LivingReal

Long-term consumption of high-glycemic foods may increase oxidative stress and the risk of chronic degenerative diseases.

Leading U.S. researchers recently concluded that a low-GI diet, not a low carbohydrate diet, appears to be beneficial in reducing the production of free radicals and oxidative stress.

Glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the rate that the carbohydrates in a food or meal are digested and appear in the blood as glucose (sugar). Glycemic load is a way of measuring the total carbohydrates in a meal or diet with a mathematical adjustment for GI. These measurements can be used to simultaneously describe the quality (glycemic index) and quantity of carbohydrate in a meal or diet.

Recent data suggest that the sudden rise in blood sugar associated with a high glycemic load may increase free radical production and the risk of oxidative damage. This increased production has been implicated in many disease processes including chronic heart disease, accelerated aging, and type 2 diabetes.

Investigators from several leading U.S. institutions recently investigated whether a diet with a high GI or GL is associated with greater oxidative stress by taking specific measurements in nearly 300 healthy adults.

Participants with a higher GI and GL diet were found to exhibit increases in oxidative stress when compared to those eating a diet lower in glycemic index and load.

Researchers concluded that chronic consumption of high-GI foods may lead to chronically high oxidative stress, increasing the risk for several degenerative diseases. A low-GI diet, not a low carbohydrate diet, appears to be beneficial in reducing oxidative stress.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, No. 1, 70-76, July 2006.

Picking up from a previous entry - let’s provide an explanation of the commonly marketed methods for a person to get out of debt.

One method offered by companies that earn their income through the sale of mortgages is consolidation. The premise here is to roll all your unsecured debt (such as student loans and credit cards/things that have no collateral covering them) into your home mortgage. It has also been suggested to roll secured debt, such as a car loan into this consolidation.

This assumes your home has equity to borrow from. The theory here is that these funds, the money you previously paid to the credit card companies you will now pay to the mortgage companies, which is okay because then you can write it off on your taxes. The problem with this method is that while it may drop your monthly payments a little, and save you a small amount in annual taxes, you are no closer to being out of debt.

In addition, your student loans, credit cards and car loans are now part of a payment schedule that may actually have you paying them off longer than before, or longer than the car lasts. You have also given up the equity in your home, which is not a bad thing if it is part of an overall strategy to reduce the time in which you are in debt, but not a good thing if it is used as a quick fix to have more money to spend each month.

Another method highly marketed is settlement or negotiation. In this case you enlist the services of a company that contacts your creditors for you and negotiates lower interest, a smaller monthly payment, freezing fees or any other method to help you to not have to pay. This method has fault on many levels.

There is no doubt that debt settlement with any company does hurt your credit it is the downside to the process of reducing your total debt using this strategy. an email response from a debt settlement company

Of immediate concern is how this affects a persons credit score. Any company that agrees to a negotiated payment will enter this information into a persons credit history. This information is now there for all other potential creditors to see. Landlords, retail stores, auto loan companies etc now know that you failed to pay back your debts as agreed. This can haunt you for many years to come.

In addition – negotiation may not work. Companies may not agree to new terms, they may agree to terms that are less than desirable, and this will still become part of your permanent credit history. The settlement company is also not in business to lose money and your fees to them must still be paid. I have heard horror stories of unscrupulous companies who were supposed to pay a client’s bills for them and just kept the money or held it for a time before paying it to collect the interest for themselves.

Lastly – where is the morality of not paying your debts? While there are instances of ridiculously high interest rates, and yes – today’s world seems to suck us into buying more than we need or can afford – how can we as adults accept an agreement to purchase something under certain terms and then squirrel our way out of paying for it? I came across a company which claims to have found a loop hole in banking laws and is using that as a way to help their clients end all payments to bank provided credit cards.

When I asked what lesson he was teaching his children by sitting on a couch watching a television, both of which were purchased on a credit card which he now feels he does not have to pay back – he had very little to say.

