Author: Melinda

Beachbody’s Ten Minute Trainer | Can You Get Fit in 10 Minutes a Day?

[easyazon_image align=”right” cloak=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B0016PWG7S” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Nd5QvNjIL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]Beachbody Ten Minute Trainer Review

Name: Ten Minute Trainer by Tony Horton

Website: Amazon.com

Price: $92.85

Owners: Tony Horton and Beachbody

Overall Rank: 85 out of 100

Ten Minute Trainer Product Overview

This is a series of ten-minute workouts that is aimed to get you a full body workout in ten minutes.

Tony Horton combined some of his most effective moves in these workouts. He combined some moves into a series of power packed total body workouts. He named his technique super stacking because it combines fat burning cardio, body toning and sculpting and ab moves. He also adds resistance for even better results’. Ten minutes of Tony Horton’s super stacking may burn as many calories as thirty minutes of jogging. This is because he combines arm movements with challenging leg exercises. Ten minute trainer takes away the excuse of not having enough time to work out.

The 10-Minute Trainer Kit includes everything that you will need to complete your workouts fast and effectively. There are six great workouts on 2 separate DVDs, on the go workout cards, a resistance band, a cardio belt, a workout calendar, rapid results’ guidebook, a 2-day jump start plan as well as a recipe guide.

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: This workout does get your heart rate up in ten minutes. The cardio workout was not extremely challenging, but it did target a few different muscle groups. My heart rate was higher after 10 minutes and I was starting to sweat.

PRO #2: The workout is only ten minutes. This is great for people who don’t have a lot of time to exercise.

PRO #3: There is minimal equipment required to complete the workouts, they only require resistance bands and can be done with or without the bands.

PRO #4: The exercises are fairly simple and Tony Horton does a great job describing how to safely and effectively complete each move.

The Bad:

CON #1: It is only ten minutes. You may be able to get fit in ten minutes here and there, but it will definitely take longer to build muscle.

CON #2: You will not build up endurance with short bursts of energy expenditure.
CON #3: Each of the workouts are on different DVDs, so you will have to change the DVDs when you want to move to a different workout.

Who is Tony Horton’s Ten Minute Trainer for?

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This workout series is great for the busy mom or executive that is really struggling to find time in their day to workout. You will benefit from these exercises. It is great for someone who may not have large blocks of time in order to workout, but can fit a workout in during a child’s nap time or while something is baking in the oven.

Tony Horton’s ten-minute trainer can be effectively used by college students who are trying to juggle work and school and don’t seem to be making it to the gym regularly. This is great for the person whose fitness goal is to lose a few pounds and tone up.

This is a great program for people who are struggling to use their gym membership. You don’t have to drive to the gym and drive back. A drive to and from the gym would end up being at least ten minutes and this will eliminate the travel to the gym time.

Ten minute trainer is more beneficial for people who are beginners and those who are just getting back into fitness rather than advanced athletes. An athlete may use the program during the day to enhance what they are already doing or to focus on other movements that aren’t in their normal training program.

Ten Minute Trainer Tools & Training
The Ten Minute trainer comes with an easy to follow eating plan that focuses on decreasing your caloric intake. While this will help you to lose weight, I tend to prefer to recommend the ketogenic diet for your nutrition, as that puts your body in fat burning mode. . It also comes with pro-grade resistance bands that have comfort flex handles.

Ten minute trainer includes a customized workout calendar, bonus abs routine and on the go workout cards.

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Ten Minute Trainer Support

Since this is a Beachbody product, you can contact support via email at support@beachbody.com. They will answer any questions regarding the schedule or nutrition guide.

Ten Minute Trainer Price

The complete package is $92.85 on Amazon. This is a competitive price for a series of workout DVDs, resistance bands, a nutrition guide and a workout calendar.

My Final Opinion of 10-Minute Trainer

This is a great product for someone whose goal is to lose weight and they can only find time for ten-minute workouts. This gives them a great structure and plan for working out. The workouts are not extremely tough and you won’t be sweating a ton after each one, so you could get by with just wiping the sweat off of your forehead afterward and using some deodorant instead of a full shower.

I think a busy stay at home mom would benefit the most from this product. Often moms have interruptions during their day and it may be better to complete a few different ten-minute workouts instead of not completing a thirty-minute workout.

I had been doing Shaun T’s 25 minute Focus workout for the last week, so the ten-minute trainer seemed like a piece of cake when I did it. However, everyone starts from a different place. I still did end up sweating a little by the end of ten minutes. Having a regular routine of ten-minute workouts and doing them consistently will get you on track to better fitness.

10 Minute trainer at a Glance…
Name: Ten Minute Trainer by Tony Horton

Website: Available at Amazon.com or Beachbody.com[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” identifier=”B0016PWG7S” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]

Owners: Beachbody and Tony HOrton

Price: $92.85

Overall Scam Rank: 85 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! While this isn’t the most challenging workout, it will fit the lives of many people.

Are Ketogenic Diets Safe?

I’m always surprised when people raise the safety question regarding the ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet has been used since the 1920’s to treat people who have epilepsy. It is a diet that focuses on healing the brain and eliminating the inflammation that causes seizures. The problem that we have gotten into as a society is that we rely too much on doctors. The “standard of care” for epilepsy now is to try one of the many anticonvulsants on the market today first.

Now, standard of care doesn’t refer to some standard of quality. It refers to the industry standard. Therefore, everyone in the medical industry is following the procedure of trying the latest anticonvulsant for a seizure patient first. This does not mean that the ketogenic diet is harmful. Nor does it mean that it is less effective than the newest anticonvulsant on the markets.[easyazon_image align=”left” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”1524762237″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61o%2BKwT5zZL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”395″]

Generally Regarded As Safe

The items that are on the ketogenic diet can be generally regarded as safe according to the FDA. Eggs, cheese, meat, and low carbohydrate vegetables. Therefore, one would assume that it is safe to be eating ketogenic foods. They are not deemed as harmful and are regarded as safe if you are relying on the FDA’s standard.

