Several posts ago, I promised an update on a cleansing product.

What can I say… hmmmm….. Well, I received the product. It said to mix with water and drink. You could take the product up to six times a day, and for a complete “cleanse” you could use it two consecutive days. But you should not use it for longer than those two days.

So, I decided to use it on a Saturday and Sunday. That way, if it made me feel bad or if I needed to spend lots of time in the bathroom, it wouldn’t impact my work productivity.

I used it Saturday as directed. Nothing unusual happened. So, I figured Sunday would be fun.

I used it Sunday. The effects were pretty much the same as Saturday.

I didn’t feel any cleaner! I didn’t spend a lot of time in the bathroom. And I didn’t loose any weight.

I guess it was good for me. It caused me to drink more water than I usually drink, so that is good. And all the ingredients were natural, so I didn’t hurt myself by consuming a lot of weird chemicals.

However, I can’t say I will do it again! I just can’t see any positive quantitative improvement.

So much for my cleansing experience. It was pretty much a non event!

Last month Agel introduced it’s newest product, CAL. CAL is a calcium supplement. Being 50 years old, and being a woman who watched a grandmother suffer with osteoporosis, ensuring my diet consists of enough calcium is a high priority for me. I have tried this new product, and I like it a lot! It tastes like an orange, chocolate tootsey roll. Like all Agel gel-suspension supplements, I am comfortable the bioavailability of the product guarantees I will be able to absorb as much of this product as possible.

Since I don’t believe in re-inventing the wheel, I want to share the corporate information about this product. Following is from the corporate publication:

“Agel™ CAL was formulated to help you get the right amount of the most abundant mineral in the human body, Calcium. This innovative formulation gives you 3 forms of Calcium that are more easily absorbed by the body than other sources, plus these 3 ingredients are combined with other key ingredients and the Suspension Gel technology, which makes CAL the right Calcium product for you.

Calcium is the building block of our body’s structure. Just like a building needs bricks and mortar, our body also has building blocks which promote strength and support. Calcium is the most important mineral in promoting strong and healthy bones. Almost all of the calcium in your body is in your skeleton and teeth. There is only about 1 % extra calcium outside of your skeletal system and most of this 1% is in your blood. As you get older your body needs an adequate supply of Calcium to keep your bones, blood and surrounding cells healthy.

Should I worry about Calcium Deficiency?

Calcium is a mineral needed by the body for healthy bones, teeth, and proper function of the heart, muscles, and nerves. The body cannot produce its own Calcium; it must be absorbed through outside sources such as Calcium Supplements. Research shows that 75 % of people do not get enough Calcium each day. This alarming percentage worries many health care professionals.

So, what can be done to avoid Calcium Deficiency?

Consuming the proper daily recommended amount of Calcium will eliminate any Calcium Deficiency. By consuming Agel CAL not only are you consuming the proper amount of Calcium, but you are also consuming the most effective forms of this important mineral. The formulation of CAL truly does eliminate any risk of Calcium Deficiency.

So what are the key ingredients that make CAL an excellent source of Calcium?

There are eight key ingredients which make CAL unique; these ingredients are Calcium Citrate, MCHA (Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite ), Calcium Aspartate, Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, Ipriflavone, Horsetail Extract, and Boron. These key ingredients each play equally distinct and important roles in the promotion of skeletal health.

It has been proven that Calcium Citrate is absorbed and digested by the body more efficiently than Calcium Carbonate, especially in older people, and appears to be more effective than Calcium Carbonate. Calcium Citrate does not require stomach acid to be broken down, this means that it is more easily absorbed and utilized by the body. This also means that it can be taken on an empty stomach. Another unique advantage that comes with taking Calcium Citrate is that unlike other forms of Calcium, it does not block Iron absorption.

MCHA is derived from bovine and is a source of not only Calcium, but also other elemental and trace minerals, proteins and other components in their natural proportions. Many studies have shown that MCHA fosters both better absorption and actual reductions in radial bone loss than any other form of calcium. Studies show that this increased absorption is due to the presence of a protein and the microcrystalline structure, which provides a larger surface so that the minerals can be released from the organic- protein matrix into the intestines.

