Are you really hell-bent on gaining unhealthy pounds, clogging your arteries and giving yourself type II diabetes? I can’t imaging anyone would answer ‘yes’ to that question, but based on what the average American actually consumes on a daily basis, I’d say that’s exactly what they are doing. Purposely sabotaging their health.
Its so easy, so convenient to kill yourself slowly. You don’t have to drive far to get your ‘fix’. You’ve got your fast food joints like McDonalds right along your path to work. And even those who know McDonalds = poison are likely to forgo the heart attack on a plate joint for the hip Starbucks stop instead. We’ll gladly pay more for the breakfast perceived as healthier – but watch what you order… your choice makes all the difference!
What – you think you are above all this? You choose to stop at the local Jamba Juice hut instead? Watch it! Diabetes can be sipped slowly too – watch what you are drinking.It may seem a smarter choice to go for juice – and if you are home with your juicer pumping out the fresh fruit and veggie juices, it can’t be a bad thing. But do yourself a favor and look at the sugar content of your favorite juice or smoothie. You may find that you are getting just as much sugar from it as you would from a Coke! And you wouldn’t dare choose a Coke for breakfast, would you? If so, you need far more of a healthy living education than just this blog post!
I used to be a Smoothie King junkie. I’d stop for my protein shake before heading to the gym. Now, I’d put my $1.70 Vi-Shake up against a $5 excuse for a smoothie from the ‘king’ any day. I wouldn’t even put out the money for the inferior taste & nutrition they deliver – seriously. If you are stopping daily for one of those blended concoctions, I Challenge you to try one of my recipes for the Vi-Shake mix with frozen fruit. You’ll never go back – and your body and bank account will thank you!
I admit, I’m a smoothie snob. I have paid for more mediocre smoothies in my life than I care to admit. I have also purchased every kind of protein powder under the sun in an attempt to find one that blends well with frozen fruit. As a result I have choked down some pretty awful sludgy mixes! I’m certain the worst was a soymilk/supergreens/soy protein/fruit concoction. It tasted like grainy seaweed frozen yogurt. Need I say more?
Why the search for the ultimate smoothie? Its the ultimate meal on the go – an easy way to drink a fruit serving loaded with protein and fiber. A smoothie is light on the system before a workout and quickly absorbed nutrition for replenishing after a workout. All that sounds good – but its gotta taste good too!
Up until now the one thing that was inhibiting the creation of the ultimate smoothie was the ‘blendability’ of the protein powder. Also, the protein powders were either too sweet, tasted really weird or caused the smoothie to froth up, giving it a really awful consistency. Oh and lets not forget the worst problem of all – those protein powders that caused intestinal upset and bloating. Those went over real well – NOT!
Thankfully, I have now discovered the secrets to the ultimate smoothie. #1 the smoothie base – Vi Shape Shake mix #2 frozen fruit, not ice cubes!
The Vi-Shape Shake mix comes in ’sweet cream’ flavor that make the ultimate fruit, chocolate or even coffee smoothies. It has a superior nutritional profile to any of the other ‘meal replacement’ powders, and it blends easily in any kind of milk and even water. Vi-Shape Shake Mix tastes fantastic and blends perfectly – the ultimate smoothie base!
Vi-Shape Shake Mix is GMO free, gluten free and lactose free. It is 100% safe for diabetics and even safe for cancer survivors because ViSalus has removed the estrogen precursors in the soy protein.
The second secret to the perfect smoothie is frozen fruit. Using the frozen fruit instead of ice cubes gives it a more substantial ‘mouth feel’, and keeps you full much longer. To make it extra creamy and satisfying, add frozen banana. I let a bunch of bananas get to the point where they are lightly spotted, then I’ll peal them and put them in freazer bag. Most of the smoothie recipes below can be made more creamy by adding 1/2 a frozen banana.
I have a smoothie every day, so variety is key. If you are going to use the Vi-Shape Shake mix as a meal replacement as it is recommended in the Body By Vi Challenge, you absolutely want to vary your shakes. If you are going to stick with the Body By Vi weight loss program and lose all the weight you want to – you will want to incorporate different recipes. The Vi-Net health tracker system has many suggested recipes. Just remember my tip to freeze the fruit and use it to blend your smoothie instead of adding ice.
Each of the recipes that lists ‘milk’ can be made with your choice of milk. I use plain almond milk because it is just 60 calories per cup. You could use cow milk, soy milk, almond, or any milk of your choice!