However, many things are making the GRAS (generally regarded as safe) definition. Snicker bars, pasta, red dye in M and Ms, McDonald’s, french fries, pizza. All of these things are given approval to be sold in our supermarkets. The FDA doesn’t seem to mind that we eat this stuff, even though it isn’t very nutrient dense. One may wonder, does the FDA really care about my health and well being? Are we sure that they aren’t just a political branch that is bought out by industries for favors. I’ll let you make the decision on that one.

Positive Effect in Obese Patients

While some foods that are generally regarded as safe do create conditions that trigger obesity, the ketogenic diet does not. In fact, current research demonstrates the opposite effect on health. In a study published in Experimental and Clinical Cardiology in 2004, researchers explored the long term effects of a ketogenic diet on obese patients. This study qualified long term as 24 weeks, or six months. The study’s results demonstrated that the ketogenic diet significantly reduced the body weight and body mass index of patients. It also decreased the level of trigylcerides, LDL cholesterol and blood glucose, and increased the level of HDL cholesterol. Therefore, the ketogenic diet had a positive effect on people.

Administering a ketogenic diet for a relatively longer period of time did not produce any significant side effects in the patients. Therefore, the present study confirms that it is safe to use a ketogenic diet for a longer period of time than previously demonstrated. Since this study did not discover any long term negative side effects in patients, this particular study determined that a ketogenic diet is safe.

Reduces Inflammation

When someone starts a ketogenic diet, they are usually coming from a high carbohydrate diet where their bodies focused on glucose metabolism. The ketogenic diet switches them to a fat burning mode. As they burn fats, their bodys begin to produce and metabolize ketones. When you compare ketone metabolism to glucose metabolism, ketone metabolism produces fewer reactive oxygen species, which have been known to have an inflammatory impact on the body. A metabolism based on ketosis produces fewer free radicals and reactive oxygen species by affecting the mitochondrial  co-enzyme Q couple and the cytoplasmic glutathione couple.

When on the ketogenic diet, there is another mechanism which may be assisting in preventing inflammation. There seems to be mounting evidence to show that a ketolytic metabolism increases the levels of the neurotransmitter known as adenosine. Adenosine has been well known to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. It acts through recptors at multiple sites including endothelia, neurons and leukocytes. Therefore, the ketogenic diet may create an anti-inflammatory effect  on your body via elevated adenosine levels.

The inflammatory response is influenced by factors that impact the cellular bioenergetic state. These factors include caloric restriction, ketogenic diet and the glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose. Caloric restriction and the ketogenic diet produce a ketogenic state in the body in which the utilization of glucose for energy is suppressed. These conditions will reduce brain inflammation.

Improves Health in Women With PCOS

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a endocrine disorder which affects many women. It prevents them from having children, can cause a lot of pain and dysfunction within the body because the hormones are not in balance. A diet that is high in carbohydrates can be devastating for the health of a women with PCOS.

In a pilot study investigating the impact of a ketogenic diet on PCOS over a twenty four week period, it was discovered that the ketogenic diet increased weight loss, improved hormone regulation, improved luteinizing hormone (LH)/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratios and it improved the fasting insulin levels in women with PCOS.

The study concluded that further research is necessary to determine if the positive results are due to weight loss or a result of the ketogenic diet. It seems to me that the ketogenic diet most likely triggered some of that weight loss and therefore, it isn’t too much of a stretch to conclude that the ketogenic diet has a positive effect on PCOS.

Conclusion

The ketogenic diet is a healing diet. It helps to reduce inflammation and it aiding people in shedding excess body fat. The ketogenic diet is helping people with epilepsy to prevent painful and devastating seizures. The studies have not found a significant degree of side effects from the ketogenic diet. Therefore, it is a fine to conclude that doing a ketogenic diet will be relatively safe and even improve your health over time.

The concern that many people have about the ketogenic diet lies in the large percentage of fats that are included in the diet. The overall message that the food and drug administration has sent to us is that eating fat creates fat. However, the research that was used to come to that conclusion is not very reliable. It was an epidemiological study. There are many variables that could be causing the results that may not have been considered.

Based on recent research, anecdotal evidence from people who are on the ketogenic diets and reporting excellent health from them, and my own experience with the ketogenic diet, I would have to say that ketogenic diets are safe and effective. The challenge with the ketogenic diet for treating epilepsy is compliance with the diet. Many people are not very disciplined when it comes to food. Therefore, sticking with a ketogenic diet can become frustrating and often individuals will give up. The ketogenic diet can now be implemented with a lot of variety. Many ketogenic cookbooks are available as resources for people who are following a ketogenic diet. This free ketogenic cookbook offers those who are interested in doing the diet with a wide variety of recipes to choose from.

 

 

 

 

The Top 6 Toenail Fungus Cures that Work

Toenail fungus can be an incredibly annoying problem especially when the prescription that your doctor gave you doesn’t get rid of it. I’m a fan of using home remedies first. Most of them tend to be less stressful on the body and many of them work better than the leading prescription. Here are the top toenail fungus cures that work! These cures have worked for family members and friends. They are inexpensive to try and will give you results in a matter of days!

Vinegar Soak for Toenail Fungus[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”B00E3B30WW” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41YD1RYsUOL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”184″]

While there is only anecdotal evidence to support getting rid of your toenail fungus with a vinegar soak, it is definitely on the top of the list of home remedies to try! The acetic acid in vinegar creates an unwelcome environment for the fungus. Vinegar will also help to prevent the fungus from spreading and kills bacteria and fungi.

