Week 3: Another step closer to their goals

April 10th, 2010

IT’S week three of the Limerick Chronicle/Ultimate Health Operation Transformation Limerickand our two volunteers, MartinCostello and Mandy Hogan, are really beginning to see results.This week, they were out in the gym in Bunratty where fitness instructor Brian Kennedy was putting them through their paces.Brian is delighted with their progress, and the very positive attitute with which they are both approaching their new fitness regime. Along with their gym work, they have both had a session with Ber Collins, an EFT (Emotional FreedomTechniques) practitioner who specialises in helping people achieve their goals.

Martin

Weighed in Monday morning and I was delighted with the results - down 6.6 lbs. I had my third colonic hydrotherapy session and I can really fell the benefits from it. I also had meeting with Ber Collins who practices in Meridian Psychotherapy and we discussed
how to set goals and achieve them, self discipline etc. I found the meeting very beneficial.
Next stop was the gym with Brian Kennedy. I find Brian very helpful. He knows how to get the most out of you without causing to much pain! The diet is no problem. I’m getting
quite used to it now. Overall I haven’t felt as good in years Looking forward to next week.

Mandy

I can’t believe it’s week three already. The time is flying although as the saying goes time flies when you’re having fun and I am really enjoying this whole experience. I feel like a completely different person to the person I was before I started. Friends and family have
started to tell me how well I look and when you hear that, it gives you that extra little push to keep going. Myself and Martin went to the gym together this week. When I say
together, I mean we went at the same time. Brian met us at the gym and he really put us through a tough workout. It was all go for one and a half hours. Martin got off a machine
for 30 seconds and I got on and vice versa. It was great. Myself, Martin and of course Brian worked very well together. Brian, the personal trainer, really goes into detail with every machine and exercise so that we know exactly what part of our bodies we are working. This was a really busy week as the girls in ultimate health arranged for me to meet a lady by the name of Ber Collins. Ber is an EFT Practitioner. I met with her for a session. EFT is a tapping technique that helps you to block out all the negatives that we
carry inside about ourselves.The tapping is to remove the negative blocks so you can achieve your goal. Caroline from ultimate Health had another treat in store for me this
week. It was an abdominal massage. This was amazing. When I arrived Marese showed me in to this soft and cosy black and white room. Then I lay up on the spotless snow white massage bed where Marese prepared me for Caroline to take over. Caroline preformed the massage and it was so relaxing.This calming music played in the background while Caroline was massaging away. It was heaven. Following my abdominal massage
Caroline led me to the colonic treatment room where she gave me my third colonic irrigation. The girls in Ultimate Health, Caroline, Marese and Lisa have been such a good support to me. I call down every day to use the vibroplate for 10 minutes which i feel is a great bonus to me shaping up.Every day the girls ask me how i am getting on and are there to advise me whenever i need them. And of course the most important part of the week was the weigh in today and yes I am down another 3lbs this week. It’s fantastic. I cannot believe after week three I have lost 13lbs in weight and am only 1lb away from losing a stone. I would never have got this far without the support and help I am getting from Ultimate Health and Brian. I will fill you in next week on my liver flush (cleansing the liver) which will be taking place this coming week.

Work in Progress

March 25th, 2010

Bernie English catches up with our Clare Operation Transformation winners, Berni O Hare and Jessica Chaplin, to see how this fantastic prize has changed their lives - and their bodies!

