"Staying Fit, Trim and Lean in an Increasingly Fat World*"
Today, two out of three American adults are overweight. But this problem is not limited to the U.S.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), data collected between 2000 and 2008 reveals the 10 countries with the highest percentages of an overweight population:
#1 - American Samoa, 93.5 percent
#2 - Kiribati, 81.5 percent
#3 - U.S., 66.7 percent
#4 - Germany, 66.5 percent
#5 - Egypt, 66 percent
#6 - Bosnia-Herzegovina, 62.9 percent
#7 - New Zealand, 62.7 percent
#8 - Israel, 61.9 percent
#9 - Croatia, 61.4 percent
#10 - United Kingdom, 61 percent
This trend concerns me as being overweight can lead to a lower quality of life, as well as keep you from optimal health. And reliable projections show this worldwide trend is only increasing.
How HFCS Contributes to the Fattening of the World
and Why the Corn Industry Continues to Deny It…
Scientists figured out how to create fructose from corn in the mid-1970s and opened Pandora’s box by devising a process that was so cheap that this dangerous sugar is now added to virtually every processed food.
However, this is not what the food industry or corn industry wants you to know.
You deserve to know the truth about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), especially since, in my opinion; its consumption plays a major role in the fattening of not just the U.S., but the entire world.
Here are the scientifically backed facts that support why I consider high fructose corn syrup to be such a disastrous "food" substance:
HFCS:
- Is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than other sugars
- Is metabolized in your liver, where it turns directly to fat and cholesterol (table sugar, or sucrose, is metabolized in your intestines)
- Leads to fat deposits in your liver, increasing buildup of lipoproteins
- Contributes to plaque buildup and narrowing of blood vessels
- Generates uric acid within mere minutes of ingestion, leading to an increased risk of numerous diseases
- Contributes to increased food intake and weight gain because of its inability to stimulate appetite-dampening hormones
And ironically, levels of HFCS tend to be highest in low-fat foods, the very foods dieters most often select!
It's Not Just an Unhealthy Diet…
Obviously, it takes more than just eating high fructose corn syrup and other unhealthy foods to create excess fat.
Lack of physical activity adds its fair share.
With the increasing popularity of computers, television, video games, online media, and other sedentary activities, activity levels continue to plummet worldwide.
The 'Healthy' Solution
to Help You and Your Family Stay Lean and Fit
In my opinion, the best approach to help you and your family stay lean and fit comes back to the basics:
- Increase activity and follow an effective exercise plan especially Peak Fitness, which you can read more about on my site.
- Turn off the television and monitor computer time for your kids (and yourself).
- Purchase and eat foods that are right for your personal Nutritional Type.
- Read package labels and avoid foods and beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup. Limit your overall consumption of fructose, including fruit juices and many varieties of fresh fruit.
- Avoid purchasing processed foods and eat as much fresh, organic, unprocessed whole foods as possible.
There's something else, too, that may help you and your loved ones…*
The Ingredient That May Help You Stay Lean and Trim*
A very powerful, naturally-occurring polyunsaturated fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, has in recent years attracted intense interest – and intense scrutiny – for its role in health and maintaining a normal body composition.*
Both animal and human studies suggest CLA may be helpful in lowering body fat and preserving lean body mass.*
I'm sure you'll agree, preserving muscle tissue can be just as important as shedding excess fat. You want to lose fat, not muscles. And that's what CLA may help you do.*
Animal studies suggest that CLA may actually boost the metabolic rate and help your body burn calories faster.*
Yet another study, also from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests that CLA may significantly help overweight postmenopausal women maintain healthy blood glucose levels that are already in the normal range.*
While the study was of postmenopausal women only, I personally believe that this discovery may have exciting implications for anyone over 45 and overweight.*
As beneficial as CLA may be to your body,* unfortunately your body cannot make its own supply. You must rely totally on food sources.
And as you'll soon see, CLA is available to you in only a few choice foods…
In My Opinion, the Top Source of CLA Roams Freely in Pastures
You already know I'm a major proponent of grass-fed beef and grass-fed raw dairy products.
Cattle that roam outdoors and feed on natural diets of grass produce high levels of CLA.
These animals are a far cry from the traditional, factory-farmed, grain-fed animals whose meat and milk contain only a fifth to a third of the CLA found with grass-fed cattle.
When you consume grass-fed beef and grass-fed raw dairy products, you also receive a greater dose of healthy omega-3 fatty acids than you do with grain-fed animals.
