I just watched a 1 minute commercial for a men’s testosterone product to increase their test. levels. I’m sure it has something to do with helping with an ED (Erectile Dysfunction) issue he might be experiencing.

Get this….. the 60 second commercial had 55 seconds of warning narrative for side effects. As men get older, things start to not respond like they used to. I’m not a physician, but do you both a favor if his ED is an issue. No matter at what age he is, if he is overweight by any amount and he doesn’t respond like he used to, I will bet if he loses that extra weight he will have more energy and stamina to perform.
Screw the ED pills, drink a ViSalus shake and get healthly on the inside returning his levels to normal. Yes…. I said a Vi shake as it helped me in more days than 1.

At 49 I feel and act like I’m in my 20′s. I say “say no to any ED medications, and go clean!” My wife and I are glad I am. Simply call me 317.721.6624 or go to www.GetYourSexyBack.info and request a call back for more info on Taking The Challenge.

While many foods taste great, they are also powerful healers in a vibrant multicolor disguise. The best healing remedies also taste fabulous (I can’t say that about any prescription medications). Plus, foods won’t cause the nasty common side effects that most drugs cause.

1. Cherries
Muraleedharan Nair, PhD, professor of natural products and chemistry at Michigan State University, found that tart cherry extract is ten times more effective than aspirin at relieving inflammation. Only two tablespoons of the concentrated juice need to be taken daily for effective results. Sweet cherries have also been found to be effective.

2. Blackberries 3. Raspberries 4. Blueberries and 5. Strawberries
Dr. Nair later found the same anti-pain compound in berries like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

Source

As a Visalus business partner of mine, you will receive a $100.00 (ESS) or $200.00 (ESS+) “CASH” rebate payable directly to you out of my personal pocket depending on which rebate you qualify for.

Private message me for details on the necessary steps you need to take to receive this $100.00 or $200.00 “CASH” rebate.

Overview video

Get more info

-Devin

P.S. Why not reduce your 2011 tax liability by receiving a business start up tax break*? Then have the opportunity to end 2012 by creating a 6** figure income for you and your family.

*Consult your CPA

**Income Disclosure….your results may vary

Years to Your Health!

-Devin

www.90dc.info

Photo Credit healthy foods image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com

The sprouts, or young seedlings, of the alfalfa plant are associated with several potential health benefits. Although adult alfalfa plants are too coarse and bitter to eat, alfalfa sprouts are tender and appropriate for use in salads, sandwiches and soups. When used appropriately and in moderation, alfalfa sprouts can be a healthy component of a balanced diet. Consult your health care provider before eating alfalfa sprouts on an ongoing or excessive basis, particularly if you have a medical condition or take medication.

Dietary Fiber

According to NutritionData, a service of Self magazine, alfalfa sprouts are a good source of dietary fiber. Each 33-gram serving of alfalfa sprouts provides one gram of fiber, or three percent of an average adult’s necessary intake. For this reason, alfalfa sprouts may be a suitable food for people suffering from chronic constipation, diverticulitis or other digestive upsets.

Protein

Every serving of alfalfa sprouts provides 1 gram of plant-based protein, according to NutritionData. Unlike most other vegan protein sources, such as beans and peas, alfalfa sprouts are edible and palatable without any exposure to heat. Alfalfa sprouts are a good protein source for people eating raw and vegan diets.

Micronutrients

Alfalfa sprouts are a good source of several micronutrients, or vitamins. NutritionData reports that alfalfa sprouts contain B vitamins such as niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. Additionally, alfalfa sprouts provide roughly 13 percent of an adult’s recommended daily intake of vitamin K. Because of alfalfa’s high vitamin K content, the National Institutes of Health advise patients taking blood-thinners to avoid foods and supplements made from the plant.

Weight Loss

Alfalfa sprouts contain only 8 calories per serving, making this crunchy food an ideal choice for people who are trying to lose weight. Self magazine grants alfalfa sprout a five-star rating as a weight loss aid, noting that it is low in calories, sugar, fat and saturated fat. Additionally, because alfalfa sprouts are rich in fiber and protein, they may help to facilitate sensations of fullness for people who tend to overeat.

