This is a guest post written by Maggie Smith of Dexter’s Super Savvy Mommy.  Maggie was part of Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration campaign and is now the Shaklee 180™ blogger spokesperson.  Maggie received free products, online support and incentives for participating.

While I was driving in my car, I read a sign that said 180 miles to some city I hadn’t heard of before. I smiled a smile so big that it nearly hurt my face. I smiled because now, to me, 180 is more than just a number–it is my lifestyle. You see, last summer I started my weight-loss journey with Shaklee 180™. Today I am more than 40 pounds* lighter and I have a newfound confidence.

I struggled with my weight throughout my 20s. Once I hit 30 I made it a point to get healthier. I lost a few pounds here and there but nothing really worked. In May of 2012, I took command of my problem and I applied to be a Shaklee 180™ blogger. I was floored to discover, a month later, that I was chosen! WOW, finally someone believed in me and knew I could do this once and for all. I am bound and determined to enjoy my 30-year-old body by biking, hiking, and pushing my physical limits. I deserve it, and quite frankly, so do my kids.

As a mother of two young boys, most days I have very little time for myself. Shaklee must have had me in mind when they developed Shaklee 180™ because it is simple, effective, and just what this busy mom needs. When I have to get my son out the door for school, I usually have very little time to make myself something to eat. Being able to grab a Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Meal–in-a-Bar and a cup of black coffee is fast, convenient, and healthy. To me, nothing tastes better in the morning. I am losing inches with Shaklee 180™ and it is written all over my face.

Staying motivated to lose weight isn’t easy. However, when your heart wants what your body needs, I think it makes it easier. Here are some ways that I stay motivated with my weight loss:

1. 1. I try to drink 8-10 glasses of water each day. I do this not only to keep hydrated but also because water helps satiate your appetite so you’ll feel fuller with fewer calories.
2. 2. Another thing I do, some may call quirky, is brush my teeth directly after dinner. I do think nothing tastes good when you have a minty mouth, so I don’t eat or drink anything else until bedtime. Nighttime snacking can get the best of us and this is the easiest way to combat that (besides going right to bed!)
3. 3. My last trick is to keep a “trophy” dress or pair of pants that I really want to wear. I try them on every couple of weeks. Soon enough, I will be wearing them and needing a new “trophy.”

Thanks for reading! Please share any of your tips for staying motivated in the comments section below.

*Results and experiences from the Shaklee 180 Program are unique for each person, so results may vary.  People following the weight loss portion of the Shaklee 180 program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

Tips for Staying Motivated While Losing Weight

I have been a vegetarian for most of the past 40 years. The reason why I support a plant-based diet is obvious: People who consume mostly plant foods are generally much healthier and may live longer. I first decided to stop eating meat when my grandmother was diagnosed with colon cancer. I was a 21-year-old pre-med student at the time and quickly found that research associated a high-fat diet and being overweight with an increased risk of cancer.

So began my lifelong journey to incorporate healthy lifestyle choices for myself and my family—and to teach others, too!

This concept received support recently from a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that studied people who consumed a mostly plant-based Mediterranean diet. (They did eat small amounts of white meat and fish).

The results of the study were striking: People eating the Mediterranean diet had a 30 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease (heart attack or stroke) than the group not eating a Mediterranean diet. The results were so dramatic that the study was stopped because of ethical reasons. (The study authors could no longer let the people who were not eating the Mediterranean diet continue to eat the way that they were eating). While not completely a vegetarian diet, the study showed how powerful a primarily plant-based diet can be.

Besides being good for your health, following a plant-based diet is also good for the earth. Since this is Earth Month, I thought I would highlight the environmental reasons for turning to a more plant-based diet:

• Carbon Footprint: Livestock farming produces a huge amount of greenhouse gases. Estimates are that livestock (from birth to death) produce around 20 percent of all greenhouse emissions. That is more greenhouse gases than cars, planes, and other transports combined.

