The past few weeks you may have noticed on the side column of my newsletter I’ve mentioned a company called 21Ten and their product, Life Shotz.  You might be asking yourself, “What the heck are Life Shotz?”  Well, 21TEN and I believe that this product is perfect for those interested in optimal nutrition for fitness and wellness. Aside from being a potent immune system builder—all good, clean energy with none of the bad—Life Shotz also has been reported to have anti-aging properties, reduce cravings, eliminate fatigue, support mood enhancement, double endurance and cut recovery time in half for those who like to exercise and even those who enjoy competitive sports.

The reason I wanted to dedicate this week’s article to Life Shotz is the incredible results my clients are having after talking the 10-Day Challenge.  First, there is the increased energy they are feeling, we can use a little ‘pep’ in our step!  Second, they are reporting they are sleeping more soundly and waking up ready to take on the day.  Third, the mental clarity and focus they feel throughout the day has increased.  One of them told me, “I feel like I’m running on all cylinders for the first time in a long time.”  Last but certainly not least, my mother-in-law starting taking Life Shotz, and after two weeks her blood pressure came down 50 points!  Her doctor asked what she was doing differently and the only thing she had changed was adding Life Shotz to her diet.  WOW!  Now I can’t sit here and promise you will have the same results, but isn’t worth a try?  Oh and by the way did I mention it comes with a money back guarantee?  That’s right if after 10 days you do not feel like it has made a difference for you, 21Ten will refund your money (minus the shipping).

Now I have an idea of what you are thinking.  The only reason I’m telling you about this amazing product is because I’m a distributor.  I know because I thought the same thing when I was introduced to Life Shotz.  But, I looked at the ingredients, was intrigued with what I saw, and did the 10-Day Challenge myself.  That was about seven months ago and now I don’t go a day without it.  Believe me when I say I was VERY skeptical ( I am very picky about what goes into my body), but I can honestly say I would still dedicate this article to Life Shotz even if I did not make a dime!  I believe in the product that much.  It has made too much of a difference in my life and my clients lives not to share it with my loyal readers.  Check out what other people are saying about Life Shotz: Testimonials.  (Even Phil Jackson)!

If you would like to take the 10-Day Challenge or you know someone that would, click here: http://www.21ten.com/CR.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.  I hope you don’t mind me using this week’s newsletter to share this information with you.  I can’t keep this valuable product to myself!!
Yours in health,
Colleen

As I lay in bed trying to go to sleep I started wondering, “What am I going to write about this week?”  Then it hit me, “What about the importance of sleep and how it affects our health?”  About 1/3 of our adult life should be spent sleeping.  According to the CDC, 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep problems.  Sleep deprivation can compromise our mood, work, and most importantly our health.  Studies have shown that people who sleep less than 6 hours a night are more prone to obesity and a high risk of cardiovascular disease, and even diabetes.  For most of us, the culprit is stress, but other factors such as lack of exercise, alcohol consumption and caffeine can also be problematic.

If you enjoy caffeine, stop your intake 4-6 hours before you plan on going to bed.  Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it affects your REM sleep (this is your most restorative sleep phase).  Exercise is the best medicine for relieving stress…sweat it out!  When all else fails, Mom was right, warm milk actually does help you fall asleep.  It has lactic acid in it which releases a chemical when warmed that triggers a natural sleep cycle.

Another way to combat sleep problems is through nutrition.  According to Lisa Tsakos, registered nutritionist with NaturallySavvy.com, foods that provide B vitamins promote wakefulness and improve your mood throughout the day while encouraging a restful sleep at night.  Whole grains, leafy greens, legumes, and lean meats are the best source of B vitamins.  If you don’t eat many of these foods, give Life Shotz a try.  They are filled with B vitamins (not to mention the Vitamin D and anti-oxidants!)  Many of my clients that are taking Life Shotz discover they are sleeping deeper and waking up more refreshed!

Finally, try to go to bed by 10pm every night.  Making these small changes can help you sleep soundly through the night.

