Fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods are packed with healthy compounds known as phytochemicals, in addition to vitamins, minerals, and fiber. From anthocyanins (the red pigment in strawberries and cherries) to allylic sulfides (responsible for the pungent flavor of garlic and onions), these phytochemicals may be responsible for some of the disease-preventing effects of fruits and vegetables.

Phytochemicals have no nutritive value — that is, they are not vitamins or minerals — but they may have positive effects on the body over the long term. Possible beneficial effects include inhibiting tumor formation, preventing blood clots, blocking the cancer-promoting effect of certain hormones, and lowering cholesterol levels.

Follow these tips to increase the phytochemicals in your diet.

Consume a plant-based diet. Try to eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day (including 3 cups of legumes a week) and six servings of grain products each day. Vary the choices to get a wide range of phytochemicals, focusing on dark green vegetables, red and orange fruits and vegetables, and whole grains.

Season foods with herbs and spices. These seasonings also contain phytochemicals. Try using garlic, shallots, ginger, basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, cumin, curry powder, cayenne pepper, red chili pepper, and cinnamon, to name a few.

Source: John Hopkins Medicine: Nutrition and Weight Control Health Alert

My Comments

It is very unlikely that you or anyone will consume 9 servings of vine ripened fruits and vegetables per day. The FDA actually recommends that you consume 10-18 serving of fruits and veggies per day for a healthy diet. This is even more unlikely.

According to the USDA, current estimates indicate that less than 11% of the the people in America eat the daily recommended amounts or fruits and veggies.

The question is … Why would they ever suggest such a thing?

The answer is … science has proven that vine ripened fruits and veggie are packed with vital and essential nutrients.

Unfortunately, due to mass farming practices, mineral depleted soil, and green harvesting. It is virtually impossible to get vine ripened fruits and veggies unless you have your own garden or shop for and buy local produce.  While some do this, most people do not.

I discovered recently at my local farmers market that a booth can say their produce is locally grown if 51% of the inventory is locally grown.  This means 49% might not be.

The lesson here: Get to know your farmers and where their produce comes from!

Here’s an example that blew my mind.  In order for a woman to get the recommended daily amount of Vitamin A in 1951, she would have to eat 2 peaches.

Do you want to know how many she wold have to consume today?

Get ready ladies…I hope you are hungry… 52 peaches!

Is that incredible or what?

The best solution that I have found to meet my nutritional needs is to find and take real food technology supplements. This is referred to as Intelligent Supplementation.  Don’t you feel smarter already?

The reason they are called this is these are pre-digested plant sourced vitamins and minerals which are highly absorbable by your body.  That just makes sense doesn’t it?

Don’t be misled by the producers of vitamins or super juices who create nano-sized or synthetic nutrients.  Your body simply can not effectively process synthetic nutrients, it can only effectively process real food and real nutrients.

Be Smart, Be Well!

When it comes to detoxing your body, there are many techniques you can follow and supplements you can take. But, the best way, is to eat lots of foods that detox the body. Below is a list of detox foods that I thought would be an great addition to everybody’s diet.

1. Fruits

Fruits are extremely high in liquid-content, helping the body wash out toxins. They are also very easy to digest and are high in antioxidants, nutrients, fiber and many important vitamins like vitamin C.

2. Green Foods

When you are ready to detox your body, fill your refrigerator with blue green algae, barley, wheatgrass, kale, spinach, spirulina, alfalfa, chard, arugula or other organic leafy greens. These plants will help give a chlorophyll-boost to your digestive tract.

Chlorophyll rids the body of harmful environmental toxins from smog, heavy metals, herbicides, cleaning products and pesticides. They also aid the liver in detoxification.

3. Lemons, Oranges & Limes

These citrus-wonders aid the body in flushing out toxins, as well as jump-start the digestive tract with enzymatic processes. They also aid the liver in its cleansing processes. To increase detoxification, start each morning with a warm glass of lemon water.

Remember, vitamin C is one of the best detox vitamins around, as it transforms toxins into digestible material.

4. Garlic

This pungent bulb stimulates the liver in producing detoxification enzymes that help filter out toxic residues in the digestive system. Adding sliced or cooked garlic to any dish, will help aid any detox diet.

5. Broccoli Sprouts

Extremely high in antioxidants, broccoli sprouts can help stimulate the detoxification enzymes in the digestive tract like none-other. The sprouts are actually more effective than the fully-grown vegetable, despite the picture on the right.

