Tag: Vitamins Minerals

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Weight Loss Exercise

Facts on Fiber

Fiber is one of those things that we are told to eat mroe of yet there should be some confusion. Not all fiber is alike.

Most Americans know that foods high in fiber are full of nutrients because they are less processed. There are two kinds of dietary fiber and you need both.

Two Types of Fiber

Facts on FiberInsoluble fiber (the type that does not dissolve in water and is found in wheat bran, oats, whole grains and vegetables) helps promote regularity, prevent hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. It may also help prevent colon cancer.

Soluble fiber (the type that dissolves in water, found in oat bran, oats, beans, apples and carrots) helps lower blood cholesterol levels and control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

According to the American Dietetic Association’s(ADA) Dietary Guidance for Health Children aged 2 to 11, the perfect fiber intake has not been defined. Several organizations have suggested that children over 2 consume a daily intake equal or greater than their age plus 5 grams per day. So if you have an eight year old, he or she might consume 13 grams of dietary fiber per day. Ultimately, they should build up to consuming 25 to 35 grams per day after the age of 20 years. But that may seem a long way off for your child.

How can you Incorporate Fiber into your Daily Diet?

First, start consuming high fiber foods in small amounts. Let your body adjust by increasing the fiber you eat in small increments. If you increase your fiber intake dramatically, gas, diarrhea, and bloating may result. However, increasing your fiber intake gradually should minimize these effects. Substitute whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables for some of the processed foods you eat. Think about replacing high fat or highly processed foods with high fiber foods.

Second, drink plenty of fluids to help the fiber do its work.

Third, choose foods, not fiber supplements, to gradually increase your intake of fiber. Fiber containing foods offer other nutrients like vitamins, minerals and protein while supplements may not. Here are some healthful combinations that can be incorporated into your daily menu:

Visit the Family Health site site to see a table with the amount of fiber in common foods.

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Weight Loss Exercise

Visalus – Body by Vi




Visalus has become a very popular meal replacement program that is also marketed as a lifestyle choice. Very popular is an understatement with people becoming passionate about the product and the sellers of the product bringing in lots of celebrity sponsors to help promote.

So what is Visalus exactly?

Visalus Body by ViVisalus at it’s core is a powder that is used as a meal replacement that is used to replace your breakfast and lunch or on maintenance just one meal. There are several different plans depending on your goals including a Visalus Balance Kit, Visalus Shape Kit, Visalus Core Kit, Visalus Transformation Kit, and Visalus Fit Kit.

All of these kits have the core 2 lbs bags of the shake mix and flavorings but as you go up in price and program you get more bags of the mix plus more vitamins, minerals, and even energy drinks.

I want to just focus on the Visalus Shape Kit as this was the one that my wife has tried out.

Visalus Shape Kit info

Visalus Body by Vi

Visalus Shape Kit

Here is where the real info starts. My wife heard about the Visalus program a few times and finally took the plunge buying the Shape kit which is basically two 2 pound bags of the shake mix along with some flavoring packets. This package costs $99 for about a months supply of breakfast and lunch replacement (actually it last longer than a month which is kinda nice) so the cost per serving is about $1.50 each.


The drink itself tasted pretty good, I tried sips of my wifes drinks a couple of times and yes it does taste good depending on what you add to it. The flavoring at the core of the shakes is just vanilla and you mix it with milk or almond milk as well as whatever you would want (everything you add is a calorie though, remember). There is a great support system that gives lots of people lots of ideas as well.

The Protein to Carbohydrate to Fat mix is high on the protein side which I personally like at a ratio of 12-9-2.5 grams per serving and since you will be likely adding fruit to it you will have a higher amount of carbs as fruit is mostly water and carbs.

Visalus 90 Day Challenge

To be really clear this Visalus system is not just about the shake, there is a 90 Day Challenge where you take a before picture, an after picture, and chart your weight loss and body size changes and your goal is to make great changes in 90 days. I really love this as everyone may want to lose weight but they really don’t have any clear goals or timelines  90 days is a nice long enough time to change your habits and life and see results with any changes that you make.

The company tends to be a bit heavy handed with this and I can imagine that since people lose and change at different rates that it can be very discouraging if you are not losing weight as quickly as other people are, again the weight loss industry is full of the “look at me, I won” kind of mentality that a lot of people will just cringe at.

Along the same lines as this there is a few support forums where people will help each other out and share their favorite shake recipes (My wife was addicted to finding new ones all the time) and that support system really helps anyone that gets involved and interacts.

The Dark Side of Visalus

Nutritionally Visalus is always pushing the fact that the nutrition in their drinks is ridiculously high in nutrients but really the a couple of great posts seem to tell us a different story. Sheleana at Young and Raw who I really like does not like the obviously processed and not natural part of this product. On the nutritional side Graeme from Graeme Thomas Online did not at all like the nutrients in comparison even to cheap multivitamins.