Yours in health,
Colleen

You are probably asking yourself how a DVR will help with your weight loss?  I’m not talking about DVRing exercise shows (though it could not hurt), but that’s not what I’m talking about here.  Let’s take a look at how you can achieve your weight loss goals by using your DVR.  First, learn how to use it.  This will alleviate you getting frustrated when you go to watch your shows.  Now that you now how to use it, lets see how it can make a difference.  What is the one constant in this world?  It’s the same for you or the person sitting next to you.  Time, is the answer you are looking for.  No matter how hard we try to squeeze more out of a day there are only 24 hours.  I think this is something we can all agree on.  Now, if you could prove to yourself a way to add almost a full hour to your day do you think you could do something to improve your health, get you closer to your goals, and live the life you imagine?  Not everybody is going to like this idea, especially the advertisers on T.V. When you think about it, they are paid to get you to live the lives their sponsors think you should live, and not the one you dream of.  It’s up to you, do you want to sit and watch their ideas on T.V. or actually start living your dreams?  Here is how you can add almost an hour to your day.  For those that don’t like math I will make this as painless as possible.  The average american watches 4 hours of T.V. a day.  I’m sure you know people that watch more, but lets use this number.  Lets say out of every hour you watch there is an average of 12 minutes of commercials.  Did you just have that “aha” moment?  That’s right we are going to fast forward through these commercials and gain about 48 minutes a day.  Let’s take that 48 minutes and round it down to 45 minutes to make the math easier.  We now have this 45 minutes a day and let’s see what happens for our week.  45 minutes a day for 7 days equals 315 minutes, or 5 hours and 15 minutes a week.  Let’s look at our month, 45 minutes for 30 days equals 1,350 minutes or 22 and half hours a month.  So, just by saving ourselves 12 minutes an hour for four hours a day you’ve almost added a whole day to your month!  Just by using your DVR you have made the impossible possible; you’ve added time to your day! Now what to do with that time?  You guessed it we are going to work out, even if it’s only 30 minutes of that newly discovered time.  30 minutes of consistent exercise a day will go a long way in helping you reach your health goals.  Remember you only get one shot at this thing called life; make sure you get as much out of it as possible!

Send me an email and let me know how you are using your new found time!!!

Yours in Health,
Colleen

This week we are going to talk about something that doesn’t usually get associated with the Holidays; STRESS.  With the endless parties, travel, family gatherings and of course shopping.  It’s easy to see how we can be overwhelmed with all this plus a full time life.  Stress can lead to physical symptoms including weight gain, headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.  This should be a time to be thankful for what we have, not about worrying about getting the Christmas cards out on time, or not being able to find that perfect gift.   Here are a few tips to help with your shopping, so you can check one more thing from your to-do list.

1) Buy duplicates. If you find a great gift at a great price, consider getting one for several people on your list, if it fits their tastes.

2) Include gift receipts. Ask for gift receipts at the register, and include them with your gifts when you wrap them. That way, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that if what you got doesn’t work for your recipient, they can easily exchange it.

3) Get gift cards. If you really need things to be simple, gift cards and certificates are a great option.

4) Let the post office be your friend. Rather than lugging all of your gifts to the post office and standing in the long lines, you can now get them to come to you! Visit the USPS website .

5) Make time for exercise. Exercise is proven to reduce stress and help you sleep better.  It will also keep the pounds from creeping up on you over the holidays!

Yours in health,

Colleen

P.S.

Great Stocking Stuffers!  Need a little extra immune building Vitamin D and extra Vitamin B for energy this holiday season?  Check out what Life Shotz has done for Michelle:

“Life Shotz has made a huge difference for me. I’m sleeping soundly, I wake up more refreshed and my energy level is amazing during the later hours of the afternoon when I would normally slow down. Now I have a smile on my face! When I was recently out of Life Shotz for a short time, I started coming down with a seasonal cold that would normally kick my butt, but I’m back on the product and I’m kicking its butt! Thank you Life Shotz!”
Michelle Curtis
Post Falls, ID

Click here to read more testimonials or to try Life Shotz today!

