Healthy Isn't Just a Feeling

Healthy Really Shows. Let's think outside of the nutrition box and consider what we put on our skin. Notice the unique nature of Shaklee's Skincare line below:

Skincare Highlights:

• Nutrient Based (The right nutrients in the right amounts in the right form your skin can use.)
• 7 patents
• pH balanced
• Always Hypoallergenic
• Never Animal Tested

Daily Basic Regime:

• Cleanse (cleanser)
• Neutralize (toner)
• Repair (moisturize)
• Optional Special Care (acne, anti-aging, etc.)

Here are the Clinical Studies' confirmed findings:

• 665% increase in Skin Firmness
• 421% reduction in the appearance of wrinkles
• 88% reduction in the appearance of fine lines

Shaklee also offers a haircare line:

• 10 vitamins, minerals, and herbs for healthy scalp and hair. No harsh, damaging chemicals.
• Available in shampoo, conditioner, finishing spray, and nourishing scalp treatment.

What we put on the outside really does affect the inside.

Burning Nose Hairs

Cleaning has been an emerging art for me. I grew up in a home that was bursting at the seams with love, laughter, and dust bunnies. We were certainly encouraged to clean and tidy things up, but it wasn't until college age that I began to discover how enjoyable cleaning could be.

But, there was one aspect of cleaning that I never liked: burning nose hairs. Headaches. The need for fresh air. This dimension of cleaning never felt right. And, it should never feel right, because it's completely wrong.

Cleaners have the potential to adversely affect your skin, eyes, and respiratory system. There are 80,000+ chemicals registered with the EPA. Do you know that less than 20% of them have been tested for toxicity?

The University of California at Berkeley affirms that a person who spends 15 minutes cleaning their shower can inhale 3x the "acute one-hour exposure limit". This all seems wrong, doesn't it? Should cleaning our showers really be deemed a danger zone?

Of course, we have to also remember that children are at a much greater risk because of their smaller size. These over-the-counter cleaners that are so easily accessible and inexpensive can lead to issues such as asthma, cancer, kidney and liver damage. The Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' (2005) states that bleach alone may cause reproductive, endocrine, and immune system disorders.

We often think of the 90% of poison exposures occurring in the home as a child getting into a cabinet that he shouldn't. But, have we considered that poison exposure can also occur every day as we use cleaning products?

This is why I believe whole-heartily in the Shaklee Get-Clean Products:

1. Naturally derived ingredients from sustainable resources
2. No harmful fumes
3. Non-toxic
4. Hypoallergenic
5. Outperforms or outmatches 15 national brands
6. Super-concentrated, saving you money
7. 100% money-back guarantee
8. Basic H2 has over 1,000 uses! (that's a great value for $10)
9. The products work, and you will never feel your nose hairs' burning, experience headaches from cleaning, or worry about the risk to your family's health
10. A Get Clean Starter Kit protects our landfills from 108 pounds of unnecessary packaging waste, and 218 pounds of greenhouse gas is eliminated (in comparison to other cleaners).

I've never regretted making our home green by getting clean with Shaklee. The products work and you can rest each night knowing they're safe.

Outperforms Leading Brands & Saves Money!

We're all interested in saving money, especially when it comes to the products we use regularly in our homes. I was thrilled to watch a short overview of the GET CLEAN home care products, and how they compare to supermarket brands. It's outstanding! See the effectiveness and value of Shaklee's dish soap, laundry soap, all purpose cleaner, and more!

Another fantastic aspect of Shaklee home care products is that they are often concentrated, which means they will last a long time! For instance, their dish soap (which we use to hand wash all our dishes) lasts us about five months. They aren't kidding when they say a couple drops will do an entire sink of dishes!

Feel free to also enjoy browsing the entire home care product line.

Is There Really a Difference?

Do you ever wonder if your current supplements are high quality or if they even make a difference?

