Arbonne Nutritional Products Review

I was introduced to this line of nutrition products by Christin, my sister-in-law, who became an Arbonne consultant/rep several months ago.  I received a bunch of "stuff" from her and having been trying them out since October. 

Arbonne is a multi-level marketing company that manufactures products for beauty and health, distributed through direct sales as well as independent representatives. Arbonne was created in Switzerland in 1975.  Founder Petter Morck sought to create a health and beauty company that didn't sacrifice the safety of the consumer for effectiveness.

On the surface, the company sounded good.  But always the skeptic, I did a little research before accepting the offer to try some of their products.  Discoveries I made were as follows: vegan, certified gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of toxins i.e. parabens, phyhalates, dyes, toulene, PABAs, benzens.  You know, all those things that won't kill you dead, but just assist in getting you into the grave a little quicker and in a semi-preserved state.  And which the United States and FDA is ok with. 

So I decided to be a guinea pig.  If anything was amiss with these products, my highly specialized engine, which tolerates only "real" food, would let me know pretty quickly.  I started off with the following for everyday hydration and training sessions lasting less than 2 hours.

Pleasant flavor and not overly sweet.

While I did not notice any super human powers coming to life, I also had no gut issues.  Then I moved on to their protein powders.  I tried both the Vanilla and Chocolate in my recovery smoothies.  Sometimes plant based protein powders can have a gritty texture or leave an aftertaste.  Arbonne's products did not.  They also have an unflavored, unsweetened one that I plan on purchasing.

As far as customer service goes, all I can say is that my questions were answered quickly.  If Christin didn't know the answer, she would consult with the company and find out.  Arbonne's development team is also very responsive to the needs and concerns of their consultants and is constantly fine tuning their products. Their testing procedures even go above and beyond what USDA requires. 

I have yet to try their bath and beauty products, but will probably pull the trigger soon. I first must divorce myself from Bath and Body Works, whose products I love, but which contain ingredients that I do not wish my body to absorb.

As far as the nutrition side goes, Christin does run some specials throughout the year, including 30 Days to Healthy Living and 10 Day Detox.  If you are interested, you can message her on FaceBook and she would be happy to entertain your questions.

Christin, Jack, and brother Todd

So these products are just another option when adding to your nutritional arsenal.  And they are "Carey-approved."

They will be moving to Georgia the first of the year.  Having said that, I am sure once they are settled, Christin will be hosting some events at her house. 

Second Edition of Whole 30 Completed

So I started my second Whole 30 the day after Thanksgiving.  It turned out to be a Whole 26, 2 days off, followed by a Whole 4.  I decided this after I not having any diet changing experiences this go around.  I previously mentioned I had been having some mild GI issues, fatigue, and insomnia.  During this second run, I eliminated sugar,  Stevia, carageenan, and guar gum, hoping that perhaps one of them was a trigger for my issues.  (I have been grain, dairy, alcohol, and legume free for 2 years).

I waited until I was in my third week to see if any of the symptoms would subside, but they did not.  I still kept on the plan, but added 500mg of Magnesium which I would take around 6-7 pm.  After about a week, I noticed improvement in both my gut motility and sleep pattern.  Magnesium is known for its ability to aid in digestion, natural laxative properties, and has a calmning effect.

Although a magnesium defiency can lead to fatigue, I did NOT notice any improvement to my fatigue levels.  I am hopeful that with continued improvement in my sleep, my level of fatigue will improve.

What I did notice the most and perhaps to a larger degree (as opposed to my first Whole 30) was fatigue on the bike.  Even though I was eating enough calories in the form of bananas, dates, and sweet potatoes, I had the endurance, but not the upper end power.

So, with Christmas approaching and my need to feel better on the bike, I shortened my Whole 30.  The first ride with sugar in my body was December 26 and my legs were back!  That ride was invigorating.

The first food that I have added back is peanut butter.  I have had no issues.  Why not just stick with the true nut butters?  Because peanut butter is SO DARN GOOD!  And I really want to get my hands on the new peanut butter RX bar.  I will keep it in moderation and tend to rely more on almond butter and cashew butter in my baking.

For now, my intentions are to be Whole 30 compliant on my rest/recovery days and to consume sugar on my training/racing days.  The sugar monster has been contained, thus far!

Time To Reboot

Real food is medicine for the mind, body, and soul.

