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Sandi lost 81 pounds and 88 inches in eleven months!

Featured Client

Mom Graduates With Masters in Thin

by Elizabeth Fergason

It was June 2006 and Sandi Nelson heard a clock ticking in her head.  She had a year, one year only.

In exactly twelve months her son was graduating from high school, her home remodel would be finished and Sandi wanted to have a party - a BIG party to celebrate the culmination of two huge endeavors. 

Sandi had one year before the cameras would be clicking, capturing those memories forever.  She wanted to look good in those pictures, standing next to her son in his cap and gown.  She wanted to look good after the ceremony meeting and greeting guests in her beautiful new home.  But, more than anything else, Sandi wanted to feel better about herself, and that was something she hadn’t done for a long time.

Junk food had become a way of life.  Like so many women, Sandi had let her family, home and work come before taking care of herself.  A steady diet of cold cereal and mocha lattes added up to serious weight gain.  Sandi started looking around for a good diet plan.  She first tried a program selling prepackaged food, but soon realized that she need to develop healthy eating habits of her own for the long term.  Then she went online and found Lite for Life. 

“I really liked their idea of controlling blood sugar,” Sandi says.  “After meeting with the counselors in Santa Clara, I knew this is how I was going to lose the weight.”

And boy, did she ever lose the weight! In eleven months, Sandi lost 81 pounds and an amazing 88 inches!

The Santa Clara counselors rave about Sandi’s level of commitment.  “Sandi has been a joy to work with from the very beginning," says Counselor Jane Baker.  "She was committed to losing the weight and it's been lovely to see her fulfill her goals. Her self-discipline has been exceptional.  She almost never wavered from the program.” 

For Sandi, one of the keys to success includes maintaining a daily eating journal--even now that she’s met her weight loss goal.  “At the end of the day, I can look at my journal and see if I’m sticking to the Lite for Life plan.  If it’s six o’clock and I see gaps, I know exactly which foods to choose for dinner.”

“In the early weeks Sandi followed every menu plan we had to give," says Baker.  "Later on, we gently coaxed her into making menu plans of her own, as we knew this would help her make the Life for Life way of eating a true lifestyle change.  Now she's bringing us new product ideas and recipes!"

 “I like it that Lite for Life offers a wide range of food choices and you never need to eat processed foods,” Sandi says.  “I can shop at the grocery store or at the Lite for Life store.  Either way, all my foods are whole, non-processed foods.”  That approach has paid off beautifully for Sandi.

“I have so much more energy now and more confidence too.  I have a closet full of clothes that fit again!”  A dress Sandi’s son bought her for her birthday five years ago now fits better than ever.

A year has come and gone.  In just a few weeks, Sandi’s son will be graduating from high school, but Sandi feels like she has graduated already.  She’s earned herself a master’s in healthy eating habits, with a minor in self-discipline and perseverance.  Her diploma is a great-looking body and all the self confidence that comes with that, and with a goal achieved.

Cameras?  Bring them on!

Elizabeth Fergason is a Counselor at Lite for Life in Palo Alto

Nutrition in the News: Antioxidants

To Supplement or Not to Supplement

by Sylvie Nalezny

In the past few years antioxidants have gone from the relative obscurity of nutrition stores to mainstream supermarket shelves.  It seems like everywhere we look, we see food and beverage labels touting the benefits of their high antioxidant content.   As the mass marketing of antioxidants reaches fever pitch, news articles have begun appearing reporting that antioxidants aren’t really that helpful, or that some, such as Vitamin E, can actually do more harm than good.

So what are antioxidants anyway? Aren’t we getting what we need from the foods we eat?  Do we really need to supplement our diets with them? Can they actually be harmful?  Do they help with weight loss?

To completely understand the picture requires a better understanding of how antioxidants actually work, as well as a careful look at the studies that undermine antioxidant health claims. 

No one disputes that for optimal health, there must be a balance of natural antioxidants at work in your body.  Vitamins A, C, and E as well as the minerals selenium, zinc, copper, and manganese all work together to protect the body from disease. Think of this antioxidant group as fire fighters, scouting for flames in the form of “free radicals” and putting them out.

Free radicals are pesky, unstable molecules that are missing an electron.  They occur in our bodies as a normal part of metabolism or in response to diseases, but they can also be created by toxins we take in through the foods we eat and the air we breathe.  

These free radicals run around our bodies trying to steal an electron from a healthy cell. When they succeed, the attacked molecule loses its electron and becomes a free radical itself, setting off a chain reaction that can eventually disrupt living cells, affect DNA and lead to disease. Antioxidants stop this chain reaction by donating one of their own electrons.  Antioxidants can do this because they are more stable and less likely to become free radicals themselves when they lose an electron.

While it is true that we can get antioxidants from the foods that we eat, and that foods are the best and most balanced source of antioxidants, studies have shown that the foods we eat today contain fewer vitamins and minerals than those our grandparents ate due to soil depletion and commercial farming methods.

Furthermore, we are exposed to more environmental pollutants than ever before. Our bodies are working overtime to combat free radical damage from environmental factors, while at the same time the food we eat isn’t supplying the amount of vitamins and minerals it used to.  Clearly, supplementation is called for.

But what about studies showing no benefit, or even worse, damage, from supplements?  As with all studies, it’s important to read beyond the headlines to learn more about who was studied, what vitamins were used and what the conditions of the study were.