And here's another great benefit… grass-fed beef is lower in calories, too.
Don't Be Fooled By 'Organic' Beef
Just because beef is labeled "organic," don't assume it's grass-fed. Many times it's not.
The “organic” certification may just mean the animal was fed organic grains, most likely corn. And that’s not a good thing, as cows were not designed to eat corn and do not do so naturally, so it is not the healthiest thing for a cow – just as it isn’t the healthiest thing for you, as discussed above.
Rather, you want to look for beef that is specifically labeled "grass-fed."
Keep in mind, "grass-fed" may not be organic. That's okay as most grass-fed cattle typically graze on grass that's not heavily treated with pesticides, fertilizers, and other toxic chemicals.
If you've not yet tried it, you might notice that the flavor, look, and texture of grass-fed beef differ somewhat from grain-fed beef.
I've been eating grass-fed beef since 2001 and truly enjoy the taste. When you discover its delicious "real beef" flavor along with its superior health benefits, making the switch to strictly grass-fed beef is a "no-brainer."*
And know, too, when you make this important switch, you're not only supporting your and family's overall health, you're helping the environment, too.
The waste and waste treatment methods of grain-fed cattle are believed to be responsible for producing a significant portion of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide – along with other harmful gasses.
Raw, Grass-Fed Dairy – The Reigning Queen of Protein Foods
I believe that there is no higher quality – that is, no other protein with such a high biological value – than the whey found in unpasteurized milk and dairy.
Surprisingly, in my opinion, whey's many health qualities make raw milk and dairy a better source of protein for your body than meat, fish, or even eggs.
I want to emphasize that I'm referring to raw grass-fed milk and pasteurized milk. And for the highest CLA content, whey products, including raw milk cheeses, must be cold processed and not exposed to acid.
Raw milk from grass-fed cows contains not only plentiful CLA, but other good things, too that your body thrives on, such as healthy bacteria, enzymes and fat.
And it's one of the few foods that contain the ideal ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, along with calcium and vitamin K2.
Pasteurized milk may cause a multitude of health issues, from digestive upset to possibly autism and blood sugar problems.* It's important to note that it's the pasteurization process and not the milk itself that causes the problem.
If you are pregnant or if your immune system is compromised, I don't recommend that you consume raw milk products.
What to Do If You Can't Find Grass-Fed Beef and Dairy
The sad truth is, that it's likely you don't have easy access to grass-fed beef and grass-fed raw dairy products.
And your ability to find and legally purchase pure, wholesome sources of grass-fed raw dairy products becomes more difficult each day.
What about other foods with CLA? As you can see on the chart to the right, there are a few foods that contain much smaller amounts of CLA.
As a general rule, since CLA is found in fat, the more fat a food contains, the more CLA you're likely to find (in CLA-containing foods).
To compute a total, determine the grams of fat a serving size contains. Then, multiply that number by the mg. of CLA in the chart.
For example, an ounce of grass-fed, raw milk cheddar cheese typically contains nine grams of fat. If you multiply that by the average CLA content you get 225 mg. of CLA (9 X 25 = 225) in that one ounce of cheddar cheese.
On the other hand, an ounce of pasteurized cheddar cheese from a factory-farmed cow eating a typical grain diet contains only about a fifth of that – or less than 45 mg. of CLA.
What to Look For When Choosing a CLA Supplement
If you decide that CLA supplementation is for you, then the next step is crucial.
There are a number of CLA supplements available today, and I believe that many are best avoided, for reasons I'll share with you.
While searching for a CLA supplement that met my strict requirements, I was shocked by what I found. Tainted oils from China, rancidity, serious formulation and manufacturing issues were among them. Frankly, I was appalled by what I saw.
Unfortunately, what I discovered was the sobering fact that some companies simply look for the cheapest CLA they can find.
Rancidity is the greatest challenge you'll encounter when shopping for a CLA supplement.
If your CLA is rancid, in my opinion, it's better not to take it at all. Taking rancid oil is dangerous because oxidized fats may actually raise your risk of heart disease and blood clots.
At the very least, here's what you need to look for in a CLA supplement:
- How does the manufacturer ensure its CLA is free from rancidity?
- Does the manufacturer test the raw materials for rancidity?
- Is the manufacturer committed to a quality manufacturing process by complying with ISO standards?
- What quality control measures are in place to protect you, the user?
Why This Supplement Manufacturer Wins My Vote
After careful research, I've identified an outstanding manufacturer that I can trust to provide a CLA product meeting my exacting standards every time.
