The Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act of 2010 is the most recent initiative in Washington that could affect nationwide food standards for children. Announced by Representative George Miller (D-CA) on June 10, the bill calls for enhancing and expanding access to school food programs and “…for the first time, establish[ing] nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools,” according to Miller’s Web site.

Some provisions in the bill include making available competitive grants for school districts to start or improve breakfast programs; facilitating eligibility for school food programs to high-poverty communities; and having the Secretary of Agriculture update nutrition guidelines for all solid and fluid foods provided during school meals and after-school programs.

The full list of provisions would increase the money invested in the average school meal by six cents—another sign that Washington is putting its buck on addressing nutrition this year. Miller’s bill comes on the heels of another child-nutrition act, S.3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which was introduced on the Senate floor in May.

To read the full bill, click here.

If you’re looking for a way to prove to yourself that all this Law of Attraction “mumbo jumbo” actually works, I have something exciting for you…

Business expert Bert Martinez, along with Law of Attraction guru Joe Vitale, were shopping this past weekend. And Joe bought a $250,000 Spyker, it’s one-of-a-kind, hand made sports car.

So; how can we learn to attract the things that we desire?

Five years ago Joe held a teleseminar where Joe and a few special guests revealed how to create your own reality in a very specific way to attract a very specific concrete result.

Since so many people are tired of hearing that you can use these mind- over-matter principles to attract parking places, Joe thought, “What if you could use these principles to attract actual new cars to park in those parking places?”

So the event became focused on how to attract a new car.

Why the focus on manifesting a car?

Good question.  Here’s why…

First, a new car is something almost everyone wants.  And since my mission is to introduce these principles to as many people as possible, teaching people how to attract a new car is the perfect way to do this.

And second, unlike subjective goals like wealth or happiness, a new car is tangible – it is easy to tell if you have manifested one or not.  I am so convinced these steps work, I want you to try them out on a goal that leaves no room for doubt.

So, are you ready for a new car — or something else?

Many who attended the live event were able to attract far more than new cars.

One woman attracted $97,000 in cash.

You can read the whole story — and see a few photos of my cool cars and those of others, by going to –

http://www.attractanewcar.com/

Attracting a new car is simply a type of human potential exercise. It’s a way to stretch your mind. It’s a way to show you the portal to your own inner power.

Are you ready to enter that portal?

Are you ready to attract what you really want?

Are you ready to expand your mind and prove to yourself and everyone else that the Law of Attraction works?

There’s nothing like driving around in a spanking new car to make everyone wonder what secret you know.

Go see –

http://www.attractanewcar.com/

All the best,

Adam

PS — You can see Joe and Bert with Joe’s new Spyker here.

Yesterday, Financial Services Reform (S.3217) passed the Senate. While expansion of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) powers was kept out of the Senate bill, now the House and Senate must work out the differences between the chambers’ versions. The expansions being discussed could have a dire impact on the way you do business.

Many of your responded to the last call to contact your senators, and I think you deserve some of the credit for the decision of the Senate not to include the FTC powers provision in the bill they passed.  Now, we need you to act again by contacting both your representatives and senators today, urging them to focus on strengthening the stability of our economy, not regulating industries that had nothing to do with the financial crisis. At a time when businesses are struggling to both survive and create new jobs, adding burdensome new regulations and ceding more authority over your business to the FTC is just what the economy does not need.

Now is the time that your voice matters most.

Should these additional powers be granted to the FTC, you can expect to see the following:

• The FTC creating advertising guidelines that are inconsistent with what is allowed under DSHEA and the FDA
• The FTC acting as a legislative body, creating “rules” for industries like ours in areas in which it has no expertise
• The FTC levying fines against businesses for practices it deems illegal without allowing the business to change its policies
• The FTC levying fines against companies for “aiding and abetting” wrongdoing even when the companies did not know a violation was occurring
• The FTC making, approving, and policing rules with virtually no oversight

I encourage you to take action and send a new message to your members of Congress, urging them to OPPOSE the FTC provision.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at jgay@npainfo.org.

