Soda Sabotage

We have all heard the hype about how soda can contribute to weight gain. We have also heard about the harmful effects of the ingredients used in diet soda... I have watched family members guzzle that cool amber liquid for years. They always drink it with such gusto while radiating that completely refreshed expression. You know what I mean, right? Like, “It hurts sooo good.” It almost makes me feel like water was never an option.

I have never been a huge soda drinker but have noticed how it affected me when I was working in a salon. We had Coke in the fridge for our clients and I would help myself to one every day, without fail. On the weekends when I wasn’t at work I started noticing I didn’t feel great and that I had a continual headache. After a few weeks, I finally figured out that the only thing I was doing differently, was that I wasn’t drinking soda when I was at home!

Through doing a little research on soda and diet drinks I have found a few interesting facts. Calories in liquids may not curb your appetite as much as calories in solid foods, says Richard Mattes a researcher at Purdue University. He reviewed more than 40 studies that monitored people to see if they spontaneously ate less food after being served a “test” meal, snack or beverage.

“We found that people compensate for solid, but not liquid, calories,” says Mattes. “For example, if you gave people 100 extra calories as solid food, they would compensate by consuming 67 fewer calories during the rest of the day, so only 30 calories would be surplus. “If you fed them 100 calories in a soda, juice, or other clear liquid, they wouldn’t reduce their intake at all. All 100 calories would be surplus.” That is, all the calories may head straight for your hips or waist.

This leaves us with a choice: consume calorie containing beverages and cut back somewhere else, or don’t consume them and consume calories through solid foods. Now you are wondering… what about diet soda? Wouldn’t this be the answer to this calorie problem? It’s not. According to WebMD, when we offer our bodies the sweet taste of diet drinks but give them no calories, our body is alerted to the possibility that there are more calories on their way and it will search for the calories promised but not delivered. We think that we can fool the body but it might retaliate buy wanting more calories. Some soft drink studies suggest that diet drinks actually stimulate appetite. So next time you reach for a Diet Coke think of these statistics…

For diet soda drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

36.6% for up to ½ can each day

37.5% for ½ to one can each day

54.5% for 1 to 2 cans each day

57.1% for more that 2 can each day.

Not to mention the negative effects of aspartame (www.sweetpoison.com) and caffeine have on your body. So the moral of the story you ask? Looks like we are best off when we stick with water.

Ginny

(pic taken from http://thesituationist.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/big-gulp.jpg)

Why Do We Detoxify?

After having two kids and dedicating most of my time to them and my job, I have over the years, struggled with my weight. While dedicating my life to these other priorities, I have neglected my own health. Recently, M'lis challenged us to participate in some mini-triathlons this summer to win a chance to go to Hawaii in 09' to do a triathlon there. So.... here I am. Forced to practice what I teach. The first step to getting well, and increasing stamina is detoxification. To be completely honest, I don't love to detox. So I decided to do additional research (to motivate me) as to why detoxification is so important. Here it is:

"There are a lot of colon related problems today. A neglected bowel holds a high volume of toxic elements. Ideally, food should pass through the mouth, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (i.e. the colon), rectum, and out through the anus in about 11 to 15 hours, but in much of the population, it is taking 26 hours or more. In some constipated individuals, it can take 3 - 5 days. This provides a lot of time for toxins to be diffused into the bloodstream from the decaying fecal matter in the small intestine and colon

Although you may have daily bowel movements, are you sure that 100% of the material your body does not need is coming out? Is it possible that only 99% is eliminated and the rest sticks to your intestines? How long has this been going on? What will this mean to your health in 10 or 20 years from now.

Some health experts say that up to 95% of all sickness and diseases are related to an unclean colon! At the beginning of the 21st century, statistics tell us that one in three females and one in nearly two males, will get cancer. More and more people are dying from Colon cancer than ever before. It now is one of the top three cancers among both men and women. Individually, colon cancer claims the lives of nearly 50,000 people annually and yet most of us still think “it won’t happen to me.”

The intestines can store a vast amount of partially digested, putrefying matter (as well as drugs and other toxic chemicals) for decades. As the slow-moving fecal matter begins to stick to the walls of the small intestine and colon, it starts restricting the flow of waste as it builds up a layer of old feces, mucus, and dead cells. The food particles that you ingest in that layer of encrusted waste begin to ferment and rot and release, while continuing to release poisonous toxins into vital organs, the bloodstream, and the rest of your body. This mass of encrusted decomposing material becomes a breeding ground for an immense number of harmful bacteria, yeast, fungus, mold, and intestinal parasites like amoebae, flukes and worms, which begin to thrive within the body.

Having a build up of toxic material in the colon is unhealthy and leads to many diseases and even weight gain. That’s why it is important to utilize a detoxification program, which cleanses your colon, purifies your vital organs, and works to regulate your digestive system. Detoxification is the process of removing accumulated toxins and waste products that build up within our system.

Detoxification is a great first step to begin any lifestyle change, whether it’s for a specific health concern like high cholesterol, Fibromyalgia, and Candida, or for something more general like weight loss. The benefits are almost immediately felt as energy is improved and wellness returns. "

-Annie

P.S. I have lost 32 lbs and almost 10% body fat in the last 5 months. I feel great!

Our New Adventure

Today is an exciting day at M’lis. It is the first day of our newest adventure- our blog! Each of the Educators will be writing, as well as Dr. Linda Nelson, the founder of our company. We will also feature guest appearances by other members of our staff. At M’lis our mission is to realize our role as the absolute leader in holistic products, programs and education; and to achieve our goals by helping others to improve their lives while always providing honesty, integrity, value and the best service possible.

I know that you’ll find that as you get to know us through our blog, you will find this proves to be true.

This is a picture of the educators we took for our holiday cards! The shirts we are wearing are the ones we just had made! They are now available for purchase if you love them too. (Stephanie, Eliza, Annie, Ginny)

At M’lis we work with many types of businesses, from doctors offices to wellness centers to salons. A core group of our partners are made up of spas. The spa industry is an exciting field to be in, it is fast becoming a very important aspect of staying well. Below are a few trends from a press release by the International Spa Association, that we think fit well with the M’lis philosophy and our line of products and programs.

• Spa Lifestyles Equal Healthy Lifestyles – Eating nutritious food, exercising and relieving stress are critical in leading a healthy lifestyle, and spas are championing this effort by teaching these basic principles. In fact, 51 percent of U.S. spas offer educational programs and nutritional consultations, 40 percent offer healthy eating classes, 26 percent have educational offerings on obesity or weight gain issues and 17 percent offer exercise programs for children and teens.

• Corporate Wellness – Google was selected as Fortune’s No. 1 company to work for in 2007. Google is also a member of ISPA and offers on-site massages to its employees. According to the American Journal of Health Promotions, for every $1 spent on wellness programs, employers can expect a return of up to $10 through lower medical claims, reduced absenteeism, improved productivity and other factors. “A spa experience is the perfect way for employers to show their team that they care about their health and well-being,” added (ISPA President Lynne) McNees.

• Greening Grows – As 76 percent of U.S. spas apply environmentally sustainable practices, the spa community’s commitment to the environment is not a passing phase. On-site organic gardens; products made from locally-grown fruits, vegetables, herbs and plants; mineral makeup; and green building tactics are just a few of the ways that spa professionals are showing their commitment to the earth.

Thanks for checking us out! We encourage you to check back weekly to find out what is going on here at The M’lis Company.

eliza