This is my second time doing the Whole 30 Plan.  The first time was 2 years ago when my Mom and I decided to clean up our diet.  I learned alot about what food can do for you ... and to you (both the good and the bad).  Since then I have been grain free, dairy free, mostly legume free (aside from soy lecithin and an occasional spoonful of peanut butter), and additive free (nitrates, nitrites, sulfites, MSG) except for carageenan which is found in almond and coconut milk that comes in cartons.

I have been the healthiest and fittest ever!  So why do another Whole 30, you may ask?

I need to take a sugar detox.  In the past two months and especially on my non-cycling days, I have slowly been increasing my daily intake, mostly in the form of dark chocolate and stevia.  According to the American Heart Association, the maximum amount of sugar a woman should eat is 25 grams per day.  Initially, I had been sticking with this recommendation (on my non cycling days).  But here lately that number has been in the 40's - low 50's.  The sugar monster must be destroyed!  FYI, one 12 ounce Coke has 40 grams of sugar.

I have been experiencing sleep maintainance insomnia.  I have no problems falling asleep, usually by 9:30 pm.  But I am waking up around 3-4 am and cannot fall back asleep.  I have done all the recommended things:  no sound, no artificial light, taking melatonin.  Nothing is working.  So maybe it is something in my diet.

I have been experiencing more fatigue than what I think I ought to, given my training/racing.  By the time I get home after working all day, I am absolutely whipped.  All I want to do is eat dinner and curl up on the couch.  This might be normal given the stressors of daily life, but I want to make sure it is not related to food.

I occasionally have some GI disturbances, mostly in the form of bloating and decreased motility.  I had discovered certain foods that cause this:  garlic, onion, and brussel sprouts.  These vegetables fall into a category known as FODMAPS (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.  These carbohydrates are incompletely absorbed in the GI tract and can be easily fermented by gut bacteria.  These sugars also exert an osmotic effect, increasing fluid movement into the large bowel.  The fermentation and osmosis caused by these undigested sugars can lead to gas, bloating, pain, and diarrhea.  Whereas in the past I had these foods on a daily basis, now I must limit them to both in quantity and frequency.  But I still am experiencing some GI issues and am wondering if it could be related to any non Whole 30 foods.

So today was Day 1.  No big deal.  The second time is going to be alot easier than the first.  What I distinctly remember from the first time was the feeling of power!  That I was not a slave to the sugar monster.  Of course, I also remember the lowest point, too.  When, during week 2 I decided to pre ride the Southern Cross route and almost did not make it to the top of Winding Stair.  Talk about bonking!

I recommend trying this if you are having any sort of digestive issues, unusual aches/pains, low energy levels, seasonal allergies, skin issues, or have an emotional addiction to food (which is usually junk food).  It is only 30 days ... and it has the potential to change your life, forever!

Cholesterol: What the Drug Companies Don't Want You to Know

I want to write about something that is near and dear to my heart.  Last January, after completing my Whole 30, I went to my doctor for my annual exam and bloodwork.  I had just finished reading Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution and I asked my doc if he could some additional tests.  Instead of just the basic cholesterol profile (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides), I wanted the full monty (breaks down HDL and LDL into small dense and large fluffy particles, C reactive protein, homocysteine, A1C, and tons of other useful info).

Highly recommend reading this.

After giving what seemed like a liter of blood, I anxiously awaited the results.  Three weeks later, I had a 6 page report in my hand.  My doctor said my total cholesterol was high and suggested I go on a statin drug.  What the heck?  I had just finished up the best "diet" ever, was feeling awesome, was staying on a Paleo diet at this point, and my total cholesterol was 267!  Sure, my HDL was at a very healthy 129, but my LDL was 112.  The report did have a lot more info such as Apo A-1, Apo B, Lp(a), etc., but to me, this was Greek!

The last time I listened to a doctor's recommendation, I had my gall bladder unneccesarily removed and prescribed a pill for inflammatory bowel disease.  So I politely declined the statin script and vowed to learn Greek.  I poured over the web searching for truthful info, but kept striking out.  It seemed like every site supported the use of statin drugs.

Eight months later, I found The Great Cholesterol Myth by Jonny Bowden and Stephen Sinatra while Carly and I were in Books A Million.

A must read, if you value your life.

