Monday, August 26, 2013

Five Ingredients to Avoid in Your Skin Care Products
 
Your skin is your body’s largest organ and first defense against harmful toxins and chemicals. That’s why protecting and nourishing your skin is important for maintaining your overall health.

So, what should you look for when you’re examining your sunscreen’s label? Or your body lotion? Your makeup? Your face wash?

Here are five ingredients to avoid in your skincare products:

1. Oxybenzone — This chemical is present in nearly 60 percent of sunscreens and, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), may interfere with hormonal systems after absorption into the skin. If you’re going to reach for sunscreen, zinc and titanium are best ingredients to protect your skin. Together, these minerals offer broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection by remaining stable in sunlight without seeping into the skin.

2. Octocrylene — This chemical also commonly present in sunscreens and has been found to produce excess reactive oxygen species causing oxidative stress that can interfere with cell signaling in the skin.

3. Parabens — Preservatives widely used in cosmetic and personal care products, parabens can be absorbed into the skin and can cause endocrine disruption, which is linked to possible harmful effects on health if present in high amounts.

4. Pthalates — Pthalates are multifunctional chemicals used in cosmetics and personal care products that may be absorbed and could also interfere with hormonal systems if present in large amounts.

5. Artificial dyes or colors – Known for their presence in several processed foods and linked to adverse health effects, artificial dyes and colors are often present in cosmetics and personal care products. Skip the color-tinted products and reach for all-natural.
Rejuvity-30Day-360x240Thankfully, you can breathe a sigh of relief because there’s one skincare system that not only hydrates, illuminates and rejuvenates, but it does it the RIGHT way. Cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free and free of all the junk that never belonged on your skin in the first place, the Rejuvity® Skincare System combines nature and science for the ultimate experience in skin care. This line consists of seven products that work synergistically to help replenish your skin at its true power source; deep within the cell. The result? Newly awakened, refreshed cells produce more radiant, revitalized skin.
To learn more about the high-quality ingredients included in the Rejuvity Skincare System and examine the labels, visit RejuvitySkincare.com or contact the Isagenix Associate who shared this with you.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Feel good. Look incredible.

The Rejuvity® Skincare System is here—the ultimate experience in hydration, illumination and rejuvenation.

What’s unique about Rejuvity?
Rejuvity is unlike any other skincare system on the market today and that’s because the scientists of Rejuvity understand how the environment, toxins and stress impact the aging process. While most skincare products only improve your complexion at the surface level, Rejuvity helps replenish your skin at its true power source; deep within the cell.

How does Rejuvity work?
Our skin cells send signals to one another when they are tired or need help. Rejuvity’s Direct Cell Communication helps field cell signals by answering each cell’s unique nutritional demands. This communication directly targets tired and stressed cells, sending help where necessary. Translation? Those newly awakened and refreshed cells result in more radiant, youthful-looking skin.

What’s the best way to experience Rejuvity?
Rejuvity Skincare System is a complete replenishment system featuring seven key products, which combine the power of nature with your own unique biology to dramatically reduce the appearance of aging. In combination with Ageless Essentials™ Daily Pack, Rejuvity revitalizes your skin from the inside, out.
Rejuvity-Product-300pxWhat’s in the Rejuvity Skincare System?
*Purifying Cleanser– for clean, hydrated skin.
*Hydrating Toner- for a beautifully balanced complexion.
*Essential Youth Serum™ – to achieve a youthful glow.
*Age-Defying Eye Cream- for beautiful, noticeably brighter eyes.
*Moisturizing Day Cream- to hydrate and protect your skin.
*Renewing Night Cream– for hydrated, revitalized skin.
*Bamboo Exfoliating Polish- for smooth, nourished skin.
Want to see results? Check out what one controlled clinical study said about Rejuvity’s Essential Youth Serum and Renewal Night Cream:
Essential Youth Serum:
*Over 95% showed clinically measured improvement in skin texture
*Over 95% showed clinically measured moisture improvement
*81% showed clinically measured improvement in the appearance of crow’s feet, fine lines and wrinkles

Renewal Night Cream:
*Over 95% showed clinically measured improvement in skin texture
*Over 95% showed clinically measured moisture improvement
*84% showed clinically measured improvement in the appearance of crow’s feet, fine lines and wrinkles
More stunning facts and the story revealed in this Rejuvity Skincare video:


Here’s why Isagenix leaders love Rejuvity:

Want to learn more about Rejuvity? Visit RejuvitySkincare.com for testimonials and more details! Add the Rejuvity Skincare System to your next Autoship today!