Operation Transformation duo Bernie O Hare and her friend Jessica Chaplin found The Clare Peoples Operation Transformation tough at the start but now theyre reaping the benefits.
With exercise, diet, detox and beauty therapy all underway, Bernie has lost an amazing stone in three weeks, while Jessica is down almost one stone and has lost one and a half inches off her vital statistics.
It was hard settling into it at first but Im really delighted with the weight Ive lost. Every one of the team has been so helpful and so supportive that it makes me all the more determined to do it, says Berni.
Berni applied for Operation Transformation after being turned down for a career in the Garda on the basis of her weight.
At five feet six inches tall and 18 stone, the Ballynacally mother of one was told she needed to lose five stone if she was ever going to be admitted to the force.
I was gutted - this was my dream and Id passed all the tests but my weight was holding me back, she tells The Clare People. Im one stone down and another to go. Its been tough but Im getting into a routine now and Im halfway through so its fingers crossed that Ill make the target.
Jessica - already a member of the force - has also been finding the going tough in the last week as her job is not nine-to five. You have nights and travel and its difficult to fit in the exercise but having the help of all the professionals and having the focus of Operation Transformation really helps.
The Ultimate Health Clinic and Ozone Fitness have been advising the girls on their diet and fitness programs and the pals have also been having colonic irrigation treatment and liver flushes. Both say they feel marvellous after the colonics.
I had an amazing amount of energy afterwards, says Berni, an experience echoed by Jessica who said it made her feel much better.
In the gym, both ladies are having their cardio fitness programs ramped up and are working hard both on the equipment and in walking on other days.
And a real bonus for the pair have been the beauty treatments which they have enjoyed.
The diet is helping, certainly, but we had facials with Anne Leavy and a skin peel and my dry skin looks and feels so much better, says Berni.
One aspect of being in the limelight through The Clare People is that both women have found that everyone is urging them on.
People I dont even know have come up to me and said they saw me in the Operation Transformation story in the paper and theyre wishing me well. Everyone is being great. I couldnt let myself or them down.
Bernies long-term ambition is to get enough weight off to go back and take up her dream career as a garda.
She told The Clare People when she was picked for the challenge that she wants to look in the mirror and not see the Michelin man looking back at me.
Helping Bernie and Jessica to reach their target weight and new look and lifestyle are the Transformation team - the Ultimate Health Clinic and Caroline Danaher, Ozone Fitness and Ken O Malley, Anne Leavy Health & Beauty, with Anne Leavy, Monument Hair Salon, with Rosaleen Burns, JRÕs Hair Salon, with Gerry and Norma Jeans Claire.
In the coming three weeks, the girls will be honing their fitness and exercise as well as taking a long-term look at their eating habits and how they can re-educate their palates to eat in a healthy way that they can enjoy.
Bernie will be continuing to resist the temptation of unwrapping her beloved chocolate bars - although she allows that she only gets the odd longing now - and Jessica will be trying to structure her meals around her busy shift-work.
ÒWe just feel theyve both done incredibly well, said The Clare People Life Editor, Aoife O Driscoll. Its hard to imagine how much effort they put into losing almost two stone between them in just three weeks but the important thing is, it wasnt done with any fad diet, it was done with the help of extremely professional people who have tailored programs to suit the ladies individually.
We have every confidence that they will lose the pounds and the inches and we cant wait to see the total transformation.

Well be catching up with Berni and Jessica again in our March 30 issue, to see the final results of Clare Operation Transformation.

Bernie & Jessica, Our Clare Girls

Bernie & Jessica, Our Clare Girls

Week 2 - Treatments Begin To Pay Off

March 18th, 2010

TWO weeks down and our two volunteers, Martin Costello and Mandy Hogan, are really beginning to see progress. This week, they’ve been sticking rigorously to their prescribed diet and they’ve been continuing their sessions with fitness instruction Brian Kennedy.
Both report feeling fitter and healthier that they have in ages and, somewhat surprisingly, both say that they’ve enjoyed sticking to the diet prescribed for them by the team in Ultimate Health. Next week we’ll be paying a visit to the gym to see how our two volunteers are getting on there.

Mandy..

