Are you a high performance athlete or just like to perform at high levels?  In college, I used to run distance and I ran marathons after college.  I bike for fun and swim a bit more seriously.  In fact, I plan my summer of 2010 challenge to be a long swim across Lake Tahoe.  Two years ago, I hike the 165 miles around it.  Last year, I kayaked around it for 72 miles and now I am set to swim across it for 12 miles with a friend and a boat guide.

Have you ever wondered what the potential of being a triathlete does for your body. I have. Which sport requires the most energy, which works out the body the most? How do I get the most bang for the buck for my time?

Well, here is the “skinny” so to speak.

Swimming.  Muscles worked: All of them—but especially shoulders, abs and leg muscles
Calories burned per hour: 500 to 600 depending on weight and speed.  Swimming  twice a week, starting with 20-minute freestyle swims that gradually increase to 25 minutes and then 30 minutes. This is a great workout.

Biking. Muscles worked: Thighs, quads, hamstrings, forearms
Calories burned per hour: 450 to 650 depending on weight and speed
Biking 35-45 minutes, twice a week, is a wonderful addition to an exercise regime.
Running.  Muscles worked: Calves, hamstrings, abs (tip: wear light wrist weights to tone arms, too)
Calories burned per hour: 600 to 800 depending on weight and speed
Running 20-minutes, once a week, for the first week, and then increase your runs to 30-minutes twice a week.

Combining these three exercises in weekly workouts will get you ready to seriously look at triathelons.  Exercise keeps you younger and healthier.  Consider adding both Ageless Xtra and Univera Essentials to your daily workout.  Energy in liquid form!

AgelessXtra^® is a scientifically-formulated nutritional and active-botanical supplement that promotes vital energy, supports mental clarity and focus, helps manage stress, and promotes joint comfort and flexibility. While taking Xtra™, you will feel an increased sense of energy and vitality.*

Xtra was formulated through extensive DNA genomics-level research and tested using a double-blind, placebo-controlled study on active ingredients. These combined effects harnessed the unparalleled scientific firepower of the ECONET. Univera created a true cell renewal formula ” a powerful blend of ingredients to help you look and feel better every day.

Too many of us eat the wrong fast, easy kind of food which is filled with empty calories. Your body requires the proper nourishment to perform at its peak. Essentials^® is an advanced, conveniently packaged nutritional beverage that provides protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids (EFAs) all in a natural berry blend sweetened with Xylitol.

Essentials provides an excellent balance of all 20 amino acids from whey protein in a highly bioavailable, easily digested form. It’s formulated with comprehensive vitamin B blend including thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), niacinamide (B3), vitamin B6 (P5P), folic acid, and vitamin B12, as well as 4 grams of a breakthrough patented, soluble dietary fiber (Fibersol^®). Essentials also contains a patented EFA complex known as H2Omega from cranberry seed oil.

Sometimes it is not so easy to eat smart or healthy. I know. There are days when I have not planned properly and I finish swimming in a famished state.  With errands to do afterwards, I have a few options. I can grab some fast food to tide me over or I can do the wise thing and grab a Univera Essentials.

Before I tell you about the wonderful benefits of Essentials, let me help you to minimize the bad effects of the junk food options. Here are 6 tips to making wise choices:

1. Control the cravings.  Don’t deprive yourself completely.  If you are craving fries, get a small serving.  Need salty chips or pretzels, get a small bag.  Better yet, have some  blue corn ships and salsa.
2. Indulge sensibly. Treat special occasions as special and indulge yourself a bit, a bit.
3. Don’t keep a stock of treats in your cabinets or refrigerator.  A small amount may satisfy cravings, just don’t make it the favorite stop that any neighborhood kid would delight in.
4. Mix it up.  Eat something healthy before you eat the bad thing. An apple before the brownie.
5. Count your calories.  There are days that I have wanted to stop by that cute little cupcake shop and have just one of those beautiful little treat.  But then when I realize that all the benefit of the last hour of swimming was being traded in for that sweet, I took a new route home.
6. Focus on the fat content. Read the labels. Less expensive items tend to have more trans fats than those that cost a bit more.  Thes may show up on the ingredients list as  partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oil and shortening.

The BEST solution to that quick need for a snack is Univera’s Essentials.  One is a snack, two are a  meal replacement.

Too many of us eat the wrong fast, easy kind of food which is filled with empty calories. Your body requires the proper nourishment to perform at its peak. Essentials^® is an advanced, conveniently packaged nutritional beverage that provides protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids (EFAs) all in a natural berry blend sweetened with Xylitol.