Ultimate Smoothie Recipes
Blueberry Banana Super Energy Shake 1 cup milk 1/2 cup frozen blueberries 1/2 frozen banana 2 scoops Trim Slim Shake mix 1 Banana Energy Charge Shape-up
Pina Colada Smoothie 1 cup milk 1/2 cup frozen pineapple 1/2 frozen banana 2 scoops Trim Slim Shake mix 1 Banana Energy Charge Shape-up
Peach Creamcicle 1 cup milk 1 cup mixed frozen fruit that includes peaches 2 scoops Trim Slim Shake mix 1 Peach Shape-up Health Flavor Mix-in
The peach is also delicious with a bit of fresh ginger blended in. Ginger is great for digestion and for speeding metabolism.
Strawberry Milkshake 1 cup milk 1 cup frozen strawberries 2 scoops Trim Slim Shake mix 1 Strawberry Shape-up Health Flavor Mix-in
Orange Creamcicle 1 cup milk 1/2 cup mixed frozen fruit 2 scoops Trim Slim Shake mix 1 Orange Shape-up Health Flavor Mix-in
Chocolate Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie 1 cup milk 1 frozen banana 1Tbs peanut butter 2 scoops Trim Slim Shake mix 1 Chocolate Shape-up Health Flavor Mix-in
Leave out the banana and just use ice cubes for a peanut butter cup smoothie! Yum!
Coffee Smoothie 1 cup milk 1Tbs instant coffee 2 scoops Trim Slim Shake mix 1 Chocolate Shape-up Health Flavor Mix-in Ice cubes This smoothie can also be made with strong coffee frozen in ice cube trays. Use the frozen coffee cubes instead of ice.
There you have it! SOME of my Ultimate Smoothie Recipes!
To get your ultimate smoothie base, the Vi-Shape Shake mix, join the Body By Vi Challenge.
I’m on day 31 of the ViSalus Body by Vi Challenge. That’s 1/3 of the way in, or just 60 days to go. It takes just 21 days to form a habit – so I can say that the Challenge is officially a habit. Blending up a delicious, nutritious shake with fruit and the Trim Slim Shake mix is more than easy – I look forward to it! Before the Challenge I would have a large glass of water, then 2 cups a tea for breakfast… not quiet enough to spark my metabolism. If I headed to the gym, I’d force down something small like fruit before I went. Essentially, I would be running on empty before I even arrived. After pushing through an hour of exercise, I felt totally drained. I’d replenish with an apple… and eat something when I got in. I felt I was doing my body good.
The drastic difference now is obvious. I blend up my shake in about 2 minutes before bouncing out the door to the gym a minimum of 4x per week. I drink 1/2 on the way there and feel more than satiated and fueled for my workout. My workout is strong, powerful and burns up a ton of calories because I am more energetic throughout. When I’m through, I am aware that my body needs re-fueling – so I drink the second half of my shake.
Do you know the ’so hungry you could eat a horse’ feeling? The one where you would almost stop for fast food (gag me!). I can tell you that the Trim Slim Shake wipes that out INSTANTLY. It actually nourishes your body, so those horrible cravings go away. And its SOOO yummy. I find myself wanting one as a late night snack. No kidding. Ever heard that said about a diet shake before?
I’m on the one Trim Slim Shake per day regimen. I have just a few more pounds to lose and will do that through boosting my metabolism in the morning with a Trim Slim Shake, exercise that includes strength training and cardio, and watching my daily diet with the online Health Tracking System that is built into the Vi-Net for those who are on the Challenge. I KNOW that with the habits I have formed I will more than reach my goals. Check out what has already happened to my belt! Looks like it will go around twice if I keep shrinking My belt goes halfway around the back of me! I’ve ’shrunk’ to a size 4!
On Monday the Magic Bus comes to take my children to school. This marks a brand new chapter in our lives, as both kids will be in school all day long! I’ll drop them off at the bus stop at 9:15 (yes, we are lucky to start the day at such a wonderful time), and then I’ll head straight to the gym. 5 days a week, no excuses! My habit of regular exercise for one hour, 4 or 5 times a week will be increased to an hour and a half- a full 90 minutes 5 days a week. I’m going to look and feel amazing!
Are your kids starting school soon? What a perfect day to initiate a new habit that will improve all areas of your life: Regular exercise! And what a better way to support your body than with the Trim Slim Shake ? Got alot to ‘lose’? Go for the full Transformation Kit and watch the pounds melt away as you feel better than you have in years, fully 100% money back guaranteed
Originally posted by Robert Bailey, Star Write at the The Jamaica Star : ViSalus Boost for PLCA
The Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) has received a $45 million sponsorship package from California-based wellness company ViSalus Sciences.
