Working as a member of the Health Marketing team for Amway’s Nutrilite brand has been an exciting and enriching experience. I’ve been humbled and honored to spend time with our highly motivated IBOs (Independent Business Owners) and excited to meet our teams that drive our organic farms and product labs to deliver high-quality nutritional supplements.
Pictured: The Nutrilite Supplement Center
Having said that, I’m embarrassed to admit that over the four years I’ve spent with Amway, I’ve struggled to completely incorporate the supplements I’m proud to represent into my personal routine. When I joined the business supplements were never really a part of my day-to-day routine, I remember having a bottle in my cabinet, but rarely cracking the seal. But once I had a chance to meet our experts at Nutrilite I began making healthy habits like exercise, healthy eating and supplements a priority in my life.
But deciding to make healthy habits a priority was just the first step. While I had the best intentions, a commitment to work out each morning was a lot easier than a commitment to take my supplements as recommended (7 days per week, often 1-2+ times per day).
While there are a variety of options to help remember to take your supplements, none of them truly fit my lifestyle. With work that requires travel and full days, and a home life that keeps me moving stationary Monday through Sunday tablet cases never really worked for me. When I needed my supplements (Breakfast, Dinner) they always seemed to be sitting in the cabinet at home. That’s why I’m so excited about the new Nutrilite Supplement Center. Since I received a prototype version a few months back, I’m happy to say that I haven’t missed a single dose of my favorite Nutrilite Supplements, many of which require multiple doses (below).
The Supplement Center is designed for people who live on the go and specifically for people looking to build a healthy routine for the very first time. For those who already have it down, the larger supplement cases available from Nutrilite may be your best option. Want to know more about how the Supplement Center works? I like it so much that I was proud to appear in a video to demonstrate just how it works – check it out!
The Supplement Center has helped to change my life for the better and I hope it can do the same for you.
Stay healthy my friends!
Matthew Darin is married and looking forward to growing his family in Ada, MI. He is an Assistant Brand Manager for Amway’s Nutrilite brand with past experience in Weight Management, Fitness and Children’s Nutrition. He enjoys living a healthy and active lifestyle, outdoor activities like running and camping and is an avid professional football fan
Today I bring to you the words of wisdom of another co-worker of mine, Tom Sturgeon. I’ve worked with Tom in various capacities during my Amway tenure, and I can attest, he’s a fast-moving wealth of knowledge!
Change can be more difficult for some than others. For example, some people have a hard time changing lanes on the highway, but I’ve never had this issue – friends and family say that I drive like I’m at the Daytona 500 looking for the checkered flag. That said, even minor changes like switching my favorite brand of soft drink seem a bit “crazy”. “Change to be a healthier person” is a very admirable goal to have, but it may require changes in how we currently live… and some may be harder than others.
Many of us want to be the healthiest person we can be, but fail to take the proper steps to achieve this goal. Consider this: reports show that 8 out of 10 people in the U.S. don’t get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet. Of course there are many reasons for this including hectic schedules, poor food choices and just not making healthy lifestyles a priority.
Nutritional supplements offer a simple way to fill the gaps in your diet. While eating fresh fruits and vegetables is always the best choice, it may not be realistic with your schedule and access to these foods. But to achieve the maximum benefit from your supplements you need to take them consistently. Many people say they forget to take their vitamins or they just aren’t part of their “daily” routine. Experts say that with any behavior change you need to do something for 21-30 days to make it a routine. Here are some ways to help make your supplementation a regular routine.
2. Write several reminder notes to yourself and put them in places where you will see them. By the alarm clock, on the refrigerator door, and under your car keys are good places to start.
3. After the newness wears off, then you will have to remind yourself, “Hey I forgot to ____”. Keep using the notes if you have to. But don’t get down on yourself, experts say that it takes 16 to 21 times of repeating a task to make it a habit. Some people say it will take over a month to solidify it and make it something you will do without having to think about it. Two to three weeks will help you to remember, but thirty days or more will make it a part of your every day routine, something you won’t necessarily have to think about before you do it.
4. Associate your supplement doses with something you already do on a regular basis. For example, put them on the counter or next to the fridge so that you will remember to take them at breakfast time.
Simple changes like regular exercise, healthy diet and routine supplementation will help you get into the fast lane to achieve a healthier you.
Tom Sturgeon is a Brand Manager for Amway’s Nutrilite brand. Tom has been with Amway for 22 years in various roles. Tom enjoys time with his wife and watching his two teenage sons participate in football, soccer and baseball.
If I had a dollar for every person who has tweeted me or stopped and asked me what I am doing with all of my free time now that I am retired, I’d have – well – not enough to stop all my post-football playing activities, but I’d have enough to buy dinner here and there!
I stepped away from the rigors and physical demands of the game I love so that I would be a healthy, vibrant dad to my kids – five of them 12 or younger. I wanted to be able to play hoops with my buddies at the local Y to get my competitive fix, but also be able to have the time, energy and wherewithal to keep up with the kids.
While I have that, one thing I don’t have any more of – really – is time. Not that I’m complaining. I have so many great opportunities and I have loved them all.
One that really has helped me though, to get the most out of my time, is the opportunity to partner with Nutrilite exclusively from Amway. I’m barely 40 and feel like I can still suit up on Sunday’s and that is thanks in part to Nutrilite. In April I took a trip to the Nutrilite Center for Optimal Health and that fired me up even more about the partnership. I’ve seen first hand the people and the processes that go into making Nutrilite the best of the best. And now they are helping me achieve optimal, post-football health day in and day out.
