Everyone talks about the benefits of going green these days. It’s often considered our social responsibility to do our part in whatever capacity we can, after all… a healthier planet is what “Going Green” is all about isn’t it? Maybe so, but for just a moment I’d like you to shift gears and consider a completely different “Green Initiative”. One that will create a much healthier environment for someone you should care very much about… yourself.

If the green movement is cutting edge stuff these days, then my Mom was one of the original hipsters. Way cool and way ahead of her time, she was preaching the importance of green, leafy vegetables long before Al Gore invented the internet. Looking back at those long family dinners, it seems uncanny to me now, how much of a visionary my Mom really was. Who would of thought that 30 years later going green would be so cool.

Going green with your diet may not be as sexy as saving the planet, but c’mon… you can’t save the planet unless you can first save yourself. Green leafy vegetables contain antioxidants, reduce your risk for diabetes, can help prevent cancer, improve digestion, and strengthen your immune system. Each serving of these nutrient dense super foods contain loads of Vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber too.

The good green news doesn’t stop there either! These vegetables are also an excellent food source for low glycemic carbohydrates. These types of carbs are slow burning and are a more efficient form of energy. This means greater sustained energy levels, mental clarity and less fat. Multiple studies have shown that foods made of low-glycemic carbs are less likely to be shuttled through the blood stream towards fat cells, which accounts for it’s diabetic benefits too.

If your daily diet has been lacking in these jolly green giants, now’s the time to reconsider and get serious with your own green initiative. Listed below are my top 10 green leafy vegetables packed with everything you need to stay healthy. Phytosterols, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and fiber… it’s all here to help you detoxify, reduce the risk for cancer and diabetes, lose weight and more.

Collards:

Big leafy and yummy, this vegetable is packed with nutrients. If you are detoxifying and want to remain gluten free, use collard greens as a roll-up instead of a pita or tortilla.

Romaine Lettuce:

Make romaine lettuce your substitute for iceberg which holds virtually no nutritional value. Not only does romaine taste better, but it’s loaded with vitamin A.

Turnip Greens:

Don’t care for turnip greens? Well, consider this… that slightly bitter taste you’re complaining about is due to this veggies super high calcium content. In fact, ounce for ounce, turnip greens out rank almost every other green vegetable in the group. Find a good recipe and add this to your list of must have foods.

 Spinach:

Pop-Eye’s not the only one that loves his spinach. Nutritionists will tell you that this leafy vegetable is loaded with iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate. It’s easy to incorporate into a wide variety of recipes and salads too, firmly entrenching Pop-Eye’s secret muscle food as #4 on our list.

Broccoli:

Tried and true, everybody knows that broccoli is loaded with fiber and nutrients. Cooked or crunchy this food is a winner and should probably be ranked higher then #5. Did I mention the fiber?

Beets and Turnips:

I know these are not really green and leafy, but beets and turnips had to receive an honorable mention  for their detoxification benefits. Rich in potassium, calcium, vitamins A and C… these are extremely nutrient dense foods.

Kale:

Maybe the king of all green vegetables, kale is high in vitamins A, C, K, potassium, calcium.

Watercress:

Lonely and often forgotten, watercress is packed with carotenoids, phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E. Honestly, if it were more readily available, it would be at #1.

Mustard Greens:

Nutritious and with a little extra zip to their taste, mustard greens are an excellent addition to any meal. Try the younger sprouts as a way to spice up your next salad.

Cabbage:

Cabbage is great in cole slaw, just go light on the sugar and mayo. Cooked in soups, cabbage is often used to help control weight and to remove toxins.

What if I were to tell you that you needed to start eating in order to lose weight? When it comes to breakfast, that all important first meal of the day, it really is true. The familiar saying, “Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince, and dinner like a pauper” has a lot of truth to it. But even going beyond the discussion of weight loss, eating breakfast provides a lot of other benefits nutritionally.

In fact, eating breakfast is so important, that eating a bad breakfast is probably better then skipping it all together. We need carbohydrates and proteins soon after waking in order to maintain a high level of cognitive abilities from our brain.  After going all night without food, our system is also depleted of calories, which sends this signal of starvation to our metabolism telling it to slow down as well. It’s this built in survival mechanism within us that allows our body to function with less calories.

Our digestive system needs fiber and fluids to begin it’s job of removing harmful bacteria, toxins and fats from our intestinal tract. And our muscles need protein so that our bodies do not begin to feed off of them as an energy source. Any long term habit of skipping breakfast can  create a sort of perfect storm when we look at the combined problems it can cause. Hundreds of studies, anecdotal evidence and fitness experts have all chimed in with their pro’s and con’s on this subject. So, let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons why breakfasts are beneficial,  why skipping breakfast may not be such a great idea, and a few healthy breakfast suggestions.