To implement a vinegar soak, use one part vinegar to two parts water. Soak your affected foot for at least twenty minutes two times per day. You should start to see improvement within a week. If you have no improvement, it is best to move on to the next home remedy!

Tea Tree Oil Treats Fungus

Essential oils are all the range for home remedies and with good reason. They are very effective! Tea tree oil is great at killing fungal and viral infections. Tea tree oil is also known as melaleuca. It is an essential oil which boasts antiseptic and antifungal properties. This home remedy does have some small scale research done by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health suggesting that tea tree oil may be effective for treating toenail fungus.[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”160″ identifier=”B00BKQILOK” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41F9iErUGSL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”61″]

To combat toenail fungus with tea tree oil, first clean the affected area and then apply tea tree oil directly to the toe with a cotton swab. Allow it to soak on the nail and skin for roughly 10 minutes and then scrub it off. Do this twice a day for best results.

Snakeroot Extract to Treat Toenail Fungus

An antifungal made from the plants in the sunflower family is commonly known as snakeroot extract. Snakeroot extract has been studied in a 2008 study and shown effective in treating toenail fungus. The study compared it to the prescription antifungal ciclopirox, and it was shown to be just as effective.[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”160″ identifier=”B01BIASEMG” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41bs87zdtEL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”160″]

To treat your toenail fungus with snakeroot extract, apply it to the affected area ever third day for the first month. Then twice a week for the second month and continue doing this one a week for the third month. This was the frequency done in the 2008 study.

Vick’s Vapor Rub

While Vick’s vapor rub is one of the most common products to treat congestion, it has also demonstrated efficacy in treating toenail fungus. The active ingredients in Vick’s are camphor and eucalyptus oil, which have antifungal components and may help to treat toenail fungus. In a study published by the Journal of American Board of Family Medicine in 2011, it was discovered that Vick’s Vapor Rub ad a positive clinical effect in the treatment of toenail fungus.. In this study, 83% of people who used a cotton swab to apply a small amount of Vicks VapoRub to an affected nail at least once a day reported improvement. Twenty seven percent had complete cure at 48 weeks, while fifty five percent had partial clearance.[easyazon_image align=”left” cart=”n” height=”160″ identifier=”B000GCHOEM” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ypIEDMZEL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”159″]

For treating toenail fungus with Vick’s Vapor Rub, it is recommended that you apply a small amount to the affected area with a cotton swab at least once per day.

Baking Soda to Eliminate Fungus

Fungal infections thrive in damp conditions. Baking soda has the ability to dry up excess moisture. Additionally, it will help to eliminate foot odors. Baking soda will make the foot environment unconducive to growing fungus.

To implement the baking soda toenail fungus remedy, you will create a paste with water and baking soda. Apply it to the toenail. Allow it to sit for at least ten minutes. Wash off. Repeat twice per day.

Baking soda will also work in a foot bath. To create a foot bath with baking soda, place 2 tablespoons of baking soda in 2 liters of water. Soak your feet in the mixture for twenty minutes daily.[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”160″ identifier=”B0005ZXPY8″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y9dIKiHFL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”99″]

Mouthwash to Combat Toenail Fungus

Most people don’t think about using mouthwash on their feet. However, mouthwash will kill bacteria and germs in your mouth, why not use it on the bacteria and germs on your feet? It has antiseptic ingredients thymol and menthol, which are antifungal and help eliminate harmful bacteria and fungi.

To use mouthwash as a treatment for toenail fungus, combine it with equal parts white vinegar and mouthwash. Soak the feet for thirty minutes. Afterwards, gently scrub the toenail area. Repeat once or twice per day until the infection clears.[easyazon_image align=”left” cart=”n” height=”160″ identifier=”B008CO4TDK” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41zYGSX4TIL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”160″]

Use these common household ingredients on your toenail fungus before you try a prescription from your doctor. The side effects from some of the prescriptions are honestly worse than the toenail fungus that you are trying to treat. These home remedies only take minutes per day and you should see improvement within a week or two. However, if you want a three pronged approach to treating your toenail fungus, check out my fungus terminator review. This is a comprehensive way to treat toenail fungus that has a money-back guarantee, something that your doctor isn’t likely to have!

Get started treating those toenails! Before you know it, you’ll go from ugly looking toes to pretty pedicured toes!

 

Toenail Fungus Cure Review

Fungus Terminator Review

Name: Fungus Terminator
Website: fungusterminator.com
Price: $37
Owners: Dave Bennett
Overall Rank: 85 out of 100

Fungus Terminator Product Overview

You receive in PDF format, a three part system to attack toenail fungus at its root cause and cure it. This comes in an easy to follow, step-by-step guide. No matter how long you’ve had the toenail fungus, this three part system will help you knock it out, or you can get your money back with no questions asked.

The fungus terminator is a three pronged approach to get rid of toenail fungus. It attacks toenail fungus from within with healing ingredients. This system is fast. It can banish your toenail fungus within a week. You will be able to stop people from staring at your yellowed toenails and turn itchy red skin back into baby-smooth perfection.

You’ll receive the diagnostic tool kit, which helps you figure out what was the cause of your toenail fungus. You will also receive a guide for the best sources of nutrients available. This will help you to avoid products that are made with cheap fillers and ineffective ingredients. Finally, you will get the three step protocol. This gives you the step by step instructions to knock out the toenail fungus. The protocol gives you the dosage requirements and timing of day to take them.

The first step of the program is to eliminate internal fungal activity by using natural antifungals. Natural antifungals do not create any side effects. One natural antifungal is activated charcoal. Activated charcoal acts like a sponge and mops up any toxic waste that may be circulating in your system. It wipes out the fungal cells.

The second step of this system is to heal the damaged organs with crucial nutrients and protect your immune system from outside attacks. The list of ingredients that are included will keep your body regenerating and healing 24/7.

