Higher flavonoid intake is associated with lower mortality rate in older women

Higher flavonoid intake is associated with lower mortality rate in older women - Weekly Essentials of Health by Usana Health Sciences 

At a Glance

A new study shows that elderly women who consume the most flavonoids, compounds found in tea, chocolate, red wine, and fruits and vegetables, have lower cardiovascular, cancer and all-cause mortality rates. 

Read more about this research below.

Flavonoids are phytonutrients (plant nutrients) found in tea, chocolate, red wine and many fruits and vegetables. Reduced mortality from vascular disease and some cancers have been linked to high intakes of flavonoid-rich foods and specific flavonoid intake.

In a new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers explored the potential association between overall flavonoid intake and the risk of all-cause mortality.

The study participants included 1,063 women over the age of 75 years. Flavonoid intake was estimated using two different sets of food data: the USDA and the Phenol-Explorer database. Over a five-year follow-up there were 129 deaths in the study group. All-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular deaths were determined.

Women with the highest flavonoid intake (per USDA) had a 63 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality over the five-year follow-up than those with the lowest flavonoid intake. Those with the highest flavonoid intake also had a 66 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death, and a 75 percent lower risk of cancer mortality. The results were nearly identical when using the Phenol-Explorer database to determine flavonoid intake.

Using the two most comprehensive flavonoid databases available, this study provides evidence that a higher intake of flavonoids is linked to a reduction in all-cause mortality in older women, and even more so to cardiovascular and cancer mortality.

Kerry L Ivey, Jonathan M Hodgson, Kevin D Croft, Joshua R Lewis, and Richard L Prince. Flavonoid intake and all-cause mortality Am J Clin Nutr May 2015 vol. 101 no. 5 1012-1020

My RESET Story - How I Lost 10 Stubborn Pounds

Me on the Parisian catwalk for DeSenneville about 1990

 
Everyone has an ideal weight where they feel their body working at it's optimal levels. For me that weight harkens back to my days as a 27 year old living in Paris while working as a fashion model. (Mind you those were the pre anorexic look days). For many years I was able to keep that ideal weight and then when I hit my mid 40's things changed. Much to my chagrin a favorite pair of classic striped pants were now impossible for me to wear. I couldn't close them at the waist. Surely I must be hallucinating, I thought, as I began to go to through my closet trying on old outfits that I used to breeze in an out of only to find that they were now unwearbable. My YSL safari style pantsuit bequethed to me by a French friend I couldn't get past my thighs let alone zip up the fly. My sexy blue zip up hot pants by Vivienne Westwood and my catsuits all off limits. All in all it amounted to ten stubborn pounds that had accumulated around my waist and on my thighs. What happened? Or more to the point what was no longer happening?

 

RESET or How I Lost 10 pounds

 BEFORE & heavier pictured with my grandfather

Up to this point I had never been on a "diet" in my life. I had committed to a vegetarian lifestyle three decades before at 18, ate organic and had no big vices to speak of other than chocolate. I had eaten chocolate all my life and my ex - boyfriend used to joke when he got home that he had my "health food" which consisted of no less than 3 chocolate bars and usually a bag of corn chips. I'd consume that much a week and without realizing it, I had my own little mini carb and sugar roller coaster scenario going on. I equated that dietary roller coaster with gorging on bagels and donuts and since that was not the portrait of my life, I didn't get it at first. Although the chocolate I was eating was labeled organic, the story lay deeper than that. It was still in a classic bar form and much more processed than cacao should be. Raw cacao is good for you as it it not only high in antioxidants but rich in minerals such as Magnesium which is used in over 300 bodily functions. It was the magnesium in higher doses that my body was really craving and I was simply not getting enough. Magnesium's functions include providing fuel to the mitochondria in the cell. The mitochondria is like a mini factory where the cell does what it needs to do to keep the body healthy like turning the foods I eat into energy. My cells need to breathe, reproduce,  and this is key - to  excrete what it can't use. If the cell is low on fuel, the waste matter just doesn't make it out and manifests as low energy, poor digestion and as unwanted weight on my thighs, behind and tummy. I had been espousing RESET to customers and seeing some amazing results and now it was time to do it myself. For two days I consumed nothing but the Usana Nutrimeal shakes, made sure I doubled up on my Healthpaks taking them morning and night and drank plenty of water. I kept up with my regime of biking to where I needed to go and ate fruits during the day and a light salad at night along with my evening shake. People I was not hungry at all. I thought I might need to use the Usana Nutrition bars which I love because they actually have nutrition in them but in this case I didn't  require them. That surprised me but like I said everyone is different. At the end of just two days I dropped those ten pounds and the fat pants I was wearing were now baggy on me. My friend Josefa gasped when she saw me. "My God you've dropped so much weight! What did you do?"  RESET baby.  I hit my goal after two days which may not be typical but was amazing nonetheless. I stuck to the program using just water to make make shakes keeping them nutrient rich and calorie poor. My body was able to rejuvenate tapping into my old high metabolic rate and the pounds literally melted away. My striped pants and I were now back in action!