Thursday, August 1, 2013

The Thyroid: Little Gland Causing Big Weight Problems

iStock_000016457217Small
Losing weight is challenging, but possible, when you have hypothyroidism.

Would you know if your thyroid gland slowed its production of thyroid hormone? The symptoms of decreased thyroid hormone synthesis, known as hypothyroidism, are hard to spot. About 10 million Americans have thyroid disease and many others are undiagnosed, under-diagnosed, or under-treated. Many times the symptoms—including weakness and fatigue, weight gain, persistent constipation, or thinning hair—are often mistaken as other illnesses or simply the progression of aging, hence its nickname by physicians as “the great mimicker”.

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland that sits at the base of the front of your neck and plays a key role in the endocrine system, which creates, distributes, and regulates hormones in the body. The hormones produced by the thyroid gland, T3 and T4, regulate the body’s metabolism by providing cells with energy they need to function. When your thyroid does not produce enough of these hormones, the balance of chemical reactions in your body can be upset and many times results in a slowed metabolism.

The clinical symptoms of hypothyroidism are directly related to this metabolic disturbance—most notably being weight gain. If levels of thyroid hormones are low, you burn fewer calories per day. An underactive thyroid makes every calorie count more, sometimes double. It makes losing weight a slower and more challenging process.
Here are six things to consider if attempting a weight management program when you have an underactive thyroid:

1. See your physician
If you are experiencing the symptoms of hypothyroidism, it’s essential to get proper treatment from your physician. Diagnosis through a blood test will determine if synthetic thyroid hormones are needed. It’s important to note that taking the thyroid hormones will help normalize hormone levels, but they won’t necessarily cause you to lose weight. Diet and lifestyle changes must still be followed to help shed the pounds (more about this below).

2. Avoid foods that hinder thyroid hormone absorption
When taking thyroid hormones, it’s important to avoid certain foods and nutrients that can interfere with absorption.
For example, dietary calcium or iron can inhibit thyroid hormone absorption. For this reason, many doctors recommend taking thyroid medication immediately upon rising and two to three hours apart from consuming calcium- or iron-containing foods. Be sure to do your research as some calcium- and iron-containing foods and supplements may be surprising such as antacids, calcium-fortified orange juice, and multivitamins.
It’s also important to avoid foods that can interfere with thyroid function, which are designated as goitrogenic foods. Common goitrogenic foods include non-fermented soy foods, legumes such as lima beans, and raw cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Preparation methods, such as cooking or fermentation, reduce the amount of goitrogens in these foods.

2. Eat balanced meals with quality protein
The greatest contributor to basal metabolic rate (BMR)—the rate that your body burns calories—is muscle tissue. Even when you are at rest (such as sleeping), muscle requires energy to rebuild and restore. For this reason, it’s beneficial to preserve muscle when you’re trying to lose weight.
Meals higher in protein compared to other macronutrients (carbohydrates and fats) have shown to help maintain muscle mass resulting in a higher BMR, faster metabolism, and greater energy expenditure (1;2). Additionally, the digestion and absorption of protein—known as the thermic effect of food—requires more calories than both fat and carbohydrate combined (2).

3. Choose calories wisely
When trying to lose weight, every calorie counts. This is even more emphasized when dealing with a sluggish metabolism. It’s important to limit “empty” calories such as sugary drinks, white-flour pastas and breads, and other sources of refined carbohydrates that can quickly spike blood sugar and leave you feeling hungry and fatigued.
Instead of refined carbohydrates, choose portion-controlled meals that are higher in dietary fiber to help satisfy your appetite and keep you feeling fuller, longer. In addition to curbing cravings, a high-fiber diet can help avoid hypothyroidism-induced constipation as dietary fiber is an important bulking agent for solidifying and softening stools.