Anyone that has seen or been involved with Amway or any other multilevel marketing system will recognize the business side of Visalus. I am not a bit fan of multilevel marketing but it is highly ingrained as part of the Visalus system. As a user of the product you can opt into being a promoter and the more that you sell and the more product that people you recruit sell the more money you make. The rewards can be very very high and because of this you will always find people that are really aggressive in promoting and selling the dram of the product sales.

This is just a marketing system where the money that would go into marketing the product on TV or other media is replaced by putting that money into the hands of the distributors. Trouble is this always comes across to me as greedy and opportunistic even if this is not the way the person selling the product to you is really like.

One other problem that we have found with Visalus is that if you do not make it very very clear that you want to cancel you will be charged every month and get a new months stock sent to you. We accidently didn’t cancel and after trying and trying the company finally found room on our credit card and charged and shipped another months supply, guess it is our own fault but it had been a few months since my wife had tried the product the first time. She doesn’t mind doing another month though anyway.

Should You Try Visalus?

I am not sure if this is the product for everyone but there are a few things that I really like about this product.

First the idea of serving sizes is foreign to almost everyone, we all end to eat too much per meal unless we are careful. The other great thing about this product is the fact that it seems to be filling, tastes good, and will boost your energy and cut sugar cravings, at least that is what my wife found.

On the bad side is that nutrition. I have found at least a couple of reports that show the nutrition may not be all that great but please don’t look for yourself as Google seems to be ranking only the pro-visalus side in the rankings lately and it took me pages of results before I could find not biased info.

So balance this as you would like. I think if you are looking to jump start a weight loss plan then this may be a great start but in the end I always like to make sure that people are eating as many whole foods as they can to stay in shape or get in shape and more importantly stay healthy.



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Best Way to Gain Weight





Looking for the best way to gain weight? You are not alone. While millions of people are working hard to try and lose weight, it may come as a surprise to many that some people need to gain weight.  For underweight individuals, adding extra pounds can be a challenge but not a real problem unless you are grossly underweight.

There are different ways to bulk up your physique but the best way to gain weight is always the healthy and natural way.

Many people are skinny because of hereditary factors.  Others are underweight and need to add extra pounds due to lack of appetite, illness, or eating disorders.  The only way to gain weight is by consuming more calories than you burn every day.  You can increase caloric intake by eating larger quantities of food or choosing calorie-dense foods.  It’s always best, however, to eat nutrition-rich foods rather than junk foods.

Count Calories and Nutrients, Too

Best Way to Gain Weight

Best Way to Gain Weight

Healthy foods offer the best way to gain weight.  Choose foods not only for their caloric contribution but, more importantly, for the nutrients they provide.  Eat foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.  Each serving must be loaded with good nutrition as well as calories.  Foods that are high in calories and nutrients include nuts, avocados, dairy products, meats, eggs, and poultry.  Don’t forget to include healthy fats in your diet.

Eat a Balanced Diet to Gain Weight

Your body needs large quantities of carbohydrates, protein and fats, with carbohydrates being the primary energy source.  According to the Food and Nutrition Board, 45 to 65 percent of your total caloric intake should come from carbohydrates, 20 to 35 percent from fats, and 10 to 35 percent from proteins.  The best sources of carbohydrates are potatoes, corn, brown rice and pasta.  Good protein sources include meat, fish, beans, tofu, and poultry.  Healthy fats from olive oil, nuts and seeds provide the extra calories you need to gain weight.  Butter, whole milk and cheese also add more calories.  Don’t forget to include colorful fruits and vegetables and leafy greens in your daily diet.  They provide the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants you need for proper metabolism, higher energy levels, and a stronger immune system

Exercise to Gain Weight

You need to do strength-training exercises in order to convert protein and extra calories into muscle mass.  When trying to gain weight, the best way to do this is to eat protein-rich snacks after weight training.  Proteins provide the amino acids needed to repair and build body tissues and make the muscles grow.

Supplements to Gain Weight

People who are trying to gain weight can benefit from muscle-building supplements.  Creatine supplements contain a mixture of amino acids essential for muscle-building.  A number of studies, however, indicate that creatine may be linked with liver and kidney damage.  It may not be the best supplement for weight gain.  Whey protein, on the other hand, is loaded with amino acids that the body can easily absorb and utilize to build bigger and stronger muscles.  Whey protein is a safe and natural supplement that can be added into shakes and taken before or after your workout.

Rest and Recovery to Gain Weight

The best foods and exercise regimen will not do you any good if you do not give your body time to recover.  The body repairs itself and builds muscles while you are resting and sleeping.  Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.  A combination of nutritious foods, exercise and rest is still the best way to gain weight and build muscle mass.

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