Eat Green for St. Patrick's Day
We don't mean filling up on green food coloring and green beer, but how about considering adding a new tradition - more green foods in your diet.
"Green foods across the board are healthy in terms of their vitamin, mineral, water and antioxidant content, and St. Patrick's Day is the perfect time to think about how you can incorporate more of them into your diet," says Erica Wald, RD, a wellness coordinator with the MFit Health Promotion Division at the University of Michigan Health System.
The key, as with any diet, is variety.
"You want to incorporate lots of different intensities of green all the various colors of green," she says. "The more varied the colors, the more varied your vitamin and mineral intake."
Wald also says that preparing them in a variety of ways, such as putting them in soups, stews and casseroles even serving them raw are great ways to incorporate more greens into your diet.
Here are seven healthy and delicious tips for eating green:
1. Increase your fiber with broccoli. Broccoli provides many health benefits, including both soluble and insoluble fiber; vitamins A, C and E (important antioxidants for staving off cellular damage from free-radicals); vitamin K for bone health; and a special antioxidant called sulforaphane, known for its powerful anticancer properties.
2. Vary your leafy greens. It's important to remember that leafy green vegetables, such as lettuces, come in varying shades of green. The lighter the green, the less vitamins and minerals they contain. The darker the green, the higher the concentration of vitamins and minerals. Spinach, a dark leafy green, contains lutein which is good for eye health. Collard greens also contain sulforaphane and beta carotene.
3. For bone health, look at vegetables like asparagus, green/herbal teas, spinach, kale, turnip, collard and mustard greens, broccoli, cabbage, endive and brussel sprouts.
4. Improve cholesterol with avocado, which is a good source of monounsaturated fats, which can help lower your cholesterol. Consider tossing your dark-green, leafy salad with a few slices of fresh avocado and balsamic vinegar for added benefit.
5. Alternate oranges with kiwifruit. Kiwifruit contain even more vitamin C than oranges and they're a great source of dietary fiber.
6. Snack on green apples. While green apples offer about the same benefits as red or yellow apples, Wald says green apples are a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which aid in digestion and heart health.
7. Drink tea green tea. If you like to drink tea, consider choosing green tea instead of black, oolong or other darker teas. Green tea next to white tea packs the biggest punch when it comes to antioxidants. It also contains flavonoids, a class of naturally occurring plant compounds that function as antioxidants.
Whether you like your green vegetables raw or cooked, there are many ways you can incorporate them into your meals.
All these foods are a great way to improve your diet. But whatever you do, don't forget you still need your VitaMist Sprays to make sure that you are getting all the vitamins you need every single day.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
VitaMist Weight Loss Products
Health Tip
Our Weekly Health Tip is often focused on weight management and we are frequently asked to cover this subject on our Saturday Morning Product Focus calls.
Recently, we came across some interesting research on the social aspects of weight gain and obesity. This new wave of research is showing that weight gain and a variety of other health-related behaviors have a social dimension, spreading through social networks as if they were contagious. Social networks are the vast webs of relationships we find ourselves in: friends and relatives; their friends and relatives; the friends and relatives of those friends and relatives, and so on.
Network analysis has roots in sociology, anthropology, mathematics, and several other disciplines. Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a Harvard Medical School professor, and James Fowler, a University of California political scientist, have applied the techniques from those fields to health-related issues. They started by painstakingly mapping out a social network based on information supplied by participants in the famous Framingham Heart Study.
Their work has piqued people's interest partly because of some unexpected twists. For example, their obesity study found that your friend's obese friend may increase your chances of becoming obese, even if your friend is not heavy.
How behavior could follow infectious patterns is uncertain, although Christakis and Fowler say subtle social messages of acceptance may get passed along from one person to another. Some say social network researchers are leveraging interesting correlations into causation. A related criticism is that network research has dressed up the time-honored observation that in social matters, like attracts like: clusters of behavior form because we are favorably disposed toward people who behave like we do. Regardless, viewing health-related behavior as a collective phenomenon is fascinating and opens up new avenues for research and experiments in intervention.
Our Weekly Health Tip is often focused on weight management and we are frequently asked to cover this subject on our Saturday Morning Product Focus calls.
Recently, we came across some interesting research on the social aspects of weight gain and obesity. This new wave of research is showing that weight gain and a variety of other health-related behaviors have a social dimension, spreading through social networks as if they were contagious. Social networks are the vast webs of relationships we find ourselves in: friends and relatives; their friends and relatives; the friends and relatives of those friends and relatives, and so on.
Network analysis has roots in sociology, anthropology, mathematics, and several other disciplines. Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a Harvard Medical School professor, and James Fowler, a University of California political scientist, have applied the techniques from those fields to health-related issues. They started by painstakingly mapping out a social network based on information supplied by participants in the famous Framingham Heart Study.
