take all products as directed. Cinch will give you the best results when the products are used as directed and incorporated into a healthy lifestyle. Having two shakes and taking your 3-in-1 Boost™ is an important foundation. The bar provides added leucine and helps to protect muscle mass. The tea will provide energy — so it's OK to drink it several times per day!.

5. Commit to being active. Cinch works best when you boost your level of physical activity. To help you get moving, strap on the pedometer in your Starter Kit and work up to 10,000 steps per day.

6. Take your baseline weight and body measurements. You will know Cinch is working by the way you feel. Your energy level will be high, and you should feel satisfied. But monitoring your success is another great way to quantify your results. It's also a great way to keep you motivated so you stay on track. Feel free to jump on the scale and get your baseline weight and check your weight periodically. However, taking body measurements is another great way to monitor your success. Take your Cinch tape measure and measure the inches around your waist and hips. If you like, measure your arms, chest and thighs as well.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Here is a great way to get started:
1. Go to http://www.cinchplan.com/babyboomerhealth and complete your personal profile to get the number of recommended calories you need daily. Many times people start a program eating too little calories.
2. Then go to http://www.cinchclub.com/recipes and type in the number of recommended calories and you can get 2 weeks worth of menus. It is also strongly recommended to purchase the daily log on the Cinch site so that you can be accountable.
3. Another very important action is to use the glycemic index for food selection. Select products that are 55 and below on the index. A recommended glycemic index site is http://www.cylive.com/content/125/International_Foods. You can easily put a food item in the search box and find the glycemic index for it. If you look at the daily log and compare your calorie intake on your personal profile, the log will tell you how many fruits, veggies, protein, fats, etc that you should have daily.

* * *

1 From http://www.cinchclub.com/displayContent.html
2 From http://www.cinchclub.com/displayContent.html

I am committed to losing weight and inches. I will be starting a new program next week and would love to have you partner with me. I am using Shaklee’s Cinch program. I am also going to use Brad Lamm’s concept of Just 10 LBS at a time. (Find his workbook here at http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/just-10-brad-lamms-workbook).

Come join me!
It’s going to be an excellent adventure!!
Healthy Blessings,
Cheryl

Twas a Time Before Shaklee

2010-12-22T12:23:00.009-05:00

'TWAS A TIME BEFORE SHAKLEE...

‘Twas a time before Shaklee, when all through the place,
Not a corner was gleaming; there was no Basic-H.

Our food was all packed in the closet with care,
in hopes when we ate it some nutrition would be there.

The children all wrestled and tossed in their beds,
because they lacked Calcium from their toes to their heads.

And Papa without Protein and me without Herb-Lax
we’re both quite a wreck and about to collapse.

When from out of nowhere there came such a clatter,
I feebly got up to see what was the matter.

Over to the window I moved like a snail,
my struggle with the shutters left me quite pale.

The soot and pollution on the new fallen snow
made me quite nauseous to see it below.

When what through my bloodshot old eyes did I see,
but a shining lease car and a license plate that read "Shaklee".

With Aunt Mildred driving and moving so quick,
I thought, she must be on drugs, or some brand new health kick!

With boxes and bottles and bundles she came.
She jumped up and kicked her heels calling them by name.

"I've Protein & Vita Lea, Herb Lax & Lecithin,
Basic H & Basic G and some bottles to mix ‘em in."

She leaped to the porch, almost kicked down the door.
We were all quite amazed cause her health used to be poor.

As I drew in my head and was turning around,
she had flown in the kitchen in one single bound.

She was dressed in a cloth coat and a cute little hat,
but they were both sparkling clean, and you couldn’t miss that.

A bundle of bottles she dropped on the table,
and said, “Soon I'll tell you the Basic H Fable!”

Her eyes, how they twinkled. She said, "I've a mission!"
Then she sat us all down and began with nutrition.

She was sharp as a whip and her memory quite keen,
as she told us of Herb-lax, Vita Lea and Protein.

She told us that Calcium was good for our teeth,
and that smoking would make them turn green as a wreath.

Then she took off her coat and said "Look at this belly,
before Shaklee's Cinch Plan, it looked all full of Jelly."

She used to be plump and a crabby old elf,
and she laughed as she said, "I've gotten hold of myself!"

Then I pinched myself hard and I rattled my head,
perhaps I am dreaming, I must be in bed.

She spoke lots of words about cleaning and work,
and filled all those bottles and then turned with a jerk.

Picking up a sponge and the sink’s sprayer hose,
she cleaned off the sink; now the porcelain shows.

Then she whipped on her coat as she sprang to the door,
"I've got Shaklee Members to sponsor, haven't time to do more!"

I heard her exclaim as she drove down the street…

"If you're not into Shaklee, your life's not complete!!!"

Author Unknown

****************************************************

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Get some great Christmas ideas at:
http://babyboomerhealth.myshaklee.com/us/en/about_2011_product_guide.html

Christmas Treats

2010-12-18T10:56:00.009-05:00

Christmas Treats

It's that time of year when I get out my faded yellow notepad with my favorite Christmas treat recipes on it. It is over 30 years old now. My husband told me I might want to look at rewriting these recipes so they don't fade off the paper. He might have a point. But there is a nostalgic side of me that likes to look at the curled edges of the page, including a spot of green food coloring here and there. Ahh, fond memories of Christmas past with family all around.

I started a Cookie Day tradition with our family about 20 years ago, when my nieces were very young. We pick a day close to Christmas and start baking very early in the morning until evening. The aromas that fill the house are amazing! There is much laughter and even more sugar, spice and all things nice. I'll never forget how proud I was when one of my nieces was in a math class at school that had a session on fractions. She told me she did well that day because she remembered how we added different fractions like mixing 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup in our recipes. The largest variety of recipes we have used (to date!) were multiple batches of 14 different treats and soups--had to have lunch, too! (see picture).

This year two of the nieces have one-year old girls of their own. So we are bringing a whole new generation to Cookie Day! We are also "required" to make a new (to us) recipe in addition to our favorites. I have included one of our family favorites below that you are welcome to use and enjoy.

Please reply and post one of your favorite family recipes.
Happy Holidays everyone!!

HOLLY WREATHS

Ingredients:
1/4 pound (1 stick) Butter
30-36 large Marshmallows
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 teaspoon Green Food Coloring
4 cups Corn Flakes
Red Cinnamon Candies

Directions:
Melt Butter. Add Marshmallows (cut up works better). Mix well and heat until molten (melted and blended together). Add Vanilla and Food Coloring. Mix well. Add Corn Flakes and gently stir until flakes are well coated. Shape into wreaths on wax paper. Decorate with Red Cinnamon Candies.

ENJOY!

Tips From The Professor: Are Multivitamins Dead? - Part 2

2010-12-07T11:26:00.005-05:00

I subscribe to online health tips from Dr Chaney. I want to share his most
recent post with you as I believe we need to be as informed as possible
when making decision regarding our health.
Healthy Blessings,
Cheryl.
**********

Tips From The Professor: Are Multivitamins Dead? - Part 2

In last week's "Tips From The Professor" I was critiquing
the November 2010 article in Prevention Magazine titled
"Should You Kick the Multivitamin Habit?"

I made the following points:

1) It is very difficult to prove that any intervention
is beneficial in an essentially healthy population.

As an example I discussed the recent study showing that
you cannot even demonstrate a benefit from statin drugs
in a healthy population with elevated cholesterol.

2) If you wish to demonstrate the effectiveness of an
intervention, you need to focus on those individuals
who are actually at risk.

And I gave examples of studies that show supplementation
does make a difference in populations who are at risk.

This week I would like to continue my discussion by
making several more observations:

3) Not all multivitamins are the same.

Shaklee is unique in the food supplement industry in that they
design their supplements based on solid science, employ
pharmaceutical grade quality control standards and conduct
clinical studies to prove the effectiveness of their supplements.

For example, Shaklee designed their multivitamin Vita-
Lea and their calcium supplements based on the research
of Dr. Paul Saltman, who studied the micronutrient
composition needed to optimize the utilization of
calcium for bone formation. And an independent clinical
study showed that the calcium in Vita-Lea was twice as
effective as a calcium carbonate supplement at
decreasing bone loss in postmenopausal women (JAMA,
244: 1915, 1980).

Similarly, an independent clinical study showed that
Shaklee's Vita-Lea improved immune response in older
healthy adults (J Am Coll Nutr, 17: 511, 1998).

My perspective is that when interpreting studies of
multivitamin usage in the general population it is
important to remember that most of those multivitamins
have never been tested to see if they actually work!

4) Multivitamins are good, but you can do better.

This is one area where I agree with the basic premise
of the Prevention article.

Multivitamins are the most economical form of
supplementation, but based on what we know today they
are clearly not the optimal form of supplementation.

Perhaps the clearest evidence of that is the Landmark study
conducted by Dr. Gladys Block of UC Berkeley (Nutrition J,
6: 1-11, 2007).

She compared people who had followed a comprehensive
program of supplementation using the Shaklee
supplements for 20 years or more with people who just
used multivitamins or used no supplementation.

The people who used the Shaklee supplements had
significantly better health than the multivitamin users
and the non-supplement users.

In fact the multivitamin users fared no better than the
non-supplement users - which is to be expected because
the study was conducted in a healthy population.

Shaklee followed up by combining the key nutrients that
the Shaklee subjects were using in the Landmark study
into a supplement called Vitalizer, which represents
the latest in nutritional science.

Let me give you some examples:

Prevention made the point that one major problem with
multivitamins is that they often contain nutrients "in
isolation". For example, they quote Dr. Neuhouser as
saying "The vitamin C in a multivitamin is likely just
not as effective as the vitamin C in a citrus fruit,
where it is surrounded by fiber and flavonoids and
carotenoids."

I agree with this assessment - although the interaction
of vitamin C with flavonoids and carotenoids is much
stronger than its interaction with fiber.

In Vitalizer the vitamin C is surrounded by flavonoids
and carotenoids - and if you add Cinch you'll get fiber
as well.

Prevention recommended omega-3 fatty acids. Vitalizer
contains the 500 mg of omega-3 fatty acids that the NIH
recommends for healthy adults. If you have health challenges
you can get more omega-3 fatty acids from Shaklee's
OmegaGuard.

Prevention recommended 1,000-1,200 mg of calcium from
food and supplements. The Vita-Lea in Vitalizer
contains 450 mg of calcium. When you add that to the
500-600 mg of calcium that most Americans get from
their diet you are right on target.

I personally think that the Prevention recommendation
is a bit low for post-menopausal women and men over 50,
but Shaklee has calcium supplements that you can use to
increase calcium intake to the 1,500-2,000 mg that some
experts recommend.

Prevention recommended 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D. I
personally think that is a bit low, but Vitalizer alone
provides 1,000-1,200 IU of vitamin D3 (depending on
which Vitalizer you use) and you can increase your
vitamin D intake further with Shaklee's Vita-D3.

Probiotics (friendly bacteria) are increasing
recognized as important for health, and Vitalizer also
contains probiotics.

These are just a few of many examples of how Vitalizer
represents a comprehensive, holistic approach to
supplementation.

This is why I recommend Vitalizer as the foundation for
anyone wanting to start a nutrition program to improve
their health.

5) The risks of multivitamin use have been over-hyped.

There are only a few studies that suggest risk from
multivitamin use and in every case they are
overshadowed by many other studies showing no risks.

I have pointed out in my previous "Tips From the
Professor" that it is normal for individual scientific
studies to report negative results.

A good scientist keeps an open mind but is guided by
the overwhelming preponderance of published studies.

On the other hand, journalists and those with an anti-
supplement bias tend to hype every negative study.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

****ABOUT DR CHANEY:
Dr. Stephen Chaney, Phd

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He currently holds the rank of Professor at a major university.

Dr. Chaney has taught biochemistry to medical and dental students for more than 30 years and has won several awards for teaching excellence.

He runs an active cancer research program and has published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He has also written two chapters on nutrition for a popular medical biochemistry textbook.

Dr. Chaney and his wife have also built a business part time that has earned them a 6 -figure income for the past 15 years and he has spent the last 10 years teaching other people how to do the same.

Tips From The Professor: Are Multivitamins Dead? - Part 1

2010-11-30T07:27:00.004-05:00

I subscribe to online health tips from Dr Chaney. I want to share his most recent post with you as I believe we need to be as informed as possible when making decision regarding our health.
Healthy Blessings,
Cheryl.
**********

Dear ,

Some of you may have been asking me about the November
2010 article in Prevention Magazine titled "Should You
Kick the Multivitamin Habit?"

In short, the article concluded that multivitamins
provide no proven benefit and may actually cause harm.
The readers of prevention were encouraged instead to
focus on supplements containing vitamin D, omega-3
fatty acids and calcium.

So, the question becomes "Are multivitamins dead?"
Should we ignore the old advice that a multivitamin is
a good insurance policy.

Let me put this article in perspective by making a few
observations.

1) It is very difficult to prove that any intervention
is beneficial in an essentially healthy population.

Prevention magazine cited a large meta-analysis and a
very large study of post-menopausal women as providing
evidence that multivitamins provide no benefit.

These are both what scientists call primary prevention
trials, meaning that you are asking whether the
intervention provides significant benefits to an
essentially healthy population. And it is very
difficult to demonstrate benefit in a primary prevention
study.

Let's review the evidence on statin drugs, for example.
Statin drugs are considered by most physicians to be
very effective at preventing heart attacks and are
recommended for virtually everyone with elevated
cholesterol.

