Healthy Home, Healthy Family
I think it is safe to say that we all want our homes to be a safe and healthy environment for ourselves and our families. The Wellness Home addresses key areas to support our health the way nature intended.
Be Healthy by Choice. Not by Chance.
This our battle cry for the Self Care Awakening and has been for the last four years. We are all experiencing a global pandemic and our health is ever-present on our minds. We are all searching for solutions to maintain and improve our health and immune systems to not only protect us from infectious agents but also to prevent chronic issues. Either way, it all boils down to supplying our bodies with the tools it needs to be healthy.
The Nikken Wellness Home is designed to do exactly that. I think it is safe to say that we all want our homes to be a safe and healthy environment for ourselves and our families. The Wellness Home addresses key areas to support our health the way nature intended. Healthy air, healthy water, healthy sleep, whole food nutrition, and healthy vital energies are all part of the Wellness Home.
Given self-isolation, quarantine, social distancing, and public lockdowns we are all spending most of the time in our homes. We are conducting business from our home offices. More than ever it is important that we practice diligent self-care practices. Stay well hydrated. Get quality good night’s sleep of at least 8 hours. Support healthy weight and supplement as needed for a strong immune system and filter the air in your home. These and other topics are what we write about and talk about on a weekly basis. More importantly, they are practices that each one of us can easily adopt for efficient principles of good health.
The health matters that we talk about at selfcarehub.com are simple, natural solutions for the prevention of most of our global health issues. Namely, Water Matters, Sleep Matters, Weight Matters, Body Burden Matters, Food Matters, and Air Matters. I invite you to visit the hub or click on the links for information on topics that interest you and how you can begin your Wellness Home.
Over four years ago Heather and I created the Self Care Awakening and selfcarehub.com to inform, inspire, and empower anyone to be Healthy by Choice. The impetus was to create a community of like-minded people to share common-sense solutions to our biggest health issue, chronic disease. Self Care is all about becoming aware of and then making choices for a healthier life. The Nikken Wellness Home and its products provide an Active Wellness Lifestyle that anyone can implement for an effective path for a healthy vibrant life.
This will be the subject of our next Healthy by Choice Master Class on Tuesday, August 11th at 6 pm Pacific. Joining us will be four special guests sharing their stories of how the Wellness Home has improved their health and well-being. Please join us by clicking this link, The Self Care Awakening Classroom.
Be Healthy by Choice
Healthy Bones Matter
When was the last time you wondered how healthy your bones are? One aspect of health that is often misunderstood or ignored is bone health. There are natural ways to improve bone and joint health at any age.
“The greatest medicine of all is to teach people how not to need it.”
Bone and Joint Matters
One aspect of health that is often misunderstood or ignored is bone health. The skeletal system is the body’s second-largest organ consisting of 206 bones in adults. Many people perceive our bones as a static, rigid structure when the exact opposite is true. Our bones are a dynamic organ that is a state of constant renewal and rebuilding. This is called bone remodeling and through this process, we replace our entire skeletal structure every 10 years or about seven to eight times in our lifetime.
The skeleton serves many physical and physiological functions. It provides structural support, movement, and protective armor for our vital organs. The bones are the site for the production of red blood cells to deliver oxygen to our cells and produce white blood cells for a healthy immune system. Recent advances point to the skeleton as an endocrine organ that modulates glucose tolerance and testosterone production by secretion of a bone-specific protein, osteocalcin.
Our bones are the mineral bank for our entire body. All vital organs and tissues require minerals to be released from the bones daily. Our body’s organs receive calcium from the bones. For example, the heart needs 100 mg of bone calcium a day for steady beats. The brain needs 150 mg of bone calcium to keep sharp and our intestines require 600 to 900 mg of bone calcium daily.
Through the process of bone remodeling minerals are released from old bone by specialized cells called osteoclasts, and new bone is replaced by bone builder cells, osteoblasts. Good bone health is a balance of this resorption of older bone and formation of new bone for stable and strong bones. Healthy bones are vital to our joints and our whole body.
Regardless of age, we all need to keep our bones healthy. Children continue to build bone mass as they grow. Bone mineral density peaks between the ages of 20 and 30. Up to the age of 30, the body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone, so bone mass increases. After that, the pace of healthy bone formation slows down so that more bone is lost than formed. This decrease in bone density results in weaker bones that are more susceptible to fracture. Maintaining bone health becomes more challenging and critical as we grow older for a variety of reasons.
The main issue in this decrease in bone density is directly correlated with calcium and the body’s ability to absorb and utilize dietary calcium which diminishes with age.
Osteoporosis is a Global Disease
According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture. In fact, a bone will break every 3 seconds because of this disease. This has an enormous human and socio-economic impact. Many people don’t know they have osteoporosis until their first fracture, which is why it’s called the ‘silent disease’. Osteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million people globally, with 55% of people over 50 currently at increased risk of fracture due to low bone mass.
You will not fall and break your bone
You will break your bone ...and fall
Osteoporosis is a silent disease because we do not perceive our bones weakening. Breaking a bone is often the first sign of loss of bone density or osteoporosis. Osteoporotic bone breaks are most likely to occur in the hip, spine, or wrist, but other bones can break too. Twenty percent of seniors who break a hip die within one year from complications related to the broken bone or the surgery to repair it. Many require long-term nursing home care.
While our bones naturally age as we do, there are things you can do to prevent osteoporosis and joint problems regardless of age.
Natural ways to help your Bones and Joints
Exercise, particularly anything that uses your body's weight to move, can help build strong bones. I suggest walking, jogging, or dancing.
Get some sunshine, at least 20 minutes a day for Vitamin D
Eat the right foods. Green leafy vegetables are calcium-rich and alkalizing. Greens give you calcium but are also good sources of vitamin k, potassium, and other minerals and nutrients needed for healthy bones.
Avoid sodas and carbonated beverages. Limit caffeinated beverages and alcohol.
Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. Bones are 25 to 30% water. Being hydrated is one of the best things you can do for bone and joint health.
Supplementation
We need to supplement our bodies with minerals, they are essential, we do not make them. However, no matter how much calcium we consume from calcium-rich foods such as yogurt, milk, and green leafy vegetables, or by nutritional supplements, such as Nikken’s excellent Kenzen® Calcium Complex, the most important aspects are absorption and utilization. If the body doesn’t absorb calcium, the bones cannot utilize it and be fortified. Nikken’s Kenzen BDZ™ is a giant step in rectifying this dilemma. Kenzen BDZ™ provides a unique and scientifically validated formula for calcium and other nutrients that are required for maintaining healthy bone structure, bone density, and calcium absorption, by combining three patented blends of nutrients.
Make healthy bones part of your self care routine and Be Healthy by Choice. This will be the subject of our next Healthy by Choice Master Class on Tuesday, August 4th. Please join us by clicking this link, The Self Care Awakening Classroom.
Be Healthy by Choice
Drink to Your Health
Proper hydration is essential for a healthy immune system and at this specific point in time concerning the global pandemic it is of paramount importance for us all.
Even mild dehydration can decrease…
“Water your roots, so your soul can blossom.”
Life cannot exist without water!
Proper hydration is essential to a healthy life. Water comprises over two-thirds of our body weight and is one of the most essential elements of maintaining well-being. Water is important in every physiological process. Water helps your body with circulation, assimilation, digestion, elimination, and temperature control.
Researchers estimate that about 75% of Americans are chronically dehydration. This can lead to many health issues such as fatigue, joint pain, headaches, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, ulcers, and high blood pressure. Chronic dehydration may affect your organs and lead to kidney stones, cholesterol problems, constipation, and liver and muscle damage.
Water and Immune Function
Proper hydration is essential for a healthy immune system and at this specific point in time concerning the global pandemic it is of paramount importance for us all.
Even mild dehydration can decrease salivary rate and decrease the concentration of salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA), which is one of the first lines of defense of the immune function on pathogens.
Maintaining healthy skin is another primary barrier to potential pathogens. In addition to providing a passive physical barrier against infection, the skin also contains elements of the innate and adaptive immune systems which allow it to actively fight infections. Proper hydration is a prerequisite for healthy skin.
Staying hydrated helps the body naturally eliminate toxins and other bacteria that may cause illness. Dehydration reduces the overall volume of blood and lymphatic fluids that are integral to a healthy immune system.
Lymph flows throughout the body to collect bacteria and waste. It transports collected waste to the lymph nodes which serve as filters. Drinking water works like a waterfall for lymphatic organs. The higher the amount, the stronger the push to the edge. In this scenario, water pushes bodily waste into the lymph nodes where lymphocytes destroy them. Eliminating toxins and waste materials become a difficult task when dehydrated. Not being able to remove this debris, your body is more susceptible to infection. Not staying hydrated diminishes energy levels, leading to a lack of exercise and a weakened immune system.
Water is vital for the functioning of all of your organs, and it’s a huge part of keeping your immune system functioning at an optimal level,” says Dr. Jyothi Tirumalasetty, assistant professor of medicine at UCLA Health Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergies. “We are made of 60 percent water. If we are dehydrated, the whole system of immunity could start breaking down.”