Their work has piqued people's interest partly because of some unexpected twists. For example, their obesity study found that your friend's obese friend may increase your chances of becoming obese, even if your friend is not heavy.
How behavior could follow infectious patterns is uncertain, although Christakis and Fowler say subtle social messages of acceptance may get passed along from one person to another. Some say social network researchers are leveraging interesting correlations into causation. A related criticism is that network research has dressed up the time-honored observation that in social matters, like attracts like: clusters of behavior form because we are favorably disposed toward people who behave like we do. Regardless, viewing health-related behavior as a collective phenomenon is fascinating and opens up new avenues for research and experiments in intervention.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
VitaMist Folacin
Our March Product of the Month selection is FOLACIN
For some reason, folic acid has to be one of the most underrated vitamins around, but it is a key member of the vitamin B complex, and it deserves some respect. Not a month goes by without some report appearing on the benefits of folic acid. Not only that, but recently these reports have stressed the additional benefits of vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 when used in combination with folic acid - just like the combination we have in VitaMist FOLACIN. Many of these articles have associated folic acid with a reduced risk of colon cancer and cardiovascular disease, and, in combination with vitamin B12, folic acid may even have a connection to Alzheimer's disease.
Back in 1992, the US Public Health Service recommended that all women of childbearing age who could potentially become pregnant should take 400 mcg of folic acid every day, either through diet or supplementation. Adequate amounts of folic acid reduce the occurrence of birth defects, such as spina bifida, which affects the spine and spinal cord, and anencephaly, a lethal disorder affecting the brain and skull.
Then in 1996, the FDA, a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services authorized the use on labels and in the labeling of food, including dietary supplements, of health claims on the association between adequate intake of folate and the risk of neural tube birth defects. This was followed in 1997 by mandatory addition of folic acid to all enriched cereal grains.
Perhaps the most exciting development has been the relationship between homocysteine levels (associated with risk factors in heart disease) and folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. For example, a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that intake of folic acid and vitamin B6 may be important in the prevention of coronary heart disease among women. The evidence is so strong that the American Heart Association has issued an advisory suggesting that those with a history of heart disease make sure that they consume the RDA of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid.
Is there a downside? NO! All the current evidence suggests that there is no danger of consuming too much folic acid.
The ingredients (per 8 sprays):
Folic Acid 800 mcg 200% DV
Vitamin B6 4 mg 200% DV
Vitamin B12 6 mcg 100% DV
These ingredients are blended with bioflavonoids extracted from rose hips along with a delicious peppermint-orange flavor.
For some reason, folic acid has to be one of the most underrated vitamins around, but it is a key member of the vitamin B complex, and it deserves some respect. Not a month goes by without some report appearing on the benefits of folic acid. Not only that, but recently these reports have stressed the additional benefits of vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 when used in combination with folic acid - just like the combination we have in VitaMist FOLACIN. Many of these articles have associated folic acid with a reduced risk of colon cancer and cardiovascular disease, and, in combination with vitamin B12, folic acid may even have a connection to Alzheimer's disease.
Back in 1992, the US Public Health Service recommended that all women of childbearing age who could potentially become pregnant should take 400 mcg of folic acid every day, either through diet or supplementation. Adequate amounts of folic acid reduce the occurrence of birth defects, such as spina bifida, which affects the spine and spinal cord, and anencephaly, a lethal disorder affecting the brain and skull.
Then in 1996, the FDA, a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services authorized the use on labels and in the labeling of food, including dietary supplements, of health claims on the association between adequate intake of folate and the risk of neural tube birth defects. This was followed in 1997 by mandatory addition of folic acid to all enriched cereal grains.
Perhaps the most exciting development has been the relationship between homocysteine levels (associated with risk factors in heart disease) and folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. For example, a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that intake of folic acid and vitamin B6 may be important in the prevention of coronary heart disease among women. The evidence is so strong that the American Heart Association has issued an advisory suggesting that those with a history of heart disease make sure that they consume the RDA of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid.
Is there a downside? NO! All the current evidence suggests that there is no danger of consuming too much folic acid.
The ingredients (per 8 sprays):
Folic Acid 800 mcg 200% DV
Vitamin B6 4 mg 200% DV
Vitamin B12 6 mcg 100% DV
These ingredients are blended with bioflavonoids extracted from rose hips along with a delicious peppermint-orange flavor.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Health Tip of the Day
Fatigue is one of the biggest problems of modern life, but so many are trying to fix the problem in all the wrong ways.
Trying to "get" or "find" energy is like trying to grab a fistful of water. If you want water (energy) to sit in your hand, you have to first create the conditions under which it's possible - in the case of water, keeping your fingers tightly together and your hand cupped while open will do the trick - but trying to grab the water will not. It's the same thing with energy.
