Usana In Health: World Leading Nutritional Products and Award Winning Home Business Opportunity

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If you are contemplating joining Usana Health Sciences, as an Independent Distributor, then you may be passionate about the company's vision of true health. The vision of Usana's founder and chairman, Dr. Myron Wentz, also represents the vision of the company:

"I dream of a world free from pain and suffering. I dream of a world free from disease. The USANA family will be the healthiest family on earth. Share my vision. Love life, and live it to its fullest in happiness and health."

(Dr. Myron Wentz, Founder and Chairman of USANA Health Sciences, Microbiologist, Immunologist, Philanthropist, and Author)

This vision statement compounds Usana's long-term commitment and responsibility to their customers, associates and individuals all over the world who are associated with Usana. Usana are truly passionate about producing products that can have a positive impact on people's health all around the world.

Usana Associates are encouraged to share the vision of Usana, by showing friends, family and colleagues the benefits of the world-leading pharmaceutical grade products. When you truly understand the many advantages of the Usana products, you should feel proud to represent Usana!

By sharing the vision of true health with friends and family, you can help to educate them and encourage them to take responsibility for their own health. This is a powerful way of building a dedicated and loyal repeat customer base, whilst helping your loved ones to improve their overall quality of life.

If you are specifically searching for a direct sales company to partner with, then it is important that you are inspired by the company's vision, as your work will be assisting the company to move in the direction of their long-term goals and objectives. You should aim to become immersed and emotionally involved in the vision, as this will give you the motivation to strive towards your own personal goals and dreams. When you are truly passionate about what you are doing, others will be keen to find out what you know about health and Usana and will want to know why you are so enthusiastic about sharing your knowledge!

The vision of Usana is supported by the company's mission:

"To manufacture the highest quality, science-based products that people can trust - what is on the label is what is in the bottle - providing maximum bioavailability for better health around the world and giving everyone the opportunity for a better quality of life."

We are all responsible for making the dream of 'true health' a reality around the world!

Author: Dr. Andrew Smith, webmaster of http://www.usanainhealth.com/

To learn more about Usana's ongoing vision of true health and true wealth, please click on the company tab at http://www.usanainhealth.com/business

There are a number of reasons why many people choose to start a home business. The first (and most obvious) reason is to generate extra income without having to take on another job. The advantage of working from home, is that you can fit your business activities around your other work and family commitments relatively easily.

In addition not all people want to be accountable to a supervisor or manager. As an employee it is often very difficult to be creative and innovative and so individuals with greater aspirations often prefer to be their own boss.

There are many other benefits to being a business owner including the tax advantages and the income earning potential, but do all potential home-based entrepreneurs know where and how to begin?

The answer to this is often NO and this is why the Network Marketing business model is ideally suited to people in the awkward situation where they want to have the income and freedom from a home business, but are unsure of what steps to take.

In Network Marketing you will have the opportunity to work with experienced Network Marketers, also known as Independent Associates, who will have a vested interest in your success. This means that they will be more than willing to train you in the strategies that they have personally used to succeed in the industry. There are very few business models that encourage teamwork rather than competition, but the Network Marketing model enables this balance to be achieved.

The customer also benefits when a company chooses the Network Marketing model and Direct Sales distribution route. We know that products are better value when purchased directly from manufacturers, as this approach cuts out the middlemen (wholesalers and retailers). Therefore, by allowing customers to order direct from the manufacturer, they are able to get their products at the best possible price.

From a business perspective, Associates do not need to hold high levels of stock and do not need to manufacture, package or ship products. This is taken care of by the company that the Associate chooses to represent. This arrangement is ideal for the customers, the Independent Associates and the company, creating a win-win situation all round!

To learn more about Network Marketing, please download your personal copies of my FREE E-books from my Usana business blog. You can Learn more about the company, Usana Health Sciences, by visiting my website.

One of my first realisations when I started my own home business was that employees and entrepreneurs do not think alike. I know that this may seem like a gross generalisation, but employees tend to adopt a group mentality, where Entrepreneurs adopt individualistic views. Entrepreneurs tend to move in the opposite direction to the masses, whilst employees generally follow in the footsteps of their family members and friends!

However, it is possible for someone to be an employee and adopt an Entrepreneurial mindset. Many people become employees because they believe that it is the right think to do, based on what they have been taught by their piers. It is not unusual for someone to question these views later in life, especially with the recent changes in the economic climate. It can be very difficult to transition from employment to business, even with a strong purpose and motive, due to other financial obligations and commitments. One of my aims in my business today is to help people to make this transition, by teaching the approaches and strategies that I have personally used to develop additional income streams.

Employees generally believe that their only source of income is their job. The goal is often to find a safe, secure job with a decent salary and additional benefits. The problems occur when the 'employee' is unable to work, or loses their job, as their only steam of income stops. This is one of the harsh realities that we are observing today, with unemployment at a record high. If you have a mortgage, bills and other consumer debts then it is likely that much of your income from your job is already allocated to pay your expenses. It is common for employees to live just beyond their means, which can lead to financial crisis! You may be aware of the current credit crunch, which has been caused by the increased demand for credit and the banks' willingness to provide it!

An Entrepreneur does not rely on one revenue source alone. Many Entrepreneurs believe that security comes from developing many sources of income (diversification), whilst minimising losses and reinvesting in new opportunities. In the event that one stream is lost, income is still generated by other means. There is always the potential to identify new opportunities to get ahead.

With this understanding we can begin to look at the current economic changes objectively. Although many industries are suffering, are there any industries, which are thriving? Are there ways to capitalise on this and add additional income streams part-time, without large capital outlay? Is it possible to transition smoothly from employment to business in today's economic climate? The answer to all of these questions is yes!