Essentials provides an excellent balance of all 20 amino acids from whey protein in a highly bioavailable, easily digested form. It’s formulated with comprehensive vitamin B blend including thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), niacinamide (B3), vitamin B6 (P5P), folic acid, and vitamin B12, as well as 4 grams of a breakthrough patented, soluble dietary fiber (Fibersol^®). Essentials also contains a patented EFA complex known as H2Omega from cranberry seed oil.

The perfect snack.  If you don’t have a stash of this miracle “jettson meal” yet, follow the above guidelines to say healthy.

Even moderate physical activity can boost the immune system and protect against chronic disease. Is is part of your New Year’s resolutions to hit the gyms or hiking trails to get back in shape? Medical experts are offering additional reason to exercise now in reporting the regular workouts may help fight off colds and flu, reduce the risk of certain cancers and chronic diseases and slow the process of aging.
Physical exercise has long been know to have benefit in weight control and stress reduction. Now, a growing body of research is showing that regular exercise as simple as a brisk half hour walk five times a week can boost the bodies immune system.
Exercise has been shown to improve the body’s response the the flu, making it more effective at keeping the virus at by. Inactivity, in fact, is as great a health risk as smoking. It contributes to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, depression, arthritis and osteoporosis. Studies show that 36% of US adults don’t engage in any leisure-time physical activities. For someone like me who hikes every day and often adds in another activity, this is surprising. I don’t think I can go two days without getting outside and hiking.
This is not about being thin. Even lean men and women who are inactive are at higher risk of death and disease. We should be thinking about physical activity and not weight first for health.
Women who exercise regularly can expect 20 to 30% reduction in the chance of getting breast cancer compared with women who do not exercise. This is possibly linked to exercise’s ability to lower estrogen levels.
Starting and exercise program can have benefit at any age but in particular for those over 40 when physical strength, endurance, flexibility and balance begin to decline. For further assistance in helping wit hmy own flexibility, anti-aging, strength and endurance, I use Ageless Xtra.

AgelessXtra^® is a scientifically-formulated nutritional and active-botanical supplement that promotes vital energy, supports mental clarity and focus, helps manage stress, and promotes joint comfort and flexibility. While taking Xtra™, you will feel an increased sense of energy and vitality.

Healthy aging has become one of one of the most sought after ideals of our society. We see the horrible destruction of disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Many families are effected by the destruction caused to body’s of loved ones. Researchers have linked both diseases to oxidative damage and inflammation. Resveratrol has been linked to impacting both that oxidative damage and inflamation on a body and therefore adding in the treatment and reduction of the diseases.
In scientific studies by Cornell neuroscientists, mice were given resveratrol for 45 days. Their brains were then examined for inflammatory plaque and it had been reduced by 48 to 90%. Other neurosurgeons in Turkey have found that resveratrol produced better outcomes in spinal cord injuries than the traditionally used steroid given to trauma victims (methylprednisolone).
Resveratrol has also been linked to the reversal of atherosclerosis as reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The risk of Cancer is a disease which increases progressively with advancing age. Oncologists are now looking at the chemopreventative capacity of resveratrol.  Resveratrol has so many mechanisms and represents a truly multi-pronged approach to prevention and treatment of cancers.   It is shown to delay the onset of tumor development, reduce the total  number of tumors and reduce the tumor size in  test rats.  The same has been found for skin tumors and colon cancers.  The chemopreventative qualities of resveratrol are constantly being discovered.

Univera has a product with large amounts of stable resveratrol for use by health and prevention conscious consumers called Rhythmatix. Rhythmatix, Univera’s cardio complex contains UniBEX™, a proprietary and patented extract derived from bamboo leaf that supports cardiovascular health and healthy blood circulation. UniBEX was discovered by Univera’s sister company Unigen, which has invested more than three years and hundreds of thousands of dollars researching this new landmark ingredient.

Rhythmatix combines essential heart-healthy resveratrol, a key active ingredient that is found in red wine, EPA and DHA from omega-3 essential fatty acids derived from fish oil, along with coenzyme Q10. Rhythmatix is truly an unique and all-natural solution to help you keep your heart beating strong.

For more information, see Video by Stephen Cherniske on Rhythmatix

Pain is chronic if it endures for more than three months. Chronic pain can sometimes last years or even decades. Sometimes chronic pain is caused by injury or disease. In such cases lab tests show definite signs of injury or disease in an organ or other body part. In other chronic pain conditions, the pain can’t be traced to any specific disease or injury. When the exact cause of the pain is unknown,the chronic pain itself is the disease.

