A Work of A.R.T.

I have decided to start sharing my life story & things God has or is teaching me on this Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/203298599750119/.  I will occasionally blog here but as you can see I don't blog often enough therefore I've decided to start a  "blog" on there since I'm on there more often. I may copy & paste to my blog or from my blog at different times but really just want to share more often & Facebook makes that easier for me.

God is doing a great & mighty work in many, if not all, areas of my life right now & each day I keep learning or rediscovering something new that I want to share with those I love & the world. I hope you will enjoy & be blessed by this group. I will also share devotionals, pictures, etc. that have ministered to me so watch for those. I may also include book & movie reviews or recommendations :) Please feel free to share any/all of the above as well!! Thank you & blessings to all of you!

In His Grip,

Alicia

I'm in a new season of life & enjoying it very much so I decided to change the look of my blog as well :)  It's not very fall-like but fits me well!

I've brought on & experienced many "news" lately & have celebrated them with "news" too!...

I've lost 17lbs & 13.25inches
I'm enjoying my new career to the fullest
I earned my BMW in 3 months
Just turned 30 in Sept (BMW... Happy Belated Bday to me, right!?) & am actually very excited about this!!... feel like a teenager all over again or maybe for the 1st time even?!
Chopped off over a foot of my hair & went blonde- didn't turn out as light as I would've like it but was still fun!
I'm getting to work more & more with the love of my life & my mom... yay! 

There may be other new things I'm forgetting or other awesome things I've accomplished or ways I've celebrated lately that I'm forgetting but you get the point... it was time for a change!

Do you celebrate your accomplishements?  Why not?  You should! Do you change up the scenery of your blog/your home/even yourself for new seasons?  I think it's a nice way to keep life/ourselves fresh.  Change something today!  Every little bit counts!!

I really enjoyed my devotion for today so I've decided to share it with you. 
It's out of Joyce Meyer's Devotional "New Day, New You."


"Thanking God for the bounty on your table is
the best way I know to immediately bring yourself into a healthier relationship
with your food.  If you have a tendency to overeat, ask God to help you at this
meal to stay in His perfect will. God wants you to enjoy what you eat, and true
enjoyment does not mean eating so much that you spend the next few hours feeling
sick & guilty.  Realized that this meal is not the last one you will ever
eat.  There will be plenty of other meals in your life, so thank God, enjoy your
food, make good choices, and stop as soon as you feel full. 


Another great trick for reminding yourself
that food is about more than taste is to tell yourself that you are eating for
two.  Many women switch to healthier diets once they get pregnant.  They may
have been willing to shortchange themselves nutritionally, but not their babies!
  Well, you are also eating for two.  Since your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit, you can see how important it is to keep God's "vessel" healthy.  You
should keep yourself healthy so God can act through you in the world.  Don't
shortchange Him!"

My business is blowing up, so sorry for the delay in blogging & in updates.  You can always follow our journey on Facebook where I give regular updates though!  (see our Facebook contact on lower right)

I am ending week 8 & am down over 15 lbs!  Andy is ending week 7 & is down 25lbs!  No measurement update today but trust me the inches are coming off too.  We can see it in our clothes & our rolls are shrinking haha.  We both are amazed that we have been doing this for a couple of months as it is so effortless!  We do not feel deprived or like we are on a diet!  Our energy is increasing, as well as our confidence!  Andy is shrinking & I can tell this is really helping is esteem & confidence.  He looks delish! (ok well, he always has to me no, matter his size haha) 

I challenge you to take the Challenge w/ us!  It really isn't a challenge as it is so simple & easy.  Some good things do come w/ little effort.  Believe in the good things in life.  Take a risk & join us!

We all have learning curves in life.  Recently I've had one in regards to my diet.  I think it's really important to pay attention to what our body tells us & respect what it says.  I am going to share a bit of my first 30 or so days on my Body by Vi Challenge w/ you to encourage you to pay attention to your bodies... listen to them & don't give up when they don't do exactly what you'd like/expect them to do! 

So far since starting my Challenge I've lost a total of 12.2 lbs!  I'm happy about this but several times in this journey I've been aggervated & disappointed because I lost over 10 of that in the 1st week or so.  Ugh, what happened, right?! 