But, as I mentioned in a recent "Tips From the
Professor", a recent meta-analysis of primary
prevention studies of statin drugs for patients who had
elevated cholesterol levels but were otherwise healthy
found that the statin drugs provided no measurable
reduction in either deaths from heart attacks or deaths
from any cause (Archives of Internal Medicine, June 28,
2010 issue).

If you can't show that statin drugs provide any benefit
in a healthy population with elevated cholesterol
levels, is it any wonder that it is difficult to show
benefits of multivitamin supplementation in healthy
populations with no apparent risk factors of disease?

I don't hear any clamor to stop prescribing statin
drugs. I wonder why there is such a hue and cry to stop
using multivitamins. Is it possible that some
individuals and organizations have an anti-supplement
bias?

2) If you wish to demonstrate the effectiveness of an
intervention, you need to focus on those individuals
who are actually at risk.

For example, statin drugs are clearly effective at
reducing heart attack risk if you focus on populations
who have already had one heart attack or who are
otherwise at high risk of having a heart attack.

Similarly, vitamin E at levels commonly found in
multivitamins cannot be shown to decrease the risk of
heart attacks in healthy women as a whole, but it
significantly reduces the risk of heart attacks in
women over 65 - which is the population group that is
at high risk of heart attacks (JAMA, 294:56-65, 2005).

Similarly, folic acid, at levels commonly found in
multivitamins did not reduce the risk of heart attack or
stroke in men and women with adequate folic acid levels
in their blood, but did reduce the risk of both for
those individuals with inadequate levels in their blood
(New England Journal of Medicine, 354: 1567-1577,
2006).

I have given other examples in my previous "Tips From
the Professor", but I think you get my point.

The Prevention article made the point that most
multivitamin users are healthy individuals who are
taking good care of themselves. That raises the
question of whether multivitamin use is only needed by
those individuals who are in poor health and/or are not
taking care of their health - in short, those who are
at high risk of disease.

My perspective is that very few of us do ALL the right
things.

And there are often environmental or genetic risk
factors that we are totally unaware of. All too often
the first indication of heart disease risk is sudden
death!

...To be continued....

Next week's topics:

3) Not all multivitamins are the same.

4) Multivitamins are good, but you can do better.

5) The risks of multivitamin use have been over-hyped.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

****ABOUT DR CHANEY:
Dr. Stephen Chaney, Phd

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He currently holds the rank of Professor at a major university.

Dr. Chaney has taught biochemistry to medical and dental students for more than 30 years and has won several awards for teaching excellence.

He runs an active cancer research program and has published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He has also written two chapters on nutrition for a popular medical biochemistry textbook.

Dr. Chaney and his wife have also built a business part time that has earned them a 6 -figure income for the past 15 years and he has spent the last 10 years teaching other people how to do the same.

Top 10 Reasons to Start Your Own Home-Based Business

2010-11-02T09:12:00.012-04:00

Top 10 Reasons to Start Your

Own Home-Based Business

1. Help to eliminate your debt.
2. Spend more time with family.
3. Take a long vacation.
4. Pay for college education.
5. Pay for retirement.
6. Pay off your mortgage.
7. Be a stay-at-home parent.
8. Have spouse to stay at home.
9. Buy the car of your dreams.
10. Replenish your savings.

Which of these reasons
sound interesting to you?
I'd love to hear your comments!
Healthy Blessings,
Cheryl

Selling

2010-06-18T15:05:00.004-04:00

Have you ever heard or said it yourself, “I’m not a salesperson!” or perhaps, "I don’t like sales people"! “I can’t promote.” ?

Consider that ALL professions – doctors, politicians, colleges, churches, etc., must promote to make it known how they make someone’s life better. Any organization that doesn’t promote perishes.

Have you ever had the belief in something so strongly that you promoted it to someone? Take a movie for example. Have you ever "sold" someone on a movie where they then bought a ticket to go see the movie, simply based on your experience?

How about a food item--"you just have to try that new 'food product'!" And then based on your recommendation, your friend goes out and purchases it!

Many people have an incomplete definition of selling. Most people view selling as “moving a product or service to a consumer.” The reason this is incomplete is because it omits that communicating a concept, idea or desire is also selling.1

A person is selling when they are courting a boyfriend or girlfriend. A person is selling when they submit a resume for a job. A person is selling when they’re asking their child to do their homework. Almost all communications are “selling.” 1

Here's the bottom line: We're all sales people. Everyday we're selling something to someone - an idea, a point of view, a product, a service, an opportunity, etc. If I, as a business owner, do not sell what my company is offering, I’ll be out of business. A successful business is a moneymaking entity and if I am not making money, I probably won't be in business too long.2

A profession/business isn’t “professional” or “unprofessional” – people are either professional or unprofessional. Communication between people is the key.

I focus on the benefits of what my products and opportunity can do for my customer - how my customer can have healthy options for safer homes and family wellness. If this sounds interesting to you, then let's talk.

____________________
1 http://www.firstclassmlmtools.com/MLMSuccessTips/?p=78

2 http://ezinearticles.com/?Women-in-Business-Often-Say---But-Im-Not-a-Sales-Person&id=4170738

Everything You Need to Know About FAST FOOD

2010-04-28T09:27:00.000-04:00

Via: Online Schools

Is Soy OK For Women With Breast Cancer?

2010-04-27T07:47:00.002-04:00

[Thank you to Dr Stephen Chaney for his insight on
a definitive study about breast cancer survivors
using soy foods in their diets.]

You've probably heard the warnings: "Soy may increase
the risk of breast cancer!" "Women with breast cancer
shouldn't use soy!".

The first warning was never true. Numerous clinical
studies have shown that consumption of soy protein is
associated with a lower risk of developing breast
cancer.

Furthermore, the science behind the second warning has
never been very strong. The concerns that soy might
stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells was based
primarily on cell culture experiments and one
experiment in mice - even though a second experiment in
mice came to the exact opposite conclusion.

However, the possibility that soy isoflavones could
stimulate the growth of estrogen- responsive breast
cancer was biochemically plausible because soy
isoflavones bind to the estrogen receptor and have a
very weak stimulatory effect (much weaker than estrogen
itself).

Even that evidence was not definitive because soy
isoflavones also turn on several tumor
suppressor pathways in breast cells and help strengthen
the immune system - so they could just as easily
inhibit the growth of beast cancer cells.

However, because the concerns were plausible and had
not been definitively disproved, most experts,
including me, have recommended that women with
estrogen- responsive breast cancer might want to avoid
soy protein.

Well a definitive study has finally been performed and
it turns out for women with breast cancer, consumption
of soy foods actually decreases their risk of breast cancer
recurrence and dying from breast cancer.

The study was reported in the December 2009 issue of
the Journal of the American Medical Association by
researchers at Vanderbilt University and Shanghai
Institute of Preventive Medicine.

It was a large, well designed, study that enrolled 5042
Chinese women aged 20 to 75 years old who had been
diagnosed with breast cancer and followed them for an
average period of 3.9 years.

The women were divided into four groups based on the
soy content of their diet (ranging from 5 grams/day to
15 grams/day).

The results were clear cut. Breast cancer survivors
with the highest soy intake had 25% less chance of
breast cancer recurrence and 25% less chance of dying
from breast cancer than the women with the lowest soy
intake.

The effect was equally strong for women with estrogen
receptor-positive and estrogen receptor negative
cancers, for early stage and late stage breast cancer
and for pre- and post-menopausal women.

In short this was a very robust study.

The study also showed that soy protein intake did not
interfere with tamoxifen. The reduction in the risk of
breast cancer recurrence & death was just as great
whether the breast cancer survivors were taking
tamoxifen or not.

In fact, tamoxifen was protective only for women with
low soy intake. It conferred no extra protection for
the women at the highest level of soy intake.

What does this mean for you if you are a breast cancer
survivor?

I personally feel that this study is clear cut enough
that breast cancer survivors no longer need to fear soy
protein as part of a healthy diet.

However. it is important to recognize that this is a
single study. It is a very good study, but it is just
one study.

As a scientist and a cancer researcher I would like to
see this study confirmed by other studies before
recommending that all women who have had breast cancer
should add soy protein to their diets. It may turn out
that some women will benefit much more from using soy
protein than others.

Similarly, this study suggests that soy protein does
not interfere with tamoxifen.

But the use of tamoxifen after breast cancer remission
is a medical treatment - and all medical treatments
should be discussed with your doctor.

Finally, I would like to point out that a number of
previous studies have suggested that isolated
isoflavones may not have the same benefits as soy
protein foods containing the isoflavones - so I don't
recommend skipping the soy protein and opting for an
isoflavone supplement instead.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen Chaney, Phd
Shaklee Master Coordinator

BIO:
Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He currently holds the rank of Professor at a major university.

Dr. Chaney has taught biochemistry to medical and dental students for more than 30 years and has won several awards for teaching excellence.

He runs an active cancer research program and has published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He has also written two chapters on nutrition for a popular medical biochemistry textbook.

Dr. Chaney and his wife have also built a business part time that has earned them a 6-figure income for the past 15 years and he has spent the last 10 years teaching other people how to do the same.

Spring and Things

2010-03-20T12:08:00.011-04:00

Today marks the first day of Spring! This means various things to people.

I believe Spring offers hope after a long winter. There is a sense of renewal--plants that were dormant all winter start growing, the grass starts growing again (in geographical regions like mine) and bulbs produce new beautiful flowers. Projects like spring cleaning seem less daunting on a beautiful, sunny day. Spring brings Easter, the best spring event of all in my opinion. What better way to celebrate Spring than to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ?

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven! [Ecclesiastes 3:1]. We have some snow today as winter tries valiantly to hang on. But I have hope! It's Spring!!

With spring, I also find I want more organization. There is a great article about Conquering Your Email Inbox that I came across recently. This hits home to me since I have a HUGE amount of emails in my inbox. Check the link out below:
http://www.fastcompany.com/article/work-smart-conquering-your-e-mail-inbox?partner=worksmart

What does Spring mean to you?

Letter from U.S. Ski Team and U.S Snowboarding highlighting Shaklee sponsorship

2010-03-05T08:04:00.011-05:00

[Editor Note: Check out the video highlighting Shaklee Energy at bottom of this post.]

[DATED after 2010 Winter Games]

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Shaklee,
On behalf of the athletes who competed in the recent Games in Vancouver, thank you.

The U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding stunned the world with an amazing record-breaking performance, earning a record 21 medals—the most we’ve brought home in history. I am extremely proud of all of them.

I especially want to thank Shaklee for your years of nutritional support. You’ve been behind us since 1980, and in that time, we’ve worked together to put science into our nutritional program. As athletes, we need to be sure that our supplements are manufactured to the highest quality standards and that products we use are always safe, always work, and are always green and natural. Therefore, we value the peace of mind that comes from knowing that Shaklee products are proven safe, natural and effective, without compromise.

Given that, Shaklee is always our first choice. Some of the teams’ favorites include immune-boosting supplements like NutriFeron® and Defend & Resist. Shaklee Vitalizer™ is also terrific because it’s so easy to use: You get all of your daily requirements in one little foil strip, which is really convenient and ensures compliance by our athletes. We love the natural boost that comes from the Energy Chews. In addition, Performance® and Physique® are very good for supplying energy during training sessions.

Again, thank you for giving us the nutrition we need to stay healthy and to perform our best. And thank you for the peace of mind that comes with knowing Shaklee products are safe, natural, and effective. We look forward to many more years of success with Shaklee.

Sincerely,

Troy Flanagan
Trainer to the U.S. Ski Team and U.S Snowboarding

---------- What does Bill Demong, Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, Casey Puckett, Liz Stephen, Seth Wescott, Michelle Roark, Andy Weibrecht, Troy Flannigan, Stacey Cook, Marco Sullivan, and other members from U.S. Ski Team and US Olympic Team have in common?

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING SHAKLEE ENERGY

Today, just for FUN!

2010-02-26T13:46:00.030-05:00

Life really boils down to two (2) questions...

1. Should I get a dog????

OR

2. Should I have children????

Just to let you know, I'm thinking of you today!

No matter what situations life throws at you...
No matter how long and treacherous your journey may seem...

Remember, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

You ARE laughing, aren't you????

That's good cause my job here is almost done!

Have a GREAT DAY and remember to GIVE THANKS...

Cats are so dramatic!

19 Presence Management Chores You COULD Do Every Day

2010-01-21T08:36:00.004-05:00

19 Presence Management Chores You COULD Do Every Day

If you're looking to establish your online presence, and build
relationships, it's not the kind of project where you show up,
build your profiles, friend a few people, and call it good. It's
a lot like tending the farm. There are seven particular "chores"
you could do every day that should prove beneficial to your
online interests. Check out the details by clicking on the link
19 Presence Management Chores You COULD Do Every Day

Author Chris Brogan advises businesses, organizations and
individuals on how to use social media and social networks
to build relationships and deliver value.

Posted using ShareThis

Focusing on Wellness in 2010

2010-01-06T13:01:00.009-05:00

Our 2010 Wellness Program

My husband and I started a wellness program together this week. He is focusing on reducing calories and putting off pounds. I am focusing on those important actions, too. This really isn't meant just for 2010. It should be more of a "Buzz Lightyear" type of a thing- 2010 and Beyond!

I have been thinking about what really encompasses a focus on wellness.

