Weight Loss Goals

Have you ever been asked the question, how do you eat an elephant? If you've never been asked that question, I'm sure you heard it or read it before. The answer may or may not surprise you - one bite at a time!

When it comes to setting goals, setting and achieving worthwhile goals is the key to lasting happiness. Some goals seem so large that they must be comparable to eating an elephant - just too big to even know how to begin. Weight loss can be that challenging for many. Looking at the BMI chart and knowing how far you have to go can be discouraging. Don't sweat - there is some good news. Losing just a little can have profound health benefits.

When it comes to eating that elephant, take small bites. The same goes for weight loss - if you are overweight or obese, set a goal to lose only 10% of your body weight. That's all - just 10%. Meeting this goal will give you most of the health benefits and much of the energy you will need to improve your life substantially.

It's often said that weight loss is simple, just not easy. Many experts tout the "calories in - calories out" formula as if it were Holy Scripture. I first heard this as the prescription for weight loss when I was a teenager. Now, here I am well over 50 years of age and I still hear it almost daily. In those intervening decades we have experienced an explosion of obesity. So, merely repeating the same formula over and over is clearly not working!

What does work is having a purpose. The reason purpose works is because it ignites passion, passion that ones from within. Purpose defines the reason for effort - for example, the reason we want to lose weight. At the same time, passion translates that sense of purpose into action, it gets one moving the the right direction. Ok, it is true that some people want to lose weight for reasons that do not require much passion, like necessity. Cosmetic weight loss may be one example and disease prevention may be another.

With purpose, it requires a plan. Keep these simple objectives (SMART Goals) in mind when setting goals of any type:

• Specific
• Measureable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely

If you take that sense of purpose, fuel it with your passion, and structure a plan, you will accomplish your mission. Yes, it's that simple!

Purpose, passion, plan and mission are successful strategies when it comes to weight loss, or any other life-changing task. These strategies have withstood the test of time and continue to work today. Now, this is not as simple as "calories in - calories out." But it is easy. And it works with the way we function as human beings: with purpose!

To reach your SMART goals you will likely need better health and more energy. Did you know that even modest amounts of weight loss can provide you with substantial improvements in vitality? Use the Body Mass Index (BMI) Chart to calculate your BMI.

If your BMI calculation is over 25, consider making it a SMART goal to lose 10% of your body weight. Losing just 10% of your body weight as fat can help improve your blood pressure, blood sugar, digestion and metabolism. You will have more energy, better self-esteem and a more optimistic view of life in general.

Remember, the elephant you're trying to eat, so to speak, is not weight loss itself. Trimming down gives you more energy to do the things that matter to you the most. Weight loss is a means to an end: a means to living a life of purpose. So, as a milestone on your goal toward a life of purpose, set a 10% reduction in weight as a SMART goal. Use a body composition scale to make sure that you are losing only fat, not lean tissue like muscles, bones and brain. You will need those as assets in your journey.

TriVita's Leanology® body-composition program was thoroughly reviewed in an Arizona State University study. Researchers found that with Leanology, 100% of the weight loss came from fat - none from vital, energy-producing organs.

So, do you know how to eat an elephant? The answer is still "one bite at a time," only now we see that there must be a valid reason for eating the elephant in the first place! Don't try to eat the elephant all at once and don't try to do it alone. Purpose, passion, plan and mission are the stuff of life. Yet, life is about balance. As humans, we Love, we Play, we Work and we Worship. Our manner of life should reflect these priorities.

Jeffrey Sloe
TriVita Business Affiliate - 12871028
440-725-3729
Additional Weight Loss Information

*Content courtesy of the Weekly TriVita Wellness Report, written by Brazos Minshew, TriVita's Chief Science Officer (www.trivita.com/trivita-mailings/wwr/2009/September/20090912/0139-losingWeight-pf.html?tref=12871028&sid=4297).

