Most of us have at one time or another, tried an exercise program, a fad diet or even a combination of both because of different reasons. Whatever your body’s needs are, The ViSalus Sciences Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge is geared towards helping you achieve your goals. People have different needs for their bodies. Some people are clinically obese and need to lose weight. Some just want to lose a few pounds. Some want to get fit and toned and there are those who just want to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Unlike other programs, which turn out to be fad diets, Body by Vi “is based on nutrition that helps you burn fat, keep lean muscle, boosts your metabolism and helps control hunger.” Formulas and ingredients are patented and will help achieve an individual’s goals on his/her terms with guaranteed results. The program includes fitness tips and plans, nutrition guides and tracking tools that you can download from the website.

There are three kits in the Body by Vi Program:

1. Body by Vi “Balance” Kit - helps you begin your journey by providing your body with good nutritional balance
2. “Shape” Kit - will help accelerate your results in achieving a slim and trim body
3. “Transform” Kit - the ultimate power of the ViSalus product line which will help you see and feel maximum results
4. Program Guide - contains information, recipes and a journal to help you track your  success.

An online “Health Membership” is included in the kit which will give you access to different online tools you can use to help you succeed. Upon joining the challenge, you can log into the online community where you will meet other people who have participated and who are presently participating in the challenge. They will be your support group and they will help you achieve your goals.

When starting the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge, follow these steps:

1. At the beginning of the program, take your body measurements and your “Before” Photo, upload these into your Health Membership Profile and show your results as you move towards your goal.
2. Using the ViSalus recipe database, you can enter your dietary needs and preference into the database and you get a customized meal plan. Your shopping list is then sent directly to your email or phone.
3. You can also customize your fitness plan. You can find a plan that will match what goes on in your life (i.e. your schedule, your goals). You can choose an exercise plan from available videos.
4. Track your progress. Always update your Vi-Net profile, so you can share your progress with the rest of the ViSalus community. As you go through the challenge, celebrate every little success that you have.

There are available video testimonials of different people from different walks of life who have succeeded in improving their lives through the Body by Vi Challenge. Their “Before” and “After” photos are very powerful visual aids that show the average person that anybody can do this challenge.

There are so many available health programs out there. Many have made promises from helping a person lose weight, helping others look beautiful, helping people look feel good, etc. Many are effective, some are not. But what makes Body by Vi stand out?

With Visalus Body by Vi:

• Body by Vi offers a comprehensive health program that has a simple nutritional program with menu plans and recipes that you can customize to your body’s needs.
• You get to keep track of what you eat and get to understand how your diet choices will accelerate your progress. You can also customize your exercise program according to your needs and your goals.
• You can then choose a workout program from the exercise and video programs available at ViSalus. These are simple exercises that can be done at home or at the office. Some exercise can be done outdoors or at the gym.

Perhaps, most important of all, would be the ViSalus Community. When you join the Body by Vi Challenge:

• You will join an online “Health Membership” and you will have instant access to online tools to aid you in your success.
• You will also get to meet other people who are also participating in the Challenge and people who have already finished the Challenge. The Community is always there whether you just want answers to some questions or you need to have some encouragement as you go through the program.
• You have access to many pointers from experts and regular people like you who just want to have a better life.

So, if you want to have a better, healthier life without the hassles of doing a health program that does not suit your needs, or involves fad diets and watching endless exercise videos, just make things simple.

Recent studies have pointed to children as the largest group of juice consumers today.  And this is not surprising considering that historically, pediatricians and health experts have recommended fruit juice as a healthy source of vitamins, calcium and other nutrients.  Most recently, there were claims made that some fruit juices even contain anti-oxidants that may help to fight systemic diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Although fruit juice is often thought of as an alternative to soda and other sugary juice cocktail and sports drinks, nutritionist still do agree unanimously that fruit juice cannot replace the nutrients derived from a whole fruit.  Why is this so?

What it has …

A typical juice box in the supermarket contains only a little amount of real fruit juice and much more contains a blend of sweeteners that are high in calories and is really no healthier than a can of soda.

Some brands also contain high amounts of artificial colors and flavors and are dehydrated, rehydrated and pasteurized prior to packaging.