For example, reducing calories simply means eating less. A result of that can be putting off pounds, however, you can also put off pounds by exercising more. My husband is implementing a walking program. I work out with a fitness trainer in a super cardio circuit program 2-3 times per week but I want more. I plan to exercise more at home--yes, that means using the floor mat with leg lifts (ouch!) and sit-ups, etc.

Wellness includes a healthy diet (this is something that needs improvement in my life); responsible supplement use (this is something I've done almost my entire life); and, regular exercise (this can always be improved).

Another focus for wellness includes a mental outlook. I am not on a diet! I do not like the word "DIE" in the word diet! Therefore, I choose a lifestyle change whereby my bad habits of yesterday are replaced by good habits today and beyond.

WELLNESS SURVEY
There is much more that can be said on the subject of wellness. Check out the survey below recently released by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).

The survey, 2009 Life...supplemented My Wellness Scorecard National Study, managed by CRN, revealed that many Americans have a long way to go towards achieving wellness based on the three pillars of health: Healthy diet, responsible supplement use and regular exercise.

Please see the link below from Nutra-Ingredients that talks about this survey.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Consumer-Trends/America-s-wellness-habits-show-room-for-improvement-Survey

PERSONAL WELLNESS QUIZ
I took this quiz and found it quite interesting and informative. You'll need about five minutes to complete it. Be honest with yourself in your answers. You'll find it to be a great interactive tool that tells you where you stand, and it will also provide tips on ways to improve your personal wellness regimen.

Don't put it off another second. Take your personal Wellness Scorecard Quiz by clicking on the link below http://www.lifesupplemented.org/scorecard.htm.

["Life…supplemented"™ is a consumer wellness campaign presented by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and dietary supplement ingredient suppliers and product manufacturers.]

I'd love to hear what you are doing for wellness in 2010!

Healthy Blessings and much Wellness to you!

-- Cheryl

Tune Up Your Immune System

2009-11-03T08:54:00.004-05:00

The information below is a must read! Thanks to my friend

Dr. Steve Chaney for sharing it with us. Check it out!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Friends,

Many of you have been saying to me:

"All I hear about in the news is shots and drugs. Is there a holistic approach
for strengthening my immune system?"

My answer is yes! Here are my suggestions:

1) Start by eating a balanced diet composed of whole, unprocessed foods

without a lot of fat and simple sugars. A great place to start designing a

balanced diet that is perfect for your age, gender and activity level

is www.mypyramid.gov.

2) Get plenty of sleep. The experts recommend 8 hours of sleep a night,

but a majority of Americans get far less than that.

3) Exercise on a regular basis. Both too little and too much exercise

can weaken the immune system (You might have guessed that the

problem for most of us is the "too little", not the "too much"). The

experts recommend at least 30 minutes every day.

4) Maintain ideal body weight. Those excess pounds really zap

our immune system.

5) Minimize your reliance on medications. Many common medications

weaken the immune system (Just listen to the disclaimers in the TV

commercials for examples).

But you must work with your physician on this. Once your physician

knows that you are willing to do take personal responsibility for your

diet and lifestyle, they will generally be willing to minimize the number

of medications that they prescribe.

6) Focus on the positive. Studies show that optimists are healthier

and life longer than pessimists. And the good news is that anyone can

cultivate an attitude of optimism. For most of us it is a lifestyle

choice - not something that we were born with.

7) Add a supplement program to assure that your immune system is

functioning optimally. In the ideal world supplements wouldn't be

necessary, but there are very few "saints" who do a great job in all

6 of the areas that I mentioned.

A well designed supplement program fills in the "gaps". We want to make

sure that we are getting adequate:

- B vitamins and protein because our immune cells need to divide

very rapidly when we have immune challenges.

- Antioxidants because our immune cells create lots of free radicals.

- Trace minerals, especially iron and zinc, because they are required by
important enzymes of the immune system.

- Vitamin D because it is vitally important for a strong immune system

and most of us are not getting enough.

- Probiotics (healthy bacteria) because "bad" bacteria and yeast in our
intestines can weaken the immune system.

- Omega-3 fatty acids to modulate the immune system once it has taken

care of the invading bacteria or viruses.

We don't need megadoses. We just need enough.

One final thought: A holistic approach to strengthening our immune

system is not an "either - or" proposition.

The flu short is 66% effective in preventing the flu for people

with a strong immune system and only 33% effective in preventing

the flu for people with a weak immune system.

To your health!

Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD
Shaklee Master Coordinator
http://www.chaneyhealth.com

P.S. My personal recommendation for the supplement component of your

holistic approach to a strong immune system is the Shaklee Vitalizer

Wellness Program (Vitalizer, Cinch and Nutriferon) with Defend and

Resist Complex in your medicine cabinet for when you first sense that

you are "catching" something.

P.P.S. For more on tuning up your immune system, order my "Tuning

Up Your Immune System CD" at:
http://www.chaneyhealth.com/

Breast Cancer Awareness

2009-10-01T10:17:00.008-04:00

Today is the first day of
Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

What does this mean to you?

(1) Statistics. We all know someone (perhaps it is ourself) who has or has had breast cancer. You may want to consider that aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. Breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in Hispanic women. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.

I am a breast cancer survivor. I am also a Reach for Recovery Volunteer with the American Cancer Society (ACS). I am committed toward helping people educate themselves toward healthy choices. I am committed to prevention and early detection. I recognize that sometimes the benefits of medicines and treatments outweigh the risks. It is important that we all recognize that we have a choice in how we treat our bodies. It is part of the beauty of living in a free country.

(2) Resources. If you google the words, "breast cancer support", you will find that there are many resources available, including the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. and the American Cancer Society.

(3) Prevention & Early Detection. Can you prevent cancer or reduce your cancer risk? How can you detect cancer early? What are the risk factors for different types of cancer? Concerned about cancer because it runs in your family? Frequently exposed to tobacco or environmental hazards? Just want to stay healthy?

I believe it is important to look at as many options as possible when looking at prevention and early detection. Don't wait for your doctor to suggest options for you. Be pro-active in your quest for information.

(4) Positive Affirmations Toward Health. I believe that our mind and our emotions can influence illness. Therefore, I believe that it is extremely important to focus on positive affirmations when it comes to our health. A few positive affirmation examples are shown below.

I have the power to control my health.
I am in control of my health and wellness.
I have abundant energy, vitality and well-being.
I am healthy in all aspects of my being.
I do not fear being unhealthy because I know that I control my own body.
I am always able to maintain my ideal weight.
I am filled with energy to do all the daily activities in my life.
My mind is at peace.
I love and care for my body and it cares for me.

I'd love to hear back from you. I wish you healthy blessings always!

--- Cheryl

****LINKS

(1) Statistics

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/

(2) Resources

National Breast Cancer Foundation: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/About-NBCF/
American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/lrn/lrn_0.as

(3) Prevention and Early Detection

ACS: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/ped_0.asp
My Shaklee site: http://babyboomerhealth.myshaklee.com/us/en/whynow.html
(Prevention includes healthy nutrition, healthy weight, healthy beauty--what you put on your skin, healthy babies & kids--getting our families started in the right direction, and a healthy home--nontoxic cleaners help keep our environment safe for our families.)

(4) Positive Affirmations Toward Health

http://www.mjbovo.com/Affirmations.htm

Shoo the Flu

2009-09-28T07:21:00.007-04:00

Flu, flu, flu--we can hardly watch television or listen to the radio without hearing something about the flu. Experts are everywhere, all eager to share their opinions. This season we have a new flu challenge-- the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. How can we stay healthy amongst all this adversity?

Consider the following basic preventative measures.

Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. One of the easiest ways to avoid colds and flu is to be scrupulous about washing your hands. Use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds. Use a paper towel to turn off the water and open the bathroom door to avoid re-contamination.
Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Cough and sneeze into your shoulder or the crook of your elbow instead of your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth to reduce the spread of germs.
Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
Don’t share drinks, cosmetics, cell phones, etc., with those who appear sick.
Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
Practice other good health habits.
o Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep can lower the immune system's ability to react when needed and hampers its essential nightly repair work.
o Be physically active
o Manage your stress
o Drink plenty of fluids
o Eat nutritious food. Plenty of nutritious food is essential to building a healthy immune system. A well-balanced diet provides sources of energy and nutrition.
o Augment your diet by adding vitamins and other supplements to your daily routine. Vitamin C is useful in warding off colds, but there are other supplements that you should consider as well. Having the immune system working at peak efficiency before getting sick is far more effective than waiting until getting sick.

The author suggests other supplements from the Shaklee Corporation. Below is a link that shows the Immune Support supplements. For over 50 years, generations of families have counted on Shaklee to do what no other company can do quite like it—make products that are naturally safe AND proven effective. Shaklee is the the #1 Natural Nutrition Company in the United States. Shaklee products support the immune system to help it respond when needed.*

http://babyboomerhealth.myshaklee.com/us/en/category.php?main_cat=Nutrition&sub_cat=ImmuneSupport

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Kidney Stone Study compares Shaklee Performance to Gatorade

2009-09-01T11:51:00.007-04:00

Kidney Stone Study ...
with Shaklee Performance
compared to Gatorade

When you are the leader in the natural food supplement
industry, people sometimes test your products without
you even knowing about it.

That was exactly what happen with a recent study
comparing the effects of Shaklee's Performance and
Gatorade on the risk of kidney stone formation.

This was the ultimate independent study.

Shaklee didn't initiate it. They didn't support it.
And, in fact, they didn't even know about it until it
was published a couple of weeks ago (J.W. Goodman et
al, Urol. Res., 37: 41-46, 2009).

Before I get into the results of the study, perhaps I
should start with an explanation of why you would even
want to do that kind of study.

Let's start with the problem - kidney stones. They are
extremely painful, and they can damage the kidney -
particularly if they form over and over again.

To a urologist the solution is simple - just drink two
liters of water a day.

The problem is that you have to really, really, really
like water to drink two liters a day, and most people
just aren't that into water.

In fact, previous studies had shown that even when
patients had a previous kidney stone and were told by
their urologist to drink two liters of water a day, the
everage result was an increase of only 0.3 liters a day
of water.

So this group of urologists asked what people were
drinking instead of water.

The latest trends show that soft drink consumption is
decreasing and consumption of sports drinks and energy
drinks is increasing. And, there was absolutely no
information on whether sports drinks increased or
decreased the risk of kidney stone formation.

So they decided to look at two well-known sports
drinks, Shaklee's Performance and Gatorade, to see
whether they would increase or decrease the risk of
kidney stone formation compared to the consumption of
an equivalent amount of water.

They looked at the effect of each sports drink on the
amount of citrate in the urine and by how much they
increased the pH of the urine because each of these
decreases the risk of kidney stone formation.

They also looked at the effect of each sports drink on
the amount of sodium and calcium in the urine because
each of those increases the risk of kidney stone
formation.

Performance significantly increased the amount of
citate and the pH of the urine, while Gatorade had no
effect on either of them.

Neither Performance or Gatorade had an significant
effect on sodium or calcium levels in the urine.

Thus, they concluded that Shaklee's Performance was
superior to either Gatorade or water alone at deceasing
the risk of kidney stone formation.

Now you might be tempted to say that this study was of
more interest to urologists than the general public.
but my guess is that if you have ever suffered through
a kidney stone this study is of great interest to you.

But to me the more important conclusion is that, once
again, independent clinical studies show the
superiority of Shaklee products.

To your health!

Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD
Shaklee Master Coordinator

P.S. Coming soon: My latest CD "Tune-Up Your Immune
System". Look for it at:
http://www.chaneyhealth.com

CHECK OUT SHAKLEE PERFORMANCE AT LINK BELOW.

[COMES IN ORANGE & LEMON-LIME FLAVORS]

http://babyboomerhealth.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=20351

Breakfast of Champions and NURF TOO??

2009-08-11T09:02:00.005-04:00

Thank you Dr.Chaney for this great synopsis of the Vivix / Nrf2 study!!
http://www.shaklee.net/babyboomerhealth/product/AntiAging

Many of you have been asking when you will hear about Shaklee's clinical studies with Vivix. Your wait is over.

At their August 2009 global conference in St. Louis Missouri Shaklee released some results from one of their key clinical studies on Vivix.

This was a randomized, placebo controlled clinical study, the most rigorous kind of clinical study.

It was also an independent study performed not by Shaklee, but by scientists at State University of New York at Buffalo.

In short, this was the real deal!

In this study, a group of volunteers consumed a 910 calorie breakfast from Burger King. One half of the group took Vivix immediately after breakfast and the other half took a placebo.

For the group consuming Vivix a key genetic regulator of longevity called Nrf2 (pronounced Nerf 2) increased dramatically within the first 3 hours after the meal. For the placebo group Nrf2 levels actually declined.

If you are feeling a bit under whelmed at the moment, it's probably because this is the kind of study that needs a bit of additional explanation before you can fully appreciate it.

Let's start with the breakfast, which I have somewhat jokingly referred to as the "breakfast of champions".

You see that Burger King breakfast is loaded with the wrong kinds of fat - saturated fat & trans fat. That's the kind of fat that clogs your arteries.

Not only does it clog your arteries, but it also causes your arteries to contract dramatically right after the meal. If those arteries are already clogged from previous high fat meals...You guessed it...It can trigger a heart attack or stroke.