Energy isn't something you get or grab (caffeine is NOT the answer!), but rather the by-product of certain conditions that allow it to show up in your life. If your health and attitude and body and mind are all aligned in the right way, there's nothing else for you to do but to feel energized. It's the natural "side-effect" of a healthy life - it just comes with the territory.
Fatigue is one of the biggest problems of modern life, but so many are trying to fix the problem in all the wrong ways.
Trying to "get" or "find" energy is like trying to grab a fistful of water. If you want water (energy) to sit in your hand, you have to first create the conditions under which it's possible - in the case of water, keeping your fingers tightly together and your hand cupped while open will do the trick - but trying to grab the water will not. It's the same thing with energy.
Energy isn't something you get or grab (caffeine is NOT the answer!), but rather the by-product of certain conditions that allow it to show up in your life. If your health and attitude and body and mind are all aligned in the right way, there's nothing else for you to do but to feel energized. It's the natural "side-effect" of a healthy life - it just comes with the territory.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
VitaMist Health Tips for Women and Heart Disease
Health Tip: Women and Heart Disease
Remember, February is American Heart Month and today we are sending the THIRD in our series of information from the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control relating to Heart Disease and Coronary Health
For today's Health Tip, the focus is on Women and Heart Disease:
Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as a "man's disease," it is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States, and women account for nearly 50% of heart disease deaths.
In 2006, heart disease was the cause of death in nearly 316,000 females.1
Heart disease is often perceived as an "older woman's disease," and it is the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older. However, heart disease is the third leading cause of death among women aged 25-44 years and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45-64 years. Remember that many cases of heart disease can be prevented! 2
Our CDC offers a WISEWOMAN Program
The mission of CDC's WISEWOMAN program is to provide low-income, under- or uninsured 40- to 64-year-old women with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to improve diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle behaviors to prevent or delay cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
WISEWOMAN provides these additional services:
• Screening for chronic disease risk factors.
• Dietary, physical activity, and smoking cessation interventions.
• Referral and follow-up as appropriate.
For more information on how you can take advantage of these services, you can visit www.cdc.gov/wisewoman/index.htm and click on program locations.
You may also be interested to read about Women and Heart Disease Campaigns:
The American Heart Association has a "Go Red For Women" campaign (www.goredforwomen.com), which is a nationwide movement that celebrates the energy, passion, and power women have to band together and wipe out heart disease. Thanks to the participation of millions of people across the country, the color red and the red dress have become linked with the ability all women have to improve their heart health and live stronger, longer lives.
The NIH is sponsoring a National Awareness Campaign (The Heart Truth Campaign) (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/materials/wear-red-toolkit.htm). This campaign created and introduced the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 to deliver an urgent wakeup call to American women. The Red Dress alerts women of The Heart Truth message: "Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear-It is the #1 Killer of Women."
1. Heron MP, Hoyert DL, Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Kochanek KD, Tejada-Vera B. Deaths: Final data for 2006. ( 2.3MB, 135 pages) National Vital Statistics Reports. 2009;57(14). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. Leading Causes of Death by Age Group, All Females - United States, 2004. Hyattsville, MD: Department of Health and Human Services.
Remember, February is American Heart Month and today we are sending the THIRD in our series of information from the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control relating to Heart Disease and Coronary Health
For today's Health Tip, the focus is on Women and Heart Disease:
Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as a "man's disease," it is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States, and women account for nearly 50% of heart disease deaths.
In 2006, heart disease was the cause of death in nearly 316,000 females.1
Heart disease is often perceived as an "older woman's disease," and it is the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older. However, heart disease is the third leading cause of death among women aged 25-44 years and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45-64 years. Remember that many cases of heart disease can be prevented! 2
Our CDC offers a WISEWOMAN Program
The mission of CDC's WISEWOMAN program is to provide low-income, under- or uninsured 40- to 64-year-old women with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to improve diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle behaviors to prevent or delay cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
WISEWOMAN provides these additional services:
• Screening for chronic disease risk factors.
• Dietary, physical activity, and smoking cessation interventions.
• Referral and follow-up as appropriate.
For more information on how you can take advantage of these services, you can visit www.cdc.gov/wisewoman/index.htm and click on program locations.
You may also be interested to read about Women and Heart Disease Campaigns:
The American Heart Association has a "Go Red For Women" campaign (www.goredforwomen.com), which is a nationwide movement that celebrates the energy, passion, and power women have to band together and wipe out heart disease. Thanks to the participation of millions of people across the country, the color red and the red dress have become linked with the ability all women have to improve their heart health and live stronger, longer lives.
The NIH is sponsoring a National Awareness Campaign (The Heart Truth Campaign) (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/materials/wear-red-toolkit.htm). This campaign created and introduced the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 to deliver an urgent wakeup call to American women. The Red Dress alerts women of The Heart Truth message: "Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear-It is the #1 Killer of Women."
