According to the Fox 29 reporter, People are raving on about USANA products and Jill Mills(who is the World's Strongest Woman), uses USANA and was interviewed during the news piece. It is a short 3 minute clip on youtube. You can play it directly below:
Cycling Blog
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Should we take Vitamin Supplements?
This is an on-going debate by numerous people about the legitimacy of taking vitamin supplements to boost your health and help improve your chances of not falling victim to many degenerative diseases.
As I have mentioned in my blogs previously, vitamin supplements is an integral component in your lifestyle. However, it is just one of the components that help shape your health. It is equally important to ensure you have adequate in-take of fruits/vegetables and to maintain a regular exercise routine. Below is an article written by USANA:
USANA has an Answer (source: Jesse Akre)
For over 50 years we've been led to believe that RDA levels are adequate...
...but adequate for what? Adequate to prevent clinically obvious nutritional deficiencies like scurvy, beriberi, rickets, and pellagra?
According to the Food and Nutrition Board (under the umbrella of the National Institutes of Health): "The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the requirement of nearly all apparently healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group." The Food and Nutrition Board further defines "requirement" as: "the lowest continuing intake level of a nutrient that, for a specified indicator of adequacy, will maintain a defined level of nutriture in an individual."
Basically, the RDA is - by their own definition - the lowest level of nutrient intakes that will prevent deficiencies in apparently healthy individuals. And, while RDA levels may have helped us to avoid acute deficiency diseases, they do not address any issues of optimal nutrition.
The RDAs have certainly played an important role in public health. Most assuredly, they provide amounts that will prevent you from getting scurvy, pellagra, rickets or beriberi. However, in the general population, these vitamin-related diseases are of little concern. Products based solely on RDA amounts are fine for their intended purpose (i.e. providing minimal amounts of important vitamins and minerals), but the RDA of vitamins and minerals is not always enough to help prevent certain degenerative diseases or to provide protection from oxidative damage.
In other words, there are more benefits of nutritional supplementation than just preventing rare deficiencies. Really, the RDA should only be considered the "minimum wage" of nutrition.
USANA's products are formulated with the most up-to-date nutritional research in mind, which may or may not have relevance to the RDAs. Rather than just trying to prevent total vitamin deficiencies, we are concerned with the vast majority of people who are "apparently" healthy. Many degenerative diseases and chronic illnesses develop over a lifetime, striking otherwise healthy individuals when they least expect it.
The bottom line is that for the millions of "apparently" healthy individuals in the world, minimal nutrient intakes and the RDAsare not always adequate - or even designed - to address our most common health challenges.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), much of the illness, disability, and death associated with chronic disease is avoidable through known prevention measures. Furthermore, a recent study examining the potential economic benefits of vitamin supplementation concluded that there are substantiated cost reductions associated with the use of vitamin supplements, based on preventative nutrition.
What does this mean for you? Basically, that there can be substantial cost reductions associated with vitamin supplements based on the principle of preventative nutrition.
A question we are commonly asked is, "if I am eating healthy, do I still need to take supplements?" A healthy diet is a necessary foundation for any program of optimal nutrition, and there is really no substitute for eating well. In this context, USANA's nutritional supplements are designed to complement a healthy diet - not replace it. Our supplements are designed to provide advanced levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are difficult to obtain from diet alone; levels that we could all use, everyday, to promote a lifetime of good health.
More importantly, we are not the only ones who are convinced of the health benefits of nutritional supplements. In June 2002, the Journal of the American Medical Association published two articles by health researchers at Harvard University. Their articles were entitled "Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults". Through their research, these authors concluded that "suboptimal intake of some vitamins, above levels causing classic vitamin deficiency, is a risk factor for chronic diseases and common in the general population, especially the elderly. Suboptimal folic acid levels, along with suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12, are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and colon and breast cancer; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteopenia and fractures; and low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E and C) may increase risk for several chronic diseases."
The scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of nutritional supplements is solid and growing daily, and more health care professionals than ever before are now siding with the conclusions drawn from these two review articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The professionals at USANA believe there has never been a better time to put the science of nutrition to work in promoting your health.
As I have mentioned in my blogs previously, vitamin supplements is an integral component in your lifestyle. However, it is just one of the components that help shape your health. It is equally important to ensure you have adequate in-take of fruits/vegetables and to maintain a regular exercise routine. Below is an article written by USANA:
USANA has an Answer (source: Jesse Akre)
For over 50 years we've been led to believe that RDA levels are adequate...