About the author: Dr. Andrew Smith is an Independent Associate for Usana Health Sciences and webmaster of the Usana In Health website. To learn more about home business opportunities visit his Usana Business blog.

Network Marketing is becoming increasingly popular in South East Asia and East Asia and has been recognised as the fastest growing market outside of the US by Direct Selling Associations across the world. This is primarily due to the relationship-based nature of business in countries in the region. Also, "direct selling gives money-making opportunities to people who probably have a lower educational background or who have already retired", according to Ailsa Gu who is a senior research analyst with Euromonitor in Singapore. Euromonitor International is a business that offers market intelligence on industries, countries and consumers. They have more than 30 years of experience publishing market reports, business reference books, online information systems and consulting projects.

East Asia and Southeast Asia have been key expansion markets for Western direct selling companies for many years because of the reasons described above. If you are an Entrepreneur based in East Asia or South East Asia, or if you are looking to build a global Network Marketing organisation then it is important that you identify a company with a history of trading in these rapid growth markets.

For example Usana Health Sciences started their East Asian and Southeast Asian campaigns in 1999 with the opening of the Hong Kong Market and has since initiated operating in Japan (2000), Taiwan (2002), Korea (2003), Singapore (2003), Malaysia (2007) and most recently the Philippines in January 2008. Therefore, Usana may be an suitable company to partner for people looking to develop a worldwide business.

One of the major benefits of growing a global organisation is that it can be far more stable than a business that is limited to one country. Every country's economy undergos highs and lows and it may be possible to regulate fluctuations in your own profitability by trading in many countries. This is an important approach for both the company and the independent distributors who represent the company.

The Internet enables Network Marketers to promote products to people all around the world, as long as the organisation you partner adopts online marketing practices and strategies. Therefore when choosing an organisation to partner, be sure that they have a strong online presence and community in place.

Usana Health Sciences are dedicated to providing people all around the world the opportunity to experience both true health and true wealth. This is supported by their commitment to producing world-leading, pharmaceutical grade nutrition and personal care products. In addition, the Usana home-based business opportunity has been voted the number 1 distributors choice Network Marketing company by Network Marketing today and the MLM insider magazine from 1997 to 2008. If you would like to learn more about Usana and the business opportunity they offer, please visit http://www.usanainhealth.com/

To get your copy of my FREE E-book "Network Marketing: Discover Your Personal Path to Success" please visit http://www.usanainhealth.com/business/ now!

Network Marketing (also know as relationship marketing, word of mouth marketing and multilevel marketing) is a distribution model used by Direct sales organisations for the promotion and distribution of their products. Usually, the company will be responsible for producing, packaging and shipping the goods and the Independent Distributor is responsible for marketing and advertising. The role of the Independent Distributor is to identify new customers for the company, in exchange for a proportion of the sale. The reason it is called Network Marketing is because the Independent Associate will traditionally market the products through social networks such as family, friends, church, clubs, work colleagues, etc.

As well as promoting the products, an Associate may choose to promote the business opportunity, finding new partners for the company. When an existing Associate personally introduces someone new to the company, they become the new Associate's Sponsor or mentor. That new person will also be an Independent Distributor for the company and will be placed in their Sponsor's team. Both of them will receive a commission based on the customers that the new Associate introduces to the products. For some people the number of potential customers that are personally known to them may be limited, hence there are huge benefits to building a team of Distributors to promote the products alongside them, reaching more potential consumers and opening new sales channels.

This process can then duplicate for any Distributor. Associates are able to build a customer base of thier own and receive commissions on the orders placed by any new and repeat personal customers, as well as the customers of the Distributors in their team. The original mentor will receive commissions from any sales generated within their organisation. The structure and commissions will vary from company to company and pay plan to pay plan, but the principle is the same.

The Network Marketing business model offers Individuals the opportunity to generate income like an Entrepreneur. What I mean by this is that income is not determined by the number of hours personally invsted. Payment is made based on the volume of goods sold by the individual's organisation. The income they earn is based on the productivity of everyone in their organisation. Therefore, if you are able to show your organisation to be more productive then you will make more money! You have true leverage in your business when your downline members are fully trained and are capable of finding new customers and Distributors without your own involvement. This requires a strong understanding of your products and strong leadership ability, but the pay-offs are more than worth it!

In retail distribution, the goods are produced and is purchased by the wholesaler. The wholesaler supplies the products to various retailers, who sell the product to the consumer.

As a customer / consumer, you will typically be charged around 2 to 3 times more for a product than the wholesaler paid the manufacturer for them. Say for example an item cost £10 to produce, the wholesaler may then pay £15 for each unit and the retailer then purchases them for £20 from the wholesaler. The retailer will then sell the item to you for £45 to offset their expenses for staffing, utilities, advertising, etc. and still make a profit. Therefore you are paying £45 for something that the manufacturer sells for £15, because everyone in the distribution chain must make a profit on your purchase.

In the Network Marketing model you order directly from the manufacturer. Therefore, less of the money you pay goes to the middleman. The products you purchase are generally a higher quality than retail products, due to the company's emphasis on research and development of the product. Network Marketers may be paid up to 30% on the sale of an item, but the customer will still pay proportionally less for a superior quality product.

Network Marketing businesses are typically run from home, often on a part time basis and advertising is traditionally done via word of mouth marketing. Hence, overhead costs are lower. Also, people are generally more likely to trust the recommendations of a friend, family member or work colleague than any other form of advertising. In addition, consumers have much closer contact with the company through the Associate who introduced them to the company.