You’re Still Just A Big Kid:

Several children’s studies have shown measurable differences in the learning abilities and nutritional blood levels of kids that eat breakfast when compared to the kids that don’t. These studies found that kids who missed breakfast were at greater risk for illness, had reduced concentration, lowered retention of information, and were overweight as compared to the their BMI index.

Saving Morning Calories Is A Myth:

Numerous studies have indicated that people who skip breakfast tend to replace those calories later during the day, often in the form of unhealthy snack bingeing. It’s this type of thinking that is frequently used as the biggest justification to skip the first meal of the day… but it never works.

Breakfast Skippers Have Bad Breath:

Even I couldn’t make this stuff up. The above statement proves that there are studies for just about everything! But according to this university study it’s true, so please… do everyone around you a favor and eat your breakfast!

Skipping Breakfast Slows Down Your Metabolism

I know, you’ve heard this a thousand times and it’s getting old. Sleeping puts you in an all night fast, morning blood sugars are low… blah, blah, blah. Forget all these so-called studies and just type, “Sumo Wrestlers Diet” into google. I rest my case…

Your Body Needs Nutrients

Skipping breakfast makes it very difficult to give our body the essential vitamins, minerals, fats and antioxidants it needs. Even for excellent eaters it’s tough to eat enough nutrient dense foods to get what we need throughout the day, let alone when we skip a meal. The nutritional boost you give yourself with a healthy breakfast is critical for your immune system, your brain, and skin.

Healthy Choices For Breakfast

Now that we’ve established the importance of eating a healthy morning meal, lets take a look at these suggestions by leading nutritionists. These are mostly just category groups to remember, but serve as good guidelines to follow.

• Be sure to include fiber… oatmeal, whole grain cereal, bran muffins.
• Have a piece of fruit with your morning meal. Fresh squeezed or pulpy orange juice is OK too.
• Don’t forget protein… eggs, cheese, meat, protein supplements
• Probiotics in the form of active yogurt cultures or supplements
• Calcium is more bioavailable when taken with Vitamin C. Try milk, oranges, yogurts…

Isagenix IsaLean Shake – Get the Best Breafkast on the Planet

If you want to ensure you and your family are getting a balanced, low-carb, high protein, nutrient packed breakfast the Isalean Shake, available from Isagenix Canada (ca.bodycleansediet.com) is the ideal choice.

The IsaLean Shake comes in vanilla and chocolate flavours and as well as tasting great contains high quality whey protein and all of the building blocks and nutrients your body needs to get you through the day.

When we think of skin care, generally our first thoughts tend to immediately think about topical creams and lotions. We use lotions to hydrate our skin, sun-screen to protect us from harmful UV exposure, and a wide variety of other products all applied directly to the outside of our skin. Even nutritionally, vitamins are often formulated into a skin cream that is absorbed through the outer layer of derma as a means for nourishing our skin.

The skin care industry has become a multi-billion dollar market, and for good reason. All of us want to have healthy skin and look our best. I’m sure this healthy concern for our skin began long before Cleopatra, and will continue long after my application this morning of my favorite moisturizer!

However, recent studies have begun to show that dramatic changes in our skin are more likely to occur from what we eat and drink… rather then what we would apply to the outside. These clinical studies have focused on  how specific vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and water effected the overall health and appearance of the control subject’s skin.

Clinical Studies Reveal A Nutritional  Approach To Skin Care

When we look at the data presented by these researchers, it becomes clear that dramatic improvements can be made by properly hydrating and nourishing our skin from the inside. Much of this research has also shown tremendous promise with the role antioxidants have in slowing down the aging process by attacking free radicals.

Based on  information provided by the Mayo Clinic, American Dermatology Institute, and Duke University researchers, certain food sources, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants showed merit and are listed below. Their research also showed that “how” these nutrients were introduced into our bodies were of less importance, meaning that a balance of both topical (for some) and ingested  (as would be the case for food and water sources), were all beneficial.

• Water, Water, Water: Despite seeming like common sense, low grade chronic hydration problems can happen. Medical experts recommend 8 to 9 glasses of water every day to ensure adequate hydration for your skin under normal conditions. Our skin needs plenty of water from the inside to remain supple, flexible and healthy.

• Vitamin C: Vitamin C has been shown to be essential in fighting off the aging effects of skin. Citrus fruits and other fruit or veggie sources should be on your grocery list every week. Vitamin C in supplement form combined with the above natural foods is the way to go.

• Antioxidants: Antioxidants are important weapons against the destructive powers of free radicals on both our skin and our bodies in general. Food sources rich in these nutrients are pomegranate, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red wine and green tea. All of these provide some levels of antioxidants, however most studies have shown that concentrated blood levels need to be higher then what normal consumption of these foods can provide. The same problems with bioavailability exists from many supplemental sources as well. Consuming food and supplemental sources of antioxidants is recommended.