Whatever the cause, chronic pain can interfere with all areas of your life making the simple enjoyments even more difficult.  I cannot imagine not feeling well enough to go for my daily hikes or other sports I regularly do. Many of my friends don’t have these life patterns simply because when they do activities, they hurt or ache. That is sure not pleasurable.

Chronic pain can:

• make it difficult to work and interact with family and friends.
• make you feel irritable and depressed, just not a pleasant person to be around.
• make it hard for you to sleep. Adjust in this position or a new one. Which position will make me comfy so that I can fall asleep?
• make you lose interest in food and sex–two of life’s greater pleasures!
• make you less inclined to get physical activity then you gain weight, which can make some chronic pain     problems worse and your moods even worse.
• lead to dependency on narcotic pain-killers or alcohol as a way of coping with chronic pain.
• cause you to have the burden of many doctor bills that come from trying to treat it.

Chronic pain is different from acute pain. Acute pain is pain that lasts less than three months. Acute pain, such as pain from an injury, infection, or inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s response to injury or irritation, signaled by pain, swelling, redness, and heat. When the cause of the acute pain goes away, so does the pain.

How do you handle Chronic pain?  Much pain is due to inflammation in joints that goes on for years. how many time I hear in conversation that someone has problems in their knees, back, rotator cuff?

I have a wonderful solution to suggest they try and, with a 90 day money back guarantee! If you suffer chronic pain and especially inflammation, try  RegeniCARE.

RegeniCARE has been found to be 4 times more effective in dealing with inflammation than the number 1 selling prescription medicine used for inflammation. Protectin ( a patented product only available in Univera
http://www.kathybaldock.myunivera.com/products) is combined with joint lubricants and repair compounds like glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, and CMO. RegeniCARE is a powerful combination of ingredients formulated to restore total joint health.

I use it EVERY day and in fact have a glass of it on my desk right now. I want to know that my joints areready to co-operate with me when I hitthe hills to snowboard or hike. Thank you Univera for the true healthCARE I now enjoy!

6 steps to Living Longer:

Laugh out loud. When you meet centenarians, there is usually not a grump in the bunch.Laughter not only reduces stress, is also relaxes the blood vessels, lowering the risk of heart attack,

Make exercise a lifestyle. Centenarians studied had low-intensity exercise—walking long distances, gardening and playing with children in their daily routines.As a result, they exercised regularly without ever thinking about it.

Use smart eating strategies. There is a saying by Confucius”eat until you are 80 percent full.” It takes your belly 20 minutes to tell your brain that you’re satisfied, so if you cut yourself off before you feel stuffed you can avoid overeating.

Researchers have found that those who ate nuts five times a week had about half the risk of heart disease and lived two years longer than those who didn’t. One or two ounces does the trick.Put some in your car, purse, put them on salads or over fish, chicken or just gobble them up.”

Pick your friendships carefully choosing those that reinforce your lifestyle. Make an effort to hang on to good friends by keeping in frequent contact and spending time with them.I have been having Friday breakfast with a group of women for over twenty years. They are my rocks.

Live with intention and know why you are getting up each morning.Take time to reconnect with your values and reassess your passions and strengths. Then look for activities or classes where you can do more of the things that make you happiest in life. And, serve.

Yesterday I went to visit an advanced physical trainer that came highly recommended to me through several friends.  Over fifty and fit.  And, a life-long athlete.  But, is that enough?

I listened to Ryan’s explanation of body mechanics and exercise over the hour especially in context of being at that age when we are expected to have reduced energy, increased fat and less flexibility.   I just do not want to rush down that path, if you know what I mean.  I hike just about every day of my life and have for over two decades. I have been swimming five to seven times for the past year and that is still somehow not enough to progress.

With the addition of natural products in my diet to support my muscle production, my energy levels and my flexibility, I am turning back the predicted progression of the cruel hands of time.  To increase my energy levels so that I can continue doing sports, I take Ageless Xtra twice each day. It is filled with antioxidants beyond the reports ORAC scores of the top competitors.

The simple way to explain ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is it measures  antioxidant capacities in biological foods.  The higher the score, the better the food is in repairing the damage caused in you body in natural (aging, inflammation, disease) causes and unnatural (smoking, pollution, chemicals, chlorine) causes.  Everyone has heard that berries are high in antioxidants.  Surely I am not that unusual that I do not get my prescribed levels of 1300 ORACs per day by food intake alone.