6. Green Tea

Packed full of antioxidants, green tea not only washes toxins out of the system through its liquid content, but also contains a special type of antioxidant called catechins, known to increase liver function.

7. Mung Beans

The mighty mung bean has been used by Ayurvedic doctors for thousands of years. It is incredibly easy to digest, and absorbs toxic residue on the sides of the intestinal walls.

8. Raw Vegetables

Best for juicing detox regimens or eaten raw: Onions, carrots, artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, garlic, beet, turmeric, and oregano. The combination of these foods will help your liver purge toxins during the cleansing process. These are high in naturally occurring sulphur and glutathione. Sulphur helps the liver detoxify harmful chemicals.

9. Seeds & Nuts

Incorporate more of the easily digestible seeds and nuts into your diet. This include flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, Siberian cedar nuts and sunflower seeds. While detoxing, avoid nut butters.

10. Omega-3 Oils

Use hemp, flax-seed, avocado or olive oils while detoxing. This will help lubricate the intestinal walls, allowing the toxins to be absorbed by the oil, and eliminated by the body.

Source:http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/foods-that-detox-the-body/

Don’t hold your breath if you are waiting for the government to bail you out . . . it’s not going to happen.

It’s always a good idea to depend on your own financial management.  I have personally experienced the saying, if you want to go broker then hire a “broker”.

We have to learn to think for ourselves.  If you have a solid financial partner consider yourself very lucky.  There are some great financial advisers out there but no one will take take of your financial interests as well as you will.

The new media is full of doom and gloom.  And the sad truth is most people believe all that garbage.  I rarely watch the main stream media and my life is filled with so much more postive energy.

The fact is we must manage our money.

There is no time like the present to review and create a new financial plan for yourself and your family.

Here are some steps to get you on the right track.

First Step: Emergency Fund

• Fund an EF (Emergency Fund) ASAP. Start with $1,000 – $3,000 depending on your income level. Focus and get this done as quick as you can!
• This fund is for emergencies you might be tempted to use credit for, like an emergency car repair.
• Get creative with funding ideas.
• Do some side work, overtime, or offer to take a co-worker’s hours if they need some time off.
• Sell stuff you don’t need to help fund your EF. eBay. Garage sales. Craigslist. Consignment.
• Consider turning off the cable, the need for a house phone, and review your cell phone plan.
• Check your spending for fluff like fast food, blended mochas, mall cruising, hair and nail expenditures, etc., etc.

Second Step: Pay Off Debt

• List your debts from smallest to largest and use our Roll-Up Plan to get them paid off, or contact us for help with designing a debt elimination plan. You cannot borrow your way out of debt.
• Debts = Credit cards, car loans, personal loans, student loans, medical bills, repossessions, unpaid taxes, judgements, liens, etc.
• Quit spending money you don’t have and stop using credit
• Make and keep a zero-based budget before the beginning of every month
• Pay cash for everyday purchases – you spend 15-20% more when you use an ATM card
• Pack your lunch, plant a “Victory” garden, quit eating out. Do whatever it takes to get it done.
• Create a laser focus on getting this done within 24-36 months. You can DO it!

Third Step: 3 – 6 Months of Income in Emergency Fund

• As soon as your credit is paid off, sock away some more cash
• A fully funded EF is your personal insurance plan – that can earn interest!
• This is not a vacation fund, tax fund, or play money fund
• This is your fund for catastrophic issues – job slowdown or layoff, medical emergency, etc.
• You will feel absolutely awesome when you have this done

Fourth Step: Review Your Retirement Plan

• Get professional advice on properly funding your retirement plan

Fifth Step: College Funding

• If you have kids that need college funding, now is the time to make a savings plan

Sixth Step: Pay Off Your Mortgage (or save for a large down payment)

• Review that budget – again
• Trim the fat – again
• Take the money that you were spending on debt, fully funding your EF, etc. and slap it down on your mortgage.
• If you pay extra each month, it actually decreases the amount of interest you pay on your loan, and gets your mortgage paid off much earlier.
• If you are renting, start saving for a BIG down payment for a home someday, or saving for a good used car you can pay for with cash.

Permanent alterations in your lifelong attitudes toward diet and exercise are the keys to successful weight management. Here are seven no-nonesense strategies to help you eat more moderately, yet feel satisfied.

Clean your plate! It’s a mantra in America, and a contributor to the ever-increasing weight problem. Unfortunately, our plates have gotten bigger! A major part of the weight problem is portion sizes, which have grown substantially over the past four decades: A Coke has increased from 6.5 to 20 fl oz. or more, a bagel from 2-3 to 4-6 oz., and a chocolate bar from 1 to 1.5-8 oz.