• Vitamin A: Vitamin A has been shown to repair damaged skin from UV exposure, used both topically and internally. Green, leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli  are excellent sources of Vitamin A. Low fat dairy products and yogurt are also top food sources for A vitamins. The nutrients in these vegetables and dairy products also help with  collagen growth, soft tissue repair, and skin disorders.

• Omega 3′s: Every year new studies show more and more the importance of this essential fat for anti-aging, cardiovascular health, and fighting diseases. So it’s no surprise that getting plenty of Omega 3′s in our diet will help our skin too. Certain seafoods, walnuts, and flax-seed oil are high in this “good fat”. Again, combining supplementation with food sources makes sense because of the higher calories in the nut and seed foods, and the concerns of mercury if we eat fish everyday. This is an important oil for our skin, just be smart, and balance your consumption with the above concerns in mind.

Understanding the relevance between healthy skin and what we eat or drink is becoming more and more the buzz in the beauty and skin care industry. Something so obvious… has at times taken a back seat to the more appealing lotions and creams. Amazingly, what we could see in the face of an alcoholic or life long smoker is finally getting a lot of attention from the scientific community and the skin care crowd.

Everyone knows how important it is to be active and to make exercising a normal part of your daily routine. Whatever the reason, few will argue that getting some type of exercise, on a regular basis is a good idea for anyone. This becomes even more important as we get older, especially when you  consider how much harder it becomes after years of never exercising very seriously.

Old habits can be tough to break, and for anyone who hasn’t been active for a long time… making a commitment to exercise, and sticking with it, can be quite a challenge. Forcing yourself to set aside the time is only part of the problem, the other forces at play can also stack the odds against you. If you view the exercise that you are doing as drudgery, and you are new to all of this… chances are high that you won’t stick with it.

In this article, I’m going to share with you some tips on how to find the time to exercise as well as how to get through that beginning phase where so many throw in the towel and quit. Everyone is different when it comes to their schedules, and what motivates them. Hopefully these ideas will help you to better recognize what works best for you until you can settle in to your own fitness routine

Good Habits And Bad Habits

Most experts will agree that it takes approximately 30 days for any behavior to develop into a habit. Habits, by definition, cause us to engage in this behavior almost at the subconscious level. We tend to act out this habit without giving it much thought and it seems to come very easily. Exercising is no different. Commit to a 90 day plan, or at the very least give yourself 30 days to remain disciplined to whatever exercise regimen you choose. After a month or so, you’ll find that it comes easily, almost like clockwork until eventually you’ll find yourself in the grips of a new habit… a very healthy one!

Find 20 Minutes For Yourself

The one thing that exercise does require is time. But, it doesn’t take a lot of time to get started. No matter how hectic your schedule is, you can find 20 minutes if you really want this. Look carefully at your schedule and set some time aside for you. Remember, you only get one body in this life and your body needs some exercise if you want to look and feel your best.

Join A Gym

Check out some of the local gyms in your area and find one that you like. A local health club can be a fantastic way to squeeze your designated time slot into the day. With lockers, dressing rooms and showers, many busy people are able to make this work very well for their schedules. And… if you’ve really got some moxie, try signing on to an annual contract. If nothing else you’ll probably go to at least get your moneys worth!

Kung Foo Your Fat

Maybe martial arts are your thing. If so, taking classes in martial arts training is a fantastic way to burn calories. Not only is it an excellent way to get fit, but it will also give you a structured and very disciplined routine to follow. You’ll make new friends, burn a lot of fat, and kick some butt. What’s not to like!

Get Your Groove On

We’re talking dance moves to get in shape. If shakin’ to some music gets you out of bed in the morning then join a dance class. From hip hop, to 70′s disco, the tango, or the charleston… dancing can be a fun way to get out of the house and burn some calories.

Take An Aerobics Class

Aerobic classes are are a great way to get in shape with tons of options to choose from. There are beginner classes to intermediate to more advanced with a variety of exercise types to select. Most facilities that have scheduled classes will offer step classes, body pump, ab classes, spin classes and more. See what’s available in your area and give it a try.

Combine Exercise and Isagenix for the Ultimate Combination

When you exercise you need to fuel your body with the right balance of nutrients, Isagenix provides that. There are a number of Isagenix products that will help to sustain you during exercise, aid recovery and provide the building blocks your body needs.

Isagenix Want More Energy for a example is a fantastic alternative to additive laden sports drinks and a great way to provide your body with lost minerals, salts and sugars. All these products are available for Isagenix Canada customers.

Hit The Road

A brisk walk or a 20 minute run is another wonderful option for quality exercise with limited time. Walking is better then sitting, and jogging is better then walking. Do your best to either work up to running or try to extend your walks beyond 20 minutes. Either way, you’ll be doing your body a big favor by increasing your circulation while burning calories

The Bottom Line

Getting started with an exercise program is the hardest part for any of us. But new habits can be developed if you give yourself enough time for it to become just another part of your daily routine. Selecting an activity that you can look forward to is a great way to help you build enough time for  habits to develop when you first start out. All of these guidelines are simply ideas… suggestions to help you find what will work best for you. The important thing to remember is to find the time, get started and stick with it…

Understanding the essential role that fat plays in our overall health is important as we do our best to wade through confusing and sometimes contradictory information out there. Most of the nutritional labels for the foods and supplements we buy tend to only tell half of the story about the fats used in their products unless it serves some marketing purpose.

