Usana RESET: information

I lost 8 lb on RESET. Two of my sisters also did reset and lost about 7 or 8 lb. And we had a friend in Seattle that lost 5 lb. We have also had several other acquaintances lose weight with Usana’s products. Most recently, my sister in law lost 10 lb on RESET.

Both of these pictures really are me! No airbrushing here! If you are interested in my story, then your health is obviously important to you. I commend you for looking for ways to better yourself. I believe in being pro-active in my health and trying to learn all I can so that I can be the best that I can be.

Before I was introduced to USANA I had been searching for a way to lose weight and develop a healthy lifestyle for many years. I had most recently been on a low calorie diet and had lost a bit of weight but was continually struggling with carb and sugar cravings, being on a blood sugar roller coaster and not knowing what mix of foods were truly good for me. I read countless books, tried many recipes, and talked to everyone I could who knew more than me about dieting and nutrition. I had become dedicated to exercising but saw little results and still struggled to have enough energy to get me through the day. I felt I was doing all I could and thought I would just struggle for the rest of my life to have the will power to resist the foods I had cravings for.

After sharing my frustrations with a friend she told me about USANA and RESET, a way to reset my metabolism, and eliminate cravings. She shared with me the importance of total nutrition, including taking high quality nutritional supplements along with eating balanced low glycemic foods. It sounded like what I had been looking for. I did RESET and my cravings were totally gone by the second day. I have not had a dip or spike in my blood sugar since starting and have energy to spare, which is amazing considering we have 2 home based businesses and 5 children to keep up with. I have continued on with Phase I and stick to eating low glycemic foods.

What a blessing this in my life. USANA and the high quality products that they offer are helping me to achieve what I never thought possible, to be the strong, healthy person I have desired to be. I realized the other day that I now eat to live, not live to eat. If you'd like to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and/or the other opportunities that USANA has to offer, please contact me.

USANA recognizes that to maintain true health, the body not only needs advanced amounts of vitamins and minerals, but also excellent sources of dietary fiber, protein, and beneficial fats. USANA Macro-Optimizers are formulated to provide great-tasting, healthy, and convenient macro nutrition. These delicious shake mixes and snack bars... including Fibergy bars, Nutrimeal, and Nutrition bars... provide complex carbohydrates, complete soy protein, and diverse sources of fiber. USANA also offers a unique jumpstart to nutrition with its 5-Day Reset Your Life Program. The program is simple-for five days, participants include healthful Macro-Optimizer shakes and bars in their diet. This clean break from fatty, non-nutritious food acts as a reset button for the body, helping put reset participants on the path to better nutritional habits.

1. Read and understand the theory as to why this works:
Suggested book: “Releasing Fat”
2. Plan to exercise daily.
3. Order a RESET kit
4. Before you start the 5-day RESET, place an order for more supplies so that you can continue uninterrupted once you start the program. See the product guide for prices.
A) more meal-replacement shakes
B) vitamins essentials
C) snack bars

THERE ARE 3 PHASES TO THE PROGRAM:
PHASE RESET: is a 5 day kit with vitamins, snacks, and shakes. If you get hungry beyond the food in the kit, you can also have 1 cup of vegetables and 1 cup of fruit each day. (average weight loss is 5-7 lb). Drinking plenty of water is vitally important, especially during RESET. Exercise daily, but strenuous exercise is not suggested.

PHASE I: In order to continue the weight loss now that your metabolism has reset, begin using the shakes for 2 meals instead of 3. You can choose which meal you prefer to eat low glycemic food instead of the shake. No bread, rice, pasta, or potatoes during phase I. Continue to keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Exercise daily: You can begin a more stringent exercise regimen now as you can tolerate it.

PHASE II: When you reach your desired weight, continue using the shakes once a day for nutrition and/ or convenience. Continue to exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Continue to take the vitamin supplements for healthy cells. Choose healthy low-glycemic foods and snacks.

EATING LOW GLYCEMIC FOODS. Experiments have been conducted where a test group was divided in two. One was given low glycemic breakfast and lunch, and was free to eat whatever they wanted for dinner. The other group was not restricted for the first two meals. The comparison was done for the dinner meal. What was found is that the group that had a low-glycemic meal for breakfast and dinner ate 80% less for dinner than the other group. So the tables were turned with the same two groups, with the same outcome (the group that did not eat a low glycemic diet ate 80% more for dinner than the other test group).

What is low glycemic? These are foods that do not spike your blood sugar. Generally, the more a food is processed, the higher the glycemic index. Regular table sugar is used as a standard for measurement in the glycemic index. How do other foods compare? After a food is eaten, blood samples are taken to see how high the blood sugar levels rise. White potatoes have a higher glycemic index than sugar! Some other foods to avoid with high index are white bread, and white rice.

Instead use brown rice, whole grain bread, and any pasta should be cooked al dente (not completely done... If it says cook for 7-10 minutes, cook it for only 7).
If you like sugar, use granulated fructose, which has a glycemic index of only 19 compared to regular table sugar at 100.