Finally, you will apply a natural mixture of topical solutions to heal the infection rapidly and stop it from spreading. Apple cider vinegar is one of the known home remedies, but the foot soak that is recommended in fungus terminator includes beer as well because it contains potassium, phosphorus, selenium and biotin. All of these are crucial for healthy, fungus free nails! 

The Good & the Bad

The Good: Very comprehensive, step-by-step guide, easy to understand

PRO #1: This protocol is based on all natural ingredients. It is based on Chinese medicine. None of these ingredients will cause harm to your body.
PRO #2: You gain instant access to this digital product. You can start your healing journey today!
PRO #3: If it doesn’t work for you, you can request your money back within 60 days. There is no risk!

The Bad:

CON #1: It is not regulated or FDA approved. You won’t be getting the American Medical Association’s stamp of Approval.
CON #2: It is priced a little on the high side. This could have been written into a book and sold for $20. However, you probably wouldn’t get a money-back guarantee with a book.

Who is Toenail Fungus Terminator For?

This is for people like myself, who have suffered from toenail fungus and used different prescriptions and homeopathic approaches to no avail. I actually had one doctor take a look at my toenail fungus and he told me that he could write a prescription, but it was very expensive and probably wouldn’t work. What?! For years, I filed down my thick toenail fungus and covered it up so no one would see it. 

The Fungus terminator is ideal for people who are suffering from Diabetes. Many diabetics have foot problems and the toenail fungus terminator can help people with diabetes to eradicate their fungus. Toenail fungus can be especially dangerous for people with diabetes because it can spread without them noticing.

The best part of the Toenail Fungus terminator is that you can get your money back if the approach doesn’t work for you. This is something that isn’t guaranteed by any doctor. Once you pay for that doctor’s visit, the insurance company keeps their portion and the doctor’s keep their share. Sometimes, what the doctors tell you doesn’t do much good anyway!

Toenail Fungus Tools & Training

The information and training on how to relieve toenail fungus comes in pdf format. You will have instant access to your toenail fungus solution. You won’t have to be examined by a doctor and you can start treating your toenail fungus today!

Toenail Fungus Terminator Support

Fungus terminator provides email support for their consumers. For support, please contact support@fungusterminator.com.

Toenail Fungus Terminator Price

The cost of the toenail fungus terminator system is $37. This is a great price considering that there is a money-back guarantee. A doctor’s visit will cost you upwards of $100 plus a prescription and the time that it takes to go for the visit. For $37, you have the ability to treat yourself and get rid of the problem on your own time without the embarassement of going to a doctor. This is the cost of a book. Also, you can ask for your money back if this program fails you!

Fungus terminator is a steal when you compare it to the cost of a prescription. You could spend over $418 on a single prescription of Jublia. Not to mention that there are serious side effects associated with each prescription drug that is supposed to treat toenail fungus.

My Final Opinion of Toenail Fungus Terminator

This is an ideal way to approach toenail fungus. While there is a lot of information on how to relieve toenail fungus online, this is a guaranteed step-by-step approach. You can stop wasting time and efforts sifting through a lot of different home remedies and go for the guaranteed approach. Worst case scenario, it doesn’t work for you and you get your money back!

 

Toenail Fungus Terminator at a Glance…

Name: Fungus Terminator

Website: fungusterminator.com
Owners: Dave Bennett
Price: $37
Overall Scam Rank: 90 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! This is a great product to use to treat your toenail fungus problems.

Focus T25 by Shaun T Workout Review

Focus T25 by Shaun T Review[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B00DDBS2JE” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/515-AhNkYOL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

Name: Focus T25 by Beachbody

Website: Amazon.com

Price: 145.60

Owners: Beachbody

Overall Rank: 95 out of 100

Focus T25 by Shaun T Deluxe Kit Product Overview

The deluxe kit includes everything you need to start a workout program. You will receive the three phases of workouts for a total of 15 workouts. You also get helpful tools that include 3 B-Lines of resistance bands, a Beachbody mat (24″X40″), a quick start guide, nutrition plan, workouts calendars and a 5-day fast track guide.

The Focus T25 workout program is designed to get you in the best shape of your life with only 25 minutes of workout per day.

There are fifteen total 25 minute workouts that you are to do on a daily basis. This is broken into three sets, the alpha, beta and gamma.

The alpha session is designed to run for five weeks and is focused on building the foundation of total body fitness. The beta set of workouts was created to take your body to a whole new level by focusing on the core. Finally, the Gamma set of workouts is four weeks of advanced exercises to help you burn more fat and carve lean, strong muscles in record time.

The Good & the Bad

The Good: Moderate intensity workouts

PRO #1: Shaun T has you focus intently on your workout for 25 minutes and make the most of the time that you are investing in your health. I found Shaun T very enjoyable to follow. He tends to use upbeat music and positive statements in his videos.

PRO #2: Unlike the Insanity workouts, these workouts have modifications for people who are not as fit. These can be done by the beginner and intermediate.

PRO #3: There is a nice progression and increase in intensity to help you continue building muscle.

The Bad: Somewhat repetitive exercises

CON #1: The exercises, while challenging, were repetitive.

CON #2: Heavy focus on jumping jacks and squats for the cardio. It could have been more varied. He emphasized a lot of leg movements, but could have included more arm motions to increase the heart rate.
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Who is Shaun T’s Focus T25 For?

The Focus T25 workout by Beachbody is great for the individual who can only commit to twenty-five minutes a day to workout. It is ideal for the stay at home mom or dad to squeeze in a workout during a child’s nap or early in the morning.

