We are all creatures of habit—some good and some bad.  Whenever we begin to challenge anything that has to with our eating habits or our lifestyles, it is a difficult challenge.  Many of us truly realize that we do not have the best health habits and have found it very difficult to change.  The Reset Program has been developed to take you by the hand and guide you every step of the way towards establishing these changes in your lifestyle.  You will not only learn about the science behind the program but also the practical tips that will allow you to be successful.  Looking back at how you have arrived at your present situation does very little good.  There is really nothing you can do about it at the present time.  You must realize that today is the first day of the rest of your life and that your best days are still ahead.

These Posts will be encouraging and motivational .  They will be filled with practical tips that make a difference in your life.  Remember, this is not another diet.  You are developing healthy lifestyles that will not only improve the quality of your life, but also have a side effect of fat loss.  These are meant to be permanent lifestyle changes that will merely become part of your everyday life.  Your Best Days Are Still Ahead!

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Dry eye disorders are common as we age and usually show up as gritty sore eyes that worsen as the day progresses. Closed eyelids as we sleep offers a recovery period but next day the whole annoying cycle starts over again. Current treatments are usually targeted at relieving symptoms of irritation with extra lubrication or punctal plugs that decrease tear outflow. Recently though our understanding of dry eye problems has improved dramatically. Better understanding of dry eyes problems helps lead to better diagnosis and newer treatment options that either prevent difficulties or reduce discomfort.

Age inevitably produces a gradual decline in our tear function. And there are two clear mechanisms involved. The first is decreased tear production from the primary lacrimal glands. This can happen because of autoimmune problems like arthritis or problems like diabetes which decrease eye sensitivity. The second is increased tear evaporation with reduced function of some of the glands in the lids called meibomium glands. Age and recurrent inflammatory conditions reduce the function of these glands which produce an essential “oily” layer. This layer sits on top of tears and slows tear evaporation. Reducing this layer causes tears to evaporate quickly causing the gritty dry eyes and the intermittent blurry vision usually seen.

In 2003 a scientific study showed that high dietary intake of the Omega-3 group of essential oils decreased the risk of developing dry eye disease. It has been known for quite some time that the American diet is top heavy in Omega-6 oils and lacking in Omega-3 oils. This study showed that improving the amount of Omega-3 essential oils seems to address an imbalance and decreases the likelihood of developing dry eyes.

What mechanism helps Omega-3 essential oils aid dry eyes? The heart of it seems to be the known fact that the omega-3 group of oils decreases inflammation in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. It appears that they also help decrease inflammatory conditions that affect the eye. Reducing the effects of lacrimal gland inflammatory problems improves tear production, hopefully avoiding dry eye disorders such as Sjogren’s syndrome. Tear evaporation is reduced by decreasing inflammatory problems affecting the meibomium glands such as blepharitis and acne rosacea. An interesting third factor is that omega-3 essential oils actually seem to be some of the active ingredients in producing a healthy tear film oil layer.

Tools such as extra lubrication and punctal plugs will still be needed to treat dry eyes with significant discomfort. Our improved understanding of the natural history of dry eye will allow however for the future use of alternative treatments such as dietary supplements. Omega-3 dietary supplements have already been shown to be essential nutrients in other health areas, now we know that they are also the “good oil” for dry eye management.

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Technorati Tags: Dry eye, blurry vision, Omega-3, lacrimal gland inflammatory, Sjogren’s syndrome

Adding fats to your diet is essential if you want to live a healthy lifestyle that results in feeling and looking great, but it has to be the right kind of fats. Essential fatty acids fall within this category and are a crucially important addition to anyone’s diet.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids are made up of two components: DHA (which stands for docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

The best source of DHA and EPA are fish, especially salmon, seaweed, shellfish and algae. Furthermore, you can also get omega-3’s from unrefined whole grains, dark & leafy greens and certain nuts and seeds like walnuts, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds. This second group contains ALA (alpha linolenic acid) which your body then converts to EPA and DHA.

Your best bet, however, is to get your omega-3’s from seafood because your body converts only about 15 percent of dietary ALA to EPA and much less to DHA.

What do you do if you don’t like, and absolutely refuse to eat, seafood? Well, fortunately you can get omega-3’s in capsule form. Not everyone’s stomach can handle these capsules, but try them out for one month. It’s an extremely convenient way to add omega-3’s to your diet.