Reduced fat, low fat, and zero fat  have become so mainstream in the ads and labels used by these manufacturers that we have become conditioned into believing that low fat is good and high fat is bad. These misconceptions might be good for boosting sales, but they are often times misleading and don’t always tell the whole story.

Fortunately, understanding the different kinds of fat is not all that complicated. In this article we are going to look at the role that good fats and bad fats have when it comes to our health and fitness levels. We’ll also discuss several ways to avoid the bad fats and how to choose the good fats so that we can make informed decisions with the foods we eat.

Fats, Calories, And Weight Loss… Oh My!

Most people will tell you that fatty foods are the ones to be avoided if you don’t want to gain weight. However, the truth is that increased calories are what cause us to gain weight, not the total number of fat grams. If the calories you burn are greater then the calories you consume… you’ll lose weight. Even though the calories we get from fat do play an important role in our overall health, low fat food choices , unless they are low in calories,  have no significant impact in dropping pounds or shedding fat from our bodies.

Why is this important? Because we have to break away from the mind set that fatty foods will make us fat. Again, it’s not the fat in those fatty foods… it’s the calories in those foods. Making this distinction will allow you to make better dietary decisions and see past the slick labeling

Saturated Fats = Bad Fats

All dietary sources of fat can be essentially placed into two main categories… saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats that are high in saturated fatty acids (some are higher then others), are responsible for most of the health problems associated with a high fat diet. It’s this type of fat that causes an increase in our bad cholesterol levels, clogged arteries and the narrowing of blood vessels. Of course, over time this increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Saturated fats are found in both natural and processed food sources. Fatty red meats, dairy, fried foods, poultry skin, pork, animal fats, some baked or processed carbohydrates, and lard all contain saturated fats with cholesterol. Coconut oil,  palm kernel oils, and palm oils are all examples of saturated fats found in plant sources. However, these sources do not contain cholesterol.

Unsaturated Fats = Good Fats

Unsaturated fats are considered the good fats and are important in keeping our good cholesterol levels high, and our bad cholesterol (LDL) levels low. These essential fatty acids are not only crucial to the normal functioning of the various systems within our body, but they are equally important in the prevention of disease and health problems as well.

Good fats contribute to our bodies ability to produce and hold onto good cholesterol in our bloodstream. Good Cholesterol, or HDL is vital in thinning out and removing the arterial clogging LDL as it forms. In fact, medical experts agree that low levels of HDL are actually more dangerous then high levels of the bad cholesterol (LDL). Other studies show that by eating foods high in unsaturated fats, especially in the Omega 3 and Omega 6 food groups we can reduce health problems associated with depression, joint pain, ADHD, skin disorders, and arterial plaque build up.

Scientists believe these fats create a reduction in inflammation at the cellular level within our bloodstream to counter the “sludge-like’ build up from the accumulation of bad cholesterol. Excellent sources of good fats can be found in seafood, nuts, olives, avocados, canola, seeds, and flax-oil. By focusing on these food groups it’s not very difficult to consume recommended levels of the Omega oils and other unsaturated fats… but there are some potential problems to consider.

High Calories And Mercury

The most obvious of these would be the calories consumed when eating nuts, avocados, or oils rich in the good fats. Let’s not forget that calories have to be factored into this as well, and despite being rich in the heart healthy fats we know and love… a balanced approach is important when calories are a concern.

The other problem with natural dietary Omega’s is mercury. Seafood, especially some of the cold water varieties like cod and salmon are excellent sources of the good fats we need in our diet. Unfortunately, consuming these species and other Omega rich seafood increases your risk of exposure to mercury. Mercury begins it’s absorption at the algae level and is then absorbed by the fish that eat the algae.

Once consumed, mercury cannot be excreted which leads to increased absorption levels as the fish ages and grows. For this reason, the highest levels of mercury are found in the larger, more predatory species such as mackerel, sword fish and shark. The good news in this is that salmon, catfish, shrimp, and tilapia tend to have lower levels.

Healthy Fats Through Diet And Supplementation Are The Answer

The more you look at the amazing benefits of a diet rich in healthy oils and fats, the more important it becomes to seek out the best sources… both naturally and with supplements. For most people, there’s nothing wrong with taking in some saturated fats in their diet. Just be sure to balance your consumption with a higher ratio of good fats. After all, we have to enjoy life don’t we?