OKAY it’s week two and I am full of energy and rearing to go. As you have probably noticed my diet has changed slightly this week. Every day except sunday from now until the big reveal I am doing 10mins a day on what is called a vibroplate. I go into Ultimate Health Every day to do this so I also have the advantage to ask the girls any questions I might have. They are always helpful with their answers and advice. I Absolutely love
the vibroplate because the machine itself does most of the work. I have really been sticking to this diet and programme like glue as they say. I was at the gym again on Friday with personal trainer Brian Kennedy and it was fab. I did a lot of weights this week and Brian showed me the right exercises to do at home. He is really good at pushing me to reach my potential.I am so much fitter now even after 2 weeks. Who knows - I might run a marathon after this (ha ha). Tuesday was weigh in day. I was met by Marese at reception who couldn’t wait to weigh me in as she said she knew I was down by looking at my clothes. I went down to be weighed and yes yes yes I was down another 3lbs. That’s a whole 10lbs in two weeks which is something I would never have done on my own. Also today I had my second colonic treatment with Caroline which was just as relaxing as last week. I couldn’t believe that a body can hold up to 28lbs of waste over the years. I will fill you in more next week as the girls in Ultimate Health have some new ventures arranged for me this coming week.

Martin..

After having a brilliant first week, feeling great and full of energy and losing 7lbs, the weekend came and Martin got too smart and thought he could beat the system and have a few pints of Guinness. For my troubles I gained 2lbs this week. (No more Guinness) Apart from my slight slipup everything else is going very well. I had the Colonic Hydrotherapy and I felt very good after it. Caroline and her staff are very professional and really help you to relax. Brian in the Gym is also excellent. He just pushes you that ”extra mile” that you would not travel without him. In my case it was an extra ”two
miles” this week. No trouble with the diet either. It’s actually quite nice when you get used to it. Overall, I’m feeling fitter and healthier than I have in a while. Looking forward to next weigh in.

Caroline Danaher from Ultimate Health..

On our volunteers’ progress, One of the most obvious things from the start of the programme is the commitment and dedication the lads are showing to the programme. It helps also that they are getting a huge level of support from their family and friends and I think the immediate results are also helping to spur the lads on. Brian the fitness instructor has also remarked on how easy it is to work with people with the right attitude to the programme. They have been great to maintain their food diaries and we can identify straight away what foods are causing them problems. The combination of the colonic hydrotherapy treatments, minding the diet and the exercise programme is really reaping rewards. They look great and no longer feel bloated or sluggish. Both have remarked how the programme is a new starting point for making a number of lifestyle changes. The results achieved are keeping them motivated and the fact they are sticking
to the plan very diligently will stand to them in the long run. Their own families have also changed their diets so it shows it is having a broader impact than just Amanda and Martin. Their enthusiasm makes it easier for everyone to work together in achieving great results.

Week 1 - Detox Diet & Visit To The Gym

March 18th, 2010

WITH one week completed, our two Operation Transformation Limerick volunteers, Mandy Hogan and Martin Costello, are already making great progress. After consultations with Caroline Danaher, Marese Shields and the team in Ultimate health, they were given a special detox diet and an appointment to meet fitness instructor Brian Kennedy in the gym. After just a week, they’ve both lost weight and they’re feeling
great.
Here’s how they got on…

Mandy..

I arrived at Ultimate Health to meet Caroline, Marese, Brian and the photographer from the Limerick Chronicle. Wasn’t to nervous. We had our photos done first.The girls then

weight me in and explained all about the detox diet that i was going to start with. Brian the personal trainer made an appointment with me to meet with him for a workout on the Friday morning. I found the first day or two really hard on the detox programme as I am not usually a healthy eater but after that it was fine and I felt I had more energy and I wasn’t hungry at all. I drank plenty of water which is another thing I hadn’t done before. Before I started the programme, if I wanted a drink it was always coke. I have followed the detox exactly the way Caroline and Marese advised and I have so much energy and there’s only one week down.Todaywas my first weigh in and I couldn’t believe it. I was down 7lbs which I think is FANTASTIC. Now I’m even more determined to keep going. I also had my training session with Brian in the gym on Friday which I
think was great. I enjoyed the gym although it wasn’t easy. Brian was there constantly encouraging me.That encouragement is what I needed because if Brian hadn’t been there
I probably would have lasted 20 minutes on my own. One week after starting the detox

diet Caroline in Ultimate Health gave me a colonic irrigation treatment. I was very iffy going in for this as I didn’t know what to expect. I arrived at the clinic and have a chat with Caroline and Marese. I felt at ease before even entering the treatment room.The first thing i noticed were the scented candles throughout which were so relaxing. Then