The season of giving is upon us, and it’s that time of year when you work all week then brave the crowds on the weekends.  As you create your list of gifts to pass out on Christmas Day I want you to look and see who is missing.  If you notice, the name that is missing most of the time is your own.  I want you to change that this year, and put your name on top of that list.  Then I want you to think about what gift you could give yourself that would make the biggest impact on your life.  Now I know some of you are thinking about new clothes, a day at the spa, or maybe even a new car.  All these things are fine, but I want you to think even bigger and deeper; more of an impact on your life.  I’m sure by now you have guessed it….the gift of health!  Now I’m not talking about a short term weight loss plan; I’m talking about health.  Health is a lifestyle and a lifestyle is not short term.  You may ask yourself, “Why do I want this as my gift?”  I could fill up page after page of reasons why you should, but that won’t help.  The reason lies within you already; you just have to find it. The reason may be in the mirror, or the reason maybe the in the little one’s eyes you tuck in at night.  Where ever you find your reason just know once you have found it, you are worthy of this great gift.  This gift is not for everyone, I wish it was.  But, if you decide to take this gift, it will change your life forever!  You will find a peace in yourself that you thought was gone.  You will be better prepared to handle whatever life throws at you, and you will be in a position to help others with the same gift.  No gift under the tree will have more impact than helping someone change their life for the better, and it all starts with the gift inside you first.  Have a safe holiday season, and here’s to YOUR GIFT.  I’m here to help in whatever way I can!

Yours in health,
Colleen

P.S.

Check out this what this everday mom had to say about Life Shotz.

“Taking Life Shotz was a real life-saver for me. I used to fall asleep with my kids at 7:30. The emails would just pile up day after day, and I was gaining all sorts of weight. After I started taking Life Shotz, my energy level seemed to shift in a way I hadn’t expected. I felt that feeling of “being normal” in the night time, kind of like it was still mid-morning. This shocked me, as I was so used to just feeling like the bed had a magnet under it and was just pulling me there starting at about 6:30 p.m. or so! I just completed my fourth manuscript, lost 20 pounds, and have a clear complexion.” Click here to read the rest of her testimonial.

For those of you that were missing our blog last week, sorry but we took a few days off and went to New Mexico to visit family.  If you get the chance we highly recommend it…gorgeous! The week before we left we talked about doing the small things to make big differences.  Well we wanted to give you a glance at how we make these small decisions work for us when we travel, and how they can work for you too.  First thing we did was do a little planning.  We looked at our flight itinerary to see what time we were departing and landing.  Armed with this information we were ready to plan our attack.  Our plane left around 12:30 so we knew we needed to start with our lunch.  We packed some turkey and lettuce, wrapped it in a whole wheat wrap and cut up some cucumber slices (our chips) as a side.  We arrived to the airport a little early and found a spot to sit and eat our lunch before going through security.  The less you take through the better off you are. This is a picture of our lunch (we know; only we would take a picture of our lunch).  Of course we packed some water for lunch, but they will not let you take water through security so only pack what you are going to drink before security. Now once past security you can purchase water at one of the stores, but be ready to pay more than usual (a lot more). It’s worth it though because one of the leading factors of jet lag is dehydration.  Also if you’ve ever been stuck on the tar mat you know they don’t usually serve drinks; so be prepared!  Also in our little bag of goodies were some almonds, apples, and snack bars.  This keeps you from getting hungry during the flight, the dreaded layovers, or those delays we mentioned earlier.  We also suggest packing a few more snacks than you think you need.  You may end up needing them later, or your new best friend sitting next to you may not have planned as well as you, this way you can help them out (pay-it forward). Now we know there is nothing here you probably don’t know, and that is one of the points we are trying to make.  Most of us know what we should do, but sometimes it’s just easier not to do them.  Now we are not going to say that we went on vacation and did not indulge with some of our meals.  But the time and place was up to us and not some someone else.  To take care of those indulges we incorporated exercise into our vacation.  We went for walks and runs through Colleen’s father’s neighborhood, and for a our tough workout we went for a 7 mile hike up and down some mountains (felt like more up than down).