Calcium Aspartate is made from nature soluble Calcium and chelated with the amino acid, L-Aspartate. Calcium Aspartate extends the Calcium absorption from the duodenum to the entire length of the small intestine and therefore achieves the absorption rate much superior to those of other Calcium
products.

Vitamin D3 is one of the most useful nutritional tools we have for improving overall health. Vitamin D3 is the only vitamin the body can manufacture from sunlight . Yet, with today’s indoor living and the extensive use of sunscreens due to concern about skin cancer, we are now a society with millions of individuals who are deficient in Vitamin D3. For more than a century, experts have recognized that Vitamin D3 plays a role in bone health. One of the best known and long-established benefits of Vitamin D3 is its ability to increase bone health and that of the musculoskeletal system.

Vitamin K2 has been scientifically proven to provide amazing benefits for bone health and cardiovascular health, plus it is a powerful anti-oxidant and some emerging science indicates it might help with joint health.

Ipriflavone combined with Calcium can slow and perhaps slightly reverse the natural process of bone breakdown. Ipriflavone maintains bone density at the spine.

Horsetail Extract. This herb has been used therapeutically since ancient Roman and Greek times. Horsetail extract consists of the following compounds: flavonoids (quercetin, luteolin and protogenkwanin glucosides, kaempferol, apigenin) phenolic acids, silicic acid, minerals, saponins (equisetonin), palustrine alkaloid and equistetolic acid. The plant’s therapeutic actions in maintaining bones as well as strengthening connective tissue are attributed to the silicic acid contained in the plant.

Boron aids in the proper metabolism of vitamins and minerals involved with bone strengthening and development, such as calcium, copper, magnesium, and vitamin D. In addition, boron appears to enhance hormones that affect bone health.

How does Celadrin® compare to CMO (cetylmyristoleate)? Why only 500mg per packet?

Simple, research shows the body can only absorb up to 500mg at a time. Based on this it’s best to take CAL in the morning and evening in order to fully absorb the calcium that you need.

What types of calcium are in CAL?

Calcium Citrate, Calcium Aspartate and MCHA are all contained in CAL. These forms of calcium are more easily absorbed by the body, and not as upsetting to sensitive stomachs as calcium carbonate.

If I’m taking FLX do I need CAL?

These two products work together but have very different functionality. FLX is specifically targeted at the joints. CAL is designed to provide calcium for the mineralization of the bones and other processes in the body that use calcium.

How many packets should I take every day?

The recommended dosage is two packets however; you may need more or less than that depending on your individual needs. Remember that CAL provides 500mg of calcium per serving so adjust the number of servings you take per day on the recommendations of your physician.

What are the bone health benefits in summary:

1. Calcium Citrate can be absorbed without hydrochloric acids.
2. MCHA fosters better absorption and reduction in radial bone loss *
3. Calcium Aspartate extends calcium absorption to the entire length of the small intestine. *
4. Vitamin D3 increase bone and muscular skeletal health. *
5. Vitamin K2 promotes bone and cardiovascular health. *
6. Ipriflavone slows or slightly reverses the natural process of bone breakdown. *
7. Horsetail Extract strengthens bones and connective tissue. *
8. Boron aids in the metabolism of essential vitamins and minerals, such as calcium.

*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.”

To learn more about CAL and the other amazing Agel products, you can visit my Agel website.

You know, just last week I was noticing some blogs have been nominated for awards from their fellow bloggers. Many of the blogs are really amazing and so deserving of recognition. I remember thinking how my little blog isn’t nearly as interesting or compelling as so many others, and I would probably not be nominated any time soon.

Then it happened! Ask Ms Recipe nominated me for the I Love Your Blog Award! I am so honored to receive this award, see:

Thank you so much, Ms Recipe. I appreciate it so much.