The Deluxe Set offered on Amazon is great, but it does require that you have a computer or DVD player to play the DVD. For the professional on the go, you can also access Shaun T’s Focus T25 through Beachbody’s On Demand service. This is great for people who are traveling or who don’t always have their DVD player handy as it can be streamed online on an iPhone, iPad or laptop.

Focus T25 Deluxe Set Tools & Training

The training material that accompanies Shaun T’s workout is a nutritional guide, a workout calendar to keep you on track.

The Deluxe version comes with a mat. It is pretty standard exercise mat. However, it is not a full-length mat. It is only a little over 3 feet long. You use the mat in order to pad your hands when doing push-ups. However, many people may desire a mat that is their whole body length if they are used to working out with a yoga mat.

You receive three sets of bands and one set of handles that you can take off one band and put on a different band if you want to use a different resistance level. This offers you the flexibility of increasing the resistance as you progress through the workouts.

Focus T25 Support

Beachbody has a contact page on their site for support.

Focus T25 workout Price

The whole package comes to you at $145.60. Because you are getting a whole set of DVDs, 15 workouts in all, equipment and a nutrition guide, this product is reasonably priced. However, many people suggest buying it separately and using mats and equipment that you purchase. This gives you the flexibility of selecting the right mat length for you as well as resistance bands that you feel are appropriate.

My Final Opinion of Shaun T’s Focus T25

The workout is a bit on the high impact side. I did appreciate that there were modifications for people who didn’t want to jump up and down a lot. The workout was challenging, but I was able to stick with it. I did enjoy the background music and the energy that Shaun T brought to the table.

I love the concept of only doing 25 minutes at a time. It seems very practical for the average American. Many people hear an hour and they feel like they just can’t find time for it, but 25 minutes can be squeezed in during a lunch break or while your kids are napping.

I actually really enjoyed doing this workout. It challenged me. I often fell into the same workout patterns of jogging, which can over work some muscles. Shaun T’s workout focused on alternating the different leg muscles that you were working by switching from different types of lunges and mixing it up with jumping jacks. Overall, I really liked the workout.

Shaun T’s Focus T25 workout at a Glance…

Name: Focus T25 workout

Website: Beachbody.com

Owners: Beachbody

Price: $145.60

Overall Scam Rank: 90 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT – Loved it!

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts Review – Great for the Keto Diet!

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts Review[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B00H4H0JXA” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41RmHcl-JaL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”320″]

Name: Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts

Website: amazon.com

Price: $13.20

Owners: Manitoba Harvest

Overall Rank: 90 out of 100

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts Review Product Overview

Hemp hearts are raw shelled hemp seeds. They provide a buttery, nutty flavor with a slight crunch. These are a great addition to salads, soups, and topping off yogurts.

Organic hemp hearts contain more protein and omegas than the same amount of chia or flax seeds. Hemp hearts are low in carbohydrates and fit well into the ketogenic diet!

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: Great nutty flavor, slightly crunchy

PRO #2: Excellent source of vitamin E. They have demonstrated an ability to reduce inflammation as well.

PRO #3: Lots of protein

PRO#4: They contain Omega 3, 6 and GLA in the perfect balance! They have been reported to be able to reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure after three months of consumption.

 

The Bad:

CON #1: Hemp hearts are very small.

CON #2: The texture isn’t as crunchy as most nuts.[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”160″ identifier=”B00H4H0JXA” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Fg0Ro-NgL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”160″]

Who is Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts for?

Hemp hearts are a great addition to a vegan, ketogenic or paleo diet. Hemp hearts provide lots of protein, which will keep you feeling satiated. Manitoba Organic hemp hearts are ideal for people who have epilepsy and want to gain the benefit of additional CBD oils from the plant protein.

Individuals who love nuts will also love Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts.

Manitoba hemp hearts can be eaten by people who are unable to tolerate nuts, gluten, sugar and lactose. Currently, there are no known allergies to hemp foods. They are very digestible for people who may have irritable bowel syndrome.

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts Uses
These work well in salads, yogurt, granola, salads and even soups! I have topped butternut squash soup, yogurt and salads with them.

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts Price
These come in a 12 ounce bag for $1.10 an ounce. The bag is $13.20 on Amazon. The price of hemp hearts is comparable to the cost of other nuts.

My Final Opinion of Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts
I love them! I love the idea that I may be adding some CBD oil to my diet and preventing seizures in a small way with some nutty crunchiness on my salad. They are a fun salad topper and add interest to soups and yogurt. The flavor to me reminds me a bit of a mix between cashew nuts and sunflower seeds in a tiny package. They have a light, but buttery and somewhat nutty flavor.

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts at a Glance…

Name: Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts

Website: Amazon.com

Owners: Manitoba Harvest

Price: $13.20

Overall Scam Rank: 90 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! I love these!

PIYO by Beachbody Review

PIYO by Beachbody Review[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”B00LOXVVQ4″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51gB3QMY5XL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

Name: Chalene Johnson’s PiYo Base Kit – DVD Workout with Exercise Videos + Fitness Tools and Nutrition Guide

Website: Beachbody.com

Price: $145.60

Owners: Charlene Johnson

Overall Rank: 80 out of 100

PIYO by Beachbody Product Overview

Piyo by Beachbody combines the benefits of Pilates, including muscle-sculpting and core firming with the flexibility advantage of yoga. The PiYo DVDs crank up the speed to deliver a fat-burning, yet low impact workout. This workout leaves your body long and lean with plenty of definition.
PiYo by Beachbody includes twelve easy to follow workouts on 4 different DVDs. It also includes a quick start guide, a workout calendar and a lean eating plan. Additionally, you will receive a Buns Bonus Workout DVD as well as a tape measure to measure your progress!

 

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: Charlene Johnson is very specific and great at explaining the poses and exercises. She has a few different models demonstrating a variety of levels.