An easy way to keep our healthy fats high is to use supplements combined with natural food sources. By adding a quality Omega Oil supplement to our daily diet, we avoid the problems of taking in too many calories or subjecting ourselves to the possibility of high mercury levels in our seafood. The lessons from these medical studies are simple… reduce our intake of those artery clogging saturated fats, increase our consumption of the foods that are high in unsaturated fats, and combine this with a daily Omega rich supplement from a reputable manufacturer.

One of the biggest reasons that people don’t exercise on a regular basis is because they can’t seem to find the time. We tend to get so wrapped up in our daily routines that the thought of trying to squeeze anything else into an already packed and hectic schedule seems impossible. It’s easy to convince ourselves that adding exercise to our busy day is not even close to being a priority and is out of the question.

Without a doubt, developing a consistent daily exercise routine is not easy if you have never done it before. There are only so many hours in a day, and it seems that exercise, in the whole scheme of things should not be ranked very high on the list. And so we put it off. It’s easy to do, and if this pattern looks familiar to you, don’t worry… you’ve got lots of company.

There is a way out of this though. In fact, there are several ways to juggle, adapt and squeeze enough exercise into your busy day to create real changes in your weight and overall health. Check out the list of ideas, tips and tricks below. I think you’ll agree that what seemed as an impossible, hands-off schedule before is not so bad after all. You can do this….

1. Be Positive: Stop telling yourself that you can’t do this or you can’t do that. No matter how busy things may seem, if you put yourself in a positive frame of mind, there is always a solution.

2. Change Your Priorities: If you don’t prioritize exercise in your life you will never do it. This doesn’t mean that it needs to consume your day, but just like we all find time to eat and brush our teeth, it needs to be a small part of your day. At least put it on your list!

3. Find 20 Minutes: As much as I empathize with life in a pressure cooker… anyone can find 20 minutes in their day to exercise. In 20 minutes you would be amazed at the calories you can burn and the changes it can have on your metabolism once the intensity and tempo are high enough. Ever heard of Guerilla Cardio? (just keep reading and you will!)… That’s only one third of an hour or 1,200 seconds. You can find 20 minutes for yourself can’t you?

4. These Boots Are Made For Walking: And that’s just what they’ll do… if you let them! Start walking when you can. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make choices that give you the chance to walk. As simple as this may seem, by making these types of decisions it keeps your head in the game and shows your commitment.

5. Join A Class Or A Team: There’s got to be something that you’ve always wanted to do. Tai-Chi, tennis, a hiking club, surfing, learn to dance the Tango… it doesn’t matter what it is. Change your activities into something healthy that you will enjoy.

6. Guerilla Cardio: This is an exercise technique where you gradually increase the difficulty of your exercise every two minutes or so until the intensity is practically all-out at the end. Start out with a 2 minute warm-up and increase the tempo accordingly giving yourself a 5 minute cool down at the end.

7. Interval Training: This is another high intensity 20 minute routine where you alternate between sprints and walking. Of course, this can be done on a tread mill, or a stationary bike as well and is highly effective with multiple benefits for weight loss. This is an advanced technique.

8. Buy Some Exercise Bands: I use exercise bands all the time and I love them. They’re cheap, I can carry them with me and they work great! Sitting at a desk you can work out your arms for 3 minutes and put them away… a nice little portable gym.

9. Buy Some Dumbells: Another great way to add strength training to a busy schedule is to but some lightweight dumbells. Take these with you a few days a week on your walk or jog and you won’t believe the toning that it will do for your arms and shoulders.

10. Have An Indoor Plan: Reward yourself with a treadmill or buy a DVD workout to do at home. We’re only asking for 20 minutes remember? Have a strategy in place when the weather is bad.

Putting It All Together

Finding the time to exercise can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. This simple plan requires only 20 minutes out of your day with several suggestions on how to make it work for you. Combine the 20 minutes with a little added walking during the day or some resistance bands while watching TV and you will be on your way to a healthier and slimmer you.

Your body’s immune system carries a huge responsibility. It works 24 hours a day, never takes a break and is your most important defensive shield against disease, illness and infection. A lot is asked of our immune system, we expect it to perform as advertised and for the most part, it is very good at what it does. Without a doubt, most people will agree that this little known sentry within us does an amazing job at protecting us… very quietly.

Despite this commitment, germs occasionally manage to slip through and the result, of course, is that we get sick. There are also the rare occasions where our immune system becomes weak and is less effective in its ability to fight off these unhealthy organisms. But what exactly is an immune system? What can be done to keep it strong and healthy?

The concept of boosting our immune system seems to suggest that we can somehow interrupt the process of illness by strengthening our immune response after a germ has already been introduced. Unfortunately, science has been unable to accomplish this targeted approach nutritionally because our body’s immune mechanisms are comprised of multiple parts.

It’s an entire system rather then a single component or entity. Because of this, a strong and healthy immune system has to be fed with a variety of vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements. If one area becomes depleted, it becomes a weak link and could potentially weaken the entire system as a whole. Food sources lacking in vitamins and minerals, a poor overall diet, and probiotic imbalances can all contribute to this problem.