The purpose of both distribution approaches is to find new product consumers, whilst serving existing customers. However, rewards and commissions are awarded differently in the two methods. In retail, the owners and managers of the wholesale and retail companies are rewarded on the productivity of their staff and in Network Marketing, the Distributors earn commission based on sales generated by their organisation.

Learn more at http://www.usanainhealth.com/business

About the Author: Andrew Smith is an Independent Associate for Usana Health Sciences and is the webmaster of http://www.usanainhealth.com

Direct Sales and Network Marketing are becoming massive trends in Industry, as we move away from the Industrial Age into an Information Age. In the Information Age, success is usually achieved by effectively communicating information about products and services with a target market.

Markets such as the health and wellness industry offer many different products and services, so it is important to help potential customers to understand what differentiates one product or brand from another.

Direct Sales has become more common due to advancements in technology, particularly with the Internet. Not only is this more convenient for customers, but also goods are often available at a more reasonable price online. This is due to the nature of the distribution model, as consumers purchase directly from the manufacturer rather than from wholesalers, or retailers, who are often responsible for significant mark-ups on the price of products. However, this is understandable when you consider the running costs that a retail outlet must cover.

By ordering direct from a manufacturer, consumers will have a closer relationship with the producer of their goods, rather than the retailer. This often leads to exceptional customer service and the consumer will have easier access to detailed product information. The consumer is therefore able to gain better insight into the benefits of the products that they purchase.

Network Marketing is a system used by Direct Sales companies to promote their goods and services. In Network Marketing, Independent Associates (representatives) promote the company's products on their behalf, via word-of-mouth marketing and are compensated for doing so. The main advantage of promoting products in this way is that potential customers can learn about the products from a trusted source (usually a friend, family member, work colleague, etc.) and they can learn how the products differ from the competition. In a market such as the health and wellness sector, new products could be lost on the shelf of a retail outlet, amongst other similar products! If the product is unique then the customer will have no way of finding out how the product is unique, unless they are prepared to do their own research.

Another reason why Network Marketing might be the preferred marketing strategy is when the story behind the products is important. It may be difficult to share the story in a short television advert and if the products are superior then the story behind them may be important.

In summary, it is important to determine what came first for any Network Marketing company: the product or the business model? The business model can be very lucrative for both the company and the Independent Associates, so some companies may create products just to fit into the business model. This is entirely different from a company who has an exceptional product and wants to adopt the best method for sharing information about their product. Try to distinguish what came first for any company who uses the business model.

Usana Health Sciences are world-leading manufacturers of nutrition and healthcare products. To learn why the Usana business was voted the number 1 people's choice for 10 consecutive years in 'MLM Insider' magazine, please visit our team's website (usanainhealth.com).

For some people Network Marketing is viewed as immoral or even illegal. From time to time is has been likened to pyramid schemes and similar scams, so why is this?

The first thing to remember is that in any industry there are both very good and very bad companies. The same is true of Network Marketing. Anything can be considered to be a scam if the intention is to trick or mislead someone and this is true of every industry. If the question is "have people been scammed in Network Marketing?" then the answer would be yes, but this would have been due to the actions of a particular individual or company and not the industry itself. On the other hand, if the questions was: "are there Network Marketing companies who have the highest integrity, are open about their operations and do not scam people?" Then the answer is absolutely yes!

It is my understanding that for the majority of people who see Network Marketing as immoral, it is generally because they are fearful that it is a scam, or they worry that they will have to trick people to be successful for themselves. .

To address the issue of whether Network Marketing is an illegal pyramid I would like to draw on a few useful resources. Firstly, I would like to educate you about an organisation called the Direct Selling Association (DSA). The DSA is responsible for regulating the Direct Selling and Network Marketing industries to ensure that only legitimate companies are trading.

So, what constitutes an illegal pyramid? The DSA assesses a Network Marketing company on two criteria when determining their legitimacy. The first question relates to whether an Associate risks huge financial loss by participating in the business. If you do not receive products and business tools / services for the money you are investing then this should ring alarm bells in your head! The second question relates to whether an individual's commissions are directly linked to the volume of product moving through the organisation. Can you earn commission without any product moving through your organisation? If so, then this could be considered as an illegal pyramid.

So, if the question is "have so called Network Marketing companies been responsible for operating an illegal pyramid?" then the answer would once again be yes, with this being due to the actions of a dubious company with little integrity. This would also be classified as a scam as the intention will be to trick and mislead people. If the question was "are all Network Marketing companies illegal pyramids?" then the answer would obviously be no!

My advice would be to ensure that the company you are currently representing, or considering representing, is recognised by the DSA and adheres to all of the policies.

To learn more about legitimate Network Marketing opportunities please visit http://www.usanainhealth.com. You can download your FREE 'Network Marketing: Discovery your personal path to success' E-book at http://www.usanainhealth.com/business

Concerns and fears about selling may be relevant to individuals who are considering starting a Network Marketing business. Someone may feel that they are unable to sell, or may even see selling as immoral. If someone sees selling as immoral then this may be due to a past experience where they have been pushed into buying something they didn't want, or felt hassled by a salesperson.

It is important to acknowledge the fact that there are both very good and very bad sales people! Bad sales people are only interested in what they will personally get out of the sale and will go to any length to close the deal. A good sales person will not sell something to anyone unless they truly believe that they will benefit from it. If during the sales process someone makes it clear that they don't want what is being offered, then it is the responsibility of the sales person to accept and understand the person's viewpoint and to stop pushing! The good sales person will go to any length to ensure that all customers are completely satisfied with their purchase.

