Tag Archives: diet

Google Trends Tell a Story

Google Trends is a great tool for understanding what people are searching for online. Using the Explore feature you can find out what has interested people online for the past few years by each keyword. This gives us tremendous insight into what people have been spending time online looking for over a period of time.

Diet and Weight Loss

Check out the chart below and you can see that at the start of each year people want to know more about how to diet and lose weight as well as general nutrition. But then as the New Year’s resolutions fade the number of times people check these topics out online goes down. But even at the lowest point – during the holiday season – there is still tremendous online activity for individuals wanting to know more about getting into shape.

It is a bit of a surprise when you see where people live who are doing this online research. The chart below shows that the states with the most interest are in the South. These Americans are also reported to live the states with the highest level of adult obesity but at least they want to know more about how to remedy that situation. Alabama leads the way.

Vitamins, Supplements and Disease

Searching for vitamins and supplements is very popular online. Americans are also interested in learning more about the top preventable causes of death in this country: diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. As diabetes becomes more and more common it leads the way in the volume of search activity.

What People Want

When you ask people what they want the top answers are usually more money, additional free time, the opportunity to travel, maybe a new car, and always continued good health. Check out the chart below to show that people are searching for all of these things online. Time is at the top of the list and it continues to grow faster than the other searches. No one ever has too much free time. It may be a bit surprising that with all of the discussion of the new health care laws, online interest in health hasn’t increased over time and may actually be going down. Travel is at the bottom of the list and that may be due to the tough economic times over the past few years.

Business Opportunity

Are people doing more online research to seek out new business opportunities? It doesn’t look that way. The financial crash of a few years back seems to have slowed down American’s interest in new business ventures and home based businesses. MLM (multi-level marketing) does lead the group as people may be searching for programs that will work for them to earn money. The internet is a great place to check out the many programs and learn which ones are for real.

Google Trends can also show us what parts of the country are more interested in new business opportunities. It seems that the South and the West have the most interested Americans. And Nevada is the top state in this group.

Healthy Homes

The chart below shows that people are definitely interested in having a healthy home. They are researching natural and safe cleaning products. Many people have stories of how the health of their family – and children in particular – have improved as they have started to move away from many household chemical and started to use more natural products.

Shaklee

Of course we also wanted to see if people have been searching for Shaklee products online. The chart below shows a sharp increase just in the past few months in Google searching for Shaklee.

If this type of information interests you click on any of the links to Google Trends under each chart. You can then start learning more about what people are searching for online and it will tell you a story.

WOW!! SPORTS NUTRITION PHENOMENOM!!

Dean Smith Rows to new World and American Record

Dean Smith set new US and World records at the World Indoor Rowing Championship, hosted by the CRASH-B Sprints that took place on February 17, 2013 at the Agganis Arena in Boston. Over 2,200 athletes raced from more than a dozen countries, with competitors ranging in age from 14 to 95. Dean’s world record time in the 2000 meter row was 8:10.5. Just Google Dean Smith Rowing to see how he has been keeping active.

Dean, a former world- class runner is used to being on the winner’s podium. Previously in Masters Track & Field he won World championship gold medals in Hanover, Germany and Gothenburg, Sweden for the 800 meter run, as well as several national championships. Bad knees brought an end to Dean’s running a few years ago, so he was delighted to find a new sport in which to compete. He joined the Rocky Mountain Rowing Club when he moved to Lone Tree, Colorado seven years ago. Since then he has won NINE World Championships in sculls on the water in Zagreb, Croatia, Vienna, Austria, Birmingham, England and Vilnius, Lithuania.

Dean is a young 86.

He attributes his edge for success to using Shaklee Sports Products.

Tips From The Professor: An Apple A Day Keeps The Blues Away

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Last week I shared with you a study suggesting that junk food makes you sad.

So you might be asking: “Does that mean that healthy foods can make you glad?”

According to one recent study (Br J Health Psychol, Jan 24, 2013, doi:

10.1111/bjhp.12021) the answer may be yes.

A team from the University of Otago in New Zealand enrolled 281 young adults (average age = 20) in a study that looked at the effect of diet on their mood. Each day for 21 consecutive days they recorded their mood and what foods they ate using an online questionnaire.

In particular, they reported the number of servings of fresh fruit and vegetables and of several unhealthy foods such as biscuits or cookies, potato chips or French fries and cakes or muffins.

The investigators correlated the foods eaten with the moods reported by the participants on the same day, and again on the day after those foods were eaten. The results were pretty impressive.

On the days when people ate more fruits and vegetables they reported feeling calmer, happier and more energetic than they did on other days (p = .002 – anything less than .05 is considered a statistically significant difference). And the good effects of fruit and vegetable consumption carried over to the next day as well (p < .001).