So the rules are:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received the award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of the nominated blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominated.

And here are my nominees:

1. The Life of an Unbalanced Libra. Happy birthday fellow Libra!

2. Willows Cat Blog. Where else can you meet cats who speak like a pirate (on the right day!)

3. Daily Blissings. A blog that has taken “an attitude of gratitude” and made is part of everyday life. Inspiring!

4. Holy Cuteness. I can’t start my day without my cuteness fix!

5. LiveLife365. Just another award for your collection! Great writing style.

6. WTF Do You Blog About? Everything from a 911 tribute, to entrecard contests, and Clay Aiken news. An interesting read.

7. A Blog With a Little of This, A Little of That. Truly a mixed bag. But well written and fun to read.

I went to my Weight Watchers meeting last night.

Did you know there are as many people in the world who do not get enough to eat as there are people in the world who are over weight? Sorry, I didn’t take notes, I think she said 1.1 billion people in each category. That’s a huge number of hungry people.

To do their part and make a difference, Weight Watchers has a new campaign called Lose for Good. For every pound lost by a Weight Watcher member between 7 Sep and 18 Oct, they will donate the equivalent of one pound of food to the hungry.

So, if you want to loose weight, have been considering joining a weight loss group, but just haven’t acted on it, now is a great time to start. You will be doing something for yourself that you know you need (and want) to do, and your actions will make a difference to some people in the world who are less fortunate.

Go to www.weightwatchers.com and find a meeting near you. You won’t be sorry!

I haven’t tried this recipe myself yet, but it looks really good. As soon as I get my weight down to where I want it, I’m definitely trying this one out!

I found this recipe on Jenn’s great blog: The Peacock’s Nesting Place

Overnight Spinach Manicotti

1 carton (15-oz.) ricotta cheese
1 pkg (10-oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided use
1 egg
2 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 jars (28-oz. ea) spaghetti sauce with meat
1-1/2 cups water
1 pkg (8-oz.) manicotti shells

-In large bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, egg, parsley, onion powder, pepper, and garlic powder.
-Combine spaghetti sauce and water; spread 1 cup sauce in an ungreased 9×13 baking dish.
-Stuff uncooked manicotti with spinach mixture (I find this easier to do with a baby spoon); arrange over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over manicotti.
-Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
-Cover and refrigerate overnight.
-Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
-Bake, covered at 350º degrees for 40 minutes, uncover and cook for 15 more minutes or until the cheese on the top is melted.

* Tip: to make the filling easier to put in the shells, use a baby spoon!

Does cleansing work? Is one product better than another?

OK, so I’m a middle aged woman approaching old age. I’ve already told you I have spent life as a nutritional flunky!

But since I am trying to change my nutritional ways, and since I’m middle aged, that means when I can’t sleep I end up watching probably far too many late night paid programs!

One night I was completely caught up in a colon cleanse product documentary. What a concept! Take a pill and it will clean out your colon and you will loose maybe ten pounds in the process! I was all ready to order until I found out this particular product cost in excess of $200! I wasn’t quite ready to plunk down quite that much change to find out if a product worked…

But I was still intrigued with the concept. And I think I believe in cleansing. I just don’t really know exactly which products work or what diets are necessary, or just where to start. Dieting as I am right now, I would like to get the most out of the nutrients I am eating, so maybe now is the right time to cleanse.

We are exposed to a multitude of toxins everyday as we live our lives. We ingest toxins with our food, in fact, sometimes our food is toxic! There are airborne toxins we are exposed to every day as well.

So, is there a way to clean these toxins from our bodies?

I am going to try. I have made a decision to use a cleansing product called Renew. It’s a new product, so there is no data available on it’s effectiveness. The price is good, though, so I feel as though I have nothing to really lose.

I will definitely share the story if it causes me to lose ten pounds in a week. That seems unrealistic to me. But I’m open to the experience. I wonder if I’ll have to spend the week in the bathroom…. that would be so not good….