If you feel strongly about what you are selling or promoting then you will find yourself in a situation where you are simply sharing your ideas on a subject with your prospect. Take a Network Marketing business for example: If you truly believe that your decision to start a business of this type will change your life and your finances forever and you are passionate about it, then this will be obvious to people you talk to. If you can identify ways in which your business can help other people to achieve life long ambitions then wouldn't you be happy to share your ideas and thoughts with them? Ultimately their decision is up to them, but it is your responsibility to be of service to that person if you know that what you have could benefit them.

The same is true if you are selling a company's products. If you are speaking with someone who clearly has a need for a particular product then they will be grateful to hear about what you have learned. People are always willing to exchange money for goods and services that will make their life better, so the salesperson's role is to help the customer.

To learn why you can be proud to represent Usana Health Sciences, sharing the products and home business opportunity, visit our Usana In Health website. To learn more about Network Marketing in general, register your details on our Usana Business Blog to receive your personal copies of our 2 FREE E-books.

It is not easy to pinpoint exactly when the Network Marketing and multi-level marketing business model first came into operation, as it has been used in some form or another for many years without the name it now has. Travelling salesmen have been around since the mid to late 1800s and towards the end of the 1800s some companies gave these salespeople licence to train new salespeople for a percentage commission based on their sales.

In 1945 an American company called Nutrilite started the first documented MLM compensation plan, where Distributors with a proven sales track record could train new distributors for their own business. They would then receive commissions based on their own productivity and the productivity of the people they trained.

In a legitimate Network Marketing (multi-level marketing, MLM) company your commissions are always based on the sale of products. This might be from sales you personally generate, or sales generated by a member of your team, or downline, but the only way to earn commissions is by distributing products. The more products sold by you and your team, the greater your commissions!

Unfortunately, the Network Marketing business model has been open to exploitation by less reputable companies, or individuals, who have used the industry name to cover illegal pyramid schemes. In an illegal pyramid you pay money and receive no tangible goods in return. Therefore, the people promoting these schemes receive commissions for signups and not commissions based on the quantity of goods sold.

The role of an individual in a pyramid is to influence people to part with money for nothing in return, which is both illegal and immoral! The role of a Network Marketing distributor is to promote the benefits of a product and to find individuals who have a need for their product. They can also recruit new members into their team with a view to opening sales channels within new social networks. If your company has a high quality product that truly benefits the consumer, then working with a Network Marketing company can be ethical, rewarding and profitable.

Usana manufacture world-leading, pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements, which are distributed through Network Marketing. Visit our Blog to learn more about the Usana business opportunity and Network Marketing.

This article outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of both specialist diets and healthy eating. I must emphasise that these are my own views and opinions and I accept that not everyone shares or supports them! However, I have offered evidence for the statements that I have made throughout this article.

When I refer to specialist diets I am generally referring to diets such as Atkins', the cabbage soup diet, the drop a jean size diet, weight watchers, slim-fast, slimming world, low carbohydrate diets and low fat diets, to name but a few. But what do all of these diets have in common?

The majority of specialist diets try to give people a simple to follow approach for restricting calorific intake, hence leading to weight loss. This is often dressed up as something more than just calorie restriction, but the outcome is generally the same. This is often done by limiting or removing one or more of the macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins or fats) from some or all meals throughout the day. So how does this impact on the nutritional requirements of the human body?

One example is the Atkins diet, which aims to alter the way the body produces its energy by virtually removing carbohydrates from every meal. In Dr Atkins' book he refer to a state called Ketosis, where fats are converted directly to energy when carbohydrates are not present. This diet has been seen to be very successful at achieving weight loss in a number of studies, but how can a diet be good for you if it alters your body's natural energy production mechanisms? Ketosis only takes place when the body is starved of carbohydrates, but the central nervous system relies solely on carbohydrates for energy. How can this promote good health?

Another example of these types of diets is low fat diets. Low fat diets acknowledge that fat accounts for a greater number of calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates and hence, aim to minimise fat intake to reduce calorie intake. Although saturated fat can be harmful to the human body in large quantities, essential fatty acids play many important roles such as temperature regulation, hormone synthesis and most importantly, the absorption of many vitamins and antioxidants. Restricting fat in your diet can therefore lead to vitamin deficiencies, which can have a dramatic effect on a person's overall health.

I'm sure by now you are feeling confused about what diet you should follow in order to manage your weight and to maintain your health. My advice would be to aim to follow a general healthy eating plan, whilst trying to evaluate and approximate your calorie intake. For many of you this will not be information that you haven't heard before, but you may have found it difficult to develop a healthy eating plan for yourself. Low GI (Glycemic Index) diets encourage you to eat foods from each of the macronutrient groups, whilst ensuring that the food you eat releases energy slowly for sustained energy. This encompasses the principles of healthy eating.

So what are the disadvantages of following a healthy low GI plan? The only thing that can be construed as a disadvantage (and wrongly so!) is that you will not see the miracle weight losses you see when you start a specialist diet. To address this point, (and to promote healthy eating) more often than not the vast quantity of weight lost in the first week of a specialist diet is due to water losses. When you hear of people losing 3 or 4 kilos in one week of dieting you may be amazed, but let me try to quantify this for you. To lose 1 kg of fat you must burn 7000 calories more than you consume and to lose 4 kg of fat would require a calorie deficit of 28,000 calories, but on average most people's bodies burn around 2500 calories per day (17,500 per week). So as you can see it is almost physically impossible to lose 4kg of fat in 1 week. If you follow a healthy eating plan, taking in 500 to 1000 calories less than you burn each day, your will lose 0.5 - 1 kg per week, every single week and your body will still receive the nutrients it requires to maintain a good level of health. You will also be developing an understanding of healthy eating, which you can employ for the rest of your somewhat longer life!!!