Heart Health

According to the National Institutes of Health, compounds in alfalfa may help to prevent atherosclerosis, a serious cardiovascular disease associated with cholesterol plaque in the arteries of the heart. The NIH acknowledges limited scientific evidence of this health benefit, but notes that no large-scale human studies have conclusively demonstrated its effects. Additionally, the NIH reports that alfalfa can reduce both total and LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol. Consult your health care provider before using alfalfa sprouts to treat any medical condition.

Diabetes

The NIH regards alfalfa as a possible but unproven treatment for diabetes. The NIH reports small reductions in blood sugar in animals who eat alfalfa. Although evidence is limited, alfalfa sprouts may be a healthy food for controlling blood sugar fluctuations in people with diabetes. According to NutritionData, alfalfa is associated with no glycemic load and will not increase a person’s blood sugar.

Original article

We ran a nice jog till 5 miles when I started feeling calf craps coming on which moved up to my quads. Other members of our team started experiencing the same around the similar time frame. My lungs were great and upper body strength was awesome, but the rough terrain killed by calves, knees and legs in general.

Around mile 7 or 8 we had to walk it in the rest of the way with visible protruding calf cramps. Then early stages of hypothermia stared coming on with uncontrollable shivers as we rounded the last couple of obstacles.

The wind was BRUTAL on your cold wet body!

I had to by pass Evil Knievel ramp as my legs and quads were cramping while making 2 attempts grabbing my teams hands at the top.

Electroshock Therapy was daunting, but I was able to muster up enough strength to power through lifting my legs high enough over the hay bails dodging any electrocution.

I did it!

I would not do it again in Indiana due to the cold, but would look at other places that were in the 60*+ range.

Time for recuperation as my left knee is unable to press any of my body weight. At least I didn’t receive any broken bones like others we witnessed who were down on the course.

If anyone would like to do this in the future, I say build up your legs and focus in on the running part.

-Devin

www.90dc.info

Pizza and Salad, Weights, Apple, and Measuring Tape, and Cereal

An interesting 2009 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine took a look at cookbook recipes over the last several decades (with an emphasis on recipes in The Joy of Cooking). It found that calorie counts per serving have gone up dramatically as authors have increased portion sizes to conform to new cultural norms. Where the 1936 edition of the kitchen classic averaged 268 calories per serving, the most recent edition in 2006 averaged 384 calories. The study theorized that lower costs of food and larger plate sizes are part of the reason for the increase, but nutritionist Marion Nestle says that mainly it’s just a reflection of people becoming accustomed to eating more and more per meal. What can we do to monitor and control portion sizes? Here are some ideas:

1. Chicken and Broccoli Downsize your plate. One issue the study pointed out is that the average plate size has grown over the years and the amount of food served on those plates has kept pace with that increase. Instead of breaking out the big dinner plate, try eating your dinner off a salad or dessert plate. The smaller plate will make the amount of food look larger by proportion, a visual cue that will trick your brain into thinking you’re eating more. Plus you can trade in your big dinner fork for a more petite salad fork, which will also help to slow down any shoveling behavior you might be tempted to engage in at the dinner table.

2. Divide and conquer. When you’re cooking more than one serving of something, immediately store the prospective leftovers in single-serving containers. By putting out the entire dish, you run the risk of not having any leftovers at the end of the meal. Depending on what the meal is, I divide my food onto two plates—one for that meal and one for lunch the next day. And as a side benefit, this can help you tighten your wallet while you tighten your waistline.

3. Salad behind with Pizza in the fore ground Count it down. If you eat your reasonably sized portion of food in the dining room/living room/den/bedroom/bathroom, etc. and leave the leftovers in the kitchen, it will make this next step a lot easier. Here’s the scenario: You’ve finished your first portion and yet you still want more. This is far from atypical, especially if the big plate of leftovers is sitting in front of you, tempting you, calling to you—maybe just a half a spoonful or maybe just a pick at the serving platter with your fork (just the good parts, of course). That couldn’t possibly have more calories, right? Wrong. The calories from the food you sneak in after you finish eating are as potent as the calories from the food you’re served. The good news is that if you can hold off, you won’t be hungry for long.