While I paraphrased the “apple a day” quote to introduce this topic, one apple won’t quite do it.

According to this study it takes about 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables to positively affect mood.

Of course, any good scientist will tell you that correlations do not prove cause and effect. It could be that when people are “down in the dumps” they just naturally reach for junk foods rather than fruits and vegetables.

However, since there is no downside to consuming fruits and vegetables, I feel fully comfortable recommending more fruits and vegetables in our diets.

If their health benefits aren’t enough to motivate you, maybe the possibility of improving your mood will!

There are some things we just can’t control. We can’t do anything about the cold, dark days of winter. And to paraphrase those country songs, we can’t keep our girl and dog from running off. Life happens to all of us.

But, if we want to keep our mood where it should be, we can always reach for those fresh fruits and vegetables.

To Your Health!

Dr. Stephen G Chaney

P.S. Now Available For Immediate Shipping: The “180 Lifestyle Program” – a comprehensive lifestyle change program that you can use to support all of the 180 Turnaround customers that you will be working with as your 180 parties start getting results. Visit http://www.socialmarketingconnection.com to grab this valuable new tools to support your 180 business. While you are there, you can also check out the many benefits that you will receive when you sign up for my VIP program.

Dr. Stephen G Chaney

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

 

Dr. Steve Chaney, Alzheimers, Dementia and B Vitamins

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Dr. Steve Chaney

B Vitamins, Dementia & Alzheimers

Dr. Chaney is an active cancer researcher and Professor of Bio-Chemistry and Nutrition at UNC Medical Schoool.

“As we age there is perhaps nothing more frightening than the thought of losing our mind.

We can cope with lots of physical infirmities, but it is our memories and our cognition that make us who we are.

So what can we do to keep our mind in tip top shape as we age?

I’m going to start by talking about the importance of one B vitamin, folic acid, in maintaining our mental acuity as we age.

But, good health is seldom determined by one nutrient alone, so I’m going to end this discussion by
describing a holistic approach for reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Two recent articles have emphasized the importance of folic acid in preventing cognitive decline.

The first was a cross-sectional study of folate status and cognitive function in 1,033 non-demented older patients, ages 60-90 (de Lau et al, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 86: 728-734, 2007). The researchers measured blood levels of folic acid and did extensive cognitive tests on the subjects.

The results were fairly clear-cut. Those people with the highest levels of folic acid were the least likely to suffer from loss of cognitive function or psychomotor speed (reaction time).

But, cross-sectional studies are not the gold-standard placebo controlled clinical trial, which is why the second study is so important.

In this study, 818 middle aged subjects (ages 55-70) with normal vitamin B12 levels (the importance of this will become apparent in a minute) were given either 800 ug of folic acid or a placebo daily and followed for 3 years (Durga et al, Lancet, 369: 208-216, 2007).

At the end of 3 years, the subjects receiving the folic acid supplement did significantly better than the placebo group on several measures of cognitive function.

So you might be thinking that you should rush right out and buy a folic acid supplement.

Not so fast. You need to hear the rest of the story.

Vitamin B12 is also essential for cognitive function, and, with consumption of red meat declining, many older Americans are becoming deficient in B12.

B12 deficiency has two symptoms:

The first to appear is anemia. It is what usually brings the patient to their doctors office, and at this stage the B12 deficiency is easily reversible.

However, if the B12 deficiency is left untreated, the patient will eventually develop dementia that is not reversible.

The problem is that folate supplementation can mask the early, easily reversible, symptoms of B12 deficiency.

So that brings us to the third clinical study (Morris et al, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 85: 193-200, 2007).

This study was a cross-sectional study looking at vitamin B12 status, folic acid status and cognitive function. When they looked at those subjects in the study with low vitamin B12 status, the ones who also had high blood folate levels actually faired poorer on cognitive tests than those with low blood folate levels.

So now you’re probably thinking that you should rush out and buy a B complex supplement providing both folic acid and vitamin B12.

Wrong again!

Some older Americans develop an inability to produce something called intrinsic factor that is required for the rapid absorption of vitamin B12 in the intestine. Those people cannot get enough vitamin B12 from their food, and for them a standard vitamin B12 supplement is of little use. Knowing this, you might now feel that there is no effective way to make absolutely sure that you are getting enough B vitamins to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

But, you’d be wrong again.

There is a second, intrinsic factor-independent pathway for absorbing vitamin B12 that is present throughout the entire length of the digestive tract.

So what you want to look for is a sustained release B complex that releases its B12 a little bit at a time throughout the digestive tract.

And since not all companies make their supplements according to pharmaceutical standards, you would want to make sure that this sustained release B complex had been shown in a clinical trial to deliver at least as much B12 to the blood stream as an immediate release B complex in individuals with normal levels of intrinsic factor.