Low GI meal replacements and healthy snacks are an ideal way to follow a healthy eating plan even if you have a busy lifestyle. Usana manufacture world-leading, pharmaceutical grade, nutritional supplements and meal replacements. To learn more, visit our Usana products pages.

There are a number of key elements to achieving any weight management goals. The major two are correct nutrition and relevant exercise. Weight loss is achieved by consuming fewer calories than your body uses and weight gain is achieved by consuming a greater number of calories than your body uses, but what role does exercise play?

For weight loss, the primary purpose of exercise is widely assumed to be to burn calories, but are we able to get greater benefits from our exercise?

The answer to this is YES! The type of training you do can improve your body's ability to burn fat. The human body can only burn fat when both carbohydrates and oxygen are present and so if you are aiming to lose weight, you need to encourage your body to store carbohydrates (in the muscles) and use oxygen more effectively. This is an excellent argument for why low carbohydrate diets are not ideal, because if there are no carbohydrates present in your body, then lean muscle mass is broken down to replace them.

In order to promote the adaptations discussed, your cardiovascular exercise should be done at a relatively high intensity (at lease 70% of your maximum heart rate - providing you have a reasonable cardiovascular fitness base to begin with!). This will promote an increase in the number of mitochondria within the muscles, enabling greater uptake and utilisation of oxygen.

For fat loss, resistance exercises should be done with repetition ranges of 15 and above, as this will improve the endurance capacity of the muscle. The muscle will once again produce greater numbers of mitochondria in order to reduce lactic acid production, hence improving the muscles ability to use oxygen.

For weight gain, the purpose of exercise is to ensure that the mass gained is lean tissue mass and not fat mass, so how is this reflected in the type of exercises performed?

Cardiovascular exercise should be done at a lower intensity, with the objective being to raise the body's core temperature and prepare the joints and muscles for exercise, without burning excessive quantities of calories.

Resistance exercises should be performed with repetition ranges between 8 and 12. This is the ideal number of repetitions to promote muscular hypertrophy (muscle growth). In addition, when trying to add mass to your frame, compound exercises will activate larger quantities of muscle fibres, encouraging growth. A compound exercise involves movement at many joints, engaging many muscle groups.

In summary, the type of training we do can encourage adaptations within our active body tissue. These adaptations enable our body to function in a way that is in keeping with our goals.

Although our diet may determine whether we lose or gain weight, our choice of training methods will define the way our body produces and manages energy at rest, as well as during exercise. Even if someone were to train for 5 hours per week, there would still be 163 hours in the week when they were not training. Therefore it makes more sense to encourage your body to adapt in a way that it will function in keeping with your goals during rest, rather than purely concentrating on the direct effect of your training.

Note from Author: Higher intensity physical activity increases oxygen consumption and hence, free radical activity. Antioxidants are essential for eliminating free radicals in the body. Usana manufacture world-leading nutritional products including Usana vitamins and multimineral products. Visit our Usana Products Blog for more information.

In my opinion, exercise is crucial for anyone, regardless of personal goals and aspirations relating to health. Exercise is not just for athletes or people aiming to reduce weight or gain muscle, it is essential for all of us. If you feel that you do not need to exercise because you look ok as you are then it is likely that the inside of your body may tell a different story!

When I suggest exercise I do not only mean formal exercises in a gym or health club setting. I am referring to any activity that gets you moving and encourages you to push your body outside of its usual sedentary or rested state. This is a principle described as OVERLOAD. You overload a muscle when you encourage it to work harder than it normally would and this also applies to your heart muscle!

I am not about to overwhelm you with all the reasons why you should exercise, but I am sure that you are reading this because you want to maintain or improve your health. Health and vitality begins with your capacity and committment to use and improve your physical body.

I know that there will still be individuals reading this, convincing themselves that they don't have time to exercise, or don't really feel they need to, but this is probably because a part of the brain is trying to sabotage their efforts to improve themselves! This is the same part of the brain that tells you that your exercise plan can wait until Monday, or that one more biscuit wont make any difference! We all have coping strategies of some sort and look to rationalise choices we make, even though we know through standard logic that what we are saying to ourselves isn't necessarily the case! The trick is to learn to realise when you are making excuses and to learn to silence the voice of negativity! This is a hugely important part of making positive changes in any area of your life.

So let me just describe 3 areas to consider for your own personal exercise regime. You must consider your cardiovascular exercise (elevating your heart rate), muscular exercise (strengthening and toning your muscles) and flexibility exercises (improving your posture and range of motion around your joints). Each of these areas are equally important and should be included in your exercise routine.

Cardiovascular Exercise

In this article I will be detailing cardiovascular exercise. Cardiovascular exercise is necessary for a number of reasons: Firstly, it improves the efficiency of your heart and lungs and enables your body to uptake and circulate larger quantities of oxygen. If your body is able to uptake and circulate more oxygen then you are less likely to get out of breath so easily. You will be able to sustain physical activity for longer periods of time and your heart and lungs will generally be healthier. This is described as cardiovascular fitness.

If we overlook the obvious then there are additional benefits to working at greater intensities. If we use a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is too easy and 10 is almost impossible then you should try to exercise at a minimum of 7. At 7 it will be hard and you should sweat, but you should be able to maintain the intensity for at least 20 minutes. When you exercise at this intensity, changes begin to occur in your body. Your body lays down more mitochondria in the muscles and the mitochondria are responsible for absorbing oxygen. To cut a long story short, your body can only burn fat in the presence of oxygen, so the higher your body's capability to process oxygen, the greater your capacity to burn fat!

