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All proteins are not created equal.  You may have heard about the incredible benefits of soy, but did you know:

Soy helps you lose weight, decrease body fat stores, increase muscle mass, and increase the rate at which stored fat is burned.  It has also been shown to reduce cholesterol, lower the risk of heart disease, and MUCH more!

A high quality, complete soy protein is an important part of a healthier lifestyle.

Scroll down to read more details about soy.

Are you ready to be in control of your weight, your shape, your health, your lifestyle?

It doesn't matter how many times you've tried before, you can be successful NOW.  If you're tired of fad diets, gimmicks, pills, and empty promises then you're in the right place.

It's time for a lifestyle change!  Using a clinically proven, physician monitored program, you will lose weight as you learn about nutrition, portion control, psychological triggers, exercise and fitness, and more.

This is your opportunity to achieve optimal health for life!

 

Powerhouse Foods   We've all heard it at least a hundred times: eat your vegetables.  Yes, we've heard it, but are we hearing it?  We know that vegetables are "good for us" but what does that really mean?  While vegetables are good for us, some vegetables are true powerhouses when it comes to disease prevention.   A Cancer Research study reported confirmation that a variety of whole foods is the best source of nutritional benefits.  While both broccoli and tomatoes are renowned for their cancer prevention properties, the study revealed that the pair are even more powerful when used together.  For instance, the study found that when both broccoli and tomatoes are part of the daily diet, they can have a significant impact on prostate cancer.    And what about cauliflower?  It is a veritable gold mine of nutrients In addition to the vitamins and minerals in cauliflower, it's powerful sulfur compound have repeatedly been found to help prevent cancer.  And not only is cauliflower a wonderful ally to your health, it is also low calorie!  What more could you ask for in a single food item?    It's never too late to start eating healthy, getting to know your body and becoming an ally and friend to your body.  So drop that fast food right now, and run, don't walk to the local market and stock up on broccoli, tomatoes, and cauliflower - just to mention a few!   Never had any fun eating broccoli or cauliflower?  Then click here to try this great, easy recipe!     Knowledge is Power   Learning about nutrition is easy, and important.  The foods you eat have a direct impact on your health.  Take the time to learn which foods do your body good.  Do something healthy for YOUR heart!  Pick up this great guide to help you and your friends and family learn more about healthy foods, along with ideas and recipes on how to prepare them.  It IS possible to eat healthy and enjoy it!  Click on the image to find out more.   Oats - Not Just for Horses!   As we all work hard towards reaching our goal weight and maintaining our optimal health, we must stay attuned to the best nutritional options for our body and our health.  Let's talk about oats and oatmeal.  Some of you hate it, some love it.  I'm in the "love it" group.  There's no better way to warm up on a cold winter day than with a bowl of hot oatmeal.  Besides tasting good, did you know that a 1% drop in your serum cholesterol translates to a 2% decrease in the risk of your developing heart disease? High cholesterol levels are associated with plaque build up in the blood vessel walls, and when plaque is damaged, or grows too large, it can rupture, block a blood vessel and cause a heart attack. Study after study reports that the oats in a steaming bowl of oatmeal contain a special type of fiber called beta-glucan, which has beneficial effects on lowering cholesterol levels. These studies have shown that individuals with high cholesterol levels (above 220 mg/dl) who consume just 3 grams of soluble oat fiber per day (an equivalent of one bowl of oatmeal) typically lower their total cholesterol by 8-23%. This translates into a 16-46% decrease in the risk of developing heart disease! And that's not all. The beta-glucan found in oats has also been found to have beneficial effects on diabetes.  Oatmeal is an all-around GOOD food.  It does so much for you, even if you don't like it - have a bowl anyway!  There are four flavor offerings of the nutritionally complete oatmeal in the program:  Apple Cinnamon, Maple Brown Sugar, Peach, and Blueberry.  Something for everyone! Tired of Salad Every Day? ...Then Think About This... People who regularly enjoy salads have higher blood levels of vitamins C, E, folic acid and carotenoids, shows data from a federal health and nutrition survey of 17,688 adults whose diets were assessed over a six-year period.   Using the National Center for Health Statistics, interviews and 24-hour recalls from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated the participants' nutrient intake and looked at the relationship between eating salads and blood levels of various nutrients.   For each serving of salad consumed, women were 165% and men 119% more likely to meet the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C. Similarly, among salad eaters, levels of vitamin B6 were 73% higher in women and 186% higher in men, and folic acid levels were 41% higher in women and 53% higher in men. Enjoying salads, raw vegetables and salad dressing was also positively associated with higher than average blood levels of the carotenoids lycopene, alpha- and beta-carotene, showing that a variety of highly beneficial phytonutrients are well absorbed from raw vegetables.   The study, published in the September 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, shows that eating even one daily serving of salad can significantly boost blood levels of a variety of highly beneficial health-promoting nutrients.   Inflated Americans   In August 2006, the State Obesity Rankings were released.  The state with the most obese population?  Mississippi at 30.9%.  The state with the least obese population:  Colorado with 17.8%.  I live in Maryland which ranks in at 24.4%.  And yet, even Colorado with the lowest obese population of all states, still is not at the national goal of reducing the obesity rate to 15% by 2010.  We have a long way to go as a nation, and we need to work hard at it.  If you would like to read the full report and see the rankings for all states, please visit this site:   Mississippi Tops State Obesity Ranking   Sign up for our Informative Email Articles

