Healthy ways to Break Down Sugars in the Body

Many people have made New Years resolutions that involve weight loss, time and time again. Many people have made the choice to lose weight without it being the beginning of a new year, and many have not. Regardless of which category we all fall under there are various ways we can take care of our bodies and maintain a health plan that is best for us. This blog is the first of many to come, illustrating not only what we can use to manage this conscious decision to be healthy, but also why and how.

Take today and decide to not stroke your ego, or say that you can't do it, but yet to say that your health is important to you. Make the decision to live it and not just feel or think it is. Know what is right under your nose that can help you live healthier and know that healthy does not necessarily mean tofu, and veggies but involves ways of life, foods and habits beyond exercise and so called nasty foods.

"There are so many different aspects of maintaining overall health that it's sometimes hard to know how to prioritize. While maintaining a healthy sugar metabolism might not seem as important as say, supporting heart health, it directly contributes to every one of your body's systems - including the heart. So, if your body metabolizes sugar in a healthy way, your heart and circulatory systems will only stand to benefit."

So, today lets make a conscious decision together, to live healthy. I will take this road with you so that I too can say that I am a living testament to what being healthy represents. No, I won't give up all of the "bad" foods that I have become accustomed to over the years. No, I won't say that I am definitely going to exercise every day, because I don't know this information yet. What I will say is that I will live a healthy lifestyle one day at a time. I will eat in moderation and I will eat smaller meals 5 to 6 times a day (a blog on this is coming soon), including snacks, as I already do. As, someone who has lost 23 pounds since January 2008, I can say that being healthy is not just great on the physical appearances of our bodies but also health wise. So, lets start by being informed on what supplements we can take that will get us started on the road to HEALTHY.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a co-enzyme that helps to support good health and is involved in sugar uptake.* ALA plays an important role in helping to metabolize sugar in the body, especially in the muscles, where it promotes energy production.* Those following a regular exercise program might find the benefits of ALA especially useful!

"In America, there are about 23.6 million people who have cause for concern when it comes to their sugar metabolism (American Diabetes Association). That's about 7.8% of the U.S. population."

Gymnema

Gymnema's popularity continues to grow today, especially among high and low carb Gymnema another herd that is involved in the metabolism of sugars and carbohydrates in the body.* The leaves of the Gymnema plant have been used in India for over 2,000 years.

"While you can't do much to change your genetics, eating healthy and exercising regularly will help you to maintain a healthy sugar metabolism."

Cinnamon
More than Just a Heavenly Aroma

Most people know Cinnamon for its sweet scent and delicious flavor - but Cinnamon provides the body with far more than these superficial benefits. As a dietary supplement, Cinnamon plays an important role in the healthy metabolism of sugar, starches, and fats.*
Cinnamon supplements, like those from Vitamin World, make an excellent herbal addition to your daily routine. Cinnamon's beneficial effects on sugar and fat metabolism have in turn been shown to support heart and circulatory health.* Aside from contributing to the healthy metabolism of nutrients, Cinnamon helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels already within a normal range.*
Since it has been around for centuries, Cinnamon has plenty of science to support its benefits.

"A clinical study found that subjects taking 1,000 mg of Cinnamon per day were able to support sugar metabolism more effectively that subjects taking a placebo."

Khan, A. et al. Diabetes Care. 2003 26:3215-3218.

"In another laboratory study, researchers tested approximately 50 different varieties of herbs and spices to measure their effects of sugar metabolism - Cinnamon was found to be the most bioactive ingredient tested.
The researchers concluded that Cinnamon's natural polyphenols and other components most likely contributed to the beneficial effects."

Broadhurst, C. et al. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2000. 48. pg. 849-852.

Here are the answers to many common misconceptions about managing a healthy way of life.

Myth: People who have concerns about their sugar metabolism have to avoid sugar-laden desserts - like cake, candy and cookies - at all costs.

As long as you plan ahead and eat nutrient rich foods throughout the rest of the day, there's no reason you can't have a serving of your favorite dessert every once in a while. Remember, moderation is always best. eating an entire birthday cake in one sitting does not count as moderation.

Myth: Eating right and exercising regularly are the only ways to maintain overall good health.

The fact is, dietary supplements can complement these healthy lifestyle habits outstandingly! Supplements like Cinnamon, Gymnema, and ALA are especially helpful in supporting healthy sugar metabolism in your body.*

Fact: Try to devote 30 minutes a day to exercise. Every little bit of movement counts.

It's important to make a conscious effort to move more. After all. taking a ten minute walk after a meal is certainly better than plopping onto the couch, isn't it? Small changes, like parking a little further away from your offices entrance, and choosing the stairs instead of the elevator all add up to burning more calories and enhancing your level of physical fitness.

Fact: You should maintain a healthy weight for reasons that go beyond your ego.

Sure, it can only boost your self- confidence to know that you look great, but achieving and maintaining a weight that's healthy for your body is vitally important for a healthy lifestyle. If you have a healthy sugar metabolism [amongst other things*], you should feel physically well and energized. Talk to your doctor if yo notice any changes.


* These statements have not been evaluated by the FADA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.


