1-Life

[coachyanke]

IT'S MY GENES !?

 "When I had my first heart attack, I blamed my dad."  A patient recently expressed this to me.  The intent was clear.  I have heart disease because my dad gave it to me.  It was inevitable.  It's my genes.  

There is a relatively new field of science called Epigenetics.  The field researches the proteins, the tissues that surround the genes.  It seeks to discover what determines how a gene is expressed.  It turns out that just because you have a gene (either good or bad) doesn't mean it will be expressed to create an effect.  The tissues surrounding the genetic code influence how the genes are exposed, how they are interpreted and even if they are used at all.  The amazing part is you can influence these surrounding tissues by your choices and thereby influence how your genes work.  The implications are huge.  You can't change your genes.  You can influence which of your genes influence your health. Here is one of the classic experiments to illustrate the point.  

There is a breed of mice called agouti.  They are yellow, severely obese and develop diabetes.  The assumption is that their genes are "broken."  However, a study was done where female mice were given a diet enhanced with several vitamins.  When the mice were mated, the offspring were brown, normal weight mice that did not develop diabetes.  INCREDIBLE.  So incredible I will restate it.  Mice genetically predetermined to be yellow, obese and diabetic became brown, normal weight, and without diabetes.  The genetic predetermination of the mice was altered from a disease state to a health state by a change in nutritional status.  A change made possible by vitamins.  

Several important points to recognize.  YOUR GENES ARE NOT YOUR FATE.  You can change your "genetic predetermination" by changing your lifestyle, your choices.  Second, when you hear that vitamins are not necessary, that they don't help, that they can hurt, think of fat, diabetic mice becoming healthy - the results of vitamin supplementation.  I am not saying that simply adding a vitamin to your daily routine will bring you health.  It is much more complicated.  Many factors influence your health; the food you eat, the exercise you get, the amount of time you spend sleeping all are very important.  

My point is, that I believe in today's environment, vitamins help.  Consider adding vitamins to your health regimen.  Do some homework, see if it makes sense for you.  Find vitamins that are pharmaceutical grade (it doesn't make sense to take vitamins that have contaminants and may not have the amount of product that is advertised).  Get some advice on which vitamins and supplements to take to help you achieve health.  

Your genes are not your fate.  Your lifestyle choices ultimately determine what your life will be like.  Worry less about your genes and the diseases your parents suffered.  Spend more energy making choices critical to your own health.  Develop a health paradigm.

Dr. Tom Carter - Heart Surgeon

For Pharmaceutical Grade Supplements: www.coachyanke1.usana.com

[coachyanke]

Fish oil makers, drugstores, sued over supplements

Fish oil makers, drugstores, sued over supplements

  By Alexandria Sage

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A group including a California nonprofit organization is suing fish oil manufacturers and pharmacies that sell the popular supplements over their purported toxicity.

The Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation, one of three named plaintiffs, tested 10 fish oil supplements out of more than 100 on the market. The other plaintiffs in the case are New Jersey residents.

Defendants include the world's largest producer of omega-3 fish oil, Houston-based Omega Protein, as well as drug stores Rite Aid Corp and CVS Caremark Corp.

"The people buying these fish oil supplements are not being told the PCBs are there," said plaintiff's attorney David Roe.

People consume fish oil supplements for the health benefits obtained from omega-3 fatty acids, but there are currently no standards for PCB contamination in fish oil in the United States, according to Roe.

Also named as defendants are General Nutrition Corp, a subsidiary of GNC Acquisition Holdings Corp, Now Health Group Inc, Pharmavite LLC, the maker of the NatureMade brand of supplements, Solgar Inc and TwinLab Corp.

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage, editing by Maureen Bavdek)

Here is also a copy of the Seal of Approval from ConsumerLab. On USANA Fish oil.

  USANA Optimizers BiOmega(TM) Gets Seal Of Approval From ConsumerLab.com

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --There's nothing fishy here. USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE: USNA), a global nutritional company, announced today that one of its most popular supplements,BiOmegaTM, has been evaluated and approved by ConsumerLab.com, LLC, a leading provider of independent product test results.

In a recent study, ConsumerLab.com determined that USANA's BiOmegaTM contains its labeled amount of Fish Oil, EPA, DHA and Omega-3s. This study tested similar products from various nutritional supplement manufacturers to determine whether they in fact contained the amounts of these compounds stated on their labels. Problems were discovered in 30 percent of the other Fish Oil and Omega-3 supplements. The review can be found on the company's website at www.consumerlab.com.

In light of new FDA warnings against potentially unsafe supplements available on the market, studies like this help consumers and healthcare professionals make better decisions and more informed recommendations when it comes to supplements.