There is another school of thought that suggests you should exercise at a level of 6 out of 10, as this is the 'fat burning zone'. Let me just explain something: you DO NOT burn more fat working at an intensity of 6 out of 10 than you do at an intensity of 7 out of 10! PERIOD! However, if you cannot sustain a minimum of 20 minutes at greater intensity then you should reduce your level of difficulty to achieve the duration. In my opinion this is the only time you should exercise at a lower intensity (other than warm ups and cool downs). Working at 6 out of 10 will NOT encourage your body to undergo change and become a fat burning machine!

That said, only work up to greater difficulties as your fitness develops. You should be in this for the long haul, so don't burn out in the first couple of days! Start with what you are able to do and aim to develop over time. Also, seek advice from your doctor if you have any health conditions or concerns.

In my next article, I will be outlining a strategy for determining and improving your cardiovascular exercise and fitness. This will provide a workable guide for any person who is ready to begin exercising TODAY, or who has been exercising and wishes to improve further.

Please note that when you exercise your body consumes more oxygen and as a result more free radicals are created within your body. Free radicals are volatile particles, which attack and damage healthy cells in a process called oxidation (or free-radical damage). It is widely believed that we need to ensure that we consume optimum quantities of antioxidants (i.e. vitamins) to eliminate free radicals and safeguard our bodies against degenerative diseases. If you would like to learn more about high quality, pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements then please visit http://www.usanainhealth.com/products/?page_id=7

In my previous post I explained the advantages of exercising at an intensity of 7 out of 10, or 70% of your maximum heart rate. If you missed this article then you can read it at http://www.usanainhealth.com/products/?p=154.

The scale from 1 to 10 is known as the 'rate of perceived exertion' and I will refer to it as RPE as I explain how to improve your current cardiovascular fitness. Your target is to build up progressively until you are capable of sustaining 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity at an RPE of 7 or above. This is for everyone, irrespective of your personal goals. This intensity will enable you to burn fat as well as improve the efficiency of your heart and lungs (CV fitness).

You can get your own cardiovascular exercise programme now by clicking on the link: http://www.usanainhealth.com/cvprog.pdf. You can join this programme at any level or week number, but you must commit yourself to moving through the levels!

You will notice from the programme template that the lower levels are shown at the bottom of the chart and the levels go higher, the further you go up the chart. I want you to invisage this is a ladder and you are trying to get to the top. Each time you slip (perhaps you miss your exercises for 2 weeks), just get back on the ladder and keep climbing! Remember in my last article I told you that you should be in this for the long haul? Well, missing a few training session does not mean you failed, it just means you lost your footing! You know that you can achieve your goals if you put your mind to it!

Try to complete 3 sessions of up to 30 minutes duration each and every week starting from now! Make a note at the end of each session highlighting how you felt once you completed the exercise.

You may also have seen that I haven't explained what types of exercise you should be doing! The beauty of this programme is that it doesn't matter as long as it elevates your heart rate. If you are going to do this at the gym, then the activity could be swimming, walking, jogging, cross training, rowing, or aerobics. If you are going to do this from home then you can still walk or jog, or you may choose to do 30 minutes of your favourite exercise video. If you like sports then you could play tennis, football or squash. Use your imagination! It may be useful to look in your local paper to see what clubs and classes are on offer in your local area. Don't put it off! Do it right now and get moving up the ladder! Once you reach the top, make sure you stay there by continuing to push and challenge yourself.

To receive more FREE health and fitness advice, including understanding the benefits of using high quality nutritional supplements, please visit the health Blog at http://www.usanainhealth.com/products/. You can also subscribe to future Blog updates by registering your email address at the site.

An individual's daily calorie expenditure is dependent on 3 main factors. Firstly, it will depend on an individual's basal metabolic rate (BMR), which represents the number of calories burned at rest due to metabolic functions within the body. This can be approximated as 25 calories per kilogram of body mass, per day.

The second factor to be considered is an individual's lifestyle and general activity levels (Activity Factor, F). People who are generally more active throughout the day will consume more calories than an inactive person. Below is an approximation of the additional calories used due to lifestyle activity. This is only an approximation as it is difficult to clearly define levels of activity in this manner:

Sedentary Lifestyle (=BMR x 120 %) - Typical characteristics include having a desk-based job (office worker), driving to work, taking the elevator and not the stairs, etc.

Moderately Active Lifestyle (=BMR x 150%) - Typical characteristics include having a job requiring prolonged periods of standing (nurse or factory worker), walking or cycling to work, taking stairs not elevators, etc.

Very Active Lifestyle (=BMR x 175%) - Typical characteristics include having a manual job (labouring or exercise teacher), walking or cycling to work, taking stairs not elevators, etc.

The third and final factor for consideration relates to formal exercise. During formal exercise there is the potential to expend many calories. The exact quantity will depend on the type of activity, the participant's weight and the intensity. Most cardiovascular machines in a health centre will calculate the calories expelled based on a person's weight and the intensity at which they are exercising.

To approximate your weekly calorie expenditure, you can enter your own information into the equations below:

Firstly, calculate you BMR = Weight (kg) x 25 =

Next, include calories relating to your activity level = BMR x F =
(Sedentary Lifestyle = BMR x 1.2, Moderately Active Lifestyle = BMR x 1.5, Very Active Lifestyle = BMR x 1.75)

Now multiply by 7 for days of the week = BMR x Activity Factor x 7 =

Finally, add calories expended during formal exercise during the week = BMR x Activity Factor x 7 + Calories Expended During Exercise =

This gives you the total quantity of calories expended in a given week.

In order to balance your calories for a given week, simply subtract the number of calories expelled from the number of calories taken in:

Weekly Calorie Intake - Calorie Expenditure = Net Weekly Calories

If this result is negative, your weight is likely to decrease and if it is positive, your weight is likely to increase. As an approximation, in order to reduce your body mass by 1kg, you have to expend 7000 calories more than you intake. Conversely, to gain 1kg, you have to intake 7000 calories more than you expend.