 

weight loss

Using the Glycemic Index if you are desperate to lose weight

Finding the right diet can be quite the adventure these days. You’ve got a whole bunch of fad diets intermixed with legitimate diets and the task of sorting through them just isn’t very fun. I know very well how frustrating it can be to devote yourself to a diet and end up without any positive results only to have to start with a new diet all over again. One of the many diets that I’ve come across during my selection, was one of the glycemic index diets, which after some examination seemed to be well grounded in science. What I found that not only was the Glycemic Index a great way to evaluate food and your dietary habits, but it was actually effective in helping me lose weight. If you’d like to learn more about glycemic index diets, then stay tuned for a brief overview.

The way that the glycemic index works is by separating foods into categories by giving them a Glycemic Index (GI) rating. The ratings are based on how much certain foods affect blood sugar, and were first designed as a way to help diabetics cope with insulin and blood sugar levels. However, it was discovered shortly thereafter, that using the GI as a way to promote a healthy diet was also very effective.

One of the current issues with the GI is that many places provide different number ratings for the same foods, which makes it really difficult to accurately measure your diet. However, with a little bit of discretion, you should be able to find an average number or an accurate source that you can use for all of your measurements. Most foods are rated in categories of low, medium, and high. Low is anything under 55, medium is between 55 and 69, and high is anything over 70.

Oddly enough, many GI rating indexes will give lower numbers for foods with sugar, such as candy and chocolate, than they do to sugary fruits, such as bananas and strawberries. Obviously, fruits are healthier than candy, but again you have to use discretion when choosing foods based on Glycemic Index Diets. What I mean is that you have to use common sense. Just because something has a low number doesn’t mean that it is healthy, it just means that it will not affect your blood sugar as much.

Really, GI diets are great for helping diabetics and overweight people understand their biochemistry and how they can manipulate their diets to avoid getting too much in the way of sugary foods. Avoiding many of these foods will not only help you lose weight, but will also provide you with consistent energy levels throughout the day. That can be a very important part of any diet, as a diet that robs you of energy is going to be very difficult to maintain over long periods of time. Glycemic index diets have been around long enough for you to be able to do some of your own research and find a source for measuring foods that works consistently for you.

The principles of the glycemic index diet are sound, meaning that avoiding sugary foods and sticking to proteins, good carbohydrates, and vegetables is going to not only improve your health, but also help your energy levels and help you lose weight. A healthy diet is more of a lifestyle change than a short term decision, so learning about foods using the GI is a fantastic way to explore your dietary habits in detail. Remember, no diet is perfect, but if you stick to something like this then more than likely you will be satisfied with the results.

David Ogden- Helping People Help Themselves
TriVita Affiliate 13142173
Sonoran Bloom - New ant-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying drink providing natural pain relief for inflammation
phone 1-386-308-1956 After 6PM EST
Skype seadogs11

Vitamin D

In recent articles, I've written about the importance of vitamin D, and the causes of this vitamin deficiency. The University of Maine conducted a study led by Dr. Susan Sullivan, and has concluded that people living in the northern hemisphere need four times the amount of this all important vitamin in the winter months.

The current recommended daily requirement of vitamin D is "200 IU for people up to 50 years of age, 400 IU for people between 51 and 70, and 600 IU for over the 70s years. However, according to new findings published in the Journal of Nutrition, daily intakes of 20 micrograms are required for twenty-something women to achieve optimized vitamin D status living in Maine." [1]

Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin because the body synthesizes it from sunlight - specifically, from UV-B rays, most commonly known as the burning rays. These burning rays are most available between 10 am and 2 pm, in places further from the equator. Most of us avoid spending a lot of time in the sun during these hours because of the risk of skin cancer and premature skin aging, which comes from over-exposure to the sun, or sunburn.

People living in the northern most parts of the world do not get enough exposure to sunlight during the winter months. That's the reason for the increased amounts of vitamin D. "While our bodies do manufacture vitamin D on exposure to sunshine, the levels in some northern countries are so weak during the winter months that our body makes no vitamin D at all, meaning that dietary supplements and fortified foods are seen by many as the best way to boost intakes of vitamin D." [1]

The major function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. Recent research also suggests it may provide protection from osteoporosis, hypertension, heart disease, certain cancers and several auto immune diseases including diabetes.

"In adults, it is said vitamin D deficiency may precipitate or exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. There is also some evidence that the vitamin may reduce the incidence of several types of cancer and type-1 diabetes." [1]

As researchers continue to gather information about vitamin D, many companies like TriVita have already taken action to produce a supplement that can generate the same natural benefits of sunshine. Since our bodies cannot manufacture without sunlight, we need to be taking a daily supplement.