In summary – consolidation, settlement and negotiation, while maybe the last resort for some, fail to effectively eliminate debt for ethically minded families.

Visit My Life Is Debt Free

Fri Jan 02 11:28:34 UTC 2009
LONDON (Reuters) – The government will consider regulating the food industry if a three-year health lifestyle campaign fails to reduce obesity levels in England, Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said on Friday.
The government kicks off the Change4Life campaign on Saturday with television, magazine and billboard adverts urging people to adopt a more healthy lifestyle.
The action is being taken after forecasters said obesity was rising so fast that by 2050 four out of 10 children and nine out of ten adults will be overweight or obese.
The government is seeking over the next 11 years to reduce child obesity back to the level reached in 2000.
Bradshaw said the government had decided to work with food manufacturers and supermarkets rather than imposing legally binding nutrition rules.
“We have already made progress on things like labelling and fat and salt content working with the industry,” he told BBC radio.
“But … if this three-year campaign does not succeed, we don’t rule out regulating in future.”
The government banned the advertising of junk foods during children’s television programmes in April 2007 but has resisted calls to extend the restrictions.
Health lobby groups say the obesity crisis is being fuelled by food companies who put too much salt, fat and sugar in their products and have criticised their involvement in the campaign.
A coalition of 35 food, supermarket, fitness and advertising companies are contributing sponsorship worth 200 million pounds to the campaign, on which the government is spending 75 million pounds.
Planned schemes include PepsiCo UK running adverts promoting active play, supermarket Asda promoting the cycling event Bike4Life and Unilever supporting the Change4Life campaign through its Flora sponsorship of the London Marathon.
“What we fear is that the industry is very willing to give 200 million pounds to the campaign as a way of deflecting the government’s interest in regulation,” National Obesity Forum board member Tam Fry told BBC radio.
He said greater regulation of the food industry was needed to tackle rising obesity.
“Unless you get the food to the right quality and unless you avoid the prospect of advertising junk food to children, you are going to have a continuation of the problem.”

Focusing ahead of the line means the future – the time between right now and everything that comes after this

Behind the line is the actions, decisions mistakes and successes of our past, the moments and years that existed just prior to this moment. We can’t change what is behind the line so the best we can do is learn from it and make decisions about what is ahead of the line.

We all have priorities but way too often we do not consider these when making a decision in the moment.

Right now – right here I can choose to include what is truly important in what I will say or do or I can settle for something that might look good and actually be a truly good use of my time, but if it does not help move me closer to my larger objectives or fulfill me emotionally by addressing a priority in my life then I have let good over ride great and mediocrity becomes acceptable.

Be sure to stop by and check out the Personal Finance Carnival at The Simple Dollar, were LivingReal’s Debt Reduction Is For Everyone post is featured.

A friend of mine used to sell water hoses. No he didn’t work at a hardware store with garden hoses, his hoses were part of a complex cutting machine used to cut steel and hard stone. The water was not a part of cooling the cutting blades, they were the cutting blades.  Focused high pressure water used to slice through thick pieces of hardened steel and marble.

The cutting force of the water is a result of the tiny size of the orifice through which it is pushed.

And so it is the same with us and our goals, focused activity aimed at a single object, has the power to cut through the objections of our clients, the criticism of our well meaning friends & relatives, the negative self talk, the baggage of our past, the false claims of competition, the pull of the refrigerator, the excuses we tell ourselves and the rationalizations we entertain.

Just like a sharp knife whose weighted handle and long blade give power to the finely honed edge, our clearly defined goals can slice through the things that have held us back  and take us to the top of the hill, where the tipping point occurs and success is ours!

“So it’s just water huh?” said the fool, as he moved his finger across the stream coming out of the machine. He quickly learned the lesson of focused energy as he grabbed the severed end of his finger tip. Whether it is the slow moving river that cut the Grand Canyon or the laser of water that cuts steel Your well defined goals, if they come from your heart, give you the YES you need to move mountains.