If you're lucky it could mean a trip to the emergency room. But, the most frequent symptom of heart disease is sudden death - often triggered by that fat laden "Happy Meal", If you'll pardon the mixed metaphor.

And it isn't just Burger King. Almost any fast food meal will do.

Now that I have your attention, let's talk about the protective effects of antioxidants.

In fact, you may have heard about previous clinical studies showing that supplementation with vitamin E or other antioxidants immediately after the "Happy Meal" can prevent that narrowing of the arteries and perhaps save you from that trip to the emergency room.

You might be asking "What does that have to do with Nrf2 and Vivix?" Be patient, I'm getting there.

You see when we are young, a "Happy Meal" will trigger an increase in Nrf2 which in turn increases production of our body's own antioxidant defense mechanisms.

Nrf2 also triggers our detoxification pathways so that we can get rid of all of the artificial food additives and preservatives in that "Happy Meal".

Nrf2 triggers our immune balance pathways (high fat meals depress the immune system and can also cause inflammatory and autoimmune responses).

Finally, Nrf2 triggers our anti-stress pathways (high fat meals trigger cortisol production, which can accelerate the aging process) and much, much more.

But when we get older, Nrf2 is no longer triggered by those high fat meals and we lose our natural protective mechanisms. When that happens the aging process, and our risk of heart attack or stroke, is increased by every high fat meal that we consume.

By now you are probably starting to understand why the ability of Vivix to activate the Nrf2 gene is such a big deal.

But, I don't want you to think of Vivix as simply an antidote to a bad diet. You see Vivix turns on Nrf2 whether you are consuming a high fat meal or not.

Just think how much more beneficial it will be to keep your natural antioxidant defense mechanisms, your detoxification systems, your immune system, and your anti-stress systems in tip top shape without wasting those resources having to compensate for the effects of a bad diet.

So let me summarize what this study shows:

- Vivix activates the Nrf2 gene, which is a master regulator of longevity.

- That shows that the dosage of resveratrol and ellagic acid in Vivix is appropriate, that those beneficial polyphenols get into your bloodstream (they are bioavailable) and that they have their intended anti- aging benefits.

- In short the study shows that Vivix works in real people like you & me.

- Nrf2, in turn, activates the body's antioxidant defense mechanisms, detoxification mechanisms, immune balancing mechanisms and anti-stress mechanisms. These are all mechanisms that slow down cellular aging and reduce the risk of degenerative diseases.

- Vivix can reduce the damage caused by a high fat diet, but will be even more effective at slowing the aging process if used along with a good diet and a lifestyle that includes weight control and exercise.

The study actually shows much more than this, but Shaklee can't release the other data until the manuscript has been accepted for publication. So stay tuned for even more exciting results in the future.

To your health!
Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD
Shaklee Master Coordinator

DHA For Smart Babies

2009-07-21T09:47:00.002-04:00

[Information below from my Shaklee friend, Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD.]

* * *

Every mom wants the best for their kids. Every mom would like to be able to give their kids an edge in life if they could.

According to a recent study there is one very simple thing that every mom can do to give her kids an edge.

A study published in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that when expectant mothers supplemented with DHA during pregnancy their infants had better problem solving skills at 9 months.

This was the very first study to look at the effect of DHA supplementation during pregnancy on problem solving skills at such a young age. Basically, the results of the study just mean that when the moms supplemented with DHA their kids were smarter - and were smarter at a very early age.

First, let me give you a little bit of background.

Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that occurs naturally in fish oils. It is found in particularly high concentrations in specific regions of the brain, including the cerebral cortex, synapses and retinal rod photoreceptors.

DHA consumption is especially important during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester when DHA accumulates in the fetal brain at a very high rate. It is during that third trimester that the fetus forms the majority of brain cells that they will have for an entire lifetime.

In order to support brain development in the fetus, the recommended level of intake of DHA during pregnancy is 300 mg per day. Yet in the United States and Canada, DHA intake during pregnancy is only 10-15 mg/day.

Unfortunately, many food sources of omega-3 fatty acids in the American diet, even many omega-3 fortified foods and supplements, are primarily composed of the omega-3 fatty acid linolenic acid, and the conversion of linolenic acid to DHA is extremely limited.

Now let's look at the clinical study in more detail:

It was a double blind, placebo controlled study (the best kind of study) and was performed at the University of Connecticut.

The women were divided into two groups. The placebo group was consuming only 10-15 mg of DHA/day (normal for the American population). The other group received an additional 300 mg of DHA/day.

The women were given the placebo or DHA supplement starting at 24 weeks of gestation and continuing through delivery.

A two-step means-end problem-solving test was presented to all of the infants in their own homes at nine months of age to evaluate their ability to execute a series of steps to retrieve a toy.

The steps involved pulling a covered toy within reach and uncovering the toy. The UConn researchers found a statistically significant difference between the problem solving abilities of the two groups, with the infants whose mothers had consumed a DHA functional food during pregnancy faring better.

Michelle Judge, the scientist who conducted the study said: "Our finding of better problem-solving abilities in the group of infants whose mothers consumed a prenatal DHA supplement supports the idea that DHA plays an important role in the development of attention required for infant goal-directed behavior and suggests that DHA consumption during gestation is particularly important for infant cognitive development."

She went on to point out that: "These findings support previously published studies that have established links between prenatal DHA consumption and/or infant DHA consumption and improved attention and eye-hand coordination in toddlers and higher IQ later in childhood."

Of course, I always recommend a holistic approach to health. DHA alone won't substitute for good diet, avoiding potentially toxic substances and a holistic approach to prenatal supplementation.

However, if you are looking for that one additional gift that you could give your baby, DHA appears to be it.

To your health!

Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD
[contact info available upon request]

P.S. In case you were wondering Vitalizer provides 180 mg of DHA, each Mighty Smart chew provides 100 mg of DHA and each capsule of OmegaGuard provides 125 mg of DHA.

HOME BUSINESS OFFERS REFUGE FROM RECESSION

2009-07-10T15:35:00.003-04:00

Local Entrepreneur Enjoys Flexibility and Financial Stability

[Grand Haven, Michigan]. – June 27, 2009 – The latest economic indicators for May bring some hopeful tidings, but also some significant concerns. The U.S. unemployment rate is as high as it has been in 25 years, and there is continued concern about sizable job losses to come. The recession has been a source of severe stress for many throughout the country.

According to the recent Multi-Sponsor Surveys’ 2009 Economic Impact Market Segmentation Study, 49% of employed adults expressed worry about potential job loss, while 32% admitted to “significant” financial troubles.

But amid numerous reports of havoc and despair created by the current economic climate, Cheryl Legg, a local small-business entrepreneur here in Grand Haven, reports a very different experience during this recession.

“If it weren’t for the additional income my health-and-wellness business generates, I think my family would probably be in a very different place,” says Legg, who operates a Shaklee business out of her home.

“My business helps us not only continue to pay the bills on time, but it also generates additional income which we save to have on hand for unexpected situations, or use when we want to do something special, like take a trip, buy a new car, or remodel the kitchen—things that would otherwise be outside of our budget.”

Legg credits her home business for helping to alleviate much of her family’s stress and says her business has eased financial concerns while providing flexibility—qualities that can insulate a family from the changing tides of the economy. Most people who run a business from home work only part time, so there’s freedom to plan business activities around the busy schedule of a young family.

“When I began my business,” says Legg, “it was on a very part-time basis. Since I started, I’ve increased the amount of time I spend working with it. Using the Internet and communicating my business online makes my work much more efficient and flexible at the same time, making it possible for me to work on my business pretty much whenever I have downtime from my other responsibilities. Plus, it was easy and inexpensive to get started, and there’s no need to make space in our home for any inventory since the company ships directly to my customers.”

Home businesses have drawn considerable interest from people who may be having a difficult time finding employment and from those looking for an income opportunity that also resonates with their personal beliefs—characteristics that most jobs likely do not offer.
“Because I recommend products that help people to be healthier, that help our environment to be cleaner, and for homes to be safer, I feel good about what I do. And because I also offer the chance for other people to do what I’m doing—to achieve independence in a way they may not have thought possible—there’s an incredible feeling of satisfaction in knowing that I can help make a real difference for people looking for extra income right now.”

According to the 2009 Economic Impact Market Segmentation Study, 60% of adults are now interested in operating a home business in response to the economic downturn.

“To me, there’s a great sense of security knowing that my business is backed by a company that has a proven track record and more than 50 years of experience giving people the means to thrive, even during the most difficult economic times,” says Legg. “Shaklee has grown during each of the prior recessions since it was founded in 1956.”

For more information about Shaklee, please visit www.shaklee.net/babyboomerhealth.

# # #
About Shaklee Corporation
Founded more than 50 years ago, Shaklee has been a leading provider of premium-quality natural nutrition products, personal care products, and environmentally friendly home care products. In 2000, Shaklee became the first company in the world to be Climate Neutral™ certified to totally offset its CO2 emissions, resulting in a net-zero impact on the environment. Through Social Marketing™, Shaklee offers an economic opportunity to anyone regardless of background or experience, and has paid more than $4 billion in commissions to its independent distributors worldwide. With a robust product portfolio, including over 50 patents and patents pending, Shaklee has more than 750,000 Members and Distributors around the globe and operates in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and China.
For information about Shaklee, visit http://www.shaklee.com/.

Daily Survival Kit

2009-06-30T11:05:00.031-04:00

DAILY SURVIVAL KIT
Items Needed:

Toothpick

Rubber Band

Band Aid

Pencil
Eraser
Chewing Gum
Mint

Candy Kiss

Tea Bag

Why?????

TOOTHPICK - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others.
- * Matthew 7:1

RUBBER BAND - to remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you want,
but it will work out. - * Romans 8:28

BAND AID - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours

or someone else's.
- * Colossians 3:12-14

PENCIL - to remind you to list your blessings everyday.
- * Ephesians 1:3

ERASER - To remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay.
- * Genesis 50:15-21

CHEWING GUM - to remind you to stick with it, and you can accomplish anything.
- *Philippians 4:13

MINT - to remind you that you are worth a mint.
- * John 3:16-17

CANDY KISS - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday.
- * John 4:7

TEA - to remind you to relax daily and go over your list of blessings.
- *1 Thessalonians 5:18

* Relevant Scriptures

--Author Unknown

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

2009-06-25T22:22:00.007-04:00

With the events of the past couple of days (all the media about the deaths of celebraties Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson plus others I have heard about), I just had to share one of my favorite Gospel songs that describes my thoughts about the future...

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
by Ira F. Stanphill

I don't know about tomorrow; I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from its sunshine for its skies may turn to gray.
I don't worry o'er the future for I know what Jesus said;
And, today, I'll walk beside Him for He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand.
But, I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand!

Every step is getting brighter as the golden stairs I climb.
Every burden's getting lighter; every cloud is silver-lined.
There the sun is always shining; there no tear will dim the eye.
At the ending of the rainbow where the mountains touch the sky.

Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand.
But, I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand!

I don't know about tomorrow; it may bring me poverty.
But, the One who feeds the sparrow is the One who stands by me.
And, the path that is my portion may be through the flame or flood,
But, His presence goes before me and I'm covered with His blood.

Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand.
But, I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand!

Do you know who holds your future?

[Video below from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wiFCjeqOvM]

Eating Your Veggies: Not As Good For You?

2009-06-11T11:40:00.000-04:00

Eating Your Veggies: Not As Good For You?

How Do You Know Your Dietary Supplement Is Really Regulated?

2009-06-10T10:11:00.013-04:00

Is Your Dietary Supplement Really Regulated?
Dietary supplements – vitamins, minerals, botanicals, sports nutrition, weight management and specialty supplements (such as glucosamine/chondroitin and omega-3 fatty acids, to name just a few) – are regulated. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and state agencies have clear authority over dietary supplements through the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and the FTC Act. FDA is charged with inspecting manufacturing facilities, reviewing labeling and monitoring products for safety. FTC pursues deceptive, false and misleading advertising. Claims that dietary supplements are not regulated or are “loosely” regulated are inaccurate. Dietary supplements have always been regulated, and are more rigorously regulated today than they were even five years ago.

How Do You Know Supplements Are Safe?
The FDCA, as amended by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), established that dietary supplements that were in commerce prior to 1994 have a history of safe use, and therefore, can remain on the market without additional safety review. All new ingredients marketed after that date, however, must submit a formal 75-day notice along with evidence that the product is reasonably expected to be safe. This is referred to as a new dietary ingredient (NDI) notification. If FDA has concerns about the ingredient or its safety profile, the agency has clear authority to request more information or to reject the notification and deny the product’s entry into the market. Since the passage of DSHEA, FDA has rejected approximately 70% of the NDI notifications filed. It is patently illegal to add a prescription drug or an anabolic steroid to a product and call it a “dietary supplement.” Once a dietary supplement enters the stream of commerce, the FDA may remove a product if it is “adulterated” or “misbranded.” A product is considered adulterated if it contains unlisted ingredients or is not prepared or packaged under good manufacturing conditions. It is misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading. In either case, the agency has enforcement authority to seize and destroy the product, impose fines or even imprisonment. In addition, FDA can remove a product from the market if it “presents a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury” under conditions of use recommended in its labeling. A separate provision gives FDA authority to declare a product “an imminent hazard to public health or safety.” In lesser dramatic situations, FDA can request manufacturers to modify products and claims or to provide warnings to consumers. While mandatory recall authority is not currently available, a request from FDA to recall a product from the marketplace voluntarily is viewed seriously by manufacturers and is usually implemented quickly.