Water is not just a beverage choice
Water is not just a beverage choice; it is our most essential nutrient. When we think of water in this way it becomes apparent that we must drink enough each day. We can live for 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water!
Be Healthy by Choice.
Whole Food Nutrition for the Whole Family
A major component of the Nikken Wellness Home is healthy nutrition. Eating a balanced diet is vital for good health and wellbeing. Food provides our bodies with…
“Good nutrition will prevent 95% of all diseases.”
Happy, healthy parents make happy, healthy children. Encouraging children to live healthy lifestyles is each parents’ responsibility. The best way to accomplish this is founded in each of our choices to be healthy. In other words, be that role model for a healthy lifestyle. All children want to imitate parents from early childhood.
One of the most important decisions we make every day is what we eat and drink. It is everyone’s Choice to eat Healthy or not. There are good food choices and bad food choices and it is prudent to remember, we are what we eat.
Making healthy food choices is a challenge for many of us. Too often the deciding factor is convenience. I am not judging, just stating a fact. Often this leads to a deficit in needed nutrients for good health.
A major component of the Nikken Wellness Home is healthy nutrition. Eating a balanced diet is vital for good health and wellbeing. Food provides our bodies with the energy, protein, essential fats, vitamins, and minerals to live, grow, and function properly. We need a wide variety of different foods to provide the right amounts of nutrients for good health.
In the simplest terms, we all need three different food groups to provide the nutrition we require daily. These include proteins, fruits, and vegetables.
Let us look at what we all need daily for good health.
Protein
Our body does not store protein, and therefore has no reservoir to draw on when it needs a new supply. We use protein to build and repair tissues, to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. A healthy daily protein requirement is based on body weight. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), which is the minimum amount you need to be healthy, is 0.8 grams per kilogram (0.36 grams per pound) of body weight per day. That would equal 54 grams of protein per day for a 150-pound person.
…most children in her practice are overweight or obese yet are undernourished and starving for nutrients.
Vegetables
I’m sure we all remember our mom telling us to eat our vegetables. I surely remember those same words coming out of my mouth at the dinner table when my children were young.
Eating vegetables provides many health benefits. People who eat more vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body. Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are important sources of potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C.
Fruit
Fruits provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body. As part of an overall healthy diet, eating foods such as fruits that are lower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake. Adding fruit can help increase the intake of fiber and potassium which are important nutrients that many of us do not get enough of in their diet.
Fruit are important sources of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid), and phytochemicals for added health benefits.
The American Cancer Society advises at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day for good health. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends nine servings of vegetables and fruits each day. It is advised that two-thirds of your plate should include fruits and vegetables.
In a recent interview with Integrative Health Specialist, Kimball Sargent, she talked about how much of her psychotherapy sessions involve children with attention disorders. She stated that most children in her practice are overweight or obese yet are undernourished and starving for nutrients. She attributes many of her client’s problems to poor nutrition and is a firm believer in first treating the root cause of the problem.
Our next Healthy by Choice Master Class will be on Tuesday, July 21st at 6 pm PDT. Our special guest will be Kimball Sargent. Ms. Sargent has 38 years’ experience in nursing and has been a nurse psychotherapist for the last 25 years. Kimball and I will be discussing the need for a balanced diet and simple easy ways we can incorporate this into our daily routine. To join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts The Self Care Awakening Classroom, see you on Tuesday.
Be Healthy by Choice
Work - Life Balance, pt. 2
Work-life balance can seem like an impossible achievement. Technology makes us accessible around the clock and fear of job loss incentivizes longer hours. Here are a few self-care tips to balance the work-life equation.
“You don’t need to make yourself miserable to be successful.”
No 40-40-40
The 40-hour workweek is a staple of American working traditions. It was originally implemented by Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company to protect workers and ensure their productivity. Although established as a norm for full-time work it seems as though Americans are working much more than the 40-hour workweek. In a recent Harvard Business School survey, a whopping 94 percent of working professionals reported working more than 50 hours per week and nearly half said they worked more than 65 hours per week. Experts agree: the compounding stress from the never-ending workday is damaging. It can hurt relationships, health, and overall happiness.
Work-life balance can seem like an impossible achievement. Technology makes us accessible around the clock and fear of job loss incentivizes longer hours.
The U.S. is the most overworked developed nation in the world. At least 134 countries have laws setting the maximum length of the workweek. The U.S. does not. In the U.S., 85.8 percent of males and 66.5 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. According to the International Labor Organization, “Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers.”
Work-life balance can seem like an impossible achievement.
American Work-Life Balance
According to the Center for American Progress on the topic of work and family life balance, “ in 1960, only 20 percent of mothers worked. Today, 70 percent of American children live in households where all adults are employed.”. U.S. Department of Labor statistics support up this data and notes that 75 percent of employed women work full time. When all adults are working (single or with a partner), that is a huge imbalance to the household and free time in the American family. In addition, the U.S. is the only country in the Americas without a national paid parental leave benefit. The average is over 12 weeks of paid leave everywhere other than Europe where it is over 20 weeks.
Often, work takes precedence over everything else in our lives. Our desire to be successful professionally can drive us to set aside our own well-being. Creating a harmonious work-life balance is critical to improving not only our physical, emotional, and mental well-being, but it is also paramount for our careers.
Here are a few self-care tips to balance the work-life equation.
Let go of perfectionism.
Unplug.
Exercise and meditate.
Change the structure of your life.
Start small. Build from there.
Many people have opted for self-employment or participation in the gig economy, which is characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs. Good examples are Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Fiverr, direct selling, and network marketing.
I believe the key to work-life balance is better stated as a work life harmony. The key to this, in my opinion is to do something that you are truly passionate about. The most effective ways to achieve a work life harmony is to really enjoy, or find a purpose, in what you do for a living. Even though everyone is not always fortunate enough to find a position that pays them for pursuing their passion, you can strive to find meaning in what you are already doing or pursue something entirely new.
Our desire to be successful professionally can drive us to set aside our own well-being.
If you are open to pursuing something new that may be the answer to the work-life balance conundrum, we have two virtual events that may be of interest. First is our Healthy by Choice Master Class on the Nikken Wellness Home on Tuesday, July 14th at 6 pm Pacific time. This 30-minute zoom presentation will highlight the products and technologies of the Nikken Wellness Home and how we can be Healthy by Choice. We will host a live Q&A after the class. To join us click on the following link, Self Care Awakening Classroom.
Your second step is to join us for the Nikken Zoom-in on Saturday, July 18th at 9:30 am Pacific. The Zoom-in will feature the Better Way presentation designed to let you evaluate the Nikken business opportunity. This will be followed by brief stories from people in our business from just starting to established leaders, followed by a live Q&A. To join us click on the following link, Self Care Awakening Classroom.
Self-isolation and social distancing have mandated that many people work remotely from home. Work and life are more intertwined than ever due to the drastic rise in remote work and an increasing dependency on technology. Next week we will discuss work-life balance and how it relates specifically to working from home.
Be Healthy by Choice
Work-Life Balance
Each year July 5th is National Workaholics Day. Yes, it is true, and please notice, it is a national event, not a global event. A workaholic is typically defined as a person who feels the need to be busy, however, a healthy balance between career and personal life is the key to life’s success and good health. As a self-care advocate and given our battle cry of Be Healthy by Choice, I now understand the health ramifications of being a workaholic.
“All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy”
Each year July 5th is National Workaholics Day. Yes, it is true, and please notice, it is a national event, not a global event. No surprise there. Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers according to the International Labor Organization.
Are You a Workacholic?
A workaholic is typically defined as a person who feels the need to be busy. Most researchers define a workaholic as a person who works excessively and compulsively and is unable to detach from work. A good and strong work ethic is particularly important to one’s career success however, a healthy balance between career and personal life is the key to life’s success and good health. Balance, as with most things, is key.
Work-life balance can seem like an impossible achievement. Technology makes us accessible around the clock. Fear of job loss incentivizes longer hours. In a recent Harvard Business School survey, a whopping 94% of working professionals reported working more than 50 hours per week and nearly half said they worked more than 65 hours per week. Experts agree: the compounding stress from the never-ending workday is damaging. It can hurt relationships, health, and overall happiness.
Work-life balance can seem like an impossible achievement.
So, are you a workaholic and will you be celebrating on July 5th? Not sure, well here are some indicators that may help determine if you are a workaholic.
Do you never stop working?
Do you take work with you to bed, on weekends or on vacation, that is if you take vacations?
Is work the activity you do best and talk about the most?
Do you think it is OK to work long hours, especially if you love what you do?
Do you do things energetically and competitively, including play?
Have long hours worked hurt your relationships and/or family life?
Is your sleep inadequate or disturbed?
Do you often skip meals or rely on take-out (fast food) for quick meals?
Are you oblivious or maybe consciously unconcerned of the health risks of too much work and not enough play?
