Uh oh, FDA revises advisory for Zocor...

Over the weekend, Reuters reported that (see here) the FDA revised it's recommendations for simvastatin (Zocor) (see here). The recommendation is to limit the use of the highest dose, 80 mg, of simvastatin in patients due to an increased risk of myopathy (muscle injury). This comes after the FDA reviewed data from the Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and Homocysteine (SEARCH) and found that particularly in their first year, patients who started the high dose were at a significantly elevated risk for myopathy. This news should not be a surprise tothe Unicity Science Blog followers. We posted on this issue way back in February of 2009 (see here).

The question then becomes - what do we do with this information? Well, for starters, you can look to clinically proven alternatives such as Bios Life Slim for cholesterol management. Unicity International has done and

will continue to do clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of the product in terms of maintaing healthy cholesterol levels (for examples see here, here and here).

Second - if you are taking a statin medication - supplement with CoQ10. Cholesterol and CoQ10 share the same starting biosynthetic starting point. This may be a simple way to mitigate the muscle pains caused by statin medications. Lastly - get out and exercise.

Another simple, yet effective way to help your body improve its ability to metabolize fats is through exercise. Plus, you get the added benefits of improved cardiovascular activity, reduced stress and improved learning! Get started today!

A fat buster...

Many of us know Dr. Mehemet Oz, from his frequent appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show and from his own show, "Dr. Oz". He is a great resource for tips on how to improve and maintain your health. In a recent episode, he targeted some ingredients as "Revolutionary Metabolism Boosters" (see the video clip here). Among these five revolutionary metabolism boosters was the ingredient, L-carnitine.

L-carnitine is a dipeptide (shown on the right) comprised of the two amino acids, lysine and methionine. One of the interesting functions of l-carnitine is its integral role in the production of energy in the body. L-carnitine is essential to transporting long-chain fatty acids into the cell's mitochondria. It's in the mitochondria, where the fatty acids take part in oxidative reactions that produce energy in the form of ATP. In order for, fatty acids to enter the mitochondria, they must first be chemically bound to L-carnitine, by forming ester bonds. These compounds, also called ester compounds, are carried into the mitochondria by special mitochondrial transport proteins, where they are broken down into short and medium chain fatty acids. L-carnitine will then bind to these short and medium-chain fatty acids and transfer them out of the mitochondria. All body tissues except brain cells depend upon this function of L-carnitine for energy production. To make matters worse, tissue levels of L-carnitine decline with age, reducing the efficiency with which the mitochondria operates.

So getting back to Dr. Oz, if you are interested in helping your body metabolize or burn fat more efficiently, one of the simple things you can do is supplement with L-carnitine. This fat-burning role is one of the principal reasons that L-carnitine (at a 500 mg dose) is included in our Bios Life E, or as we like to call it, Bios Life Matcha formulation. This synergistic role, with the antioxidants from Matcha, to facilitate fatty acid oxidation in the body makes this a great product for anyone seeking a natural way to help burn fat. Combine Matcha with Slim and you are on your way to a 1-2 combo that will transform your body!

Cut it out!

I saw this little article (see here) while reading the news during a layover in Mexico City.

According to the article, the average adults should only be consuming 8 grams (10 if you are following the USDA guidelines for sugar consumption) of sugar a day. One simple was to exceed this is to drink a soda. One 8 oz bottle of Coca Cola contains 46 grams of sugar. That's not a misprint (see here).

Mexico is a beautiful country, rich in history and full of culture - but it is also the Coca Cola capital of the world. I repeat this stat, it's no wonder that type II diabetes is the number 1 killer in Mexico. There are many other similar numbers around the world. A very simple thing to do is stop drinking all the extra sugar by getting rid of sugar-laden soft drinks. Do it for one month and see the results! If you want to see even better results in your health - drink Bios Life E or Bios Life Matcha in its place. Bios Life Matcha has only 1.5 grams of sugar. More importantly it contains polyphenols, naturally produced by the organic Matcha, called catechins. Catechins have been shown in clinical research to reduce carbohydrate absorption and improve insulin sensitivity. Can your soda do that?