Vitamins: tested and rated

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Here is another story in the public media demonstrating the superior quality of USANA Sciences over all other vitamin supplement brands. Dear Friends – if you already understand the importance of nutritional supplements to your continued good health – why would you throw your money away on any product that is poorly rated by science and doctors.

You can read the article here – or on Yahoo 

You can learn more about USANA by clicking here 

Reporter: Helen Wellings
Broadcast Date: August 07, 2007

From A to zinc, a staggering 70 per cent of Australians buy nutritional supplements, spending on average $200 per year: a total of $2.3 billion.

But it is hard to know which to choose, from a mind-blowing 30,000 different types on the market. An extraordinary scientific analysis by a team of Canadian and US biochemists may come to the rescue.

They have thoroughly examined more than 100 leading multivitamins available in Australia and New Zealand, evaluating and comparing their formulations by separating and measuring each ingredient: vitamins, minerals antioxidants and other components.

Dr Lesley Braun, Pharmacist and Naturopath from the National Herbalists Association of Australia and Dr Marc Cohen, Professor of Complementary Medicine at RMIT are the authors of Herbs and Natural Supplements.

We showed them the latest comparison of multivitamin products which scores brand by brand.

“What you’ve got is seven experts from the US that have put together what I would call a wish list, a list of ingredients they believe would be the ultimate to have in a multivitamin,” Dr Braun said.

Professor Cohen added: “It was done on a range of issues, which include how absorbable the vitamins were, the range of vitamins and minerals that were in the tablet and whether they were in the appropriate amounts and in the appropriate form” says Professor Marc Cohen.

Dr Braun explained the research further.

“Their aim is to try to find a product on the market that is as close as possible to their wish list of the most comprehensive, of the highest doses, for them what they would consider the best,” Dr Braun said.

“It is very important when you look at a vitamin supplement that not only have you got the key ingredients, but you’ve got them in the right combinations.”

They say the absolutely perfect multivitamin tablet would be a huge “poly-pill”, the size of a walnut, but Professor Cohen says we should be aiming for the following.

“The full range of vitamins e.g. A, the full range of vitamin Bs – and B should be done in a complex, not just 1 or 2 of the vitamins – certainly vitamin C and a range of minerals,” Prof Cohen said.

“There is also an argument to say you should not put everything in the one pill because things absorb differently, e.g. the fat soluble vitamins.”

Now the results

First, the final top 5 scorers. Remember they’re rated against an ideal multi-vitamin pill.Best: USANA Health Sciences Essentials scores a very high 74 per cent, followed by Solgar Omnium at 56.5 per cent.

Thorn Research Al’s Formula scored 47 percent, Clinicians Vitamin and Mineral Boost 45 per cent, and NFS Nutraceuticals Ultimate Sports Multi 44.5 per cent.

But you won’t find them at the supermarket nor pharmacies: they’re available online, some through naturopaths and herbalists.

What is it that gave these brands such top ratings?

“They do contain a lot of the B group vitamins, the antioxidants that are traditional vitamins, so bioflavonoids. And they contain a few other little bits and pieces as well in high doses, such as the minerals with magnesium and calcium,” Dr Braun said.

“A lot of the key ingredients are in very high doses. So when you match it up to the wish list that the US experts put together, it looks very good.”

Most of the multivitamins tested scored lower than 20 per cent. Again though, all were rated against the ideal.

About one-third only managed single figure scores. Bottom of the list, unbelievably, some of our top supermarket and pharmacy brands: Myadec and Nature’s Own Multivitamins and Minerals both with just 2.4 per cent,

Herron Clinical Nutrition All-in-One Multi-Vitamin and Mineral scored 2 per cent, Guardian Multi Vitamins and Minerals Hi Potency also 2 per cent, and last was Advocare Macro-Mineral Complex at just 1 per cent.