You’re on vacation so of course you are going to indulge and that’s part of vacation, but with a little planning and a little exercise while you’re there you can enjoy yourself and not fall short of your health goals.
Happy traveling,
Colleen & John

P.S.

Coaching Success Story:

I want to brag on my dad for a minute.  Last year he lost over 20lbs and has KEPT it off for over a year.  Don’t ever think you are too old to make healthy changes!!  Go Dad…so proud of you!

We all are looking for THE secret to weight loss and good health.   We see fit models on T.V. telling us about a new diet or revolutionary piece of equipment that is going to melt the fat away, or even worse the dreaded diet pill.   So we buy it, in hopes that with little or no effort we will look just like the model.  But in reality we use the product a few times and the fat doesn’t just melt away like they told you.  Frustration sets in; you stop, and end up with a garage full of equipment you don’t use any more.  What most of miss as we are running around looking for those magic solutions to our problems, is that the secret to our success lies within ourselves; not on T.V. or in a magazine.  That’s right the answer has been there the whole time.   We’ve been too busy looking for other people to come up with the solution we forgot to look in the mirror.   You know the saying, “If you want to hide something put it in plain sight.”   Drum Roll….the secret to your success lies in the decisions you make every day.   Those little ones that you think don’t matter.  Guess what they ALL matter!  That coke you grab instead of water, the piece of cake at the office party, the fast food you pick up because it’s easier than cooking, or skipping a workout.  Now these decisions by themselves may not seem like a big deal.   Will they harm your health the next day, probably not.  But one day in the future all these tiny decisions you made will catch up leaving you unhealthy and unhappy.  You will look in the mirror and wonder what happened.  There was not one big decision that led to where you are now.  If it was that easy, of course you would have made the right BIG decision, this is your health and who would intentionally make a bad decision when it comes to your health?  Fortunately all is not lost, there is still time to work on making the right choices and this is where education and some consistent good decision making will come in.  Now we are not going to sit here and say it will always be easy.  Life just isn’t that way.  But we are talking about your health; this is the most precious commodity you have.  No matter how much money or fancy “things” you have, if your health goes you may not be around to enjoy them.  Your life is not a sprint it is a marathon, but it’s a great marathon.  We want to help you enjoy the journey.  If we can help please let us know.
Yours in health,
Colleen & John

Slow traffic. Screaming children. A job interview. A crumbling marriage. Any of these could be a stressful situation. We all face stress in our lives, and some days are more stressful than others. Stress can take its toll on our physical and mental health. Learn more about stress and its effects by taking this multiple-choice quiz.

Click Here:Stress Test

Now that you had a chance to gauge your stress level here are 4 easy ways to help reduce it.

1. Exercise: Surprise, surprise….yes we recommend exercise! Aerobic exercise or strength training can greatly reduce your stress level. Natural endorphins (feel-good hormones) are released when you exercise. It’s also a time where your brain can focus on something other than your worries. You can get in tune with the movements of your body, your breath, and your muscles.

2. Sleep: One of the most common reasons for stressful behaviors is lack of sleep. If you aren’t getting the proper amount of sleep, your body doesn’t have time to recover from the day and therefore can feel tired and sore. This tired and sore feeling can cause physical and mental stress throughout the day, making anxiety more prevalent.

3. Eat right: Another surprise, huh?! If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed it’s easy to reach for the quickest (which tends to be the fattiest) food. Try to plan ahead by cutting up fresh fruits and vegetables and grilling extra chicken breasts on the weekend to have ready to throw on top of salad or into a wrap. Trust us you will feel so much better eating something healthy, than the greasy, to-go foods. We know personally if we eat badly when we’re stressed, then we feel fat AND stressed….not a good combo !

4. Relax: Many people are so focused on work, family, and other responsibilities that they forget to relax. Relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, and massage therapy have long been known to reduce stress levels. People often forget that relaxing is a part of a healthy lifestyle and by skipping this aspect, people often cause more stress and feel the effects of stress more profoundly. So just BREATHE!

Hope you find these tips helpful. We’re here for you, just let us know what we can do to help!