Another part of the weight problem is satiety; we often just don’t feel full when we control our calories. According to researcher Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., a nutritionist at Pennsylvania State University and co-author of The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan, “Satiety is the missing ingredient in weight management. Cut calories simply by eating less and you’ll feel hungry and deprived.”

Here are some weight control strategies for controlling your portion sizes while still eating enough to feel satisfied.

• Weight Control Tip 1 — Know Your Portion Sizes. There’s a difference between serving size and portion size. A serving is a standard amount of food containing a set amount of calories; a portion is what you actually put on your plate. So a portion could be a lot more than a single serving — and therefore contain a lot more calories than you might expect.
• Weight Control Tip 2 — Check Food Labels Closely. You can’t assume a package contains a single serving just because the label lists calorie and nutrient information for one serving. Look for the number of servings per package (it’s listed directly under the serving size) to determine the true calorie count.
• Weight Control Tip 3 — Divide and Conquer. Research shows that the bigger the plate, bag, or container of food, the bigger your eyes — and it appears that the eyes have more control over how much you eat than your stomach.
• Weight Control Tip 4 — Go High Fiber, High Water. Eat foods that have a high water and/or high fiber content and are low in fat. This is the key concept behind Dr. Rolls’ Volumetrics approach. Soups, salads, stews, casseroles, fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk, cooked grains, and beans are all good choices. These “wet” foods have a low energy density — meaning the water and fiber they contain will fill you up with a small amount of calories — as opposed to “dry” foods like cookies, cereal, and crackers, which have a high energy density.
• Weight Control Tip 5 — Start Meals with Soup or Salad. Dr. Rolls has found that people tend to eat less when they precede a meal with a low calorie soup or salad (with fat-free dressing).
• Weight Control Tip 6 — Eat a Variety of Foods. Dr. Rolls’ research reveals that even when you’re full from one type of food, say a salty snack, you can still make room for another type of food, say a sweet dessert. By eating a small amount of different-tasting foods, you can create a sense of fullness without a lot of calories.
• Weight Control Tip 7 — Emphasize What You Can Eat, Not What You Can’t. Positive thinking extends to weight management, too: After all, diets often fail because we feel deprived. By focusing on what you can eat, you’ll feel better about your weight loss program than if you focus on all you’re missing.

One Vitamin Helps You Lose Weight

You’re all set to begin your new weight loss program. The diet book has been read, the treadmill is working and you just bought cute new workout shorts. One more thing: Go to your doctor and get your vitamin D levels checked.

The level of vitamin D in your body at the start of a low-calorie diet can predict your weight loss success–or failure, according to a study from the University of Minnesota. “Vitamin D deficiency is associated with obesity, but it is not clear if inadequate vitamin D causes obesity or the other way around,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Shalamar Sibley, an assistant professor of medicine.

The study: The circulating blood levels of vitamin D were measured in 38 overweight men and women before and after they followed a diet plan for 11 weeks consisting of 750 calories a day fewer than their estimated total needs. Each participant’s fat distribution was measured with DXA (bone densitometry) scans.

The results: On average, the participants had vitamin D levels that many experts would consider to be in the insufficient range. But Sibley discovered that the baseline, or pre-diet, vitamin D levels predicted weight loss in a linear relationship.

For every increase of 1 ng/mL in level of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol–the precursor form of vitamin D and a commonly used indicator of vitamin D status–the dieters lost almost a half pound more on their calorie-restricted diet.

For each 1-ng/mL increase in the active or “hormonal” form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), they lost nearly one-quarter pound more.

In addition, higher baseline vitamin D levels predicted greater loss of abdominal fat. “Our results suggest the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a reduced-calorie diet will lead to better weight loss,” Sibley said.The study findings were presented at The Endocrine Society’s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Below you will find some weight statistics for you to think about.

Your health (and your weight) is your responsibility.  It’s not your doctors responsibility.  It’s not your insurance company’s or the government’s responsibility.  It is your responsibility.

We all must be proactive  in our health otherwise we will pay the price later in life.  I know exercising can be a challenge but it can also be a habit.  The thing about habits is that some are easy and some are hard. Some you enjoy, some you don’t.  You GET to chose.

Someone told me that between the ages of 50 and 60 is when your body sort of determines your quality of health for the rest of your life. So I made the decision to be in the best shape of my life during that period.

What am I doing?

