Potential Milk Recall Averted!

Could you imagine a contaminated supply of milk making it into the refrigerators of thousands of homes??? It could already be happening but thanks to a decision by the FDA, under pressure from the dairy industry, we may never know.

Recent articles have revealed a disturbing revelation about our government and why we should be concerned about our food supply... LOL  Yes, it took me a little while to stop laughing too.

According to a New York Times article, the FDA has for years considered expanding testing of milk for more than the four to six antibiotics it currently tests for.  The reason being, that illegal drug residue has been showing up for years in older dairy cows bound for slaughter.

In testing that was to begin mid January, some of the farms listed on the Department of Agriculture's "violator" lists would have their milk tested to determine if there is any correlation between illegal drug residues found in tissue samples of meat from culled dairy cows and the milk supply from these farms.

Here is some interesting reading from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) website, December 20, 2010, January 7, 2011, January 13, 2011 and here is the New York Times article from January 25, 2011 that is spreading like wildfire around the internet.  The following letter however, I believe, defines a clearer picture of the $$$ concerns that effected the decision. IDFA & NMPF LETTER - 12/13/10

SO... To avoid the risk of farmers being forced to dump potentially contaminated milk at a loss or the risk of contaminated milk getting into the milk supply... No tests will be done.  This reminds me of the Military's policy of "Don't ask, don't tell".  As long as we don't test it, we won't know if it is contaminated and therefore, no action needs to be taken.   Is it any wonder why many countries have a ban on some food imports from the U.S.

In doing my research for this post, I came across many disturbing things about the history of our governments decisions and their very short term memories.  That being said, my next post will reveal some unbelievable, at least in my own mind, facts about the history of one large corporation who seems to have a lot of power over this country.

How are you protecting yourself and your family against the potential risks of antibiotic-resistent infections that are believed to be a result of a poorly managed food supply, including our milk?  A great first step is to insure that you are eating as healthy a diet as possible to give your body the strength to fight the attacks from mutations, toxins and chemicals that are a major part of our food supply and environment these days.  Have you considered using dietary supplements? 65% of Americans use them, including my family.  Only the best for my family, from Shaklee.  For my family, and especially my little girl who has Prader-Willi Syndrome, Shaklee products give me hope for the future.

Terry Guinn, A Healthier You Too

Treat your family to the quality products they deserve. Shaklee products are always safe, always work, and are always green. If you would like more information about Shaklee products, please contact me, Terry Guinn, Shaklee Independent Distributor, through my website at  www.ahealthieryoutoo.com or if you would like to checkout the products for yourself, go to my Shaklee page at  www.ahealthieryoutoo.myshaklee.com 

Shakleebaby & Shakleekids

"2011" The Adventure Begins

5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Happy New Year!!!  Are you ready for a new adventure?  A new year means new opportunities and new goals, but perhaps there is still much life and opportunity in the current adventure.

With only 4 days remaining we need to gather our thoughts, determine our goals and create our plan of attack for the upcoming year.  What is it you intend to do differently?  What goals have you set?  Where do you want to be at the start of 2012?

Maybe we should first recognize our accomplishments for the current year, to get a better perspective on the things we can build upon in 2011.

I accomplished a lot in 2010 thanks to a friend with a lot of experience in business, marketing, internet & social media and, who also happens to be a doctor.  Thanks to my friend, who has become my mentor, one of my biggest accomplishments was in changing my eating habits and as a result, improving my health. This is not something I set out to do.  My goal was to help my daughter Kirsten, through a better understanding, get the most out of life. For all that read my Blog, you hear over and over about my daughter Kirsten who has Prader-Willi Syndrome.  Kirsten is the reason for all the research I have done on:

• the bodies chemistry and processes 
• the effect of the environment on our children 
• the way our food is processed 
• the chemicals going into our food and it's packaging
• GMO's and the FDA's GRAS stamp of approval
• proper nutrition and the supplement industry 

Looking at this kind of stuff is enough to send anyone on a lifelong fast.  I of course could not learn everything there is to know about these things in such a short time, but I did gain a better understanding than many who are not in professions associated with such things. 

For my daughter, I stopped eating most junk food.  For my daughter, I started eating a lot more fruits & vegetables. For my daughter, I gained a better understanding of how I could help her.  What started as a demonstration for my daughter, has become a good routine for both of us and I haven't felt this good in many years.

Most of my life I have been on the go, working or on call 24/7.  This year has been a wake up call. While looking for work and learning new skills, I have been able to spend more time with my family and find new ways to improve their lives.   I have also found new ways to help others and one of those ways has turned out to have great potential for building a full time income... Just by helping others, and through their success I am empowered to help many more.  