"We did it again. This is the fourth year in a row that USANA products have received high marks from ConsumerLab.com," says Dan Macuga, USANA Chief Communications Officer. "Previously we've earned approval for our Chelated Mineral, Mega Antioxidant, and Visionex® supplements. We're proud of how well our products have performed in independent testing from reputable third-party organizations."

"We take quality control and testing very seriously at USANA," states Dr. Carsten Smidt, USANA Vice President of Research and Development. "There is a lot of research and development that goes into each of our products. We use the highest quality ingredients possible."

Recently, USANA was named the #1 Rated Overall Merchant Based on Customer Satisfaction and the #1 Rated Direct Sales Merchant Based on Customer Satisfaction in the 2011 ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin and Supplement Users.

Since 1999, ConsumerLab.com has tested more than 3,200 products, 350 different brands and nearly every type of popular supplement in order to help consumers and healthcare professionals identify the best quality health and nutrition products. ConsumerLab.com is also the only third-party verification group that freely publishes its testing methods and quality criteria/standards.

For more information about USANA's products and company, visit www.usana.com.

About USANA: Founded in 1992, USANA Health Sciences (NYSE: USNA) is a U.S.-based nutritional company that manufactures high-quality supplements, personal care, energy, and weight-management products in theirFDA-registered facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. USANA's products, tested by NSF International and used by more than 600 professional athletes, are developed by the company's award-winning team of scientists and sold directly to Preferred Customers and Associates in 18 international markets. Named one of Outside magazine's "Best Places to Work" for four consecutive years, USANA has received more than 100 state, national and international accolades, including Utah Best of State, Stevie Awards, Australian Business Awards, NutriSearch Editor's Choice and others. Learn more about USANA (www.USANA.com) and the USANA True Health Foundation (www.USANAfoundation.org/), stay current with the official USANA blog (www.whatsupUSANA.com), like us on the USANA Facebook page (www.facebook.com/USANAhealthsciences), or follow USANA on Twitter (@USANAinc).

Media Contact: Ashley Collins Executive Director of PR and Social Media USANA Health Sciences, Inc. [phone]

www.coachyanke1.usana.com

[coachyanke]

The Perils of Dairy

I would love to write a book on the subject of dairy and the negative effects of consuming it.  I do not have the time and there are far more intelligent people than I with the resources necessary to accomplish that goal.  What I have for you is a video to watch with enough data to change your mind about consuming dairy and if does not then it will cause you to research it some more.  Please check out this video and let me know your thoughts!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJvrlwnEqbs

[coachyanke]

Your Children's Health is Just as Important as Yours!

As we continue to spread the word about USANA’s United for Youth campaign, we’re beginning to hear more and more from readers about how beneficial our stories — and all the helpful tips in them — have been.

We couldn’t be happier to hear this praise, because it means we’re achieving what we set out to do: promote a healthier, happier way of living for children of all ages and backgrounds.*

What this feedback also means is that you’re listening. And as long as we have your attention, let’s touch on some other ways to implement healthy practices into the lives of your children.

What You Need to Know

When it comes to children, you have to pay extra attention to everything — especially their nutritional health, because optimal nutrition during early childhood and adolescence is so crucial to proper growth and development.

Of course, you already knew that, didn’t you?

We hear it constantly: a person’s physical and mental developments during their childhood years are ones that will shape the rest of their lives and determine the future of their health. But the problem is, plenty of people are hearing this, but few are listening to the actual message and taking action.

If you’re one of many who don’t understand the seriousness of proper nutrition and lifestyle for children and teens, maybe some of these statistics will change your view on the issue.

Children with physical, emotional, behavioral, or developmental problems are over twice as likely to not be engaged in school.

31.6 percent of children ages 10–17 are overweight or obese, with states ranging from 23.1–44.4 percent.

Only one in five children consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

Most U.S. youth do not meet the daily-recommended amount of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, yet they typically exceed their daily intake of sodium.

What You Already Know

Okay, so now you know the problem, and luckily, USANA has a solution (or at least a start to a solution) in the form of Usanimals™ — a comprehensive daily vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant supplement for children.

Adequate amounts of key nutrients such as zinc, vitamin B6, magnesium, and calcium are missing from the diets of more than 50 percent of children from two to 10 years old. Vitamins C and D are also often deficient, and a quality nutritional supplement, such as Usanimals, can help ensure that none of these essential nutrients are missing from your child’s diet.

And if your kids have grown from children into teenagers, you can provide the same nutritional supplementation tailored for adolescence with Body Rox™ — USANA’s version of Essentials™ for teens.

What You’re About to Know

Usanimals and Body Rox may be the only products USANA US markets for children (for now), but that doesn’t mean parents can’t use supplements from other product lines that may be appropriate for youth — with the proper dosage, of course.

The Active Calcium™ Chewable is perfect, because it provides the same nutritional benefits as our normal Active Calcium™, but in a chewable, convenient, and tasty form, making it an ideal solution for your child’s calcium supplementation.