PRO #2: The exercises are progressive and gradually get more difficult as you progress through them.

PRO #3: Charlene Johnson emphasizes safety in the poses.

The Bad:

CON #1: It is delivered through DVDs. If you lose your DVD, you can’t do the workout along with Charlene Johnson. This is one of the advantages of subscribing to Beachbody on demand.

CON #2: I found the workout somewhat boring. It lacked music or stimulation while holding the poses.
Who is PiYo by Beach body For?

PiYo is for individuals who are interested in increasing their flexibility and toning their muscles at the same time. PiYo is great for older individuals who want to improve their strength without jarring intensive exercises that are hard on their joints.

PiYo is great for the runners who tend to shorten their hamstrings because it increases their flexibility and balances out their muscles.

PiYo Deluxe Kit Tools & Training
The training that you will receive comes from the DVDs, the nutrition guide and the quick start guide. You have all the information to get started included in this Deluxe set.

PiYo by Beachbody Support

This is a Beachbody product. You can contact beachbody through beachbody.com[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”B00LOXVVQ4″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51mY1tYitWL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

PiYo by Beachbody Deluxe Price
The cost of the product is $145.60. This includes 10 workouts on 4 DVDs. You also get a nutrition guide, a quick start guide a yoga mat and a quick start guide.

My Final Opinion of PIYO

I think this is a comprehensive workout that will lean and tone anyone’s body who decides to stick with it. It is great for the individual who is motivated enough to workout at home and has set aside time to put in the effort to improve their physique.

The instructors are very good at demonstrating the poses and explaining how to effectively. Charlene has a great way of encouraging you to hold the position until it really challenges you. This is important as many people may not hold the poses long enough to gain any true benefit from them.

As someone who was earned a Pilates training certification, I can attest that Charlene Johnson does a great job of explaining the yoga poses and the Pilates moves. Other users reported that Charlene was not annoying like some workout

This can be purchased from Amazon and you can receive it in 2 days with their prime shipping, so you can get started right away.

PiYo Deluxe by Beachbody at a Glance…

Name: Chalene Johnson’s PiYo Base Kit – DVD Workout with Exercise Videos + Fitness Tools and Nutrition Guide
Website: Beachbody.com

Owners: Charlene Johnson

Price: $145.60

Overall Scam Rank: 80 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT. This will sculpt your body as long as you stick with it!

Should You Try the Ketogenic Diet for Adult Epilepsy?

[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”1489569987″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513jdxBM0KL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”313″]It has been known for decades that the ketogenic diet is an effective treatment for children with intractable epilepsy. However, doctors are reluctant to prescribe the ketogenic diet for adults with epilepsy. With the ketogenic diet gaining momentum and popularity within the weight loss community, many people with epilepsy are starting to wonder if they should try the ketogenic diet for adult epilepsy.

My response would be an emphatic, “YES!” The ketogenic diet has been studied and shown to be effective. Even if your doctor doesn’t recommend doing a ketogenic diet, it is a much healthier diet than the standard American diet. You have the freedom to choose to be very relaxed with it or very strict with it. The worst thing that could possibly happen is that it would start preventing seizures and you may need less medication. I take that back, the worst thing that could happen is that you become so healthy that you feel every side effect of your medication. However, your health will gradually improve and you can alert your doctor to monitor and reduce your medication as time progresses.

 

History of Ketogenic Diet with Epilepsy

The history of treating people with epilepsy dates back to 1920 when Dr. Galen, a New York physician, reported at the American Medical Association convention that he had immense success treating epilepsy by initiating a program of fasting. In the 1920s, the only pharmaceutical interventions available included phenobarbital and bromides. Dr. Galen was treating a patient who had aggressive seizures. On the second day of fasting, the child’s seizures subsided. They did not return over the next two years as he followed up. Further studies confirmed the effectiveness of fasting as an effective treatment for seizures. The ketogenic diet is a way to mimic fasting.

Fasting is one way to trigger the state of ketosis. As a person enters ketosis, his body begins to use fat instead of carbohydrates as a fuel. The body begins to produce ketones, which becomes an alternative source of calories to power the brain.

To this day, a ketogenic diet, meaning a diet that is designed to increase the availability of fat while decreasing the availability of carbohydrate, remains an important tool that can be utilized in the treatment of children with epilepsy who do not have a full response to medication.

Over the years, as more and more anti-convulsant therapies became available, doctors started to prescribe anti-convulsants as the first line of treatment. Only when children didn’t respond to anti-convulsants was a ketogenic diet discussed. The reason for this is that it is easier for parents to implement a drug regimen than it is to get compliance with a strict diet.

Recently, a report appearing in the journal, Neurology, revealed that a ketogenic diet is also profoundly helpful in adults as well as children in terms of treating epilepsy. The research found that there was a reduction of about 50% in 32% of patients treated with a ketogenic diet. There was a reduction of seizures in 29% of patients who followed the modified Atkins diet. Nine percent of the patients on the ketogenic diet had a greater than 90% reduction in the frequency of their seizures.

Both the ketogenic diet and the modified Atkins diet are designed so that your take in approximately 75% of your calories from fats. The study indicated that resolution of seizures came quickly with both diets, within a few days to weeks. The most common side effect of treating adults with epilepsy with the ketogenic diet was weight loss.

It is important to note that only 60-65% of patients taking medication to become completely seizure free using the medication. Thirty-five percent of people with epilepsy are resistant to the effects of medication.

Implementing a ketogenic diet can improve your seizure control, whether you are on medication or not. This diet can and should be considered as long as there are no evident metabolic or mitochondrial reasons to avoid it.

 

Fats for Fuel

The ketogenic diet switches your body from burning carbohydrates for fuel to burning fats for fuel. Carbohydrates are quick shots of energy. Adjusting your diet so that there are more available fats than carbohydrates switches your body to prefer burning fat for energy. This will improve the mitochondrial function of your body.