Fruits And Vegetables Are Not Always Enough

For years there has been an on going debate over the quality of the soil used to grow our fruits and vegetables. The old adage, “you are what you eat”, is also true when it comes to the soil and fertilizers that feed today’s produce. Modern farming often uses the same soil for decades to grow their crops.

Some studies have shown that the repetitive planting of crops, over time, depletes the soil of nutrients and minerals. This causes a loss of nutrition with whatever fruit or vegetable has been grown. Combine this with the pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals sometimes used in today’s farming… and it becomes much clearer why vitamin and mineral supplements are necessary.

Vitamins And Minerals

Even though all vitamins and minerals are essential for a healthy diet, medical studies show that some of these tend to be more beneficial to strengthening our immune system than others. Harvard Medical School recently published a study showing reduced immune anti-bodies in laboratory animals that had depleted levels of specific micronutrients.

Although the studies are inconclusive when talking about humans, the results were promising nonetheless that certain vitamins and mineral compounds do play a role in the immune systems abilities to keep us healthy. Here is a list of the more prominent nutrients in this report…

• Selenium: Low levels suggest an increased risk of breast, prostate, bladder, colon, and lung cancer.

• Vitamin A: Plays a huge role in fighting infection and disease.

• Vitamin B2, B6: Some studies have shown the B vitamins help in fighting off bacterial infections and that low levels can depress the immune response.

• Vitamin C: Research on vitamin C’s role in the immune system is inconclusive, however its role when combined with other nutrients seems to be beneficial and has merit.

• Vitamin E: Studies show that an increase in daily dosage improved the anti-body response against hepatitis B and tetanus in a group of senior citizens over 65.

• Vitamin D: Scientists have known for years that vitamin D is very effective in fighting off tuberculous.

• Zinc: 15-25 milligrams per day is essential to the proper functioning of cells in our immune system. Despite it’s documented role in the immune response, care must be exercised to not take too much zinc as it can have adverse health effects.

Herbal Supplements

You can’t look at a label on most herbal supplement bottles with seeing some mention of its immune system powers. Wading through these headlines and being able to decipher fact from fiction can be a difficult task at best. The problem with most of these claims is that controlled studies with herbal supplements is very difficult.

This is due to the fact that what may work well for one person, may not have any measurable results with someone else. This research is further complicated by the fact that most herbs have a synergistic effect when combined with other factors. In other words, echinacea may help when specific enzymes are present in someones digestive tract when combined with zinc and vitamin B6. Someone else may take the same amount of echinacea, zinc and B6, but their body doesn’t produce the same enzyme… resulting in a different outcome. This example is purely hypothetical, but I think you get the point.

This doesn’t mean we should completely disregard herbal remedies or supplements though. Your great grand-mothers herbal remedy for a sore throat may have worked quite well. It’s just difficult to quantify in the laboratory. Do your research, only consider reputable manufacturers that specialize in nutritional supplements, and use them in conjunction with quality vitamins and minerals.

Probiotics And Your Digestive System

Any discussion on the use of supplementation to boost your immune system would be incomplete without including bacterial probiotics. Probiotics represent  the good bacteria that allows our digestive system to function efficiently. The break down of our food, the absorption of nutrients, and proper elimination play a big role in our immune systems ability to keep us healthy. By supplementing your diet with these live bacterial cultures you can avoid many of the problems that come from years of poor  absorption and toxic build up.

Have an IsaLean Shake

If you want to provide your body with amazing levels of nutrients each and every day, start your day with an IsaLean Shake from Isagenix. This shake contains a quality Whey protein and all the essential trace minerals, as well as digestive enzymes and other vitamins/nutrients.

The Isagenix IsaLean Shake is a great way for the entire family to enjoy optimum nutrition.

There’s no doubt that the topic of “stubborn weight loss” holds a sort of yin yang relationship in our minds. The fact that you have come so far in your weight loss program to even be thinking about those last few pounds is remarkable. But nothing comes easy does it… those pesky last few inches just won’t go, and now you are faced with your own version of the dieter’s yang.

At this stage your mind is playing tricks with how you see yourself. When you look into the mirror, despite your progress, all you can see is… the fat. That disfiguring little chunk of jelly that squeezes out from the top of your pants is still so noticeable.

OK… maybe I’m being a bit of a drama queen with all of this, but I think you get my point. Hitting a plateau can be very discouraging if you don’t recognize it for what it is and make the appropriate changes to compensate for it.

Quite honestly, you should greet this news with excitement and with a sense of accomplishment. A plateau simply means that your program needs to be fined tuned a little. By taking an evaluation of what you are eating and how you are exercising, you should be able to zero in on what changes need to be made so that this little ol’ plateau turns into just another walk in the park.