Caroline explained the treatment to me from start to finish. Carolinethen told me to relax and lo and behold she had started and I hadn’t felt a thing. I don’t know what I was getting worked up about. I was so relaxed. We were chatting away as if nothing were going on. It was only my first treatment and my tummy was so much softer than before.

Martin..

Approximately one week ago I went to The Ultimate Health Clinic feeling overweight, bloated and low in energy. After taking my details they suggested a six weeks course of diet and gym training. Week one consisted of a detoxification diet and one hour in the gym with a personal trainer which I duly followed.
After the first week without undue exertion or starvation I have gained
energy, lost that bloated feeling and also lost five pounds in weight. I am looking forward to week two which consists of colonic hydrotherapy, a diet of 20 per cent acid foods,
80 per cent alkaline foods and one hour in the gym.
I’ll report back next week.

Operation Transformation Limerick-Meet Our Volunteers

March 15th, 2010

AND so it begins…After a huge response to our search for volunteers to take part in Operation Transformation Limerick, we have found our two participants - Mandy Hogan and Martin Costello. Mandy Hogan lives in Kilbranish Drive, Woodview and is the mother of five children, ranging in age from three up to fifteen. She is due to turn 40 this year and says her top priority is to lose some weight - “to look beautiful again”. “As the years have passed, my weight has crept up faster,” she says. “As they say, life begins at 40, so it’s my turn to look after me and transform my life.” She says she has started lenty of diets and other fitness programmes before but has had difficulty sticking with them. This time, however, she is confident that she will go the distance. “This is the push that I needed. The publicity side alone would make me do it.”

Our other volunteer is Martin Costello from Ballina. Martin, who is in his early fifties, says he too wants to lose some weight - “I wouldn’t mind losing a stone,” he says. Martin admits to never having been in a gym in his life, his main source of exercise being the occasional game of golf. The idea of taking part in Operation Transformation was born - like so many thers - in a pub late one evening but Martin is determined to stick with the six-week plan. Apart from the sessions in the gym, he is expecting the most challenging part to be the abstention from alcohol. “I would say not having the few pints would be the hardest. I enjoy the couple of pints in the pub of a Friday night,” he says.

Over the next six week, Mandy and Martin will work with the team in Ultimate Health to transform their health and lifestyles through their unique health, fitness and detox programme. This will include a detox programme, colonic hydrotherapy, abdominal massage, a nutritional programme and beauty treatment. They will also have twice-weekly personal training sessions with fitness instructor Brian Kennedy who will work on improving their general fitness and help them shed those unwanted pounds.

We will check in with our two volunteers during the programme to see how they are getting on and at the end of the six weeks we have the BIG REVEAL, where we will unveil the new look Mandy and Martin. “We’re all excited - we can’t wait to begin,” says Mandy.

Meet Team Clare Operation Transformation

March 15th, 2010

090210-cp-045

WHEN Berni O’Hare got through the tough apptitude test to join the Garda Siochána and fulfill her lifelong ambition to join the force, she was over the moon. But minutes later, she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her as she was told she was too fat to wear the blue uniform.

“I was absolutely humiliated. I’d passed the aptitude test, I passed the medical but then I stood on the scales and she [the doctor] just came straight out with it. She said ‘You’re obese - you won’t be accepted until you lose five stone’.” With her dreams in shreds, Berni left the testing centre. A lesser woman would have slunk away and tucked into an oversized bar or chocolate but instead, Berni vowed to fight back.