4. Get moving, even if it is only for a short time
The fatigue that often accompanies hypothyroidism can hamper motivation to exercise; however, physical activity—especially resistance training— is a major contributor to metabolic stimulation and muscle growth, which can fuel weight loss.
If time and motivation to exercise are challenging, try high-intensity interval training (HIT). HIT involves alternating intense bouts of exercise ranging from 30 seconds to several minutes with recovery periods spanning one to five minutes. The benefits of HIT have been shown to outweigh longer, continuous exercise when it comes to improving body composition and metabolic health (3).

5. Make sure you are getting sufficient vitamins and minerals daily
A diet supplying sufficient amounts of minerals such as iodine and selenium is important for thyroid health. Sources of iodine include iodized salt and sea vegetables such as kelp. It may seem like you would be getting enough iodine from a typical salty Western diet; however, many processed foods do not use iodized salt. Sources of selenium include animal products, seafood, dairy, and Brazil nuts. Also, you can ensure you are receiving sufficient amounts through supplementation.
In addition to these minerals, evidence has been showing that vitamin D is particularly important for those with thyroid problems and other autoimmune disorders. Those with thyroid disease may be at greater risk for low vitamin D levels (4,5). Because of the many roles vitamin D plays in the body—from bone health to brain health—it’s important to be sure you are getting enough through your diet, supplementation, or by soaking up the sun’s UVB rays. If you choose the latter, be sure to practice safe sun exposure.

6. Get enough quality shut-eye
While getting enough quality sleep is important for anyone attempting to lose weight, it’s especially important for those with hypothyroidism. Too often, people who are sleep-deprived try to increase levels of alertness by eating and those foods tend to be high-calorie options. This cycle of fatigue and self-medicating with unhealthy foods can be disastrous for your waist line and your health.
In addition to feeling tired and making bad food choices, sleep deprivation can decrease insulin sensitivity and essentially cause a metabolic meltdown. On average, adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. So make sure you are getting enough horizontal time every night.
It is possible to reach your weight-loss goals even if you have hypothyroidism. Take the necessary steps to improve your health, stay consistent, and have the right attitude. Isagenix is here to support you all the way!
References:
  1. Soenen S, et al. Normal Protein Intake Is Required for Body Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance, and Elevated Protein Intake for Additional Preservation of Resting Energy Expenditure and Fat Free Mass. J Nutr. 2013 Feb 27. doi: 10.3945/jn.112.167593
  2. Westerterp-Plantenga MS, et al. Dietary protein – its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health. Br J Nutr. 2012 Aug;108 Suppl 2:S105-12. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512002589.
  3. Shiraev T, Barclay G. Evidence based exercise – clinical benefits of high intensity interval training. Aust Fam Physician. 2012 Dec;41(12):960-2.
  4. Kivity S, Agmon-Levin N, Zisappl M et al. Vitamin D and autoimmune thyroid diseases. Cell Mol Immunol 2011;8:243-7. doi: 10.1038/cmi.2010.73
  5. Bozkurt NC, Karbek B, Ucan B et al. The Association Between Severity of Vitamin D Deficiency and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Endocr Pract 2013;1-14.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

55-year-old former model battles breast cancer with diet changes; refuses chemo and surgery

The story of former model Jessica Richards' battle with cancer is a remarkable one, especially because it has defected from the use of conventional treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. In her book The Topic of Cancer, Richards explains how following a strict metabolic diet and receiving high-dose intravenous injections of vitamin C has helped successfully reverse the progression of her breast cancer, to the shock of many conventional doctors.

It is a story you will likely never hear from the mainstream media, at least not from the perspective of being taken seriously, and yet it is one that people desperately need to hear. Rather than follow in the footsteps of the millions of others who have lost their lives as a result of all the cutting, burning, and poisoning, Richards made the personal, informed decision to naturally fight breast cancer by feeding her body a plethora of cancer-fighting nutrients, and cutting out a host of cancer-causing foods and substances.