Here are some ideas to help you better understand what you are up against, and what to do about it…

• Be Mentally Prepared: Being discouraged has killed more weight loss plans than any other single factor. It’s simply a fact that the last few pounds are the most difficult to get rid of. In fact, I hate even using the word “difficult’, because it is only our perception that it is difficult. Expect this to happen, follow the steps below, and don’t even think about being discouraged. You’ve come this far… remember!
• Evaluate Your Exercise Routine: This should be an easy place to look at and make some adjustments that will increase the number of calories you burn. Make sure you are exercising every day. Two or three days a week is for amateurs, and if you’ve come this far, you’re ready to enter the ranks of the pro’s. Look at the intensity of your routine… seek out whatever you need to do to increase the tempo and the difficulty of your exercise regimen.
• Adjust Your Carbs: Take a closer look at your daily carbohydrate intake as well as the type of carbs you are eating. Try to select low glycemic over high glycemic carbs whenever possible. Choose veggies over potatoes, or choose oatmeal over cereals… low glycemic carbs convert to energy more efficiently then to fat stores. The final step in your carbohydrate adjustment is to look at cutting in half the total grams of carbs you eat each day. We’re not talking zero carbs here, just a reduction to help get us through this plateau.
• Use A Tape Not A Scale: As you enter the final phase of weight loss, put your scale away and get out the measuring tape. By adjusting the volume and intensity of your workouts, an increase in lean muscle may off-set any weight loss from additionally burned fat. This is especially true in the latter stages of any weight loss program. Try measuring your waist, hips and thighs once a week instead of jumping on the scale.
• Enter A Race Or Join A Team: Making a commitment to train for a 5K Run,  joining a volleyball league, or taking a karate class is another suggestion to help push you through the last phase of your weight loss journey. Life doesn’t have to be boring, have some fun and burn calories at the same time. Not to mention the fact that the added accountability to yourself, your teammates or your instructor can only help with the determination and discipline it takes to succeed.

A Dieter’s  Perception Of Good And Evil

What’s really funny is that in western cultures we tend to define the philosophy of Yin and Yang as the  on going struggle between good and evil. But in Asian philosophy, Yin Yang are not opposing or adversarial forces. They are considered complimentary opposites that form a necessary duality of purpose in all things.

I know, I’m being a drama queen again… but stubborn weight loss is not really our enemy. It’s simply a revelation that we only have one more small bridge to cross before we have achieved our weight loss goals.

Subborn Weight Loss Solution

If you are looking for a solution to Subborn Weight Loss and are fed up with trying different diets and fad programs, I recommend taking a closer look at the programs available from Isagenix Canada.

The Isagenix Cleansing Programs are not diets, but use nutritional cleansing to help to remove toxins and harmful impurities and put the body back in to balance.

Grapes, red wines, and peanuts all contain an antioxidant compound known as resveratrol. Resveratrol is a water soluble chemical that has been linked to a number of health benefits in numerous university and laboratory studies. Because its source is derived primarily from grapes and red wines, scientists developed a keen interest in this compound as a way of explaining the phenomena known as the French Paradox.

For years, scientists and health experts have thought that there is compelling evidence to suggest that the moderate intake of alcohol, and in particular red wine, may provide some protections against cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have also shown that antioxidants in red wine, called polyphenols, may be beneficial in reducing inflammation of the lining in blood vessels within our hearts.

Red Wine, Grapes, And Polyphenols

Resveratrol appears to be the primary polyphenol responsible for these heart healthy benefits. And… because this ingredient is prevalent in red wines, it represents a reasonable answer as to why the French, with their rich, high fat diets have such a low incidence of cardiovascular disease.

What makes resveratrol so interesting, is that the studies conducted so far have shown that the benefits linked to this compound are not limited to just coronary heart disease. These studies are also showing that resveratrol has tremendous promise in the fight against obesity, aging, inflammation, and quite possibly even cancer.

Clinical Studies On Humans Can Take 40+ Years

To date, all of the clinical studies conducted have been within controlled cultures or laboratory animals. These studies have shown significant slowdowns in the growth of cancer cells, as well as an increase in life spans with mice on high calorie diets. The leap from pitri dish to mammal may be impressive, but the jump from laboratory mice to humans is entirely something else due to the 40+ years a true longevity study would require.

The increased life span studies conducted on over fed mice is not insignificant however, due to the unique way that resveratrol alters the bodies hormonal and chemical response to a high calorie diet. Scientists have known for years that a calorie restricted diet in most animal species results in a significant increase in the subjects lifespan. Because these studies have been conclusive in more advanced animal species, it is generally accepted that a low calorie diet will also increase the longevity in humans as well.

Resveratrol Mimics The Calorie Reduced Effect

When fed a low calorie diet over time, our bodies produce a homologous human enzyme known as sirt1. When higher concentrations of sirt1 are found in the blood, our body’s metabolism increases, causing more calories to be burned than when sirt1 levels are low. Resveratrol causes the body to produce more of this enzyme on it’s own. In effect, simulating a caloric restricted state.