Yours in health,

Colleen & John

First, let’s start with a product’s serving size.  This is what the manufacturer’s nutritional information is based on, and how they can make their claims.  What you don’t see on the front is how many servings are in the package, two, three, or even more.  You’ll find this information at the top of the nutritional label found on the back in much smaller letters (bring the glasses).  A good example of the importance of serving size is Non-stick spray (not mentioning any names, but rhymes with ham).  A typical 6oz can contains approximately 529 servings.  That’s not a misprint: 529.  When your serving size is a 1/3 of second, those servings add up fast.  Is it even humanly possible to spray for only a 1/3 of a second?  Most of us just keep spraying until the bottom of pan is covered.   You might ask, “If it’s fat free why should I care?” We’re glad you asked because this brings us to fact number two:  Is the product label telling you the whole truth? With the example of the spray, if you read the list of ingredients it says “Canola Oil.”  We all know oil has fat, but they get to say its “Fat Free” because of the serving size.  If the manufacturer can show the product has less than a half a gram of an ingredient per serving they can claim that their product is that ingredient free.  This is when it pays off to read the list of ingredients in the product, because you think you are getting one thing yet you get another.  Another great example of this is Partially Hydrogenated Oil (aka trans fat).  The front of the label reads “No TRANS FATS!!”  So how can Partially Hydrogenated Oil be in the ingredient list?  Beware of this trick, especially in fat free snacks.  The third fact we want to discuss is converting grams into teaspoons.  The food companies know here in America we don’t use the Metric System much; they count on this.  Most of us look at a label and see grams and don’t really understand how much that is.  The truth is, approximately every four grams equals one teaspoon.  This is really important when it comes to sugar because the average American consumes 130 pounds of refined sugar a year. Now let us take a quick glance at the label of a soda.  The average soda at a convenient store is about 16 ounces, which contains 54 grams of sugar.  We take that 54grams of sugar and divide by 4 (grams to teaspoons) and that gives us 13.5 teaspoons of sugar.  For a good visual of this take a measuring cup, a teaspoon and a bag of sugar.  Then pick just a few items out of your fridge or pantry and use the conversion 4 grams to 1 teaspoon and put that amount of sugar in the cup.  Trust us this will be a real eye opener.  If you would like more information, and to see great visual examples of what we just discussed, check out our short, “Demystifying Fancy Labels.”  Just click on the video and you’ll get a detailed guided tour.  You are now armed and ready to hit the grocery store aisles….no more tricking you!!

Yours in health,

Colleen & John

We were watching the news last night and there are two new weight-loss pills up for review with the FDA. This fact did not surprise us. What did surprise us is that one of them contained some of the same ingredients that were in Fen Phen. This was the weight-loss pill taken off the market for increasing your chances of heart failure. Kind of an oxymoron, lose weight to be in better health, but your heart gives out instead. That’s a pretty big price to pay for a small waistline. Being healthy is more than just losing weight. It’s about being balanced with yourself and your surroundings. This includes mentally, emotionally, and of course physically. We think you know which one we are going to talk about here (ha!ha!) We like to think the physical piece improves the other two pieces of the pie. Have you ever noticed how good your day is when you feel positive about yourself? You tend to hold your shoulders back, head up high, feel more confident, and your brain is sharper too! This is what the physical part of the pie contributes to the whole balance of your life. Sure you can try these new pills and maybe lose a little weight, but you will be missing out on the many other contributions to the balance of your life. “But, if I lose weight wouldn’t I still feel better about myself?” you might ask. This fact may be true to a point, but how good would you feel knowing you may increase the likelihood of heart failure. Another question this also raises is, “Do you want to take a short cut though life?” The luster quickly tarnishes on things that are attained without much effort. Creating balance in your life is work; it’s supposed to be.…but aren’t you worth it? We’re not sure who said it but we think it applies here “It’s supposed to be hard, because if was easy everybody would do it!” So the next time you see an ad for a weight loss pill that just melts fat away, ask yourself, “Do I want to take that short cut to life, or am I worth the effort?” We know you are, but this question is for you to answer.

Yours in health,

Colleen & John