After you have a decent-sized portion of food, it takes your brain about 20 minutes to get the message from your stomach that you’re full. So try this: Before you reach for seconds, glance at your wristwatch or the clock on the wall. Spend the next 20 minutes chatting with your dining companions, or if you’re eating alone, check out the newspaper, read a magazine article, or play along with a round of Jeopardy!® on TV. Then, after 20 minutes, see if you’re still starving for another bowl full of whatever. Chances are that your cravings will have disappeared. If they haven’t, maybe you do still need a little more food to achieve satiety. Review what you ate before, and if the calorie count seems low, treat yourself to a little extra. Or, if the calorie count seems about right or high for a regular meal and you’re still hungry, fill up on some low-cal veggies or have a big glass of water. Sometimes it’s easy to confuse thirst with hunger.

4. Embrace your inner child. We’re not suggesting that you have candy for dinner. What we do mean is that when you’re on the road or out at a restaurant, don’t be ashamed to look at the kids’ menu. As the adult menu has been super-sized to gluttonous proportions, the children’s menu often has the most sensibly sized and nutritious options. Check out Debbie Siebers’ portion-control tips below, and you’ll see that oftentimes the amount of food in a kids’ meal is just the right amount for an adult watching his or her figure. Not to mention, if you play your cards right, there could be a free toy in it for you. Out of the mouths of babes . . .

5. Fruits, Vegetables, Bread, and Grains Sharing is good. And while we’re getting lessons from the small set, how about sharing? If you’re a foodie like me, the hardest part about eating out is passing up all the goodies you want to try on the menu. Instead of ordering too much for yourself, strategize with your fellow diners about how you can maximize the variety of the food instead of the quantity. Most restaurants will be more than happy to provide you with extra small plates so you can split dishes. And make sure you actually split them! Don’t dine out with your friend who survives on a nibble here or there and split two dishes; you’ll end up eating 80 percent of the food on the table while he or she makes do with a couple of forkfuls. Ever wonder how Top Chef® host Padma Lakshmi keeps her model-like physique while judging up to 12 meals a week? Easy! She doesn’t eat everything. Also, when you’re figuring out how to eat family-style, make sure that at least one of the dishes is a healthy salad, a non-cream-based soup, or a vegetable dish. That way you and your family can get full without getting fat.

6. Apple and Measuring Tape Learn your weights and measurements. As anyone who’s a regular reader of this newsletter knows, we’re always going on and on about reading labels. And like the calorie, carb, protein, and fat numbers, the serving size is important. This is where the corporate food interests get you a lot of the time, by adjusting the serving size downward to make the nutritional numbers look a little better. As anyone who’s recently spent a Saturday night alone with the TV can tell you, the estimate of four servings in a tiny little pint of Ben & Jerry’s® or Häagen-Dazs® is wildly optimistic. So when the label indicates 300 calories per serving, that means the whole container has 1,200 calories. And since most of the containers are wider at the top than at the bottom, when you eat what seems to be half the container, it can actually be closer to two-thirds.

It’s definitely a big hassle to weigh and measure everything you put in your body every day. Even the most anal-retentive people among us don’t have the time and energy to be hauling out the scale and measuring cups for every meal. But it’s worth it to at least familiarize yourself with a few standard weights and measures. Try learning what an ounce, a gram, a tablespoon, etc., look like. That way you can at least eyeball how much you’re eating. I’ve yet to meet the person who can make a typical bag of potato chips last for 12 servings.

7. Give yourself a hand. For an easy guide to portion sizes, use the following guide from Slim in 6® creator Debbie Siebers.

Handy Portion-Control Guide
By Debbie Siebers, creator of Slim in 6

To achieve weight loss—and maintain that healthy weight once you’ve achieved it—it’s crucial to really understand what a portion is. Here’s what may prove to be an indispensable tip: Use your hand as a guideline for portion sizes. (If your hands happen to be extra-large or extra-small for your size, adjust accordingly.)

Palm = Proteins: Make protein portions the size of your palm. Protein is found in animal products, like fish, poultry, meats, and cottage cheese. Some veggie protein sources include legumes (beans, etc.), tofu, tempeh, and wheat gluten’s.

Thumb = Fats: Fats are important, but they’re also very dense, so match fat portions to the size of your thumb. Good fat sources are avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.

Fist = Fruits, Grains, etc.: Your bread, fruit, cereal, rice, and grain portions should be about equal to the size of your closed fist. Remember that it’s always preferable to consume whole grains.

