Non-Toxic Craft

My friend, Kristina Diaz, made another appearance on Better CT and shared this *non-toxic craft to do with your children.  Enjoy! 

To Your Health,
Lisa

*If you decide to make them permanent by adding shellac, they will no longer be non-toxic.


http://www.wfsb.com/betterct/26204368/detail.html

The Hum-Bug and Happy of the Holidays

Dealing with stress is so important to you health.  I thought you would appreciate this article.

To Your Health,
Lisa

The Hum-Bug and Happy of the Holidays

By Sue Urda

Is it getting to you yet? Do you feel the pressure and push of the holiday season? And even though you’d like to be jolly and bright, you find yourself being a bit of a Scrooge? No worries. There are lots of people who feel this way on and off during the holiday season, and there IS hope!

Here are 9 Stress-Less Tips for the Holidays:

Get Connected – The holidays are the perfect time to deepen the connection and understanding you have with others. When you’re at a gathering, whether it is large or small, make a point of having intimate conversations and truly getting to know the people you are with. You’ll be surprised how open and fun they are when you show them that you are interested in them. You don’t have to be a great conversationalist; simply ask questions and see where it takes you.

Cross Some Things Off Your List. – You know that humongous list you wrote of all the baking and decorating and visiting and shopping you wrote? Well, most likely you’re not going to get it all done anyway, so why not strategically cross things off before you start. The holidays will be great without 22 different types of cookies. Really! Be reasonable and be flexible as you think about the time everything takes and be sure to include things on your list that you enjoy the most.

Pick a Theme for the Holidays – This year my theme is peace. Last year it was Fun. Decide in advance the most important feeling that you would like to feel and plan everything around your theme. Be sure to tell your family, friends and co-workers about your theme and you’ll find that they’ll contribute positively to it!

Set a Budget – Don’t get caught up in the whirlwind of the commercialism of the holidays and the massive sales events that have you spending way more money than is comfortable for you. If you start with a specific dollar amount in mind, it will help to narrow down your choices as you plan menus, travels, decorating and gift-giving.

Set Your Boundaries – The holidays are a time when we get together with our family members who we might not see very often, and each one of them has their own idea of what ‘should’ happen during the celebration. Be sure to speak up and put in motion the things that are important to you. And remember that it’s okay to say ‘no’ when you mean no.

Schedule ‘Me Time’ - I know, I know. You think there is no time for you and all the other things you want to do and get done. The truth is that if you don’t schedule time for yourself, you’ll end up frazzled and on edge. And we all know what happens next. So, be sure to plan time with friends or with a bubble bath. You and everyone you’re with will benefit from your down time.

Gift Giving From the Heart – Having to ‘exchange’ gifts seems so cold. Instead, think of gift giving as something you do in conjunction with the feelings in your heart. As you buy gifts, think of the person you love and picture them enjoying the gift you gave them. How much money should you spend? Whatever feels good and comfortable for you.

Reflect and Reminisce – The holidays are a great time to share memories and talk about the great times you have had. Asking relatives about family members who have passed is a great way to understand traditions and will also bring a better understanding of the family members surrounding you now.

GIVE THANKS! – Always express your gratitude for the people and events in your life. Be as vocal as possible and you’ll find that you start an epidemic, because gratitude is contagious just like happiness, love and joy. What do you have to be thankful for? Look around and be grateful for everyone and everything you see. That’s what the holidays are about after all!

Now that's Powerful!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sue Urda is known as ‘The Connections Expert’. She is an Author, Speaker, Inspirer & Co-Founder of Powerful You! Women’s Network. Sue is a two-time honoree on INC Magazine’s list of the 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies. Her award-winning book, Powerful Intentions Everyday Gratitude: 100 Transformational Days to Create a Life of Joy, Grace and Ease is designed to help you understand the complex workings of your mind, tap the inner wisdom of your heart & live each day through deliberate creation and intent. Sue assists women in their own pursuit of success, joyful-living & balance and her mission is to connect women to each other, their visions & themselves. www.sueurda.com

Today Only - Special on Cholesterol Reduction Complex

I wanted to make sure you were aware of the Cholesterol Reduction Complex special that ends today.


15% off !

That's in addition to the the member pricing discounts.

And no limit!

Through tonight you would want to use this link of the special pricing. http://healthmatters4u.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=89200 .

See how it works!

http://content.shaklee.com/shaklee/flash/show.php?video=CRC

If a new person purchases 2 and they will receive membership pricing! :)) It will offer FREE membership at checkout and adjust the pricing.

Here is a link to the testimonial from Chris Dzurnak in Torrington on the cholesterol. http://nosickvisits.blogspot.com/2010/11/high-cholesterol.html

Let me know if you have any questions. Feel free to contact me by phone or email.

To Your Health,
Lisa

The Real Dirt on Clean Water

Your Tap Water may look clean, but in a study conducted by the Enviromental Working Group (EWG), more than 300 pollutants were found in the drinking water in 45 states.  What can you do to help protect yourself and your family against potentially harmful contaminants?

According to the US, Environmental Protection Agency, public water untilities have violated the Safe Drinking Water Act - which has not been updated since 1996 - more than 700,000 times in the past seven years!

What's in Your Water?


Your tap water may not be as safe to drink as you think it is. It may contain lead from corroded pipes, atrazine (a common pesticide), discharge from industrial activity, and other contaminants you can’t necessarily see, taste, or smell. Over time, some contaminants may negatively impact your health. So which contaminants should you be on the lookout for?