A new toxin...

I saw this video (see here) over the Christmas holidays and was reminded of it by some of my co-workers. Dr. Robert Lustig, M.D. a pediatrician and expert in pediatric hormone disorders at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) gave this very compelling lecture. You NEED to see it.

Gary Taubes has a good article (see here), worth your time as well on the subject matter. Look at the two graphics on the left and right to see how much sugar and high fructose corn syrup the average person consumes respectively. YIKES!

Now consider what changes you will make in your life. Let me offer a few. First, start consuming Bios Life Slim. Slim reduces the physiological impact of sugars on your body. Two, stop drinking soda! Sodas are the hidden sugar bomb! While in Mexico last month, everywhere I went, I saw people drinking Coca Cola, Sprite, or Fanta. It's no wonder that the number one cause of death in Mexico is diabetes mellitus. Drinking empty calories is a quick way to adding inches to your waistline. More importantly is puts undue strain on your pancreas potentially leading to chronic diseases. Lastly cut out foods made from white flour. This means no white bread, rolls, white rice, doughnuts, pies, cookies, candies, etc...It may seem dramatic but it really isn't and it's very simple to do. Simply switch out the white food with food of color (vegetables, lentils, beans, etc...) Your body needs energy but it also needs vitamins and minerals to function properly. White flour based foods simply provide energy but not the other essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. You are very literally eating empty calories. Now you may experience a withdrawal period (I did) but persevere and plug through it. You will begin to look and feel better with those simple changes.

Some questions about Matcha...

I just spoke with our Matcha partners in Japan. They are safe and doing well. For your information, the matcha fields are located more that 300 miles south of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. As of March 23, 2011 no radiation had been detected. In speaking on with our partners today, they have confirmed the absence of radiation.

One item of note is that all of the product that is available today or that will be available this year is from the 2010 harvest. The 2010 crop reserve is being held in a cool secure facility with no radiation exposure. I received results confirming the absence of any radiation in their reserves. Even though the farms and processing facilities are located far to the south, as a precaution all material will be tested for radiation and will need to meet all Japanese and US food safety regulations.

We are confident that we will continue to be able to provide our matcha products without any delay or problems that may have been caused by the devastating earthquake and tsunami. I invite you to continue to consider donating to the relief efforts. As you know, these funds are matched dollar for dollar by the Make Life Better Foundation (see here). Remember that we ARE about Making Life Better.

A boost to your slimming efforts...

In 2009, a consortium of researchers lead by a group at Tufts University in Boston, MA, looked into the effects of a green tea-catechin rich drink on body fat distribution in exercising obese adults (see here). Two groups were both set to an exercise routine. One group drank a catechin-rich drink while the other was given a placebo. The group drinking the catechin-rich drink tended to have lower body weight after the 12 week trial. The green tea group also had less abdominal fat, lower triglycerides and free fatty acids. Something to consider when embarking on new health regime.

However, compelling the results, I wonder if this group wouldn't have achieved better results using matcha in place of a green tea extract. One of the pitfalls to using extracts is that extracts by their definition are only a fraction of the original source. In this case, green tea extracts or catechins, lack all of the many nutritional components of the Camellia sinensis leaf including, chlorophyll, soluble fiber, and amino acids to name a few. Matcha retains its naturally produced caffeine that when combined with the L-theanine produces a calm alertness that rivals medications. Matcha is a tea that is eaten not steeped and as a result one "eats" 100% of all that matcha has to offer. A far cry from the mere 30% of the nutrients gained by drinking a steeped green tea.

Now, consider this potent one-two punch Slim and matcha. Take the benefits of controlled blood sugar and reduced insulin from Slim and add to it the increase in fatty acid oxidation from matcha and you have a compelling set of products to attack a global epidemic, obesity. The simplest way to validate this is for you to try it. First - measure your waist. Second, drink Slim. Third - drink E, either with Slim or in between meals (it's great because it has such a low-impact on your blood sugar. In fact, other research shows that catechins may improve insulin sensitivity.) Try it for a month then measure your waist again. You'll see a difference! Matcha is a simple, yet delicious way to boost your Slimming efforts.