Sincerely,

John Gay

Bert Martinez found out five years ago that his chronically ill daughter’s medical bills would top $50,000 a year — an amount the father of five children could not afford.* So Martinez quickly learned the art of negotiation. Soon he was haggling and bartering with doctors, hospitals and other medical providers, often getting reductions of 25% or more off his daughter’s and the rest of the family’s medical bills.

“About 60% of doctors will give a discount,” Martinez says. Sometimes he’s able to negotiate a fee upfront working directly with the doctor or the manager of a large practice. Other times, Martinez, who specializes in sales and marketing training, barters for his family’s health care needs by offering to streamline the doctor’s business or improve the marketing section of their website in exchange for medical care. He’s even posted ads on Craigslist offering his service in exchange for specific medical care needs, such as physical therapy

But negotiating upfront is Martinez’s preferred method of cutting medical costs. The key to success, he says, is to ask for the decision maker, know what type of financial help you need and how much you can afford to pay upfront or in monthly installments — then ask for less than you can afford.

Suppose you can afford to pay $100 per month until the bill is paid off — you should offer to pay $80 per month so you have some financial wiggle room. Always remember, says Martinez, “it’s not personal, it’s business,” and conduct yourself as though you’re negotiating a business deal..

Even if he’s checking a family member into the hospital, Martinez will ask for the person in charge, such as the finance manager or revenue manager, and strike a deal as part of the check-in procedure. He’ll work out a discount, as well as a payment plan before his family member is admitted. course, not every medical practice or hospital is willing to negotiate. In that case, Martinez will seek medical care elsewhere.

Mark Rukavina, executive director of The Access Project, a nonprofit that educates people on how to negotiate medical bills and insurance claims, says the most important thing to do is communicate with the medical provider. “Don’t ignore bills, hoping they’ll be resolved at some point in the future, whether you are insured or uninsured,” says Rukavina. Instead, ask for a discount. Insurance companies get discounts of 30% to 40% or more, and you can fight for the same discount. But, like Martinez, Rukavina cautions that you shouldn’t agree to terms you can’t afford. If you don’t pay according to terms, all your time spent negotiating could be for nothing.

If you are uninsured, you’re likely being billed at a much higher rate than any insurance company. “You have a lot of wiggle room” when negotiating, Rukavina explains. You can call the Access Project for help, but its model is one of self-advocacy. They’ll help you find the information you need in order to advocate for yourself.

If you’re not comfortable negotiating or have a hard time sorting through complex medical bills on your own, you can turn to paid medical advocates, which typically charge a percentage of what they save you. Medical Cost Advocates charges 35% of the amount saved. Health Advocate charges 25% to negotiate bills. It also works on an hourly basis (charging $120 per hour) to help people with specific needs, such as finding a specialist or disease management assistance. The company will contract directly with major employers that pay $1 to $5 per employee for guidance on navigating the health insurance maze. Health Advocate’s “Healthcare Survival Guide” offers some tips on cutting medical costs that you can download for free.

There are also medical bill experts who will negotiate your bills for you. After seeing a client’s medical bills and determining how much time it will take to negotiate the bill lower, Judy Medeiros-Mitchell, who’s based in New York City, sets a flat fee upfront. She has negotiated bills as high as $50,000 for $500.

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

May 4, 2010 — Women who take high doses of vitamin D during pregnancy have a greatly reduced risk of complications, including gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and infection, new research suggests.

Based on the findings, study researchers are recommending that pregnant women take 4,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D every day — at least 10 times the amount recommended by various health groups.

Women in the study who took 4,000 IU of the vitamin daily in their second and third trimesters showed no evidence of harm, but they had half the rate of pregnancy-related complications as women who took 400 IU of vitamin D every day, says neonatologist and study co-researcher Carol L. Wagner, MD, of the Medical University of South Carolina.

Wagner acknowledges the recommendation may be controversial because very high doses of vitamin D have long been believed to cause birth defects.