(guys you can skip to the next paragraph lol)
Well first of all my cycle came.  I have many issues during this time of the month & my period normally lasts for more than a week... that does not include the pre-menstrual days.  I bring this up because I normally gain 6-8 lbs during this time BUT this time I only gained 2-3 lbs depending on the day.  I won't go much more into that because I've blogged about that previously but it did stand to mention as this stopped my weight loss for almost 2 weeks!  Discouraging?... yes! 

Next, I went to Florida for Visalus' Vitality training.  This was so powerful & I know the products work due to so many live testimonies, not to mention people that would come up to us & share their testimonies in the airport! (we were wearing our Body by Vi shirts)  So, what happened there, that I'm mentioning this?  First of all, I admit I wasn't eating correctly but did try to make good choices or use healthy portion control most of the time.  Secondly, the resorts' Market didn't have a milk substitute like Almond milk.  I hadn't planned for this.  Dairy really messes up my digestion, not to mention other things like my asthma & in general is not the best for anyone.  Well finally this week (got back on July 18th) my digestion is starting to work properly again.  All last week my foods kept wanting to come back up & my processes were not working as they should & normally do.

Both of these situations are upsetting, but I'm not giving up!!  Many people quit at the learning curve (just like Bob in the image to the right) when it takes bravery & courage to begin any new journey, so why not stick it out?  It will be that much harder to start over again later.  I feel better & have lost many inches even though my weight loss was slowed up, so on the days I don't lose I choose to do it for my health!  Notice I said choose... we choose even if we don't choose!... think about it, if that  doesn't make sense.  You are always making a choice even if it's passive.  Maybe not about this, but whatever challenge you are currently taking on!  Stick it out friend!  You deserve to treat yourself well & complete what you've started! 

Many on the Challenge have started new Challenges after getting home from Vitality due to Visalus upping the ante for Challenge Winners.  They have upped the prizes, trips, etc. to $10,000,000/year vs. the previous (which was already amazing!) $100,000/year.   I am starting a new Challenge as of this past Monday & am down 2.4 lbs already.  This has never felt like a diet... Andy & I were just saying the other day on our way out for a walk at the zoo that it doesn't even seem like we've been doing this for over a month.  We've been on other diets that have felt like an eternity so this is quite a pleasure!  (not to mention they didn't work)

Will you take this Challenge w/ me?  Even if you don't take a Challenge w/ Body by Vi, maybe it's something w/ your finances or marriage, etc. please share it w/ me & let's take this journey together!

ps~ More to come on our financial 90 Day Challenge! :D

A unique way that a few specific vegetables can actually stimulate the burning of abdominal fat...
article by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist

I bet you didn't know that there is a specific class of vegetables that contain very specific phytonutrients that actually help to fight against stubborn belly fat. Let me explain what these unique vegetables are and why they help to burn stomach fat...

Chemicals that force your body to hold onto belly fat

Something you may have never heard about is that certain chemicals in our food supply and our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and certain petrochemicals from air and water pollution, household cleaners, cosmetics, etc can react with your body and make your body store excess abdominal fat.

These chemicals are known as xenoestrogens.

Xenoestrogens are chemicals that you are exposed to (and are hard to avoid in the modern world) that have an estrogenic effect in your body.  Excess exposure to these can cause hormone balance disruptions for both men and women. So these can wreak havoc in the body for both guys and gals.

These estrogenic chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis can stimulate your body to store belly fat, along with many other problems (including cancer risks in the long term).

So here's where this specific class of vegetables comes in handy...

One of those cool tricks that I teach my clients that hire me for nutritional counseling is the use of cruciferous vegetables to help fight against stomach fat.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, etc. contain very specific and unique phytonutrients such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that help to fight against these estrogenic compounds...

And by fighting against these belly fat stimulating estrogenic chemicals, this is just 1 more step in helping you to win the battle against abdominal fat!

So there you go... just another excuse to do what mom always told you and eat more broccoli!