All information was courtesy of Vitamin World.
For more information call 1-800-381-9000 for a location near you or visit www.vitaminworld.com

Reasons why Women want Babies

1. Natural Instincts can take over sometimes allowing the woman to experience what only their bodies can.

2. Husband wants children to start family.

3. Women can feel needy, because they are alone or single.

4. Some women want babies because they have money.

5. Reasons don't always have to be good. Some women want babies to trap a man or to get him to want to be with her.

CAN YOU THINK OF ANY MORE REASONS? JUST LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR ME.

Change Has Come

On November 4, 2008, we all know what happened that changed the course of history forever. Barack Obama, became the President elect and showed that all is possible with determination, faith, dedication and hope. Hope is something that many people have had, before Obama decided that being President was on his political agenda.


Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought the injustice of these United States for years until he was assassinated in 1968. It is now 2008 and we are still fighting the waves of hate and injustice that targets minorities, and many more. People have lived believing that nothing will ever change and that we have no other choice but to tolerate the hate that has been bestowed upon us for centuries. Obama has shown that we have the right and the strength to do more than sit around.

Some feel that he won because of the color of his skin, and although there may have been many who voted for him for that reason, think about why they would feel it was appropriate. Color has always played a factor in the way people live their lives and the circumstances that they encounter and endure in their lives. Just look at the inequality of the Jena 6, and the deaths that continue to grow because of race, and even sexuality. How many people have to suffer because, as truth be told, people feel that we live in a "caucasian" world, when we do not.

I am about speaking my mind, whether some feel it is the truth or not. I look at the bigger picture and I do not pretend that this is not a racist world that we inhabit. This world, this United States of America has been seized by a group of people who felt that slavery was wrong. However, in reality they felt that their slavery was wrong, and fought to be free. They then decided that other races didn't share those right and went on to enslave them or run them off of their own lands. We don't need a history lesson, we know how it all works, but why is it that we continue to live by this sort of falsification.

We live by it because many of us don't care enough about ourselves to do more than the normal, "just getting by." We all have so much to learn from each other, and yet are too stubborn to do so. Let's face the truth, you have African Americans hating on successful African Americans because they have done something with their lives and so forth. It is time to get over it, live life and do right, not just by others by by ourselves.

Obama winning the election shows that this country wants progress more than we thought. Over 60% of his voters were Caucasian, which means a lot. Yes, there were those people who made their racist comments, and whom feel that a NIGGER has no place be the head of state, but they mean absolutely nothing. They are the people who live in the past, and if that is where they want to be than let them live there alone. It has never been about race for many, it was always about wanting something better for our country as a whole.

No more soldiers dying on the likes of making specific individuals richer. No more people losing their homes and falling victim to the issues of the economy because some wealthy people are selfish and because we have a President that is only out for self. No more...No more...No more...

Life, Pursuit and Laziness

Sometimes standing around doing nothing will affect some of the future decisions that we make. Does this make sense to you?

Well, it is true, ask anyone who has dealt themselves a raw hand on the likes of laziness.

We pursue our goals and dreams and we tell ourselves that they are within arms reach. We go through those beginning years doing everything we can to get to the finish line, but then one or two things happen that we deem crucial turning points and that is when dreams, goals, and aspirations go down the drain. There will always be someone who will tell you that what you have gone through is nothing compared to their life, but at the end of the day what is dramatic and hectic to one will still be that way regardless of what someone else says. This is still no excuse, no matter who it is to allow your life and the things that you had once pursued in life disappear into non existence.

Someone may look at this article and say that I am talking out the side of my "you know what," but that is far from the case. We all need to take into consideration that there are people who have lived the lives that they refer to. I am one of those people. Lets get personal for a minute.

Eight years ago, I was one of the most dedicated people, heading towards the goals that I had in mind to achieve. I was on top of "my game," so to speak and then it all went down the drain when my brother died in a car accident. My brother, Chukes whom we called CJ died in a car accident on April 16, 2000. This occurred during my spring break, senior year of high school. I shared my life with him, especially after we had been neglected by our mother when I was in the sixth grade. We took initiative and worked together to take care of three little girls, the oldest being 5 and the youngest not even close to being a year old. We took turns going to school until one day our father took me away from him, I felt as though I neglected him. After that day I was motivated and when he died at the age of 24, I gave up.

Graduation, prom, my luncheon meant nothing to me after that. My parents, my daddy and stepmom had to talk me into attending these functions because they knew CJ would want me to. All I could think about was him being there seeing me off to prom and meeting me at the door after graduation as we'd planned. So, when I went away to college that summer I found myself not caring and pregnant. I had my son the following year. I decided to drop out of college, and take care of him. His father and I had another baby the following year and by then I felt that my life was hopeless, and all I would do from then on out is take care of my children, living check to check.

In 2007, I met quite a few people who encouraged me to go back to school, and introduced me to resources that would allow me to focus on school and basically "handle my business." Now, here it is with less than two week left of 2008, and I am a sophomore in college, working two jobs, taking care of two beautiful children,getting good grades, and happy.

I got off of my lazy behind, and although some may say that I had a reason for my laziness, it was still that non-the-less. I could have stayed in school and made it work eight years ago, but I took the other road, and now I can truly say that I know how it feels on both ends.

So, although I don't know what situations everyone else has gone through, i do know that anything is possible. I lived through losing a piece of me, to gaining two big parts back. I went from thinking my life was over because I was a mother, to knowing that even then I can still be successful. I know that this is something that anyone can say if they put their mind to living and pursuing life. I will be your motivator, I will be your backbone, I will be your support system.

Mysti