I have never considered myself a workaholic but given some of these traits maybe I am, more accurately I was. In my early career work always came first. I remember my Dad saying many times when I was young, “first the work then the play”. However, in those years, the play just didn’t seem to happen. I often rationalized that my love of my profession and my efforts to be the best I could be justified my choices. This is a common rationalization and we often feel that we are doing it for the good of our family, our company, our career. Is this a healthy way to live? In a word, NO!
As a self-care advocate and given our battle cry of Be Healthy by Choice, I now understand the health ramifications of being a workaholic. Although I would have considered myself to be healthy during these years, I now fully appreciate that I was not and was in reality a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Poor sleep, inadequate hydration, poor diet, and very fast-paced career with nearly constant travel all started to manifest itself with chronic conditions that I ignored. Faced with a choice of my health or my career I set a plan to balance my work and my life.
Often, work takes precedence over everything else in our lives. Our desire to be successful professionally can drive us to set aside our own well-being. Creating a harmonious work-life balance is critical to improving not only our physical, emotional, and mental well-being, but it is also paramount for our careers.
Twenty-two years ago, I discovered Nikken. Not only did this company have incredible life-changing products, but also offered a philosophy that a genuinely happy life was based on having balance in five key areas, a healthy mind, body, family, society, and finances. Nikken’s philosophy of the Five Pillars of Wellness had a profound transformational effect on me. Prior to my learning and understanding of the Five Pillars I never seriously considered having a balanced life, nor did I really ever consider putting any effort into achieving balance in my life. I was in my late 40’s and started to wonder what else is there in life. Could with time and effort a balanced life even be possible?
After observing that I often spent all night in the lab on my research project, my graduate school college mentor counseled me that work is just one part of life and that we all need to create a balance in the areas of our life that support our aspirations in intellectual, physical, emotional and financial health. Good advice from an incredibly wise man. All too often things go in one ear and out the other, or as it has been said when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. In my case, it was 20 years later when Nikken and the Five Pillars of Wellness appeared, and I was ready to listen and learn.
I was in my late 40’s and started to wonder what else is there in life.
Nikken Corporate offers a personal development course, Human’s Being More. It is currently being offered virtually and is a great place to start if you are looking to add more work-life harmony to your life. Nikken’s Chancellor of Nikken University, Jeff Isom, is an awesome trainer and not only does the class provide insights into creating a balanced life but also includes follow up sessions and ongoing personal development training. Anyone 16 years or older (or mature enough to sit still for 5 hours) can enroll in the class at a great value if $19. The next class is scheduled for Saturday, July 18th. For more information contact Heather or me at the selcarehub.com or the person that shared this blog with you.
Have a happy 4th of July and if the shoe fits a happy Workaholics Day. As a reminder, Heather and I are on Summer Break and will resume our weekly Master Class on Tuesday, July 14th.
Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance.
Welcome to the Global Wellness Community
The GWC is comprised of tens of thousands of individuals that subscribe to the belief that true health and balance stems from five key areas…
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about”
What is the Global Wellness Community?
We hope everyone is healthy and taking measures to stay so. We have received several inquiries from our subscribers asking to provide more information on the Global Wellness Community (GWC). This is a concept that can empower every one of us to be Healthy by Choice and in turn empowers others to do the same. It is also a community that not only cares about people but also the health of our planet.
The GWC is comprised of tens of thousands of individuals that subscribe to the belief that true health and balance stems from five key areas, a healthy mind, a healthy body, a healthy family healthy society, and healthy finances. The key to this recipe is balance in each of these Five Pillars of Wellness. This is the founding philosophy of Nikken. Nikken is an anagram for Nihon Kenko Zoushin Kenyukai, which translates to Japan Health Enhancement Research Institute, with 45 years of expertise, doing research on and development of energy-based technologies for wellness. Their guiding strategy is simple yet profound. “Common sense solutions are found in nature.” Nikken provides products inspired by nature to enhance active wellness in mind, body, family, society, and finances. Nikken is the store or marketplace for the GWC.
Anybody who has direct or indirect contact with Nikken, the products, the business, and or its philosophy are all part of the GWC. This includes Nikken customers, clients, consultants, business leaders, family and friends, graduates of Human’s Being More class, corporate staff, and suppliers.
Who can be part of the GWC? The list could be endless but includes many health care specialists, people interested in their own well-being, those that want to enhance or improve their health. People who want a better lifestyle, additional income, or people that want to increase their knowledge about a balanced quality life. Anyone who breathes, sleeps, drinks water, and eats food can benefit from the products we advocate in the Nikken Wellness Home.
We recently recorded a Healthy by Choice Class that reviewed the Nikken Wellness Home products and technologies. We invite you to look at the Wellness Home Master Class and learn how we use science and technology to provide our bodies with what nature intended for us all to be healthy.
There are many ways for you and your family to be part of the Global Wellness Community. We are a Global Wellness Community living in harmony with nature. We encourage you to join us on our quest for healthier lives and a healthier planet. It is our purpose and our passion to be of service to others to discover and live a life of balance.
Be Healthy by Choice.
Good for You, Good for the Planet
What if there was a company that had the health of our planet in mind but also, it’s constituents? There is,
“...it’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature.”
We have all heard the saying, “Don’t mess with Mother Nature”, but as human beings, we seem to be intent on doing exactly that. Polluted air, water, over-farmed soils, use of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, anycides, and plastic pollution of our earth and oceans just to name a few. These all take a toll on not only the health of our planet but also the health of its people.
What if there was a company that had the health of our planet in mind but also, it’s constituents? There is, Nikken. The name Nikken is an anagram for Nihon Kenko Zoushin Kenyukai, which translates as Japan Health Enhancement Research Institute.
For over 45 years, Nikken has provided common-sense solutions for improved health and well-being, using science and technology to provide our bodies with what nature intended for us all to Be Healthy by Choice. Healthy air, healthy water, whole food nutrition, and the energies of the earth, wind, and sun.
This is the concept of the Nikken Wellness Home.
Most of us consider our homes to be a safe, healthy environment, but in reality, our homes are often very toxic places. We need to ask, is our home helping us be healthy? Or, is our home making us sick?
This is often referred to as Sick House Syndrome (SHS) and has also been referenced in literature as Sick Building Syndrome. The symptoms associated with SHS include many chronic issues such as headache, dizziness, nausea, eye, nose or throat irritation, dry cough, dry or itching skin, difficulty in concentration, fatigue, sensitivity to odors, hoarseness of voice, allergies, colds, flu-like symptoms, increased incidence of asthma attacks and personality changes.
A Nikken Wellness Home is designed to address many health concerns, including environmental toxins, contagions, dehydration, poor sleep quality, weight matters, and nutrition. In a practical sense, the Wellness Home creates an environment that enables us to make healthier choices every day.
These are the same topics that we discuss in the Selfcare Awakening as to why so many of us are not as healthy as we can be. Nikken Wellness Home products are categorized into three specific areas:
Improved rest and relaxation through our patented natural energy products and Kenko sleep products
A healthier environment with clean air the way nature intended it to be. Filtered, structured alkaline water for pennies a gallon.
Complete organic nutrition and weight-management products.
Skincare support and haircare product lines based on natural ingredients and organic principles.
These areas create your Wellness Home, by making improvements in each of them, you can make your home the healthiest and safest place for you and your family to live and thrive.
The awesome thing about a Wellness Home is that any home can be a Wellness Home, by utilizing Nikken products and technologies to make your home the healthiest environment possible for you and your family. Our motto is “Every home a Wellness Home”.
With the current practice of self-isolation and the majority of our time spent at home, we all want to be in a healthy, immune-supportive environment. We can with the Nikken Wellness Home.
Be Healthy by Choice
Weight Matters for Healthy Families
In one of the largest studies ever to examine obesity rates across the globe, researchers found that more than 60% of men, 50% of women, and 1/3rd of children are either overweight or obese. They concluded that obesity is a growing problem….
“If you didn’t come from a healthy family, make sure a healthy family comes from you. ”
Weight Matters…
The World Health Organization has called obesity a global pandemic with obesity tripling since 1975 that has global implications for health and disease. Obesity is a contributing factor to over 100 different chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
In one of the largest studies ever to examine obesity rates across the globe, researchers found that more than 60% of men, 50% of women, and 1/3rd of children are either overweight or obese. They concluded that obesity is a growing problem in all regions of the world, even among traditionally lean Asian populations. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States is the most obese nation in the world, just ahead of Mexico. Their report states 2/3rd’s of U.S. adults are overweight or obese (69 percent) and one out of three are obese (36 percent) and 1/3rd of children are overweight. If trends continue unabated, by 2030, estimates predict that roughly half of American men and women and children will be obese.
Recent increases in childhood obesity are of a major global health concern. Childhood obesity increases the risk of multiple acute and chronic medical problems as well as psychological issues, all of which can persist into adulthood and adversely affect the quality of life. Obese children can suffer from orthopedic complications, including abnormal bone growth, degenerative disease, and pain.
Children become overweight and obese for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. Only in rare cases is being overweight caused by a medical condition such as a hormonal problem.