• Disinfection by-products can form when chemicals used by local water utilities to kill water-borne microorganisms react with elements that sometimes may be present in the water.

• Heavy metals, including lead, are commonly present in pipes and can easily end up in your drinking glass. Even "lead-free" pipes are no exception; they can actually contain up to 8% lead.

• Agricultural pollutants not only threaten fish and wildlife, they can affect your health. One common pesticide to watch out for is atrazine. Although banned in Europe, over 70 million pounds of atrazine are currently used on farms across the United States.

• Industrial pollutants are prevalent in urban areas. One example of an industrial pollutant is benzene; up to 6 million pounds of this toxic chemical are released in the U.S. every year.

Long-term exposure to these contaminants may cause serious health problems—such as compromised kidney and liver function. And for young children, the risk is even greater. For example, long-term exposure to lead can cause reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and impaired growth.

Who's Responsible for Regulating Your Water?

So who's paying attention to the levels of all the pollutants in your water? Good question. More than half of the pollutants found in drinking water by the EWG are not held to any safety standards. And according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, public water utilities have violated the Safe Drinking Water Act—which has not been updated since 1996—more than 700,000 times in the past seven years.

Who's Responsible for Regulating Your Water?

There are steps you can take to help safeguard yourself and your family against contaminants.1. Do your homework: Research how your water gets from your municipality to your home.

2. Take action: Purchase a water filtration system that’s independently certified to reduce contaminants in your water that may be hazardous to your health. Look for ones with the Water Quality Association (WQA) or National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) seal.

3. Take action: Purchase a water filtration system that’s independently certified to reduce contaminants in your water that may be hazardous to your health. Look for ones with the Water Quality Association (WQA) or National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) seal.



This is reposted from a Shaklee Wellness Update.  If you are concerned about your water, check out our special offer solution, providing you with 365 Days of Clean Water.
http://letsbetoxinfree.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=89114

To Your Health,
Lisa

Do you know the PH level of your food?

Here is a humorous & very informative video explanation of PH and the effects on your body. If you drink sodas (even diet), you’ll find this interesting. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpoAtwVyzZI



To Your Health,
Lisa

Calcium and Vitamin D Intake

With all the news regarding Vitamin D in the press, I thought I'd share this letter from Dr. Jamie McManus.  Still wondering what you should be doing?  Take the quiz at linked at the end of this letter and find out.

To Your Health,
Lisa


New Calcium and Vitamin D Intake Recommendations –
                                              What You Need to Know

Hello Shaklee Family,

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) just released the report "Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D" that establishes higher recommended intake levels for vitamin D. The new Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for children and adults ages 1-70 has been increased to 600 IU/day and the RDA for those aged 71+ has also been raised to 800 IU/day. The Tolerable Upper Intake Level was raised from 2,000 to 4,000 IU/day for adults. Calcium intake RDAs remained essentially the same with a range of 700 – 1,300 mg per day depending on age and sex. The full report can be accessed at http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Dietary-Reference-Intakes-for-Calcium-and-Vitamin-D/Report-Brief.aspx.

We recognize that the goals of the IOM are to make broad-based recommendations for the entire population, and develop reference values that serve to guide nutrient guidelines for the US and Canada. We applaud the IOM for updating the vitamin D and calcium nutritional reference values established in 1997, for the potential far-reaching benefits to public health, but we also believe that such modest adjustments in recommended intakes may under-serve the many population groups who are at potential risk for low intakes of calcium and/or vitamin D..

We also want to take this opportunity to reiterate that Shaklee’s mission is to support optimal health for everyone, and in this case, we believe the potential benefits of calcium and vitamin D supplementation go well beyond simple nutritional adequacy and bone health. Scientific research links vitamin D inadequacy to an increased risk for certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes, and higher intakes of vitamin D may help reduce the risk of these diseases. These are precisely the reasons we conducted our own extensive review of the scientific literature and sponsored two independent vitamin D research studies. We also recently adjusted our individual vitamin D intake recommendations based on an individual’s risk factors for vitamin D insufficiency.

It has been estimated that as many as 80% of Americans may have “insufficient” blood levels of vitamin D and there are many reasons why low vitamin D levels seem to be commonplace today. The season or calendar month is a major risk factor for vitamin D insufficiency because sunlight is less efficient during winter months at triggering vitamin D production in the skin. The risk for vitamin D insufficiency rises as sunscreen use and time spent indoors increases. The latitude of your residence is another determinant of sun exposure and those with darker skin are less efficient at converting sunlight to vitamin D. Other factors that can increase risk for vitamin D inadequacy include increasing age, increasing body mass index, lack of exercise, and low intake of fish and other vitamin D rich foods in the diet.

While we support the IOM for the long-awaited adjustments to the calcium RDAs, increases to the vitamin D RDAs, and the increased Safe Upper Levels of Intake (UL) for vitamin D, we also remain committed to individualized and potentially higher vitamin D intake recommendations based on an individual’s unique vitamin D risk factor profile.


For more information about calcium, vitamin D, and your health, talk with your doctor or healthcare professional to discuss the steps you should take to achieve optimal calcium and vitamin D intakes. To obtain an individual vitamin D intake recommendation from Shaklee Health Sciences, based on your own risk factor profile, take the Vitamin D-Ology questionnaire at http://healthmatters4u.myshaklee.com/us/en/#/pop_VitaminD_quiz

Sending warmest regards,

Dr. Jamie McManus M.D.
Chairman, Medical Affairs and Health Sciences
Shaklee Corporation