The following are some simple ways to be assured you are making a wise investment:

1. Check absorption: You will want to see that your supplement dissolves in water within 30 minutes or less. This is the standard the pharmaceutical industry uses for tablets. Otherwise, it goes in your body and right back out. (Shaklee’s Vitalea digests in 17 minutes.)

2. Check if the absorption reaches the bloodstream: Always ask the company for peer-reviewed research on their products. Peer-reviewed means that it is unbiased, legitimate research vs. advertising research where you pay someone to publish research in what looks like a legitimate journal.

3. Check balance: Some of you may have tried supplements, or have taken them for years with little or no results. This is often because of an improper balance of vitamins. Many nutrients do not work effectively unless in a certain balance. For example, the B vitamin, Biotin is extremely expensive. You will want to see that Biotin is at least 100% of the daily value.

4. Is the amount on the label really found in each tablet? A common problem in the food supplement industry is quality control. It is not uncommon for the amount in each individual tablet in a bottle of supplements to vary drastically!

Shaklee performs up to 262 quality assurance tests on every single product. The supplements contain the exact amount of minerals and vitamins provided on each label.

5. Check the manufacturer’s “cooling” system to preserve nutrients: When supplements are manufactured at a low temperature, all the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytonutrients are protected in the process. The enzymes are essential in helping your body absorb the nutrients. It is common for companies to use too much heat and pressure in making their tablets, which consequently destroys the enzymes, rendering your supplements useless.

6. Are sugars, artificial colors, or sweeteners used? Read the labels.

7. Are your supplements safe? Does the company provide scientific research to confirm this? Shaklee provides 176 separate tests for purity, freshness, potency, and safety on the raw ingredients of every single product. They also spend over 180 million dollars a year on scientific research. They are in a league of their own!

Watch this to learn more.

My Favorite Supplement

When my Mom was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 1999, we met with several specialists to learn more about her condition and how to best love & support her through it. Amidst the clinical conversations, I recall the doctors' communicating that her body was experiencing great change, and soon to be significant decline. It was during those meetings that I was introduced to my Mom's vitamin B deficiency. I immediately wanted to know more about the importance of supplementation, specifically B vitamins.

Did you know that B deficiency has not only been linked to Alzheimer’s Disease, but also Crohn’s Disease, mental depression, Parkinson’s Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, hearing loss, and kidney disease? I’m often amazed to see the direct link between our deficiencies and our consequent health struggles.

One of the things I appreciate so much about Shaklee is that they are all about prevention rather than treatment. I knew even back in 1999 that I wanted to be sure I was getting enough B vitamins, ideally all 8 of them, and in the proper balance.

When searching for a quality B Complex, these are the things you want to look for:

1. Be sure that ALL EIGHT B vitamins are included in a balanced form, according to the body’s daily need. Balance is essential because our bodies require different amounts of EACH of the B vitamins. For example, some B Complex’s may leave out a particular B vitamin entirely (often the expensive ones) and instead add 6000% of the less expensive B elements. The body will simply eliminate the extraordinary excess, and you will not notice any of the benefits of the other vitamins.
2. It’s ideal for the B Complex to be coated in folic acid so that it is effectively delivered into the blood stream. Folic acid is essential in preventing birth defects, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as cancer. It also helps reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease.

Now, for the fun part of B Complex! Here are all the benefits you’ll receive through Shaklee’s B Complex:

1. It will enable your body to convert food into energy (especially if taken before exercise in the morning)
2. You will notice a profound effect on your mental and emotional stability
3. You will experience reduced cravings and headaches
4. Your blood sugar levels will be more balanced
5. You will experience increased energy

B Complex is by far my favorite Shaklee Supplement for these reasons!

The Scary Little Six Letter Word in Breastfeeding

I took a class on breastfeeding while pregnant and it made it look so effortless… you know, one of those things that you could do while cooking dinner or vacuuming the house. Maybe you can do these things simultaneously, but boy, was I ever in for a surprise!

