Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Shakeology versus Isogenix

Sure, I want you to SWITCH to Shakeology from whatever shake, drink, mix, pill, or infusion you are currently taking. Today, I'll talk about Isagenix.

Here is the comparison Isagenix, it is also a meal replacement shake that founders John Anderson and Jim and Kathy Coover have created to try and help the obesity problem around the United States. It comes in two main flavors: chocolate and vanilla.

The positives of Isagenix is that it contains 23 grams of protein per serving (compared to Shakeology’s 18 grams of protein per serving). Isagenix, like Shakeology also contains many naturally occurring ingredients which set them apart from other meal replacements. However, I have not found other components that set Isagenix apart from Shakeology. You should order some from me for Christmas!


On the negative side, Isagenix contains 1100% more fat than Shakeolgy(6 grams compared to less than half a gram). It also contains more cholesterol and sodium than is found in Shakeologyand contains 240 calories per serving when Shakeology only has 150 calories per serving.
Isagenix lacks to potency of the vitamins and minerals that Shakeology contains. Isagenix has only 40% of the daily recommended allowance of Vitamin C versus 300% in Shakeology.  It lacks significance of other vitamins contained in every Shakeology drink such as Vitamin B1, B2, and B3. You would actually have to drink 2-4 Isagneix shakes to get the same concentration of vitamins and minerals found in just 1 Shakeology shake.

I do feel that Isagenix is one of the better meal replacement shakes, but it just does not compare to Shakeology. Shakeology is a step above the rest.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Scooters and Sloths

This morning on the way to work I counted 14 kids riding an electric scooter to school. I passed a line of 23 cars long dropping off kids in the school safety zone. I watched as no less than 7 parents carried their children’s backpacks into the building. Hmmm…Over the last 25 years, caloric intake in toddlers and young kids has gone up three or four percent, but the level of physical activity has dropped nearly 20 percent to 25 percent," says Ken Reed, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Physical Education.


I attended an elementary school where we had two recess periods a day.  And, I realize as I type this that I sound all old and crotchety. I  don’t remember how long they were, but there were two of them; morning recess and after lunch recess. My memories include jumping rope, kick ball (I was horrible), a tisket a tasket (I dreaded getting the “basket”), monkey bars, and hopscotch.

"The situation isn't good and it's getting worse," says Reed. "Physical activity levels have dropped dramatically in the last 25 years and we believe there's a direct link there to childhood obesity, as well as a dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol levels in children.”

If you’ve been listening to the news, reading the papers (or paperless papers), and not simply trolling through the news feed on Facebook, you know that your kid has a lower life expectancy than you. How scary is that?

What can you do?
You as a parent are the primary person responsible for the health and wellness of your child. I’m not lecturing, I’m citing a fact. For one, make sure your child has plenty of opportunities to exercise. Kids need exercise and movement. They were not designed to be plopped in front of a TV screen or an X-Box game for hours at a time (believe me, I KNOW this keeps ‘em quiet and out of your way—but it is a slacker way to parent—I know it, I’ve done it :D).



The solution is for each one of us to keep trying.  Start packing lunches if you don’t already. One person can—and always has—made a difference. Because one turns into two, which turns into three, and pretty soon you have network of parents who are doing the same thing. If you are too busy to be “meal and fitness” organized for your children, you’d better rethink your “busy-ness”.  Start small, if not already doing it; try it one time a week. Little things make a difference. Little sacrifices (of time) have an impact. You can do it, I know you can.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Halloween Horrification


Trick or Treating last night lasted for about 2 hours.  Impressed by Zane, I watched as he carefully selected red-dye free candies from the multitude of cauldrons, bowls, and tubs full of Halloween “goodies.” At times, he would jerk away from a red sucker or other obviously red treat as if it were poison (well, it actually is…for him). We ended the trek around 8:45pm, trudged into the kitchen and dumped the candy onto the center island. It felt like midnight.  We’ve discuss label reading so much that both boys automatically began to sort candy into piles of “dye” and piles of “corn syrup.”  This only lasted for a few minutes as I realized that vampire and jester make-up needed to be washed off, so we left the candy out on the counter and each headed to the shower. The thought soaked in again. Sugar everywhere.  Sugar in Skittles, Blueberry Nerds, Pay Days, Tootsie Roll pops, Lemon Drops, Jaw Breakers and fruitless fruit snacks.
And this is post-Halloween sugar, probably more sugar than we normally have in the house.  At this point, the sugar is obvious. But what about the sugar that isn't?
The first step to slashing added sugars is to know where they lurk.


The CDC report found that children guzzle about 40% of added sugar as soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, and sugar-sweetened fruit concoctions, such as lemonade, sweet tea, Gatorade, and Powerade. However, while sugary soft drink intake is excessive (I blister when I see kids swigging a “sports” drink whose first ingredient is corn syrup), everyday foods, including baked goods, cereal, granola bars, breakfast bars, and cookies contribute the most added sugar – 60%–to kids’ diets.

Some sugar-laden sources are more obvious than others. Take the case of certain sweetened dried cranberries: One serving supplies as much added sugar as eight ounces of regular soda. Other dried fruits, including raisins, are naturally sweet and contain no added sweeteners. This morning as the boys got their lunches from the fridge, they each got to “add” one Halloween treat to the containers.  While we are not keeping all of the treats accumulated last night, we are keeping a few. Zane chose dehydrated apples. No prompting, no reminding, no nagging. He chose them.  What an amazing kid.

What to do? Pay attention to what you and your kids are eating. Small changes can have big impacts. I can help.