...but adequate for what? Adequate to prevent clinically obvious nutritional deficiencies like scurvy, beriberi, rickets, and pellagra?
According to the Food and Nutrition Board (under the umbrella of the National Institutes of Health): "The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the requirement of nearly all apparently healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group." The Food and Nutrition Board further defines "requirement" as: "the lowest continuing intake level of a nutrient that, for a specified indicator of adequacy, will maintain a defined level of nutriture in an individual."
Basically, the RDA is - by their own definition - the lowest level of nutrient intakes that will prevent deficiencies in apparently healthy individuals. And, while RDA levels may have helped us to avoid acute deficiency diseases, they do not address any issues of optimal nutrition.
The RDAs have certainly played an important role in public health. Most assuredly, they provide amounts that will prevent you from getting scurvy, pellagra, rickets or beriberi. However, in the general population, these vitamin-related diseases are of little concern. Products based solely on RDA amounts are fine for their intended purpose (i.e. providing minimal amounts of important vitamins and minerals), but the RDA of vitamins and minerals is not always enough to help prevent certain degenerative diseases or to provide protection from oxidative damage.
In other words, there are more benefits of nutritional supplementation than just preventing rare deficiencies. Really, the RDA should only be considered the "minimum wage" of nutrition.
USANA's products are formulated with the most up-to-date nutritional research in mind, which may or may not have relevance to the RDAs. Rather than just trying to prevent total vitamin deficiencies, we are concerned with the vast majority of people who are "apparently" healthy. Many degenerative diseases and chronic illnesses develop over a lifetime, striking otherwise healthy individuals when they least expect it.
The bottom line is that for the millions of "apparently" healthy individuals in the world, minimal nutrient intakes and the RDAsare not always adequate - or even designed - to address our most common health challenges.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), much of the illness, disability, and death associated with chronic disease is avoidable through known prevention measures. Furthermore, a recent study examining the potential economic benefits of vitamin supplementation concluded that there are substantiated cost reductions associated with the use of vitamin supplements, based on preventative nutrition.
What does this mean for you? Basically, that there can be substantial cost reductions associated with vitamin supplements based on the principle of preventative nutrition.
A question we are commonly asked is, "if I am eating healthy, do I still need to take supplements?" A healthy diet is a necessary foundation for any program of optimal nutrition, and there is really no substitute for eating well. In this context, USANA's nutritional supplements are designed to complement a healthy diet - not replace it. Our supplements are designed to provide advanced levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are difficult to obtain from diet alone; levels that we could all use, everyday, to promote a lifetime of good health.
More importantly, we are not the only ones who are convinced of the health benefits of nutritional supplements. In June 2002, the Journal of the American Medical Association published two articles by health researchers at Harvard University. Their articles were entitled "Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults". Through their research, these authors concluded that "suboptimal intake of some vitamins, above levels causing classic vitamin deficiency, is a risk factor for chronic diseases and common in the general population, especially the elderly. Suboptimal folic acid levels, along with suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12, are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and colon and breast cancer; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteopenia and fractures; and low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E and C) may increase risk for several chronic diseases."
The scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of nutritional supplements is solid and growing daily, and more health care professionals than ever before are now siding with the conclusions drawn from these two review articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The professionals at USANA believe there has never been a better time to put the science of nutrition to work in promoting your health.
Top Tips for Training to Run 5km
If you are looking for motivation to gain fitness and lose weight, a goal of competing in your first 5km event would be a great carrot to stick to your workouts. However, to comfortably run the distance does require fitness and don't feel sore for the week after the event, you need to take into consideration the following top tips:
- You can aim for a time from anywhere between 20-40minutes. My first 5km event (it was a duathlon) was 23minutes straight after a 20km bike leg.
- Take the step of actually registering for your first 5km event, this will give you alot more incentive to train and commit to the event. 1-3 months will be sufficient time to train for the event.
- You will want to train at least 3-4 times per week. Starting with short 15min runs (combined with walking for 2minutes every 5mins or so), increasing to 20mins by the end of the week. Your body will be in shock in the first week, but you need to be consistent and keep adding 1 min to your run time each day. Make sure you do a good 15 mins of stretching afterwards.