HOW DO HIGH GLYCEMIC FOODS AFFECT YOUR HEALTH?
Your body naturally produces insulin when blood sugar is high in order to stabilize all your bodily functions. When your blood sugar spikes to dangerously high levels, it actually damages the lining of your blood vessels which makes it harder for your body to take in the natural insulin that is secreted by your pancreas.

The more we eat high glycemic foods, the more we subject ourselves to this damage. Over time, we create what is referred to as insulin resistance. Basically, our body won’t absorb the insulin it needs. The next stage is type II diabetes millitis.

Also, because of the damage done to the walls of the blood vessels, the triglycerides (fat) in the blood is forced into the muscles, and trapped rather than being released and used for energy as it is supposed to. Not only does this cause obesity, but also high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The VLDL (bad cholesterol) cannot be eliminated normally.

When a high spike of blood sugar is attained, it must come down, and it usually comes down hard leaving us with a low blood sugar, and thus a driving hunger for more high glycemic food because our brain is telling us it needs more glycogen.

As we eat low glycemic foods, we can reverse the affects and previous damage done. Nutritional supplements also help keep our cells in good working order so we can be healthy and eliminate fat. An independent company did a test on over 500 major producers of vitamins/ minerals. They tested these products to see how well our bodies were able to absorb and use the nutrients supplied.

When we found out that our CostCo brand Kirkland vitamins were only absorbing 5% into our bodies, we changed to Usana’s which were the highest on the list at 96% usable. Almost immediately, I began to notice more energy and less of a lull in the afternoons. Not only that, but I know I am getting better long-term benefits as well, as they supply me with the essentials and anti-oxidants to fight free radicals that are ever present from stress, and in the air we breath, and water.

EXERCISE: We need muscles to do daily tasks. Exercise keeps us in shape so we do not get overly tired when performing tasks that are especially taxing. Exercise keeps our hearts pumping strong. For weight loss, exercise burns fat if we are eating a low glycemic diet and getting the cellular nutrition that our bodies need. When a person is in the insulin resistance stage, exercise may not even help them lose weight because of the way it affects the body‘s normal functions. But once proper diet is introduced, exercise will definitely help.

Breakfast:
-Light yogurt with fresh fruit and low-fat granola or bran buds
-Steel-cut or old-fashioned rolled oats with dried apricots (cooked in fat-free milk)
-Low-GI cold cereal (see GI list of foods) with skim milk and fruit
-Whole wheat pita bread stuffed with scrambled egg and fruit
-Multi-grain waffles with natural applesauce
-Pumpernickel toast with melted low-fat cheese and fruit
-Rye toast and egg-white Western omelet and fruit

Lunch
-Homemade or canned soups - vegetable, lentil, black bean, split pea,
minestrone, or barley (don't be afraid to add extra vegetables to make it extra chunky)
-Sandwiches made with lean meats on whole-grain wheat, rye,
pumpernickel or pita bread, along with baby carrots and fruit salad
-Pasta salad with vinaigrette dressing and fresh vegetables and reduced-fat cheese
-Salad with grilled chicken and vinaigrette dressing (be sure to toss in some beans!)
-Light yogurt with fruit and whole-grain muffin with spreadable light cheese
*At lunch time, steer clear of processed white bread and rolls. Instead, make a sandwich using whole-grain pumpernickel or rye bread. Try salads made with lots of varied fresh vegetables and vinaigrette dressing. Canned tuna or salmon is also a good protein.

Dinner:
-Pasta, grains, rice, beans, whole grain breads
-Fresh vegetables and salads
-Lean meats, chicken, and fish
-Substitute beans, peas, or lentils for protein sources if you prefer
-Limit intake of high-GI starches - baked or instant mashed potatoes, instant rice, boxed stuffing mixes, processed white breads
*Base your meal on a low-GI carbohydrate, with generous amounts of non-starchy vegetables and plenty of fresh salads. Eat lean meats, poultry, and fish. End your balanced meal with a serving of fresh fruit or one of the healthy snacks and desserts listed below.

Snacks:
No sugar added cocoa
Fructose- or sugar-free cookies
Fresh or dried fruits
Light yogurt with fruit
Nuts (small serving)
Sugar-free jell (add some fruit)
Sugar-free pudding
Low-fat ice cream with fresh fruit
Whole wheat pita chips or baked tortilla chips
Natural applesauce with light whipped topping
*You can have dessert! By choosing snacks with a low GI or low-fat desserts, you can help prevent some of the symptoms and complications associated with high GI foods.

COSTS FOR LOSING WEIGHT:
Some may consider the cost too high, but how much is your health worth to you? Other methods are more expensive and most of them do not provide a lasting way of eating that is affordable. With this plan you are not required to buy food through the company other than the shakes during the phases. Also consider that you will save the money you would have spent on food since the shakes are "meal replacements."