What’s the deal with organic?

Organic food production and sales have boomed over the past 15 years. The USDA’s website reports that in “2001, sales of organic foods and beverages exceeded $9 billion.”  By 2010, the World Trade Organization says these figures had risen to $39 billion. 

Whole Foods, a major international supplier of organic and natural food and beverages, has just announced another great first quarter of profits, with plans to open between 24 and 27 new stores. Many other food retailers are also jumping on the health foods bandwagon. Frito-Lay, for example, is now manufacturing half of its products with all natural ingredients to help meet a growing customer demand.

Consumers have spoken and companies are delivering, but what’s so great about going organic?

Studies have shown that organic farming is better for the environment and can reduce a consumer’s exposure to pesticides. The Mayo Clinic explains that, “Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don’t use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds, or prevent livestock disease.” This means that consumers are at a lesser risk of ingesting these ‘extras.’

Going organic also forces consumers to start taking a more active role in how their foods are being produced, and what they’re putting into their bodies. The USDA’s website has created strict guidelines for food products that are labeled ‘organic’:

100 percent organic. Products that are completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.

Organic. Products that are at least 95 percent organic.

Made with organic ingredients. These are products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The organic seal can’t be used on these packages.

This information alone seems to be enough for consumers, as buying organic can cost as much as 50% more than conventional growing, and the debate that organic food is any more nutritious is ongoing. A 2003 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that foods grown organically contain more ascorbic acid, and higher levels of polyphones and vitamin C. However, the USDA’s website points out that “no conclusive evidence shows that organic food is more nutritious than conventionally grown food.”

We’ll leave it for you to decide for yourself at this time.

If you’re interested in going organic, head to your local farmers’ market or organic grocery store for fresh fruit and veggies. Try replacing some of your normal foods with organic alternatives.

A balanced diet with organic fruits and vegetables can be a great complement to our nutritional and healthy SlimBerry products. 

Low impact vs high impact workouts and weight loss results

As reported by medicinenet.com, “According to the laws of physics, you should burn the same number of calories whether you walk or run the same distance. However, there is recent research to show that running one mile burns approximately 30% more calories than walking one mile.” Studies that have been done on this particular topic are mixed, so which type of workout is best for you?

Finding the best workout regime not only depends on your body, but also your current fitness level. Research shows that people with arthritis, older adults, the obese, and those with bone or joint issues should stick with low impact activities. Conversely, SparkDaily.com reports that “fitter individuals may have to work harder to reach their target heart rate zone when choosing low impact exercises,” making high impact workouts more appealing.

If you’re just starting out, begin slowly and work your way up to avoid injury. Some great low impact workout activities to think about include:

Walking
Cycling
Swimming
Hiking
Rollerblading

It’s easy to increase the intensity of these low impact activities by picking up the pace, using walking trails that have hills, and/or slowly increasing the amount of time spent on each activity.

If you’re looking toward trying out high impact workout activities, know that even though there is a higher risk of injury, the benefits can be substantial. A study of 25-year-old women in Sweden, published in Osteoporosis International, showed that regular high impact exercising increased bone mineral density. In addition, there is also the added benefit of burning more calories in a shorter amount of time.

If you feel you are fit enough and ready to include high impact workout movement into your daily routine, then consider:

Jumping rope
Jumping jacks
Running
Skipping
Any other activity in which both feet are off the ground simultaneously

Whatever type of workout you choose, mix it up to avoid boredom. Remember, regular exercise combined with getting the proper vitamins and nutrients, such as those in the Slimberry products, will help you maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

How Does the Slimberry Metabolizer Enhancer Help You Lose Weight?

WELA’s NEW Metabolizer works in combination with the other Slimberry products in our SlimKit to provide you with the most effective weight-loss solution available on the market today!

The Metabolizer Enhancer contains several beneficial ingredients including Green Tea Leaf. Studies show this leaf offers many health benefits including lowering cholesterol levels and harmful LDL cholesterol, inhibiting cancer cell growth, and increasing cardiovascular health. Research indicates that green tea boosts metabolism, inhibits fat absorption, helps glucose regulation, and helps reduce appetite.

Pyridoxine is vitamin B6. It is important for the breakdown of protein, fats, and carbohydrates (sugars) in the foods we eat making it important in weight-loss efforts. Entire books have been written on the therapeutic uses of vitamin B6; it has been used to treat more than 100 health conditions.

Vitamin B6 is essential in the formation of healthy red blood cells and supports more vital bodily functions than any other vitamin. Health conditions treated with vitamin B6 cover a wide range of physical and psychological disorders, from heart diseases to mental depression to kidney stones to memory loss. Some excellent food sources of Vitamin B6 include: garlic, tuna, cauliflower, bananas, celery, and cabbage.

Citrus Aurantium has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine to improve overall health. It also reduces appetite and boosts metabolism to stimulate fat loss.

Chromium polynicotinate is another ingredient in our Metabolizer Enhancer. It is critical in your body’s use of glucose and helps balance blood sugar levels. It’s also used in the metabolism and storage of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates by the body. It regulates hunger, reduces cravings, helps protect DNA, helps control fat and cholesterol levels in the body and is important for proper heart function.

Vitamin B3 or niacin is essential for carbohydrate metabolism, helping with energy levels and numerous bodily functions including circulation, brain and nervous system functioning, digestion, and more. In addition to the Slimberry Metabolizer Enhancer, there are several excellent food sources of Vitamin B3 including papaya, kale, collard greens, mushrooms, and tuna.

We’ve formulated the NEW Slimberry Metabolizer Enhancer to help you lose weight and keep it off! 