- After your first week, you can start increasing your tempo by running slightly faster than your normal pace for 2mins and then dropping back to your normal speed. Try to run 10mins before walking for 2-3mins. By the end of the second and third weeks you should be able to run 30mins comfortably.
- After 2-3 weeks of 30 min runs, you should be able to build up your mileage so that you can run 6-8kms quite comfortably. No more than 8kms. This should take no longer than 45mins. After the first week, continue to add 1min per day till you reach 45mins. This is where I find it is the optimal amount of training for 5km or even eventually trying out the 10km events.
- Introduce one "long session" a week, which will be 45mins (8km or so) done at a slow-moderate pace. Two run sessions should be faster, one being interval focused where you will run out of your comfort zone for 5mins, then slowing down to a jog for 10min recovery before repeating the 5min effort. Aim to do this 3 times during your 40-45min run. The other "fast" session should be to hold your maximum sustainable pace for 25mins, finishing with a 5 min slow run.
- Because running is hard on the joints, it will be a good idea to do some bike riding as well for 30-60mins each week. This will improve your cardiovascular fitness while giving your running muscles a break.
- Stretching after each running session is of vital importance and 15-20minutes of your time invested in 4-5 good stretches will help with your flexibility and recovery from your workouts.
- Consider taking high quality vitamin supplements to aid your recovery and improve your immune and energy levels. Introducing a multivitamin supplement to your diet will help introduce more much needed anti-oxidants to your system to fight the increased number of free-radicals that are being produced as a result of your increased physical activity.
- Race day - warm up for 5 mins of easy jogging will get the blood flowing through your legs and prime you for a faster time if you are seeking respectable a time. Eat minimally before your race, focus on eating easily digested food such as bananas and dried fruit. A good energy drink will also help with your performance. I drink REV 3 surge with my water (www.drinkrev3.com) prior my race events and during (although you won't need to consume fluids during a 5k).
- Relax and have a good time. If you have trained consistently for the past couple of months prior the race, you can unleash it and achieve your personal best 5k time. If you have done limited training, then I would focus on going at a speed that is comfortable for you and increase your intensity as the end approaches.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
How much Vitamin D is optimal for you?
Do you feel that you can obtain your optimal level of vitamin D from diet alone? Many people have the misconception that you can in fact get all the vitamins you need for optimal functioning of your body. However, what they fail to realize is that people's lifestyles have changed over the last few decades; people's eating habits have evolved towards more fast food eating; pollution levels are higher; toxins in tap water; soil quality has eroded; food processing is dubious. This combined has proven to lower the food quality and thus the vitamins retained have been lost. The ideal scenario for a healthy lifestyle in today's modern environment is three-fold:
1. Eat a healthy well-balanced diet that is low glycemic
2. Exercise regularly - at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes a time
3. Supplement with high quality vitamins
Dr Ray Strand talks about Vitamin D intake below:
When you get your 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D blood level, the normal range is usually reported as 32 to 100 ng/ml. However, researchers are now beginning to believe that desired level of vitamin D should be over 50 ng/ml and some are recommending that it should be greater than 60 ng/ml. Depending on your level of vitamin D you will need to first get your level into the desired range. However, I would at least recommend that you try to achieve a blood level above 50 ng/ml.
1. Eat a healthy well-balanced diet that is low glycemic
2. Exercise regularly - at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes a time
3. Supplement with high quality vitamins
Dr Ray Strand talks about Vitamin D intake below:
When you get your 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D blood level, the normal range is usually reported as 32 to 100 ng/ml. However, researchers are now beginning to believe that desired level of vitamin D should be over 50 ng/ml and some are recommending that it should be greater than 60 ng/ml. Depending on your level of vitamin D you will need to first get your level into the desired range. However, I would at least recommend that you try to achieve a blood level above 50 ng/ml.
Your personal physician should actually prescribe the amount of increased vitamin D that you will need to bring your vitamin D up to the proper level. It should then be rechecked to be sure that this goal has been accomplished. Once you have achieved this goal, you then should supplement with 1,000 to 1,200 IU of vitamin D3 daily.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Karina Smirnoff uses REV 3 Energy as her secret weapon
Dancing with the Stars, Karina Smirnoff drinks REV 3, see the excerpt from USANA's Corporate Blog below:Dan Macuga: Well, you just never know where USANA and Rev3 are going to show up. We just got word that mentions of USANA and Rev3 are showing up in two magazines this week that you may want to look out for. The first one is in STAR Magazine and the second one is in Life & Style.