When purchasing omega-3’s in pill form, you’ll notice some products also contain the other two components of essential fatty acids: omega-6 and omega-9. Stick with the products that contain only high amounts of omega-3’s. Most people already get high amounts of these two fatty acids from their diet, and it’s this lack of omega-3’s that is potentially the culprit behind many health problems today.

When adding omega-3’s to your diet through pills, look for 1,000 mg pills and take 3-9 per day with food depending on your current health status and healthy living goals. Your physician should be able to consult with you about this.

So now you have a good introduction into omega-3 fatty acids and the different ways to add them to your diet, but what are the health benefits associated with them?

Plenty! Here’s a quick list and you can also easily do some research by searching for “benefits of omega-3″ in your favorite search engine.

- stabilizes blood sugar levels and lowers insulin levels
- boosts your immune system
- encourages your body to burn fat and decreases appetite
- improves your mood and attention span
- reduce inflammation
- improve your skin tone and radiance

If the above doesn’t get you excited about this proven, inexpensive and easy-to-get fatty acid supplement, then check your pulse!  To get the highest quality Omega-3 suppliment delivered to your home Click Here.

It’s an addition to your diet that will help improve your health by leaps and bounds.

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Technorati Tags: DHA, EPA, omega-3, immune system, skin tone

If you have not already done so, you need to clean out all of the foods that are on the Least Desirable List from your pantry and cupboards.  This includes the white breads, white flour, rice, pasta, potatoes, chips, crackers, cereals, etc.  You then need to replace these items with whole fruits, whole vegetables, nuts and legumes.  When you want a snack, it is very important that you have a variety of choices available that are healthy and will not spike your blood sugar.  During the first four weeks of the program, it is critical to reverse the glycemic stresses and carbohydrate addiction that most of you have.  In Phase 2, you will again introduce grains back into your diet but they will be whole grain cereals and breads, certain types of rice and pasta, and certain types of potatoes.  Since processed carbohydrates are your major enemy, you need to focus on eliminating these foods along with sodas, sports drinks and sweetened fruit juices.

You will also learn that there are good fats and good proteins.  However, this week it is important that you focus on eliminating the processed carbohydrates and high-glycemic foods that you should no longer be readily available to you.  In order to get out of the vicious cycle of spiking your blood sugar and the resultant hypoglycemia, you need to eliminate these foods in your diet.  It may take one to two weeks to feel that you no longer crave these foods.  However, you will begin to experience how much better you feel when your blood sugars are stable and insulin levels begin to drop while glucagon levels begin to rise.  After all, it is when this change in your blood chemistry begins to happen that you are going to be able to start releasing fat.

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The body has many natural responses that no one is going to be able to control.  These responses are simply biological and you need to submit to them or suffer significant consequences.  Remember the last time you were traveling on the interstate and you were anxiously looking for the next rest stop because you had been drinking too much water?  The urge of needing to go to the bathroom can be overwhelming if you do not heed its earlier warnings.  Well, a similar response holds true if you become “truly” hungry.  If you become hungry, you are naturally going to want to eat.  What you must realize is the fact that you are likely to eat whatever is available.  Whether it is healthy and low-glycemic will not really matter.  What will matter is the fact that it is food.  Let’s face it, good-tasting, high-glycemic, highly-processed foods sound pretty good at a time you are really hungry.  When you add in your strong natural cravings for these kinds of foods, you will lose every time.

It is critical that you systematically clean up your environment and remove all these highly-processed carbohydrates from your home, your office, your car, and anywhere else you may be tempted to eat them.  If they are readily available at the time you become hungry, you will end up making a poor food choice.  However, if you have good quality, low-glycemic food and snacks available when you become hungry, it really is not that difficult to eat correctly.  You will quickly see that in the RESET Program you do not count calories or weigh your food.  This is not a low-calorie diet.  If you become hungry, you will be encouraged to eat.  You just need to eat a meal or snack that will not spike your blood sugar.  This is why it is critical to always have a balanced nutritional bar, healthy snack or meal available when you become hungry.  You must not only protect your environment but also plan ahead so that you have healthy food choices available.

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Congratulations!!! You have just made one of the best investments in your life because you will be learning how to protect your most valuable asset-your health.
We assume that we will always have good health; however, as most of us learn, nothing could be further from the truth.  More and more people are learning to be

proactive in protecting their health and becoming less dependent on medication.  The RESET program will be a launching pad for a lifetime of eating better, having more consistent exercise, and learning why cellular nutrition is critical for our health.  You will have more energy and vitality while at the same time begin losing fat

permanently.