• Water: Livestock use a lot of water. It takes an average of 2,500 gallons of water to produce a single pound of meat–almost half of all water consumed goes to livestock. In contrast, it takes only 25 gallons of water to produce one pound of wheat.

• Deforestation: Clearing land for livestock accounts for around 60-70 percent of all Amazon deforestation.

• Oceans: The oceans are impacted two ways by our meat-based diets. The first is from runoff. The manure and urine from feedlots are collected in lagoons that often leak or overflow when it rains. This leads to high amounts of nitrogen, nitrates, and phosphorus ending up in rivers and eventually the oceans. The second is that many of the world’s fish ecosystems are so overfished that they can no longer be fished.

• Land: It is estimated that a family who is vegetarian needs around one acre of land to produce the food that it needs. The average American (who consumes around 270 pounds of meat a year) needs around 20 acres. Livestock consume the majority of our plant crops, rather than us consuming the plants. In fact, it takes 20 pounds of soybeans to make one pound of meat.

Now, you don’t have to become a full vegetarian–but I strongly recommend that we ALL eat less meat and more plants. Building your meals around fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains is one of the best ways you can help your health and help preserve the environment. Drink a soy protein-based shake for breakfast instead of bacon and eggs. Try a tofu and broccoli stir fry instead of chicken piccata. You’ll be healthier and our planet can be too.

How Vegetables Help the Environment (and You)

Have you heard of green exercise?

Green exercise is simply any physical activity that you do out in nature! There is growing scientific evidence showing that our modern world is increasingly detached from nature–and that exercising in natural areas helps reduce the risk of mental illness and improves a sense of well-being.

Green exercise gets even greener when you leave your car at home and use your body to get yourself to work or to run your errands.

Since this month is Earth Month, it’s the perfect time to get out into nature and get moving! My favorite way to exercise has been to put on my running shoes and pound the pavement or running paths for 30 to 45 minutes at least three times per week. This has helped reduce my stress level and keep me fit.

Exercising in nature has these benefits:

• • Biking: Many cities have paths and lanes specific for bikes; this makes it safer to exercise or commute using your bike. Want motivation? Try calculating the amount of gas you are saving!
• • Outside: When you take your exercise on the road and get outdoors all sorts of great things happen. You meet your neighbors. You get a bit of sunshine (which increases your vitamin D). Then there are the little miracles that happen such as a seeing a hawk in flight or a shy fox in the woods. Even better, take your children to see the waterfall at the end of the nature hike at a nearby park, or to see the sunrise reflecting off of the water.
• • Healthy is as healthy does: Getting fit often means that you make better choices about your health and the environment. When you start eating more vegetables and fruit you realize that the best ones you can find are often at the local farmers’ market and buying local is great for the environment.
• • You lead and others will follow: When your neighbors see you out exercising, it reminds them that they too should get out and enjoy the world.

Here are some ideas to incorporate exercise and help the environment:

• • Try biking, running, or walking to work. If you live far away, try driving part of the way and using your body power for the rest of the way.
• • Volunteer to help build or maintain a trail.
• • Start or help out at a community garden.
• • Many areas of the country sponsor a cleanup (beach, trail, etc.) on Earth Day. Join them—and be sure to bring your kids or grandkids. Build a love for the outdoors and for helping preserve our environment.

I hope you will join me by making a commitment to get outside more often and enjoy this wonderful world. Find opportunities to give back to our planet. Taking care of yourself and the environment—what a great combo!!

Green Fitness and Exercise Tips

Earth Day began on April 22 1970 and over 20 million people across the U.S. participated. At Shaklee, we believe in promoting a healthy environment, creating awareness of the issues, and educating others to not only take care of our planet but individual home environments too. In fact, before the inception of Earth Day, Shaklee was a company founded on Living in Harmony and with Nature^®. In the 1960s Shaklee introduced Basic-H^® Concentrated Organic Cleaner, one of the first nontoxic biodegradable cleaners. We also lead in environmental achievements, embracing climate change initiatives, and ecol-alliances with 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Wangari Maathai and others.