Water.  Most of us take it for granted.  We rarely even give it a thought.  And yet, water is essential for all living plants and animals.

Some people actively dislike water, while others simply don't drink it in the face of so many other choices in the world.

The next time you reach for a diet soda or coffee, pause and remember:

More than half of our body is made up of water. Our bodies continuously send us signals to drink more water or excrete it in order to maintain homeostasis or internal fluid balance. As a result, a dry mouth or a feeling of thirst lets us know that we are dehydrated and need to replenish our fluids, whereas a feeling of fullness from drinking enough liquids is one of our bodies' ways of telling us to stop drinking. The average person requires a minimum of six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day to sustain a healthy environment in the body.

Water plays a vital role in maintaining a variety of body processes, such as:

Transportation of nutrients

Digestion

Maintenance of body temperature

Movement of metabolic wastes by means of sweat, urine, and feces

Lubrication of joints Giving form to cells

Serving as a medium for thousands of chemical reactions in our bodies

Utilization of key nutrients

Helping the body's immune system

Reduction of fluid retention

What is it and why should you care?

The Body Mass Index is used to gauge whether a person is overweight or not.  It is a measure of body weight relative to height.  Your BMI is calculated by dividing your weight by your height squared.

Although not a precise calculation, it is a very useful tool to determine your level of body fat, and help you decide where you need to be to be healthy!

Curious about your BMI?

Click here for your calculation!

Fast Food - Is It Really That Bad?

You betcha!  By now, there should really be no question that fast food is chock full of ingredients that are very unhealthy for us.  We have all the research, statistics, and facts that anyone could want.  Now it's just a matter of choice.  We need to make the choice to sustain and fuel our body with the foods that allow it to function at optimal levels, and not pollute it with "food" that it cannot use, and must spend energy on to convert and store as fat.

Need to see a visual?

Click here.

Sugar - Addictive?

Are you one of those people who struggles continuously to resist dessert and other sugar treats?  Many people struggle with the magnetic-like draw of sweets. 

I have often wondered if sugar was truly addicting or if it was a comfort food, or pleasant for the taste buds.  I do know that the after effects of eating too much sugar are not so pleasant:  weight gain, feeling disappointed, and the mental and physical dullness that comes afterwards. 

The joy of eating these items is short-lived and come with consequences, yet we struggle to resist.  People often joke about being addicted to sugar, but is it a joke?

In June of 2002, Princeton University revealed the results of their research into this question.  In a study conducted with rats, they found that consuming sugar triggers the release of natural opioids in the brain.  The brain gets addicted to it's own opioids as it would with morphine or heroin.  Obviously, drugs have a much bigger impact on the brain, but the process is virtually the same.

Click here to read the complete Princeton University article.