“Any doctor who hasn’t followed the literature may be wary of telling their patients to take 4,000 IU of vitamin D,” she says. “But there is no evidence that vitamin D supplementation is toxic, even at levels above 10,000 IU.”
Fewer Complications With High Vitamin D Doses

Most prenatal vitamins have around 400 IU of vitamin D, and most health groups recommend taking no more than 2,000 IU of the vitamin in supplement form daily. Wagner says it took months to get permission to do a study in which pregnant women were given doses of the vitamin that were twice as high as this.

The study included about 500 women in Charleston, S.C., who were in their third or fourth months of pregnancy. The women took 400 IU, 2,000 IU, or 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily until they delivered.

Not surprisingly, women who took the highest doses of vitamin D were the least likely to have deficient or insufficient blood levels of the vitamin, as were their babies.

These women also had the lowest rate of pregnancy-related complications.

Compared to women who took 400 IU of vitamin D daily, those who took 4,000 IU were half as likely to develop gestational diabetes, pregnancy-related high blood pressure, or preeclampsia, Wagner says. They were also less likely to give birth prematurely.

The research was presented over the weekend at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Infants with very low vitamin D levels are at increased risk for soft bones, or rickets — a condition that is now rare in the U.S.

But over the last decade, more and more studies suggest that vitamin D also protects against immune system disorders and other diseases, Wagner says.

Fortified milk and fatty fish are common food sources of vitamin D, but most people get only a small fraction of the vitamin D they need through food, Wagner says. Instead, the body makes vitamin D from sunlight.

But even in sunny climates like Charleston, few people are now getting adequate levels of vitamin D from sun exposure.

At the start of the study, deficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D were seen in 94% of the African-American women, 66% of Hispanic women, and 50% of white women who participated.

Vitamin D and Pregnancy: Is More Better?

University of Rochester professor of pediatrics Ruth Lawrence, MD, has been recording vitamin D levels in new mothers and their infants for three years. She did not take part in the new study.

Lawrence, who chairs the breastfeeding committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, says exclusively breastfed babies whose mothers have low vitamin D levels and who don’t take vitamin supplements are most likely to be deficient.

“It is clear that both for mothers and their babies, vitamin D levels are low,” she tells WebMD. “This is true in northern areas like Rochester and in sunny climates like Charleston.”

Lawrence sees no problem with the recommendation that women take 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily during pregnancy, although she says the impact of high doses of vitamin D on pregnancy-related complications remains to be proven.

“Four thousand IU may sound outrageous to some, but I believe it is really not unreasonable,” she says.

“We have been searching for the causes of preeclampsia and premature birth for many years. It is reassuring that the risk of these complications are lower for women taking extra vitamin D, but it is premature to say it is the cause.”

The independent health policy group the Institute of Medicine recommends 200 IU to 400 IU of vitamin D a day for everyone, including pregnant women, but this recommendation is under review. Revised guidelines are expected late this summer.

Now that I have that all out there I am actually a bit excited! The other night I was sharing with my group(3 of us) in a Landmark Education class, http://www.landmarkeducation.com , in a seminar called Breakthroughs, Living Outside the Box, I was sharing how have had a hard time getting motivated and excited to get to the gym and get back to the super strength I had.  What I did was describe how I used to pick up those garbage cans and lift them over my head and walk in back to the house and reliving it.   It wasn’t until then  that I was actually “excited” to get to the gym the next two mornings, Thursday and Friday.  See when I described what my energy was and how I felt unstoppable all the time, I really was present and in the moment of how I felt then. Not just explain what I did, but actually being there in the moment in my description.  Now I didn’t realize it at the time but when I awoke the next morning and I was excited to go to the gym I thought to myself.  “Why I am so excited this time?”  I realized I connect to they way I felt back then and that gave me a clear connection to that feeling that I wanted again.  One thing I noticed also is when I was describing to my group what I did and how a felt they got excited to.  Now I don’t know yet if they became excited enough to get to the gym also, since we all happened to share the same desire to be in shape and exercise, but I do remember the looks on their faces.   They where excited and expressed it then.  I know that the way I relived it and expressed to them touched them and seemed to carry them in the memory and the moment were if I were just to explain it without the passion of it I would have left them uninspired.