I've really learned to like brussells sprouts in the last year too... Melt a little grass-fed cheese on them and some garlic and they're great!
~~~~~~~~~~
Goal:  To add more of these veggies into my daily diet :)

The Total Health System, Vi-Pak:
Coupling innovative science and research with a natural approach to proactive wellness, the ViSalus Vi-PAK is a revolutionary new breakthrough in supplementation.

Dr. Michael Seidman developed the Vi-PAK with the vision of helping you lead a longer, healthier, and more fulfilled life.

With the Vi-PAK, you can conveniently fuel your body with the highest quality resources for just a few dollars a day.  One great thing that I really enjoy about the Vi-Pak is the convenience of having your pills already sorted into AM & PM packets (Yellow for AM, Blue for PM)

I invite you to discover the many health benefits of taking the ViSalus Vi-PAK daily to support your nutritional needs:

*Naturally helps increase your bodies production of energy, endurance and performance.
*Minimizes stress and tension as you know you are getting good nutrition.
*Supports healthy range of motion and may help reduce joint pain.
*Enhances moodsand emotional balance.
*Supports healthy blood fat and blood sugar levels.
*Promotes focus and may reduce hyperactivity symptoms.
*Promotes weight loss and may help reduce cravings.
*May assist in feelings of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and menopausal-like symptoms.
*Support speedy recovery times from workouts or injuries.
*Enhances overall immune system function.

On a personal note, I want to say that I normally gain 6-8lbs of water weight during my menstrual cycle & as you can imagine this doesn't feel good!!!  This is my first cycle using my Vi-Shape shakes & Vi-Pak supplements & I only gained 2-3lbs (depending on the day of the cycle) & felt a whole lot better!  If you suffer from any of the symptoms above, why not give this a try?  You truly have nothing to lose as there is a 30-day money-back guarantee!  Contact me & let's get you started!

This information comes from Ms. Audrey Sommerfeld and Dr. Michael Seidman both on he Scientific Advisory Board of Visalus Sciences.

The shake is fine for pregnant and lactating women to get added nutrition. We don't recommend that they try to lose weight though as the baby needs the calories. This is why we don't recommend Vi-Trim or Vi-Slim as babies don't need hunger control or metabolism support. Neuro is low caffeine, but it depends on if the woman wants that or not.

Vi-Pak - Omega Vitals and Multi Vitamins are fine but the Anti-aging and Super Charged Antioxidant they should talk to their individual doctors (see below). Nutra-Cookie is fine for them to consume too.

Audrey

Soy:

Our soy has been specially processed to remove the isoflavones that can impact estrogen, so it is not a problem for those who worry about fibroids, on chemo, etc.  Here is some information on soy: Of the concerns over soy, there are a few common ones. First,  is  referring to raw soybeans, that can contain a form of phytic acid that can block certain minerals  absorption. However, that is based on massive consumption quantities, and of the raw soybean and only occurs in those animals that lack the digestive enzyme phytase. It is only an issue for people who consume those foods to get minerals in their diet, and in massive quantities. The issue is in developing countries, and may have a genetic basis as well because they are lacking the digestive enzyme (which can be supplemented and therefore alleviate the concern).  It is not an issue for our products because of how we process the ingredients.  The second common concern with soy are due to  some of the components of soy, particularly the isoflavones genistein and dadzein which can affect and inhibit thyroid peroxidase which is necessary for the production of T3 and T4. Thus there is some evidence that it could lead to thryoid enlargement (Goiter) . Our soy has been processed to remove the isoflavones, so this is not an issue. A third common  concern about soy is the effect it may have on estrogen levels in the body. This is again due to the isoflavones, which we have had removed. So this is a non-worry. We should note that many menopausal women do supplement with isoflavones, as it has been shown to help them experience fewer side effects of menopause. Lastly, our Soy is not genetically modified (it is non-GMO). Many people worry about genetically modified soy, and if any of the ingredients got altered in the breeding process. We use the most natural form we can get, that has not been genetically modified. Why use soy? It is a complete protein, easily digested, has no fat, low carb and more importantly, adequate consumption of soy can help the body lower cholesterol as well as c-reactive protein.

Supplements:

The U.S. Government did 2 studies (23,000 people) over a 2 year period of time to see how well Americans are at getting nutrition and eating healthy. Sadly, only 10% of Americans eat a healthy diet. They found 93% are deficient in vitamin E, 44% deficient in Vitamin A, and 1/3 in Vitamin C..just to name a few. The reason is it is hard to get enough nutrients from our food, especially given the American Diet today. The average American consumes 156 pounds of sugar each year, but only 28 pounds of lettuce, and much of our diet is high fat, sodium and processed.