Many of you have struggled for years with gaining more weight that has been very difficult to lose.  You may have already developed high blood pressure, elevated

cholesterol and triglycerides, heart disease, or even diabetes along with an increasing waist line. You will be giving yourself the best opportunity to have permanent

weight loss as you are improving or decreasing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and a host of other chronic degenerative diseases.  This is

“True” preventive medicine. 

In this program, you will not count calories, weigh food, or restrict calories in your diet.  This program is based on cutting-edge medical research and the implementation of these healthy lifestyles that just happen to have a side effect of permanent fat loss is quite simple. You will begin to develop a triad of healthy lifestyles, which have many health benefits. You will learn how to eat a healthy diet that does not spike your blood sugar, develop a consistent, moderate exercise program, and learn to consume what I refer to as cellular nutrition.

GETTING STARTED - PHASE 1 - Reversing Glycemic Stress

Most participants begin by starting Usana’s 5-Day High-fiber Cleanse, then proceeding directly to Phase 1.  You would also be wise to order your first month’s

supply of Macro-Optimizer Nutritional Drinks and Bars from Usana. A typical order would be as follows:

Typical Product Order from Usana

Phase 1

4 cans of Nutrimeal ( Vanilla, Chocolate or Strawberry )
2 Soyamax (Protein Drink)
1 Box ( 14 ) Berry Bar
1 Box ( 14) Peanut Butter Crunch Bar
1 Essentials* [Mega Antioxidant and Chelated Mineral] or Health Pak
1 Shaker Cup
1 Pedometer

To Order go to the Usana Reset Website.  Select Order button at bottom of the screen.

Healthy Diet

Once you have finished the 5-Day High-Fiber Cleanse, you are well on your way of overcoming any carbohydrate addiction you may have and reversing insulin

resistance. This will allow you to begin releasing fat. Now you are ready to begin Phase 1.  Check Out the “Basic Meal Plan for Phase 1″ post, which is simply a

guide and the “Recommended Food Guide” post to learn more about the recommended foods in the Program.

Basically, you will be eating two meal replacements and one snack replacement daily along with one regular low-glycemic meal and snack. I have chosen to use the

Macro-Optimizer Meal Replacements developed by Usana Health Sciences. They have developed meal replacements that have the correct balance of proteins, fats,

and low-glycemic carbohydrates that not only provide you with optimal nutrition but also will not spike your blood sugar. The other reason that these meals are so

important is because of the fact that you will have a break from your regular routine of eating. This offers you the best opportunity to not only get out of the vicious

cycle of spiking your blood sugar but also to focus on the one regular low-glycemic meal and one low-glycemic snack you are going to have each and every day.

You need to learn how you can put together a low-glycemic meal or snack by using the Recommended Food Guide. In the Basic Meal Plan, you will see good

examples of some specific low-glycemic meals and snacks. It really does not matter which meal or snack is your regular meal and which meal or snack you decide

to use Usana’s Macro-Optimizers.

During Phase 1 you will also need to avoid all sugar, all breads, white flour, all cereals, pasta, rice, and potatoes. You will have no restriction on natural fruits and

vegetables. You will begin to appreciate what are considered to be good fats and good proteins. However, the initial phase of this program is focused on helping you

get out of the carbohydrate addiction and reverse glycemic stress. You will have cravings for many of the high-glycemic and highly processed carbohydrates that

most of us usually eat; however, within a very short time these cravings will stop; especially if you have begun the program with the 5-Day High-Fiber Cleanse. It is

critical to be as good as possible in avoiding these high-glycemic carbohydrates. However, it is very important that you do not go hungry. If you are hungry, you are

encouraged to eat an extra low-glycemic snack or meal. Within a few days to a week or two, you will begin to note a decreased desire for the high-glycemic, highly

processed carbohydrates. You will begin to naturally consume less and less food because you are no longer spiking your blood sugar. You will learn the difference

between “true” hunger and food cravings. You will also learn that when you eat a meal or snack that you want to leave that meal satisfied and not hungry or full.

You want to create as much variety as possible in the use of the Meal Replacements. If you are an active person or weigh over 180 pounds, you may want to

consider using 2 scoops of the Soyamax (soy protein) rather than 1. You should consider adding ½ to 1 cup of frozen fruit to your drinks for variety.  It is also critical

to carefully plan a healthy, low-glycemic meal and snack daily. You can use one of the meals in the Basic Meal Plan or create your own.