If anyone has suggestions on cleansing products they have had success with, I would love to hear about it. Any suggestions are welcome!

I can’t believe I have been so remiss in posting to my blog. Oops!

However, it has been a very eventful period of time. I will be posting about my weekend trip to Mt Princeton Hot Springs in Colorado and a recent trip to San Diego in the near future. I have never been to San Diego before, the beaches were so fun and so beautiful. Both trips were a blast!

I have continued my bike riding plan. I haven’t been able to get out quite as frequently as I would like, but I’m getting out several times a week, so that’s good. I am becoming much more confident in my abilities. Today I wouldn’t be afraid to ride on the street. I know I can stop and not fall in front of oncoming traffic!

While getting into better shape and improving my overall fitness level has always been part of my plan and a driver behind my biking experience, I have to admit that I also want to lose weight. So, after riding my bike as often as I can, I didn’t feel I was losing weight. And in fact, I think I gained a few pounds. My friends told me that I was looking slimmer, so perhaps I was developing muscle. But that didn’t change the fact that I wasn’t making progress on my weight loss goals and I didn’t like the way I looked.

So, I did something to speed that up.

Losing weight was always easy for me when I was younger. And I will be the very first to admit that because staying slim was easy, I never developed good eating habits. In fact, my eating habits have always been atrocious! My solution to losing five pounds was either not eating for a day (or two!), or playing more sports. Participating in sports wasn’t a bad plan. But at the same time, I would fill up on M&M’s and cheescake and never paid attention to nutrition.

Around the time I hit my mid forties, losing weight became much more difficult. I know maintaining a healthy weight gets more difficult when we become middle aged. And for women, the entire menopause thing tends to contribute to weight gain as well. I, as it turned out, was one of those fortunate (???) women who went through early menopause. By the time I hit 46 I was already post-menopausal. Yeah me! (mixed blessing, I can assure you!)

So, about four years ago, I weighed even more than I did at the start of this summer. I wasn’t ready to be that heavy yet, so I joined Slim For Life. I was very successful with SFL and lost over 35 pounds in about three months. It is a good program. But it was very expensive. I suppose it would have been less expensive if I had not bought all the supplements they recommend. But my thought process was that since they didn’t guarantee weight loss without the supplements, I was going to follow their plan to the T.

So, I spent the money. Spending money has always been a motivator for me - I want to make sure I get what I pay for! But I lost the weight and was very happy.

The problem was that I felt like I was starving myself to death while on that diet! They had so many foods that you simply were not allowed to eat. It was very restrictive. You can’t even eat bananas, can you believe that? Since it was so restrictive and not at all representative of anything close to the way I eat, over time I gained most of the weight back.

Many people at work have been having a great deal of success with Weight Watchers. In fact, one woman I know has lost over 130 pounds. She is like a Weight Watchers Poster Child!

I never really gave Weight Watchers much credit, I suppose. I mean, they’ve been around forever, what can they know about losing weight?

How stupid is that perspective! They HAVE been around forever, and they know A LOT about losing weight! I joined about a month ago, and have lost about 12 pounds. The thing I like about Weight Watchers is you can eat anything you want. There is a cost, but you aren’t denied a favorite food, so I am finding the program to be much more realistic.

Under Weight Watchers foods are assigned points values based on the calories, fat, and fiber content of the food. An individual has a point “goal” for each day based on their gender, age and weight. If you go on the “flex” plan, you have that point goal for each day, and then you get extra points for the week. I see that as permission to cheat! I have a friend who calls it permission to have a life, which is probably more correct.

Because all foods have an assigned point value, it gives you an easy ability to make trade offs. I know if I want cream in my morning coffee, it is going to cost points and it isn’t going to make me feel full. So I can make a considered choice.

Then, on top of that, exercise is also encouraged. You earn “activity” points which you may also use against your food goals if you exchange them the day earned. I call these points extra credit! Since I had already committed to an exercise program and my bike riding, I already have this part covered.