And what it doesn’t have …

A 100% fruit juice does not contain fiber which is the key nutrient that a piece of fruit provides. In addition to this, a fruit’s skin and pulp can also be sources of other nutrients needed by the body.

What it does to our body …

Fruit juice since it is loaded with a high sugar concentration can lead to dental problems.  It can stimulate the production of insulin in the body and limit the body’s ability to burn fat thus will lead eventually  obesity.  Or, the other side of the coin can be increasing the risk of malnutrition since it can displace other more nutritious foods from the diet. Among children, cases of flatulence and diarrhea were traced to excessive amount of sugar in the gut.

Based on these, the overall health worthiness of fruit juice, we can say is a lit bit tilted to the bad side. But this doesn’t mean that adults and children alike should stop drinking fruit juices.  The best healthy choice is to still drink and supply the body with at least 60 ounces of water each day. The key here is  learning to set limits and being wise enough to be selective in what we are drinking.

If you enjoyed this article, please take the time and take our fitness survey so we may continue to research articles of interest. Click Here to take survey

Related Posts

How to Use Nutritional Labels
Nutrition and The 7 Rules to Healthy Eating
Your Diet / Eating Personality

Health is a balanced result between exercise and proper nutrition from healthy eating. Nutrition refers to the food you take in order to nourish your body and to enable it to function properly.

Eating too much or too little of something will manifest corresponding results in the body and its functions just as eating with a balanced diet will. This is exactly why healthy eating is important. By having healthy eating practices, you choose better food options and regulate your intake amount according to what your body needs.

These seven rules can guide you into starting your healthy eating practices.

Rule 1:  Know thyself Know the state you’re in. Write down everything you ate during the day, how much of it you took and what time you took it. After 2-3 days of journaling, you’ll be able to see the foods that aren’t good for you, which ones you need to cut down on and when your hunger pangs usually come.

• Rule 2: Balancing your plate A balanced diet includes grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and other protein foods. To be in optimum health, you need to eat more grains, fruits and vegetables. Meats and protein foods have to be taken in moderation because they also contain fats. Fats are not altogether bad but they must be the smallest part of your daily intake. To help you achieve a balance, read the nutrition labels and nutrition facts on your grocery items.
• Rule 3: Moderation is Key Healthy eating requires eating with the right portion sizes. One serving of foods rich in carbohydrates such as rice or pasta is the size of half a baseball. Veggies or fruits are the size of a whole baseball to make one serving. A meat serving should appear like a deck of cards.
• Rule 4:  Understanding calories Considering the calorie content of foods is a challenge. Calories refer to the amount of energy found in what we eat. It’s easy to obsess with the calorie content of foods but difficult to follow the right amount. But to make it do-able, remember to consume the amount of calories that you can burn through your daily activities.
• Rule 5: Avoid Skipping Many dieters fail miserably because they skip meals. Skipping meals make the body and mind weak. It creates cravings that can defy the most sensible diet plans. Eat 5-6 small meals a day than two large ones.
• Rule 6: Hydrate Water adds to the feeling of fullness. At the same time, you can sustain yourself in exercise and other activities by staying hydrated.
• Rule 7: Remember to Enjoy Eating Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. The key is to moderate how much you eat and how often you eat them. You can enjoy your favorite foods in moderation, as long as they are an occasional part of your overall healthy diet.

Healthy eating is all about following strict nutrition philosophy, staying awkwardly thin, or depriving yourself of foods that you love. Healthy eating is about absorbing the right foods into your body and having the energy you need and feeling great about yourself.  For more information on healthy eating, here is the link to a great article at helpguide.org. Click Here to take survey

Related Posts
Foods That Boost Metabolism
Eating Habits: The Good, The Bad and The Healthy