The body has a natural ability to utilize both fat and glucose for fuel. However, many people lack the ability to burn fat. This is a direct result of consuming a diet that is high in carbohydrates for an extended period.

As a result, many people struggle with weight issues and poor health. Some people may not be overweight, but have excess visceral body fat, which can be dangerous as well. Implementing a ketogenic diet can help to reduce the excess body fat. Implementing a pattern of intermittent fasting, or a feast and then famine cycle can help to reestablish the metabolic flexibility that is required to burn fat as a fuel. Avoiding late night eating and excessive snacking can help as well.

Animal-based omega 3 fats have been shown to reduce autoimmune responses. Some people have hypothesized that epilepsy is an autoimmune condition and the inflammation in the body triggers the seizure response. Omega 3s improve glucose metabolism and lower the inflammatory markers, which can improve seizure control.

 

How to Implement a Ketogenic Diet

Implementing the ketogenic diet does not have to be difficult at all! The first step is to identify which foods are high in carbohydrates and to eliminate those. These tend to be packaged and processed foods. You will dramatically reduce or eliminate all grain and any food that is high in sugar.

The next step is going to be to learn how to count the carbohydrates in your foods. You’ll want to reduce your carbohydrate count to about 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day. This means that you will focus on eating leafy green vegetables, and meats. It is that simple. You can get more complicated by starting to measure out the amounts, but if you simply start by focusing only on eating leafy greens and meats, you should cut your calories to around 20 grams per day.

As a general rule, you will want to restrict protein to approximately 1 gram per kilogram of lean body mass. To make sure you’re actually meeting your nutritional requirements and maintaining the ideal nutrient ratios, a nutrient tracker can be an invaluable tool. However, as I mentioned earlier, it is not necessary.

 

 

 

Start the Ketogenic Diet

While no one likes the idea of limiting rich and decadent foods, there are plenty of foods on the ketogenic diet that are satiating and enjoyable. The ketogenic diet does not necessarily have to be implemented by your doctor. You have the freedom to take the initiative and cut your carbohydrate intake on your own. You have the freedom to check out a macronutrient calculator and figure out how many grams of carbohydrate to take in for your size. You have the freedom to make the diet as simple or as complicated as you want. You have the freedom to aim for zero carbohydrates and eat mostly meats and animal products.

There are many ketogenic diet cookbooks that you can start to use for your everyday meals. These will help you adjust to eating a lower carbohydrate diet. You have the freedom to start by simply changing one meal a day to fit the ketogenic parameters. When that becomes natural, change the next meal and keep thinking about lowering your fruit and high vegetable carbohydrate intake.

 

<<Click Here for a FREE Ketogenic Diet Cookbook>>

 

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Speak to your doctor for personalized advice.

 

6 Week Fitness Training Program

With 2018 starting, everyone is thinking about getting fit. A 6 weeks fitness training program is ideal for these New Year’s Resolutions. Six weeks is the perfect amount of time to do an effective exercise program. It is just enough time to start seeing results from your efforts. The Six Week Fit program gives you step-by-step guidelines on how to get fit with exercises you can do at home.

6 Week Fit Review

Name: 6 Week Fit

Website: diyactive.com
Price: $22
Owners: Amanda Boyd, ISSA elite trainer
Overall Rank: 75 out of 100

6 Week Fit, Product Overview

This is an at home guide to getting fit and health in just six weeks. This product was created with the busy parent and traveling professional in mind. The six weeks of exercises are progressive in nature, which helps you challenge and strengthen your muscles. It is excellent for beginners and athletes alike to build their strength and stamina with simply dumbells.

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: Gives you exact, step by step instructions so you know what to do in your workout.
PRO #2: It is a progressive program, so that you won’t get stuck in a plateau.
PRO #3: These exercises can be done anywhere, whether you are on the go or at home, you can do these exercises.

PRO #4: If you don’t like it, you can return it for a refund within 60 days. If you aren’t sticking with it or seeing results, then you can get your money back!

The Bad:

CON #1: You won’t have a trainer to reinforce your mindset.
CON #2: You will need to remeber to do this program on your own. There also is no video demonstration of the exercises. It is only a PDF.
CON #3: The dietary guidelines are not ketogenic, which in my personal opinion is the ideal diet. However, they do recommend really healthy foods and you should be able to gain results following them.

Who is 6 Week Fit For?

The 6 Week Fit program is for the person who is too busy to go to the gym. This is great for moms on the go, traveling professionals who aren’t always near their gym, introverts who tend to want to avoid working out in front of other people and anyone who is looking to increase their fitness in their daily life.

6 Week Fit Tools & Training

Six weeks of workouts with over 75 exercises that are great for building muscle, burning fat, and energizing your life! These home exercises are perfect for any fitness level and can be done with just dumbbells! The 6 Week Fit program comes in a PDF that details exactly what exercises you should do each day.

6 Week Fit Support

There is email support through Support@DIYactive.com

6 Week Fit Price

This product sells for $22. I think that is probably a fair price for a PDF, if not a bit on the high side. It is a 6 week training outline. You can buy a book that has a 6 week training outline for $22, so it is competitively priced.

My Final Opinion of 6 Week Fit

I think it is a good workout program for people who want exercises to do at home. The exercises will build your muscles and the progressive nature of the program will challenge you. However, it is a PDF that you print out. You don’t watch the fitness instructor and mimic it. Therefore, it is ideal for someone who takes a lot of initiative in their lives.

The great thing about it only being a PDF, is that you don’t have to have your computer around all the time to watch the exercises and do them. You can print them out, check the workout schedule and do the exercises. Since they can be done from home, you don’t even need to worry about going to the gym to do the exercises.