Drinking lots of pure water, eating more super foods, consuming “Intelligent Supplementation” and of course exercising.

I have never been into exercising. I have never been on a sports team in high school or college.  I was into training and riding horses and flying airplanes in my younger days.

My preferred exercise is running/jogging.

I have created a new habit of training for and running marathons.  That’s 26.2 miles.  

Why?

Because I know what it can do for me mentally, physically and emotionally.  My life is so much better because of it.

Is it hard?

What, do you mean is it hard getting up at 5am on a Saturday morning and running 14 miles? Or do you mean the self discipline to train during the week? Or do you mean running in the cold and the rain? Or do you mean is it hard when you have run 23 miles and you hit the wall and can’t seem to take another step and ask yourself “Why in the world am I doing this?” Is that the type of hard you are talking about?

Yes, it can be hard.  Really hard. And I can come up with a million excuses why I shouldn’t do it.  But, I only need one good reason why I should to continue.

The real question is this: It it worth it?

Absolutely!

No matter where your health is today, you can create a better tomorrow . . .  It is YOUR CHOICE.

Here are the facts…

Globally, people are eating more and exercising less. This trend is driving the $89 billion weight loss industry.

• The U.S. owns an estimated 70% of this market, or $62.2 billion, with growth estimated at 6% per year.1 (2)
• Japan is the 2nd largest market. (1)
• Australia spends about $0.5 billion per year. (3)

Trends in dieting reveal more people are dieting more often and for longer periods than ever before.

1.  More People: (4)

• 45% of men diet, up from just 10% in 2002
• 61% of women diet, up from 23% in 2002

2. More Often: The number of dieting attempts per year increased from 2.5 in 2004 to 4 in 2007. (5)

3. For Longer Periods:

• The average time on a diet is 10 weeks. (1)
• The average dieting woman spends 6.4 months per year on a diet.(2)
• The typical dieter starts at age 20+ and continues until age 60+. (1)
• The typical U.S. woman dieter spends at least 21 YEARS of her life dieting!

What are you doing about your health?  What does your physical future look like?  Be proactive today and you will be blessed with good health tomorrow.

If you are interested in learning more about my recommended weight loss (I call it Targeted Fat Loss, I don’t know about you but I  want to loose fat and keep my lean muscle) solutions or my preferred “Intelligent Supplementation” then shoot me an email at Terry@TerryPetrovick.com with your interests.

Sources:

1. GLGi: (NYC) The US Diet Market Outlook—2008 and Beyond. Gerson Lehman Group. March 2008.

2. Online Dieter Research Report. 4th Quarter 2007. Marketdata Enterprises, Inc. January 2008.

3. “The cost of weight loss.” Money Magazine. October 2007.

4. Weight Control Products. Mintel Reports. March 2007.

5. National Consumer Survey. Calorie Control Council. August 2007.

Your Health: It’s Not About Luck!

It’s St. Patrick’s Day and a perfect time to consider how you feel about luck. Do you ever find yourself blaming your poor health or extra weight on bad luck or maybe unlucky genes? Drs. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen, authors of the best-selling YOU series of books, say blaming genes is the biggest health excuse in the United States.

While your genes might predispose you to a certain disease, Drs. Oz and Roizen say scientific studies of identical twins show that your longevity is based one-quarter on your genetics and three-quarters on your behaviors and lifestyle choices. So leave luck to the leprechauns, and follow Dr. Roizen’s prescription for a long life:

• Take your vitamins. You can be six years younger than your calendar age.
• Quit smoking and avoid passive smoke. Have you read the warnings?
• Know your blood pressure. Low blood pressure about 115/75 can make you 25 years younger than someone with high blood pressure (greater than 160/90).
• Reduce stress. Strong social networks and stress-reduction strategies can erase years of aging.
• Floss your teeth. And brush!
• Be active. Just two 20-minute walks a day can make a difference.
• Wear your seatbelt. Enough said.
• Fill up on fiber. Get 25 grams per day.
• Monitor your health. Be proactive about seeking high-quality medical care and managing chronic conditions.
• Become a lifelong learner. Remaining intellectually involved keeps you mentally young.
• Laugh a lot. It reduces stress and strengthens the immune system.

Read Dr. Roizen’s article in the current issue of SUCCESS magazine.

Quality of Life, here’s my story.

If you would like to create more quality of life for yourself, we should talk.

Feel free to email me Terry [@] TerryPetrovick.com

Why You Should Start Your Own Business

John was 53 when the bad news hit: His department was being moved offshore. Since joining the company eight years earlier, he had worked his way up to a solid position in middle management with a decent salary and great benefits. Now, he was out of a job.