But at a fraction of the price of the top scorers, our expert nutritionists say you do get what you pay for.

“They tend to have fewer number of ingredients compared to the ones that rated very highly,” Dr Braun said.

“Also the strength of the ingredients tended to be lower.

“So I see them as just a very basic stopgap for someone whose diet really needs some work, whereas as they go higher in the list, they become more sophisticated and have better combinations.”

Professor Cohen said: “I think the ones in the supermarkets and pharmacies are competing on price. You could have the vitamin on the label and only a very tiny amount. It won’t actually do anything for you, but it is still on the label and consumers don’t really know how much is the correct amount.”

So are the right vitamins worth the money?

“Go with the ones that are comprehensive in good doses, the ones on the list,” Dr Braun said. “Ideally though, go to a health professional, get your diet looked at, start working on the diet and get the right supplement for you.”

“There is strong evidence now that everyone over the age of 55 should be taking a multivitamin every day to prevent long-term diseases,” Prof Cohen said.

“I’d extend that to say everyone should be taking a multivitamin because the risks are very low and the benefits are potentially very high.”

So what does an expert take daily? Here’s a tip: don’t waste your money taking multivitamins with a cup of tea.

“The best way to take them is in the morning with breakfast, big glass of water,” Prof Braun said. “Tea not so good because it binds some of the iron and you won’t get the absorption, cancels out the iron.”

Dr Lesley Braun takes:

• “Dona Glucosamine” by Your Health.
• “CoQ10″, Co-enzyme Q10 by BioCeuticals for healthy cardio-vascular function and good for people taking statins for lowering cholesterol. Lesley also takes them for migraine.
• “Multi-biocomplex” with selenium, a multivitamin by Nutrimedicine.
• A bowl of blueberries which are neuro regenerative – to combat the loss of brain-cells due to ageing. If she can’t buy fresh in season, she buys frozen blueberries.

National Herbalists Association of Australia.
Website: www.nhaa.org.au

Dr Lesley Braun and Professor Marc Cohen wrote “Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence Based Guide. Published by Elsevier, November 2004. ISBN 0729536823. Contains 567 pages. Price $A40.

TEST RESULTS
The scores and brand analysis of multi-vitamins, as mentioned in our story, are in Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements. A Compendium of over 100 Products available in Australia and New Zealand, written by Lyle MacWilliam BSc, MSc, FP. (Northern Dimensions Publishing, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. Revised 1st Edition).

But it is not in bookshops in Australia. Go to www.uniprotools.com.au. You can order the book from that site by selecting Lyle MacWilliam’s name on the left-hand side of the page. Price is $40 including postage and handling.