“I will start eating healthy,” is probably the most overused New Year’s resolution – ever. But for over 2 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes, ‘eating healthy’ is not an option – it’s a commitment.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed or have a genetic predisposition to it (i.e. family has diabetes history), take heart. Science now knows how to control, head off, and even – some believe – reverse diabetes. We have modern medication aimed at improving insulin sensitivity, you can do beneficial exercises, and of course, the primary weapon of every diabetic: proper diet and nutrition.
The first – and best thing you can do is to visit a dietitian with experience advising diabetics and map out a nutrition plan. You can’t just stop eating certain foods or eliminating all sugars from your life. You should actually broaden your gastronomic horizon (in a safe and moderated way). Your new diet should take into account your lifestyle, medication, weight, age, and other medical conditions you may have. Going on a diabetic-friendly diet doesn’t mean depriving yourself, it simply means eating well in a way that will prevent the complications of diabetes and improve your overall health while allowing you the pleasure of good healthy food.
Diabetics should change their diet to achieve specific goals – maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood glucose levels, and getting proper overall nutrition.
One way to do this is to follow the ADA’s Diabetes Food Pyramid guide. This guide can be found online and has an extensive list of examples. The ADA guide groups foods according to their carbohydrate and protein content, often guiding you regarding what you can eat, when to eat it, and serving size. The ADA’s guide contains and extensive list of grains and starches, vegetables, fruit, milk, meat and meat substitutes.
Another diet option is the Glycemic Index Diet, which ranks foods according to the rate at which they break down in the body to form glucose. High GI foods break down rapidly, while low GI foods break down more slowly. The Glycemic Index diet focuses on low GI foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products.
Another option is a low-fat vegan diet. Switching to a vegan diet seems like an abrupt change to some, however a study by Dr. Neal Barnard and chronicled in his book Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugsclaims a low-fat vegan diet and foods with low glycemic index can help reduce or do away with medication, and even reverse the diabetes’ progression.
Following a diabetic-friendly diet can be both fulfilling and nutritious, as long as you are willing to change your lifestyle. Before settling on a diet, remember to consult your doctor and dietician and stick with it. If you’re a diabetic, now is the time to forget eating without abandon, it’s probably what got you here in the first place. Remember, the keys to a great life despite diabetes are proper medication, exercise, and a good nutritious diet.
Resources of interest:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabeticdiet.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00027

Create a comprehensive and systematic approach to your holistic fitness. Many people who are overweight or lack energy struggle with their chosen exercise routine.
There are many choices to get in shape, lose weight and tone: cycling, swimming, jogging or yoga. One of the most important aspects of a healthy life is selecting activities you enjoy.  If you love something, you will be able to participate and integrate it into your lifestyle.

Why you torture yourself? The trick is finding an exercise that is effective and fun. Whatever your choice, start slow and make sure you have enough skill. You may need to book a session with a personal trainer or private lesson with instructor. Take the time and select a good trainer who is good for you, understanding your goals and current fitness level.

• A holistic approach incorporates your weight loss and fitness goals.  In addition to your fitness goals, notice your stress. It may be the reason why you have too much fat around your belly. Stress hormone cortisone fluctuates during the day. Many people nowadays have stress and eat later at night. You are familiar with the results: weight gain, thyroid problems, sleep disorders, an increase in the production of cholesterol and heart attacks.

Holistic fitness addresses both your nutrition and exercise choices. Eat healthy, the right foods and remember to eat enough food if you want to lose weight. Eat too little and the body stores more fat to protect itself from starvation.

Other resources of interest:

http://www.holisticfitness.com/index.html

http://holisticfitness4u.com/

Getting diagnosed with diabetes today is not as devastating as it once was. The sky won’t fall down and the world will not end. Now more than ever, science has advanced enough that you can be in control and not the other way around.

• Controlling diabetes can be done many ways; through diet and nutrition, such as changing to a low fat vegan diet, eating foods with low glycemic index, and following the ADA approved diet.
• There’s better medication aimed at improving insulin sensitivity and improve glycemic control.  Aside from medication and going on a vegan diet, one other proven, powerful way of controlling diabetes is exercise.

• Exercise helps control weight, lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels, which then lowers your risk of heart disease. Exercise also helps control blood glucose and lowers blood pressure. Plus it releases endorphins that help you feel better about yourself – lending credence to the saying ‘a healthy person is a happy person.’

But before you go running out you should know not all exercises are good for diabetics.