There is no secret to my new found success in health.  We have worked hard to Shaklee-ize our home by using Shaklee healthy home products, daily essentials and supplements. We also exercise more, eat more fruits & vegetables and we have cut way down on unhealthy "junk" foods.

Are you looking to be adventurous or working on an adventure of your own.  Achieving goals in life, especially those related to improved health, can be quite an adventure and having a solid base of support can be invaluable. I want to help you achieve those goals if I am able.  How can I help?

December is a great month to treat your family to the quality products they deserve.  Shaklee products are always safe, always work, and are always green.   Several promotions available, including the "Free Membership" offer below. If you would like more information about Shaklee products, please contact me, Terry Guinn, through my website at  www.ahealthieryoutoo.com or if you would like to checkout the products for yourself, go to my Shaklee page at www.ahealthieryoutoo.myshaklee.com 

SPECIAL OFFER:

December 1-31, 2010, "Free Membership" 

(a $19.95 value) with an order for $70 worth of products at member prices.

A Passing Grade for Better Health

Doctors don't have all the answers and if it takes a village to raise a child, does it also take a team of specialists to become a part of that village, to raise a child with Prader-Willi Syndrome?

Another three months have gone by and that means its time for another visit to the endocrinologist. That also means its time to work on my notes and questions, in preparation for the appointment.  Our doctors rely on blood tests, X-rays, studies, consultations with other doctors... And a parents impute.  If we fail to provide the right information, in a way that the doctors can comprehend and use this information, we may not receive a passing grade which is improved health for our children.

Twas the night before our appointment and all through the house,

everyone else was sleeping including my spouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

because the children's excitement was to much to bear.

 I at my computer typing away,

preparing my notes for the following day.

For the endo would certainly be rushing about,

no time to stop and let questions come out.

Its Kirsten's health that I'm working on here,

so I'll do what it takes... I need a beer!

This is when I get excited, because I get to see just how successful we have been with Kirsten, now seven, who has Prader-Willi Syndrome.  It has been a real struggle to manage her diet and get the right balance of medicines.  Just like in the cartoons when someone plugs a leak in a dam, we feel like we have control and then another leak develops.  We plug that one and the initial leak burst again.  Our biggest struggle has been with weight and high cholesterol. We have managed to gain control of her weight this year and her cholesterol levels have come down some (as of 8/19).

We see many doctors in our quest to manage Kirsten's health, but it is the endocrinologist that I find most valuable.  Even though his bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired, he is very knowledgable and I find I can work with him as long as I come prepared. These quarterly visits, for me, have become somewhat of a quest for approval, and perhaps a challenge to earn that approval. I have always tried to do what is right, and what is best for Kirsten, but until the last couple visits, there was never any good news.  Of course one could say that if you are overcoming obstacles, even with new obstacles emerging, you are headed in the right direction.

Tomorrow promises to be enlightening and with all that I have learned this year alone, I am prepared to take Kirsten to her endocrinologist appointment... To see how I'm doing!

Another thing that I am doing to earn a passing grade in Kirsten's health, is providing her with Shakleekids Increditives multivitamin/multimineral dietary supplement. I want her to achieve her maximum potential, so I want products that I can trust to help her get there.

December is a great month to treat your family to the quality products they deserve.  Shaklee products are always safe, always work, and are always green.   Several promotions available, including the "Free Membership" offer below. If you would like more information about Shaklee products, please contact me, Terry Guinn, through my website at  www.ahealthieryoutoo.com or if you would like to checkout the products for yourself, go to my Shaklee page at www.ahealthieryoutoo.myshaklee.com 

SPECIAL OFFER:

December 1-31, 2010, "Free Membership" 

(a $19.95 value) with an order for $70 worth of products at member prices.

A Wonderful Life...

Cameron Newton just won the Heisman Trophy!  Was there ever any doubt?  

Of course you might not have heard the news yet because you were too busy with your children, helping with homework, transporting then back & forth from an athletic event, introducing them to classics such as "It's a Wonderful Life" or working overtime to keep up with the ever growing expenses of raising a family. 

I may miss the games and awards, but watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” tonight, for the 100th time in my life, reminds me of just how lucky I am. 

My wife and I reminisce often about the days we had the time to do anything we wanted, like play Nintendo Golf at all hours of the night, eat ice cream anytime or sleep in...  Those were the days.