Nutritional Supplements sorted by score
USANA Health Sciences Essentials 73.7
Solgar Omnium 56.5
Thorne Research Al’s Formula 46.9
Clinicians Vitamin and Mineral Boost 45.1
NFS Nutraceuticals Ultimate Sports Multi 44.5
Thorne Research Basic Nutrients V 44.4
Thorne Research Basic Nutrients III 38.7
Solgar VM-2000 37.9
Pharmanex Lifepak 28.1
Amway NutriWay Double X 27.3
GNC LiveWell Women’s Ultra Mega 26.1
Pharmanex Lifepak Women 25.6
BioCeuticals Multi Essentials 25.3
Pharmalliance OxiChel 24.8
Neways Orachel 24.1
Solgar Formula VM-75 23.1
Radiance Multi-Power 22.6
Nutra Life Active Men’s Multi 22.3
GNC LiveWell Mega Men 21.2
Pharmanex Lifepak Prime 21.0
Nature’s Sunshine Supplemental Vitamins & Minerals 20.6
Thompson’s Multifort 17.5
Nature’s Way Mega Multi 17.1
Thompson’s Immunofort 16.9
Nutra Life Active Women’s Multi Plus 16.4
Eagle Tresos B PluSe 16.4
Nature’s Way Women’s Energy Mega Multivitamin 16.4
Pharm-a-Care Women’s Mega Strength Multi-Vitamins 16.4
Bioglan Women’s Complete Multi Compex 16.4
Pretorius Women’s Live Better Multi Vitamin & Mineral 16.3
Kordel’s Men’s Multi (without Iron) 15.4
Nutrition Care Formula SF88 15.1
Blackmores Women’s Vitality Multi 14.1
Metagenics Multigenics 14.1
Red Seal Women’s Multi 14
Nature’s Own Daily Multi Peak Performance 14
Mannatech GlycoLEAN Catalyst 13.9
Natural Nutrition Mega Potency Women’s Multi Vitamin with Selenium 13.7
Nature’s Sunshine Mega-Chel 13.5
Metagenics Multigenics Phyto Plus 13.5
Blackmores Women’s Multi & Evening Primrose Oil 13.4
Natural Nutrition Mega Potency Fifty Plus Multi Vitamins 13.4
Blackmores Sustained Release Women’s Multi Vitamins & Minerals 13.3
Natural Nutrition Mega Potency Men’s Multi Vitamin with Selenium 13.3
Red Seal Men’s Multi 13.3
Pharm-a-Care Men’s Mega Strength Multi-Vitamin 11.7
Bioglan Men’s Complete Multi Complex 11.6
Nature’s Way Men’s Energy Mega Multi-Vitamin Iron-Free 11.6
Blackmores Sustained Release Multi Vitamins and Minerals 11.5
Swisse Women’s Ultivite Formula 1 11.5
Pluravit Time-Release Multi 11.5
Thompson’s Men’s Multi with Antioxidants 11.3
Herbs of Gold Executive Multi Vitamin & Mineral 11.1
Golden Glow Senior’s One-A-Day Multi 11.1
Swisse Women’s Ultivite No Iron or Iodine 10.9
Swisse Men’s Ultivite Formula 1 10.8
Blackmores Sustained Release Multi Vitamins & Minerals + Selenium 10.7
Melaleuca Vitality for Women 10.6
Reliv Now 10.4
Nature’s Own Multivitamin Plus Omega 3 Fish Oil 9.1
Avon VitAdvance Women’s Complete II 9.1
Good Health Men’s Multi-Plus 9.1
Pharma Foods Pharma Day with Selenium 8.7
Herbalife Formula 3 8.7
Kordel’s Women’s Multi Plus EPO 8.6
Cenovis Mega Multi 8.4
Thompson’s Femmefort 8.3
Microgenics Mega Multivitamin 8
Melaleuca Vitality for Men 7.5
Reliv Classic 7.5
Nutrition Care Formula 33SE 7.4
Microgenics Women’s Pro Active Multi Vitamin 6.8
Golden Glow Super One-A-Day 6.7
Herron Clinical Nutrition Men’s Multi-Vitamin & Minerals 6.2
Blackmores Men’s Performance Multi 6.2
Good Health Women’s Multi-Plus 6
Vitaplex Professional One a Day Multivitamin 5
New Vision Essential Vitamins 4.7
Centrum Select 50+ 4.3
Amway NutriWay Daily 4.2
Microgenics Men’s Essential Multivitamin 4.1
Myadec Gold A-Z Guard 4
Red Seal Total Multi with Minerals 3.9
Centrum Complete from A to Zinc 3.9
Cenovis 50+ Multi 3.8
Guardian Women’s Multi Vitamins & Minerals 3.6
Herron Clinical Nutrition One-a-Day Women’s Multi-Vitamins & Minerals 3.6
Cenovis Multivitamin and Minerals 3.4
Amcal One-A-Day 3.3
Berocca Performance 3.2
Healtheries Women’s Multi (AU) 3.2
Cenovis Women’s Multi 3.1
Nature’s Own Daily Multi Essentials 3.1
Pluravit Women 3.1
Golden Glow Women’s One-a-Day Multi 3.1
Blackmores Multi + Gingko for 55+ 3
Pluravit 50 Plus 3
Healtheries Women’s Multi (NZ) 2.7
Hivita LiquiVita 2.6
Red Seal One-a-Day Multi & Minerals 2.6
Amcal Multivitamin & Mineral Effervescent 2.6
Golden Glow Men’s One-a-Day Multi 2.5
Bioglan Daily Plus Max 2.5
Cenovis Men’s Multi 2.5
Myadec Multivitamins and Minerals 2.4
Nature’s Own Multivitamin & Mineral 2.4
Herron Clinical Nutrition All-in-One Multi-Vitamin & Mineral 2.1
Guardian Multi Vitamins & Minerals Hi Potency 2.1
Advocare Macro-Mineral Complex 1.1