Sugar is Everywhere
One of the main problems is excess sugar consumption. To put this into context, the average daily consumption of sugar by Americans in 1822 was 9 grams a day. It is currently 153 grams a day per individual. This is a 16-fold increase in less than 200 years. We change very slowly biologically, yet we have drastically altered what we are eating and the amount of sugar we are consuming. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports the average child eats and drinks much more added sugar than they should. On average, sugar makes up nearly 20% of what children consume each day. Half of that comes from drinks with added sugar.
Sugar is highly addictive. To break the addiction, the first step is to monitor our sugar consumption by reading food labels and limiting consumption to a healthy level. The American Heart Association recommends daily consumption of added sugars to no more than 25 grams a day for women and children (6 teaspoons) and 36 grams (or 9 teaspoons) a day for men.
Eating protein is an easy way to curb sugar cravings. High-protein foods digest more slowly, keeping you feeling full for longer. Protein doesn't make your blood sugar spike the way refined carbs and sugars do. Pick proteins like lean chicken, eggs, nuts, or beans. Protein shakes are ideal for breaking the sugar addiction and can also provide essential and beneficial nutrients.
There is no denying, we are what we eat. Nikken is committed to providing the balanced nutrition that our bodies need with organic whole food supplements for the whole family. We have recently discussed these in the past months Healthy by Choice Masterclasses. You can view the recorded classes on our Self Care Awakening YouTube channel.
Harry S. Truman said, “In the long view, no nation is any healthier than its children”. I wholeheartedly agree, and we will be addressing this and solutions for Healthy Children by Choice in our next Healthy by Choice Master Class on Tuesday, June 9th, at 9 pm Eastern, 6 pm Pacific. at www.theroyalalliance.com/live.
Please note we will be taking a short summer break on June 2nd and will not have a class that week. We look forward to seeing you on June 9th.
Be Healthy by Choice
Healthy Future
Happy, healthy parents make happy, healthy children. Encouraging children to live healthy lifestyles is each parents’ responsibility. The best way to accomplish this…
“In the long view, no nation is any healthier than its children”
Happy, healthy parents make happy, healthy children. Encouraging children to live healthy lifestyles is each parents’ responsibility. The best way to accomplish this is founded in each of our choices to be healthy. In other words, be that role model for a healthy lifestyle. All children want to imitate parents from early childhood. Parents generally have much longer and more frequent contact with their children than any peer claiming to have influence over them. For example, teens are twice as likely to smoke cigarettes if their parents were smokers. Healthy children start with healthy parents. This may even start during pregnancy.
Recent research suggests that the food choices a mother makes during her pregnancy may set the stage for an infant's later acceptance of solid foods. Amniotic fluid surrounds the fetus, maintaining fetal temperature, and is a rich source of sensory exposure for infants. Many flavors in the maternal diet appear to be present in amniotic fluid. Taste and smell are already functional during fetal life, and because the fetus regularly swallows amniotic fluid, the first experiences with flavor occur prior to birth.
The implication of the research findings is that if we want children to learn to like and eat healthy foods such as vegetables, they need early, positive, and repeated experiences with those foods, as well as opportunities to observe others consuming those foods. The natural tendency of children to prefer sweet or salty, caloric rich foods over energy-poor but micronutrient-rich alternatives highlights the need for adult intervention to provide a varied and healthy diet.
In addition to diet, we must also model the basics of good health. The Self Care Awakening advocates four main principles for good health. Good hydration, sufficient quality sleep, monitor and reduce sugar intake to a healthy level, and take steps to reduce our body burden of environmental toxins. These are simple, easy, and effective ways to Be Healthy by Choice. For a review take a look at our 11-minute video Self Care Awakening.
The current status of children’s health is in dire need of improvement. Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1960 showed that less than 2% of children had a health condition severe enough to interfere with usual daily activities. Statistics from the American Pediatrics in 2017 reported that 54% of American children have a diagnosed chronic condition. The most common chronic diseases currently affecting children include obesity, asthma, allergies, ADD/ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders.
The Nikken Wellness Home contains many solutions for an Active Wellness lifestyle and is a great model for Healthy Families. Our next Healthy by Choice Master Class will discuss this subject, Healthy Families by Choice. Please join us and invite friends to tune in on Tuesday, May 26th at 6 pm PDT. To join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live, see you on Tuesday.
Healthy by Choice
Healthy Foods Simplified, Food for Action, Food for Thought
n our fast-paced, busy lives providing the nutritional needs for ourselves and our family is challenging for many of us. The Nikken Wellness home has the answer.
“The Key to Eating Healthy? Avoid any food that has a TV Commercial. ”
We have some big news…
Last week we talked about the three main food groups we all need for a healthy diet. Namely, proteins, fruits, and vegetables. We introduced Nikken’s Super CIAGA as a convenient delicious way to provide all the benefits of fruits to the whole family at 10 calories per serving. This week we are thrilled to introduce you to Nikken’s Kenzen Vital Balance® Meal Vanilla Replacement Mix, a great tasting way to help with our daily protein requirements.
Our body does not store protein, and therefore has no reservoir to draw on when it needs a new supply. We use protein to build and repair tissues, to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. A healthy daily protein requirement is based on body weight. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), which is the minimum amount you need to be healthy, is 0.8 grams per kilogram (0.36 grams per pound) of body
One serving of Kenzen Vital Balance® contains 31 grams of naturally sourced protein from organic pea, organic rice, and organic chlorella help promote the formation of lean muscle mass without the high levels of saturated fat and calories associated with animal protein. Containing medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) sourced exclusively from coconut milk KVB serves as “brain food” to support cognitive sharpness and to assist in burning fat, boosting metabolism, and regulating the appetite. BioFolate™ is added as an essential nutrient to aid in the production of neurotransmitters. It is truly food for action and food for thought.
Kenzen Vital Balance® is great for the whole family and can be the base for many different and delicious smoothies. In addition, the organic protein in KVB is a great way to start the day for healthy metabolism and curb high caloric carbohydrate and sugar cravings throughout the day. This makes it ideal as a nutritious meal replacement for reducing extra pounds.
In our fast-paced, busy lives providing the nutritional needs for ourselves and our family is challenging for many of us. The Nikken Wellness home has the answer. Our core nutritional pack provides us with healthy protein from our Kenzen Vital Balance®, vegetables from our barley grass supplement, Jade GreenZymes®, and our fruit requirements from Super Ciaga. Which was the subject of last week’s Master Class, Healthy Foods Simplified.
Please join us for our next Healthy by Choice Master Class on Tuesday, May 19th at 6 pm PDT. We will be talking about Nikken’s newest edition to our nutritional support products, Kenzen Vital Balance® meal replacement shake. Joining me for this special class will be Integrated Health Specialist, Linda Morris, and Randy Rolfe, Certified Nutritionist. To join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live, see you on Tuesday.
Be Healthy by Choice
Healthy Foods Simplified
In the last few weeks, we have been discussing foods that support our immune system. I had a few questions and observations from our subscribers asking if I could simplify our basic food sources and how the Nikken Wellness Home can help.
“Don’t focus on how much you eat, focus on what you eat.”
Keep It Simple
In the last few weeks, we have been discussing foods that support our immune system. I had a few questions and observations from our subscribers asking if I could simplify our basic food sources and how the Nikken Wellness Home can help us accomplish this to Be Healthy by Choice.
Let’s take a look at what we all need daily for good health. In the simplest terms, we need three different food groups to provide the nutrition we need. These include proteins, fruits, and vegetables.
Protein
Our body does not store protein, and therefore has no reservoir to draw on when it needs a new supply. We use protein to build and repair tissues, to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. A healthy daily protein requirement is based on body weight. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), which is the minimum amount you need to be healthy, is 0.8 grams per kilogram (0.36 grams per pound) of body weight per day. That would equal 54 grams of protein per day for a 150-pound person. We will discuss this further next week.
Vegetables
I’m sure we all remember our mom telling us to eat our vegetables. I surely remember those same words coming out of my mouth at the dinner table when my children were young.
Eating vegetables provides many health benefits. People who eat more vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body. Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are important sources of potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C.
Fruit
Fruits provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body. As part of an overall healthy diet, eating foods such as fruits that are lower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake. Adding fruit can help increase the intake of fiber and potassium which are important nutrients that many of us do not get enough of in their diet.
Fruit are important sources of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid), and phytochemicals for added health benefits.
The American Cancer Society advises at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day for good health. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends nine servings of vegetables and fruits each day. It is advised that two-thirds of your plate should include fruits and vegetables.
In our fast-paced lives, this is problematic for many of us. The Nikken Wellness home has the answer. Our core nutritional pack provides us with healthy protein from our Kenzen Vital Balance® protein shake and our vegetables from our barley grass supplement, Jade GreenZymes®. Which was the subject of a recent Healthy by Choice Class, Foods that support our immune system.
Our newest addition Kenzen Super Ciaga Powder is a delicious, convenient, and cost-effective way for us to get our daily fruit requirements.