Exercise Program

Most of you have not been in good shape for years. You may even need to consult your personal physician before you begin an exercise program. However,

common sense is usually the best order of the day. Start slowly and build up to the recommended level of exercise. Being consistent and doing your work out 5

times weekly is more important initially than being aggressive during your workout. The goal is going to be exercising 30 to 45 minutes 5 times per week. However,

you may need to start out exercising only 10 to 15 minutes daily 5 times per week. You need to use a simple guide. Do not fatigue yourself and don’t do so much

one day that you can’t do the same the next. If you suffer from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia, you need to be even more careful and make sure that you don’t work

out two days in a row and not work out more than 3 times a week.

It really does not matter what type of exercise you choose to do. It is more important that you choose an exercise activity that you could look forward to doing and

will be more consistent in doing. Walking, biking, hiking, tennis, swimming, racquetball, aerobic classes, golfing (walking instead of riding), aggressive yard work,

and the options go on and on. The results of the program will not vary if you are consistent with whatever you decide. You can also combine several different

activities throughout the week as a way of developing an effective lifestyle program. You will learn that adding weight resistant activities have additional healthy

benefits. However, initially I would recommend just keeping everything simple my favorite is Leslie Sansome’s Walk Away The Pounds.  The workout is simple and easy to customize to your fitness level.  When I started, I was very out of shape and could only do 1/4 mile.  I am now up to 2 miles 4 times a week and 3 miles once a week.

It is also critical that you actually have your workouts scheduled and not be faked into believing that you can work them into your present schedule. It has been

reported that the average American male watches 29 hours of TV and the average female watches 34 hours of TV each and every week. Now this is not only a

concern for the overall activity each of us has daily but also it shows us that if we gave up a little TV we would have plenty of time to exercise. However, there is one

important truth that I have learned over the years and that is the fact that if your workouts aren’t scheduled they most likely will never happen. In fact, many of my

patients intentionally schedule workouts every day of the week simply knowing that they are going to have to miss one or two of them. At least, they usually get in 4

or 5 of the workouts during the course of the week.

Cellular Nutrition

For those of you who do not understand the health benefits and importance of nutritional supplementation, I would recommend purchasing and reading the book,

“What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You” by Dr. Ray Strand.  These recommendations for cellular nutrition can be met

easily by taking the Usana Health Sciences Essentials or Usana’s Health Pak. The Essentials are made up of a Mega-Antioxidant tablet and a Chelated Mineral

tablet and you need to be taking three of each of these daily. It is best to take one of each of these tablets with each meal. However, for those of you who tend to

forget the mid-day dose, I would recommend taking 2 Mega-Antioxidants and 1 Mineral in the morning with breakfast and 1 Mega-Antioxidant and 2 Minerals with

the evening meal. The Health Pak has additional Calcium tablets and the potent antioxidant—Proflavanol.

Phase 1 and Phase 2 of this program are only the beginning. Phase 2 of the program will consist of eating 2 low-glycemic meals and one low-glycemic snack. You

will have just one Macro-Optimizer meal and one Macro-Optimizer snack. Whole grain cereals and breads will be added back into your diet along with lower

glycemic rice, pasta, and potatoes. Most of the participants desire to stay in Phase 1 of the program until they are well on their way to their goal. However, this will

vary with every participant. I also strongly believe that it takes somewhere between 18 and 24 months to truly develop permanent lifestyle changes.

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I have been on a “see food” diet all my life.  Whenever I see food, I want to eat it.  I don’t even have to be hungry.  However, if there is food around, I seem to have a sixth sense and I find it every time.  It really does not matter if it is good food or bad food.  If it is around, I want to eat it!  I realize that this may have never been your problem; however, I suggest you begin to take an inventory of your environment.  This will enable you to protect yourself should this be an issue for you as well.  The corollary to this problem for me is—if the food is not around, I really don’t even think about it until I become “truly” hungry.

It is critical that you begin to protect yourself from temptations in your environment if you are going to have the best chance of success in developing the new lifestyles you have purposed to make.  In order to accomplish this, it takes planning and strategy on your part.  As you learn more and more about the medical evidence that is the basis of this program, you will see the pitfalls that surround you.  One of the main pitfalls you face is dealing with temptations that inundate you day in and day out.  You will realize that you need to do whatever is possible to protect yourself.  Most of your eating habits are triggered by your environmental and social situations.  Learning how to deal with these situations will be critical to your success.

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