The reason our Vitamins are unique is that they are chelated to make them more absorbable (this is expensive, so most companies do not do this). Then we have added nutrients that others dont' include like green tea extract, alpha lipoic acid, and glutathione and glutathione precursors...powerful anti-aging ingredients. Our fish oil is distilled at the molecular level to remove toxins, and we add evening primrose, pumpkinseed, flaxseed to make a very robust 12:1 ratio of Omega 3:6. Meaning...you get high quality nutrients. This is one reason Dr. Seidman was awarded a patent, and has clinicals showing that the Vi-Pak help reverse age-related hearing loss by 7-12 decibels. I like to say if it can do that for my hearing..wow..think of what else it can help with. We have many of Dr. Seidman's studies on our website

http://visalus.com/about/scientific_advisory_board/

For the Vi-Pak, the omegas and multi are great for pregnant or lactating women. Some doctors do not want women taking the antioxidant if pregnant so it varies by doctor. The anti-aging tablet we also recommend they talk to their doctor about first as every pregnancy is different.

Dr. Seidman on Supplementing:

 The pros and cons of supplementing with vitamins, minerals and similar substances are no less confusing. In spite of thousands of studies examining the effects of various supplements, experts still disagree. As a practicing physician and scientist, I believe I have a responsibility to present what I feel is a strong case for supplementation. It is clear that proper nutrition is essential for optimum health. We need to eat from the basic food groups, and consume significant amounts of fruits and vegetables as part of a sensible diet. Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet, with its emphasis on processed and prepared foods and large amounts of fat, salt and refined ingredients, does not come close to meeting these standards. The majority of Americans are clearly not going to obtain adequate nutrition from this diet. To complicate matters, more than 60 percent of Americans are now considered overweight or obese, and roughly the same proportion of the population is sedentary. Stress, another major health factor, takes a toll on nutritional status, as does aging. Additionally, while working for the CDC (reviewing grants), there was compelling data to support that 1/3 of the WORLD population has a micronutrient deficiency. While genetics certainly play a role in health, we do not have the option of changing our genes, at present. Meanwhile, many of the health issues we face are social and lifestyle choices. The end result can be seen in these statistics: Cancer – the second most common cause of death in the United States – claims more than 550,000 lives each year. Yet two-thirds of these cancer deaths are considered preventable through lifestyle changes – quitting smoking and all tobacco use, consuming 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, reducing intake of meat, fatty foods and dairy products, exercising moderately and supplementing appropriately. Here again, we have controversy over how to define "supplementing appropriately." I think it's important to remember that the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) – now known as the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) – were established in 1941 to meet the needs of most healthy people. While these recommendations are updated every ten years, they are neither minimal requirements nor optimal levels. In fact, they are simply educated guesses. Meanwhile, there is compelling science to suggest that many of the nutrients found in routine supplements could be taken at much higher doses with an excellent safety profile and significant health benefits. Is it possible to get sufficient quantities of nutrients from a healthy diet? To answer that question, let's use vitamin E as an example. Oregon State University's Moret Traber dispels this notion when she states: "To obtain enough vitamin E from food to attain a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, you'd need to consume 9 tablespoons of olive oil, 75 slices of whole wheat bread, 40 almonds or 200 peanuts each and every day." Since it appears to be difficult – at best -- to get a beneficial amount of vitamin E from food, what should the supplement dosage be? There have been numerous studies to show that an increased intake of antioxidants, such as vitamin E, reduces heart disease and the risk of stroke, Alzheimer's and cancer. Vitamin E has also been shown to increase immune function and reduce exercise-related free radical damage. When it comes to precise dosage, however, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The DRI recommends 30 IU, a figure considered too low by many health experts. Indeed, some clinical trials suggest 800 to 1,200 IU may be required to affect cardiovascular health, particularly in patients who already have the disease. Then how do we explain conflicting findings? For example, a meta-analysis by researchers at Johns Hopkins, which reviewed 19 previously published articles involving 135,967 patients, suggests that consuming more than 400 IU of vitamin E per day may increase the risk of dying by 6 percent (Miller et al Jan 4, 2005 Ann of IM vol 142 No1). While the media pounced on the 'bad news' aspect of the story, the truth