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,700 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Still searching for that Perfect Holiday Gift?

Give the Slimberry SlimKit!
The holidays offer great opportunities for gift giving and what a perfect gift Slimberry would make for family and friends who are trying to lose weight and improve their health especially following the Christmas holiday. January is one of the biggest months for new memberships to health clubs and purchases of other weight-loss and health products and services.

You could even get a head start on your New Years Resolutions and treat yourself to the SlimKit!

It’s easy…. just give your friends and family (or yourself) the Slimberry SlimKit – “the perfect gift of health” — this holiday season! Contact us at cs@mywela.com.

Is Sleep Affecting Your Weight Loss Efforts?

Do you wake up in the morning feeling tired? Not getting enough quality sleep can be linked to major health problems such as hypertension, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and WEIGHT GAIN.  

Research on sleep and appetite reveals a consistent link between a lower amount of sleep and a higher body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight-to-height that indicates an overweight body. In one large-scale sleep study, the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study, those participants who slept less than eight hours a night were more likely to be overweight.

Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep per night, although some people need more or less sleep for adequate rest.

Sleep experts recommend that you talk with your doctor if you have any of these signs of sleep disorders:

• Loud snoring, gasping, snorting, choking sounds or stopping breathing for short periods during sleep
• Routinely taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep
• Regularly waking up many times and having trouble falling asleep again
• Creeping, tingling or crawling feelings in your legs or arms, especially as you’re falling asleep
• Legs or arms jerk often during sleep
• Waking up with headaches
• Vivid, dream-like experiences while falling asleep or dozing
• Frequent sleepiness during the day, frequent naps, or falling asleep unintentionally or at inappropriate times during the day
• Unusual behaviors during sleep, such as sleep walking
• Feeling unable to move your body when you first wake up

A well-balanced lifestyle that includes vital nutrients, such as those found in Slimberry, and routine exercise can help you prevent and manage sleep issues and weight problems.

Sources: WebMD.com; healthology.com; and gannett.cornell.edu/

Feeling stressed this holiday season?

If you’re starting to feel even the subtle signs of tension building with thoughts of the approaching holidays, you’re not alone. The American Psychological Association (APA) found that nearly three-quarters (75%) of American say they experience stress levels that exceed what they define as healthy.

With the downturn in the economy and continually increasing costs in living, we are left extremely vulnerable to increased anxiety during the holidays. If we allow this anxiety and tension to build in our bodies, it can lead to stress that compromises our overall health.

Did you know that research shows:

• 75-90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints

• 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress

• $300+ billion a year is spent on stress-related problems in American industry

• Stress can play a role in headaches, heart problems, asthma, arthritis, depression, anxiety, skin conditions, diabetes, and high blood pressure

So how does this all relate to WELA and our products? WELA’s goal is to help you reach an overall improved state of health through the best nutrition and a balanced lifestyle including regular exercise.

Beginning with our Slimberry concentrated nutritional drops, you can benefit from vital nutrients formulated to balance the body at the cellular level where it’s most critical to your health! If your body is stronger, it is easier to combat the effects of stress.

Don’t wait, get a head start on your health this holiday season!

What To Eat This Fall

SPARKPEOPLE Web Site

Another resource for ‘eating for the season’ is SPARKPEOPLE at http://www.sparkpeople.com. This site shares articles and tips on nutrition, fitness, motivation, diets, recipes, and more.

We like the article on “What to Eat This Fall” by the author, Liza Barnes. Liza shares insights on the freshest selections and the benefits of eating for the season. There are many benefits to eating seasonal food from better flavor and more nutrients to less environmental burden.

Read the full article at  http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=956.

New reasons to eat for the season.

For many of us, autumn looks like apple picking and farmers’ markets full of fresh corn, sweet potatoes, green tomatoes, pumpkins, squash, and fruit.

The idea of harvest time and our health go hand in hand. Filling our tables with the best Fall harvest foods and our bodies with the highest nutritional ingredients must be top priorities if they aren’t already. We would like to share some great resources for “eating for the season” to help conserve our natural resources and get the most nutrition from your foods.

Natural Resources Defense Council’s Smarter Living section at http://www.nrdc.org/living/eatingwell/fast-cheap-green-nutritious-meals.asp

This website provides great information on conserving our natural resources through various daily activities including our eating habits. The Smarter Living section of the site gives information on food, wise shopping, recipes, eating well, and health in the workplace and schools.

Introducing the NEW Slim Kit!

The NEW Slim Kit contains Slimberry products developed to help you quickly improve your health. You should use the products in combination for optimal results from one of the leading weight-loss solutions in today’s marketplace.

Slim Kit Design

Slimberry Concentrated Drops – Contains vital nutrients and formulated to balance the body at the cellular level where it’s most critical to your health. You’ll benefit from improved nutrition, increased energy, and weight-loss.

Slimberry 10-Day Cleanse – Safely aids in your body’s natural detoxification process and can instantly improve your overall health. Assists with health concerns such as allergies, digestive issues, and weight loss.

Slimberry Maintenance Cleanse – Helps to support a healthy digestive environment that processes and absorbs nutrients more effectively and eliminates toxins more efficiently to promote overall better health for the long-term.

Slimberry Metabolizer Enhancer – Natural ingredients such as vitamin B3, B6, and Green Tea Leaf work together to offer many health benefits including a boost in metabolism to stimulate fat loss, balance in blood sugar levels, reduction in appetite, and increased cardiovascular health.

If you’re a WELA Member, find more details on purchases, autoship, and trial periods in your MyWELA.com Back Office today!