Earth Day should be every day, but at the very least let’s each take this one day to inspire and encourage others to take care of our planet and our homes for a healthier and brighter future. Below are four fun and easy ways you can observe Earth Day 2013:

1. Support the Arbor Day Foundation. With each membership you’ll receive 10 free trees to plant. One recommendation is to plant these trees in honor of a local organization. Look for events being held in your state by the Arbor Day Foundation and participate in a tree planting celebration. You’ll not only feel good doing good but can also network with others who share in the same cause.

2. Pledge an act of green and encourage your online friends to do the same! It’s easy to do at EarthDay.org with pre-generated ideas or creating an original idea to show your commitment to going green. We can only hope that one small ripple turns into a wave.

3. Send a free tree e-card to remind friends, family, and co-workers about the importance of taking care of our planet. These e-cards offer interesting facts to help the recipient learn more about the environment, endangered animals, and pollution. An excellent and free activity that you can do virtually with students or children!

4. Organize your own celebration with friends, family, and colleagues! There are plenty of parks, roadsides, and nursing home facilities that could use some tender loving care. Picking up trash, planting trees and flowers, or simply raking up the lawn and composting leaves as a group it is a great way to bond with others and show your commitment to protecting the environment!

Do you have other suggestions? If so, share in the comments section below.

Happy Earth Day, Shaklee Health Wise readers!

Tips for Celebrating Earth Day

I recently read a report on longevity in the Untied Stated by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine and couldn’t believe what I was reading.

The report said that the United States ranks around 40^th in the developed world for longevity (that means people in places such as Cuba, South Korea, and Hong Kong can expect to live longer than us).

Something even more surprising is that the gap between the U.S. and other developed countries is getting LARGER, according to the report. The reason the U.S. is falling behind is because younger people (people under 50) are dying at a faster rate than their peers in other developed countries–this is despite the fact that the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country (by a long shot).

There is a video that summarizes the findings that you can watch here: U.S. Health in International Perspective.  So, what is going on?

When compared with the average of peer countries, Americans fare worse in at least nine health areas:

• Infant mortality and low birth weight
• Injuries and homicides
• Adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases
• Infections
• HIV and AIDS
• Drug-related deaths
• Obesity and diabetes
• Heart disease
• Chronic lung diseases

Many of these conditions have a particularly profound effect on young people, reducing the odds that they will live to age 50.

While there are many things on this list that we can think of changing, the one area that jumps off the page at me is obesity and diabetes. Diabetes alone is associated with around 230, 000 deaths every year and costs around $174 billion dollars. Not to be outdone, obesity is estimated to cost around $147 billion.

The key to understanding why obesity and diabetes are such a problem is to understand that most people don’t actually die from either condition but from the diseases associated with these conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and certain cancers—and the numbers here are even more astounding.

But the real point I want you to take away from reading this is that both obesity and type 2 diabetes are almost completely avoidable if you eat right, are at a healthy weight, and exercise regularly. You have it in your hands to make changes that will impact your future health.

I don’t like being last in anything—how about you? We have access to all we need to lead healthier lives and move up that longevity list! So make a pledge with me TODAY to put you and your health on the right path. Put on your walking shoes—and take an apple along for your snack. See you out there.

Who’s Living Longer in the World and Why?

Lately I’ve had so many people ask me about diabetes and weight loss that I thought I would take the time to address the issue here.

The first thing you should know is that losing weight is by far the best strategy for improving your blood sugar over the long term. What some of you may not know is that being overweight is a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Meaning, the higher your body fat, the more resistant your cells become to insulin. Over time, insulin resistance leads to higher blood sugar levels.

Working on reducing your body weight is a great way to help control your diabetes! That’s the easy part. Now for the harder part.

Not all weight-loss programs are created equal; some may help you while many don’t. Let me lay out for you what I think is a safe way to lose weight when you are diabetic.

