Healthy Lifestyle For All

10 Minutes a Day to Build a Stronger, Healthier You!

In 2010, how would you like to have a healthier body, home, and business life? You can! It’s easier than you’d think, and you can start to do it in just 10 minutes a day.

Suppose the January 1, 2010, newspaper headline read, “Magic Health Potion Discovered!” The article went on to describe that scientists had designed a miracle medication that will help to lower your risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke, and several types of cancer. The same medication may also rev up your metabolism, help your body burn fat, and give you more energy. And, it can strengthen your muscles, help maintain bone health, help to reduce stress, and even help you look years younger! The best news … this magic potion is cheap and available everywhere!

Would you run out the door in your new Christmas pj’s to your local drugstore to find this “magic potion”? Your instinct to “run” is on target for the magic potion.

Motion Is the Magic Potion
The magic potion I’m talking about is exercise. Stay with me now, and let me tell you’ve what I’ve learned.

The physical benefits of exercise are extensive and well-documented. But to my knowledge, no studies have been done on the ways in which getting fit can change your life. At Nutrilite Health Institute (NHI), we have tested the 10-minute 4-3-2-1 workout, and we’ve seen some interesting results. One breakthrough is that people see 10 minutes as “doable.” As they started the 10-minute routine, they also began to make other changes in their life too. From our documented cases, many participants reported better self-esteem, higher business productivity, more self-control, increased happiness, and better relationships.

To improve your life there is not much that will compare to moving your body more – even just 10 minutes a day.* Exercise can transform the way we feel, think, act, and look. You can have a healthy body to meet your daily obligations and have leftover energy for fun! When your health and fitness improve, you can have the strength and energy to experience more that life offers.

4-3-2-1 DONE!
I would encourage you to visit my website: www.4321fitness.com to learn more about how moving your body just 10 minutes a day, the 4-3-2-1 way, on a regular basis will help you experience success, and you can begin the journey to transform your health.

You can do it! Start today! Remember to start small and finish strong!

All the best in 2010!
Coach Sean

*Consult with your doctor prior to starting any new exercise program.

Optimal Health for 2010 and Beyond

Dr. Duke Johnson, M.D.
Medical Director, Nutrilite Health Institute Center for Optimal Health

Would You?
Would you like to wake up each morning with such strength and vitality that you didn’t need something to “rev” you up? Would you like to feel confident that you are taking positive steps to reduce the chance of chronic disease? Would a natural reduction of much of the pain you are experiencing be of interest to you? Would you love to have people marvel at and envy your endurance that is a result of the healthy lifestyle you live? Is real weight loss and weight maintenance of interest to you? Would you really like to know which pathway will help you achieve your best health?

No Fads Allowed – Just Good Health
It seems as if everyone in the media is a “health expert” but in reality, a majority of these “self-proclaimed” experts do not base their claims in solid science or have your long-term health in mind. At Nutrilite Health Institute (NHI), we aren’t interested in popular fads because they are almost always misdirected or too narrowly focused. If we aren’t promoting something popular, there is a strong reason for it. We base all that we do on the best science available and a truly unique global perspective to enhance our teaching. At Nutrilite, we have been on the cutting edge of science for 75 years, and we won’t stop asking questions in the future. We want you to have the best products we can develop, to support a lifetime of good health, with science that will last the ages.

Perfection? Nope, Just Positive Steps
Optimal health at NHI involves your total lifestyle – every crazy, busy minute. We don’t teach or expect everyone to be perfect, but rather to take small steps in the right direction that can ultimately lead to your best health. Small changes can become habits, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can become a part of who you are.

Taking small steps to change your current habits can help to keep chronic disease out of your future. It’s much better to change now and enjoy good health, than to be forced to change later. What better time to begin this pathway than at the start of 2010? We know the path to optimal health is possible, because there are many Amway Global Independent Business Owners that we’ve seen whose lives have changed dramatically.

Join an Optimal Health Revolution in 2010
At NHI we offer our Amway Global Independent Business Owners the opportunity to participate in a 1, 2, or 3-day program in Buena Park, California, and over 15,000 IBOs globally have been through our program. Since everyone can’t visit, I hope that my new book, entitled Optimal Health Revolution, by BenBella Books, will help you begin the right path today. It’s written for those of you without any science training but is packed with over 900 scientific references for those who desire all the facts. Over 150 scientific references support the use of supplementation, and the book lays out much of the NHI optimal health philosophy for true lifestyle change.

Take your first step toward optimal health so that you can experience the life you were intended to have.

For optimal health,
Dr. Duke Johnson M.D.

Oh My Aching Back: Helping Back Pain with Exercise

When your back hurts, everything seems to hurt. By the age of 45, most people will have experienced some form of lower-back discomfort. Other than the common cold, lower back pain is the most common reason people miss work in the United States. Lower back pain is also one of the main health obstacles to maintaining a regular fitness program.

There are three common types of back problems. One widespread back problem is a strain – an injury to a muscle or tendon of the lower back. Other common problems include sprains – injuries to the ligaments supporting the spine, and herniated disks – small, round cushions between the vertebrae of the spine are displaced.

Your back is made up of three main areas: the upper portion of your spine (the cervical), the middle portion (the thoracic), and the lower portion (the lumbar). The lower back connects your chest, arms, and upper body to your hips, pelvis, and legs – your lower body. The strength and mobility of your lower back is crucial to basic daily activities including: sitting, standing, walking, lifting, twisting, turning, and bending.