Both days I took an Xcellerator in the morning once before my workout and once after since I was so tired after and I forgot to take one!  I have been watching what I eat more and will give more exact details  as I continue on this process with you.  I have had a bowl of fruit and it was a big bowl, strawberries, mangoes, blackberries, grapes, for lunch one day.  Also I have had a chicken Kaboob with rice and potatoes  from Best Chicken.(801) 466-8311, 111 East 2700 South, Salt Lake City.   I have had some things such as homemade ice cream, a mini ecliar, and a steak and egg and cheese bagel from Mcdonalds ., (The Steak and egg has about 500 calories?) When I do have something that I feel may not be the most nutritious, high in calories, or high in bad sugars I do try to keep it minimal wither by size or frequency.  From my experience with my group above it has given me the idea to start a support group of sorts for people that want to lose weight and get in shape so that they can live there life to the fullest.  If you are interested please send me an email: adam@ultraperform.com .

FYI:  I will post links and calorie sugar content when ever it is available or my time allows.  Thank you all.

By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 20, 2010; A01

The Food and Drug Administration is planning an unprecedented effort to gradually reduce the salt consumed each day by Americans, saying that less sodium in everything from soup to nuts would prevent thousands of deaths from hypertension and heart disease. The initiative, to be launched this year, would eventually lead to the first legal limits on the amount of salt allowed in food products.

The government intends to work with the food industry and health experts to reduce sodium gradually over a period of years to adjust the American palate to a less salty diet, according to FDA sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the initiative had not been formally announced.

Officials have not determined the salt limits. In a complicated undertaking, the FDA would analyze the salt in spaghetti sauces, breads and thousands of other products that make up the $600 billion food and beverage market, sources said. Working with food manufacturers, the government would set limits for salt in these categories, designed to gradually ratchet down sodium consumption. The changes would be calibrated so that consumers barely notice the modification.

The legal limits would be open to public comment, but administration officials do not think they need additional authority from Congress.

“This is a 10-year program,” one source said. “This is not rolling off a log. We’re talking about a comprehensive phase-down of a widely used ingredient. We’re talking about embedded tastes in a whole generation of people.”

The FDA, which regulates most processed foods, would be joined in the effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees meat and poultry.

Currently, manufacturers can use as much salt as they like in products because under federal standards, it falls into the category deemed “generally recognized as safe.” Foodmakers are merely required to report the amount on nutrition labels.

But for the past 30 years, health officials have grown increasingly alarmed as salt intake has increased with the explosion in processed foods and restaurant meals. Most adults consume about twice the government’s daily recommended limit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Until now, the government has pushed the food industry to voluntarily reduce salt and tried to educate consumers about the dangers of excessive sodium. But in a study to be released Wednesday, an expert panel convened by the Institute of Medicine concludes that those measures have failed. The panel will recommend that the government take action, according to sources familiar with the findings.

Although the specifics of the government’s plans have not been made public, the food industry has been bracing for a federal initiative.

“We’re working on it voluntarily already,” said Melissa Musiker, senior manager of science policy, nutrition and health at the Grocery Manufacturers Association. In recent months, Conagra, Pepsico, Kraft Foods, General Mills, Sara Lee and others have announced that they would reduce sodium in many of their products. Pepsico has developed a new shape for sodium chloride crystals that the company hopes will allow it to reduce salt by 25 percent in its Lay’s Classic potato chips.

Morton Satin, director for technical and regulatory affairs at the Salt Institute, which represents salt producers, said regulation “would be a disaster for the public.” He said that the science regarding sodium is unclear and that consumption does not necessarily lead to health problems.

“If you consume a lot of salt, you also get rid of a lot of salt — it doesn’t mean it’s an excess,” he said. “I want to make sure they’re basing this on everything that is in the scientific literature, so we don’t end up being guinea pigs because someone thinks they’re doing something good.”

Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which first petitioned the FDA to regulate sodium in 1978, said voluntary efforts by industry are laudable, “but they could change their minds tomorrow. . . . Limiting sodium might be the single most important thing the FDA can to do to promote health.”

In January, New York City launched a campaign against salt, urging food manufacturers and chain restaurants to voluntarily reduce sodium by 25 percent in their products nationwide over the next five years. Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and the District are among a list of cities supporting the New York initiative.