And don’t underestimate how important calcium is to their growing bodies.

Adolescents who make even a five percent gain in bone mass in their teens may reduce the risk of osteoporosis — the thinning of the bones that makes them prone to fracture — by 40 percent. On the other hand, calcium deficiency can actually contribute to the development of osteoporosis.

And although signs of osteoporosis usually don’t occur until the later years of life, getting an appropriate amount of calcium in our diet when we’re young is what helps to build strong bones and reduce these risks, as long as dietary intake continues to be adequate.

Active Calcium Chewable is generally recommended as follows:

Children 1–6 years: not recommended

Children 7–10 years: one half to one Active Calcium tablet per day

Children 11–12 years: one or two Active Calcium tablets per day

Another product that may be appropriate for your children if taken at a recommended and reduced dosage is USANA Probiotic® — a food supplement for digestive and immune health.* For children taking USANA Probiotic, we generally recommend a dosage that is about half of the adult dosages (half a packet every other day), unless their doctor says otherwise.

So when would you give your child USANA Probiotic, and what are the benefits?

Basically, the USANA Probiotic supplement is intended to bring balance to and promote a healthy digestive system.* People take it on numerous occasions, like when they’re stomach is irregular or even when traveling in foreign places for extended amounts of time. The same can go for your child — give them the supplement whenever you sense their digestive system may need a little support.

What You Need to Find Out

We would like to stress that, for now, these are the only products we suggest for children or teens to take as needed, and parents should always consult a doctor or personal physician whenever they’re considering a new supplement or medication for their child.

So make sure your children keep their nutrition in check, and continue to help USANA promote the health of children around the world. People hear our message, and we need your help to continue voicing it.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

We’re proud to bring you the freshest content on the web! Follow USANA on Twitter, like our USANA Facebook page and enjoy the latest videos on the official USANA YouTube channel.

Learn what USANA is doing to make the world a better place.

Discover what USANA products can do to boost your health today by taking this brief online Health Assessment.

[coachyanke]

Is the RDA Enough for Optimal Health?

In the June 19, 2002 edition of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Dr.’s Robert Fletcher and Kathleen Fairfield of Harvard University had completed a 38 year study of scientific evidence that concluded that the current North American diet, while sufficient to prevent vitamin deficient disease it is insufficient to support the need for optimal health.

“Insufficient vitamin intake is apparently a cause of chronic disease.  Recent evidence has shown that suboptimal levels of vitamins (below standard), even well above those causing deficiency syndromes, are risk factors for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.  A large portion of the general population is apparently at increased risk for this reason.” ~Dr. Robert Fletcher and Dr. Kathleen Fairfield

Where do we find the main source of vitamins and minerals?  They are located in your fruits and vegetables.  Health experts have long recommended at least five daily servings of each.  One study has shown that only 20% of Americans actually get that amount.  This study was done by phone with 24,000 adults in 16 states (likely an optimistic figure, as such telephone-based studies tend to over-report actual values).  If this is true and if we are honest with ourselves, then how do we ensure that we get the right amount of nutrients to ensure “Optimal Health”.

As a society not only are we not eating enough of the proper food groups, the foods that we do eat fall very short of the key nutrients and are extremely high in calories.  We also no longer, as a majority, sit down to a balanced meal daily because of, not only the stress of life, but because of our fast paced life.  Most families do not grow their own produce and instead rely on commercial agriculture to meet their daily nutritional needs. 

Did you know for over the past 60 years, commercial farms have steadily relied on chemical fertilizers to grow their crops?  “During the late forties, growers found that three minerals, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), left over from the post-war armaments industry, produced fine-looking crops.  The subsequent use of these nutrients quickly replaced traditional mulching and manuring, and, over time, the use of NPK fertilizers contributed to the depletion of many essential micronutrients from our soils.  This long-term consequence of this folly has been a steady erosion in the nutritional health of our nations and inexorable rise in the incidence of degenerative disease.  Unquestionably, NPK fertilizers, a destructive legacy of WWII, have played a major role in contributing to sub-clinical nutritional deficiencies and chronic degenerative disease that afflict our world”.  Then to make matters even worse is the commercial processing of nutrient deficient foods that further depletes their nutritional value. 

Then what can we do?  Go organic as much as you are able through your local farmers’ markets.  This is a good first step.  Be sure to get as much as possible of five fruits and vegetables each and every day.  Lastly, fortify your diet with a high quality nutritional supplement.  Please note that not all supplements are made the same!!!  Please just don’t run to the store to pick up anything that looks good!  I will be back next week to help guide you to quality products. 