Kenzen Super Ciaga has only 10 calories per serving. This advanced formula is made with a select group of superfruits chosen for their nutrient-density and immune-boosting characteristics. It combines an organic superfruit mix of elderberry, maqui berry, blackberry, and blueberry for their anthocyanins and high antioxidant content, with an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value of 5,000. This superfruit antioxidant mix is naturally sweetened with organic monk fruit which is super sweet and has no calories.
A great replacement for sodas, simply adds a scoop of Super Ciaga to a glass of PiMag® water or seltzer for a naturally sweet and healthy beverage. Super convenient, Super Ciaga Powder is packed in easily portable jars that you can take on airplanes. You don’t have to refrigerate it after opening, simply keep at cool room temperature.
The Nikken Wellness Home contains many immune support foods. Our next Healthy by Choice class will be on Tuesday, May 12th at 6 pm PDT. We will be talking about Nikken’s newest edition to our nutritional support products, Kenzen Super Ciaga. To join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live, see you on Tuesday.
Healthy by Choice.
Grounding Matters pt. 2
After our very lengthy discussion, I remember thinking that this all made perfect sense. It was so simple and should be so intuitive that we would be healthier if we connected to…
“When you stand with your two feet on the ground you will always keep your balance. ”
Staying in Touch
In last week’s Healthy by Choice Master Class Grounding Matters, we discussed the concept of grounding. In my opinion, a 15-minute class does not cover enough ground when it comes to the subject of grounding, so let us talk about it some more in this week’s Impetus.
About nine years ago I was speaking at a health conference in San Diego. After my presentation, a gentleman approached me and said that he enjoyed the presentation. He said that he really respected the natural health approach of Self Care with the Nikken Wellness Home. We set up a time to meet the following day to reconnect. We set our appointment for noon to 1 pm at a local restaurant. At about dinner time we were still talking. It turned out this individual had a doctorate degree engineering physics, was a university professor and research scientist in fusion and plasma physics, biophotons, and biofield science. We spent much of our time talking about grounding, often called earthing. This was my first exposure to grounding. I found the subject fascinating, especially as it was an emerging science that touted simple, easy natural ways for better health. He made a statement that got me thinking, he said: “The worst invention ever created was rubber sole shoes”.
After our very lengthy discussion, I remember thinking that this all made perfect sense. It was so simple and should be so intuitive that we would be healthier if we connected to mother earth more often.
About a year ago I had dinner with a childhood friend that lives in Ohio and was visiting San Francisco. Our conversation got around to grounding. He was unaware of the concept, so I explained. Our contemporary lifestyles often cause fatigue, sleeplessness, and a general feeling of being out of balance. Unlike our ancestors who were directly connected to the ground by their bare feet, we separate ourselves from nature by using and wearing non-conductive materials, e.g. rubber, plastic, artificial flooring surfaces, etc. In other words, our feet rarely connect with the earth beneath us. He listened intently and asked if I really thought that grounding had validity for improving health. Knowing me very well, he knew that I had more than likely thoroughly reviewed the published information on the subject. Before telling him what my research revealed, I asked him the following question, “When was the last time you were in direct contact with your skin and the earth?” He looked at me for a while, trying to remember when that might be, and finally answered, I don’t know, maybe a couple of years? I was amazed and given some of the health challenges he had recently gone through I felt compelled to share what I had learned about grounding.
For the purpose of this week’s blog, I am sharing the explanation of grounding that a colleague of Heather’s and mine sent to us. Here is a simple and informative explanation of grounding written by Dr. Jesse Allen, chiropractor, part of our Global Wellness Community and Independent Nikken Consultant, from Fremont, California.
What is Grounding?
Clint Ober (co-author of the book Earthing, the most important health discovery ever?) came from a background in the cable industry. He understood that all electrical and cable systems had to be “grounded” or connected to the earth’s surface to stop interference from outside electromagnetic fields. He observed that most people wear some type of rubber or plastic-soled shoes. He wondered if this could have an adverse effect on our health. As a child growing up on a farm, he noticed that the animals allowed to run free were much healthier than animals kept indoors in a cage.
He began experimenting with the use of a simple voltmeter to measure the effects of exposure from household appliances and wiring in the walls of his home. He then took measurements while “grounded” to a grounding rod. Ultimately, he found that when he was grounded, he slept better and had less discomfort.
In another early experiment with Dr. Maurice Ghaly, a retired anesthesiologist, cortisol levels were measured before and after grounding. (Elevated cortisol indicates chronic stress which can lead to chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, stroke and depressed immune system function). It was found that earthing could “resynchronize” cortisol secretion to a more normal natural rhythm. People slept better and reported less discomfort.
In 2001, Mr. Ober began working with Dr. Stephen Sinatra, an integrative cardiologist who had identified inflammation as the cause of arterial and cardiovascular disease. With the help of biophysicist James Oschman, Ph.D. they were able to determine that the earth was an effective anti-inflammatory aid.
The electric energy on the surface of the earth takes the form of a limitless supply of negatively charged particles called electrons. When you make contact with the earth, while barefooted or with a grounding device, the electrons are absorbed into the body where they attach to positively charged free radicals that cause chronic inflammation. The key here is the effect of chronic inflammation. When you experience an injury or illness there is a normal level of inflammation that is part of the healing process. However, if you have chronic inflammation, tissue can be damaged leading to illness or disease.
Due to our technological world where cell phones, tablets, laptops, and wi-fi connected devices surround us 24/7; we are constantly being bombarded with EMF, electromagnetic frequencies. This exposure has been linked to inflammatory reactions, cancer, sleep disruption, and immune system dysfunction.
If you can regularly walk barefoot on grass, dirt, or on the beach you can ground yourself naturally. However, most of us live in urban settings that limit our access to direct contact with the earth. Grounding devices are the best alternative to neutralize the effect of electromagnetic fields and free radicals.
Thank you, Dr. Allen, for this enlightening explanation as to the health benefits and need for us all to be grounded. We all can appreciate the benefits of walking barefoot on the beach or strolling barefoot in a grassy park. We experience a feeling of relaxation and ease, less stress, and a greater sense of well-being.
Get Grounded
At the present time, grounding may be more difficult due to social distancing and self-isolation while we weather the storm. Our busy lives often get in the way of our healthy choices. Inclement weather can prevent us from grounding as frequently as we should, which is at least 20 minutes twice a day. Just so you know, you cannot get too much grounding.
The solution is found in the Nikken Wellness Home, the KenkoGround®. The KenkoGround® serves as an indoor and portable way to reconnect with Mother Nature. Simply plug it into a grounded outlet and use it under your feet while working, on your mattress while you sleep or even draped around your shoulders. Direct contact with the skin is recommended for the best results. Staying home does not mean sacrificing Self Care with the Nikken KenkoGround® and the Nikken Wellness Home.
For more information specifically on the KenkoGround®, I invite you to watch last Tuesday’s Healthy by Choice class, Grounding Matters.
Please join us and invite guests for our next Master Class, Healthy Families by Choice on Tuesday, May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) at 9 pm Eastern, 6 pm Pacific. Together we can all help anyone Be Healthy by Choice. To Join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live see you on Tuesday with your sombrero and Ciaga margarita. This is a new class that you will not want to miss.
Healthy by Choice
Earth Day 2020
One of the things that fill me with an appreciation for our Nikken Global Wellness Community is our contribution to our communities and planet earth every day. For example…
Every day should be Earth Day!
Happy Earth Day. This is the 50th Earth Day and every year we are reminded to be stewards of our beautiful and amazing planet. One of the things that fill me with an appreciation for our Nikken Global Wellness Community is our contribution to our communities and planet earth every day.
To illustrate this point I posed this question to our Global Wellness Community via a What’s App group.
“Let’s list ten ways that Nikken is committed to sustaining planet earth on a daily basis”.
Here are the responses I received in less than an hour.
Ten Ways Nikken helps protect Planet Earth
1. Nikken products are made from sustainable resources.
Gary Lindner, Lodi, CA
2. Nikken uses recyclable packaging.
Maggie McKee, Vancouver, British Columbia
3. Nikken promotes a reduced carbon footprint.
Sue Gruber, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
4. Nikken sources and utilizes certified organic products whenever possible for our consumable product line. Reducing toxic chemical uses. True Elements, Nikken’s skincare line, is safe for the coral reefs. It is made from sustainable seaweed.
Heather Abbott, Lodi, CA
5. Nikken products are made of biodegradable materials, whenever, possible.
Marianne Kelchner, Torrance, CA
6. Nikken products reduce and eliminate single-use plastics.
Michael DiMuccio, Toronto, Ontario
7. Nikken teaches/inspires a Global Community to teach others to reduce the use of plastics.
Sheri Danzig, Atlanta, Georgia
8. Most of the Nikken products are durable and last a long time so we are not adding to throw-away consumerism.
Maggie McKee, Vancouver, British Columbia
9. Less water waste with the Nikken Waterfall over reverse osmosis filtration. Increased consciousness, lifestyle practices, and sharing of the Nikken Purpose and Mission as a “movement” by Global Community members to create a “shift” in the positive direction of the trajectory of not only sustaining but improving Planet Earth.