How Do You Know Supplements Do What the Label Says?
Some people think a supplement producer can put whatever they want on a label – that’s just not true! Providing consumers with information about a product’s uses is an important aspect of consumer education, but it is equally important that manufacturers and marketers ensure that the claims they make about their products are truthful, and not misleading. Dietary supplements are required to have a standard Supplement Facts box on the labeling that describes the suggested use, serving size, amount per serving, percentage of the daily value and list of ingredients. If the label does not provide this information along with the quality and quantity of ingredients, then the product is misbranded and subject to penalties.

When describing a dietary supplement’s benefits, the law permits products to use certain claims, provided there is appropriate scientific support. The FDCA allows products to make nutrient content, structure/function, and health claims.

Nutrient content claims characterize the level of vitamins and minerals in the product.
Structure/function claims describe effects of the product on the body. However, the law requires these claims must have substantiation (i.e., scientific support) that the claim is truthful and not misleading; FDA must be informed of these claims; and it may request to review the substantiation. A disclaimer must be added to a product’s label stating that the structure/function claim “has not been evaluated by” FDA.
Health claims describe the relationship between a substance and a disease (e.g., folic acid can reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects). These claims must be submitted to and approved by FDA and be supported by “significant scientific agreement.” FDA has approved a handful of health claims for key ingredients like calcium and vitamin D, folic acid, and psyllium (fiber). FDA may also consider granting qualified health claims when there is some evidence of a health benefit, but not complete scientific agreement, if qualifying language can be developed that truthfully describes the state of the evidence.

In addition, the FTC regulates advertising for dietary supplements. It imposes a similar standard, asking if the claims in an ad are truthful, not misleading and adequately substantiated. Armed with the ability to impose civil fines, disgorgement of profits, and restitution to consumers, FTC frequently brings enforcement actions against dietary supplement ads that go too far. The FTC’s efforts are supplemented by a voluntary industry program of the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), funded by CRN, that reviews supplement advertising and makes recommendations for modification or withdrawal of ads that may be deceptive.

How Do You Know the Ingredients Are Pure and Uncontaminated?
Good manufacturing practices (GMPs) for dietary supplements are specific rules for the manufacturing processes of vitamins, minerals, herbs and botanicals, amino acids and all other supplements. Finalized in 2007, these rigorous practices impose higher standards on dietary supplements than food GMPs applied to conventional foods. Dietary supplement GMPs include thorough requirements for identity testing for all ingredients as they arrive at the manufacturer’s site. Manufacturers must qualify their suppliers before receiving goods, incoming ingredients must be quarantined until their identity is confirmed using scientifically valid methods of analysis, and all components of dietary supplements must meet specifications established by the manufacturer regardless of where the ingredient was sourced. Manufacturers are accountable to FDA for the manufacturing process as well as the ingredients. During an inspection, FDA has access to all the manufacturers’ records, including access to the country of origin of all supplement ingredients. The existing bioterrorism law already requires all parties in the production and distribution of dietary ingredients to keep records of suppliers and customers (“one up and one down”) that permit the agency to trace the pedigree of ingredients back to their original source. In addition, the GMP rules examine sanitation, batch records for production, employee training, validation of the manufacturing procedures, and testing final products for conformance with the label.

If There Are Problems or Concerns, How Does FDA Know?
It’s important to note that pre-market approval is no guarantee of safety, as witnessed by other FDA-regulated products that have been approved by FDA, only to be later recalled due to safety concerns. That’s why postmarket surveillance is so important. Dietary supplements do not undergo pre-market approval, but a law enacted in 2006 requires manufacturers to report information they receive about all serious adverse events to FDA. A “serious adverse event” is a negative health-related experience such as hospitalization This information alerts FDA to possible signals of a problem and could identify concerns with ingredient safety, manufacturing issues, contamination (of either raw ingredients or finished products), tamperings, and bio-terrorism. The fact that there are relatively few adverse events reported for dietary supplements (compared to other FDA-regulated products) demonstrates the wide margin of safety for this category of FDA-regulated product. But if there is a concern, adverse event reporting gives FDA an early warning of the potential problem.

FDA states that dietary supplements are regulated under a “different set of regulations from those covering ‘conventional food’ and drug products” but this does not mean they are unregulated. In fact, with over 150 million Americans using dietary supplements annually with little problem, it is clear that supplements are held to strict requirements, ensuring their safety and efficacy. 060509

# # #

Lessons We Learn From Geese

2009-04-26T21:51:00.004-04:00

Lessons We Learn From Geese

Fact 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other’s skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

Fact 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one’s heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we, too, will stand by one another in difficult times and help the one who has dropped out regain his or her place in the formation.

Source: Dick E. Bird News cited in Ann Landers, date unknown

And you thought you knew about plastic

2009-04-25T11:20:00.012-04:00

Could you give up plastic purchases for one entire week?
[Like not one single thing - including sliced bread bags (just try and buy sandwich bread without 'em) and those teeny things that attach price tags to new clothes. A challenge for this mostly mainstream family, to say the least.]

Want to know more about plastic?

*****

ADDICTED TO PLASTIC
There are more things we don't know about plastics, than things we do...

From styrofoam cups to artificial organs, plastics are perhaps the most ubiquitous and versatile material ever invented. No invention in the past 100 years has had more influence and presence than synthetics. But such progress has had a cost.

For better and for worse, no ecosystem or segment of human activity has escaped the shrink-wrapped grasp of plastic. Addicted To Plastic is a global journey to investigate what we really know about the material of a thousand uses and why there's so darn much of it. On the way we discover a toxic legacy, and the men and women dedicated to cleaning it up.

Check out the upcoming video at: http://www.crypticmoth.com/plastic.php
ADDICTED TO PLASTIC is a feature-length documentary about solutions to plastic pollution. The point-of-view style documentary encompasses three years of filming in 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The film details plastic's path over the last 100 years and provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. These solutions - which include plastic made from plants - will provide viewers with a hopeful perspective about our future with plastic.

WATCH IT ON Sundance Channel USA - Premieres April 28, 2009, at 10PM (http://www.sundancechannel.com) -- also shows again on April 29, 2009 at 3:45AM

*****

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR PLASTICS

Take a moment to count all of the plastic things in your house.
How many things can you find?
________________
Does our trash have to sit in a landfill? Or can we get more use out of it?

List five things you can do with your plastic waste (other than throwing it away).

Plastic Bag Treasure Hunt!

What does your family do with their shopping bags after they get home from the store?
==============================

What YOU can still do!

Reuse your plastic shopping bags:

use them as trash so as not to buy others that are more energy wasting;
use them for storage;
use paper bags rather than plastic bags when you are given the choice, but keep in mind that paper bags generate 70 percent more air and 50 times more water pollutants than plastic bags, and it takes more than four times as much energy to manufacture a paper bag as it does to manufacture a plastic bag.

*****

PLASTIC CONTAINERS BUYING GUIDE
[from http://www.thegreenguide.com/buying-guide/plastic-containers]

Environmental Impact
Pollution
Considering that plastics are made from non-renewable petroleum and natural gas, it's not surprising to know that plastic manufacturing is a major source of industrial pollution. Producing a 16-oz. #1 PET bottle, for instance, generates more than 100 times the toxic emissions to air and water than making the same size bottle out of glass. Major emissions from plastic production processes include sulfur oxides and nitrous oxides (both of which contribute to global warming) and the chemicals styrene, benzene and trichloroethane.

Plastics Are Forever
When the plastics we throw away escape from garbage trucks or landfills, they get blown into trees and waterways where they're eaten by animals that mistake them for food. In the North Pacific, a floating island of plastic waste the size of Texas has accumulated, doubling in size over the past six years. Some estimates place the load of plastic floating in that area, killing both birds and aquatic life, at 3 million tons.

Nothing in nature, not even sunlight and oxygen, can break apart the bonds that hold plastic together, so it lingers on our planet indefinitely. Rather than biodegrading, plastic photodegrades into dust, winding up in soil and in the air. In bodies of water, the plastic particles absorb other harmful chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the pesticide DDT. Those particles then get eaten by fish, which wind up back on our dinner plates.

Recycling
Despite the problems with plastic, virtually all types can be recycled a few times before becoming too weak. However, confusing municipal recycling laws and limited access to recyclers who accept all types of plastic have kept recycling rates low; in 2006, a mere 6.9 percent of plastic garbage we generated was recycled.

Personal Health Issues
From production through use and disposal, plastics can expose us to chemicals that are hazardous to our health, including dioxins, phthalates and bisphenol A.

Phthalates: Most cling-wrapped meats, cheeses and other foods sold in delis and grocery stores are wrapped in PVC. To soften #3 PVC plastic into its flexible form, manufacturers add "plasticizers" during production. Traces of these chemicals, known as adipates and phthalates, can leak out of PVC when it comes in contact with foods, especially hot, fatty foods. Adipates and phthalates have been shown to cause birth defects and damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive systems in mice. Phthalates are also suspected of interfering with hormones and the reproductive development of baby boys.

Bisphenol A: Many #7 polycarbonate bottles (including baby bottles), microwave ovenware, eating utensils and plastic coatings for metal cans are made with bisphenol A (BPA). Many studies have found that BPA interferes with hormones, as phthalates do, and a March 1998 study in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) found that BPA simulates the action of estrogen when tested in human breast cancer cells. A growing number of scientists are concluding, from animal tests, that exposure to BPA raises your risks of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and childhood behavioral problems such as hyperactivity.

Plastic Containers-- What to Look For
Plastics are classified by their "resin identification code"—a number from #1 to #7 that represents a different type of resin. That number is usually imprinted on the bottom of your container; flip it upside down, and you'll see a recycling triangle with the number in the middle.

Here's a quick breakdown of plastic resin types:
#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)Examples: Disposable soft drink and water bottles
#2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)/Examples: Milk jugs, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles
#3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)Examples: Meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes
#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE)Examples: Cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags
#5 polypropylene (PP)Examples: Cloudy plastic water bottles, yogurt cups/tubs
#6 polystyrene (PS)Examples: Disposable coffee cups, clam-shell take-out containers
#7 other (plastics invented after 1987; includes polycarbonate, or PC, and polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources as well as newer plastics labeled "BPA-Free")Examples: Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistant food-storage containers

What To Buy:
#2 HDPE, #4 LDPE and #5 PP: These three types of plastic are your best choices. They transmit no known chemicals into your food and they're generally recyclable; #2 is very commonly accepted by municipal recycling programs, but you may have a more difficult time finding someone to recycle your #4 and #5 containers.

#1 PET: Fine for single use and widely accepted by municipal recyclers; avoid reusing #1 water and soda bottles, as they're hard to clean, and because plastic is porous, these bottles absorb flavors and bacteria that you can't get rid of.

PLA: plastics made from renewable resources such as corn, potatoes and sugar cane and anything else with a high starch content; although you can't recycle these plant-based plastics, you can compost them in a municipal composter or in your backyard compost heap.

Plastics to Avoid:
#3 PVC: Used frequently in cling wraps for meat, PVC contains softeners called phthalates that interfere with hormonal development, and its manufacture and incineration release dioxin, a potent carcinogen and hormone disruptor.
#6 PS: Polystyrene-foam cups and clear plastic take-out containers can leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen, into food.
#7 PC: The only plastic made with bisphenol A, polycarbonate is used in baby bottles, 5-gallon water-cooler bottles and the epoxy linings of tin food cans. Bisphenol A has been linked to a wide variety of problems such as heart disease and obesity.

Shopping Tips
Plastics are classified by their "resin identification code"—a number from #1 to #7 that represents a different type of resin. That number is usually imprinted on the bottom of your container; flip it upside down, and you'll see a recycling triangle with the number in the middle.

When purchasing cling-wrapped food from the supermarket or deli, slice off a thin layer where the food came into contact with the plastic and store the rest in a glass or ceramic container or wrap it in non-PVC cling wrap.

Usage Tips
Avoid storing fatty foods, such as meat and cheese, in plastic containers or plastic wrap.

Hand-wash reusable containers gently with a nonabrasive soap; dishwashers and harsh detergents can scratch plastic, making hospitable homes for bacteria.

A "microwave-safe" or "microwavable" label on a plastic container only means that it shouldn't melt, crack or fall apart when used in the microwave. The label is no guarantee that containers don't leach chemicals into into foods when heated. Use glass or ceramic containers instead.

World's Largest Crazy Cake Walk

2009-04-20T07:30:00.003-04:00

World's Largest Crazy Cake Walk

No foolin...have your cake and eat it, too!

Host: Daneen Rabideau
Type: Causes - Fundraiser
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2009
Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Fair Haven Ministries
Street: 2900 Baldwin St.
City/Town: Hudsonville, MI

VIEW MAP http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2900+Baldwin+St.,+hudsonville,+mi&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=35.494074,78.75&ie=UTF8&ll=42.909417,-85.854292&spn=0.032061,0.076904&z=14&iwloc=A

Phone: 616.862.5842
Email: neenr4jesus@hotmail.com
Description Pretty much just like the name says...we are trying to have the world's biggest cake walk. It's not Guiness, but it's going to be GINORMOUS. Come help us try to beat an unofficial record.We have WJQ doing a live remote. We have a CRAZY walk planned. AND...WE HAVE CAKE!!! ALL of the proceeds go to help these organizations: Children's Hunger Fund, Love Inc., and Hand 2 Hand Ministries.