After reading this book, almost non-stop, I finally could see the light at the end of the tunnel.  My first thought was, "F--- you drug companies and your statin drugs!"  The sentence that immediately captured my attention was, "When the National Cholesterol Education Program lowered the 'optimal' cholesterol levels in 2004, eight out of nine people on the panel had financial ties to the pharmaceutical company."  Nice!

After reading the book, I now understood my test report and all those letters and numbers made sense.  Here are a few key take home points from the book.

The easiest way to know if you are at risk for cardiovascular disease is to walk (shoulders/back straight, chest out) towards a wall.  If your belly hits the wall before any other body part, you are probably at risk.  Pregnant women are the exemption :)

Not all HDL's are good, and not all LDL's are bad.  They can be broken down into the bad small, dense particles and the good large, fluffy particles.  Needless to say I had a ratio of small dense to large fluffies of 0.27.  I got an A+ on that test!

The most important colesterol particle of all, which conventional tests do not focus on, is Lp(a).  Lp(a) is a very small, highly inflammatory particle that is thrombogenic (blood clotting). It is the foundation of plaque.  Once again, I received an A+, as mine was 17 (optimal levels are <30 p="">
Saturated fat raises cholesterol, but it raises the overall HDLcholesterol and the good part of LDL cholesterol far more than it raises the bad part of LDL.  And that would go along with my increase in numbers since I had become Paleo.

As far as conventional cholesterol tests go, the triglycerides are the most important risk factor for heart disease.  And it is sugar and processed carbohydrates that raise triglyceride levels.  My triglycerides went from 84 (pre-Paleo) to 46.  A+ once again, as optimal levels are less than 150. If your insurance only covers the conventional cholesterol testing, then the better way to predict heart disease is to calculate the ratio of your triglycerides to your HDL.  For example mine is 46/129 = 0.36.  If you have a ratio < 2, you ought to be happy, regardless of what your total cholesterol is.  Just to make a point, my husband's total cholesterol is 188, but his ratio is 3.6.  Anything > 5 is problematic.  I really need to talk to him about his convenience store eating habits.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker for inflammation.  Optimally you want to be < 0.8.  Mine was 0.3.

Homocysteine is an amino acid by product that causes your body to lay down sticky platelets in blood vessels.  Normal is < 11; mine was 7.  If this number is high, taking folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6.

You can change your LDL levels; it is not all genetic.

Lowering cholesterol has a very limited benefit in populations other than middle aged men with a history of heart disease.

Cholesterol levels are poor predictors of heart attacks.  Cholesterol is the buiding block of sex hormones.  It is needed to make Vitamin D.  It is used to make bile acids needed for digestion.  Brain cells need cholesterol to communicate.  Cholesterol is used to fight infection.  And the list of good things that cholesterol does goes on ...

Cholesterol is not the bad guy:  SUGAR is.  Inflammation is at the "heart" of heart disease.  Sugar is highly inflammatory.  Factor in chronic stress and you have a recipe for disaster.

So, after deciphering my lab work, I now feel comfortable with my "high" total cholesterol.  I will continue to eat grass fed red meat, grass fed clarified butter, pastured bacon, and and free range eggs.  I will continue to stay the hell away from food in a box and sugar!  After all, I have no family history of cardiovascular disease; the Williams clan does have pretty good tickers!

And no, I will not be taking any statin drugs just to lower a number that is insignificant to begin with.  Just in case you do not know, statin drugs can cause muscle pain, memory loss, liver failure, and deplete your body's stores of CoQ10 (which is vital to muscle function, including your heart!).  The drug companies will tell you how statins reduce your risk of heart attacks, but what they don't tell you is that it is relative risk and not absolute risk.  Absolute risk is the true reduction in risk whereas relative risk is a big smokescreen that obscures what you really want to know.  It is their way of making their numbers sound really good.  And remember, most drug companies fund their own studies. Fuzzy math, I tell ya!

So maybe these authors are just full of crap, have some vendetta against the drug companies or are wanting to make a buck or two off their book.  Well, I don't think so.  They have a 14 page bibliography of research articles that are not linked to drug companies.

I encourage you to think long and hard before taking any drug.  You have got to be pro active about your health.  A number is just a number; you must factor in history, genetics, environment, and clinical signs.  Unfortunately today, too many doctors just want to focus on numbers.  And drug companies will concoct pills to "fix" those numbers, regardless of what additional problems those drugs will cause.

Screw you Lipitor!  Food is my medicine.

A good website to go to that discusses advanced testing is Health Diagnostic Laboratory.