In Life & Style magazine, there is a special segment on the show Dancing With the Stars and one of the professional dancers that has been quite successful on the show. Karina Smirnoff tells the secret to her energy boost before she goes on stage. Yes, you guessed it! It's a Rev3 to help get her going.
In the Sightings section of STAR, Rev3 is briefly mentioned but you might like the star that is seen drinking our healthy alternative to crash and burn energy drinks.
It's Adrian
Grenier from the HBO show Entourage. He got to experience Rev3 at our Emmy Gift Lounge in LA and loved the drink.
Find out more information about the Rev 3 Drink. Click on the link.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Whole Grains Benefit Blood Pressure
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published a positive report regarding consuming whole grain foods. The following excerpt was taken from ProfessionalPlanets.com LLC 2009 and the original source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 2009.
Consuming plentiful amounts of whole grain foods appears to ward off high blood pressure according to the latest research. Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a new study found men with the largest consumption of whole grain foods (52 grams/day) were 19 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure as compared with men consuming just 3 grams of whole grains daily. The process of refining grains results in the removal of their outer coating making them more quickly absorbed by the body (and thus, potentially turning into body fat more easily) as well as removing many beneficial nutrients. Thus, when purchasing grain products, it’s better to choose whole grain foods as compared with refined foods. Another finding researchers noted was that men who consumed more whole grain foods also tended to gain less weight. Of course, everything in moderation.
Consuming plentiful amounts of whole grain foods appears to ward off high blood pressure according to the latest research. Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a new study found men with the largest consumption of whole grain foods (52 grams/day) were 19 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure as compared with men consuming just 3 grams of whole grains daily. The process of refining grains results in the removal of their outer coating making them more quickly absorbed by the body (and thus, potentially turning into body fat more easily) as well as removing many beneficial nutrients. Thus, when purchasing grain products, it’s better to choose whole grain foods as compared with refined foods. Another finding researchers noted was that men who consumed more whole grain foods also tended to gain less weight. Of course, everything in moderation.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Low-glycemic Healthy eating 12 week Program
Results of a large, third-party clinical study involving USANA products, conducted at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), was published in the August 2009 edition of the Journal Obesity and Weight Management.
The recently completed study confirms that lifestyle change can significantly improve outcomes in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a pre-diabetic state that involves multiple symptoms including central obesity, insulin resistance, elevated blood lipids, elevated blood glucose, and high blood pressure. The 12-week-long study was conducted with 60 people diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Subjects followed an Internet-based lifestyle modification program that included USANA's nutritional supplements, moderate exercise and a low-glycemic diet including USANA's nutritional shakes and bars.
Over the 12-week program, subjects in the study lost an average of 12 pounds and experienced significant improvements in measures of glycemic control, cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation and antioxidant status. Importantly, by the end of the trial, one-third of the subjects no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome.
Holly Wyatt, a physician and faculty member of the University of Colorado's Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, oversaw the study.
"This is a very promising program that produced some very positive changes in the cardiovascular risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome," Dr. Wyatt said. "The shifts in dietary habits to calorically restricted low-glycemic meals and the modest increases in physical activity were not only effective but also are realistic behavioral changes many people can make."
“We are thrilled with the results of this clinical study and are excited to see it published in Obesity and Weight Management,” said Tim Wood, USANA’s Executive Vice President of Research and Development. “It is gratifying to have independent confirmation that our products and approaches to healthy lifestyle management work.”
All the above information comes from the following source:
Successful Internet-Based Lifestyle Change Program on Body Weight and Markers of Metabolic Health, Wyatt et al, Obesity and Weight Management, August 2009
Source: Usana Health Sciences
The recently completed study confirms that lifestyle change can significantly improve outcomes in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a pre-diabetic state that involves multiple symptoms including central obesity, insulin resistance, elevated blood lipids, elevated blood glucose, and high blood pressure. The 12-week-long study was conducted with 60 people diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Subjects followed an Internet-based lifestyle modification program that included USANA's nutritional supplements, moderate exercise and a low-glycemic diet including USANA's nutritional shakes and bars.