Lower back pain and injury is usually caused by one of several factors:

• Poor posture.


• Improper body mechanics.


• Prolonged sitting.


• Sudden, quick movements that damage ligaments.


• Muscles or tendons that have become overly tight due to a lack of core conditioning.

In my book, The 10 Minute Total Body Breakthrough, I explain in detail how to move your body the "4-3-2-1" way to help prevent lower back pain. In this article, I'll share some simple steps to get you started.

Consult your doctor. If you are experiencing lower back pain, discuss your condition and your current fitness level with your doctor. If your back pain is serious, work with your doctor to create an action plan to help you get moving again. Remember, inactivity has been shown to make back pain worse and increase your discomfort.

Perform aerobic exercise safely. After you get your doctor's go-ahead, choose aerobic activities that are easy on your joints, such as walking or stationary cycling. Get moving for 10–30 minutes a day, at least three days a week. You may also want to consider exercising in a pool to relieve the strain on your back. Avoid performing any exercises that are jarring to the joints such as jogging, running, jumping rope, or jumping jacks.

Begin resistance and core training. Develop a resistance and core program to improve your overall body strength. In resistance training, you'll need to avoid some movements to prevent further injury. Skip any exercises that involve raising a weight above your head or placing weight on your back. For example, don't do dumbbell or barbell shoulder presses, barbell squats, or resistance band overhead presses. Also, skip any exercises with twisting motions. Then, remember to perform resistance training movements in a slow, controlled motion.

Perform movements involving the upper and lower body, such as wall pushups or wall squats. Or, use a resistance band and do stationary lunges or arm curls. Try a stationary back or side plank to strengthen your core muscles, which include your abdominals, back, and obliques. Also, one of the best tools to help strengthen your core and overall body during your workouts is a stability ball. Aim for one resistance and core training session three days a week on alternating days.

Stretch regularly. Stretching provides many benefits for your body, which include increasing muscle flexibility, strengthening tendons and ligaments, increasing joint mobility, improving posture, decreasing back pain, and many others. Stretch every day to alleviate lower-back discomfort and prevent further injury. Stretches such as a seated forward bend, seated arm reach, or chin-to-chest stretch are all examples of static stretches you can do. Hold each stretch until you feel mild tension for 15–30 seconds, and do them as often as you like throughout the day.

Sean Foy, M.A.
President, Personal Wellness Corporation

How Inflammation Is the Root Cause of the Biggest Killers and How the Cutting-edge Sceince of Nutrigenomics Can Transform Your Long-term Health

Tackling the Worldwide Diabetes Epidemic

Control Diabetes with Nutrition

Control Diabetes with Nutrition
Julianne Downes, R.D.
Certified Weight Management Trainer

Diabetes is a potentially life-threatening disease that must be managed with healthy eating. When you have diabetes, your body is having trouble using glucose, which is often called blood sugar. This is a big problem, because glucose is your body’s main source of energy.

No matter which type of diabetes you have – type 1 (lack of insulin) or type 2 (resistant to insulin) – a healthy diet is necessary to control the disease and prevent further problems, such as heart and kidney conditions.

There is no longer a “diabetic diet.” People with diabetes simply need to follow the principles of healthy eating that apply to everyone. Along with healthy eating, people with diabetes must monitor their calorie consumption to maintain or lose weight based on their doctor's recommendation. They also need to be aware of four main nutrition factors: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and sodium.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main nutrients that raise blood glucose levels. Both the amount and type of carbohydrate you eat affects your blood glucose, but the amount you eat has a greater effect than the type. People with diabetes should eat controlled portions of nutrient-dense carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains throughout the day. This will help control blood sugar levels and keep hunger at bay.

Proteins
People with diabetes should keep their protein intake moderate. According to the American Diabetes Association, protein intake higher than 20% of daily calories may put people with diabetes at risk for kidney disease. Choosing smaller, leaner servings of protein will reduce your intake of saturated fat and help keep cholesterol levels in check.

Fats
Many people with diabetes may also have unhealthy blood cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, making a reduction in fat intake necessary. The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends limiting total fat intake to 25–35% of your daily calories. Saturated fat intake should be less than 7% of your total calories. The remainder of fat should come from healthy monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats.

Sodium
Sodium intake should be no more than 2,300 mg a day, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. If you have high blood pressure, keep your sodium intake under 1,500 mg a day.

Finally, when managing diabetes, pay attention to the food groups. There are six main food groups, which are categorized based on the nutrients they provide and their effect on blood glucose levels. The food groups are starches (foods made from grains), vegetables, fruits, milk and yogurt, meat and meat substitutes, and fats. Grouping the foods this way makes it easy to put together healthy meals.

Meeting with a certified diabetes educator (CDE) or a registered dietitian is a great way to get extra help designing an individual food plan. If you have diabetes, the key is to control the disease with diet and exercise – and medication if necessary – rather than letting diabetes control you.

Julianne Downes, RD
Certified Weight Management Trainer

Reference:
Warshaw, Hope S. Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy. Virginia: American Diabetes Association, 1996.

Retrieved from The Wellness Wire from AmWay Global. If you would like to subscribe to the Wellness Wire, please email me at jhwallerllc@gmail.com and I will be happy to forward it to you.

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