• Experts agree that moderate-intensity exercise for 30 minutes, five days a week, is best for diabetes sufferers. Examples include brisk walking, dancing, swimming, or cycling. Physically demanding sports such as basketball, football, etc. are allowed but check with your doctor first.

Talk to a doctor, caregiver, and fitness expert and work out an exercise plan specifically for your conditioning, age, and fitness level. Most importantly, do exercises or sports that you really like.
Beware though, exercise can lower blood glucose too much causing hypoglycemia characterized by shaking, confusion, anxiety, headaches and may render you unconscious. To prevent this, check your blood glucose with medical grade test strips before and after exercising. Ask your doctor what your blood sugar levels should be before and after.  If your blood glucose drops, stop – eat a snack to get it back up.
Important Tips

• Always warm up before you start and cool down after. Go slowly at the beginning gradually increasing the exercise intensity, as you get fit.
• Wear correct fitting socks and shoes and check for sores, blister or cuts after exercising. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
• If you’re on medication, ask your doctor if adjustments are needed. Wear a medical tag that states you have diabetes, your doctor’s name and number, and emergency contacts.

Most importantly, exercise with someone who knows your condition and knows what to do. Plus it’s always more fun exercising with someone you know.
Finally, make exercise or sports a permanent part of your life. Diabetes won’t just quit and go away, so you shouldn’t quit doing anything that will help you either.

If you enjoyed this article, please take the time and take our fitness survey so we may continue to research articles of interest. Click Here to take survey

Related Posts

Fitness Goals: The Fun Fitness Program Questionnaire
The Best Exercises For Your Fitness Goals
Reaching Your Fitness Goals, One Victory at a Time

Dr. Howard M. Shapiro is the founder and director of Howard M. Shapiro Medical Associates. It is a private multidisciplinary medical office in New York City, which specializes in nutrition counseling, weight control, and life management. His pioneering work in bariatric medicine gained him international recognition in 1981. He was able to establish a comprehensive weight control method which expanded to include psychological services.  Dr. Shapiro has authored Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss: The Visual Program for Permanent Weight Loss and Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss 30 Day Plan (Amazon affiliate link) among others. These books have made a great impact on many people.

Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss: The Visual Program for Permanent Weight Loss (Amazon affiliate link)
Comparisons in pictures give clear illustrations that, while an individual can make a choice of eating food with low calories, he/she can still have a large portion that is enjoyable to one’s palate.  The pictures get readers to think about their food choices. This book is a visual aid to some people who prefer large portions but still want to lose weight. Most people need to ‘see’ and not just ‘hear’ or ‘read about’ it.

This book is straightforward and easy to read. For many readers, this is not a “diet” book.

• It illustrates that losing weight can be easy. It teaches how to satisfy one’s hunger by actually eating more, provided you eat the right foods.
• It allows you free choice, you can control what you eat but you will not feel deprived. It is a realistic system.  This is a better alternative to low-carb diets which are harder to maintain and puts one’s heart at risk.

Another plus is the discussion on emotional eating where examples are cited on how “real people” can modify their eating selections.
While the book may be the best diet plan to many of Dr. Shapiro’s readers, there are some flaws in this book:

• Dr. Shapiro discourages milk and instead encourages an increase in intake of fortified soy products.
• This book leans toward vegetarianism but many people still prefer to have some meat in their diets as their protein source. Some people can only eat so much tofu. Soy products are also quite expensive and not available in some places.

There is no mention of alternatives to seafood in this book. This is a problem to people who are allergic to seafood. The discussion on exercise, as part of a balanced health regimen, lacked depth.
Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss: The Visual Program for Permanent Weight Loss (Amazon affiliate link)
is one of the best approaches to weight control. It is simple and easy to understand. It helps many people to lose weight in a doable, enjoyable way. In the end of it all, it is one’s choice whether he will make use of this book to improve his life.

Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss 30 Day Plan (Amazon affiliate link)

Just like its predecessor, Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss 30 Day Plan (Amazon affiliate link) is a simple and easy book to follow. It has new food comparisons which are as colorful as the ones in the first book. There are real life stories of New York Fire and Police Department personnel, the Chicago 7 on Good Morning America, etc. In this book, there is nutritional information targeted at specific age groups (e.g. kids, teens and seniors).