Blake Mallen, co-founder and chief marketing officer of ViSalus Sciences, made the announcement yesterday at a press briefing which was held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston. The three-year sponsorship will see each Premier League club getting an equal share of the $12.5 million worth of products and the $2.5 million in cash.
“We are definitely very excited about this relationship … I believe the mindset and the philosophy of the PLCA as well as ViSalus and our community are definitely in line,” said Mallen.
core mission
“We are a community that has been existing for the past four and a half years and our core mission is going out there and raising the consciousness of health … challenging people to make their health and their body a priority in their lives,” he said.
Edward Seaga, chairman of the PLCA, said he was delighted for the sponsorship.
“Whenever you think about football, you think of players that are expending a lot of energy on the field and who are entertaining us with their skills and a lot of goals,” Seaga said.
“What we are doing now is linking with a firm that is relatively new, but which has the ingredients and the experience to package supplements that provide a lot of that missing energy and other missing elements in the needs of the players,” said Seaga.
The deal now brings the PLCA’s sponsorship for the top football competition to over $100 million for this season.
Have you ever had your Body fat percentage measured with the ‘pinch test’ ? Essentially they take a special ‘caliper’ and pull the skin up on your arm, belly and thigh and pinch it. This supposedly gives a measurement of your body fat percentage, but I’m not so sure. If I take a measure of my BMI using an online calculator, I get a nice 21.7%. The mean ‘pinch test’ to get my body fat percentage using the digital caliper gave me a 23.3%. However, the purpose of the test was to get a baseline on record that I could work with to set goals for the rest of the challenge. I still have 68 days to watch my diet and increase my muscle mass- and now I have some numbers to work with.
Without shame, my starting numbers (oh, how I hope to see significant change in these stats!):
In inches (don’t ask me why they didn’t use metrics…)
That’s what I’m working with. I was on just a “Shape Kit“, which provides the high protein and nutrient meal replacement shake for 2 meals a day… but honestly most days just have a morning shake. I have now ordered a “Transformation Kit” and the minute it arrives, I will start on the 2 shakes per day, appetite suppressant and metabolism booster. I expect the 4 lbs I want to lose will fall off within the first week, then I can go back on maintenance mode. I’ll use the metabolism booster and appetite suppressant left over at some point, I am certain!
I ran out of my Vi-Pack over the weekend and could really feel a difference in soreness this week. In other words, I HURT! The Omegas (essential oils) that come with the Transformation Kit are excellent for helping with recovery…. and so I await my shipment!
After I had my Body fat percentage calculated I pushed through a kickboxing class. Intense calorie burning and a great muscle building workout as well. I work muscles in my kickboxing class that I don’t get to in any other workout – and I’m certain it is the class that blasts the most calories!
If you are bored with your exercise routine, mix it up! You won’t stick to it if its boring, and worse, your body will adjust to your workout and burn fewer calories! So you have a boring, less effective workout… no good! Spice it up instead. I do womens strength training, zumba, kickboxing, swimming and occasionally take a spinning class. Keeping this variety in my routine is crucial – cause I am one woman who hates getting bored!
All of these classes are held at the local YMCA, for just $71 a month for the entire family. You don’t have to join an expensive gym, or hire a personal trainer to get fit. But I do suggest you join a fitness facility with a variety of classes so you don’t get bored! I find that I workout much harder in a group setting than if I were to just hop on the elliptical trainer, or pop in a workout video at home. The live instructor and music definitely motivate me to up the intensity of my workout.
I’m working harder on increasing the lean muscle mass of my body. And it feels GOOD!
Join the Challenge! Whether your goals are weight loss, lowering your blood pressure or your cholesterol – you can make fast health gains with the ViSalus Body By Vi!
Originally posted by Melanie Milletics at: Body by vi
I haven’t always been very health conscious. I have always eaten pretty poorly. I had an amazing metabolism when I was in my teens and early 20’s. Didn’t have to watch what I ate, didn’t have to exercise much.
The one thing I have noticed is how much my mindset has changed since starting the Challenge. I am more conscious about what I am eating. Yes, I still have sweets, it’s my downfall, but I try to limit it to once or twice a week instead of every day like it was before I started my Challenge. I try to drink more water and less juice. I never liked diet soda and rarely even drink regular soda for that matter. I have been trying to eat more vegetables which is a big issue for me as I don’t really like most of them! I am so glad I found ViSalus and the Body by Vi Challenge.
I feel and look better and want to help everyone I come in contact with to feel and look better too! That’s why I was so happy and excited for Helen on Tuesday. She joined the challenge two weeks ago. Helen wasn’t sure what to wear and pulled out a pair of pants that didn’t fit her. The pants didn’t just fit her, they looked a bit lose on her! Helen has been on only one shake a day and has liked the pace she has been losing the weight. She did mention that after she gets back from vacation she may just change that to two shakes a day.