My Happy Ending

Me June 3, 2013 with my grandfather Bernando LaPallo

That was two years ago and I have not gained a single pound back. In fact I have continued to slim down and tone as I keep up with my regular biking routine and comply on a daily basis with my MyHealthpak supplementation. I get my optimal nutrition daily with Active (magnesium) Calcium that keeps my legs from cramping from all the biking I do while keeping my cells chugging along. I take my mega antioxidants, chelated minerals, AO Booster, Visionex to keep my eyes and skin healthy, Proflavanol C for easy breathing, strong teeth, gums and skin. I indulge myself in chocolate when I desire but it is no longer my main go to source of energy. My days of eating 3 to 5 bars a week are gone and now I consume that many per month. In mathematical terms I have gone from consuming 20 bars a month to 5. What I love most of all about my refound youth is that while I look the part I am much more grounded because of all the years I have under my belt. I get to be "young again" minus all the stupid mistakes I made the first time. At 50 it's a wonderful feeling! Would you like to feel this way?

Summer Slimdown

 

If you'd like my guidance while participating in the 30 Day Summer Slimdown Challenge I am conducting in July using USANA RESET Transformation please write me at ekayani@usana.com I have Summer Specials but hurry as that ends July 25th!

RESET TRANSFORMATION Kit

What's in That Protein Shake? Healthy Sugars and Why You Need Them

 

 There is a gross misconception about sugars that have been vilified in the media.While it's true that what I like to call industrial sugars are damaging, the naturally occurring ones found in fruits,vegetables and grains are accompanied by a whole host of nutrients. Like anything dealing with the human body and the planet, a deeper look that goes beyond a sound bite is critical to getting the full picture. During a Let's Go Outside! fitness and fun class I co- lead this weekend, a guest had a question and wanted to know if the Dutch Chocolate Nutrimeal protein shake I was distributing "had sugar" in it. What the guest really wanted to know really was I offering something detrimental to everyone's health. The fact is your body and brain require sugars to function. The brain needs it and without it will cease to function properly. Some healthy sugars that you can use around the house are Raw Honey, Amasake, Organic Sugar grown without pesticides or chemicals, Black Strap Molasses, Stevia and Xylitol. As for unhealthy sugars four words: Stay Away from Soda! For young mother's Bernando LaPallo points out that applesauce one of the first foods you give your baby should be unsweetend to avoid setting up your child for diabetes. Add a little ground cinnamon that has a natural sweet taste to it if you like. Adding table sugar to it impedes the ability to enjoy the natural sweetness of the apple, hooks the baby on unhealthy sugars making it be hard for them to eat whole foods later on.

Clearing Up Sugar Confusion  

Oscar Puig, CN  has this to say about the topic:

"Sugars are found in whole foods in the form of simple glucose, fructose and galactose such as those found in dietary carbohydrates like vegetables, fruits and grains. These are classified has monosaccharides. They are easy to digest and fast to get to our blood stream. They are packed with nutrients and beneficial fiber because they come from whole foods. However, our food industry has created non-nourishing natural and artificial sweeteners that can be damaging to the body. The best examples of this would be processed sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (“natural” sweeteners) and sucralose and aspartame (artificial sweeteners). Although naturally-derived, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup present in most processed foods can increase the probability of impaired liver function and fat deposits (fatty liver)..." This article by Puig is very helpful and you can read More here
Getting back to the protein shake in question Dutch Chocolate Nutrimeal contains 17 grams of sugar derived from fructose or fruits. Here is the ingredient list. And one last point the way you will lose weight fastest and sanely is to watch your caloric intake. Nutrimeal is one way you can make sure you are getting all your body requires with only a 240 to 250 calories provided you use water only to make your shake. When you start adding milk and the like you double your caloric intake. Most today are consuming 3000 to 3500 calories per day when it is better to be around 2000 calories per day on average. This unfortunate trend is reflected in the skyrocketing epidemic of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even cancers North Americans are experiencing in all age brackets. Adding plenty of fiber to your daily regime will also help you feel fuller while keeping your colon clean.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 3 scoops (60 g)

Servings per Container 9

Amount Per Serving

Calories

230

Calories from Fat

70 % Daily Value*

Total Fat

7g

11%

Saturated Fat 1g

5%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol

0mg

0%

Sodium

400mg

17%

Potassium

590mg

17%

Total Carbohydrate

32g

11%

Dietary Fiber 8g

32%

Soluble Fiber 3g

Insoluble Fiber 5g

Sugars 17g

Protein

15g

30%

Vitamin A

15%

•

Vitamin C

25%

Calcium

25%

•

Iron

20%

Vitamin D

35%

•

Vitamin E

20%

Thiamin

30%

•

Riboflavin

35%

Niacin

20%

•

Vitamin B6

30%

Folate

20%

•

Vitamin B12

10%

Phosphorus

40%

•

Iodine

30%

Magnesium

25%

•

Zinc

20%

Copper

20%

•

Manganese

20%

Molybdenum

25%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

Calories:

2,000

2,500

Total fat

Less than

65g

80g

Sat. fat

Less than

20g

25g

Cholesterol

Less than

300mg

300mg

Sodium

Less than

2,400mg

2,400mg

Potassium

3,500mg

3,500mg

Total Carbohydrate

300g

375g

Dietary Fiber

25g

30g

Protein

50g

65g

Calories per gram: Fat 9 • Carbohydrate 4 • Protein 4

Ingredients:

Protein Blend [Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Pea Protein Isolate,

Rice Protein Concentrate], Fructose, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, Maltodextrin, Soy

Fiber, Oat Fiber, Gum Arabic, Cane Fiber, Oligofructose, Potassium Phosphate, Prune

Powder (Prune, Calcium Stearate), Tricalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Citrate, Sodium

Caseinate (a milk derivative), Cellulose Gum, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Inulin, Soy Lecithin,

Tocopherols (to protect flavor), Silicon Dioxide, Wheat Bran, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Zinc

Gluconate, D-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Niacinamide (Niacin), Potassium

Iodide, Vitamin A Palmitate, Molybdenum Citrate, Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D), Manganese

Citrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Copper Gluconate,

Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Ferrous Fumarate, Thiamin

Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1).

Contains: soybean, milk, wheat.

Produced on equipment that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, sesame, and shellfish.

How to Throw a Valentine's Party with Usana foods

How to Throw a Valentine's Day Party with USANA Foods

The winter doldrums are here so thank goodness Valentine's Day is around the corner! It's mid winter and we have 6 weeks to go until the Spring Solstice. Here on the East Coast in reality that means we won't see any buds on the trees until April. Temperatures have been in the mid twenties on average with gusting winds making the less winter sports minded more inclined to spend time inside often resulting in feelings of isolation and boredom. And what do we do when we are bored and lonely? We eat. Thank heavens with the foods provided by USANA Health Sciences, we can enjoy eating in the company of others,  a sure fire cure for the mid winter blues. Throwing a party and showing guests, friends, family, new prospects or long time customers how to eat better with optimal nutrition is a wonderful way to meet the goals we set for ourselves as business persons while they stick to their weight loss goals for the new year. While lauded as a lover's holiday, I say spread the love around and expand it.This year we have two weekends to celebrate as February 14th falls on a Thursday. On the weekends of Feb 10th and 17th, I will be hosting two parties with half a dozen persons each. I feel good that the mother's with kids attending don't have to worry about the children over dosing on empty sweets too.
My featured guest is Paige Graham maker of  Paiges Perfections returning with her limited edition of Love Is in the Air hand poured lead free soy candles. Her stuff is so so good.
Some friends are bringing red wine and dishes rich in Omega 3 Fatty acids. After all, February is Heart Health month and everything served supports a healthy heart. Yummy! Whether your peeps are vegan, vegetarian, chocolate lovers or are trying to lose weight & keep it off,  these are all excellent options that supply real nutrition. After all, if life isn't fun who cares about being good?
On the Menu

  
Celiac Safe Gluten Free Chocolate cake Celiac Safe Gluten free recipes Usana Test Kitchen
Believe it or not this dream of a cake uses chick peas as it's base. Chickpeas are very high in protein. It's a flourless cake that incorporates USANA's Fibergy and Whey Nutrimeal. If you don't care to use eggs,  feel free to use an egg substitute. For those suffering from gluten intolerance or celiac's disease this will be a welcome treat.  Another winner from Diana Yin.



Baby It's Cold Outside!
Hot Cocoa Healthy Hot Cocoa Usana Test Kitchen

I recently made this cocoa using milk from Ronny Brook Farm that's sold at my local farmers market. Oh my goodness, good is not the word! Delicious, satisfying and best of all no crash and burn high that you get from traditional hot cocoas. Diana Yin was the mastermind behind this one. Drink and rejoice!

Chocolate Raw Mousse from LA Yoga Magazine

  Raw Chocolate Mousse! 
This recipe by Alicia Ojeda uses avocados, dates and cacao as the base. This recipe is a brilliant combination of
*Avocados which are naturally creamy, rich in Omega 3 fatty acids
*Raw Cacao a great source of anti oxidants and magnesium and
*Dates rich in fiber, a great natural laxative, they provide natural sweetness and nutrients such as potassium, iron. manganese, copper, vitamin A and  zea - xanthin that supports eye health. Used since Biblical times to break fasts. Potassium, also found in bananas, is a great way to help control high blood pressure reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries by Paige's Perfections