The nutritional experts at TriVita know the importance of vitamin D. That's why they have created VitaCal-Mag D. VitaCal-Mag D provides, five forms of chelated calcium, over 20 bone-fortifying vitamins and minerals, 100% RDI of Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and Vitamin D, and Chlorophyll-coated tablets that protect valuable nutrients, time-releasing optimal absorption.

To learn more about TriVita's VitaCal-Mag D, go to TriVita Products and click on the Vitamin D link.

Jeffrey Sloe
440-725-3729
jeff@internetmarketingadvisors.net
TriVita Independent Business Affiliate, 12871028

Sources:
[1] www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Four-times-current-vitamin-D-doses-needed-for-winter-levels-Study/?c=m6wryBCkbEotmub3lbhtuQ%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily

 

Why you Need to Lose Weight

Do you need a why to Lose Weight

"Forced Reality" can give you your "why" to lose weight. Why do you want to lose weight? Of course everybody says " I want to lose x amount of weight" but that is not good enough for if it were you would have probably already lost that amount by now. One of the reasons that your ‘why’ must be strong is that we all have a tendency to distort reality.

When our marriage is in trouble we distort reality and say that its okay.

When our finances are out of control we distort reality and say it is okay.

When we are over weight we distort reality and say we are okay, we are not over weight by that much and we will lose the weight when we get ready too. It is not until we are "forced to deal with reality" when we can no longer distort reality, that we are finally forced to deal with “reality” the way it is and not how we make it to be.

It’s when the husband or wife wants a divorce that we see our marriage is not okay, when our house is foreclosed on that we see our finances are not okay. It’s when we have a heart attack and see that our weight is not okay.

If you think you are okay weight wise, get a glucose meter and measure your glucose levels.

If you think you are okay weight wise, get a blood pressure monitor and measure your blood pressure.

If you think you are okay weight wise get your cholesterol levels checked and see if you are okay.

You are not okay. Your blood pressure, glucose levels, your cholesterol number do not lie. You can’t distort them they are reality. The good part is once you see those numbers they can give you a strong motivator to lose weight. Numbers don’t lie. Use them to lose the weight you need, let the numbers scare you to death so that you can change. “Forced Reality” will always exert itself.

David Ogden- Helping People Help Themselves

TriVita Affiliate 13142173
Sonoran Bloom - New ant-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying drink providing natural pain relief for inflammation
phone 1-386-308-1956 After 6PM EST
Skype seadogs11

Nutritional Vitamin Supplements

There's an on going debate on the importance of taking daily nutritional vitamins and minerals. With that said, are vitamin supplements more important today than in earlier years?

Nutritionists say that in earlier times, people did not require the intake of vitamin or mineral supplements. Individuals would get plenty of nutrition from their diet alone, and fruits and vegetables proved to be a good source of vitamins and minerals. At that time they were grown locally and harvested at the proper time, keeping the nutritional value intact.

Back then the soil was fortified with natural minerals typically found in manure and other natural forms of fertilizer. However, today the soil is fortified with man-made chemicals and artificial and synthetic pesticides. The result, lost nutrients in the fruits and vegetables, thus leading to the necessity of additional vitamin and mineral intake. I believe this is why there are so many companies producing and/or selling vitamin and minerals.

Fruits and vegetables, once the ideal source of vitamins and minerals and considered complete nutritional foods, may now be in trouble of losing their nutritional status. Most of the fruits and vegetables we eat at the present time are not grown locally. They are brought in from different states and/or countries. Many of those fruits and vegetables are harvested long before they're ripe, and in order to increase their longevity they are treated with chemicals.

Soil depletion is a problem facing the farmers. Since fruits and vegetables rely on getting essential nutrients from the soil it would only stand to reason that bad quality soil results in poor nutritional food. With the problems facing the farmers, were the fruits and vegetables are grown, no wonder people are missing vital vitamins and minerals from their regular diet, even if they think they are eating healthy meals.