“I was stunned, to have got so far and then to be stopped because of my weight. I told my friend what had happened and she said the best thing she could have said: ‘Berni - if it’s what you really want then you’ll work until you get it’.” So when she saw The Clare People Operation Transformation competition, Berni knew she had a way to solve her problem, get fit, lose weight and have another crack at fulfilling her dream to be a guard. The Ballynacally woman is five feet six inches tall and weighs 18 stone, taking a size 22 in clothes.

Working on her transformation with her will be the Ultimate Heath Clinic in the Quin Road Business Park, Ozone Health and Fitness and Anne Leavy Health and Beauty, along with The Monument Hair Salon, JR’s Hair Salon and Norma Jean Boutique. Berni, who has a 10-year-old son, Lee, had previously managed to lose a massive three stone by changing her diet, getting up at 6am and walking four miles before going to work and walking another hour each evening.

“It was fantastic, I had so much energy and I was able to buy clothes in a smaller size. But that was in the summer and once the winter set in, it got too cold to go walking and I got lazy. So the pounds started to pile on again.” Berni - like lots of people who battle the bulge - has tried numerous fad diets and ‘quick fix’ methods, but none worked. And, as a trained chef, her current profession - working in the kitchens in St Joseph’s in Ennis - doesn’t help her to keep the weight down.From the sack-loads of entries which  came in from people eager to take part, Berni’s letter stood out. “We could see she wanted this so badly and everyone felt so bad for her when we read her letter telling what happened to her at the test to join the Garda. Her  determination shone out. We just had to select her,” said The Clare People Life editor, Aoife O’Driscoll.

In her letter to The Clare People, Berni said, “I’d love to be able to look into a mirror and not see the Michelin man  looking back at me because that’s exactly how I feel when I look in the mirror. I also hate being referred to as the fat one. Whether I’m successful or not in your competition, I’m determined to lose the five stone that I have to lose and go back and apply for the job that I was told I was too fat for. My self-esteem and self-confidence is at an all-time low because on the inside I’m thin and fat on the outside. “My eating habits are the pits. I’m a devil for chocolate and fast food and skipping breakfast. Friends and family would describe me as being bubbly but secretly I’m fighting my battle with my weight which makes me hate myself.

As a parent, I personally feel I  should be setting an example for my son that healthy eating and exercise is the way to go.” Joining her in the six-week challenge, which is being supported by the expertise of the Ozone team, is her pal Jessica Chaplin, who is already a member of the force but who wants to shed some weight having gone from being sylph-like to weighing in at 11 stone at five foot four inches tall. “She wants to get rid of the weight that has gone on because she was doing shift work and eating away to her heart’s content. It’s just put on weight for her that she doesn’t want and she’s being fabulous in coming on board with me.” The team will be adopting an holistic approach,  addressing every issue from diet to fitness and body image.

The ladies will have twice weekly personal training sessions with the Ozone trainers while the Ulitimate Health Clinic will be organising a detox programme with their special colonic irrigation treatments, abdominal massage and nutrition programmes, all in the relaxed and comfortable setting of their health suites. At the end of their six weeks, the ladies will be treated to a spectacular makeover to highlight their achievements. “I know I can do this. I’ve never refused a challenge and I’m not going to back away from this one. I want to be a role model for other people and I will achieve my dream,” Berni told The Clare People.

Sweet Poison

February 10th, 2010

Sweet Poison

In October of 2001, my sister started getting very sick. She had stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around. Walking was a major chore. It took everything she had to get out of bed, she was in so much pain. By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies and was on 24 various prescription medications. The doctors could not determine what was wrong with her. She was in so much pain, and so sick, She just knew she was dying. She put her house, bank accounts, life insurance, etc., in her oldest daughter’s name, and made sure that her younger children were to be taken care of.

She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip to Florida (basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd. On March 19th I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and she said they didn’t find anything on the test, but they believe she had MS. I recalled an article a friend of mine e-mailed to me and I asked my sister if she drank diet soda? She told me that she did. As a matter of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment. I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet soda! I e-mailed her, the article my friend, a lawyer, had sent to me.