Want to help by bringing a cake or two?

Contact Daneen

[Phone: 616.862.5842 or Email: neenr4jesus@hotmail.com]

NEW! A 'Shakleebaby' product line!

2009-04-13T16:35:00.010-04:00

NEW LINE OF SHAKLEE BABY PRODUCTS, AVAILABLE 1st of MAY!

Exciting news!
The Shaklee Corporation is holding a conference call
this week for its business leaders to
officially announce
its newest product line, Shakleebaby!

We are so excited!!

Gather up the “Green”

2009-03-17T13:53:00.004-04:00

Good for the entire family - It’s Springtime!

Gather up the “Green” . . . many older generations remember “picking greens” in the spring to give their families a needed nutrient boost after a long gray winter. But you do not have to pick dandelion greens, etc—here is a great idea for you:

ALFALFA is the perfect SPRING TONIC! Provides so many trace
minerals you don’t even know are needed by your body—so many benefits:

copper & Molybdenum for red blood cell buildup,
nickel to trigger enzymes,
tin for protein and other growth factors,
thyroid regulation by iodine,
and more!

ALFALFA is a natural source of dietary fiber and chlorophyll…
SHAKLEE ALFALFA is organically grown:

NO fungicides,
NO bactericides,
NO synthetic hormones or growth regulators,
NO chemicals.

ALFALFA provides a wide range of nutrients—
many people find allergy relief since it acts as an
antihistamine & decongestant.

Start today for maximum benefits this springtime!

Deeply Rooted Nutrition. As a product and a plant, alfalfa has deep roots. Alfalfa Complex, developed in the 1950s, was one of Dr. Shaklee's original formulations. A half a century later, it continues to be among Shaklee's top sellers. Reaching as deep as 20 feet into the soil, the roots of the alfalfa plant, A.K.A. the "father of all foods," brings forth minerals in their most natural form. Recognized for centuries for its healing properties, alfalfa offers a wide range of nutrients: calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, chlorophyll, bioflavonoids, trace minerals, and vitamins.*

*FROM http://www.shaklee.net/babyboomerhealth/product/20160

The Great-Skin Diet

2009-03-10T09:15:00.006-04:00

The great-skin diet
All sorts of supplements, special eating plans and complexion drinks promise glowing skin from the inside out. But not everything that is being dished out is based on science. SELF digested the research and polled experts to determine which foods to add to your diet to truly benefit skin, which may be worth an occasional munch and which to pass up. Get ready to eat, drink and be beautiful!
By Beth Janes
From the October 2008 Issue (SELF)

Proven complexion perfecters
Pile these on your plate.

All pack nutrients essential for healthy skin.
Strawberries, citrus fruits, red peppers, broccoli

Beauty benefit: a smooth texture
Eat-right evidence: Vitamin C, plentiful in this produce, is vital for the production and formation of collagen, skin's support structure, says Toby Amidor, R.D., director of nutrition for DietTV.com in New York City. And a strong support layer helps smooth what's on top and prevent wrinkles, she says.
Aim for:

two 1-cup servings of fruit and
1 cup of red peppers and/or broccoli a day
Sunflower seeds and almonds

Beauty benefit: sun protection
Eat-right evidence: These seeds and nuts are loaded with vitamin E. Collectively, antioxidants act like an army, protecting skin from UV-spawned free radicals. But E is on the front lines; skin's top layers contain high levels that guard cells' outer membrane so cells stay healthy. Plus, strong membranes hold water in, keeping skin hydrated.
Aim for:

2 tablespoons hulled seeds or 23 almonds daily
Dark orange, leafy green and red veggies

Beauty benefit: a fresh complexion
Eat-right evidence: Squash, sweet potatoes and spinach are full of the antioxidant beta-carotene. Your body converts it to vitamin A, which regulates cell production and turnover so skin's surface is smooth, says Valori Treloar, M.D., coauthor of The Clear Skin Diet (Cumberland House Publishing). Carotenoids may also decrease skin's sensitivity to sun.
Aim for: three 1-cup servings a day

Fortified cereal,
lean meat, pork, poultry, oysters

Beauty benefit: a youthful glow
Eat-right evidence: You'll get zinc and iron, minerals key to skin functioning. Zinc contributes to cell production, plus natural cell sloughing, which keeps dullness at bay. Red blood cells need iron to carry oxygen to skin, helping give you a glow, says David Bank, M.D., a derm in Mount Kisco, New York.
Aim for:

1 serving of cereal (a cup),
1 palm-sized serving of meat or poultry or 3 oysters per day

Water
Beauty benefit: dewy skin
Eat-right evidence: Skin cells contain mostly water, and if you're dehydrated, skin will look and feel parched, too. But you needn't chug 8 cups a day; University of Pennsylvania researchers found no studies to back up the recommendation. Simply ward off dehydration—and dryness—by drinking when you're thirsty.
Aim for:

6 cups a day.

It's a good starting point, says Keri Gans, R.D., of NYC.

Smart skin suggestions
New research hints at these foods' beauty power, but effects aren't totally proven yet.
No need to wait, though; the goodies are part of a healthy diet.
Wild salmon, Atlantic mackerel, walnuts
Beauty benefit: fewer wrinkles
Eat-right evidence: These fish and nuts, plus fortified eggs, are bursting with omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation in the body caused by sun and stress. "Inflammation produces free radicals, and free radicals contribute to aging by attacking collagen," says Susan Taylor, M.D., a dermatologist in Philadelphia. But research still needs to connect the dots definitively and show that the anti-inflammatory abilities of omega-3s translate to younger-looking skin, she says. One study did find that older people who consumed more fish and veggies over their life had fewer wrinkles than those who ate more meat, the Journal of the American College of Nutrition reports. The research didn't focus solely on fish, however; vegetables' antioxidants, for example, may have been a factor.
Aim for:

two 5-ounce servings of fish per week;
on other days, 1 oz of walnuts or 2 omega-3 eggs

Whole wheat and grains
Beauty benefit: clearer skin
Eat-right evidence: In the past, derms have maintained that unless you wipe greasy fingers on your face, food doesn't cause zits. But some are rethinking the party line: Australian researchers found that a low-glycemic diet (more whole grains, protein and produce versus refined carbs such as white bread) may reduce acne. One explanation: Low-glycemic foods keep insulin steady, and refined carbs and sugar spike it. The surges may boost production of androgens, hormones that, when elevated, can cause zits. After 12 weeks of a low-glycemic diet, subjects' pimple counts dropped 20 percent, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes. More studies are needed to prove the link, but no doctor will discourage you from eating whole grains and veggies!
Aim for: 3 servings a day (one serving equals a slice of bread or 1/2 cup cooked grains)
Today's special: gorgeous skin
If your complexion could choose everything you ate for the day, here's what would be on the menu, says Keri Gans, R.D., who put together this plan.

Breakfast
1 cup whole-grain, fortified cereal such as Total
1 cup skim milk
1 cup sliced strawberries or 1 medium grapefruit
1 cup green tea
Lunch
Grilled chicken sandwich
5 oz chicken breast
2 slices whole-grain bread
2 slices tomato
1 leaf lettuce
1/8 of avocado
1 tsp mustard
1 medium apple
Dinner
5 oz wild salmon
Spinach salad
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup broccoli
Toss with 1 tbsp each olive oil and balsamic vinegar
1 medium baked sweet potato
Snacks/dessert
8 oz nonfat plain yogurt or 1 part-skim string cheese
1 oz sunflower seeds
1 small orange or 1 cup baby carrots
1 oz dark chocolate or 1 glass red wine

Beauty treat? or trouble?
Guess which foods are good or
bad for your skin — and find out why

Sweets
__Treat
__Trouble
Dark chocolate
__Treat
__Trouble
Milk
__Treat
__Trouble
Spicy foods
__Treat
__Trouble
Wine
__Treat
__Trouble

ANSWERS

1. Sweets Trouble. Chowing candy and other sugary snacks may make you feel like a kid, but it’s likely aging you. The rush of glucose into your bloodstream sets off a process known as glycation, in which sugars attach to proteins and form advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These molecules naturally build up in skin as you get older, but the more sugar you eat, the more AGEs you have. Bad news: They cross-link with collagen and elastin fibers, making the normally resilient tissues weak or inflexible, Dr. Bank says. And skin that doesn’t bounce back easily leads to wrinkles and sagging. In fact, the study showing fish lovers had fewer wrinkles revealed the opposite for those with a sweet tooth.

2. Dark chocolate Treat. Although there might be some truth to the claims that sugar-laden chocolate contributes to acne (and wrinkles), the high-quality, dark variety — 70 percent or more cocoa — may actually be good for your skin. Preliminary studies found that cocoa's flavonols (a potent type of antioxidant) can help increase blood flow, supply skin with oxygen, improve skin hydration and reduce sun sensitivity. But dark chocolate is high in calories, so treat yourself to only 1 oz a day.

3. Milk Trouble. Got acne? Milk may not be doing your skin good. Three new studies have found a connection between teens’ milk intake and pimples. This could potentially translate to adults; however, it’s not been proven. More research is under way, but the probable explanation is hormone-related. Androgens naturally found in milk (even organic versions without added hormones) may add to a drinker’s own level of androgens, which are associated with oily skin and acne. Milk also raises insulin levels and contains growth factors that act like insulin, Dr. Treloar says. Both may lower the production of molecules that bind to and deactivate hormones—meaning there may be more free-roaming androgens able to cause pimples. It’s too early to prescribe a dairy ban for anyone zit-plagued. But it may be worth experimenting with a milk-free diet if you have excessive, stubborn breakouts, Dr. Treloar says. (Be sure, however, to take a calcium supplement with vitamin D.)

4. Spicy foods Trouble. Rosacea sufferers know to avoid five-alarm meals. But if you have fair, sun-damaged skin, hot-and-spicy foods may lead to the condition or to a red, blotchy complexion. “UV exposure weakens blood vessel walls. If your skin then repeatedly flushes, which swells vessels, they may not be able to shrink back down,” Dr. Treloar says.

5. Wine Treat. Reds are rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that help fight skin-damaging free radicals. But sip no more than one glass a day, says Katherine Brooking, R.D., of NYC. Excessive alcohol halts your body's release of its antidiuretic hormone. As a result, you make extra visits to the ladies' room and end up not only feeling dehydrated, but having skin that looks dry, with a dull tone and more visible wrinkles. So enjoy wine in moderation — and make a toast to great skin!

— Beth Jane, SELF magazine

Tree Planting Tips

2009-03-01T20:56:00.004-05:00

EARTH DAY 2009 is soon upon us. Are you ready?

This is a United Nations Environment Programme [from Tree Planting Tips link above]

Tree Planting Tips
The ideal time to plant a tree is during the rainy season, in the tropics and subtropics, or the dormant season, in temperate zones, after leaf drop or before bud break. Trees that have been well cared for in a nursery can be planted throughout the growing season.

Proper handling during planting is essential to ensure healthy growth. Proper site preparation before and during planting, coupled with good follow-up care, allows the seedlings to quickly establish roots in the new location and overcome what is known as transplant shock, a phenomenon that can slow the growth and reduce the vigour of the tree.

Seeds can be sown in seed beds or seedling containers (preferably biodegradable) prepared with a mixture of sand, compost and soil. The plants will need watering before and after germination. Reduce the frequency of watering as the seedlings grow. Shade the seedlings and gradually reduce the shade as they grow.

If you decide to plant seeds, collect them from an area that enjoys similar climatic conditions to where the trees will be planted. Collect the seeds from a number of healthy mature trees.

To Plant a tree

Dig a hole at least twice the width of the root ball to allow the roots to spread out. Remove the tree from its container, carefully cut off broken roots, and slightly loosen the root ball.
Place the tree in the planting hole. Always lift the tree by the root ball and never by the trunk. Spread periphery roots outwards. Avoid planting the tree too deep. Make sure that the soil line of the young tree is higher than the surface of the surrounding hole.
Shovel some soil into the planting hole. Check the planting depth and adjust if needed. Confirm that the tree is straight. Fill the hole gently but firmly. Pat the soil around the base of the root ball.
It is not recommended to apply fertilizer at the time of planting. Water the seedling thoroughly with a slow stream of water to settle the soil. Do not stake the tree. The sooner the tree can stand alone, the sooner it will become strong.
Provide follow up care. Protect the tree from pests and diseases by removing plants nearby which are likely to affect it. Remove weeds as they will compete with tree roots for moisture and nutrients. Protect the tree from destruction by livestock.
If suitable, space trees well to avoid competition for air and soil nutrients, and to encourage the growth of branches. Watch out for drought conditions and provide water if needed, especially during the first few months. Watch out for yellowing of leaves. Always maintain good air circulation in the tree by pruning to avoid pests and other diseases.

Contact an arborist or a nearby environmental non-governmental organization for advice on caring for your tree. For further information consult the following web sites:

http://www.greenbeltmovement.org

http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org

The Man Who Sold Hot Dogs

2009-02-24T18:06:00.009-05:00

The Man Who Sold Hot Dogs

-- Author Unknown (This version slightly revised to adapt to current economy) --

There was a man who lived by the side of the road
and sold hot dogs.

He was hard of hearing so he had no radio.

He had trouble with his eyes so he read no newspapers.

But he sold good hot dogs.

He put up signs on the highway telling how good they were.