Madeline Zaworski, Lorain. Ohio
10. Nikken sources and works with companies that use alternative sources of power. Green power like wind, water.
Heather Abbott, Lodi, CA
So there are ten ways that Nikken does its part for a healthier planet. I could have added many more. Let me give one good example for clarification. Our PiMag Waterfall and the PiMag Sports bottle are made from biodegradable materials. Nikken’s water filtration products provide healthy water at a one to one ratio, thus conserving water.
Drink Filtered Water to Reduce Bottled Water Use for Earth Wellness
How we recycle and reuse products directly impacts the environment. For example, about 1500 single-use plastic bottles end up in landfills or our ocean every second. Wow, there just went 1550 bottles. By using water filtration devices such as the PiMag Waterfall® and reusable drinking bottles such as the PiMag® Sport Bottle, this contemptible number can be reduced to help sustain our resources and the environment.
For more information on the Nikken Pimag water products please view two recent recordings of our Healthy by Choice Master Class.
The Great Bottled Water Debate
These are a few ways that Nikken and our Global Wellness Community are committed to helping anyone and our planet Be Healthy by Choice.
Next week’s Healthy by Choice class will be discussing the science of grounding. Given social distancing and self-isolation currently, it is an opportune time to see how to MAKE EARTH DAY, EVERY DAY in your Nikken Wellness Home. Staying home does not mean sacrificing Self Care.
Please join us and invite guests for our next Master Class, Grounding Matters on Tuesday, April 28th at 9 pm Eastern, 6 pm Pacific. Together we can all help anyone Be Healthy by Choice. To Join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live see you on Tuesday.
Healthy by Choice
Self Care Awakening Review
…. These four concepts are easy to understand but are vital to our health. Self Care is a practical and simple way of Being Healthy by Choice and not leaving our Health to Chance.
Let’s Review
We think being healthy is difficult when it's pretty basic if we make the right choices. Our health, good or bad, is about our personal choices. Knowing this, I think it’s safe to say that we would all prefer to be healthy. Our tag line Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance is a simple but empowering statement.
Within the Self Care Awakening, we look at four vital areas that lead to a healthier life. Here are a few links to previous posts or recordings of our recent Healthy by Choice classes.
1. Water Matters discusses the importance of hydration and what happens if we don’t drink enough water. This video also talks about different choices for healthy water that we consume and bathe in.
2. Sleep Matters addresses the fact that many of us walk around every day sleep-deprived. Sleep is considered by many of us to be an unproductive endeavor when it is our most productive physiological activity.
3. Weight Matters concerns itself with one of our biggest health challenges. This video discusses why we have a problem and what we can do to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
4. Environmental toxicity and our body burden “the pollution in people” and what we can do personally to limit our toxic exposures and reduce our body burden of toxic chemicals.
These four concepts are easy to understand but are vital to our health. Self Care is a practical and simple way of Being Healthy by Choice and not leaving our Health to Chance.
I am usually talking about these concepts as interrelated risk factors for many chronic conditions and diseases. They are also very important in protecting us from infectious diseases by supporting our body functions and strengthening our immune system. For the past few weeks, our Healthy by Choice class has been focused on food choices that either enhance or weaken our body’s immune function. We have presented three affordable and effective foods that are part of the Nikken Wellness Home and our Nikken Wellness supplement line of products. Note that I have included links to previous blogs or the recordings of these classes.
Kenzen Ten4 is Nikkens ceremonial grade matcha green tea beverage. Matcha green tea boosts the immune system due to its high antioxidant content, particularly Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) which assists your body's production of T-Cells to reduce inflammation and fight pathogens. This makes matcha green tea powder a great immune system booster. New Zealand kiwi is the most nutrient-dense of the superfruits containing folate, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C for immune support. Organic ceremonial grade matcha and New Zealand kiwi are the main ingredients in Kenzen Ten4.
Kenzen Immunity is Nikken’s medicinal mushroom complex. Consisting of 14 different mushrooms including 6 strains exclusive to Nikken developed for the highest concentration of beneficial compounds.
It would be almost impossible to include all these various types of mushrooms in a regular diet. Medicinal mushrooms have been used throughout the history of mankind. Currently, they have been intensively studied to reveal the chemical nature and mechanisms of action of their biomedical capacity. Mushrooms are reported to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular-protective, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and anticancer properties. It is well-established that mushrooms are adept at immune modulation and affect hematopoietic stem cells, lymphocytes, macrophages, T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and natural killer (NK) cells.1
Jade Greenzymes is a green barley grass powder. …. Barley Grass Juice Powder is rich in vitamins A, B, C, E and minerals such as iron, calcium, copper, chromium, potassium, magnesium, selenium and phosphorus. Barley grass is rich in functional ingredients, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), flavonoids, saponarin, lutonarin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), tryptophan, chlorophyll, dietary fiber, polysaccharide, alkaloid, metallothioneins, polyphenols, and eight essential amino acids.
Barley Grass Juice powder has been shown to strengthen the immune system, alkalinize the body, increase energy, aid digestion, relieve constipation, and improve the health of skin, hair, and nails.
Called "nature's perfect food," barley grass is said to have more nutrition than an equal serving of any other vegetable. The barley grass in Nikken’s organic Jade GreenZymes® is beneficial in helping balance pH, supporting a strong immune system, and assisting in maintaining blood glucose levels that are already in the normal range.
Our next Healthy by Choice class will be on Tuesday, April 21st at 6 pm PDT. We will be reviewing ways to support our immune systems highlighting Nikken’s Wellness Home. To join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live, see you on Tuesday
Note that following our review, Heather and I will be talking about how you and your team can leverage the SelfCarehub.com content, blogs and Healthy by Choice classes to help anyone be Healthy by Choice. Please join us and invite your fellow Global Wellness Community members for this broadcast.
Healthy by Choice
Foods that Support Immune Function, pt. 3
Many doctors say that our gut health is the base of our Immune system, and unless we are thoughtfully eating and nourishing our gut, it’s easy to understand how we might get off-track.
“Recognized by science as the most nutritious of all plant foods. ”
In last week’s Impetus we talked about different foods that can either support or hinder our body’s immune system and highlighted Nikken’s medicinal mushroom complex, Kenzen Immunity.
Many doctors say that our gut health is the base of our Immune system, and unless we are thoughtfully eating and nourishing our gut, it’s easy to understand how we might get off-track.
Our gut is under constant attack. It’s common knowledge that the microbiome that lives in our intestines which makes up our gut flora, has a significant impact on our immune health. Comprised of nearly 100 trillion live microorganisms, our gut biome protects us from infection, creates barriers guarding us against toxic invaders, and promotes healthy gastrointestinal function. Our microbiome also regulates metabolism and immune system function. It is thought that these microorganisms make up as much as 75% of our total Immune System.
It stands to reason that if we want a healthy immune system, we need to provide it with the right environment and fuel for healthy gastrointestinal microbiota.
There are foods that support and some that have detrimental effects on our immune efficiency.
If you eat a lot of foods and beverages high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, which the body processes as sugar, you may be reducing your body's ability to ward off disease.
Foods and drinks that compromise your immune system include:
Processed foods
Foods and drinks high in sugar
Refined carbohydrates
Alcoholic beverages
Eating or drinking too much sugar curbs immune system cells. This effect lasts for at least a few hours after downing a couple of sugary drinks or eating high sugar content foods.
Eat more fruits and vegetables, which are rich in nutrients like vitamins C and E, plus beta-carotene and zinc. Immune system support foods include almonds, bell peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits, dark leafy vegetables, garlic, kiwi fruit, green tea, medicinal mushrooms, and barley grass.
Barley Grass
The benefits of barley grass include a high fiber content (both soluble and insoluble), vitamins and minerals like selenium and magnesium, antioxidants called lignans, plus heart health and diabetes protection are just some of the barley nutrition benefits that make it one of the best whole grain choices.
Barley Grass Juice Powder is rich in vitamins A, B, C, E and minerals such as iron, calcium, copper, chromium, potassium, magnesium, selenium and phosphorus.
Barley grass is rich in functional ingredients, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), flavonoids, saponarin, lutonarin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), tryptophan, chlorophyll, dietary fiber, polysaccharide, alkaloid, metallothioneins, polyphenols and eight essential amino acids.
Barley Grass Juice powder has been shown to strengthen the immune system, alkalinize the body, increase energy, aid digestion, relieve constipation, and improve health of skin, hair and nails.
Called "nature's perfect food," barley grass is said to have more nutrition than an equal serving of any other vegetable. The barley grass in Nikken’s organic Jade GreenZymes® is beneficial in helping balance pH, supporting a strong immune system, and assisting in maintaining blood glucose levels that are already in the normal range.
The Nikken Wellness Home contains many immune support foods within the Nikken Wellness supplements. Our next Healthy by Choice class will be on Tuesday, April 14th at 6 pm PDT. We will be discussing ways to support our immune systems highlighting Nikken’s organic Jade GreenZymes.®
To join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live, see you on Tuesday.