Scooped and the lessons learned from it.

In the scientific community - when one of two research groups who same the same research focus publishes a paper just before the other group - it's called scooping. It's a journalistic reference to getting the "scoop" before others do. Well, I was scooped by our CEO, Mr. Stewart Hughes (see here). He posted a recently published article in Obesity addressing meal frequency in obese men (see here), great article to read that gives further evidence to our 4-4-12 rule.

Now - I had highlighted this article to produce a blog post but in the hustle and bustle of the day didn't get around to doing it. Here are the lessons that apply to us all, on the corporate side or in the field. What separates those who lead and are successful from the followers and average joes is ACTION. Leaders do -they don't wait for the opportune time. They see the opportunity and DO IT. Waiting or hesitating results in passed or lost opportunities. In our lives - we are not living by standing on the sidelines. Action makes us participants in the game of life. Who doesn't want to live a richer fuller life?

Second lesson. I have been following Jim Fobair and his teaching a new idea to extend your work day by an extra five minutes. Do five minutes more of what you should be doing. So DO and then DO a little more. Clearly - I can and will improve work but this is part of life to keep working and getting better each day. What are you doing to make your life better?

If you needed another reason to stop smoking...

At the recent American Chemical Society meeting (see here), researchers at Cal State Polytechnical Institute in Pomona, California, found that nicotine raises blood sugar levels and the more nicotine was present, the higher the levels rose.

A quote from the study's author, ""Smoking is really harmful for diabetics. It's even more harmful to them than to a non-diabetic," said study author Xiao-Chuan Liu, an associate professor in the department of chemistry at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. "This study should encourage diabetics to quit smoking completely, and to realize that it's the nicotine that's raising [blood sugar levels]."

It's tough enough for diabetics but smoking exacerbates their situation. Stop smoking now! There are many local resources to help you in your efforts to quit. Life is too valuable to be spent killing ourselves with this addiction. Seek the help you need to quit smoking. Do it today! A smoker is estimated to lose 14 years of their life due to smoking (see here). Diabetics are estimated to lose 6 years of their life due to the disease. Combing the two means that one will lose 20 years of life! Stop smoking and start Bios Life Slim! Get your blood sugar under control with Slim and stop worsening the problem by quitting the smoking habit! Get Slim and live!

If there was one product you would take other than Slim, what would it be?

There are times in life when you are presented with an opportunity to speak with special people. Dr. Jorn Dyerberg is one such person, who happened to be in the right place, at the right time, and seized the opportunity of a lifetime. His research includes over 300 peer-reviewed publications and has been at the forefront of omega-3 fatty acid research for the past thirty years.

We had the pleasure of having him come to the corporate office, in Orem, Utah, to share with us his amazing story of how he and another Danish doctor, discovered omega-3 fatty acids. Dr. Dyerberg was kind enough to allow our video team to record the conversation. Check it out here. By the way - the answer to the question in the subject is an omega-3 supplement.

Nutrition by the numbers...

In Wisconsin, there is a movement (no - not the unions) to educate kids on healthy eating. The initiative is based on a local area code 54218. Each number is used to remind the kids of some healthy habit. Here is the call to action for each number:

5 - eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
4 - drink four glasses of water each day (no sugary drinks)
2 - limit your tv exposure to less than two hours
1 - be physically active for at least one hour
8 - get at least eight hours of sleep

It's very reminiscent to the 5 steps to Optimal Health (Hydrate, Exercise, Cleanse, Nourish and Target). Are you taking control of your health and living by the numbers?

Eat right and live well!

Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
- modified from : Edward Stanley (1826-1893) from The Conduct of Life

There is no better illustration to this quote than to simply look at some diabetes statistics. In the US - currently over 1/3 of the population is diagnosed a type 1 or type 2 diabetic or is considered to be pre-diabetic (based on fasting glucose and A1C results). The percentage of the population that is type 2 diabetic increases with age, in fact over 1.4 million new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes occurred in people over the age of 45. It's estimated that over $174 BILLION (that's nine zeros) is spent on direct and indirect costs simply due to diabetes (see here and here for diabetes stats). These are staggering numbers. The real problem is that experts aren't thinking it's going to get better. The tragedy is that type 2 diabetes is the result of a poor eating habits. It's a preventable disease.