Finally, now that you know what to look for in a B complex supplement, let me remind you that mental acuity is not just dependent on two B vitamins.

Recent studies have shown that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, maintaining ideal body weight and exercising regularly all help us to keep our brains functioning as they should as we age.

A holistic approach to health is always best.

To Your Health!

Dr. Stephen G Chantey

P.S. The Sustained Release B + C in Shaklee’s Vitalizer continuously releases small amounts of the B vitamins and Vitamin C during the 12 hours that it takes to pass through the small intestine.

Clinical studies have shown that his results in up to a 200% increase in blood levels of some B Vitamins and that blood levels of Vitamin B12 are equal to or greater than the same amount of B12 in the immediate release B-Complex Supplement.

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Dangers of Abdominal Obesity

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You’ve probably already heard about the dangers of abdominal obesity (otherwise known as “belly fat”).
You’ve probably heard that it increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.
But did you know that it could literally be killing you – even if you are at ideal body weight?A group of scientists at the National Institutes of Health recently analyzed data collected from 44,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study over a 16-year period and asked if abdominal obesity affected their death rates from heart disease and cancer(Zhang et al, Circulation, 117: 1658-1667, 2008).The answer was a clear-cut yes!

The study showed that women with a waist circumference of 35 inches were twice as likely to die from heart disease and cancer than women with a waist circumference of 28 inches – even if they were at ideal body weight.

But you might be asking “How can they be at ideal body weight and still have abdominal obesity?”

There is a natural tendency to lose muscle mass as we age. When we add in the inactivity associated with the American lifestyle that loss of muscle mass is accelerated and the muscle is replaced with fat.

Thus, it is actually possible in today’s world to have both normal weight and abdominal obesity – and that is not a good thing!

Of course, the women who were both overweight and had abdominal obesity were even more likely to die from heart disease or cancer.

So it is not just about not looking good in your bathing suit – abdominal obesity is a killer!

However, the good news is that you can do something about abdominal obesity.

A combination of exercise, a healthy diet and the “Cinch Inch Loss Plan” is a proven way of getting rid of that unsightly belly fat forever.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

Dr. Stephen Chaney
Shaklee Master Coordinator

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration

5 Ways to Live a Healthy Lifestyle

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Who Wants to Live a Healthy Lifestyle?

This is an easy question. Almost everyone.

But what can make this such a hard thing for us to do these days? In the US we typically live an eventful, busy life – filled with so many activities that to remember to treat ourselves well sometimes gets lost.

Journey to Optimal Health

To be healthy we should focus on five areas:

  1. Good nutrition – what we eat matters
  2. Weight management – how much we eat matters
  3. Fitness – to make our bodies stronger and healthier
  4. Stress management – to minimize unwanted influences to impact our well-being
  5. Taking the right supplements – to give our bodies the best nutrients to stay at our best

Good Nutrition

Many times our eating habits are developed based on the wrong influences – eating what is handy, cheap, easy to find, or what tastes the best. Most people know what makes up healthy nutrition. We should cut back on fast foods, junk foods, and reduce soda intake.

Instead we should eat a healthy diet of the proper balance of macro-nutrients, healthy protein, heart-healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, as well as the all important Omega 3 supplement.
Easier said than done – right?  But many times it takes just as much time, money, and effort to eat the wrong things.

Weight Management

Sixty percent of Americans are overweight. There are many causes, but we need to find the solution for what works for ourselves.

The diet cycle is tough on our systems and eventually results in ending up back where we started. This cycle can actually cause us to lose ground by ending up with lower muscle mass. Lean muscle is important because muscle equals metabolism. The greater our metabolism, the more calories our body uses and that means being able to lose weight or keep our weight where we want.

40%-50% of our diet calories should be made up of complex carbs, 25% to 30% of lean protein, and the remainder from healthy fats. Of course the exact formula for each individual can be different. And it is always recommended that a health professional – doctor or dietician – should be consulted to make sure you are on the right track.

Fitness

Exercise is important for our well-being and healthy lifestyle for multiple reasons. Working out can be an important activity in any weight management program. Stress can also be reduced from physical exercise. Cardio exercises can be very useful in making our bodies more healthy and can reduce the cause of many of the factors in making us unhealthy.

One hour a day is recommended by many professionals as the required fitness training each day. But that does not mean that you need to spend that time in the gym. Just by taking the stairs at work, walking whenever possible instead of using the car, and staying active in the back yard with the kids all count.

Stress Management

Stress takes its toll on our physical and mental health. A healthy lifestyle includes reducing stress whenever possible. You can start by recognizing the biggest stress factors in your life and minimizing them if you can. Even taking 10 minutes of breathing exercises can help out. And it is important that we all get as much sleep as we can with our busy schedules – eight hours a night can do wonders.