is the research had shortcomings. First, it consisted largely of older individuals who were already suffering chronic illness of one sort or another, including heart disease, hypertension, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, kidney disease requiring dialysis, as well as a group of smokers. It's difficult to imagine that vitamin E alone could improve the health of these individuals. Second, the supplements used were synthetic, and there are studies to show that the natural forms are possibly more effective. Third, from a statistician's viewpoint, mixing such a wide assortment of studies together can produce meaningless results. Finally, they eliminated 12 trials that had fewer than 10 deaths! This introduces a very serious selection bias against the benefit of vitamin E. Essentially they randomly eliminated 12 studies where the death rate was very low, you may call this science, but this is how science gets a bad name. Basically, manipulating the data to support their bias. As an aside, for our protection and safety, Visalus Sciences uses only mixed tocopherols, so it is an all-natural group of tocopherols, not just the d-alpha tocopherol, but the gammas, deltas, tocotrienols etc. There has been some science to suggest that it is much better to use mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols, which is precisely what we do at Visalus Sciences. Note, too, that the Johns Hopkins researchers themselves pointed out that most of the patients in these trials had chronic illness and were over the age of 60. As a result, the authors observed that the study's findings may not necessarily apply to younger, healthy individuals. In fact, in some ways, this study's conclusion is similar to earlier research that encouraged people to abandon butter in favor of margarine. Needless to say, that opinion was reversed when it was determined that the trans fats in margarine were far more toxic to us than butter. Of course, not all studies are inconclusive. For example, the excellent work by Rimm et al, in 1998, looked at more than 80,000 women who supplemented with folate and vitamin B6. Researchers found a significant reduction in the risk of heart disease. They also found that combining these supplements with one drink per day reduced the risk even more. Further, they determined that low intake of folate and B6 led to high levels of homocysteine, which increased heart disease. This specific study was responsible for changing the RDAs of folic acid from 50 micrograms per day to the current 400 micrograms per day. We are now finding that despite appropriate diets 1/3 of the planet has a micronutrient deficiency, the most common now are Vitamin D, the B vitamins and others. Studies like (the Rimm Study) these, cost millions of dollars and take many years to complete, are to be encouraged. But in the meantime, there is compelling evidence in smaller clinical trials that is relevant, reasonable and should cause us to change the way we think about diet and nutritional supplementation. For example, my colleagues and I have conducted studies with a number of antioxidants, including phosphatidylcholine (PPC), resveratrol, acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR), and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), among others. Our findings: these supplements provided protection against free-radical damage throughout the body. In other words, supplements minimized – and sometimes even reversed – cellular assaults linked to deterioration of health and the aging process. A final thought: Over the last 12 years, the average annualized mortality rates secondary to vitamins have been attributed to be one death per year, and herbs at three deaths per year. On the other hand, 400,000 deaths per year are attributed to smoking, and another 300,000 to poor diet. It should also be noted that pharmaceutical errors cause approximately 100,000 deaths per year. The bottom line is that there is an extremely remote likelihood that one would be hurt by taking nutritional supplements, and there is certainly compelling scientific data to support their use.

One thing I'm really enjoying about my ViShape shakes is the variety that I am able to have.  My favorite way to have my shake is over cereal... yum!  I don't use all of it of course, so I drink the rest.  It's so delicious... like I'm eating some sugary kids cereal :D 

Andy's favorite is Chocolate Peanut Butter but he hasn't yet tried Root Beer Float!  We made that one at our Challenge Party yesterday & it was a HUGE hit!  Strawberry Cheesecake made w/ just strawberries & cheesecake pudding mix is sooooo good too.  I think almost everyone wanted seconds of that one at the 1st party I went to!  If you're on the shakes, what's your favorite? 

For a list of just SOME of the recipes that you are able to have w/ our ViShape Shakes see my note on Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/messages/509806321#!/note.php?note_id=10150223562986630 

If you are not yet enjoying them, find out how you can at www.aliciatodd.myvi.net  I'd love for you to join us in this Challenge, where you lose lbs & inches OR bulk up for those desiring/needing that & win some great prizes while you're at it too!!

                                                                                                        Picture used from http://vishape.blogspot.com/