1. Heron MP, Hoyert DL, Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Kochanek KD, Tejada-Vera B. Deaths: Final data for 2006. ( 2.3MB, 135 pages) National Vital Statistics Reports. 2009;57(14). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. Leading Causes of Death by Age Group, All Females - United States, 2004. Hyattsville, MD: Department of Health and Human Services.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
February is Heart Healthy Month
About every 25 seconds, an American will have a "coronary event". Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack. In 2009, an estimated 785,000 Americans had a new coronary attack, and about 470,000 will have a recurrent attack. About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one. The chance of developing coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control factors that put people at greater risk. Additionally, knowing the signs and symptoms of heart attack are crucial to the most positive outcomes after having a heart attack. People who have survived a heart attack can also work to reduce their risk of another heart attack or a stroke in the future. Diseases and Conditions That Put Your Heart at Risk Other conditions that affect your heart or increase your risk of death or disability include arrhythmia, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease (PAD). High cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, and secondhand smoke are also risk factors associated with heart disease. Know Your Signs and Symptoms Some heart attacks are sudden and intense; however, most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening: •Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. •Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach. •Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort. Other signs. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness. The American Heart Association, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the American Red Cross, and the National Council on Aging have launched a new "Act in Time" campaign to increase people's awareness of heart attack and the importance of calling 9-1-1 immediately at the onset of heart attack symptoms. Reference Lloyd-Jones D, Adams R, Carnethon M, et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2009 Update. A Report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation. 2009;119:e21-e181.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
VitaMist Health Tip
How many times have you heard the term "B-Complex"? Probably thousands.
For this week's health tip we are giving you some information about what this term means and also some tips about the benefits of certain "B-complex" vitamins.
To some people, the name suggests that "B-Complex" is one very complicated vitamin, but this is not the case. There are actually eight B vitamins that are in the B complex, as well as a few other related substances. The eight vitamins that make up the B complex are thiamine or vitamin B1, riboflavin or vitamin B2, niacin or vitamin B3, pyridoxine or vitamin B6, cobalamine or vitamin B12, folic acid, pantothenic acid and biotin. The other related substances that are also in the B complex vitamin include choline, inositol and para-aminobenzoic acid.
Every part of the B complex vitamin performs its own individual function within the body. Because the B complex comprises vitamins which are water soluble it is essential that enough of these vitamins are consumed on a daily basis. The body cannot store water soluble vitamins such as the B complex and this leads to a regular intake being required.
The vitamins of the B complex are extremely beneficial for a number of conditions and may be needed in additional quantities at certain times in a person's life.
Many people suffer from anxiety and stress at one time or another and research has found that B complex vitamins can be beneficial in helping alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and stress (VitaMist D-Stress), and if a person has been unwell the B complex can be extremely valuable in aiding the recovery process.
Fatigue can be a symptom of a multitude of illnesses as well as simply overdoing things, but again, the B vitamins (VitaMist B12) can help alleviate general tiredness and lethargy.
Interestingly, some skin conditions, such as dermatitis, and also the condition of the hair, can benefit from B complex vitamin intake, and making sure you get a good intake of B-vitamins on a daily basis may help alleviate these conditions (VitaMist Multiple.)
For this week's health tip we are giving you some information about what this term means and also some tips about the benefits of certain "B-complex" vitamins.
To some people, the name suggests that "B-Complex" is one very complicated vitamin, but this is not the case. There are actually eight B vitamins that are in the B complex, as well as a few other related substances. The eight vitamins that make up the B complex are thiamine or vitamin B1, riboflavin or vitamin B2, niacin or vitamin B3, pyridoxine or vitamin B6, cobalamine or vitamin B12, folic acid, pantothenic acid and biotin. The other related substances that are also in the B complex vitamin include choline, inositol and para-aminobenzoic acid.
Every part of the B complex vitamin performs its own individual function within the body. Because the B complex comprises vitamins which are water soluble it is essential that enough of these vitamins are consumed on a daily basis. The body cannot store water soluble vitamins such as the B complex and this leads to a regular intake being required.
The vitamins of the B complex are extremely beneficial for a number of conditions and may be needed in additional quantities at certain times in a person's life.
Many people suffer from anxiety and stress at one time or another and research has found that B complex vitamins can be beneficial in helping alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and stress (VitaMist D-Stress), and if a person has been unwell the B complex can be extremely valuable in aiding the recovery process.
Fatigue can be a symptom of a multitude of illnesses as well as simply overdoing things, but again, the B vitamins (VitaMist B12) can help alleviate general tiredness and lethargy.
Interestingly, some skin conditions, such as dermatitis, and also the condition of the hair, can benefit from B complex vitamin intake, and making sure you get a good intake of B-vitamins on a daily basis may help alleviate these conditions (VitaMist Multiple.)
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