While I lost a fair amount of weight and muscle mass from my playing days, the Nutrilite Sports Nutrition Protein Shakes (vanilla is my favorite) I drink each day have helped me define my retired shape. And instead of turning to soda when I’m craving a sweet, tasty treat, I find myself reaching for Nutrilite Antioxidant Juices or the new Fruits & Vegetables 2GO Twist Tube. The energy bars are a great pick me up before hoops and of course, I love my Double X. My sleeper or favorite that few people may know about? No pun intended, it has to be Nutrilite Valerian and Hops.
There is rarely a day that goes by where my family isn’t going this way or that, whether I’m in LA for studio work, or we’re out helping others realize their hopes and dreams through First Things First, or we’re just busy being like every other family with kids in things from plays to dance to sports and so on. Life is busy and we are blessed. And one of those blessings is my partnership with Nutrilite. To see first hand what I think of all the great products Nutrilite and Amway have to offer, go here…
I got a sneak peek of the NEW Nutrilite Kids coloring book this morning, and it is super cute! It teaches kids about the importance of fruits, vegetables, and color – while still being fun!
The coloring book will be coming out on February 1, 2010 as part of limited-time, special promotion.
Nutrilite Kids Bundle Promotion Starting on February 1, you get a free Nutrilite Kids Coloring book when you order a Nutrilite Kids Bundle. So, what in the world is a Kids Bundle? It includes three Nutrilite supplements for kids:
NUTRILITE BRAINIUMS DHA® Supplement - a yummy gummy that gives kids the essential omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which studies show helps support memory, learning, and concentration.
Yes, it's chilly out… but the winter months are not an excuse for your diet to go into hibernation. In-season fruit may be harder to come by, but that doesn't mean your nutritional needs have changed. Now, it's just as important – if not more – to make sure that you're getting the health benefits of fruits.
Two quick tips to include more fruit in your diet:
1.) Give freeze-dried fruit a chance
Don't cringe. I know that in the past freeze-dried fruit has been somewhat synonymous with chalky, powdery products with little flavor. However, there are many new varieties avaiable in health food stores that have all the flavor of fresh fruit and almost the same amount of vitamins and minerals.
Freeze-dried fruit is:
convenient
cost-effective
available all 12 months of the year
compact
When walking down the packaged fruit aisle, be sure that it's "freeze-dried" rather than heat-treated. Heat damages the nutrients.
Like freeze-dried fruit, a supplement that contains concentrated fruits and vegetables is also convenient, cost-effective, available all 12 months of the year, and compact. As an added bonus, with Nutrilite Concentrated Fruits and Vegetables, you get the phytonutrient equivalent of 10+ servings of fruits and vegetables in just two tablets.
Cool, new research! Dole, the world’s largest producer of fresh fruits and vegetables, just released the results of an 18-month study where they named the nation’s top 21 salad cities.
So, what is a salad city? This means that local residents in these markets eat more salad per person than their counterparts in other U.S. cities, have the potential to eat more salad or are more likely to try new salad blends, experiment with salad and salad ingredients in the kitchen or serve salad as a meal.
My city – Grand Rapids – made the list!! yay!!
The 21 cities:
Albany-Schenectady, N.Y.
Buffalo, N.Y.
Cincinnati
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
Flint-Saginaw, Mich.
Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, Mich.
Harford-New Haven, Conn.
Houston
Indianapolis
Kansas City, Mo.
Lansing, Mich.
Los Angeles
Louisville, Ky.
New York City
Phoenix
Richmond-Petersburg, Va.
Salt Lake City
Wichita-Hutchinson, Ks.
Why should you get excited about salads? Salads are a great source of
phytonutrients. Phytonutrients ("phyto" meaning plant) are the natural
nutrients from plants that give them their vibrant colors and health
benefits. Need a few more reasons to inspire you? Check out the Web MD article 4 Healthy Reasons to Eat a Salad Today.
At Nutrilite, we believe you should eat whole fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible. When you can't, Nutrilite supplements like Nutrilite Concentrated Fruits and Vegetables, can help you fill in the gap between the fruits and veggies you need and what you actually eat.
What is America's Phytonutrient Gap for Ellagic Acid? According to America's Phytonutrient Report the gap is 87%. The graph below shows the percent of Americans, by age group, who have a gap in their Ellagic Acid consumption.
America's Ellagic Acid Gap
Science Buff Section:
Interesting Tips/Facts -
Plants produce ellagic acid to protect themselves from microbiological infection and pests.
Besides cranberries, raspberries and pomegranates, walnuts and pecans are good sources of ellagic acid.
Ellagic acid helps combat oxidation or “the rust” of our cells.
Of 100 common foods, the USDA ranks raspberries as one of the top 10 in terms of their total antioxidant capacity, which can be attributed in part due to their ellagic acid content.
Research References -
Falsaperla M, Morgia G, Tartarone A, Ardito R, Romano G. Support ellagic acid therapy in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) on standard chemotherapy using vinorelbine and estramustine phosphate. Eur Urol. 2005; 47:449-454.
Pantuck AJ, Leppert JT, Zomorodian N, Aronson W, Hong J, Barnard RJ, Seeram N, Liker H, Wang H, Elashoff R, Heber D, Aviram M, Ignarro L, Belldegrun A. Phase II study of pomegranate juice for men with rising prostate-specific antigen following surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2006;12:4018-4026.
Aviram M, Rosenblat M, Gaitini D, et al. (June 2004). "Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation". Clin Nutr 23 (3): 423–3.
Seeram NP, Lee R, Heber D. Bioavailability of ellagic acid in human plasma after consumption of ellagitannins from pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice. Clin Chim Acta. 2004 Oct;348(1-2):63-8.