The good news is that those eating habits aren't set in stone. They can change. For thousands of people, they have changed. We just aren't reaching enough people. One frequent question that a pre-diabetic (someone with a fasting glucose level greater than 100 mg/dl) might ask, "Is where do I start?" To answer that, let's turn a review article, published in The Journal of Nutrition in 2008. The authors of this article review what the metabolic effects are of consuming dietary fiber. They note that the consumption of soluble fiber decreases postprandial glucose responses and increases insulin sensitivity. This means that soluble fiber slows the rate at which your body absorbs glucose and reduces the output of insulin.

A year earlier, a research group showed that not all soluble fiber is equal, but rather viscous soluble fiber had a greater impact on post meal responses to glucose asborption. A colleague recently asked what made Bios Life Slim different from other fiber products available on the market. It's simple - the fibers used in Slim - are fibers that add viscosity to the gut thereby maximizing the effect on how your body absorbs glucose from your meals. It's not just one fiber but it's a blend of six different fibers, each contributing to the viscous nature of the drink that makes Slim unique. If you have any doubt, simply try it. Eat a meal and measure your glucose 60 minutes after eating that meal. Then do the same thing, only this time drink Slim before eating your meal. You'll see the difference!

Hippocrates wrote, "The wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings. Let food be your medicine." Let Slim be your first step to your greatest blessing - good health.

Keep moving forward...

I hope you are all doing well and have had a successful first two months for 2011. Many of you (hopefully all of you) have set goals and resolutions to do something to Make Life Better in some form of personal development. One of the keys to long term success, be it in business or personal health is setting appropriate goals and developing metrics to track your progress.

In 2009, researchers from the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, reported that participants who weighed themselves more frequently were associated with greater weight loss. This is not new data. Another group, from Drexel University, reported in 2007 a similar finding - that participants who frequently weighed themselves reported greater weight loss. Even more so - participants who stopped weighing themselves reported an increase in their body weight. Participants who lost at least 30 lbs and have been able to keep the weight off for at least one year share, as a common behavior, frequently weighing themselves. (As an aside - they also ate breakfast.)

Now whether you choose to track your body weight, your waist circumference or your body fat percentage - that is up to you. What is important is that you start keeping track of something. Tracking your progress is a simple exercise that reminds you of your goals and in the process creates a mechanism whereby you will make future positive choices throughout the day. Will all your future choices be the "right" ones (e.g. eating more fruits and vegetables or exercising)? Perhaps not at first, but over time, as you begin to replace poor eating habits with good ones, they will be.

One of the simplest habits that you can start to build is consistently drink Slim. Slim is the key to improving your nutrition and your health. There are many apps, calendars, websites, etc... that are at your disposal to track your progress. You can only see differences but if you are tracking them. The key is STARTING and DOING. "When you track performance - performance improves. When you track performance and report it - performance is accelerated." (Thomas S. Monson) Make it a family affair -get your spouse or loved one to join in with you. Perhaps a friendly wager to see who can have the greatest transformation is what you need to get motivated. Whatever it is - TRACK IT. Get out, get started and keep track of your peformance.

A matter of the heart...

What is the number one selling nutritional supplement in the United States? If you were like the majority of Americans who guessed a multi-vitamin, don’t feel bad – but you’re wrong. In fact, the number one selling nutritional supplement is an omega-3 supplement from fish oil.

What are omega-3 fatty acids and in what foods can they be found? Omega-3 fatty acids or n-3 fatty acids are part of a class of chemicals called polyunsaturated fats. Their name is due to the presence of the first carbon-carbon double bond at the third carbon from the methyl end of the fatty acid. Omega-3 or n-3 fatty acids are found in fish, like salmon, mackerel, sardines and krill. Marine-based sources of n-3 fatty acids, like OmegaLife-3, are particularly rich in two specific types of n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA).