Each of us have to reach deep inside to push away all the excuses. If I had just kept thinking about joining the Challenge, I wouldn’t have improved my own health and Helen would still have those pants hanging in her closet waiting for that some day that may have never come.
Money can’t be the excuse because it costs less than a fast food meal, takes less time to make then to get a drive-thru meal and tastes so much better than a drive-thru meal. So what are you waiting for? Join the Challenge to make your life healthier and better.
Its Monday, and I survived the weekend. I managed to workout AND watch what I ate. I awoke this morning feeling lean and strong. In fact, I felt better than I have in years! The truth is, I am thinner now than I have been in almost 10 years! The last time I was below 125 was just before my pregnancy with my daughter. Ever since then I have held on to a little cushion. I know I didn’t look bad… but I didn’t feel great. Knowing that my body weight is right about where it was before kids is a triumph!
Tomorrow morning I go in for my official BMI calculation and fit test. Would have been great to have this done 21 days ago… but such is life and schedules, and well…LIFE! I’m excited to have some real numbers to go on. I’m a great lover of statistics and will work to beat them all day long in my business. I’ll be doing the same with the numbers I get tomorrow! Watch for the posting of the real numbers tomorrow.
I’m a mom of two – and they are glorious beings. Now its time to get ME back. I have a life to live past motherhood of little ones, and this is part of my journey.
My calorie blaster of choice today was Zumba, followed by some free weights.
Monday morning has been a Zumba workout morning for almost a year now. I’m so grateful for the day I decided to try this Latin dance style cardio workout. I remember being majorly winded and being totally lost on the choreography. But the music moved me- and I knew I had to master that Zumba class!
I’ve always been a dancer- but never had any real training. Sure, I danced African style Samba way back when… but I was really led by the drums and it was hard to get it wrong! I wasn’t even a cheerleader, OK? So I was totally lost in Zumba at first! But I stuck with it. I learned the steps over time, and how to follow the instructors cues. It feels awesome to learn to follow choreography at this point in my life.
You can learn to do anything, if you set your mind to it.
What do you want to learn to do? Whats stopping you? I’d love to know! Post it in the comments!
I have been on the Body by Vi Challenge and have been drinking my ViSalus Vi-Shake for breakfast for the last 42 days. Oh wait, I just realizes I haven’t missed one morning shake yet! Gold star for me!
I just finished watching this video which makes me even more excited that I am drinking my shakes each morning!! If this isn’t an eye opener, I don’t know what is! So before you venture through another drive-thru on the way to work in the morning, please watch this!
My stomach is still turning from watching this video. I used to eat fast food once in a while. I don’t think I would even want to know how lunch or dinner would compare!
Are you ready to become a healthier person? I watched this video the other day and this is very informative too. See how we as a society today compare to the 1960’s.
Are you ready NOW? Great! Click on the banner below to get started today to a better you!
There is really no way around it. If you want things to change, you must change things! That is, you must change the way you behave and think. There is a saying that goes something like “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”. Have you heard this saying and ‘blown it off’? Take a minute to think about it, truly…
Are there areas of your life that you are unhappy with, but you have done nothing at all to change them?
How are you doing financially? If your answer if ’struggling’, then what are you doing to change the situation? Are you simply living under the stress and hoping something will change??? Thats insanity… You really will have to get out of your ‘comfort zone’ and do work you have never done before if you want to improve your financial situation. Yes, I said it takes WORK. Work under the mentorship of successful people who have gone before you. People who can tell you exactly how to make the money you need to make to change your financial picture for the better!
Are you overweight, or out of shape and really unhappy with your looks? What have you done to change that? Seriously? Have you considered that what and how much you are eating could be contributing to the mess you find yourself in? Most people do not eat right, and that why a full 7 out of 10 Americans have at least 15 lbs of weight to lose!
Do you feel vibrant and strong? No? Well, what have you been doing to change that? Are you active? Our bodies were made to MOVE! We are designed for work that we no longer do… how do you keep your body strong and healthy?
Please, don’t let your answer to the two questions above be ‘gone to the doctor’. That is not a solution. The doctor will only treat the symptoms of the disease you have brought upon yourself… and which you can relieve yourself of too!
Resolve now to eat better and become more active. You will undergo a transformation that will overflow into so many areas of your life! If you can commit to getting healthy, you can commit to being successful in other areas as well.
Just the same way as you check off ‘complete my workout’ from your to-do list, you can check off the tasks that will help you to succeed in your business.