Though the breastfeeding class was helpful, there was also something that it failed to mention: a scary little six-letter word: Thrush. I had no idea what I was in for; what I did know was that the pain of breastfeeding became excruciating and the time of “bonding” that I anticipated for months’ became a time of dread.

I'm all for antibiotics, but in the case of Thrush, antibiotics can actually grow the yeast. Instead, these simple tips will help thrush pack its bags and go elsewhere:

1. Try to manage things with diet-- avoid all sugar if possible. It will starve the yeast and bring it to an end. This is a hard diet, but it will take care of things quickly.

2. Purchase a good probiotic supplement, in addition to having yogurt each day.

3. Keep your breasts, bra, and any nursing pads dry. If any leaking takes place, change the pad or bra promptly. It’s worth every bit of extra laundry you have to do.

4. Wash all laundry with vinegar and hot water until the thrush is gone. It's ideal if the laundry can dry in the sun, but the dryer works just as well.

Nursing is spectacular, especially when you conquer things like Thrush. We enjoyed a wonderful full year of breastfeeding!

Baby Skin

When our precious babies are placed in our arms for the first time, we touch the elegant softness of their skin, and we are captivated with their newness. And, with that newness, our hearts transpire into a mixture of both awe and protectiveness.

Have you ever heard that a baby’s skin is five times thinner than that of an adult? This makes it incredibly easy for chemicals to be absorbed right into their systems. And, consequently incredibly more difficult to flush out those chemicals.

I appreciate that Shaklee values the tiniest members in our world! They created an entire product line just for babies and children, consisting of Personal Care Products and supplements. The Personal Care products include: Soothing Lotion, Gentle Wash, Massage Oil (did you know baby massage can actually improve their digestion, circulation, and sleep patterns?), and Diaper Rash Cream. The Supplement for babies/toddlers includes: Multivitamin and Multimineral Powder (23 essential nutrients and prebiotics).

I recall the frustration and crankiness involved with diaper rashes, and doctors are quick to recommend products to help. What I’ve come to realize is that many of those products cause further irritation (specifically boric acid and camphor). I read through a Shaklee Science update: “In a recent study involving 163 infants and toddlers, 81% had signs of phthalates in their wet diapers after having had some type of personal care product applied to their skin.” Did you know that phthalates can potentially lead to respiratory, liver and kidney damage?

When we think about their precious skin and its rate of absorption, we can be grateful for nature and science joining together to provide products that are both safe and effective for our children.

Shaklee products are safe, effective, hypoallergenic, clinically tested, and dermatologist/pediatrician tested. There are no added fragrances, no talc, or mineral oil. Check out the entire product line.

Water's Supposed To Be Good For You... Right?

THE BAD NEWS

The Real Dirt on Water:

• 300 agricultural and industrial pollutants were found in the water in a number of states
• These pollutants contribute to liver and kidney cancer (exposure to chemical compounds)
• They can even contribute to learning disorders among children
• 25% of our exposure to lead can come from drinking water -- and the consequences are more severe with children in learning ability
• One of the most dangerous pesticides used in farming can be in the water-- causes cardiovascular and reproductive problems
• Industrial pollutants are present in the water supply
• These same contaminants can also be found in bottled water.
• The goal is to remove these things from our water.

Learn what's in your water! Go to epa.gov/safewater and take action.

THE GOOD NEWS

Shaklee has created an easy & economical way for your family to get the water it needs:

• Get Clean® Water Pitcher is the first pitcher with an automatic meter that shows gallons filtered, so you know exactly when to replace your filter—no more guessing!
• Made of Food-Safe: BPA-Free Plastic
• 10 cup capacity
• Get Clean Water is a multipatented water filtration system that uses a solid block of carbon to filter and clean your water.
• Reduces 90% of lead (Brita and PUR do not)
• Each Get Clean Water filter handles 80 gallons of water, twice as much as Brita® and Pur®2, and each filter is made from sustainable coconut shell carbon using a zero-emission process. Plus, it's the first pitcher with a refillable carbon-block filter system, so there's less waste going to the landfills.