Be Healthy by Choice
Foods that Support Immune Function pt. 2
Different foods can either support or hinder our body’s immune system…
“By choosing healthy over skinny, you are choosing self-love over self-judgement.”
Does your body run on regular or premium?
In last week’s Impetus, we talked about different foods that can either support or hinder our body’s immune system and highlighted Nikken’s matcha green tea drink, Kenzen Ten4.
Let’s do a little review. There are foods that support and some that have detrimental effects on our immune efficiency.
If you eat a lot of foods and beverages high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, which the body processes as sugar, you may be reducing your body's ability to ward off disease.
Foods and drinks that compromise your immune system include:
Processed foods
Foods and drinks high in sugar
Refined carbohydrates
Alcoholic beverages
Eating or drinking too much sugar curbs immune system cells. This effect lasts for at least a few hours after downing a couple of sugary drinks or eating high sugar content foods.
Eat more fruits and vegetables, which are rich in nutrients like vitamins C and E, plus beta-carotene and zinc. Immune system support foods include almonds, bell peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits, dark leafy vegetables, garlic, kiwi fruit, barley grass, green tea, and medicinal mushrooms.
Medicinal mushrooms have been used throughout the history of mankind. They have been used medicinally since at least 3000 BCE for the treatment of various diseases including cancer. Currently, they have been intensively studied to reveal the chemical nature and mechanisms of action of their biomedical capacity. Mushrooms are reported to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular-protective, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and anticancer properties. It is well-established that mushrooms are adept at immune modulation and affect hematopoietic stem cells, lymphocytes, macrophages, T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and natural killer (NK) cells.
Medicinal Mushrooms are used worldwide to fight cancer and enhance and modulate the immune response. Certain species act as immune stimulators by raising cancer- and virus-fighting T Cells and Natural Killer Cells and prolonging the life of white blood cells, improving the resolution of infections.
The Nikken Wellness Home contains many immune support foods within the Nikken Wellness supplements. Our next Healthy by Choice class will be on Tuesday, April 7th at 6 pm PDT. We will be discussing ways to support our immune systems. To join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live, see you on Tuesday.
Healthy by Choice
Foods to Support Your Immune System
Let’s start with food. There are foods that support and some that have detrimental effects on our immune efficiency.
If you eat a lot of foods and beverages high in…
“EAT WELL, LIVE WELL, BE WELL”
In last week’s Impetus, we talked ways that we all can use preventative measures to Be Healthy by Choice. For this and the next few weeks, we will talk about simple ways we can support our immune systems. For this and the next few weeks, we will talk about simple ways we can support our immune system.
Let’s start with food. There are foods that support and some that have detrimental effects on our immune efficiency.
If you eat a lot of foods and beverages high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, which the body processes as sugar, you may be reducing your body's ability to ward off disease.
Foods and drinks that compromise your immune system include:
Processed foods
Foods and drinks high in sugar
Refined carbohydrates
Alcoholic beverages
Eating or drinking too much sugar curbs immune system cells. This effect lasts for at least a few hours after downing a couple of sugary drinks or eating high sugar content foods. Eat more fruits and vegetables, which are rich in nutrients like vitamins C and E, plus beta-carotene and zinc.
Ten foods that support your immune system.
1. Unsalted Almonds are rich in vitamin E, which research suggests is important for maintaining the immune system, particularly as we get older. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that our immune system needs to function properly.
2. Bell Peppers contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits as well as beta-carotene for healthy skin. Vitamin C is important for our body to form antibodies to help it fight disease.
3. Broccoli is a great immune-boosting vegetable rich in antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E (and) potassium.
4. Citrus fruits such as clementines, lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit are good sources for Vitamin C. With such a variety to choose from, it's easy to add a squeeze of this vitamin to any meal.
5. Dark, leafy greens such as arugula, kale, and spinach are good sources of beta carotene, which is associated with reducing inflammation and increasing disease-fighting cells, which help support your immunity.
6. Garlic contains compounds that naturally act to destroy bacteria and infection, which helps support your immune system. Research suggests that consuming garlic may help reduce the risk of becoming sick and staying ill. Allin in garlic boosts the disease-fighting response of some types of white blood cells in the body when they encounter viruses,
7. Medicinal Mushrooms are used worldwide to fight cancer and enhance and modulate the immune response. Certain species act as immune stimulators by raising cancer- and virus-fighting T Cells and Natural Killer Cells and prolonging the life of white blood cells, improving the resolution of infections.
8. Kiwi fruit is naturally full of a ton of essential nutrients, including folate, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Vitamin C boosts white blood cells to fight infection
9. Barley Grass is naturally high in many key nutrients that help to support the immune system, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and enzymes. Alongside other immune-supporting vitamins and minerals, Barley Grass is high in arginine, an essential amino acid for both innate and adaptive immune systems. It serves as a physiological substrate for enzymes and a regulatory molecule for creating antibodies.
10. Green Tea is high in flavonoids exhibit high biological activity and display antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties. High in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) a powerful antioxidant. EGCG has been shown to enhance immune function.
The Nikken Wellness Home contains many of these immune support foods within the Nikken Wellness supplements. On our next Healthy by Choice class, we will be talking about Nikken’s Kenzen Ten4®. A great tasting matcha green tea beverage made with USDA certified organic ingredients. Made from ceremonial grade (the highest) matcha green tea, brown rice solids, kiwi fruit and stevia leaf extract this beverage can be consumed either as a hot or cold beverage for extra energy and focus. A side benefit of this delicious drink is its immune system support.
Matcha green tea boosts the immune system due to its high antioxidant content, particularly Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) which assists your body's production of T-Cells to reduce inflammation and fight pathogens. This makes matcha green tea powder a great immune system booster. New Zealand kiwi is the most nutrient-dense of the superfruits containing folate, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C for immune support.
Our next Healthy by Choice class will be on Tuesday, March 31st at 6 pm PDT. We will be discussing ways to support our immune systems. To join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live, see you on Tuesday.
Be Healthy by Choice
Mr. Bones Says So
We need to supplement our bodies with minerals, we do not make them. However, no matter how much calcium we consume from calcium rich foods such as yogurt, milk and green leafy vegetables, or by nutritional supplements, such as Nikken’s excellent Kenzen® Calcium Complex, the most important aspects are …
I’ve never broken a bone in my life, or in my body.
Ringo Starr
The Silent Disease
One aspect of health that is often misunderstood or ignored is bone health. The skeletal system is the body’s second largest organ consisting of 206 bones in adults and provides several physical and physiological functions. Many people perceive our bones as a static, rigid structure when the exact opposite is true. Our bones are a dynamic organ that is a state of constant renewal and rebuilding. This is called bone remodeling and through this process we replace our entire skeletal structure every 10 years, or about seven times in our lifetime.
Through the process of bone remodeling minerals are released from old bone by specialized cells called osteoclasts and new bone is replaced by bone builder cells, osteoblasts. Good bone health is a balance of this resorption of older bone and formation of new bone for stable and strong bones. Healthy bones are vital to our joints and our whole body.
Regardless of age, we all need to keep our bones healthy. Children continue to build bone mass as they grow. Bone mineral density peaks between the ages of 20 and 30. Up to the age of 30, the body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone, so bone mass increases. After that, the pace of healthy bone formation slows down so that more bone is lost than formed. This decrease in bone density results in weaker bones that are more susceptible to fracture. Maintaining bone health becomes more challenging and critical as we grow older for a variety of reasons.
The main issue in this decrease in bone density is directly correlated with calcium and the body’s ability to absorb and utilize dietary calcium which diminishes with age.
Osteoporosis is a global disease. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture. In fact, a bone will break every 3 seconds because of this disease. This has an enormous human and socio-economic impact. Many people don’t know they have osteoporosis until their first fracture, which is why it’s called the ‘silent disease’. Osteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million people globally, with 55% of people over 50 currently at increased risk of fracture due to low bone mass.
Natural ways to help your bones and joints:
• Exercise, particularly anything that uses your body's weight to move, can help build strong bones. I suggest walking, jogging or dancing.
• Get some sunshine, at least 20 minutes a day for Vitamin D
• Eat the right foods. Green leafy vegetables are calcium rich and alkalizing. Greens give you calcium but are also good sources of vitamin k, potassium, and other minerals and nutrients needed for healthy bones.
• Avoid sodas and carbonated beverages. Limit caffeinated beverages and alcohol.
• Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. Bones are 25% water. Being hydrated is one of the best things you can do for bone joint health.
• Supplementation
We need to supplement our bodies with minerals, we do not make them. However, no matter how much calcium we consumefrom calcium rich foods such as yogurt, milk and green leafy vegetables, or by nutritional supplements, such as Nikken’sexcellent Kenzen® Calcium Complex, the most important aspects are absorption and utilization. If the body doesn’t absorb calcium, the bones cannot utilize it and be fortified. Nikken’s Kenzen BDZ™ is a giant step in rectifying this dilemma.Kenzen BDZ™ provides a unique and scientifically validated formula for calcium and other nutrients that are required for maintaining healthy bone structure, bone density and calcium absorption, by combining three patented blends of nutrients.