Another frequently asked question is, "What the big deal about n-3 fatty acids? The Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine recently answered this question (see here and here). It's also helpful to go through a short history lesson to learn about the importance of n-3 fatty acids. In the early 1970’s a group of Danish scientists traveled to Greenland and by dogsled went to visit the Inuit or Eskimo population. They were investigating why this group of people had very low incidences of cardiovascular disease with a primary diet that consisted of mainly fish and seal. After repeated expeditions and drawing many blood samples, these scientists discovered that it was the n-3 fatty acids from the fish, particularly EPA and DHA that reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease in the Inuit population. (As an aside - we had the pleasure of having Dr. Dyerberg visit the office. He has a great mind but more importantly, is a terrific person.) Since that time, further research has confirmed the benefits of n-3 fatty acids, again primarily, EPA and DHA, on the following:

· Reduces triglyceride levels

· Lowers blood pressure

· Inhibits platelet aggregation

· Reduced inflammation

The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week (see here). A very simple, cost-effective way to improve your cardiovascular health is to supplement with an omega-3 product. Look to OmegaLife-3 or Salmon Omega as your sources of n-3 fatty acids.

Dietary guidelines...

As many of you are probably already aware, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released new dietary guidelines for Americans (you can see them here). In their own words, "... the recommendations encompass two overarching concepts:

- Maintain calorie balance over time to achieve and sustain a healthy weight.
...
- Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods and beverages. ..."

These two concepts are lofty and noble and the guidelines are safe. A bit too safe and I'm not the only one who thinks this. The folks over at Harvard agree with our take on refined sugars and carbohydrates (here). They also are in line with how we feel about Vitamin D (here, here and here). The guidelines are far too passive on Vitamin D and not in line with the current research for such low recommendations.

Here is one simple, free guideline recommendation for you - drink Bios Life Slim. Slim utilizes a dietary fiber matrix with clinically proven results (go here to see the results on the fiber matrix for yourself) for cholesterol management and blood sugar regulation. It's safe (gluten free) and easy to use (mix and drink). The simple addition of fiber to your diet will have marked impact on your overall health not just on the reduction of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risks - but your overall health. Get started with Slim today for a healthier you.

It's not only good for the heart but it's great for the mind as well...

I am, of course, referring to exercise. While many of us are well aware of the many benefits that exercise provides to our cardiovascular system - it has one benefit that should be enough motivation to get us up and off the couch. Exercise really does boost the brain. In a recent study conducted by a research group at the Salk Institute, investigators showed that aerobic exercise improved the spatial memory of the group that was randomized to the aerobic exercise arm. They found that aerobic exercise increased the volume of the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is responsible for spatial orientation, navigation and the consolidation of new memories. The research group also confirmed the increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) a sort of MiracleGro for neurons.

The main takeaway from this research is that is DOESN'T MATTER what age you are - exercise will help keep you thinking in a vibrant manner. The type of exercise you do can be simple and fun. Just be sure to get your heart rate up (be sure to check with a physician if it's been a while.) A great time to exercise is first thing in the morning. As you get your muscles firing, you'll soon see that you get your firing as well. If you need an extra kick in the pants to get off the couch, use Bios Life E. Bios Life E will help you get your body and your mind firing on all cylinders!

The battle of the bulge...

This is not a reference to World War II but rather to what is happening now in the world. A couple of recent popular media outlets (Bloomberg, Independent, and are referencing a recent article published in the medical journal Lancet. The results are - globally we are getting fatter. In the US, 2/3 of the population are overweight, 1/3 is obese. In Mexico - 1/3 of the population is diabetic, while in Japan, where 25% of population is diabetic, diabetes is considered the national disease. The recommendations from the article are that dietary and exercise interventions are needed. What is needed is a Slim intervention.