An individual with weight loss goals should aim to lose between 0.5 and 1 kg body weight per week. Aiming to lose more could result in a slowing of the metabolism, as the body goes into a state of starvation. Therefore, a weekly calorie deficit between 3500 and 7000 kg is required (net calories = -3500 to -7000). An individual with weight gain goals, aiming to gain between 0.5 and 1 kg body weight per week will require a weekly calorie surplus between 3500 and 7000 (net calories = 3500 to 7000).

Note from Author (Dr. Andrew Smith - Usana In Health): As part of a healthy eating programme it is important that your body gets the essential nutrients that it needs to function properly. Usana manufacture world-leading, pharmaceutical grade nutrition and healthcare products. To learn more about them visit our Usana Products Blog.

Resistance exercise is one of the three key components in a balanced exercise programme, the other two being cardiovascular and flexibility training.

There are a number of principles, which apply to each of these modes of training and this article covers the fundamental principles, which should be applied to resistance exercise.

When preparing a resistance-training programme it is important to ensure that exercises are incorporated to target every major muscle group in the body. This is imperative in order to maintain a balanced physique, avoiding possible muscle weaknesses, or postural problems. The main areas to target are back, chest, shoulders, arms, abdominals, quads, hamstrings and calves. In some instances, more than one muscle group can be worked at a time by using compound exercises, but it is still important to target each of the major muscle groups listed.

Another important aspect to any resistance-training programme is to allow sufficient rest for each muscle group between workouts. There is little or no benefit to targeting the same muscle group more than once or twice each week, as when a muscle is worked, it needs sufficient recovery time to repair and rebuild. Training splits are an excellent way of avoiding muscle over-training. A 3-day training split might look something like this:

Monday: back, biceps and hamstrings, Wednesday: chest, triceps and quads, Friday: shoulders, calves and abdominals

Another key element in any resistance-training programme relates to the number of repetitions performed in each set of a given exercise. The number of repetitions completed is directly related to the goals of the individual. Training for muscular endurance and toning typically requires 12 or more repetitions. Reps ranging from 8 to 12 stimulate muscular growth and muscular strength improvements are achieved when rep ranges of 4 to 8 are used.

The final key element is progression. In order to enable your body to improve, you must continue to increase the stimulus on your muscles. This is achieved by increasing numbers of repetitions (whilst remaining within your desired rep range), increasing weights, or increasing the number of sets performed. It is also necessary to change your exercises or training splits every 4 to 6 weeks to avoid plateaus in progress.

Note from author Dr. Andrew Smith: As part of a general health programme I recommend using a high quality multivitamin and multimineral product, along with an omega fatty acid supplement.

Usana manufacture world-leading, pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements. To learn more, visit our Usana Products information blog.

It is now widely believed in the medical world that nutritional products are a vital part of a healthy eating programme. It has become increasingly difficult to intake sufficient levels of nutrients from food alone, especially anti-oxidants and minerals. This is mainly due to an increased demand by our bodies for these anti-oxidants and also as a consequence of depletion of nutrients in the food that we eat.

antioxidants and Minerals

The role of vitamins in the body is to support a healthy immune system and to neutralise damaging free radicals. Free radicals are generated as a byproduct of chemical processes within the body (specifically respiration and digestion) and are very reactive molecules, which damage human cells. Over extended periods of time, constant attacking of our cells by free radicals can lead to the development of degenerative conditions and diseases. Therefore, an optimal consumption of vitamins and minerals can help to reduce free radical damage and assist in the fight against degenerative disease.

Minerals also have many unique funtions in our bodies, acting on cells, tissues and organs. All of our bodily processes depend on minerals to activate the enzymes, which perform those bodily functions.

Our need for antioxidants and minerals is now greater than ever due to the increasingly toxic environment that we live in. Environmental pollution, toxic chemicals in the water supply and greater levels of radiation from the sun validate our increased need for vitamins. In addition, stress, lack of rest and poor food choices will add to free radical occurance. The food choices that we make today are regularly devoid of the important antioxidants and minerals that we need for our bodies to function properly.

Low Glycemic Foods

Conditions such as Obesity and Diabetes are largely caused by poor food selection. Typically, high calorific foods contribute to Obesity, but the role of high glycemic foods cannot be disregarded. High glycemic foods (high glycemic Index) are the ones that sugar fastest once inside your body, such as sweets, cakes and refined carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, etc). These kinds of foods cause sudden increases in blood sugar levels. As blood sugar levels drop, you will experiences a drop in energy and urges for high glycemic foods (carbohydrate cravings). If you regularly succumb to your cravings, this will increase your calorific consumption. Over a period of time your body becomes unable to adjust to dramatic increases in blood sugar levels, which can in turn lead to the development of type two Diabetes.

If you have weight management goals or concerns about diabetes, then low glycemic, nutritionally balanced meal replacements and healthy snacking options can offer you a solution.

To discover Usana's range of world-leading, pharmaceutical grade multivitamins, multiminerals and healthy snacks, please click on the product overview tab at http://www.usanainhealth.com/products

Author: Andrew Smith, creator of the blog at http://www.usanainhealth.com/

Does eating a healthy balanced diet alone provide all of the nutrients that the human body needs to function correctly? There are many different types and brands of nutritional supplements available to the consumer, but what are the benefits of using these products?

These are just some of the questions people may have regarding nutritional supplementation and the purpose of this article is to answer some of these questions.

There are many different types of nutritional products available today and the health and wellness industry is one of the fastest growing industries at the present time. This is due to many factors including the rise in obesity and the increasing numbers of individuals being diagnosed with degenerative diseases.