My sister called me within 32 hours after our phone conversation and told me she had stopped drinking the diet soda and she could walk! The muscle spasms went away. She said she didn’t feel 100% but she sure felt a lot better. She told me she was going to her doctor with this article and would call me when she got home.

Well, she called me, and said her doctor was amazed! He is going to call all of his MS patients to find out if they consumed artificial sweeteners of any kind. In a nutshell, she was being poisoned by the ASPARTAME in the diet soda and literally dying a slow and miserable death.

When she got to Florida March 22nd, all she had to take was one pill, and that was a pill for the ASPARTAME poisoning! She is well on her way to a complete recovery. And she is walking! No wheelchair! This article saved her life.

If it says ‘SUGAR FREE’ on the label; Do Not Even Think About It

I have spent several days lecturing at the World Environmental Conference on ‘ASPARTAME’ marketed as ‘NutraSweet’, ‘Equal’, and ‘Spoonful’.

In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United States in 2001 there is an epidemic of Multiple Sclerosis and Systemic Lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was causing this to be rampant.

I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject.

I will explain why ASPARTAME is so dangerous: When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. Many people were being diagnosed in error. Although Multiple Sclerosis is not a death sentence, Methanol toxicity is!

Systemic Lupus has become almost as rampant as Multiple Sclerosis, especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. The victim usually does not know that the ASPARTAME is the culprit. He or She continues its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become a life-threatening condition. We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once taken off diet sodas.

In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the symptoms disappear. We’ve seen many cases where vision loss returned and hearing loss improved markedly.

This also applies to cases of Tinnitus and Fibromyalgia. During a lecture, I said, ‘If you are using ASPARTAME (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc) and you suffer from Fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss you probably have ASTARTAME poisoning. People were jumping up during the lecture saying, I have some of these symptoms. Is it reversible? Yes Yes Yes, Stop drinking diet sodas and be alert for ASPARTAME on food labels. Many products are fortified with it. This is a serious problem. Dr. Espart (one of my speakers) remarked that so many people seem to be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice, a nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke addicts had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence.

Diet soda is not a diet product, it is a chemically altered, multiple sodium (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you crave carbohydrates. It is far more likely to make you gain weight.

These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. Formaldehyde is an absolute toxin and is used primarily to preserve “tissue specimens”. Many products we use everyday contain this chemical but we should not store it in our body.

Dr. H.J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the “diet products” and with no significant increase in exercise, his patients lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period.

ASPARTAME is especially dangerous for diabetics; we found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by ASPARTAME.
The ASPARTAME drives the blood sugar out of control, thus diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are neurotoxic when taken without the other amino acids necessary for a good balance, treating diabetes is all about balance, especially with diabetics, the ASPARTAME passes the blood/brain barrier and it then deteriorates the neurons of the brain, causing various levels of brain damage, seizures, depression, manic depression, panic attacks, uncontrollable anger and rage.

Consumption of ASPARTAME causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics as well. Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds in their behaviour when these chemicals have been removed from their diet. So called “behavior modification prescription drugs”(Ritalin and others) are no longer needed. Truth be told, they were never needed in the firstly place, most of these children were being “poisoned” on a daily basis with the very foods that were “better for them than sugar”.

It is also suspected that the ASPARTAME in thousands of pallets of diet coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the Gulf-war, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf war Syndrome.

Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early pregnancy. Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should never be given artificial sweeteners. There are many different case histories to relate of children suffering grand mal seizures and other neurological disturbances talking about a plague of neurological diseases directly caused by the use of this deadly poison.

Herein lies the problem; there are congressional hearings when ASPARTAME was included 100 products and strong objection was made concerning its use. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings, and still nothing has been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets.

Sadly, Monsanto’s patent on ASPARTAME has expired. There are now over 5,000 products on the market that contain this deadly chemical and there will be thousands more introduced. Everybody wants a piece of the ASPARTAME pie. I assure you that Monsanto, the creator of ASPARTAME, knows how deadly it is.