*Info taken from “Nutritional Supplements Professional Edition”, by: Lyle MacWilliam MSc, FP

Optimal Health Definition:

• High energy • restful and rejuvenating sleep • no chronic pain (painful accidents can occur) • live to over 100 years • ability to have satisfying sex • exercise as energizing and enjoyable • no digestive or elimination problems • infections easily overcome or rarely appear • no allergic reactions • breathing is easy and energizing • reproduce healthy offspring if you choose • feeling of joy, satisfaction, optimism • easily deal with most emotional stresses and anxiety • ability to focus mentally • your 5 senses function well • no chronic illness • rarely require a sick day • healthy oral cavity • hormonal balance

This is just a slight overview of the many benefits of Optimal Health. 

[coachyanke]

Better Performance with pH Balance

pH Balance

Foods with more alkaline to include in to your regular diet:

Nuts

Rice

Roots

Fruits

Seeds

Millet

Squashes

Greens

Beans

Buckwheat

Other Vegetables

Herbs

Wheat

Potatoes

  Water

  Alkaline Wheatgrass

When people think wheatgrass they normally think hippy.  How unfortunate!  Wheatgrass is a mineral rich plant with more than 90 minerals out of 102 found in soil.  It is one of the most alkaline, chlorophyll rich foods on the planet.  There are two ways that you can add this to your daily diet.  First is getting the grass at Meijers.  It is as simple as mowing your lawn.  Get a pair of scissors cutting off an inch or two and throwing it in your daily blended shake.  Second way of adding it is going to Whole Foods and buying it frozen in the form of cubes.  Each cube equals 2.2 lbs.  You can either add cube or two to your shake or add it to a cup of juice until it melts and drink!   

  Adapted from: Apitite for Healthy Living

[coachyanke]

Winning Recipe!! Vegan Lasagna

I am always trying to incorporate nutrient dense meals that everyone in my family will enjoy.  I stumbled upon this recipe and was excited to try it.  However, I was nervous about my children liking it.  Then...they asked for seconds!!!  That is how I knew it was a winning recipe to be used again.  I have even had guest ask for seconds.  Below you will find the recipe.  Enjoy!!

1 ½ tbsp Grape seed Oil

2 Cloves garlic, minced

2 bunches kale, large stems removed and leaves chopped

¼ cup organic vegetable stock

2 cups diced mushrooms (baby bella)

1 zucchini sliced1

1 cup cashews

½ cup nutritional yeast

1 - 24oz jar tomato sauce (organic, no sugar added)

Brown Rice lasagna noodles (Gluten Free, company name: De Boles)

Directions:

1.      Set the oven to 350 degrees. Have a 8X8 baking dish

2.      In a small sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp of Grape seed oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.  Add kale and ¼ cup organic vegetable stock.  Continue to sauté until slightly wilted. Set aside kale mixture in a bowl.

3.      In the same sauté pan, add ½ tbsp oil, chopped mushrooms and zucchini. Sauté 3-5 minutes until fragrant.  Set aside.

4.      In a high speed processor, combine cashews, nutritional yeast and water.  Just enough water to cover the cashews. Blend on high until you get a creamy consistency.  Add salt to taste.

5.      In the baking dish, spread about 1 cup of tomato sauce to cover the bottom. Add a layer of noodles, overlapping them slightly to make a solid single layer.  Spread cashew cheese evenly over noodles.  Layer mushroom/zucchini mixture on top of cheese.  Add another layer of noodles, followed by sauce and kale mixture.

6.      Repeat with on more layer of noodles, sauce, and then sprinkle generously with vegan cheese (Daiya-whole foods carry’s it)

7.      Bake the lasagna for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.  Let it sit for 5 minutes or so to firm up before slicing. 

[coachyanke]

Eat Kale Raw?

Why yes of course!  If you didn't know kale is the most nutritionally dense dark leafy green in the produce department. It should be one of the first things you grab as you go grocery shopping. But most people cannot stand eating kale cooked so how can I eat kale raw?  It's easy.  This past spring I took my endurance class to Whole Foods for a field trip on eating "Whole Foods".  Makes sense enough.  They needed to learn how to find their way around and the importance of making good healthy choices.  

Once the tour was over we went into the cooking lab.  Our instructor demonstrated for us how to prepare about five different dishes that were easy and extremely tasty.  One of them was kale salad.  I must say I was worried that my class would reject it and that everything would go downhill from there.  However I was blown away by the dressing that was used to put on it.  Each one of my students devoured it and wanted more.  I was very pleased to say the least.  Below you will find the recipe that was used.  Please give it a try and let me know your thoughts.  

1 cup raw almond butter (unsweetened and unsalted)

2 whole Clementines

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg’s Aminos

1 tsp red pepper flakes

 Optional- fresh ginger, about an inch

Water to thin if needed

In a high powered blender, combine all dressing ingredients and process until smooth. Pour dressing over kale and, using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale. Sprinkle with nuts or seeds if you’re using. Keep in fridge; it just gets better with time!