He stood on the side of the road and cried,
“buy a hot dog, mister?"

And people bought.

He increased his meat and bun orders.

He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.

He finally got his son home from college to help him out.

But then something happened.

His son said, “Father, haven’t you been listening to the radio?

Haven’t you been reading the newspapers?

There’s a big recession.

The current business situation is terrible in this country -we have problems with unemployment, high living costs, strikes, pollution, the influence of minorities and majorities, the rich, the poor, drugs, alcohol, capitalism and communism."

Where upon the father thought, “well, my son’s been to college, he reads the papers and he listens to the radio, and he ought to know.”

So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down his advertising signs, and no longer bothered to stand out on the highway to sell his hot dogs.

And his hot dog sales fell almost overnight.

“You’re right, son” the father said to the boy.

“We certainly are in the middle of a great recession.”

* * *

Another story that CNN's Bob Conklin used to tell that relates was about the shoe company that sent a new salesman to Africa. When he arrived, he immediately wired back, “Returning on the next flight. They don’t use shoes here.” They sent another salesman who, upon arrival wired back, “Start shipping shoes of all sizes and styles immediately. There’s no competition!” More millionaires were created in the U.S. during the depression than at any time since. While most people are sitting at home being depressed those of us out there have no competition.

Don't share your dreams with negative people.

Go ahead and imagine yourself successful.

For your dreams to come true, create a success team.

(Isolation is a dream killer).

You need a team to help you brain-storm

and to boost you up after any set backs.

Be sure the ones you share your dreams with

believe in your dreams.

Save Money Personal Economic Stimulus Package – Go Green Save Money - thedailygreen.com

2009-02-18T09:20:00.001-05:00

Save Money Personal Economic Stimulus Package – Go Green Save Money - thedailygreen.com

Posted using ShareThis

Click here to enter the Land of And

2009-02-16T14:56:00.007-05:00

The Land of And
Are you interested in...

Anti-Aging?
Healthy Home?
Healthy Beauty?
Home-Based Business?
Inch Loss?
Healthy Vitality?
All of the Above?

Come to the Land of And.
Get answers to all of your questions AND
take advantage of a chance to win $200 of Green Products.

2009-01-27T09:25:00.002-05:00

The 6 Biggest Weight Loss Mistakes
by Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD

While most of my material for "Health Tips From the Professor" comes from scientific journals, I do read the popular nutrition magazines as well. And every so often I find an article that is so useful, that I feel that I just have to bring it to your attention. The February issue of Environmental Nutrition had just such an article. It talked about the 6 most common eating mistakes that trip up almost everyone trying to lose weight. Here they are (with my comments, of course).

Mistake #1: Going too long without food. Many of the overweight people that I know skip breakfast and really eat very little until dinner time. They can't understand why they keep gaining weight when they are skipping all those meals early in the day. The problem is two-fold. You need that breakfast meal first thing in the morning to rev up your metabolism. In addition, the nagging hunger resulting from not eating early in the day leads to poor food choices latter on. Little known fact: 100% of people who have lost significant weight and kept it off 5 years or more eat breakfast!

Mistake #2: Banking Calories. You know the routine. You know that you've got big party coming up tomorrow, so you'll just eat a little less today to "even it out". That comes under the category of wishful thinking. The calories that you save today almost never equal the calories that you consume at the party. The key is to employ healthy eating strategies at the party: eat a little bit of high-protein, low-calorie food ahead of time so you don't go to the party hungry; consume alcohol sparingly - it has lots of calories and it revs up appetite; eat small portions. The bottom line is that those strategies work. Skipping meals beforehand so you can eat whatever you want at the party doesn't work. It's that simple!

Mistake #3: Skimping on protein. Protein is metabolized more slowly, which keeps those hunger pangs at bay. One study showed that people who started the day with two eggs consumed 300 calories less during the day than someone who started the day with a bagel suppplying the same calories as the eggs. Adequate protein also helps preserve muscle mass. Of course, when we talk about preserving muscle mass Cinch is the all time champion because of its added leucine.

Mistake #4: Drastically cutting calories. You can lose weight fast on a very low calorie diet, but you make yourself so miserable in the process that you are almost certain to go back to your old eating habits. In addition, the very low calorie diets almost always lead to a loss of muscle mass, which lowers metabolic rate and makes it almost inevitable that you will regain all of the lost weight - and then some. Experts tell us that slow and steady weight loss is best. They also tell us that it is important to follow a "diet" plan that you can stick with for the rest of your life. The Cinch Inch Loss Plan excells on both of those points. If you make those delicious protein shakes and healthy eating plans a permanent part of your life, you will not only loose the weight, you'll keep it off too. And, don't forget that the Cinch protein shakes help you preserve your muscle mass.

Mistake #5: Denying yourself treats. You will almost never succeed at giving up your favorite foods forever - so don't set yourself up for failure. If you've got a favorite snack just divide it up into reasonable severing size packets as soon as you bring it home. Enjoy your favorite foods, just enjoy them in moderation.

Mistake #6: Taking weekends off. The reasoning here is essentially the same as the advice not to "bank" calories in anticipation of that big party. The problem is that some people are very good during the week and then treat the weekend as one big party. If you overeat on Saturday and Sunday, you're overeating 29% of the time. It's almost impossible to make up for that by sensible eating during the rest of the week.

Well, there they are. Six common mistakes to avoid if you want to control your weight. Some of them are just common sense, but others may not be so obvious to the average dieter. Avoid these six deadly mistakes and make the Cinch Inch Loss Plan a part of your daily life. That's a winning combination for permanent weight loss.

Want more information about Cinch Inch Loss Plan--a leucine-powered weight management program which helps you retain muscle while you burn fat ? Click on the link below.
http://www.cinchplan.com/babyboomerhealth

Interested in a chance to win $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 in cash rewards through the Cinch Inch Loss Plan? Click on the link below.
http://www.cinchbiggestloser.com/babyboomerhealth

2009-01-23T08:08:00.009-05:00

Shift Your Body Back Into Its
Alkaline Comfort Zone.

Here are ten simple dietary tips for shifting your body back into its alkaline comfort zone.

You can also take a look at our chart and the Acid-Alkaline Food Guide to see where some common foods fall on the acid-alkaline spectrum.

Eat more veggies and fruits. This is the most important step of all — even if you can get no further down the list than this, you can instantly make a huge difference to your bones. Plant foods contain abundant organic anions (negatively-charged “basic” particles) that combine with cations (positively-charged, or “acidic” particles) when metabolized, in turn reducing our net urinary acid load and naturally creating alkaline balance in the body. Again, keep in mind that the mineral deficits in our topsoil and water reduce the availability of minerals in the conventional food supply. If you want better bones, we suggest more than the standard “five-a-day” servings of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds — nine to ten is better. As an aside, our perspective on plant foods follows the adage that “fruits are cleansing, vegetables are building” — fruits definitely have a place in the diet, but if you want to build bone, we suggest you focus on the veggies!

Reduce soda intake, or eliminate it altogether. Clearly my example above should demonstrate why soda pop isn’t good for your bones. Aside from the overwhelming amounts of sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, or other chemicals of little to no nutritive value that soda contains, its high phosphoric acid content requires your body to sacrifice a great deal of alkaline buffering salts so it can excrete the acid without damaging your urinary tract.

Replace refined carbs with tasty roasted roots, tubers, and gourds. Most grains are somewhat acid-forming — particularly when they are ground, bleached, and otherwise refined. Root, tuber, and gourd crops like sweet potatoes, yams, potatoes, parsnips, beets, carrots, squash and potatoes are super-rich in minerals that will alkalinize your blood, plus they’re loaded with antioxidants and vitamins. So instead of eating pasta, pizza, pastry, rice or bread, try substituting with root crops a few days a week. While they are higher on the glycemic index than many other vegetables, they are satisfying and again, micronutrient-rich.

Add fresh lemon and lime to your water. Though we typically think of citrus fruits as acidic, they’re highly alkalizing in the body (limes especially). This is due to the conversion of citric acid to citrates on digestion. Help balance your acid load by squeezing a wedge of fresh lemon or lime into your water bottle or glass throughout the day. For that matter, get into the habit of giving your cuisine a squirt just before serving: lime is delicious on papaya, melons, salads, Mexican and Asian dishes, and lemon juice can really make a soup, curry or fish dish sing!

Consider adding sea vegetables to your culinary repertoire. For some of you, I know this is “out of the question!” Others of you will have already adopted this practice at one point or another in your lives, or it may be part of your heritage. For others who are willing to try new things, why not experiment with packaged sea veggies available in the macrobiotics section of your health food store or Asian supermarket? Or, if you’re lucky enough to live near a pristine beach, forage around and harvest a sample or two of your own. Consider the fact that just a hundred years ago, much of the seaboard here in Eastern North America was actively engaged in the harvesting of sea vegetables. While delicious seaweed dishes are still regularly enjoyed throughout much of Asia, it wasn’t so long ago that many people on both sides of the Atlantic were also enjoying dulse, agar agar, and other mineral-rich seaweeds in soups, stews, and puddings (blanc mange).

Drink 64 ounces of high-mineral spring water daily. So often our public drinking supply has been processed, stripped of the health-enhancing minerals water naturally picks up from the earth as it percolates through the ground. Then it’s doctored with minerals like chlorine and fluoride which — despite conventional wisdom — are present at levels that many scientists feel are not healthy for teeth and bones. “Mineral waters” contain dissolved minerals and trace elements in widely varying amounts as they emerge from their sources in the ground. These include calcium, magnesium, and potassium salts, so it’s an easy way to replenish your alkaline reserves. Since our diets are for the most part high in sodium, I’d avoid the ones that contain sodium unless you’re living in a hot climate or working out and sweating a great deal. We like brands such as Essentia and Pellegrino, but many people develop an allegiance to this or that label, so I’d encourage you to sample a few and find your own favorites.

Reduce animal protein to 60 g or less per day. Animal proteins, which are high in the sulfur-containing amino acids cystine, cysteine, and methionine, are particularly acid-producing as your body metabolizes them. Protein is absolutely required for your bones and just about every other body tissue, but you can limit your animal protein sources (beef, chicken, pork, eggs, and dairy products) to 60 grams or less per day and upping plant-based protein sources. As recently as one or two generations ago people ate beans nearly every single day, sometimes at every meal, and in many places in the world legumes remain the number-one source of protein. Lentils in particular have a super alkalizing effect on the body compared to other protein sources, they cook more quickly than most other dried beans, they’re versatile, and they’re also more digestible for many people. Soy is another high-protein option you can try that’s high in calcium and good for the bones.

Add cinnamon, ginger, and other herbs and spices. Cinnamon is a wonderful alkalizing spice that you can add to just about anything. It’s great with sweet potatoes, apples, or sprinkled in hot tea. Ginger root is a great alkalizer and detoxifier that spices up many dishes and makes a tasty, warming winter tea. Experiment with your spice cabinet — herbs and spices don’t just make things taste better, in most cases they’re good for your health.

Monitor your urinary pH. Tracking your first morning urine pH (after at least 6 hours of sleep) is a simple and convenient way to keep track of how your nutritional changes are affecting your body. When this number is between 6.5 (slightly acidic) and 7.5 (slightly alkaline), it indicates that your overall cellular pH is likely where it should be — slightly alkaline. Results in an acid range can suggest that your bones are being depleted of minerals to offset the excess acid in your system. Super-sensitive and highly accurate, our own pH paper is designed specifically to test either saliva or urine. For specific details on my recommendations for measuring your pH, see our pH Kit page (http://www.womentowomen.com/products/betterbonesphtestkit.aspx).

Supplement your diet with a high-quality multivitamin–mineral complex. No matter how attentive we are to what we eat, where it’s grown or harvested, and how we dish it up, we just can’t always have a perfectly balanced diet. You still have lots of options when it comes to making up for that fact of life, one of which is the peace of mind a top-notch bone-healthy supplement provides, like the ones we offer in our Personal Program for Better Bones . These formulations are designed to enhance pH balance through an alkalizing nutrient base, plus they provide a potent dosage of the key nutrients required for deep bone nourishment. Should your pH stay low after several weeks of this, you may have a greater need for alkalizing mineral complexes — so feel free to contact us for help*.

*This post is an excerpt from http://www.womentowomen.com/bonehealth/alkaline-bones.aspx

2009-01-16T12:03:00.002-05:00

Weathering Changes
Winner's Circle Network with Lou Tice
- 1/12/09 - "Weathering Challenges"

The economic news of the last couple of months
has been quite the challenge for a lot of people,
all over the world. Let's spend some time this week
talking about these challenges and what we can do,
as individuals and communities.

One of the traps we, as human beings, can get caught
in is looking at our economic and financial situations
as happening "to" us. We see things from an external
perspective, and believe we are powerless to do anything.
If you can visualize a leaf traveling at the mercy of the
wind, you get a pretty good picture of someone who sees
life happening "to" them. This is an external "locus of
control" and puts us in the mindset of a victim.

Now, what would happen if we changed our perspective
to one of an internal locus of control? What if we asked
ourselves the question, "What can I do 'for' me?" How
does that change the way we look at ourselves and our
abilities?

Well, for one thing, we take back control of our lives and
our decisions. It's like adding a rudder and a motor to
that leaf blowing in the wind, and plotting our own course
through the breeze. We give ourselves the power to
determine the direction in which we travel through
challenges. You are only a victim if you allow yourself
to be a victim.