According to Dr. Marianne Sarrantonio, Associate Professor of Sustainable Agriculture t the University of Maine, "Farming is not a natural process. It's disruptive to the soil. When we mono crop, we decrease the diversity of life forms above and below ground. When we till repeatedly, we destroy soil structure, promote loss of organic matter and disrupt nutrient cycles." [1]

Vitamins and minerals play an important role to keep the human body organs functioning properly. Different vitamins and minerals affect different organs or parts of the body. For example, calcium is an important mineral, which is a must for the healthy growth of bones; and it's a known fact that a deficiency of calcium can result in stunted growth and fractures, among many other problems.

You may be thinking that the best source of calcium (according to your mother) is milk. That's not true. "The best source of calcium is from plants, including tofu (if prepared using calcium sulphate, it contains more than four times the calcium of whole cow's milk); seaweeds; green leafy vegetables; watercress; seeds; dried figs; and nuts. The calcium in green vegetables like kale is absorbed as well or even better than the calcium from cow's milk." [2]

There are so many fruits and vegetables that are affected if they are grown in poor soil. So, even if a person adheres to a healthy diet, he/she may still require additional nutrients. These additional nutrients can, and for the most part should, come from nutritional vitamin supplements. That's why many nutritional experts recommend taking daily vitamins.

Are all nutritional vitamin supplements the same? No!

How do you select a nutritional health supplement which will provide you with the best possible health benefits?

The label on the bottle is a good place to start, and is also a tool for evaluating a good health supplement brand. The label should tell you the names of the nutrients contained and the amount contained, the form of the ingredient used, and the number of tablets contained in the bottle.

The nutritional supplements should meet GMP (good manufacturing practice) compliance, pharmaceutical grade production, as well as quality control measures.

The supplements should be tested and analyzed independently for their effectiveness, purity and potency. You should be able to find this information by contacting their customer service department. If they are accessible and accommodating with your inquiries, you might have found yourself a good supplement brand.

One nutritional vitamin supplement that I recommend is manufactured by TriVita, called Vita Daily.

Vita Daily is an extra-rich, super-abundant multi-vitamin/multi-nutrient formula. It provides you with an overflowing abundance of 24 vitamins and macro minerals, over 50 trace minerals, 25 whole food concentrates, vital enzymes, fundamental amino acids, life-giving phytonutrients and essential fatty acids. All of this gives your body so much more of what it really wants, needs and deserves - for optimal health -- every single day and night.

Vita Daily AM/PM's special chlorophyll coating helps your body more fully absorb all of the ingredients, plus helps keep the ingredients protected from oxidation until you use them. On top of all this, Vita Daily AM/PM is also natural and gluten free.

Nutritional supplements have been scientifically prove to be a reliable and secure means of providing the body with all the necessary nutrients. Together with nutritional supplements, one should eat a balanced diet comprised of healthy food. And by all means you should avoid junk foods that have no nutritional value.

So, are vitamin supplements more important today than in earlier years? You can judge for yourself; however, I'd prefer to error on the safe side and provide my body with the proper nutrition, most of what's missing in the food we eat.

Jeffrey Sloe
440-725-3729
jeff@internetmarketingadvisors.net
TriVita Independent Business Affiliate, 12871028
TriVita Products

Sources:
[1] http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/depts/nf_classics/0905/soil.shtml
[2] www.preventive-health-guide.com/calcium.html

 

Myths and Facts

Weight Loss - Fact or Fiction

As time goes by, do you suspect that a tailor is sneaking into your closet at night and gradually taking in your clothes? Do you wonder why you’re having such a hard time squeezing into your pants? Are you finding that even your favourite shoes are too snug now?

Weight gain tends to creep up, especially as we age. It’s a simple fact of human life: as we get older, our metabolism generally gets slower. That means we need fewer calories to maintain a healthy weight than we did, say, 20 years ago. Plus, if our eating habits stay the same as in years past, and we get less exercise, all those calories have nowhere to go but into our fat reserves.