There is a section addressing eating disorders like bulimia which is affects many young people. Unlike the first book, the 30 day plan book is more specific. As the title suggests, it’s a 30-day eating plan. For many people who are too busy to figure out the portions that they should eat, this book is a big help. However, like the first book, this is also a diet-focused book. Losing weight should also involve exercise.

While this is a one of the best weight control programs written, an exercise regimen would also greatly benefit the readers.

As with all other diet plans, there is one basic thing to remember. If you do not stick to this plan, you will easily regain all the weight that you lost. While this program was designed to be simple and easy to follow and understand, it still takes commitment on one’s part to do this regimen diligently to stay healthy.

Most of us have been accustomed to low-fiber, high-sugar, and high-salt diets. It may be because of the hectic lifestyle that most of us are leading these days. No time to cook, so we end up buying just about anything at the nearest fast-food restaurant. Maybe, we spend too much time in front of the computer or the TV, so, we eat while we are doing something else. Maybe, it’s because our moms just loved to cook those delicious, fatty foods when we were kids. So now, it’s just hard for us to switch to healthier options. Whatever the reason, obesity in USA alone, affects about 60 million people, mostly women.
Having bad eating habits has contributed greatly to obesity. Following are just some of the most common bad eating habits:

1. SKIPPING BREAKFAST
“Blood sugar usually drops overnight, so your brain is running on empty until you eat in the morning,” says Ellie Krieger R.D.
Studies show that those who skip breakfast tend to eat more calories during the day compared to people who don’t skip. You should eat something that will satisfy you enough to get you through the next few hours, like a bowl of bran cereal with low-fat milk.

2. STARVING YOURSELF
If you skip breakfast, your body would have been starved for 12 to 18 hours.
“Not consuming enough calories during the day could lead to increased craving for high-fat or high-sugar foods,” says Suzanne Farrell, MS RD, spokesperson for the AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION.

3. BINGING
If you are used to a diet that is low in fiber and high in salt or sugar and partially hydrogenated Trans fats, you will tend to over-eat. This is probably the most common cause of obesity in America.
Instead of eating two or three large meals per day, it is better to eat five or six small meals of high-fibered fruits, vegetables, etc. during the day.

4. EATING ON THE RUN
Leslie Bonci, R.D. calls this, “grab, gulp, and go mentality”. Bonci states that this eating habit can leave you dissatisfied and unsure of what you ate and sometimes give you an upset stomach.
Just like meetings, conferences, etc., include meal times on your schedule. There should always be time for good nutrition. If, however, there is just too much going on in our life, be prepared. Always stock up on healthy options like low-fat granola bars, nuts and dried fruits or single-serving packages of crackers.

5. DRINK ENOUGH WATER
How many times have we been told that drinking 8 glasses of water daily should be a part of our health regimen?
Water is crucial for all organs of to work properly. Drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of pure water a day will help your body to burn fat.
While most people have developed bad eating habits through the years, here are some good eating habits that can make a lot of difference in our lives.

1. EAT REGULAR MEALS
When you skip meals your body feels deprived. It can lead to out-of-control hunger which results to overeating. So, no matter how busy you are, eat meals regularly.

2. EAT MODERATE PORTIONS
It will be easier for you to eat the foods you want and stay healthy by keeping portion sizes reasonable. You don’t have to let your body feel deprived.

3. KNOW YOUR DIET PITFALLS
Before improving your eating habits, you have to identify what’s wrong with your present habits. Write down what you eat for two to three days. If you see an unhealthy diet pattern (i.e. lack of fruits and vegetables or having too much creams or sauces) try to correct it.

4. BALANCE YOUR FOOD CHOICES OVER TIME
If you’ve been used to a diet high in fat, sugar or salt, choose other foods that are low in these ingredients. If after following a regular health regimen, you fall off the wagon, get back up and try to make up for it the next day. Nobody is “perfect” even when it comes to making the right choices on healthy eating.

5. MAKE CHANGES GRADUALLY
Nobody can change overnight. Start with modest changes, and build it up to positive lifelong eating habits. Good nutrition should be a way of life not a life sentence.