So here’s the good news. In about five weeks, I have lost 12 pounds. Even taking a long weekend trip to San Diego!

My goal is to lose about 15 more pounds. And I know I can do this with Weight Watchers.

The challenge will be to keep it off. But, Weight Watchers is really about a lifestyle change more than a diet. So far, on their plan, I find it much more sustainable than SFL. They have given me the tools to lose weight. And, by the way, I don’t feel like I’m starving to death all the time! So, I’m hopeful they will provide the tools to keep the weight off.

As you might expect, I will be posting my progress.

I would love to hear from anyone else who has used Weight Watchers and not only had success, but have been able to keep weight off.

Obviously, I’m on the Weight Watchers bandwagon right now. You can check them out for yourself at their website (Weight Watchers) . Good luck!

Here is a link to a great video from the Today Show that talks about different skin care needs based on where you live.

The Today Show

If you read my article on “Ride the Rockies Anyone,” you know that part of my fitness plan is cycling. Which I am learning!

I’ve had out of town visitors, so it’s been about two weekends since I have had the opportunity to go back out. I didn’t make it yesterday, mostly because it looked like rain. And in fact they were predicting scattered showers. So, being the wimp I am, I didn’t take a chance!

So, I went out today. Packed up my bike, threw in my helmet and water and drove the two miles to the Reservoir. I was so proud of myself!

But when I got to the gate, it was closed and locked. They had closed the park to visitors because of a Danskin triathlon. So, I came back home and rode around the block. Somehow, it didn’t seem as much fun!

But, I did learn a few things about biking this week. Wednesday was Ride Your Bike to Work Day, which is pretty big out here in Colorado. There were many news reports, and on our local NBC channel, the morning sports anchor rode to work. She stopped periodically and, of course, showed her on the news talking to representatives from Bicycle Village. These are the amazing things I learned:

Tingling in the hands (which I attributed to my carpal tunnel syndrome) can be caused by a bike that isn’t fitted properly. And gloves might help, too.

I also learned that those pockets on the back of biker shirts are quite useful to tuck a lightweight jacket into while you’re riding, and get hot. That explained a mystery to me! I thought it was just a really strange biker fashion choice.

I still haven’t purchased biker shorts. So, I guess when I do, I’ll try to pick up some gloves, too.

This is getting scary. Pretty soon I’m going to look like a biker and people are going to expect me to have some skills!

I’m not good at getting back out on my bike during the week. I go to work too early in the morning to ride before work. And for some strange (lazy?) reason, I don’t make it out after. It was also a very hot week, which did not help my lack of motivation. It was close to 100 degrees towards the end of the week.

But on Saturday, my friend, Frank, and I went out to the reservoir around 5:00 pm. A cold front had come through the area and it was probably the nicest day of the week. Temperatures were in the mid 80’s on Saturday. So it was perfect.

When we got there, the route I usually take was blocked off! It was posted the road was closed to public traffic. You could see piles of rocks periodically spaced and piled on the bike trail. Weird…

So, we went the other direction! Of course we didn’t know how far we would be able to go. It turns out we were able to go most of the way around the Reservoir, probably 6 - 6 1/2 miles of the total 8 1/2 mile trail. When we got to the other side of the blocked off area, we continued that direction despite the signs warning us not to. Soon enough, we ran into the first pile of rocks. Not being that proficient, I chose to walk the rest of the way! The point is exercise, so it wasn’t a complete waste. But it was disappointing.

I’m not sure what they are doing. The sign said that part of the trail would be closed from 7 - 23 July. I have no ideas what the piles of rock are for or why they felt it necessary to pile them right on top of the paved path! Couldn’t they have placed them to the side?

I’ll go back later and see what’s going on. I hope they aren’t planning on piling rocks around the whole path! Sometimes, it just feels like there is a higher power trying to keep me from my workout!

But other than that, the ride was really fun! And my gloves worked like a charm!

So, then, we just went home and I fixed the salmon and asparagus recipes listed below. Yummy!