Having spent his entire adult life in corporate positions, he knew he could go job hunting. But this was the fifth time he’d had a “secure” position shot out from under him, whether through downsizing, restructuring or other reorganization. With a wife and two teenagers to clothe and feed, he was no longerwilling to trust his future to this game of corporate roulette. It was time to go into business for himself.

The Great Migration

Across the country and around the world, legions of people are abandoning their dependence on big business and seeking independence through their own enterprises. Every month, about 1 million Americans go through some type of job change or loss, and increasingly they are deciding to start their own businesses.

In a recent report titled Work, Entrepreneurship and Opportunity in 21st Century America, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said, “Millions of Americans are embracing entrepreneurship by running their own small businesses, through independent contracting or direct selling.” The report also cited a recent Gallup poll finding that 61 percent of Americans now say they prefer to be their own bosses.

Security, which may come as a surprise, is a big reason behind the move. Only a generation or two ago, going into business for yourself was considered risky, and the safest route was to get a good job in a large firm. Back in the 1960s and ’70s, companies like IBM made “employment for life” the gold standard of job security.

Now, working for a traditional corporation has become the risky option. Working for yourself has become the new job security. “If I’m working for someone else, I’m trading time for money, but I’m not building any equity,” says Duncan MacPherson, co-founder and co-CEO of Pareto Systems, a consulting firm. “As an entrepreneur, I’m the master of my own destiny.

A Better Lifestyle

One of the biggest reasons for the self-owned business boom is that people love the benefits of working for themselves and enjoy the freedom they gain from designing their own prosperity. No more commute and no more boss. You get to choose when you work, how you work and with whom you work. Best of all, you don’t have to make the agonizing choice between time for family and time for business.

E-mail, cheap teleconferencing and a new generation of Web tools make it possible to run a fully competitive business from a home desktop. As a home-based businessperson, you can expand your business to Chicago, San Francisco, Hong Kong and London—and still make the soccer game.

Greater Financial Opportunity

The masses making this migration also have a clear eye on the bottom line: There is far greater opportunity to make money by building your own business than by working for someone else’s. There was an implicit trade-off in the old 40-year plan: Working for a firm typically meant there was a fixed ceiling to the wages one might earn, but the benefits and job security were worth it. Now that the benefits and job security (half of the equation) are evaporating, millions are asking, why settle for that arbitrary income ceiling?

“Everyone has heard the phrase, ‘The American Dream.’ I look at it as ‘The American Reality,’ ” says Jeffrey Gitomer, best-selling author of the Little Red Book of Selling and the Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude. “When you’re in business for yourself, you write your own history, you write your own success story, you write your own legacy and most important, you write your own paycheck. Being in business for yourself gives you the opportunity to work your heart out for something you love.”

A Life of Greater Impact

In the Decipher study, 84 percent of respondents said they would be more passionate about their work if they owned their own business. The No. 1 reason they gave for wanting to work for themselves: “to be more passionate about my work life.”

The nation’s 78 million baby boomers are just starting to reach retirement age, yet they’re realizing that they can’t afford to retire. What’s more, they don’t want to.

Dr. Mary Furlong, author of Turning Silver into Gold, says, “Boomers are looking for ways to give back. They are taking the reins of their own futures and redefining their lives. They want work that reflects their values and identity; they want to make a difference.” A landmark study by MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures found that 50 percent of Americans in their 50s and 60s want to do work “that matters.”

Taking the Plunge

“Leaving the rat race is not as daunting as it may seem,” says author Dan Clements in his guide to worklife balance, Escape 101. “You’ll look back in later years and marvel at how easy it was and how much you gained for so little cost.”

So what does it take? First, let’s look at what it doesn’t take. You don’t need an MBA or high-powered business background, and you don’t need to be rich or to take a second mortgage on your home. Some self-owned business opportunities require expertise, such as consulting, or can take significant capital investment and possibly training, such as real estate investing and franchises; some can be started on a shoestring and prove quite lucrative, including direct selling and online opportunities. Many of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time began with no advanced degrees and hardly any startup capital.

But make no mistake about it: What you save in cash capital you will make up for in sweat equity and passion. The major investment in most self-owned businesses is investment of one’s self in the form of time, focus and persistence. You don’t need to be a genius at negotiation or a whiz at numbers. You need a burning desire and determination fueled by a strong dose of passion!

Will you act?