And isn’t it ironic that Monsanto funds, among others, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association and the Conference of the American College of Physicians?

This has been recently exposed in the New York Times. These organizations cannot criticize any additives or convey their link to Monsanto because they take money from the food industry and are required to endorse their products.

Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote and presented a bill that would require label warnings on products containing ASPARTAME, especially regarding pregnant women, children and infants. The bill would also institute independent studies on the known dangers and the problems existing in the general population regarding seizures, changes in brain chemistry, neurological changes and behavioural symptoms. The bill was killed.

It is known that the powerful drug a d chemical lobbies are responsible for this, letting loose the hounds of disease and death on an unsuspecting and uninformed public.

Well, you’re informed now! You have the right to know

Kick Start 2010 Competition

December 10th, 2009

Just answer the following question in order to be in with a chance to win a treatment programme to Kick Start 2010.

Q. Name two of the Ultimate Health Clinics nationwide locations. 

One lucky winner will receive a course of treatments in addition to an abdominal massage and detox programme.  Just email your name and prefered treatment location to clinic@ultimatehealth.ie  

 

Participation of Family and Friends Improves Weight Loss

December 10th, 2009

Going to the gym? Well, don’t forget to bring your friends. Exercising with a friend or family improves weight loss claims a new study.

Professor Shiriki Kumanyika and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, conducted the two-year trial where it included 344 men and women.

The volunteers’ goal was to achieve and maintain a 5 per cent to 10 per cent weight loss. The volunteers were educated about healthy diet and physical activity, given pedometers and enrolled in exercise sessions, reports The Telegraph.

A total of 63 people enrolled in the program alone and 281 enrolled with a friend or family member.

The groups were split into three sections, those who trained alone, those who had a partner that received little coaching and those who were with a friend who also had a high level of coaching.

Their progress was then measured at intervals of six, 12, 18 and 24 months, according to the research, published in the latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine journal.

After analyzes, researchers found that the participants with a partner in the high support group lost the most weight at all the measurement periods.

Kumanyika said: “We evaluated family and friend social support as a specific cultural adaptation strategy.

“Beneficial effects on weight loss were linked to actual rather than assigned partner participation and to partner success in losing weight.

“Further studies may elucidate ways to facilitate effective family or friend participation and to improve absolute weight losses.”

 

Link between Weight and Health

December 10th, 2009

Weight and health are strongly related to each other. Disease risk goes up slowly as weight gain pushes you out of the healthy weight range and into the overweight range. Your risk of disease and death increase significantly if extra weight puts you in the obese range. One study reported that obesity in middle age reduces life expectancy by seven years.

The list of weight-related diseases continues to grow. Increased weight raises blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and blood pressure, which are heart disease risk factors. Weight gain impairs the body’s ability to handle glucose (blood sugar) and contributes to a prediabetic condition called insulin resistance. Other medical conditions that are associated with increased weight include certain cancers, osteoarthritis of the knees and other weight-bearing joints, gastrointestinal tract disturbances, interrupted sleep and sleep apnea, and reduced fertility. To date, obesity has been linked with more than thirty medical conditions.

As weight goes out of the healthy range, risk increases for
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Several forms of cancer
• Metabolic syndrome (Syndrome X)
• Gallbladder disease
• Gout

It is not just big gains that carry ill health effects—the consequences of gradual or modest weight gain add up quickly. Even 10 or 20 extra pounds increases the risk of death among adults, as shown in a large study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.A recently published study found that just a 5% increase in the BMI over time had a negative impact on simple body functions like walking. Research on women, weight gain, and cancer found that women who gained 21 to 30 pounds since age 18 and were not on hormone replacement therapy were 40% more likely to get breast cancer than women who had gained no more than 5 pounds. The risk increased as the women’s weight increased. Similarly, another study found an 8% increase in the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer for every 11 pounds gained.