Here is an example of what a Slim intervention can do that comes to us from Scandinavia. The young man is Jonas Karlsson. Jonas is from Sweden. Jonas over the course of the past year, using Slim and Bios Life E, has lost over 50 kilos (that's over 100 lbs). Here is a comment from his mother Evalis, "Please share with others...about how you can change your life, even when its really difficult. And that its possible to feel so much better even with asberger, adha and low activity. And that its possible to beat a eating disorder with Bios Life Slim.

Jonas almost never went to school, just between 1-3 class. The other kids was treating him very bad and the grown up want better. Jonas never thought that he could have a work or anything. Today Unicity and their products have a so warm place in his heart so he talk to people on internet everyday about this. And he inspire other people to start with Slim and E."

Wow! Over 50 kilos is an outstanding result! Congratulations Jonas! Jonas, through his personal experience, discovered the additive benefits of combing Slim and Bios Life E on his fat-loss goals. Slim provides the fiber content and the 7X slimming material that lowers the glycemic load of your meals, keeping your insulin loads low. Bios Life E, provides polyphenos, specifically catechins, that have been shown to increase insulin sensitivity and increase fatty acid oxidation (fat burning). Jonas discovered, what many others are just now realizing, that Slim is great, but it's even better with E.

National Brest Cancer Awareness...

Earlier this month, I was at the airport, getting ready to board a flight to Japan. I was doing the usual traveler things, like read, check email, etc... I happened to glance over at the desk near our gate and I saw the agent wearing a bright pink tie. I thought to myself that it looked nice and matched his suit - when out of the corner of my eye I spotted another gate agent in a dress suit that was again, bright pink. It finally dawned on me, when I spotted the pink ribbon, that this airlines was participating in the promotion of Breast Cancer Awareness month (Way to go Delta!). Since that time I have noticed athletes from football players wearing pink cleats to baseball players swinging pink bats all with the desire to help raise awareness of this incredibly debilitating disease that affects our greatest treasures, our ladies. So here is a shout out to all of the great ladies in our lives! Get checked early and get checked often because we need all of you.

Now on a different note, it's interesting that Breast Cancer Awareness Month is October. In the US, the weather is cooling, the days are getting shorter and autumn is definitely in full swing. With shorter days however, comes less sunshine and it's that very sunlight that helps our bodies produce one of the most effective yet under-rated vitamins - vitamin D. We have highlighted vitamin D before (see here, here and here) and the breadth and depth of its benefits are impressive. Vitamin D is found in fish, dairy products, and mushrooms among other foods. However, epidemiological study after study shows that most Americans are vitamin D deficient. Not having enough vitamin D can reduce the absorption of calcium and increase the risk of rickets and other bone-related ailments. Not having enough vitamin D increases your risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. But as the weather turns colder - not having enough vitamin D reduces the vitality of your immune system leaving you at a greater risk for flu's and colds. Make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. Last year we reformulated Bonemate Plus to increase the vitamin D dosage to 4000 IU a day. If you don't drink milk or eat a lot of fish - start doing so. But an even more convenient way of getting vitamin D is by taking 2 caplets of Bonemate Plus, twice a day. Vitamin D is the nutritional flu shot and we all need more of it.

What to do about type II Diabetes...

The Reuters news agency released an article in which they covered a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on diabetes. In this report, the CDC predicts that the prevalence of type II diabetes will increase from one in ten adults to one in five or one in three adults. This is a staggering increase in a disease that is preventable.

A quote from one of the study's authors, "These are alarming numbers that show how critical it is to change the course of type-2 diabetes," CDC diabetes expert Ann Albright said in a statement.

Another quote, "The CDC says about 24 million U.S. adults have diabetes now, most of them type-2 diabetes linked strongly with poor diet and lack of exercise." This is a disease that is costing the US more than $174 billion (that's nine zeros) in the treatment of diabetes. Treatment that includes cases of blindness (diabetes is the number one cause of blindness), kidney failure and amputations. Check out data from the CDC showing the rise of diabetes and obesity.

This doesn't have to be so. Type II diabetes can be prevented! It starts with making the choice to be different - to take control of your life by starting to eat healthier and be more active. One of the simplest dietary choices you can make is to add more fiber to your diet. Use Bios Life Slim with your two largest meals and see what the impact will be on your body. You will feel a more stable distribution of energy over time, an increased sense of satiety and best of all - you can measure these results!