The various forms of media are having a field-day
painting "the public" as victims of the economic
downturn. But keep in mind that "disaster" headlines
are meant to sell papers and magazines to keep
advertising dollars. Televised media is not just
reporting the news, but sometimes making the
news in order to get ratings and advertising dollars.

In these uncertain economic times, it is easy to fall
prey to the "bad news" constantly being reported in
the media. If you are wise, and I believe that all of us
have access to untapped wisdom stored in our minds,
you will be a skeptical listener and reader, and take
charge of your own decisions about your future.

Lou TiceThe Pacific Institutewww.thepacificinstitute.com

2008-11-25T09:18:00.003-05:00

HEALTHY THANKSGIVING
[a post from Stephen Chaney, Shaklee Master Coordinator]

While "Healthy Thanksgiving" doesn't quite have the
appeal of the more familiar "Happy Thanksgiving"
greeting, I used it here to make the point that
Thanksgiving dinner (and many other holiday meals)
doesn't have to be an unhealthy affair.

After all, there is a lot to like about the ingredients
in Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey can be a healthy, low-
fat meat, if prepared correctly. Sweet potatoes, yams,
winter squash and pumpkin are all loaded with vitamin A
and other important nutrients. And cranberries are a
nutrition powerhouse.

Here are some tips to make your Thanksgiving meal one
that contributes to your health:

1) Skip the basting. Choose a plain bird and cook in a
bag to seal in the moisture. Remove the skin before
serving.

2) Refrigerate the turkey juices and skim off the
hardened fat before making gravy and use a gravy cup
that pours from the bottom to minimize fat.

3) Use ingredients like whole wheat bread, vegetables,
fruits (cranberries, raisins, dates or apples), nuts
and your favorite spices for the stuffing and bake it
in the oven rather than in the turkey.

4) Serve your sweet potatoes or yams baked rather than
candied and let your guests add butter to taste.

5) Use skim milk or buttermilk rather than whole milk
and skip the butter for your mashed potatoes.

6) Give your meal gourmet appeal by cooking your green
vegetables with garlic, nuts and herbs rather than
creamy or fat-laden sauces.

7) don't serve the meal on your largest plates. By
using smaller plates you ensure smaller portion size
and even that second helping isn't quite so damaging.

8) Use the [Shaklee] Cinch meal replacement products for one or
more meals the day before and/or after Thanksgiving so
that your total caloric intake over the three day
period is not excessive.

By now you have the idea. There are lots of little
things that you can do to make your Thanksgiving dinner
one that your waist and your heart will thank you for.
Bon Appetit and have a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving!

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

P.S. Go to http://www.chaneyhealth.com and grab your
copy of my latest CD entitled "The Top 10 Reasons to
Choose Shaklee" before they are all gone. This is the
all new and updated Shaklee difference CD that you need
share with new people to create credibility for
Shaklee. In these economic times people are trying to
pinch every penny. It's more important than ever to
create a strong motivation to choose the best!

A GREENER FUTURE -- Part One

2008-10-10T08:10:00.001-04:00

Products derived from natural, nontoxic ingredients -- once seen as fringe -- are now mainstream. Innovations in designing green chemicals are emerging in nearly every U.S. industry, from plastics and pesticides to toys and nail polish.

read more | digg story

2007-09-21T17:12:00.000-04:00

Shaklee, You can Have It All... Check out on YouTube our CEO/Chairman Roger Barnett who wrote the song and played keyboards in Nashville for 8,000 Shaklee Distributors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a2s71FvhHo

2007-06-06T12:06:00.000-04:00

I am subscribed to John Maxwell's Leadership Wired. This is a regular e-newsletter that comes with good business ideas. I can relate to the Maxwell Moment shown below, and thought you might appreciate it, too. My take-away thought: "Keep a Positive Attitude, and Don't Quit!"
---Cheryl.
---------------------------------------------

The "Big 5" Challenges in Life
By Dr. John C. Maxwell

Printer-friendly version

Successful people do not have less challenging lives than those who do not succeed. In fact, they may go through even greater challenges. What causes the separation? Successful people respond to difficulties differently.

It’s easy to have a great attitude when things are going our way. Attitude doesn’t become the difference maker until challenges arise. In this edition of Leadership Wired, we’ll look at “The Big 5,” a list of the top challenges experienced by leaders, and we’ll discuss steps to develop an appropriate attitude toward each challenge.

THE BIG 5

Discouragement
Over the course of my life, I’ve discovered that every leader gets discouraged. Plans fail, dreams drift out of range, or goals suffer setbacks. However, not every leader responds to discouragement the same way. Attitude dictates whether a discouraged leader will give up or get up.

Dealing Effectively With Discouragement

(1) Get the Right Perspective.
Seldom are circumstances as bad as they feel in the darkest moments. Try to put hard times in the proper perspective by distancing from them emotionally.

(2) See the Right People.
Relationships either build us up or tear us down. Leaders surround themselves with encouragers who lend support and lift the load.

(3) Say the Right Words.
Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, says this in his excellent work, Spiritual Depression, Its Cause and Cure: “Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself.” Thoughts stream into our minds beyond our control. Instead of succumbing to whichever thoughts happen to pop into our heads, we can purposefully fix our minds on the positive.
Problems
Just as every leader gets discouraged, so every leader runs into problems. When facing problems, adjusting your attitude can be a precursor to adjusting your situation. Remember: change on the outside always follows the change on the inside.

Principles for Handling Problems

(1) Define What A Problem Is
A problem is something I can do something about. If I cannot do something about a situation, it is a fact of life, not a problem.

(2) Anticipate Problems
A problem anticipated may be an opportunity, but a problem not anticipated is a simply a problem.

(3) Embrace Each Problem as a Potential Opportunity.Problems are wake-up calls for creativity. They sharpen us by testing our reasoning and drawing out our creative juices.
Change
Change is an unavoidable and often unwelcome part of life. Change pushes us away from comfort by refusing to let us settle. By constantly forcing us to adapt, change sparks growth in our lives.

Coming to Terms with Change

(1) Determine that Change Will Be an Ongoing Part of Life.Years ago, Alfred P. Sloan made the statement that the key to success in management does not lie in your ability to adjust to change; it lies in your ability to anticipate change. When we see change coming we can move along with it rather than being blindsided by it.
(2) Make a Commitment to Pay the Price for Change.Along the journey, a leader must make sacrifices to stay abreast of change. If change doesn’t cost you, it’s not real change.
(3) Decide What You Are Not Willing to Change.Leaders have a general openness to change, but they refuse to be swayed in their convictions such as faith, values, and family.
Fear
Fear has the ability to exaggerate itself and spread throughout our life. When fear grips us, we are frozen and incapable of action. Worrisome thoughts fill our mind with distractions, and we are powerless to be productive.

How to “Fix” Your Fears

(1) Discover the Foundation of Fear.
Fears are more often based on feelings than facts. To control fear, search for its underlying emotion. More often than not, you’ll find fear has no rational root.
(2) Accept Fear as the Price of Progress.
Whenever we venture into new territory, we are met with the fear of the unknown. We must be willing to step outside of our comfort zone and face the fear of the unfamiliar.
(3) Feed the Right Emotion, Starve the Wrong One.
Many times we cannot hope to avoid the emotion of fear. Despite our best efforts to have courage, fear settles into the pit of our stomach like a rock. We may never eliminate fear, but we can refuse to let it dominate. If we act according to hope and optimism, eventually our action will transform our emotions.
Failure
I have seen many leaders with self-sabotaging traits stemming from an unhealthy perspective toward failure.

Some leaders live with a nagging sense of impending failure. They don’t believe they are good enough to succeed, and sooner or later they fulfill their self-expectations of failure.
Other leaders refuse to take risks. By sticking to safe paths, they assure themselves of failing to have significant impact.

Still other leaders allow failures to derail them. They see failure as a personal indictment rather than a step in the ongoing process of their growth as a leader.

How to Profit From Failure

(1) Change Your Vocabulary.
Every good leader I’ve ever met has had the amazing ability to turn a setback into a springboard for greater effectiveness. In his book, Leaders on Leadership: Interviews with Top Executives, Warren Bennis interviewed 70 of our nation’s top performers in numerous fields. None of them used the word “failure” to describe their mistakes. Instead they referred to “learning experiences,” “tuition paid,” “detours” or “opportunities for growth.”

(2) Keep a Sense of Humor.
Give yourself margin to make mistakes. Laugh at your failures rather than languishing in them.

(3) Make Failure a Learning Experience
We should never walk away from failure empty-handed. Each failure comes with lessons attached, and we can learn invaluable principles from them.

The Big 5 Recap:
(1) Everybody Gets Discouraged
(2) Everybody Has Problems
(3) Everybody Resists Change
(4) Everybody Feels Fear
(5) Everybody Experiences Failure

Attitude, the difference maker, is the one thing that enables a leader to rise above these challenges.

2007-01-03T10:25:00.000-05:00

Goodbye to one of Michigan's Finest
I just wanted to state my sorrow about the passing of former President Gerald Ford. Sure, he was 93 years old and lived a good, long life. And yes, I expect that he is in heaven. Those are very positive things. He was such a role model. He never embarrassed his family or himself. He honored God, family and country. He was the Baby Boomer's dream-- living to a ripe old age of 93! He will be missed.

2006-07-19T16:37:00.000-04:00

The Optimist Creed
I just discovered this creed through a website set up to support kids-- optimist.org. What a great creed for each of us everyday!

The Optimist Creed
Promise Yourself-
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

2006-07-17T09:39:00.000-04:00

The older I get, the more I feel the days rush past to a point where the years start rushing past. It must be a conscientious effort to slow down and "smell the roses." The essay below is another example of not letting events control your life. Enjoy. ~Optimist.

Winner's Circle Network with Lou Tice - 7/14/06 - "Control of Your Life"

Do you ever feel like events in your life have gotten out of control?

No matter how diligently you set goals, visualize results, and affirm a positive outcome, every once in a while your life is going to feel as if it's gone a little crazy. Carefully laid plans go up in smoke - sometimes quite literally. People you counted on, bail out on you. A health or family crisis strikes. An earthquake, hurricane or tornado puts you back to square one. Suddenly you feel as if you're completely off course, out of control, and lost at sea.

At times like this, there are a few things it may help you to remember. First of all, no one can control every aspect of his or her life, and adversity comes to all of us, no matter how moral we are, and no matter how good our attitude is. Bad things happen to good people all the time.

Second, it's important to realize that there is one, and only one, thing in life that is completely within your power to control, and that is your response to what happens to you. When you find yourself overcome with feelings of fear, helplessness, doom and gloom, you can put the brakes on these feelings by gently but firmly choosing to shift the focus of the thoughts that are running through your mind.

Your feelings are a direct result of the thoughts you think, and setting aside some time every morning and evening for positive visualization, affirmation, or guided meditation is a highly effective way of getting these thoughts back under your control again.Try it. I think you'll be surprised at just how well it works.

Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com
"TPI teaches people how to manage change, set and achieve goals, lead more effectively, and think in ways that create success."

2006-07-15T09:07:00.000-04:00

Four Essentials for Happiness
By: Brian Tracy

You may have a thousand different goals over the course of your lifetime, but they all will fall into one of four basic categories. Everything you do is an attempt to enhance the quality of your life in one or more of these areas.

The Key to Happiness
The first category is your desire for happy relationships. You want to love and be loved by others. You want to have a happy, harmonious home life. You want to get along well with the people around you, and you want to earn the respect of the people you respect. Your involvement in social and community affairs results from your desire to have happy interactions with others and to make a contribution to the society you live in.

Enjoy Your Work
The second category is your desire for interesting and challenging work. You want to make a good living, of course, but more than that, you want to really enjoy your occupation or profession. The very best times of your life are when you are completely absorbed in your work.

Become Financially Independent
The third category is your desire for financial independence. You want to be free from worries about money. You want to have enough money in the bank so that you can make decisions without counting your pennies. You want to achieve a certain financial state so that you can retire in comfort and never have to be concerned about whether or not you have enough money to support your lifestyle. Financial independence frees you from poverty and a need to depend upon others for your livelihood. If you save and invest regularly throughout your working life, you will eventually reach the point where you will never have to work again.

Enjoy Excellent Health
The fourth and final category is your desire for good health, to be free of pain and illness and to have a continuous flow of energy and feelings of well-being. In fact, your health is so central to your life that you take it for granted until something happens to disrupt it.

Peace of Mind is the Key
Peace of mind is essential for every one of these. The greater your peace of mind, the more relaxed and positive you are, the less stress you suffer, the better is your overall health. The more peace of mind you have, the better are your relationships, the more optimistic, friendly and confident you are with everyone in your life. When you feel good about yourself on the inside, you do your work better and take more pride in it. You are a better boss and coworker. And the greater your overall peace of mind, the more likely you are to earn a good living, save regularly for the future and ultimately achieve financial independence.

Control Your Attention
Life is very much a study of attention. Whatever you dwell upon and think about grows and expands in your life. The more you pay attention to your relationships, the quality and quantity of your work, your finances and your health, the better they will become and the happier you will be.

Action Exercises
Here are three things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action. First, take time on a regular basis to think about what would make you really happy in each of the four areas. Second, set specific, measurable goals for improvement in your relationships, your health, your work and your finances and write them down. Third, resolve to do something every day to increase the quality of some area of your life - and then keep your resolution.