Taking the Right Supplements

If we are conscious about eating a healthy diet, we still may not be getting every nutrient we need to keep us in top shape. Poor foods, less desirable food sources, pollution, and even junk food do not help out.
The recommended supplements include multi-vitamins, antioxidants, calcium, fish oil for omega 3’s, and probiotics for a healthy intestinal tract. There are many sources of natural nutrition vitamin supplements. This may take some time to educate yourself on what is best for you. But the time will be a good investment. And don’t forget to check with your doctor to get their advice as well.

Once you make the decision to leave a healthier lifestyle, you will probably discover that you have more energy, feel better, and want to do more in your active life.

And it is very important to remember that even small changes make a difference.

Good luck and get started today!

Gluten-free Shaklee dietary supplements

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Gluten-free Shaklee dietary supplements
October 2008

The Shaklee Research and Development staff recently tested Shaklee dietary supplements for the presence of gluten. The products listed here are gluten-free:

Dietary supplements

Alfalfa Complex
Carto-E-Omega (Vitalizer)
CarotoMax
Cal Mag Plus Chewable
Cholesterol Regulation Complex
CitriBoost
CoQHeart
CorEnergy
Defend & Resist Complex
Energizing Soy Protein (all flavors)
EZ-Gest
Fiber Plan Tablets
Fiber Plan Unflavored
FlavoMax
Garlic Complex
Gentle Sleep Complex
GLA Complex
Glucose Regulation Complex
Immunity Formula I
Instant Protein Soy Mix
Joint Health Complex
Lecithin
Liqui-Lea
Liver DTX Complex
Meal Shakes (all flavors)
Memory Optimizer
Menopause Balance Complex
Mental Acuity Plus
MoodLift Complex
NutriFeron
OmegaGuard
OptiFlora Prebiotic
OptiFlora Probiotic
OsteoMatrix
Pain Relief Complex
Performance (all flavors)
Physique
Saw Palmetto Complex
Stomach Soothing Complex
Stress Relief Complex
Sustained Release B+C
(Vitalizer)
VitalMag
Vita-C Sustained Release 500mg
Vita-C Chewable
Vita-E Complex
Vita-Lea (with / without iron)
Vita-Lea Gold (with / without K)
Vita-Lea Infant Mix
Vita-Lea Ocean Wonders

Cinch Inch Loss Plan Products

All Cinch Inch Loss Plan products are gluten-free with the exceptions of the Berry
Almond Crunch and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Meal-In-A-Bar, which contain oats.

January 2009

Shaklee scientists are hard at work testing our nutritional supplements for the presence of gluten so we can make a “Gluten Free” claim for those products that pass the test-great news for our gluten sensitive customers and for Distributors and Business Leaders marketing our products to people who are or may be sensitive to gluten.

To date, there has been no legal requirement to test for gluten to make a “Gluten-Free” claim, nor has the FDA provided a final definition of what “Gluten Free” means or established a gluten threshold standard to test against. Despite these facts, many companies have marketed gluten-free products basing their claims simply on the absence of ingredients that contain gluten.

While generally reliable, that practice has never met Shaklee’s quality standards. However, with the passing of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act in 2004, the FDA has now issued a proposed rule defining the claim “gluten free” for voluntary use in labeling food and dietary supplements. The proposed rule also included an established “gluten threshold” to test against.

Although a final rule is still pending, based on the proposed rule, established testing standards and the increase in demand from Shaklee consumers, we are now able to test for the presence of gluten in Shaklee nutrition products and make “Gluten Free” claims on products that meet the label claim criteria.

It should be noted that the majority of Shaklee nutrition products do not have gluten containing
ingredients, with the exceptions of Herb-Lax®, Vita-E® 400 IU Tablets, Iron Plus C, Zinc, and the Cinch™ Meal-in-a-Bar products.

We are excited to announce that Shaklee has begun testing our products and as a result, customers will begin seeing new labels with the “Gluten Free” claim on selected products over the next several months.

Shaklee Field Support

Our newer products, Vivix and Vitalizer, are also gluten free.

Individuals with gluten intolerance have generally been advised to stay away from oats. Recent studies have found, however, that gluten intolerance is caused by the intestine’s immunological reaction to a very specific sequence of amino acids in one of the proteins commonly found in certain grains. Oats do not contain this reactive protein sequence and are therefore considered to be gluten-free when consumed in moderation.

For the record, dietary supplements containing oat-derived ingredients are:

• MoodLift – Green Oat extract
• Berry Almond Crunch and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Meal-In-A-Bar

Shaklee Corporation _ 4747 Willow Road _ Pleasanton, California 94588