Personal development is a master key that will help you in all areas of your life. It will help you to find a power within to do amazing things in life. To know that your childhood dreams were meant to be your reality. If you have been living a less than vibrant life, get started as a ViSalus rep today and dive into the personal development training that is included in your training. You have a full library from Success Magazine available to you!
Personal development is crucial to your making a change in your life – plug in to win!
I read this blog post the other day and wanted to share it with you.
Losing Weight – Fast or Slow?
Original Blog Posted on Thursday September 10, 2009 5:14 pm on Vi-Net by
Audrey Sommerfeld, SVP of Marketing for ViSalus Sciences
On the product education call recently, we had one of the best questions asked about our Body By Vi Challenge™. The question was: “I hear that the quicker you lose weight, the quicker you put it back on. Is the Body By Vi Challenge™ a quick, or slow and steady way to lose weight?”
There are many questions in that question, so let’s begin with the first one: Losing weight fast.
There are many programs out there that can have you lose weight fast, only to regain it back quickly. For example, if you cleanse, or drink those cayenne pepper type of drinks you will lose weight quickly. The challenge is you may be losing water weight, and eliminating waste to feel lighter, fast. When you go back to eating normally again, you will gain back the water weight because our diets are so high in sodium. The average American consumes as much as 8x more sodium per day than needed. These fast weight products can also cause you to lose life enhancing muscle, slowing your metabolism and weakening your long term health.
The Body By Vi Challenge™ is different. It is designed to have you see quick results to keep you motivated, and it also provides optimum nutrition to help you lose steadily, and safely. The core of the program is our amazing Vi-Shape® Nutritional Shake, followed by all the other products. Our Shake gives you nutrition that is not easy to get from foods alone. The nutrients found in the shake can compare to those found in over $100 dollars of groceries, including 1.5 cups of broccoli, 1.5 cups of frozen yogurt, 18 ounces of tomato juice, 13 eggs, 15 slices of wheat bread, and more. How can we do this? With concentrated nutrition, and perfectly balanced nutrients. One shake contains the digestive support from enzymes equal to those found in 3 whole pineapples. This helps your body break down the protein, and helps it absorb it for maximum muscle and hunger support. This is just one reason why our shake helps support a healthy heart, healthy digestion, healthy elimination, healthy bones, healthy blood sugar, and more.
Our Balance kit helps those who simply want great nutrition, to get started. By replacing one shake per day in place of a typical breakfast of a bagel with cream cheese, orange juice and coffee you can shave 300-500 calories per day, and fuel your body. This may result in ½ to 1 lb. per week of weight loss if you are overweight, or can help you maintain your healthy weight level once you have achieved your goal.
Our Shape kit helps those who want great nutrition, and better shaping support. By having 2 shakes per day in place of regular meals, along with healthy snacks (10 almonds, protein, fruit or vegetables) you will see weight loss and shaping faster. This is because one pound of fat is the size of a large grapefruit. As you lose fat (and our shake helps you maintain lean muscle) you will see and feel inches dramatically melting away.
Our Transformation kit really helps those that want a dramatic change, to see and feel results. This kit includes our shake, along with additional products to support boosting your metabolism and curbing hunger. This powerful 1-2-3 combination will help your body melt fat, fast. The ViSalus Neuro™ will help keep you hydrated and full of energy. Why is this important? Well, a little over 1/3 of us confuse thirst for hunger, so keeping hydrated helps with hunger. We also know that when we cut calories, we may feel tired and sluggish, so Neuro helps support healthy energy for the body and brain. Lastly, we know that keeping hydrated can improve our metabolism. The Essential Oils in the transformation kit also help you on your way to the body of your dreams with healthy and robust Omegas. These support joint flexibility as you work out, along with a healthy heart. And because you’ve got the special oils your body needs to function, it will support your efforts to burn fat, build lean muscle, and get in great shape.
Along with the products, the best part of the Body by Vi Challenge™ is that if you join it with 3 other people, your product can be FREE. When you are embarking on a new way of eating, it is helpful to have others share the journey to keep you motivated, supporting long term weight loss.
Lastly, we have maintenance. Many programs that have you lose weight quickly, see you gain it back because they don’t offer a maintenance program. The Core Kit has all you need to maintain the shape you worked hard to achieve, fueling your body with the ultimate in fun, flavorful, and easy to take nutrients.
So share the program, share your results, and have fun losing weight quickly, steadily, and help maintain your health with Body By Vi.
Edward Seaga 
If I take a measure of my BMI using an online calculator, I get a nice 21.7%. The mean ‘pinch test’ to get my body fat percentage using the digital caliper gave me a 23.3%.