It is sometimes believed (especially amongst older generations) that eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly is sufficient to maintain good health, but there is also the conflicting argument that without supplementation, many people's intake of vital nutrients falls far short of their body's requirements.

Before I discuss these issues, I would first like to give a brief overview of some of the nutrients that the human body needs to function correctly:

Firstly there are the macronutrients. Macronutrients include Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats. At the most simplified level, carbohydrates provide our bodies with energy, proteins are responsible for building and repairing muscle tissue and fats provide additional energy reserves and allow for the transportation of micronutrients around the body. Fats are also necessary for the production of certain hormones.

Secondly there are micronutrients. Micronutrients include vitamins (also known as anti-oxidants) and minerals. Each vitamin (A, B12, C, D, E, K, etc.) and mineral (Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, etc.) performs a specific role within the body and they are all required for good bodily function. Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals have been identified as one of the primary factors in the development of degenerative disease, as vitamins in particular are responsible for the removal of free radicals within the body.

Free radicals are harmful molecules, which are produced by chemical reactions within the human body, as well as by factors in our external environment. They attack healthy cells causing them to break down (degenerate), potentially leading to the development of degenerative disease in the long term.

As an example, it has been suggested that in order to promote optimum health, 400 IU (International Units) of vitamin E should be consumed on a daily basis. To put this into context, an individual would have to consume 14.5 kg of spinach each day to achieve this level. Alternatively, 1kg or almonds would provide the same oxidative defence for the human cells. This example should highlight that it is very difficult to consume 400 IU of vitamin E without incorporating nutritional supplementation. This value is significantly higher than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for a number of reasons:

Firstly, RDAs were established in the 1940s and were guidelines to prevent diseases such as scurvy and rickets and are often considered to be somewhat out of date. In addition, the external environment in which we live today contains higher levels of pollutants, radiation and other harmful toxins, which significantly increases our need for anti-oxidants.

It is known that the levels of vitamins in fresh fruit and vegetables depletes over time, so in order to get the best anti-oxidative defence from our foods, we would have to consume them immediately after they were harvested. This is very difficult today due to the nature of supermarket's distribution processes.

In summary, high quality multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplements can be beneficial for everyone, to ensure the intake of adequate quantities of vitamins and minerals. This can support healthy body function, elevate energy levels and may also reduce free radical damage and cellular degeneration within the body.

Macronutrient supplements (i.e. proteins, meal replacements and healthy snacking options), also serve a purpose to many individuals:

An example would be for a vegetarian who may generally find it difficult to consume sufficient quantities of protein. In this instance, a Soy Protein supplement could be of use. Soy protein does not contain animal products and can provide all of the essential amino acids that the body requires for building and repairing bodily tissues.

For individuals looking to manage their weight, meal replacements can provide the correct balance of nutrients in a low calorie supplement. Meal replacements can be a convenient way for people with busy lives to regulate calorie intake.

Healthy snacking options may also provide an excellent means for receiving a good balance of nutrients with little or no preparation. It would generally be more beneficial to an individual's health to consume a high quality healthy snack bar than to purchase a snack from a convenience store.

Therefore, the use of macronutrient snacks usually depends on an individual's health goals and personal dietary requirements.

Usana manufacture world-leading, pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements. Find out more about the award winning Usana vitamins by clicking on the link text.

A number of years ago I believed that all nutritional supplements were manufactured to the same standards, but I have since learned that this isn't the case. From personal research, I have found that there are many factors, which affect the quality and hence, the effectiveness of nutritional supplements. I will outline some of these now and will explain the relevance of each of the factors discussed.

The first factor is whether a supplement dissolves and disintegrates fully and how readily available it is for use within the body. The nutrients in the product must be in a suitable form and in correct ratios for maximum absorption into the body's cells. This is known as the bioavailability of the product. As the bioavailability of a product is primarily determined by the ratios of ingredients, it is essential that the manufacturer carefully monitors and regulates the required balance of ingredients during research and development.

The majority of nutritional supplements are manufactured to food grade standards, as this is all that is required to meet industry regulations in most countries. However, without the control and precision associated with pharmaceutical grade manufacturing standards, it is extremely difficult to guarantee the potency of products and ratios of nutrients. This is likely to have an impact on the bioavailability of the nutrients in that product. Another major concern with food grade products is that there is an increased risk of product contamination.

Another important factor to consider is the quantities and levels of nutrients in the product. As an example, many multivitamin and multimineral supplements are designed to meet the recommended daily allowances (RDAs) of the relevant micronutrients. This may not provide sufficient quantities to protect our bodies' cells from free radical damage and the possible onset of degenerative diseases, as many studies now indicate that we require advanced levels of micronutrients to promote optimal health. RDAs were established in the 1950s and were determined as a minimum requirement to prevent acute deficiencies such as scurvy and rickets. Due to pollution, lifestyle choices and depletion of nutrients in the food that we eat, our demands are now far greater. Increasing occurrence of degenerative diseases may be an indication of our bodies' growing demands for antioxidants.

For these reasons, I recommend that if you are going to use nutritional supplements, you should find a manufacturer that adheres to pharmaceutical grade manufacturing standards for best results. If you are using, or considering using a multivitamin and multimineral product then it may also be beneficial to ensure that the formulation contains advanced levels of nutrients.

About me: I am an Independent Associate for Usana Health Sciences and the Webmaster at http://www.usanainhealth.com . Usana voluntarily adhere to pharmaceutical grade manufacturing standards and also offer a 100% potency guarantee. If you wish to learn more about the Usana products, please visit http://www.usanainhealth.com.