I eat balanced, I love fruits, I have some first thing in the morning with my steel cut oats.  This is not enough however to combat the damage occurring naturally.  That is why I supplement my antioxidant levels with Ageless Xtra.  The ORAC rating is over 4500 per ounce.  Compare that with Xango (530 per ounce) or Monavie (1200 per ounce) and the decision is simple.  The costs per ounce are comparable, but the benefits vary widely.

Ah, back to the trainer’s advice . . . I need to mix up my workout routines too. My body is smart enough to have adjusted to the hiking and the swimming.  I will now throw in a floor exercise class in one  day a week instead of swimming. Maybe I will do a class on those cold days of sub 20 degrees and not swim outdoors. Hmmm…wise?

As I age, I find that I need to be proactive about my health and fitness and exercise and Univera are parts of my attack plan to continue the life I now enjoy.

There are several forms of heart disease, but heart disease primarily comes from the buildup of fatty deposits on the inner surface of the arteries.  Eventually, these deposits block blood flow and this will lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Scientists now believe that I is not jus the eating of fats that cause the buildup on the inner surface of the arteries, but

Clogged Arteries

fats  that have been damaged by free radicals as well.  This is called “oxidized fat” which causes the fat to become more sticky and adhere to the artery walls more easily.  This explains why smoking and stress are risk factors that lead to heart attacks and heart  disease.  Both cause excessive amounts of free radicals which combined with the fats, oxidizes them and it all sticks to the arteries clogging them.  If you eat high fats, smoke and are stressed –you need help and need it NOW!

By neutralizing the free radicals, antioxidants limit the number of damaging free radicals in your body. Ageless Xtra is so high in antioxidants that you can start to offset the effects of the damage you are doing to your body.   Univera also has a new product, Rhythmatix which also support cardiovascular health and healthy blood circulation. It acts like a roto rotor for your blood vessels.  For a quick overview in video by Chief Scientist Stephen Cherniske watch this video  on Rhythmatix.

This might seem hard to believe, but we, as human beings don’t actually age, we don’t get sick and we don’t get diseases—our cells do.  Our body’s health is dependent on our cells’ health. So, to slow down the aging process ,  decrease  sickness in our bodies  and prevent diseases, we must protect and properly nourish our cells.

Let’s break it down a bit further, cells are made up of many atoms.  When these atoms are healthy, the cells replicate  and keep the body young, healthy  and disease free.  What makes and atom healthy is that it has paired electrons.

Antioxidants at work

So how do these cell age, get sick and then get diseases?  Atoms that are missing an electron start to “steal” electrons from the cells surrounding them.  This type of electron is called a free radical. Free radicals alter of destroy cells,  Cell that die and cell that replicate in a damaged state are the real cause of premature aging, sickness, and disease.

We cannot escape  the causes  of free radicals and they are ever increasing.  Consider how exposed you may be to these many sources:  smoking, stress, sunlight, pesticides, pollution, airline travel, medications, foods, food additives, X-rays, exercise, chlorine, mercury in seafood and teeth and many other sources.

Antioxidants are a buzzword we all keep hearing and for good reason.  Antioxidants have the extra electrons that free radicals need to eliminate the harmful effects.  Ageless Xtra is filled with antioxidants.  You cannot possibly eat enough fruits and vegetable in a day to equal two servings of this miracle food.

If you are anything like me, you care about how you grow older.  We are each smart enough to realize that there are no magic panaceas.  Surgery is not an option I would choose, and that  only works on the outside bits and pieces anyway.

Ready for the Winter

I care about the deeper effects of aging: memory lose, fat rather than muscle, loss of clarity and focus, disease, inability to learn as quickly, energy decreasing and early death.  Hey, I will take a wrinkle or two over that any day!  When you start to understand how the body is aging and what you can do to reverse the aging process, I think you will find that there are natural products available to greatly diminish the effects of aging.  I use Ageless Xtra which is filled with antioxidants.  The level of antioxidants in a days’ portion is that of 20 servings of fruits and vegetables.  I eat properly and cannot posibly accomplish that each day.  Join me in feeling better, looking younger and having more energy. My health care plan is really health care not sick care. Check out Ageless Xtra. There is a 90 challenge to better health. Try it for 90 days and if you do not feel significantly better , you get ALL your money back. Does any other product you have tried for anti aging or those that claim high antioxidant levels offer that?