Follow plans that promote the following:

• Decreasing Caloric Intake: It goes without saying that if you want to lose weight you have to decrease the calories. A good plan will help you do this without feeling hungry. Ask your doctor or dietician what calorie number you should aim for to achieve weight loss.
• Eating Low Glycemic: The glycemic index is a measure of how different foods affect our blood sugar; low-glycemic foods change our blood sugar very little, while high-glycemic foods raise blood sugar a lot. People who are diabetic need to make sure that their diet plan is full of low-glycemic foods.
• Getting Enough Fiber: Fiber plays two roles in people who are looking to lose weight. The first is that it helps them feel full and the second is it helps to keep blood sugar stable.
• Getting the Right Amount of Protein: Protein also plays two roles. It, like fiber, helps you feel full longer and it also helps you keep your muscle mass.

Remember that protein is the key to any good weight-loss program and, sadly, one that most plans ignore. It is essential when losing weight to not lose your lean body mass (muscles). When you lose lean body mass, you are slowing your metabolism.

So, can you go on a weight-loss program when you are diabetic? The answer is yes! Just choose wisely.

I strongly urge you to work with your doctor whenever you are beginning a weight-loss program and have blood sugar problems. Your need for medications can definitely change when you start eating better and losing weight, so let your doctor guide you when you plan to make significant dietary changes.

Weight-Loss Tips for Diabetics

Many of you may have joined me for my monthly Health Sciences calls to stay informed of the latest information around health issues. Since the launch of Shaklee 180™, I’ve decided to take a plunge into the vast waters of emerging technologies and embrace live video broadcasts through Google® Hangouts to discuss the Shaklee 180™ Program and products, issues related to weight loss, and offer tips and advice on how to learn how to keep the weight off. I also took a little inspiration from Kid President to offer up some fun in the YouTube® world!

These video broadcasts will be live and allow the audience to chime in with questions via a chat feature. I’ll answer as many questions as I can during the one-hour broadcast. If you can’t make every broadcast, not to worry–these chats will be recorded and saved on our Shaklee 180™ YouTube channel for later viewing.

My hope is that these broadcasts will be a more interactive health discussion forum and helpful for you, your friends, and family who may have questions and concerns related to the Shaklee 180 Program or want to learn more about how to keep the weight off and being healthier.

As I mentioned earlier, we’ll showcase a one-hour broadcast and do them twice a month. And one of the reasons I chose to use Google Hangouts is that I can feature special guests with me!

Below are the latest dates, topics, and times:

March 19, 2013–Special health issues and weight loss. I’ll focus on groups with special health circumstances or medical issues, such as diabetics and expectant mothers. Broadcast time: 4:30 p.m. PST

April 16, 2013– Cancelled.

April 23, 2013–Helping those who need to lose 50 pounds or more. Special guest: Jacqui McCoy, winner of Extreme Makeover®: Weight-Loss Edition. Broadcast time: 4:30 p.m. PST

If you want to stay informed of future broadcasts dates, times, and topics, follow our Shaklee 180™ Facebook® page or Twitter® feed. Don’t forget to bookmark our Shaklee 180 YouTube channel as well.

 I look forward to chatting with all of you a couple of times each month. If you have a suggestion for future topics please feel free to share them in the comments section below.

Here’s to your healthier living!

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

UPDATED 3/29/13

Announcing Shaklee 180™ Turnaround™ Talks on Google® Hangouts and YouTube®

What I’ve learned from my many years of helping people with their health is that just about anyone can lose weight. The real problem lies in keeping that weight off!

Sadly enough, most people expect that they will regain the weight—and most statistics show exactly that.  Up to two-thirds of dieters gain all of their weight back or more within 5 years.[i]

I call this the vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting.

But, there IS good news on this topic—there are ways to help break this cycle. The first is to find a plan that is designed to lose fat and not muscle.  Muscle plays a major role in our metabolism, so losing muscle leads to a slower metabolism. A slower metabolism makes it easier for the weight to creep back on. Maintaining muscle during weight loss is one way to help prevent the drop in metabolism.