Hand = Veggies: Open your hand and spread your fingers as wide as you can. That’s a good vegetable portion. Raw vegetables are loaded with fiber and nutrients and they contain very few calories.

I am saying this because there are ways around drinking when staying healthy and doing your workout. I mean, lets be honest people like to socially drink but they want to do it while being healthy. The main part of drinking is controlling your intake and what kind of drinks you are drinking.

Personally I like drinking beer since hard liquor puts a large “S” on my chest. The past couple days I have been drinking but keep it at a 2 beer minimum. I’ll even start to drink my second glass pretty slow which some tell me to put a nipple on it. 

Here are some tips on what you can do to continually drink and not gain any weight!

• No fruity juice drinks. Have vodka with diet soda or lime instead of cranberry or orange juice.
• Pick light beers over regular when you can – I know it may taste bad but your drinking.
• Wait an hour after you get to an event before drinking
• Eat a healthy and filling meal before drinking

A couple days ago I was out to eat and order 10 hot wings since they were on special and a beer. Eating slower started filling me up and I was only able to get 5 wings down and it was filling enough that my 1 beer intake was perfect. Could I have drank more and justified it with a hard workout the next day, yes! But why kill myself, so I decided not to go all out.

If you do drink make sure you also finish it off with a glass of water. If you drink more than what I suggested, 2 glasses of beer, then drink more water to make sure you are sustained to drive and still have fun at night.

Drinking is such a part of the American lifestyle that it can be hard to just sit back and have a glass of water while others are drinking. To enjoy the company of your friends have a small beverage and savor. Do not go overboard, for every 12oz glass you are taking in about 110-150 calories (avg). You can find the actual beer calorie count here.

So make sure you know how much you are taking in, so you can burn it off tomorrow – just as long you don’t have a hangover. Drink responsibly!

It’s that time of year again; you literally can’t walk into any drug store or grocery store with a pharmacy without being bombarded by posters, signs, and banners telling you to get your flu shot.

Let’s review real quickly what the flu is.  Influenza is a respiratory illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) www.cdc.gov “colds and flu share many symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Special tests that usually must be done within the first few days of illness can be carried out, when needed to tell if a person has the flu.  People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

•Fever or feeling feverish/chills

•Cough

•Sore throat

•Runny or stuffy nose

•Muscle or body aches

•Headaches

•Fatigue (tiredness)

•Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

Most people who get influenza will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some people will develop complications (such as pneumonia) as a result of the flu, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death.

Pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections are three examples of complications from flu. The flu can make chronic health problems worse. For example, people with asthma may experience asthma attacks while they have the flu, and people with chronic congestive heart failure may have worsening of this condition that is triggered by the flu.”

Note that the flu is NOT typically vomiting and diarrhea, the “stomach flu” is not the same as influenza.  Also note that many other viruses, including “the common cold” can cause nearly indistinguishable symptoms.  However, are of course not covered by the vaccine.  In general, influenza has a higher rate of severe illness and secondary illness than other similar viral illnesses, however the rate is still rather low for low-risk people.

So…do you get a flu shot or not?  Bear with me while I share with you my personal thoughts on the flu vaccine.  This is only Samantha talking now, and I am not a medical professional, however I have researched the topic of flu as the mother of a special needs child with specific pulmonary defects and an immune deficiency.

Here’s my biggest issue with flu shots…every year there are dozens of viruses and bacteria circulating that cause “flu-like” symptoms, and have the potential to be just as virulent as influenza. The vaccine, if it’s a good match, will potentially protect you against only about 3 strains of the dozens of viruses out there. Why are we so concerned with those 3 of the dozens? The CDC even has a “pledge” form you can fill out http://www.cdc.gov/flu/nivw/pledge/ Among the “flu-like” illnesses circulating out there every winter, my son has been admitted to the hospital for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Human Metapneumo Virus (hMPV).  In fact, according to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), flu-like illnesses are so common, the average adult will likely have 1-3 episodes per year, and a child may have 3-6 episodes per year.