Over the 12-week program, subjects in the study lost an average of 12 pounds and experienced significant improvements in measures of glycemic control, cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation and antioxidant status. Importantly, by the end of the trial, one-third of the subjects no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome.
Holly Wyatt, a physician and faculty member of the University of Colorado's Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, oversaw the study.
"This is a very promising program that produced some very positive changes in the cardiovascular risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome," Dr. Wyatt said. "The shifts in dietary habits to calorically restricted low-glycemic meals and the modest increases in physical activity were not only effective but also are realistic behavioral changes many people can make."
“We are thrilled with the results of this clinical study and are excited to see it published in Obesity and Weight Management,” said Tim Wood, USANA’s Executive Vice President of Research and Development. “It is gratifying to have independent confirmation that our products and approaches to healthy lifestyle management work.”
All the above information comes from the following source:
Successful Internet-Based Lifestyle Change Program on Body Weight and Markers of Metabolic Health, Wyatt et al, Obesity and Weight Management, August 2009
Source: Usana Health Sciences
Vitamin D Deficiency May Increase Risk of Cesarean Delivery
This was a short article sent to me from Usana Health Sciences. Leading research in the nutritional field is constantly having new outputs as a result of increasing health concerns. The latest research was published by Boston University.
At a Glance
Low concentrations of vitamin D have been associated with a number of health concerns. Recent research out of Boston University suggests that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant mothers is associated with an increased risk of cesarean delivery.
Read more about this research below.
Low concentrations of vitamin D have been associated with a number of health concerns. Recent research out of Boston University suggests that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant mothers correlates strongly with an increased risk of cesarean deliveries.
Between 2005 and 2007, five researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine measured both maternal and infant vitamin D levels from maternal medical records at a local hospital. In total, 253 women enrolled in the study. 17% (43 women) had a primary cesarean delivery.
A strong inverse association existed between serum vitamin D levels in the mother and prevalence of cesarean sections. 28% of vitamin D deficient mothers had a cesarean delivery, compared with only 14% of mothers with adequate vitamin D levels. (P = 0.012, deficiency defined as serum 25(OH)D < 15 ng/mL)
Further analyses showed that after controlling for race, age, education level, insurance status, and alcohol use, mothers deficient in vitamin D were almost four times as likely to have a cesarean delivery. (Odds ratio 3.84, 95% CI 1.71-8.62)
Dr. Michael Holick, one of the lead researchers, provided one explanation for the data. “Vitamin D is critically important for muscle function. Thus, it is not at all surprising that pregnant women, who are at very high risk for vitamin D deficiency, have an associated increased risk for cesarean birth.”
Merewood A, Mehta SD, Chen TC, Bauchner H, Holick MF. 2009. Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Primary Cesarean Section. J Clin Endocrin & Met 94(3):940-5.
At a Glance
Low concentrations of vitamin D have been associated with a number of health concerns. Recent research out of Boston University suggests that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant mothers is associated with an increased risk of cesarean delivery.
Read more about this research below.
Low concentrations of vitamin D have been associated with a number of health concerns. Recent research out of Boston University suggests that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant mothers correlates strongly with an increased risk of cesarean deliveries.
Between 2005 and 2007, five researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine measured both maternal and infant vitamin D levels from maternal medical records at a local hospital. In total, 253 women enrolled in the study. 17% (43 women) had a primary cesarean delivery.
A strong inverse association existed between serum vitamin D levels in the mother and prevalence of cesarean sections. 28% of vitamin D deficient mothers had a cesarean delivery, compared with only 14% of mothers with adequate vitamin D levels. (P = 0.012, deficiency defined as serum 25(OH)D < 15 ng/mL)
Further analyses showed that after controlling for race, age, education level, insurance status, and alcohol use, mothers deficient in vitamin D were almost four times as likely to have a cesarean delivery. (Odds ratio 3.84, 95% CI 1.71-8.62)
Dr. Michael Holick, one of the lead researchers, provided one explanation for the data. “Vitamin D is critically important for muscle function. Thus, it is not at all surprising that pregnant women, who are at very high risk for vitamin D deficiency, have an associated increased risk for cesarean birth.”
Merewood A, Mehta SD, Chen TC, Bauchner H, Holick MF. 2009. Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Primary Cesarean Section. J Clin Endocrin & Met 94(3):940-5.
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