The second is to find a plan that is easy to follow, has tons of support, and is not something crazy like the cookie diet.

Besides finding the right plan, here are some of my favorite tips for keeping weight off:

• Move More: Remember that an hour a day of exercise is all you need and that you can get that hour in little bits throughout the day. Take the stairs, park farther away, and walk whenever you can. I find wearing a pedometer to track my steps gets me out there on a walk every night when I get home!
• Build Muscle: Lean muscle is your key to continued weight loss. Build your lean muscle by going to the gym and using the big muscles in your body. Remember that a leucine rich protein source soon after your workout is key to building as well as retaining your lean muscle.
• Set Goals: Setting goals should be a constant process for all of us. Once you achieve a goal, like losing your first 10 pounds, celebrate and then set a goal for your next 10 pounds! The most successful people in the world are constantly setting and reviewing their goals.
• Shop Smart: Stock your refrigerator and pantry with lots of healthy choices including plenty of colorful produce, including organic frozen fruits and veggies for convenience. Don’t even visit the snack aisle in the supermarket. So that when you want an evening snack it can be my personal favorite snack–nonfat Greek yogurt, rather than chips or cookies.
• Keep Tracking: I strongly recommend tracking your food intake, your activities and exercise, as well as your weight. Be sure you measure your inches as this is a great indication of loss of body fat. Measuring your inches can also be very motivating as you see those dropped inches result in a lower dress size or new (closer) notches in your belt. All of these help you see your progress and keep you moving in the right direction.
• Prepare for Special Occasions: Going on a trip? Celebrating something special? With a little bit of planning you can make it through without falling off your plan.
• Accept Slipups: There are times when you will slip off the program, but don’t take that as an excuse to quit. Get back on the program and get moving!
• Be Boring: Research shows that people who eat mostly the same thing every day are more successful at weight loss.
• Always Eat Breakfast: Many people think that skipping breakfast will help them, but the opposite is true. Most people who are successful at keeping weight off eat breakfast every morning.
• Veggies: The best low-calorie, high-nutrient foods on the planet are vegetables. Find a way to eat a different vegetable with every meal.
• Drink Water: Drinking water is not only good for you, but it can also help you feel full so that you don’t reach for a sugary snack—or overeat at a meal.
• Phone a Friend: Research has shown that having support is one of the best tools for sustained weight loss. Get your friends to join you and you’re more likely to achieve success, whether it is with your exercise program or your weight-loss program. Over the past six months, I’ve started going to jazzercise classes with a good friend—and for sure, she is a great motivator in getting me out of the house to get to class. I don’t want to disappoint her and I feel absolutely incredible after class!!

Keeping that weight off means that you are going to have to change what you have been doing. But just like learning anything else, it gets easier as you go.

Tips for Learning How You Can Keep that Weight Off

I am very pleased to announce that Maggie Smith of Super Savvy Mommy will work with Shaklee Corporation as the 2013 Shaklee 180™ blogger spokesperson! Maggie and the other bloggers who completed the Team #Cinchspiration blogger program were eligible to make a video about their weight-loss transformation and their experience with Shaklee products and apply to win a $10,000 contract to be a blogger spokesperson for the Shaklee 180™ Program. The spokesperson role includes, but is not limited to, writing monthly blog posts, hosting a Twitter® party, supporting and mentoring the new 90 Shaklee 180™ bloggers, and continuing on the program.

Of the 25 remaining #Cinchspiration bloggers, 14 submitted videos, and Shaklee members and distributors who participate in a private Shaklee Facebook® group with more than 1,500 members were asked to vote on the blogger they felt would best represent Shaklee over the next year. Voters were limited one voter submission, and we confirmed each unique voter submission by verifying Shaklee member IDs. Based on the total number of votes tallied, Maggie Smith received the highest percentage of votes.