A recent study by researchers at Columbia and Stanford universities and the University of California at San Francisco found that cutting salt intake by 3 grams a day could prevent tens of thousands of heart attacks, strokes and cases of heart disease.

Most salt eaten by Americans — 77 percent — comes from processed foods, making it difficult for consumers to limit salt to healthy levels, experts say.

“We can’t just rely on the individual to do something,” said Cheryl Anderson, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who served on the Institute of Medicine committee. “Food manufacturers have to reduce the amount of sodium in foods.”

Reducing salt across the food supply will be a massive and technically challenging project. Although many artificial sweeteners have been discovered, there is no salt substitute.

Humans have an innate taste for salt, which is needed for some basic biological functions. But beyond flavor, salt is also used as a preservative to inhibit microbial growth; it gives texture and structure to certain foods; and it helps leaven and brown baked goods.

Gary K. Beauchamp, a psychobiologist and director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, said salt also provides another, less understood quality. “It gives something that food people refer to as ‘mouthfeel,’ ” said Beauchamp, who also served on the Institutes of Medicine committee. “For some soups, for instance, it’s not just the salty taste — sodium makes the soup feel thicker.”

Policymakers will have to decide whether to exempt inherently salty foods, such as pickles, while mandating changes in other products to reduce the overall sodium levels in the food supply.

Above all, government officials and food industry executives say, a product with reduced salt must still taste good, or it will flop in the marketplace, as evidenced by several low-sodium products that had abysmal sales.

“Historically, consumers have found low-sodium products haven’t been of the quality that’s expected,” said Todd Abraham, senior vice president of research and nutrition for Kraft Foods. “We’re all trying to maintain the delicious quality of the product but one that consumers recognize as healthier.”

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by Cindy Ashton

Going within and really facing ourselves—our thoughts, patterns, and behaviors—takes great courage. But if we are willing to, we can transform our lives long‐term and create miracles.

Good breathing techniques are the key to deepening our consciousness and getting to know our bodies. In addition to helping us slow down enough to hear our thoughts and monsters (our fears), breath is the life force with the power to cleanse, nourish, relax, heal, and transform our world.

The benefits of good breathing techniques include:

The Relaxation Response

When the exhalation is longer than the inhalation, we stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. In turn, the heart rate slows down and blood pressure decreases.

This relaxation response helps to slow and refocus us.

Enhancing intuition and changing consciousness

Many systems of Yoga are built on breathing techniques as breath is considered to be the entry between the mind and body. When we slow and focus our breathing, our thoughts and body become quiet. At those moments we move beyond our brain clutter—and peace and clarity can shine through. Once we stop long enough to hear the intuition (or the voice of God depending on beliefs), we become aware. Awareness propels change.

Releasing toxins

When we inhale, we take in oxygen, nourishing our cells with life. Upon exhaling, the wastes and toxins of carbon dioxide are released. If we are breathing incorrectly, the oxygen cannot reach all the cells to feed them and wastes cannot be dispelled from our bodies. Therefore, cells quickly die and create imbalance in our bodies, contributing to possible illness, disease, and overall lack of wellness. When we are off balance, our energy is lower, causing us to be more susceptible to our fears.

Muscle relaxation

When our body moves with ease and without constriction, we have more energy. With increased vitality, we feel good and are able to stay positive longer. But if we are

uncomfortable in our bodies due to muscle tension, we get fatigued faster, lowering our defenses and allowing the monsters to creep in. Breathing into sore, tight muscles and then letting them go can decrease pain and increase mobility.

Releasing stored emotions

Unexpressed emotions such as anger or sadness stay in the body, once again creating imbalance and general unhappiness. If these things are not dealt with long‐term, illness will result. When we consciously breathe—noticing where the breath easily flows and where it is obstructed—we can start to assess where we hold our pain, why, and how. With this awareness, we can notice our feelings, which lead us to taking action towards deeper healing.