After learning that she had an unusually large tumor in one of her breasts, Richards was told by her doctors that she would need to begin an aggressive treatment protocol that involved removing the breast, having it reconstructed, and undergoing an intense series of radiation and hormone treatments to keep it at bay. Knowing a bit about the toll this would take on her body, Richards decided to take a different route.

"The cancer consultant who'd done my ultrasound scans said my tumor was so large I'd need accelerated chemotherapy for several months," writes Richards about her initial diagnosis. "He said I would almost certainly need a mastectomy or at least a large lumpectomy with significant reconstruction, my lymph nodes removed, radiotherapy and five years of hormone-altering drugs after that."

After researching alternative options, Richards decided to eliminate all dairy and sugar from her diet, including most fruits, and instead eat lots of vegetables and take high doses of vitamin C intravenously. After just three weeks of starting this regimen, which many said she was crazy to undertake at the expense of conventional treatments, scans showed that Richards' tumor had essentially "gone to sleep," and was in the process of regressing. Almost immediately after beginning the protocol, in fact, Richards began to see drastic improvements.

"I switched from a generally healthy diet to a metabolic one, focusing on alkaline over acid foods and cutting out all sugars," adds Richards. "I also cut out all grains and most fruit, which are broken down into sugars. Instead, I concentrated on leafy green vegetables, short grain rice, quinoa and linseeds, and cut out all dairy, which is pumped with artificial hormones. I also had regular high-dose infusions of vitamin C, a natural form of chemotherapy."

With the help of alternative cancer specialists, Richards has all but completely cured her cancer

After several months of adhering to her strict diet, which she admits has not always been easy, Richards was told by her consultant radiologist that her tumor was effectively breaking down in the same way as it would with intensive chemotherapy, except without all the organ damage and other deadly side effects. A little over a year after first being diagnosed with cancer, Richards was able to stop her intravenous vitamin C injections -- and not long after that was told that she was completely healthy, and would not have to return for a checkup for another year.

Today, Richards is healthier than ever, and has never once had to be blasted with radiation, poisoned with chemicals, or had a knife cut her skin.


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036830_breast_cancer_dietary_changes_recovery.html#ixzz23kNq4owu

Thursday, July 26, 2012

9 Weird Health Habits You Need to Adopt

Move past the annual checkups and daily sweat sessions. These habits are way more fun.

Eat soup out of a box.

Want to develop a single habit that will lower your risk of heart disease, brain cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and infertility? Give up canned goods forever. A slew of studies over the past decade have implicated bisphenol A (BPA), the chemical used to make the linings of canned goods as well as hard plastics and thermal receipt paper, in all these diseases, yet the Food and Drug Administration and many canned food companies refuse to ban it from their food lines. Some companies are seeking out replacements, but they aren't disclosing what they're using, and those alternatives could be just as bad (or worse) than BPA. Opt for soups and other products in boxes, which are BPA free, or in glass jars, if that's your only alternative.


Take up hiking.

Scientists in Japan have started prescribing "forest therapy" as a way for people to relax and boost their immune health, after a study found that men who'd spent six hours hiking in a forest over the course of two days had higher levels of "natural killer cells," which strengthen immunity and help fight cancer. The healthy effects of those two hikes lasted for 30 days. If a few days of arboreal wandering don't fit your schedule, seek out whatever nature you can find, such as a park—or even your own backyard. Being in nature is a natural stress reliever, and relaxation is great for your immune system.

Hit up happy hour with your BFF.

SSomething as simple as meeting a friend once a week for a drink or for lunch could add years to your life, based on a study from the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. According to the authors, good friends can keep you from dying earlier, possibly because they're good influences for healthy behaviors, for instance, helping you to stop smoking and encouraging you to exercise. Friends also can help counteract depression, cope with the loss of a spouse, and keep us from becoming isolated as we age.

Punch something.