The top three video submissions and percentage of votes received:

Maggie Smith (http://youtu.be/AMEFtPTrwhg) total percentage of votes 30.5%

Mandee Suchland  (http://youtu.be/PMaxoTFUWP4) total percentage of votes 27.7%

Anitra Elmore (http://youtu.be/SYkYhOVIRp4) total percentage of votes 19.4%

Each video entry was stellar, and I am sure that the decision was not an easy one for the Shaklee members and Distributors who voted. In her new role, Maggie will work with me and the new group of bloggers; she will be an integral part of the team, helping to guide the Shaklee 180™ blogger program to success. Congratulations, Maggie Smith, and to all the bloggers for their hard work and dedication to changing their lives and inspiring others!

Maggie certainly has super ninja powers, having lost more than 30 pounds and 30 inches* using the Shaklee 180™ products over the past six months, and she has the personal determination to continue on her journey to live healthier. I can’t wait to share her continued journey through this blog and other Shaklee social media channels! Read more about her weight-loss journey and experience using the Shaklee 180™ products here. Like all the women who participated in the program her story is an inspiring one.

*People following the weight-loss portion of the Shaklee 180™ Program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

Announcing the Shaklee 180™ Blogger Spokesperson Winner

February is American Heart Month, the time of the year at Shaklee that we like to dedicate to raising awareness about heart disease and the importance of heart health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women; accounting for 600,000 or 1 out of every 4 deaths annually. Although death rates have declined since the late 1990’s, the American Heart Association reports that cardiovascular disease still takes the lives of more than 2,150 Americans each and every day, an average of 1 death every 40 seconds.

Despite these grim and rather frightening statistics, the silver lining in all this is that you can make significant changes in your diet and lifestyle and actually reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Where do you start? By attacking the most significant risk factors–your weight, your blood pressure, and your cholesterol level. If you are overweight (that means a BMI of greater than 24.9), commit to losing those excess pounds today! Losing weight can also help reduce your blood pressure and glucose levels, which also contribute to the development of heart disease. I urge you all to get out there and MOVE MORE. Whatever our level of fitness, we can all move a bit more each day. If you smoke, I urge you to talk to your doctor about quitting!

You may also want to consider consuming more soy foods as part of a heart- healthy diet. I have been primarily a vegetarian for more than 35 years and I rely on soy foods as a key part of my protein intake. I look for non-GMO sources of soy protein–my favorites are soy milk on my cereal, tofu veggie stir-fry for dinner, and convenient soy protein-based protein shakes as a breakfast or lunch option. Soy is one of the highest quality plant proteins available, is cholesterol-free, and naturally low in fat. Countless studies conducted over the past 15 years have found cholesterol-lowering effects of soy protein. But it wasn’t until in 1995 that soy moved to center stage when a meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky based on 38 different studies was published and concluded that soy protein lowered blood cholesterol by about 13%. Significant reduction of cholesterol levels occurred without the risks associated with cholesterol-lowering drugs! In fact, such research prompted the FDA to approve a health claim for soy protein and heart disease in 1999.

Since that time, additional studies have been conducted and still show a cholesterol lowering effect, but at more modest levels–3 to 5% which is similar to the effects of soluble fiber. Although significantly less than a 13% reduction, a 3 to 5% reduction is still significant from a public health perspective. Research suggests that for every 1% drop in blood cholesterol your risk of developing cardiovascular disease is reduced by 2 to 4%. That means that over time, regular consumption of soy protein could lower heart disease risk by up to 10%. Not too shabby for a single food!

In addition to its cholesterol lowering effect, soy has also been shown to promote heart health in other ways, including lowering blood pressure and triglycerides, as well as promoting healthy arteries by enhancing artery dilation and flexibility.

I actually think that the very best reason to add soy foods to your diet is to replace meat-based meals that tend to be higher in saturated fat and cholesterol. So, in honor of American Heart Health Month and to help protect all the hearts of those we love, let’s all commit to adding three extra servings of soy to our diet this week. Hugs all around!

Soy for Heart’s Sake