Health Wise - Michele Sevier

Earth Hour

Tomorrow - Saturday March 28th is Earth Hour. Will you participate and turn your lights out for an hour??

Earth Hour was started in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Sydney, Australia. Over the last few years participation has grown across the globe. Organizers see the event as a way to encourage the world to conserve energy. This years target has been set at one billion people taking part this March 28th from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Some critics say it won’t make much difference, but the real point is to help create awareness about the climate problems we and our future generations are facing.

So light a candle for an hour and take a moment to reflect on the beauty and offerings Mother Earth blesses us with each day and hope they maintain for lifetimes to come.

Rick Mercer and ColdFX

I love Rick Mercer and his satirical humour. Laughter is a key component to stress relief and who doesn’t need that nowadays? If you are a regular viewer, you know that Rick makes fun of everything and everyone.

Last nights show was his final for the season and he had a great parody of ColdFX….check out the video “RMR ColdFX drip” on the following link:

http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/video.html

Acai Berry – As Great As the Claims?

In the past number of months, I have received many questions regarding the weight loss and other health benefits of acai berry. There is much marketing on the internet extolling the virtues of this superfruit. Its popularity is soaring, but how much is true?

Acai, like many other fruits (including blueberry. bilberry, cranberry) is an excellent source of antioxidants, but consumers must be aware that there have been many exaggerated health claims regarding this Brazilian berry.

Acai berry has been shown to possess powerful antioxidant properties as it is high in polyphenols – specifically anthocyaniins, pigments that are also present in red wine.

Antioxidants help offset the damage and inflammation caused by free radicals, which may help reduce the likelihood of offset the risk markers associated with many health conditions including arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and other chronic conditions.

However, it is important to note that any superfruit or health supplement is not a panache for all that ails us. Nor does it offer protection against an unhealthy lifestyle and lack of exercise. Is it the magic bullet for weight loss? Absolutely not. In fact, I have yet to see any documentation to support this use. There are other far better supplements that help assist weight loss including green tea, CLA, whey protein and more.

Don’t be duped into falling for the excess marketing claims out there including some companies using so-called endorsements from Oprah and Rachel Ray. Speak to your local nutrition house staff and their natural health advisors to find the real health benefits many of these superfruits offer.

Tastes Great AND Healthy Weight

SHAPE UP – The Perfect Snack Bar

Wow, I must say I have just tried the new SHAPE UP protein bars and they are fantastic!

You must try either the Dreamy Vanilla or the Chocoholic bar. Not only do they taste great, but the ingredients in them are perfectly balanced with a light crispy texture. All natural ingredients include low glycemic agave sugar, premium quality proteins, healthy fats, fibre and herbal co-factors including green tea, banaba, citrus aurantium and magnolia.

SHAPE UP the perfect snack bar will help you attain your healthy weight goals

They make a great complement to a protein shake and they are great for people on the run looking for a snack bar to stop those mid-day cravings and help feed your body right.

Seriously folks, give them a try. I think it will be your favourite bar to date.

Michele

Calcium and Vit D to Protect Against Diabetes

We all know the importance of both calcium and vitamin D pertaining to healthy bones and immunity, but did you know that recent research supports increasing the intake of these nutrients to help improve insulin levels and help prevent diabetes?

Check out this link for more information:

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Health-condition-categories/Diabetes/Calcium-and-vitamin-D-may-protect-against-diabetes-Study/?utm_source=Newsletter_Product&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BProduct

Sound Sleep and Stress Relief…Finally!

As the winter climate and economic downturn continues to drag on it is certainly affecting our emotional health, placing additional stress on our already over-taxed body.

We place ourselves on auto-pilot hoping for some much needed relief from the pressures of modern day living. And although we know that our overall physical health is important, we often become so wrapped up in day to day living that we forget the negative burden that stress and its associated symptoms place on our health and well-being.

If you have been one of the fortunate few like myself who have had a wonderful Caribbean vacation then you know the value of re-charging and “island” stress relief. However, if a vacation is not a possibility there are a number of fantastic products to help cope with daily stressors and support our much needed sleep.

I suggest you check out

Stress-Relax Mental Calmness from Natural Factors
Mental Calmness contains L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea that helps reduce stress. Studies show that L-theanine promotes well-being by directly stimulating the production of alpha brain waves which are associated with states of deep relaxation. It encourages a restful, relaxed state without diminishing daytime alertness and can help improve sleep.

Stress-Relax Tranquil Sleep from Natural Factors
About 1 in 7 adult Canadians suffers from insomnia. Tranquil Sleep is a safe, fast acting formula containing: the amino acid 5-HTP; the hormone melatonin; and green tea’s stress-reliever, L-theanine. Together these natural compounds exert a powerful synergistic effect to promote restful sleep.

L-theanine is one of my favourite supplements and I use it often to reduce the various signs and symptoms of stress. Often many people consume excess amount of caffeine and coffee and become jittery and irritable. L-theanine and Mental Calmness can also help reduce these annoying symptoms.

Michele