Preferably a punching bag or couch cushion, not your boss. Caging up your rage can lead to poorer quality sleep, according to research published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. And not getting enough sleep, numerous studies have shown, can boost your blood pressure, heighten your risk of depression, and undermine your performance at work.

Clean every day.

When it comes to fun, cleaning probably ranks up there with root canals and doing your taxes. But resist the urge to let your bed go unmade—it could extend your life. Scottish researchers have noticed that people who engage in moderate housework every day live longer than sedentary types, possibly because all the extra calorie-burn is good for your heart. Not only that, but cleaning makes you nicer. A study in Psychological Science found that people in clean-smelling rooms were more likely to donate money and volunteer to charitable causes than people in a room that hadn't been cleaned recently.

Walk around barefoot (at home).

Now that your home is nice and clean, take off your shoes and leave them by the front door. The soles of those innocuous shoes actually harbor residues of toxic heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides that can cause brain damage, infertility, and even obesity. Lead in soil remains our major source of exposure to this brain-damaging metal that's been tied to dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and pesticides from your neighbors' lawns, such as Roundup and 2,4-D, have been linked to nerve damage and childhood leukemia. To top it all off, chemicals found in driveway sealants were recently found to trigger childhood obesity in a study by researchers from Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health. Slippers are more comfortable inside, anyway!

Take more naps.

Even at work, seriously! A few years ago, the Pew Research Center polled working professionals and found that just 34 percent of people took naps every day. However, a third of those people made over $100,000 per year. A connection? We think not. Studies have also found that naps improve cognitive function, memory, and alertness, and one study in Greece found that people who took three 30-minute naps a week cut their risk of a fatal heart attack by 37 percent—largely due to the fact that naps cut down on heart-damaging stress.

Have more sex.

A roll in the hay makes you feel good, yes, but it also does wonders for your ability to ward off colds, flu, and other unpleasant illnesses. Researchers at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA, found that having sex once or twice a week boosts your body's production of immune system antibodies by 30 percent, compared to those who didn't have sex. The proteins in question, immunoglobulin A, bind to disease-causing pathogens when they first enter the body, summoning the immune system to destroy them.


Use a vibrator.

o you're single and have to go solo? That's healthy, too, according to research from Indiana University's Center for Sexual Health Promotion, because it apparently makes you more apt to adopt other healthy habits. A survey conducted by the center revealed that both single women and women who incorporated vibrator use into sex with a partner were more likely to visit the gynecologist than non-users. Men who reported using vibrators with a partner were also more likely to give themselves testicular self-exams. Need any more excuses to start using sex toys?

So there you have it, a couple of new way's to be healthy and have fun in life.....



Sunday, June 3, 2012

7 wonderful ways to cleanse you liver the natural way!




Our livers work extremely hard everyday to protect us from adverse affects from toxins and often it is easy for our livers to become overworked compromising our health significantly. Here are 7 common foods you can include daily to help cleanse your liver naturally.

The primary way in which your body expels toxins is via the liver, which detoxifies and cleanses your body by continuously filtering the blood of poisons that enter it through the digestive tract, the skin, and the respiratory system. But when your liver becomes overworked as a result of stress or excessive exposure to toxins, your entire system can be thrown off balance, and your health severely compromised.

Since the liver is also responsible for producing bile, another form of detoxification that is metabolically necessary for the breakdown and assimilation of fats and proteins from your food, it is exceedingly important that your liver be properly maintained. Without a well-functioning liver, your body will be unable to cleanse itself and absorb nutrients, which is a recipe for a health disaster.

"The thousands of enzyme systems that are responsible for virtually every body activity are constructed in the liver," writes Dr. Karl Maret, M.D., about the importance of vibrant liver function. "The proper functioning of the eyes, the heart, the brain, the gonads, the joints, and the kidneys, are all dependent on good liver activity."

"If the liver is impaired from constructing even one of the thousands of enzyme systems the body requires, there is an impairment in overall body function and a resultant greater metabolic stress on the individual."

