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Recipe

Prepare frozen grapes overnight (here is a recipe on how to do that..how to freeze grapes)

8oz unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup red frozen grapes
2 scoops Vi-Shape shake mix
BLEND WELL!

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]]> http://bodybydesignchallenge.com/visalus-shake-recipe-grape-shake/feed/ 0 http://bodybydesignchallenge.com/visalus-flashmobs-nationwide/ http://bodybydesignchallenge.com/visalus-flashmobs-nationwide/#comments Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:33:07 +0000 Aymee http://bodybydesignchallenge.com/?p=1641

Grapes are  source of powerful antioxidants that have been known to kill off cancer cells in the human body. They are not only  low calorie, but also fat free and a wonderful alternative for sweets (specially for the kiddos!).

However, they often will spoil within a couple of days in the refrigerator if you don’t eat them or prepare them. So how can you make the most of those grapes? YOU CAN FREEZE THEM!

By freezing grapes they will last approximately three months. Frozen grapes are delicious frozen treats, can be used for your shake smoothies.

WILL ANY COLOR GRAPES WORK?

Actually, not all types of grapes will freeze equally. Only RED GRAPES CAN BE FROZEN (and thawed successfully) because of the difference between the sugar content of red and green grapes. Green grapes freeze up too hard, and do not have the flavor capacity to withstand the temperature changes.

HERE IS HOW TO PROPERLY FREEZE RED GRAPES

1- WASH – Remove from vines, wash the grapes well in a colander and shake excess water (let drain for a couple minutes)

2- DRY – Dry the grapes carefully (to avoid icicles) by just laying them all on a cotton towel first then use the paper towels to absorb the water til completely dry

3- FREEZE - The third step is the actual freezing process. Grapes are filled with sugars and acids, so adding ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) or sugar is not necessary to freeze them as with other fruits. Use a baking sheet that will sit flat in the freezer and make a single layer of the grapes. Place in the freezer for at least one hour, or until they freeze solid. By freezing them in this way, the grapes will not clump together and will freeze more uniformly before storing in the freezer for a long period of time. Once the grapes have frozen solid, use a quart size zipper freezer bag, or gallon size if there is a large amount of grapes to store them. Place the frozen grapes inside the freezer bag and remove all of the air. This is important as the air pockets will cause frost to form, ruining the flavor of the grapes and reducing their freezer life. It is best to choose a freezer bag that will be filled up with grapes so there is less room for air. Once filled, place the bag of frozen grapes back in the freezer until they are to be eaten.

4- ENJOY - The grapes can be partially thawed to eat on their own as a treat. If being blended in a shake smoothie, the grapes are better left frozen and will thicken the drink without added ice. Frozen grapes make awesome garnishes to mixed drinks or sodas (I am doing this tonight!!! LOL), and will also keep the beverage cool without melting and watering it down.

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ViSalus Info for Pregnant & Nursing Moms

This information comes from Ms. Audrey Sommerfeld and Dr. Michael Seidman both on the 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 for 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 pollination 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 important, 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 don’t 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 and 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 helps 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) cost millions of dollars and take many years to complete,and 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

This can be difficult if you eat a lot of pre-made food, since sugar is one of those sneaky ingredients that is included, even under different names, in just about everything!

Food manufacturers know that adding sugar to foods makes them taste better, and research has demonstrated that sugar is in fact addictive; this means more sales for manufacturers, but more sugar cravings for you. Not to mention that we, as humans, are actually born with a special affinity for this little devil (sugar). I bet you didn’t know that!

However, controlling and reducing your sugar intake comes with a long list of health benefits worth looking into. By eating less sugar, you are more likely to:

• Lose weight.
• Have more energy.
• Have fewer of the mood swings caused by energy highs and lows that come after eating sugar.
• Improve your ability to concentrate.
• You may be less prone to the degenerative diseases that come with aging.

HOW CAN YOU CONTROL SUGAR CRAVINGS

Here are 5 suggestions to control your sugar cravings:

1. Know what you are eating

One thing that makes it difficult to reduce the sugar in your diet is that it’s found in foods which you may not be aware of.

One example of this is low fat yogurt. You may think it’s a healthy option, but it is probably loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners to enhance the flavor after the fat has been reduced. Instead, go for a natural yogurt, and add some extra fruit for flavoring at home, if needed.

Another example, fat free milk (or milk in general). It contains at least 12g of sugar! Sure, milk it’s good for developing healthy bones while you are growing up, but as an adult, dairy can actually be harmful and now even considered a hinder to weight loss! Instead you might opt for non-dairy alternatives, like unsweetened almond milk. It has no sugar, less calories and blends very well for that perfect soft smoothie or protein shake!

Get into the habit of checking labels to look for terms indicating a hidden sugar source. If you have a smart phone, download MyFitnessPal.com and ever food in it, or scan bar codes as you go along. Names like sweetener, syrup, or any term ending in “ose”, such as glucose, dextrose, lactose, are what you’re on the lookout for.

Definitely avoid high fructose corn syrup in particular!

2. Eat whole foods

Processed foods tend to be extremely high in sugar and salt.

So, the more you can incorporate whole, fresh foods into your diet in place of overly processed foods, the less likely you are to be eating hidden sugars.

Here is a quick list of whole foods:

• Fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables (fruit in moderation)
• Lean meats like turkey, chicken, beef, and lots of fish
• Legumes and eggs
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthy fats and oils
• Wholegrains

Foods like these help to moderate your blood sugar levels and fill you up, this means that you are less tempted to reach for sugary foods between meals, and late in the evening.

Here is a list of 100 Healthy Snacks you can print.

Remember, there’s nothing wrong with an occasional splurge. Enjoy your celebrations!

Just don’t celebrate on a regular basis :-). It’s the regular consumption of sugar that causes the problem. So, you don’t have to say NO forever!

3. Check your drinks

You may be pretty good at watching what you eat, but you need to check your drinks too, as many of them contain heaps of sugar.

Soft drinks are the main culprit, one can of soda contains around 10 teaspoons of sugar. Also, many commercially prepared fruit juices are just as bad. And, if you are a sweet tea of coffee drinker, that can add up to a significant amount, especially if you drink coffee from places like Starbucks, which are very sugar-heavy.

So, what is the solution?

Water — and lots of it.

I’m not saying don’t ever drink tea or coffee again, but do make sure that water is your main source of hydration.

And, think about completely cutting all other sugary drinks, like soft drinks, fruit juices, etc., from your diet. They provide empty calories, and absolutely no benefit to your body. You might look into protein shakes that are natural and contain less than 1-3 g of sugar. You can add a little fruit and they will be nutrient dense and healthier for you than a soda any day!

4. Exercise regularly (you knew this was coming, didn’t ya?)

For many people, sugar cravings are a response to low mood, but exercise has been shown to boost endorphins and serotonin levels, which gives you a natural mood-boosting effect.

This is just one reason to exercise for a few minutes everyday, as a way to help boost your mood, and therefore help you to better manage your sugar cravings.

5. Manage stress

Most of us are prone to reach for sugary foods when we’re feeling stressed.

However, getting proper rest, and finding ways to manage your stress levels, will make you better able to fight the sugar cravings when they do set in.

I hope in the light of all the celebrations we have around the year that involve sugar treats (Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Birthday’s…), it’s always good to have at least a handy awareness that we CAN control sugar intake and it’s just a matter of will power, awareness and MODERATION. Tell your sweetie to get you non-eatable flowers instead!!! :-)

Wishing you the best!

Credits: photo credit to BellaEats