 

6 Week Fit at a Glance…

Name: 6 Week Fit

Website: diyactive.com
Owners: Amanda Boyd, ISSA elite trainer
Price: $22
Overall Scam Rank: 75 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT – You’ll get a solid workout guideline. You can do it from home. It is simple and step-by-step. The repetitions and exercises are progressive each week in order to challenge you.  

Adapting the Keto Diet for Kids

I was a teenager when I first heard about the ketogenic diet. I had been diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy in 1989. My life felt like it was ending. I was so relieved to hear that there were medications that I could take and that my doctor didn’t recommend the ketogenic diet! I could continue eating pizza and cereal whenever I wanted. It probably took me about a decade to realize that thinking was so wrong. Now that I’m in my forties, I’ve ditched the drugs and embraced keto. And guess what? My doctor was wrong about it not working for me. I actually feel better than I have in years!

So, if you have kids, Keto Mom approaches doing the keto diet with kids. She emphasizes to the kids which choices are better. She doesn’t buy foods that are unhealthy, but she allows the kids the opportunity to make those choices when they are at friends’ houses or birthday parties. Follow other ketogenic moms and get ideas from them!

Reducing the Carbohydrates At Home First

First and foremost, reduce the carbohydrates in your own home. This will help you become more successful with the ketogenic diet and it will help the child to feel that it is normal to eat this way. The great thing about the ketogenic diet is that there are tons of alternatives that are very filling and delicious. If you need any ideas for ketogenic recipes, you can check out the free keto cookbook.

There are ketogenic recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and even ketogenic dessert ideas. Even though the ketogenic diet restricts the carbohydrates, and therefore reduces inflammation in their bodies, the options tha tyou have are limitless. Start incorporating regular keto meals into your life and encourage your kids to eat the way that you do. Don’t stress over going keto for a whole week at a time. Look up a recipe for ketogenic dinner and start making more and more ketogenic dinners for your family.

As your pantry that is stocked with high carbohydrate foods gets depleted, don’t replace the cereals and the oatmeal. These foods are highly inflammatory for your body. Look for ketogenic replacements that will nourish your body more.

Do It Together As A Family

I’m the author of Seizure Free, Addressing the Causes of Seizures Naturally. I was discussing the methods that I recommend for people with epilepsy with a parent and her child. She asked me about the ketogenic diet. I know that it can be difficult to adopt for people with epilepsy who have a degree of success on the medications. However, there is no reason why the whole family can’t do the ketogenic diet successfully and happily. You can go on youtube and discover that the ketogenic diet is helping people who are trying to lose weight, it is eli

minating symptoms of diabetes like it did for my neighbor, it is preventing seizures and Alzheimer’s. Embrace a lower carbohydrate way of living!

I will put this out there, my mother did an extreme diet with our family when I was eight and my sister had been diagnosed with diabetes. It was the macrobiotic diet. I was very resistant to this as a child. I will admit that my German Shepard dog got much of the rice that was put on my plate. I was not a fan of seaweed and ric

e! You shouldn’t have that problem so much with the ketogenic diet though. There are many great recipes and you can adapt them to children’s liking very easily. That was before the internet and recipe sharing. I did learn to eat weird looking food thanks to my mother’s experimentation with the Macrobiotic diet.

Discouraging Snacking

When you start the ketogenic diet, you are typically coming from a high carbohydrate diet. The standard American diet has us eating all the time because we burn through carbohydrates quickly. Fat is a much better fuel than carbohydrates. There are three simple ways to discourage snacking. This will work for kids who don’t have access to a car and can’t drive down to the local Starbucks and order a latte and a muffin.

  1. Stop keeping snack foods around
  2. Eat large and filling meals
  3. Close the kitchen when the meals are done.

When you don’t have all those nuts and Atkins bars around the house tempting you, you stop eating them. It is far more difficult to stop the snacking habit when some lovely grapes are staring you in the face.

Make sure that when you plan your meals, they are full of enough fat and protein that when you leave the table, you feel fully satiated. In the mornings, I drink a hunger crushing berry smoothie with additional fat to make sure I won’t get any hunger pains before lunch time. It works! Slipping some additional fat into a low carbohydrate smoothie keeps me satiated.

Leave the kitchen alone when it isn’t time to eat. Growing up, I would snack a lot. I was hanging out with family and friends in the kitchen and we always had apples and nuts on the counter. I could grab something crunchy and satisfy my sweet tooth, but it wasn’t leading me to better health. When you are done with a meal, leave the kitchen. You don’t need to be tempted by the foods in there.

Your kids won’t see the value in hanging out in the kitchen if you aren’t in there. Make it a goal to reduce the time that you spend cooking your meals. Make them simpler, so you aren’t hanging out around a lot of food.

Use Positive Psychology on Your Kids

My cousin had her baby in Amsterdam. The philosophy of eating over there is far different than in the United States. She continuously told her little girl that she was a good eater. I heard her 4 year old tell me that she was a good eater. At dinner time though, the little girl didn’t particularly want to eat the brussel sprouts. It took longer to get her to eat them, but she eventually did. Part of that was positive psychology on my cousin’s part and disciplining the child to eat whatever the adults were eating.

Make a Plan and Stick With It!

This goes for eating. I have discovered that when I go to the grocery store with an idea of the meals that I want to create that week, I spend less. It takes me less time at the grocery store. Most importantly, I stick with the meals for that week.

Figure out what ketogenic breakfast ideas that your kids like and put them on a menu for the week. Don’t give them options of eating cereal or toast. Eat up whatever carb heavy foods are in the house and then commit to not buying them anymore. The find the entrees that your kids will eat, taco salads, butternut squash soup, and hamburgers without a bun are mainstays in my house.

<<Click Here for the FREE Bacon and Butter Cookbook>>