This manufacturer is a multiple award winner, including the 5-Star Gold Medal of Achievement for several of its supplements. The independent research firm, NutriSearch Corporation, issues this top award to the manufacturer in its Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements. Of the over 1500 products evaluated, only 4 manufacturers received this top award.
If you're currently using a CLA supplement, does its manufacturer adhere to rigorous manufacturing standards? Most importantly, do they guarantee you a rancidity-free product? You owe it to your health to investigate and assure that they do.
They Take It One Step Further… Voluntarily
Here's a list of the quality control standards and certifications that this supplement developer and manufacturer has in place today.
Some of these standards are voluntary, so you may not find them in your comparison with other manufacturers. Here are the strict standards our manufacturer adheres to:
- Ensures top-quality raw materials used in the product
- Maintains high health standards
- Supports the highest level of manufacturing quality standards -- ISO 9001 certification
- Complies with a rigorous third-party certification of in-house lab performance -- ISO 17025 certification
- Ensures finished products meet and exceed quality standards -- adherence to United States Pharmacopeia (USP30) specifications
You can see why I view this manufacturer so highly – and why I'm excited to be working with them to provide a quality CLA supplement.
The Iron-Clad 'Caplique' that Seals in Freshness…
Just because the oil going into your capsule is rancidity-free, how can you assure it stays that way in the capsule?
Softgels are semi-permeable, which means air can enter the capsule and make the oil go rancid.
Our manufacturer uses a "caplique" instead of a softgel for our Mercola CLA. A caplique is a 2-piece hard shell capsule, sealed with a band that locks out oxygen, guaranteeing freshness.
Yes, they are more costly to produce – substantially so. But I believe it's an expense worth paying when it comes to preserving freshness.
Here are the reasons I like capliques so much:
- Easier to swallow than softgels
- Safer as they resist tampering
- Protect contents by providing a strong barrier to oxygen while preventing leakage
- Provide a purer product by reducing the number of inactive ingredients acting as carriers
- Help you avoid potentially allergenic ingredients
- Contain no plasticizers – chemicals that can negatively affect your endocrine system.
- Provide greater bioavailability due to reduced sensitivity to heat and moisture*
- All-vegetarian – no bovine gelatin sources or soy lecithin
With Mercola's CLA, you can be assured you're getting the purest of CLA.
For the low, low price of only $19.97, you can start enjoying CLA's rich benefits today.* It's an investment you'll be glad you made!
Label Snapshot for CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 2 Vegetarian Capliques® Capsules
Servings Per Container: 60 |
|
% Daily Value
Amt. Per Serving
|
|
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
|
1,040 mg |
* |
| *Daily Value not established |
| Ingredients: Silica and cellulose |
| Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, adults take 2 vegetarian Caplique® capsules daily or as directed by your healthcare professional. |
| View Complete Product Label |
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 2 Vegetarian Capsules
Servings Per Container: 30 |
|
% Daily Value
Amt. Per Serving
|
|
Fucoxanthin extract
|
300 mg |
* |
| (Undaria pinnatifida, yielding 30 mg of fucoxanthin) |
|
|
|
Certified Irvingia™
|
300 mg |
* |
| Irvingia gabonensis proprietary extract (seed) |
|
|
|
Proprietary Blend
|
300 mg |
* |
| Garcinia cambogia (fruit, standardized to 50% hydroxycitric acid [HCA]), Ginger root, Pomegranate extract (fruit, standardized to 40% punicosides), Cayenne (fruit), Apple cider vinegar, Hoodia Gordonii (stem) |
|
|
| * Daily Value not established. |
| Other Ingredients: Cellulose, silica, and L-leucine. |
| Contains Tree Nuts |
| Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, adults take 2 vegetarian capsules daily or as directed by your healthcare professional. |
| View Complete Product Label |
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
(120 Capliques®)
2-Month Supply
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
(120 Capliques®)
2-Month Supply
BioTHIN
with Irvingia™, Hoodia & Fucoxanthin
(60 Capsules)
1 Month Supply
» Discover More
I am so confident that you will be more than satisfied with your purchase of CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) Supplement, I am providing a Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee!
The Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee allows you to receive a full refund* (less shipping charges) when you return an item within 60 days as long as the product is in its original packaging and has at least half of the product remaining. Products returned after 60 days that have at least half of the product remaining will receive store credit (less shipping charges).
Click Here for Full Return Policy Details
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