Why do we measure fat loss success by inches lost?

Many people ask us, "Why do you measure inches lost as a metric of success with Bios Life Slim?" It's a great question. We have been ingrained that body weight is a key metric for health and appearance. This is calculateg taking body weight, in kilograms, and dividing it by height, in meters squared yielding a value known as body mass index (BMI). There are very good studies correlating lower BMI's with improved health. However, one of the key criticisms of the use of BMI is that it doesn't distinguish how weight is distributed. For example, a person in good health with lots of muscle mass will likely be penalized with a high BMI (this is usually the case for many athletes) even though there is very little health risk.

Recently, there were two articles which demonstrated the use of an alternative method for assessing body weight distribution as it relates to health risks and that is waist circumference. One of the reasons for using waist circumference is that it directly measures increased fat mass around your organs, fat known as visceral fat. Visceral fat is more metabolically active and secretes more hormones and inflammatory signals known as cytokines than non-visceral fat. Therefore - it's important to have a measure that accounts for the distribution of fat in the body.
Now, in one study - investigators from the American Cancer Society examined the relationship between increased waist circumferences (WC) and your risk for early death. They found that very high WC's (defined as > 47 inches (120cm) for men or >35 inches (90 cm) women) doubled your risk of death. They concluded that WC has a positive correlation with mortality.

In the second study, a group from Germany, wanted to see if there were differences between BMI and WC in terms of risks for developing type 2 diabetes. Through the results of their study - they determined that neither measurement by themselves is an appropriate measure for assaying the risk of diabetes. In other words - in order to accurately assess the risk for type 2 diabetes both parameters needed to be measured. Other results from this study is that individuals with a BMI >25 and large waist circumferences are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Interestingly - individuals with normal weight but large WC have the same risk as pre-obese folks with small WC's. The important point to take home is that WC matters! Start using waist circumference a measure for how you are doing in changing your body. Set your goals to be >40 inches for men and >35 inches for women. Track your Slim progress and see how Slim helps you get healthy by dropping inches off your waist.

The roughage diet...

In the monthly newsletter for August sent by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the feature was on fiber. Many of us know that fiber is good for us but most of us are simply not getting enough fiber in our diet. The most current guidelines for fiber intake are for men between 35-40 grams per day and for women between 25-30 grams per day. On average, Americans are only consuming 12-14 grams per day or only about half of the recommended amount. I'll speak more to how we can improve on that below.

One question that is frequently asked is what are the benefits of fiber. A quote from the newsletter states, "Fiber can relieve constipation and normalize your bowel movements. Some studies suggest that high-fiber diets might also help with weight loss and reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer." We have the studies (go to http://www.unicityscience.org/ for reprints)!

Dr. Gertraud Maskarinec of the University of Hawaii is quoted stating the following about how fiber can slow the absorption of sugar in the intestines, "With diabetes, it's good to keep glucose levels from peaking too much," She continues, "We found that it's mostly the fiber from grains that protects against diabetes."

Another benefit of fiber is weight management - here's another money quote, "Weight loss is another area where fiber might help. High-fiber foods generally make you feel fuller for longer. Fiber adds bulk but few calories. "In studies where people are put on different types of diets, those on the high-fiber diets typically eat about 10% fewer calories," says Slavin. Other large studies have found that people with high fiber intake tend to weigh less."

So what can you do to increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Here are a few suggestions:

• Add fruits, vegetables and nuts to your diet.



• Switch to whole grains; substitute wheat bread for white bread or whole wheat pasta for traditional pasta



• Slip in more beans - legumes are a good source of fiber and protein



• Lastly - add Slim to your diet. Each serving of Slim contains 4 g of dietary fiber of which the majority is soluble fiber.

You can get all of benefits of fiber with Slim including improved blood sugar regulation, better portion control with your meals, regular bowel movements and normalized cholesterol levels. Get slim using Slim! Better yet - get slim using Slim and share Slim with a friend.