So here are seven important foods you may want to begin incorporating into your diet in order to maintain a healthy liver.

1. Garlic

Garlic contains numerous sulfur-containing compounds that activate the liver enzymes responsible for flushing out toxins from the body. This bulbous relative of the onion also contains allicin and selenium, two powerful nutrients proven to help protect the liver from toxic damage, and aid it in the detoxification process.

2. Grapefruit

Grapefruit is rich in natural vitamin C and antioxidants, two powerful liver cleansers. Like garlic, grapefruit contains compounds that boost the production of liver detoxification enzymes. It also contains a flavonoid compound known as naringenin that causes the liver to burn fat rather than store it.

3. Green Tea

Green tea is loaded with catechins, a type of plant antioxidant that has been shown in studies to eliminate liver fat accumulation and promote proper liver function. This powerful herbal beverage also protects the liver against toxins that would otherwise accumulate and cause serious damage.

4. Green Vegetables

Leafy green vegetables such as bitter gourd, arugula, dandelion greens, spinach, mustard greens, and chicory also contain numerous cleansing compounds that neutralize heavy metals, which can bear heavily on the liver. Leafy greens also eliminate pesticides and herbicides from the body, and spur the creation and flow of cleansing bile.

5. Avocado

Rich in glutathione-producing compounds, avocados actively promote liver health by protecting it against toxic overload, and boosting its cleansing power. Some research has shown that eating one or two avocados a week for as little as 30 days can repair a damaged liver.

6. Walnuts

Walnuts, which contain high levels of l-arginine, an amino acid, glutathione, and omega-3 fatty acids, also help detoxify the liver of disease-causing ammonia. Walnuts also help oxygenate the blood, and extracts from their hulls are often used in liver-cleansing formulas.

7. Tumeric

Turmeric, one of the most powerful foods for maintaining a healthy liver, has been shown to actively protect the liver against toxic damage, and even regenerate damaged liver cells. Turmeric also boosts the natural production of bile, shrinks engorged hepatic ducts, and improves overall function of the gallbladder, another body-purifying organ.
enjoy!


since I didn't know what a Turmeric was I added this picture. It is also known as Curcuma longa. turmeric is a tropical rhizome(underground stems) in the ginger family.




Tuesday, May 15, 2012

5 Reasons to Get Swimsuit Ready With Cleanse Days


 
It’s that time of year where many people are sprucing up their home or wardrobe, but it’s also the perfect time to spruce up your health and body by cleansing with Isagenix. More than just a way to get your body toned for swimsuit season, cleansing with Isagenix offers a surefire way to recharge, gain energy, and improve your overall health.

Depending on the type of Isagenix system you’re embarking on, Cleanse Days will involve one or two days a week, or every other week, where you’ll abstain from food and in its place will be the drink Cleanse for Life, plenty of purified water, and other little nutrient-packed “tools” to get you through.