Breathing Awareness

Although we are breathing constantly, the majority of us fail to do it efficiently and effectively because it is an unconscious process. Therefore learning to breathe properly is essential. Healthy breathing is controlled by the diaphragm, a concave muscle running along the base of the ribs. When we inhale, the diaphragm pushes our internal organs down and flattens out causing our stomach to rise. Exhalation happens automatically.

Place your right hand on your chest and your left hand on your stomach. When you inhale (take a breath in), which hand rises—the right hand for the chest region or the left hand for the stomach region? When you are breathing, count as you inhale and then starting at one again, count as you exhale. Is your inhale longer than your exhale?

Exhale longer than your inhale? Inhale and exhale an equal number of counts?

If you inhale longer than you exhale, you are taking in too much oxygen and not expelling it all, causing imbalance and stress on your body. If you exhale longer than you inhale, then you are stimulating a relaxation response, helping you to tune into your body. If your inhales and exhales are equal, you are maintaining healthy and balanced breathing for optimal, everyday functioning.

When you are aware of your breathing, do you have a continuous, flowing cycle of inhales and exhales? Do you hold your breaths sometimes? If you hold breaths, it is an indication you are holding stress or fear in your body.

Healthy breathing techniques

Lie on your back. If you have back problems, place a pillow under your knees. Place your hands on your stomach, close your eyes, and just notice. Don’t try to take deep breaths yet. Once you feel the breath drop into your diaphragm, you should feel your hands rise up with the inhalation and down with the exhalation. Notice how your body feels so you can remember and duplicate the response at a later time. Once your belly rises and falls easily, start to breathe in more deeply. You will feel the stomach stretch. If you find the breath goes back up into the chest, repeat the process.

Listening to your body

Start by balancing your breath by breathing in for four counts then exhaling for four counts. Try not to hold your breath between cycles, keeping it flowing continuously. In order to tune into your body, you need to create a relaxation response.

Start to exhale longer than you inhale by breathing in for four, exhaling out for six. After a minute or so, start inhaling in for four, exhaling out for eight. As you are breathing, you will be slowing down to the point where you begin to notice your thoughts and feelings. Simply observe what comes up without judgment and take note.

Scan your body from head to toe, observing the areas of pain, discomfort, or tension. Again, there is no need for judgment, just observation. Imagine deeply breathing into those areas and then releasing the pain upon exhalation.

Continue to breathe into those areas and release until you feel less discomfort. Imagine blowing out black smoke that gets eaten by a cloud of white light and floats away.

Try to create other images for yourself and see what works best. Once you feel relaxed, refreshed, and ready to go, be sure to balance the breath (four in, four out). If you stand up too quickly without balancing, you may experience dizziness.

Reflect

The more you consciously breathe into your body and stimulate the relaxation response, the quicker you become at identifying your thoughts and feelings and noticing when your body (and those monsters) are speaking to you. If you have challenge or fear, or are resisting something that’s happening in your life, your body will hold pain, tension, and/or discomfort.

Once you tune into where that lies within yourself and acknowledge it, you can begin to mentally ask “what is this pain I’m holding?” From there, you can begin to tackle the monster head on! And sometimes by just noticing, it will release the resistance.

Ask yourself, “What thoughts, feelings, and images did I see while in the relaxation response? Where do I hold pain, discomfort, and tension? What insights about myself, or a particular situation, came up when I breathed into tense areas?” Now that you know the power of your breathing, get started and let’s change your life! Cindy Ashton, author of Kiss Your Monsters Goodbye, was recently featured in Performance Magazine alongside President Obama, Donald Trump and Tony Robbins. Having conquered life threatening chronic illness, she now empowers others to overcome their obstacles despite any odds against them. In presenting keynote speeches, interactive seminars and motivational concerts across North America, Cindy combines her extensive backgrounds in performing, education and kinesiology with her own real life experience. www.cindyashton.com / www.kissyourmonstersgoodbye.com

This year, Salt Lake city earns the coveted distinction as the “Fittest City in America, ” with Corlorado Springs, Minneapolis and Denver directly following.

Why? I think its beacause of the partial beacause of the natural supplement companies here. Also we have the great Rocky Mountains, Arches, Zion, Salt Lake, so many things to go outside and be active. Do whatever it takes to be healthy! Its worth it.