For example, in the case of the study refuting the benefits of supplemental Vitamin E that made headlines in 2006, the populations used for the study were mostly elderly and already suffering from serious health problems.   It’s a quite a leap to say that an increase in their death rate proves that Vitamin E supplements can harm healthy people. 

Secondly, the Vitamin E supplements used in the study were synthetic, not natural, making it more difficult for the body to recognize and absorb them.  Antioxidants are designed to work as a team, the way they are found in nature. Supplementing with any one antioxidant without the balance of its teammates may be problematic. Vitamin E is a perfect example of that.

Foods high in Vitamin E such as wheat germ, almonds, flax and sunflower seeds contain a whole family of active components called tocopherols. These tocopherols exist in various forms: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocopherols. Natural vitamin E also contains another subset of active components called tocotrienols. In the Vitamin E study in question, only synthetic alpha-tocopherols were used.

Discrediting Vitamin E, potentially a very valuable antioxidant, based on a study using synthetic Vitamin E in a diseased, elderly population is like blaming a low-grade gasoline for poor car performance in a vehicle long overdue for an oil change.

What is clear is that in order to be beneficial, supplements need to be well balanced and made from high quality ingredients, which is why we chose
Douglas Laboratories, an industry known for quality to manufacture Lite For Life vitamins.

Of course, all of us Lite for Lifers are aiming to lose weight as well as improve health. The crowning glory is that the right antioxidants can also help with weight loss by slowing down and even reversing a process known as oxidation (think clogged, rusty pipes).

Oxidation can occur from eating trans fats from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and/or too much sugar.  Studies have shown a link with oxidation and an impaired metabolism, the rate at which your body burns calories.   The less efficient your metabolism, the less energy you’ll have and the more difficult it will be to lose weight.  Improving your diet the Lite For Life way will help; however, in order to reverse the damage from previous poor eating habits, supplementation may be beneficial. 

So get your three cups of veggies in, and your two fruits, and if you haven’t picked up our vitamin trio yet, talk with your Lite for Life counselor today.

Sylvie Nalezny, MA, CNE is a Counselor at Lite For Life of Saratoga

Featured Product: Iced Tea

Celebrate The Season

What does iced tea have in common with ice cream cones and hamburgers?  They were all introduced to the American public at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.  But you knew that, didn’t you?  Just like you knew that this month is National Iced Tea month.  We bet you have a celebration all planned, but just in case you don’t, stop by Lite For Life to pick up some of the tastiest herbal and decaf teas in town.  Brew it, ice it, add Stevia flavors or a shot of Pure Inventions green tea extract.  Keep a pitcher in your refrigerator all summer long and you’ll be ready for anything—hot days, unexpected guests or just a tasty alternative to all that water, water, water.

Maureen's Tips

Loving Those Summer Barbecues

Barbecue season is upon us, presenting a new set of challenges for losing weight.  Approached the right way, barbecues can actually be one of the easiest social events to navigate and still stick to your program.  That’s because warm weather entertaining tends to be less formal and can include many of the season’s fresh fruits and vegetables.

Many barbecues are potluck, so you’ll have the opportunity to bring something.  And even if you aren’t asked, offer! Make your offering a fresh fruit bowl, a vegetable tray or a green or vegetable salad.   Leave the salad naked and bring a selection of bottled salad dressings.  The salad will be fresher and you, and others, can control the amount of dressing used. 

Grilled meat can be a great, safe protein choice if it’s lean and not smothered in sauce.  Ask the grill master to do a piece without sauce for you; most will be happy to make it your way.  Chicken breast meat and fish are the best choices; if those aren’t available a small hamburger or lean steak would be an acceptable choice.  Avoid sausages, ribs and the like.

If you know the hosts well, you may even want to inquire as to whether it would be okay to bring some of your own meat to throw on the grill.  If you do bring meat, bring extra.  There may be others who will appreciate your choice, and if not, be prepared with a plastic container to take it home for yourself to have later.

Guzzle water with abandon.  It’s much more socially acceptable at an outdoor barbecue than say, at a cocktail party.

Enjoy the outdoors.  Take part in whatever games or activities are provided—frisbee, catch, etc., or just grab a friend for a private talk as you stroll around the grounds.

As always, eat on time and on schedule and don’t arrive hungry at the event.  This is one of the keys to staying in control in all social situations.  Stay focused on friends, fun and sun and you’ll arrive home with color in your cheeks and a smile of triumph on your face.

Recipe of the Month:

Curried Chicken Tenders with
Peach Salad

This is great on the grill, but can also be broiled.  A balsamic vinegar spiked peach salad is the perfect summer accompaniment.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup plain non-fat yogurt
• 2 T Kozlowski Farms Peach Chutney or No sugar added peach preserves
• 2 t. curry powder, mild or hot
• 4 small skinless boneless chicken breast tenders, about 4 oz. each
• ½ t. sea salt, divided
• 2 peaches, peeled and diced
• ¼ cup finely diced red onion
• 2 T finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 T Spectrum golden balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
• 1 T regular balsamic vinegar
• 2 packets Sweet and Slender or Stevia

Instructions:

• Whisk yogurt, chutney and curry powder in a medium bowl.  Add chicken and turn to coat.  Let rest for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine peach, onion, mint, vinegar and sweetener.
• Remove chicken from yogurt mixture and transfer to grill.  Sprinkle with salt.
• Grill until chicken is charred in spots, 8-10 minutes. 
• Turn over, salt and continue cooking until slightly charred and cooked through.
• Serve the chicken with the peach salad.

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