1. Aquamin® is derived from marine algae found in the pristine waters of Iceland. The minerals that make up Aquamin®provide a combination of benefits, not just for bones, but research shows that it helps support the health of our digestive system as well. This is important once again because absorption is key.
• Marine derived multi-mineral complex with 72 trace minerals.
• Rich source of minerals essential to life and critical biochemical pathways.
• Research shows benefits: helps preserve bone structure and strength, helps prevent loss of bone mineral density, helps the mineralization and maturation of bone cells, helps reduce stiffness in those suffering from osteoarthritis.*
To date, they are over 32 peer reviewed publications for joint and bone health for Aquamin®.
2. ParActin® is the result of 20 arduous years of research and development with more than 20 studies, including in vitro, animal models, and clinical studies in humans.
ParActin® is an innovation of world-renowned field researcher and scientific investigator Dr. Juan Hancke. His recently published study on 103 subjects with osteoarthritis showed reduction in discomfort, stiffness and fatigue while helping to improve physical function and Quality of Life scores with consistent intake of patented ParActin. *
ParActin® increases osteoblast and has a mineralizing effect on the bones with the increase of calcium deposits. Therefore, it could be beneficial in osteoporosis. *
3. Vitamin K2 as MK7 from MenaQ7®: For decades calcium has been the most obvious choice of dietary supplement for improving bone health. However, several studies show that supplementing with calcium exclusively is not enough. Our bodies need to optimize the use of calcium because excess calcium will accumulate in the blood vessel walls, making them stiff and less elastic. MenaQ7® is the optimal solution to utilize calcium in the body by binding calcium to the bones. A new 3-year study with MenaQ7® and 244 healthy womendemonstrated for the first time clinically statistically significant protection of the vertebrae and the hip (femoral neck) from bone loss.
This action supports healthy bone metabolism:
• Helps regulate calcium levels in bones and arteries.
• Vitamin K2 as MK-7 has the highest bioavailability and bioactivity of all Vitamin K vitamins.
• Helps support the maintenance of healthy bones and cardiovascular health.
• Helps maintain bone mineral density within normal ranges.
Kenzen BDZ™ is the partner product to Kenzen® Calcium Complex. Formulated specifically to help the body absorb and utilize calcium for healthier bones and joints. This combination of products helps support the body's ability to preserve bone density and assists in the preservation of joints and cartilage.
Benefits of KENZEN® Bone Health Pack (Kenzen BDZ™and Kenzen® Calcium Complex)
• Helps stimulate bone growth.*
• Helps increase bone mass and strength.*
• Helps increase bone mineral density.*
• Helps reduce risk of osteoporosis.*
• Supports increase in flexibility and mobility.*
• Supports healthy cartilage function.*
• Supports healthy skeletal muscle strength.*
Make healthy bones part of your self care routine and Be Healthy by Choice. This will be the subject of our next Healthy by Choice class on Tuesday, March 10th. Please join us by clicking this link, www.theroyalalliance.com/live.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
The Great Bottled Water Debate
An efficient and cost-effective way of providing yourself and your family with healthy water is the filtration of tap water. There are many types of systems to accomplish this. Common methods of filtering can remove the chemicals, but also removes healthy components that nature intended in our water. This will be the context of our next Healthy By Choice class.
“I know she ate a worm but we are not here to debate the de bait Deb ate.”
The Bottled Water Debate?
The global bottled water market is rapidly increasing with approximately 600 million households consuming bottled water in 2018. That's more than 100 billion gallons (391 billion liters) of water per year or 1 million bottles per minute.
For the last few years, bottled water sales in the U.S have surpassed soda sales. This is good news as many people are looking for healthier beverage options. Currently, bottled water consumption in the U.S. is nearly 50 gallons per year per person.
Most of the people I talk with that prefer bottled water vs tap water do so for three main reasons. They assume bottled water is healthier than tap water, they prefer the taste of bottled water vs tap water and many like the convenience of bottled water.
Bottled water has been called the biggest marketing gimmick of all time. At 2000 times the cost of tap water we would expect it to be healthier and taste better than tap water, but does it live up to the hype?
Is Bottled Water Healthier than Tap Water?
Contrary to the image of purity advertised by the bottled water industry, bottled water may contain a lot more than simple H2O. In 2008, testing commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG), found 38 pollutants in 10 brands of bottled water, including disinfection byproducts, industrial chemicals, radioactivity, and bacteria. The Natural Resources Defense Council conducted a four-year review of the bottled-water industry and its safety standards, NRDC concluded that there is no assurance that bottled water is cleaner or safer than tap. In fact, an estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is tap water — meaning that they were chemically indistinguishable from what comes from the faucet. They tested 103 bottled waters and detected potentially harmful contaminants, including microbes and regulated chemicals in about 50% of the samples tested.
Many recent reports have looked at microplastics in bottled water. It has been estimated that one bottle of water can contain up to hundreds of tiny plastic particles that we're drinking down with bottled H2O. One author estimates that the amount of plastic consumed per week is could be as high 5 grams which are the equivalent weight of a credit card.
Another major concern regarding bottled water is the ingesting of endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A (BPA). Low dose exposure to BPA has been linked to many health problems including obesity infertility, early onset of puberty, hormone-dependent cancers such as prostate and breast cancer, lower testosterone levels and sperm production and heart disease.
Bottled Water Tastes and Smells Better than Tap Water.
Many people prefer not to drink municipally treated tap water. Often, this is for aesthetic reasons. They don’t like the way tap water tastes or smells. One good aspect of tap water is that it is monitored and treated to kill pathogenic micro-organisms. This is usually accomplished with chlorine treatment or other types of similar halogens. The treatment of municipally treated water with these compounds can, but not always, results in an unpleasant taste and smell.
Many blind taste tests have shown that many times people prefer the taste of tap water over bottled water or cannot distinguish the difference between the two. ABC’s Good Morning America conducted a blind water taste test with the following results as to the be best tasting water.
12 percent Evian
19 percent O-2
24 percent Poland Spring
45 percent New York City tap water
Yorkshire Water, the water department in Yorkshire, England, found that 60 percent of 2,800 people surveyed could not tell the difference between the local tap water and UK bottled water.
The hosts of Showtime’s television series Penn & Teller: Bullshit conducted a blind taste test comparing waters. The test showed that 75 percent of New Yorkers preferred city tap water to bottled waters. The hosts of the show conducted another test in a trendy Southern California restaurant. A water sommelier handed out water menus with extravagant prices to the patrons. The patrons had no idea that all of the fancy bottles of water were filled with the same water from a water hose in the back of the restaurant.
Patrons were willing to pay $7 a bottle for “L’eau du Robinet” (French for “tap water”), “Agua de Culo” (Spanish for “ass water”), and “Amazone” (“filtered through the Brazilian rainforest’s natural filtration system”). The fancy bottles and exotic names were enough to convince the taste buds that they were experiencing pure bliss.
So then, why might bottled water taste better? It’s because we expect it to taste better. I other words, it is very effective marketing.
Convenience
The other reason people tell me that they choose bottled water is that it is convenient. My response to that is, don’t we all too often trade convenience at the expense of our health? We do.
Although it is convenient to purchase bottled water, it is not convenient for our Planet.
Single-use water bottles are wreaking havoc on the environment.
There are over 100 million plastic bottles used each day globally and nearly 80% of these end up in our landfills. Approximately 1500 bottles end up in landfills and the ocean every second. Globally, people go through roughly 200 billion plastic water bottles annually.
Most single-use bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”), a plastic produced from the byproducts of the oil industry. The manufacturing, bottling, transporting, and refrigerating of bottled water uses an estimated 32-54 million barrels of oil annually in the US, with 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. Also, approximately 3 liters of water are used to produce 1 liter of bottled water, meaning millions of liters of the valuable liquid are squandered during the process. Given these figures, bottled water requires 2,000 times more energy to produce than tap water and at a hefty cost to our planet.
To make matters much worse, out of the 35 billion single-use bottles used every year in the US, less than 30 percent is recycled. For this reason, approximately 20 billion single-use plastic bottles end up in our landfills and bodies of water each year. Since plastic bottles take up to 450 years to biodegrade, the planet could soon be drowning in a sea of plastic. By 2050, plastic in the oceans will outweigh fish, predicts a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in partnership with the World Economic Forum.
Our Self Care bottom line, Say No to Bottled Water. Make choices that are healthy for Ourselves, our Planet and our Wallets.
Drinking plenty of water is good for your health, but both tap and bottled water can contain contaminants that may be harmful. An efficient and cost-effective way of providing yourself and your family with healthy water is the filtration of tap water. There are many types of systems to accomplish this. Common methods of filtering can remove the chemicals, but also removes healthy components that nature intended in our water.
Healthy by Choice