This study, in and of itself is fascinating as it suggests that not only could this compound increase our life span, it can also increase our metabolism and help with weight loss at the same time. Of course, these benefits remain a bit speculative at the human level because of the time involved in completing these studies… but the results seem quite promising nevertheless.

The Manufacturing Process Affects The Absorption Rate

Part of the problems with using resveratrol is that the synthetic versions and some processing methods cause the compound to metabolize too quickly when consumed, reducing the bioavailability of it. If our bodies cannot absorb this supplement at the recommended levels, then it simply passes through our system and is unusable.

The type of grape used and the processing method at the laboratory and packaging level should be researched so that you are using a product that can be  readily absorbed by your body. Be sure to select a quality, recommended nutritional company when it comes to this compound in particular.

Making the decision to lose weight always seems to start off with an enthusiastic, “I’m going to do it this time” attitude. We can visualize ourselves being trim and fit with the confidence of a run-way model as we enter the first few weeks of whatever new dietary program we’ve put ourselves on. Cocky, with a bit of a swagger in our step, failure is not an option. After all, we’ve made a commitment and that’s… that.

Everything is going great… we’ve got our little tupperware containers all labeled and ready to go, we’re hitting the treadmill first thing in the morning and so far it’s all smooth sailing. Except for one thing… we’re hungry. It was manageable in the beginning, but now it’s starting to get really annoying. We’re hungry during the day, and we’re hungry when we go to bed. At this stage, at least for me, it never took much to give in because I just wasn’t prepared to deal with the off and on hunger pangs day after day.

In this article, we’re going to look at some tips and tricks to help us avoid those weak moments brought on by hunger. By facing this inevitable pattern that weight loss programs bring out in all of us, we can prepare ahead of time to reduce the cravings and the feelings of hunger that often times stop us from reaching our goals.

Many people find during their Isagenix Cleanse cravings reduce signficantly as their bodies are back in their natural balance. To find out more about Isagenix please click here.

Discipline

Maybe it’s not the magic bullet you were hoping for, but it’s just too important to overlook. Despite all the tips and tricks in the world, feeling hungry and craving sweets is not something that we can sweep completely under the rug. As much as we prepare for it at the physical level, the mental side of this can’t be ignored either. Discipline simply needs to be a big part of your mindset going into it.

The good news is that the mind can be trained. Learning to recognize and deal with your emotional triggers is important for any long term behavioral change, no matter what it is. As I’ve mentioned in other articles, Oprah would convince herself to embrace hunger as proof that she was losing weight. Alcoholics use the “One day at a time” slogan as a reminder that they just have to get through today.

Whatever it takes to help you stay focused, determined and disciplined is something you should think through. Dig deep…you simply need to identify what works for you.

Choosing The Right Foods To Curb Your Appetite

Eating nothing but skinless chicken breasts and salad with squeezed lemon for your dressing looks great on paper. But can you sustain that kind of eating over time? Not to mention the fact that if you are exercising more (as you should be), that your appetite is going to increase as well.

There are lots of foods that can help with reducing your appetite as you work towards your target weight. There are so many, that I could devote an entire article to just foods that should be on your list. But to get you started with some goods ones, here’s a short list of excellent appetite suppressing foods.

Oatmeal, apples, grapefruit, raw vegetables, pine nuts, popcorn, green tea, soups, jello, and protein shakes are just some of the foods that should be considered. The common denominator with most foods that are great for reducing cravings are to select foods that are low glycemic, high in fiber, or high in protein.

Timing Is Everything

Who would have thought that you could lose weight by eating more? Well, it’s true… sort of. Weight loss experts may not agree on everything, but one thing they do agree on is the importance of eating multiple small meals throughout the day. Eating a small nutritious snack or meal every few hours helps to keep your blood sugar at more even levels throughout the day and also works wonders with keeping your appetite at a manageable level.

Eating an apple, or munching on raw vegetables for between meal snacks is a great way to begin training your body to break out of the 3 primary meals lifestyle. A low calorie protein shake before bed is an alternative to bingeing on snack foods if you just can’t handle the late night hunger.

A Well Nourished Body Is The Answer

Over time, our body’s natural cravings will adapt to what we feed it. If you eat sugar filled pastries every day, when hunger sets in, your body will crave something sweet. However, if your body is well nourished and hunger sets in, your cravings will be for the nutritious foods your system has become accustomed to.

Just as vegetarians don’t crave meat, and Atkin’s followers don’t miss the carbs…these changes will happen given enough time. A well nourished body at your target weight is not beyond yours or anyones reach, but to get there, we have to get through the unavoidable short term era of being hungry. It’s not forever, and by using some of these ideas you can help yourself reach the promised land by keeping hunger and those persistent cravings at arms length until they are gone for good.