I'm not complaining!  Our children have added structure to our lives and with the addition of the twins seven years ago, we received the missing piece of the puzzle that made our life complete.  One of the twins was diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome and has become our health coach, sort of.  Ok, perhaps more of an inspiration.  Many of us have guilt when it comes to overeating.  My guilt comes for different reasons. Because of my daughters disabilities and her restrictive diet, I have lost ten pounds over the last year.

As I look back and realize how my life could have been, without children, I have to wonder... Would I have even survived to the half century mark???  As I pop my vitamins, slurp my Vivix and sip my hot tea, the children are all fast asleep and I am enjoying my quiet time catching up on the days news &  events. 

Come Sunday I may not get to follow the day in sports, as I take time for my children, but I  wouldn't be living this wonderful life without them.  I still get my time and I can catch up on the sports excitement, but nothing compares to my children's excitement and their smiles that make life worth living.

Exercise and proper nutrition are the keys to a parents full life of children’s activities, excitement and smiles. What are you doing to stay healthy?  Did you know that our food supply is not as nutrient rich as it used to be? Did you know that more than 65% of Americans regularly take supplements? What do you know about the supplements that you use or see advertised everyday?  

This is cool!  Shaklee has a Digital Edition (click here) of their catalog (I love catalogs) that includes the “Clinical Research” section starting on page 118.  Also, clicking on the product picture takes you right to the product page in a new window. 

December is a great month to treat your family to the quality products they deserve.  Shaklee products are always safe, always work, and are always green.   Several promotions available, including the "Free Membership" offer below. If you would like more information about Shaklee products, please contact me through my website at  www.ahealthieryoutoo.com or if you would like to checkout the products for yourself, go to my Shaklee page at www.ahealthieryoutoo.myshaklee.com 

SPECIAL OFFER:

December 1-31, 2010, "Free Membership" 

(a $19.95 value) with an order for $70 worth of products at member prices.

The Weight is Over...

Can it be true? Have I finally achieved a new plateau and weight loss is on the horizon? Could it be that "the weight is over..."? Yeah... right.

I just celebrated my 51st birthday and my family took me out to dinner. We don't go out much anymore, so this was a real treat for all of us. We went to my favorite restaurant so I could get my favorite mexican skillet. My mouth watered with anticipation as the waitress brought out my long awaited special treat. And it was delicious!!! I savored every mouthful as I dug into my meal.

Half way through my meal I noticed a feeling I had not experienced for a long time and never from my favorite meal... I was feeling full! All sorts of thoughts began running through my head as to how such a thing could occur and ruin such a joyful experience. Did I eat to fast? Am I coming down with something? Did I drink to many liquids? IS MY STOMACH SHRINKING??? Could that be it? Could my stomach be shrinking? I had, been eating smaller amounts at meals for the past ten months because I share with my six year old who requires a special diet. That must be it I decided.

As always, anytime I get a thought, idea or question about the bodies chemistry or function... I go to the all mighty Internet to search for answers. I have been doing this for years, but with much more intensity over the past ten months as I have tried to get a better understanding in an effort to help my six year old who has Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). Diet is extremely important for her and with her condition, nutrition has also been a major concern of mine.

In my efforts to find out the feasibility of the stomach shrinking, I was disappointed to find that it is not possible (WebMD is a great resource). What I did find however were some interesting articles that suggested that body chemistry can also affect and trigger feelings of satiety for different reasons. Things I had read about before but these were presented in a different light and I had always looked for information, other than the chemical signals because the chemical process does not work properly in individuals with PWS like my daughter. It makes sense thought, that my body may have been telling me that I had reached my nutritional needs. I have been taking a very potent dose of daily supplements that may have, with some food intake, triggered a chemical process giving me that full feeling.

When you think about it, our body communicates with us in many ways and it is all controlled by chemical processes. Just as we join Toastmasters to improve our oral communication, we must do what it takes to improve the communication process within our bodies. You can, through Toastmasters, reduce and eliminate the verbal clutter in your oral communication to make you a more effective communicator and you can through proper diet, exercise and I can't emphasize enough the importance of proper nutrition... Reduce and eliminate some of the clutter affecting your bodies communication, to reenergize your bodies effectiveness in communication and weight management.

The weight “gain” IS over... But only with proper diet, exercise and nutrition.

For information on a Company with your health and safety in mind, please check out my website at www.ahealthieryoutoo.com. As a Shaklee Independent Distributor, I can introduce you to some wonderful nutritional, beauty, weight and healthy home products (and an opportunity to help others if your interested) from the #1 Natural Nutrition Company in the U.S.

One final note of interest, after successfully gaining control of my daughters weight, as well as my own, for the past nine months... I am excited to report that my six year old has lost five pounds over the past five weeks and I have lost three.