Which brings us to my second issue…since the vaccine was mainstreamed, nobody focuses on natural prevention anymore. The CDC has a whole page for prevention, visit it yourself to see where their alliances lie http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm Basically they say vaccinate, and medicate.  Very little talk about ways to be proactive to protect yourself.  Natural prevention can be very simple…plenty of vitamin d over the summer to get your stores built up, a natural healthy diet that builds a robust immune system, enough sleep and exercise to maintain that robust immune system, supplements of specific vitamins during the winter (d, c, zinc are three of the big ones for viruses), common sense practices like coughing into your elbow or a tissue, handwashing, staying home when sick, avoiding large indoor places, getting fresh air often, etc etc.

But all of that takes *work*, and lazy Americans would rather just get a shot and assume it works. Leaving themselves susceptible to every other virus circulating that isn’t covered by the vaccine, thus opening the door for the vaccine manufacturers to develop yet more vaccines.

See the issue here? So go ahead, take a vaccine, but if people continue to ignore their overall immune health, then the list of vaccines will just continue to grow and we’ll develop more and more chronic health conditions. I choose to focus on the natural methods of bolstering my immune system.

The ingredients in the vaccine are very concerning to me; the flu vaccine has the strangest manufacturing process of all the vaccines.  Many of the ingredients can be toxic at high levels, and although a single vaccine is not likely to have toxic levels, the accumulation of many vaccines PLUS environmental exposures can lead to high levels.  Then add in an unhealthy lifestyle that leads to our kidneys and livers not able to process the toxins.  It quickly compounds.  Those ingredients vary by manufacturer, but include:  formaldehyde, gelatin, latex, thimerosal, egg protein, neomycin, polymyxin, sucrose, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate-monobasic, sodium taurodeoxycholate, gentamicin sulfate, monosodium glutamate.  You can look up each brand of vaccine on the market at this page http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/package_inserts.htm I encourage you to take some time to read the actual manufacturer inserts for each vaccine before you get it.  You’ll find some interesting information, for example, did you all know that the following statement is on the manufacturer’s insert for several brands of flu vaccine: “there have been no controlled clinical studies demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with [name]” including Afluria, Flulaval, and Fluzone.  Further, the manufacturer’s insert for FluMist says the potential for “shedding” (i.e. passing the genetically modified live flu virus to another person) last 28 days.  And the FluMist High Dose, the shot specifically being marketed to the elderly, says right on the label that there have been NO tests confirming that it provides any greater protection to the targeted population, they are just assuming it will since it is more concentrated.  Who wants to be a guinea pig?  I thought that you had to give informed consent to take part in medical research?  And while you’re reading the inserts, pay careful attention to the efficacy rates, they vary widely, so getting the vaccine is far from a guarantee of any sort of protection.

The H1N1 “epidemic” was eye-opening to me.  Typically flu is harder on elderly, right? But not H1N1.  Why wasn’t it?? Because that strain had circulated once before, and those people who were exposed before had natural immunity still. *However*, everybody that ran out and got an H1N1 vaccine 2 years ago, now have (maybe have) vaccine-induced immunity, which does not last long.  So if (when) H1N1 circulates again, those that chose the vaccine won’t be immune (unless it’s in that year’s vaccine, if we’re still doing vaccines then) but those that got the natural illness, will likely have natural immunity.  I’ll take life-long natural immunity any day!

The flu does not have to be a severe illness, even for those with underlying risk factors.  I have a son with pulmonary defects and an immune deficiency.  He is sick *all the time*, and often has complications from simple/mild illnesses.  We work very hard on his diet, his supplements, his environment, etc to keep him as healthy as possible so what little immune system he has is as strong as it can be.  And that means letting him acquire natural immunity when possible.  He did not get the chicken pox vaccine, for example, but he did get wild chicken pox (unfortunately his titers show he isn’t immune, so we’ll need to expose him again)  Getting sick actually BUILDS the immune system, as long as your immune system is healthy enough to mount an appropriate response and then maintain those antibodies.

Which brings us back to how important it is to have a robust immune system in the first place!  And a vaccine isn’t the way to build it, diet, exercise, less chemicals, some supplements, and natural illness…that’s how you build your immune system. I believe that vaccines should be reserved for the worst illnesses, not mostly mild illnesses.  I am NOT anti-vaccine, I am definitely careful to do my research, consider my own risk factors, and explore other avenues of prevention/treatment before resorting to a vaccine.  I do not believe that getting the flu vaccine is the right decision for my family, and I also believe that if more Americans took better charge of their health, many would soon discover that it also is not the right decision for their families.