Source: Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements by Lyle MacWilliam, BSc, MSc, FP (Northern Dimensions Publishing, ISBN 0-9732538-3-5

In a world filled with so many choices and options it becomes proportionately more difficult to clarify our wants dreams and desires.

As it is now not only acceptable but expected that a woman would have a career outside of the home, those choosing the position of full time mothers are looked upon oddly. And still the woman who drops her child off at a day care provider on her way to the office often struggles between her desire for success in the marketplace and her maternal instincts. The same can be said of fathers who have come to cherish their role in the nurturing process.

These difficult choices extend to seemingly less important areas of life while creating decision making dilemmas everywhere we turn. What to order in a restaurant, which toothpaste to use, where to go on vacation, which television channel to watch, whose opinion to believe, what do I want to be when I grow up?????

H ow is one to plan a strategy for life when the choices are so numerous and our ability and willingness to make decisions are exhausted and drained by the simple act of going through the day?

Getting from point A to point B is the overall purpose.

Point A is where things are at today.

(Things = income, emotions & feelings, workload, time constraints, personal and family situations)

Point B is the clear vision of the life you want to create for yourself within the framework of family, career and personal dreams wants and desires.

We must not let the burden of or the reality of Point A to hinder the development of the vision of Point B. In other words, dont let the muck of everyday life clog the gears of your mind in developing a clear vision of where you want to be in the future nor the creative flow required to plan the course to get there.

In addition to muck is fear. Lets recognize it and face it. Fear will often back down when faced head on.

Fear of: Family reactions

Income disruptions

Failure

Disappointment

Client reaction

Employee reaction

Personal discomfort

On one end of the scale is fear. Balanced on the opposite end of the scale is the muck of life today. True along with the muck are all the benefits and accolades that come from providing a good life and living to yourself and your family. But it feels like muck, the continuing demands that grow each day that become toxic. Muck has the tendency to grow and spread and infect and suck you in further.

Clarifying Point B and making it so big & bright & colorful & attractive is step one

Now climb out of the muck by facing the fears

Get Rich Slowly has written a great review of a new documentary about the credit industry, Maxed Out.

It’s a sort of Super Size Me, but with credit cards instead of hamburgers. Here’s the trailer:

What I liked
Maxed Out peeks into all corners of the credit industry. It shows us borrowers and lenders, payday lenders and pawnbrokers, commentators and collection agents.

We meet Chris and Bob, for example, the owners of People First, a Minneapolis debt collection agency. They claim their company takes a kinder, gentler approach, but then gleefully compare their tactics to those used by pirates. We also meet Lynn Stavert, a California woman whose husband recently died, leaving her unable to make the $4,000/month mortgage payment. (She used credit card cash advances for a while before giving up.) The various stories illustrate how our lifestyles have become thickly entangled with easy credit.

The film notes that lenders make money from poor credit risks. Banks don’t give you credit because they think you can repay it — they give you credit because they think you can’t.

Read the rest at Get Rich Slowly.