Ask anyone who’s lost weight on Isagenix and they will surely tell you that these Cleanse Days are what gave them the “jump start” to results and benefits that are seen from the overall system. It’s not just other people too—as with anything else made by Isagenix—Cleanse Days encompass the benefits seen in well-designed, published studies. Here are five reasons why Cleanse Days will bring you results:
  1. “Jump Starts” Fat Burning: The reduction of calories on Cleanse Days stimulates the body’s fat burning furnaces by increasing human growth hormone while suppressing proteins responsible for fat synthesis and storage. Notably, the surge in human growth hormone also helps protect against muscle breakdown as long as followed with intake of quality protein (as on Shake Days).
  2. Triggers Detoxification: The abstinence of food on Cleanse Days gives the digestion processes a break, allowing the liver to kick into detox high gear. Also, with the reduction of fat deposits on Cleanse Days comes the release of stored fat-soluble toxins. By drinking Cleanse for Life on Cleanse Days, this helps encourage even deeper detoxification. Cleanse for Life provides several significant advantages over traditional fasting: The drink contains B vitamins, which are depleted during normal fasting. These vitamins are essential for normal body metabolism and energy production. It also contains bioactive herbal ingredients demonstrated to stimulate antioxidative and detoxification enzyme pathways including glutathione transferases, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. And, finally, Cleanse for Life contains potent antioxidative complexes that directly contribute to the body’s antioxidant defense system.
  3. Improves Insulin Sensitivity: A review of animal and human studies involving intermittent or alternate-day fasting, or abstaining from food for one or two days in between normal calorie consumption days, found that fasting resets cellular sensitivity to glucose and insulin (1). This in itself can bring better health—allowing the body to better control blood sugar. The opposite of being insulin sensitive is insulin resistant, which is related to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Recently, research has shown that periodic intermittent fasting was associated with reduced risk in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (2).
  4. Reduces oxidative stress and inflammation: As fat cells shrink, they release fewer pro-inflammatory cytokines (signaling molecules) that cause oxidative stress and inflammation. Less total body fat also helps improve antioxidant status in the body. The end result is improved health overall and lower risk of chronic disease. Oxidative stress, in particular, plays a heavy toll on telomeres (related to aging). The lower the oxidative stress, the better for healthy aging.
  5. Activates Your “Longevity Genes”: Studies in animals suggest that intermittent fasting on Cleanse Days can activate genetic expression of SIRT1, dubbed the “longevity gene” (3). The scientific interest in sirtuins, the family of proteins that SIRT1 is a part of, has grown since the early 2000s because of findings that stimulation of them—via calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, and compounds such as resveratrol—may slow aging and increase lifespan.
So what the about other parts of the Cleansing and Fat Burning System that are so great? For one, Shake Days on an Isagenix system can also be considered “calorie restricted” days. Two meals replaced with an IsaLean Shake and one 400- to 600-calorie well-balanced meal will most likely equate to consuming fewer calories than normal. If followed consistently, this in itself can lead to weight loss. On top of weight loss, calorie restriction has shown in both animal and human studies to elongate life and protect against chronic disease (1).
What’s more, the biggest component of an Isagenix system is IsaLean Shake, a nutrient-dense meal that feeds the body whey protein, which has consistently shown in studies to be the top choice (compared to other sources of protein like soy) for:
  • Reducing muscle loss, which is usually associated with most weight-loss plans (4;6)
  • Reducing total body fat and visceral fat by increasing fat burning (oxidation) (5;6)
  • Increasing thermogenesis, which increases the amount of calories burned (5)
On top of this, Isagenix systems promote the regular use of Ionix Supreme, an adaptogen-rich tonic that helps reduce the stress associated with weight loss and helps with the “feel good” effects of the program.
The beauty of a Cleansing and Fat Burning System from Isagenix lies in the combination of its individual parts. Not a system that involves restricting yourself to drinking plain juices, or worse yet, taking laxatives, Isagenix offers a lifestyle plan that supports weight and fat loss, will get you into swimsuit-shape, and supports muscle maintenance, supreme nutrition, and maximum detoxification.


References:
1. Varady KA, Hellerstein MK. Alternate-day fasting and chronic disease prevention: a review of human and animal trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;86-13.
2. Horne BD, et al. Usefulness of routine periodic fasting to lower risk of coronary artery disease among patients undergoing coronary angiography. Am J Cardiol 2008.2008 Oct 1;102(7):814-81.
3. Walker AK, et al. Conserved role of SIRT1 orthologs in fasting-dependent inhibition of the lipid/cholesterol regulator SREBP. Genes Dev 2010;24:1403-17.
4. Baer DJ, Stote KS, Paul DR, et al. Whey Protein but Not Soy Protein Supplementation Alters Body Weight and Composition in Free-Living Overweight and Obese Adults. J Nutr July 2011, 141.
5. Acheson KJ. Protein choices targeting thermogenesis and metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr 2011; 93: 525-34
6. Josse AR, Atkinson SA, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Increased Consumption of Dairy Foods and Protein during Diet- and Exercise-Induced Weight Loss Promotes Fat Mass Loss and Lean Mass Gain in Overweight and Obese Premenopausal Women. J Nutr 2011;141:1626-34