If you’ve decided to fire the midnight tailor, congratulations. Maintaining a healthy weight is a key part of healthy aging. Be careful, though, not to undermine your efforts with the persistent myths that circulate around food, fat, and exercise. Test your “lean living” smarts against these weight loss facts and myths:

1. Skipping breakfast helps you lose weight.
   Actually, weight control experts have known for years that a good breakfast not only fuels you for the day, but helps curb cravings later on. In fact, according to a study released last year, a big breakfast (carbohydrates, lean protein and even a small piece of dark chocolate) can help lead to major weight loss. The study found that overweight, inactive women lost almost five times as much weight on a big breakfast as women who followed a restrictive, low-carbohydrate diet.
2. To lose weight, you have to cut out starches.
   It’s true that too much of anything – including bread, rice, pasta and potatoes – can put on pounds. But these starches (carbohydrates) are fairly low in fat and calories themselves. What you should cut out are the toppings and sauces that add needless fat and calories.
3. Some foods, like grapefruit, make you lose weight fast.
   No food, including grapefruit, or cabbage soup, or celery, can actually cause weight loss.
4. If a package says “low-fat” or “fat-free,” you can eat lots of what’s inside without gaining weight.
   This is a common “fat” trap. Yes, it’s often true that a low-fat or fat-free item has fewer calories than its full-fat equivalent. But be sure to read the Nutrition Facts label on the package: It can sometimes be shocking just how many calories that “fat-free” goodie contains. Many processed foods add sugar or other ingredients to add flavour after fat has been removed.
5. Eating at night puts on weight.
   It doesn’t matter when you eat – if you overeat, taking in more calories than your body needs, you’ll store those calories as fat.
6. It’s good to lift weights or do other strength-training exercises as part of a weight-loss plan.
   Absolutely true. These activities help build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than body fat. Don’t worry – you won’t “bulk up” from doing strength training two or three days a week.
7. To lose weight and keep it off, a healthy rate of weight loss is losing ½ to two pounds a week.
   This couldn’t be more right. If you lose too much weight too fast (more than three pounds a week after the first few weeks), you’ll probably gain it all back after you drop that fad diet. What’s more, losing weight too fast can put you at risk for developing gallstones. You could even develop a dangerously erratic heart rhythm.

For smart, healthy weight loss, experts suggest a sensible approach: healthy, balanced eating, physical activity, and lots of encouragement and motivation. That’s just the formula that has helped so many people control their weight with Leanology from TriVita. Leanology is the science-based key to sustained weight loss. It’s a fact: Many weight loss myths are just that...

David Ogden- Helping People Help Themselves
TriVita Affiliate 13142173
Sonoran Bloom- New ant-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying drink providing natural pain relief for inflammation
phone 1-386-308-1956 After 6PM EST
Skype seadogs11

Pernicious Anemia in Relation to B12 Absorption

New DocumentPernicious Anemia in Relation to B12 Absorption

*Who Is At Risk for Pernicious Anemia?

*Pernicious anemia is more common in people of Northern European and African descent.

*In the United States, older people are at higher risk for the condition. This is mainly due to a lack of stomach acid and intrinsic factor, which prevents the small intestine from absorbing vitamin B12. As people grow older, they tend to make less stomach acid.

*Pernicious anemia also occurs in younger people and other populations groups.

You're at higher risk for pernicious anemia if you:

* Have a family history of the condition.

* Have had part or all of your stomach removed. The stomach makes intrinsic factor, a protein that helps your body absorb vitamin B12.

* Have certain autoimmune disorders that involve the endocrine glands, such as Addison's disease, type 1 diabetes, Graves' disease, and vitiligo. Research suggests a link may exist between these autoimmune disorders and pernicious anemia that's caused by an autoimmune response.

* Have had part or all of your small intestine removed. The small intestine is where vitamin B12 is absorbed.

* Have certain intestinal diseases or disorders that prevent your body from properly absorbing vitamin B12. Examples include Crohn's disease and intestinal infections.

* Take medicines that prevent your body from properly absorbing vitamin B12. Examples of such medicines include antibiotics and certain seizure medicines.

* Are a strict vegetarian who doesn't eat any animal or dairy products and doesn't take a vitamin B12 supplement, or if you eat poorly overall.

*Above information found at U.S. Department of Health & Human Services * National Institutes of Health

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Jack Shea
Healthy Living Resources
Independent AM ID 13115780
509-301-1079