Hydrogenated stuff and food addictions...

Today's post comes from the inspiration I received from him and another article I read in the last two days. Yesterday's Dr. Oz program imparted the information about the reasons why junk and commercially processed food is so dangerously addicting. Included the warnings about reading your labels. 

I love Dr. Oz. Not in a romantic way but in an "older brother" kind of way. He's the Iranian older brother I never had, but clearly needed. Love him.


A couple of quick guidelines:

For more than 30 years Arbonne has lead the standard for
Products that not only "first, do no harm" but are actually
Pure Safe and Beneficial.

First: beware of the amounts of sugars, salt, and fats you get when you consume processed foods. Much more than you realize. These three ingredients harmonize inside you to create a "bliss point." This bliss point is what creates the addiction you feel to these. You know what I'm talking about. We call them comfort foods or feel good foods. And yet, the feeling isn't lasting. It's temporary. Perhaps we should redefine "feel good" foods to those that provide lasting feelings of good and good health.

Warning: processed food companies are in big business to make big bucks selling products that people feel good eating and use every means to cut costs in order to advertise. Be aware of this especially if you thinking about going cheap on your favorite feel-goods so you can have your cake and eat it, too; so to speak. You are much better off learning to eat real foods.

Second: READ YOUR LABELS and know what it all means. Transfats are the buzzwords of today. So much that you're seeing more and more labels including it on the processed foods available at the grocery store. Did you know that the FDA has said that if something has a half-gram or less of something it can still be listed as having 0g? Be aware that "0g" doesn't mean that something is not in there. So... read the ingredient list.

Do you see anything that says "hydrogenated?" Even "partially-hydrogenated" isn't good. Food, in its natural state is recognizable and utilizable by your body. Vegetable oil, when left as a liquid oil is not a concern. But when it becomes "hydrogenated" it becomes a more shelf-stable solid and becomes a "transfat." Many products that claim 0g Transfat per serving will still contain something "hydrogenated" in the ingredients list. According to Dr. Oz, evening consuming 1g of this franken-food will increase your risk for many ailments including heart disease.

Just a few of my faves for everyday good health and well-being!

What's in this stuff, anyway?

Ever wonder what you're consuming? Have you tried to read the labels only to realize that you would need a B.S. in Chemistry to pronounce those things and a Ph.D. in order to have a clue what they really were?

I watch a lot of science programs (Mythbusters, How It's Made, Dr. Oz), and one particular snippet of show about jobs in science was supposed to get kids excited about working in various industries. It had the opposite of the intended effect on me. It was all about the "flavor scientists" who put together various chemicals in order to produce different flavors, that in reality had no basis of the substance they were trying to mimic in flavor. The flavor engineer showed how five different chemicals, when left on their own, did NOT smell at all appetizing, but when mixed together smelled and tasted like cherries.

A couple of thoughts occurred to me. First, if I want something cherry flavored, then I should just eat cherries! Second, if skip the cherry-flavored and go right for the cherries, there are many more benefits to me, not the least of which are proper caloric intake, fiber and naturally occurring vitamins and sugars that I need.

Let's switch gears for a moment. I watch a lot of Dr. Oz, too. It's the perfect "mom-break" for me in the mid-afternoon. He is frequently stating the importance of protein in the morning (20g for women, 25g for men). Getting that much protein, though, is no small feat. Eggs average about 4g of protein. But do you really want to eat 5 eggs for breakfast? I tried - and I can be a big eater. I felt sick just making the attempt - - and had nothing else with them.

Enter, Arbonne's protein powder. 160 Calories. 9g Sugar. 20g Protein. And what is the protein from? As with all of Arbonne's products, it is a Vegan- and Kosher-certified product. The nutrition label reads more like a recipe from your favorite cookbook: pea protein, cranberry protein, rice protein. A handful of other nutritional oils and sweeteners that - as always - never act as fillers but are actually beneficial.

It's my go-to drink. I, personally, am prone to hypoglycemia, and no matter how active I am that day, or where I'm vacationing, I have never had a blood-sugar dip when I start my day with this. Love it!

Say 'NO' to chapped lips!

As I pondered what bits of wisdom I might share with you this week (tongue in cheek), I came across the following link (http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/banned-ingredients-still-legal-u-132100120.html). It got me thinking about why I got interested in the business aspect of Arbonne. Sure it was the income opportunity, but anything I was going to get involved in had to have my support at a basic interest level. Something that is very important to me is knowing what is in my food and personal care products and where they come from. 

I was really struck by the idea that in Switzerland (where the research is conducted for Arbonne's products), the number of ingredients that are banned from use in personal care products is in the 1,000's. In the US? It's in the 10's. No, I did not exaggerate the number of zeros used here. 

Knowing what you are using and how it is affecting you is important. Anecdotally, this is the first year that I have not used my usual "over-the-counter" lip balm. I'm 35. For as long as I can remember, I have fought a losing battle with lip moisture during the winter. I was a chap-stick junkee, purchasing some almost as often as I got milk. Peeling, cracked and painful. This is the first year I'm not carrying balms in my pocket for my hourly wax-lathering desperate for some relief. What's the difference? I can only assume that it is because I have been using Arbonne's Lip Polish for those weekly occasions when I leave the house. That's it. Once a week or so, I put on makeup - - and that includes a smattering of Lip Polish.

Again, what's the difference?  Even something as simple as Arbonne's Lip Polish maintains the Pure, Safe & Beneficial standard. At a recent presentation, my hostess said it: those other regularly-used balms are laden with all kinds of occlusive oils, especially Mineral Oil. Mineral Oil clogs and blocks any kind of beneficial moisturizing agents from penetrating deeply into the skin layers. It's one reason why our lotions work so well. I am convinced that it's why my lips are in excellent condition in spite of harsh Nebraska winters and the abuse my skin gets from working out in it on our hobby farm and my photography. 

Such small changes can reap tremendous benefits!

Sarah

A remedy for INTENSELY DRY skin!

I don't know about you, but for our family, this time of the year is just plain mean to our skin! It is dry, dry, dry and for me and my son, we have parts of body that morph into something inhuman. Coming from a long line of folks riddled with various skin cancers, I was a lot paranoid at first. To call the couple of spots "dry" is really a misnomer. It was more like some horrific sandpaper; horrifying because that is NOT what skin should feel like. I found a couple of spots like that on my feet that have actually been like this for, embarrassingly, a couple of years.

It was when I was washing my son during his bath recently that I was really horrified that his entire underarm areas were scaly and in this beyond-dry state. My first impulse was to take him to the doctor a.s.a.p. My second realization is that I work for the best product line in the whole world for the development of everyday products that are Pure. Safe. and Beneficial. I grabbed my FC5 handcream and began the application. Other than the fact that it is a lotion that contains no occlusive oils (unlike most lotions) and only contains products meant to heal the skin and penetrate deeply for the best moisturizing possible, it's nothing "special." It's not an eczema treatment, but after three applications (one per day at bedtime), his underarms are the soft, supple skin you would expect in a 5 year old. As for my years-old spots? They're gone after a couple of "doses."

And once again I realized how much I love this company. Amazing products that actually do what they say they will do. And I get to make a living telling you about them. Whether you want a once-a-day hand moisturizer or need a little extra TLC because of dry-skin, you will love this lotion. I loved it because it saved us time and money by not having to visit a dermatologist to treat our dry skin.

Let me know if you want relief for your skin!

Sarah