B vitamins - Are you getting enough? I wasn't!

Are you getting enough vitamin B in your diet? Most people aren't. I was one of them! I was surprised at this because I feel like I eat a pretty balanced diet and also supplement with Shaklee's Vitalizer food supplements, which contain a sustained release B + C vitamin. This was enough for me most days; however, when my youngest son was born 6 weeks premature last August and spent 19 days in the NICU, my stress level went up so much and my body wasn't handling it well at all!

Even after he was discharged from the hospital, I found my stress levels to be high. My hormones were out of wack from having the baby, pumping, nursing, etc. I wasn't able to hold him, let alone nurse him, for the first week of his life, so my body was pretty confused. I felt like I was going through some sort of post-pardum funk and asked the advice of Joyce Hoffmann, who is a retired nursing supervisor and lifetime master coordinator with Shaklee. Her advice was to increase my vitamin B intake! So I did. I added 3-4 of Shaklee's Vitamin B Complex per day for a few months. And it worked!!! I was out of my funk. I was not nearly as moody and irritable. My husband was so thankful! lol.

Why Vitamin B? B is known as the "stress vitamins" or "happy vitamins". There are several B vitamins - 8 to be exact and they are all in the Shaklee B Complex. (B1 Thiamine, B2 Riboflavin, B3 Niacinamide, B5 Pyridoxine, B12 Cyanocobalamin (which could be lacking for strict vegetarians), Biotin and Folic Acid which is the important one for pregnant women as it reduces the risk of birth defects)

Vitamin B can help immune functioning & antibody production, red blood cells, nerve function & communication, skin, hair, cardio function, cellular energy, hormonal balance (which is what I needed, big time!!), metabolism, digestion, colon function, sleep (another thing that I was needing with a preemie and toddler at home!), brain functioning, learning & memory, and anti-aging (also found in Shaklee's awesome Enfuselle Vitamin Skin Care products.)

Vitamin B is so great for any stress (such as a premature baby in my case!), nervousness, anxiety or panic issues, mood swings, depression of any level, calms hyperactivity, important for good digestion, crucial for weight loss, fatique, headaches, migraines, and so much more!!! It truly is a wonderful group of vitamins that helps us in so many ways! My kids even get it in their Children's Vitamins, which is so important for them too!

How do I know when I am getting enough Vitamin B?

Your urine will tell you through it's bright fluorescent yellow color. If your urine tends to be very pale in color, then you need more Vitamin B! B vitamins are water-soluble so like Vitamin C, they cannot be stored in the body. Everyone's needs differ and change daily.

Why Shaklee? Why not just get it from the drug store or other natural market?

I choose Shaklee supplements because of the science and quality in each of their many products. That is what really impressed my husband, who is a natural product researcher, about Shaklee. The company has been around for over 50 years and is the #1 natural nutrition company in the US. Their B complex is balanced according to the laws of nature and in an optimum ratio for body requirements. This provides greater bioavailability and greater absorption in the body. Shaklee also uses a unique patented processing which incorporates folic acid in the coating of the tablet, which results in high bioavailability. This is unlike anything else on the market that I am aware of. Also, unlike other company's B vitamins, Shaklee's B Complex will not cause a 'niacin flush' of reddness on the face.

I hope that was useful info for you about Vitamin B. So now I must ask, are you getting enough B each day??

And remember that new Shaklee members can get the Sports Nutrition Pack ($75 value) for FREE with a $70 order. Ask me for the details if you're interested.

Thanks for reading and have a healthy and great week!

Rebecca

How to get more energy in your day

A lot of my friends have been telling me lately how tired they are and how they don't have much energy. I could relate to that 11 months ago. We had our youngest child then, 6 weeks premature. It was a whirlwind of a time for us, chasing an almost 2 year old and meeting his needs while running back and forth to the NICU, where our baby was. I was sleeping in the NICU most nights, spending as much time as I could there during the day, and driving home every day to spend time with our toddler who's world was just rocked beyond his comprehension! I was up every few hours at night either trying to nurse our baby or pump milk for him so I would have a good supply. It was exhausting!! But then I found some relief. Enter Shaklee's Energy Soy Protein.
What a lifesaver this became for me! Dr. Shaklee used to say that if you could only afford one supplement, then choose protein. Protein is the building block of all cells in the body - bones, muscles, organs, blood, hormones, arteries, skin, hair, antibodies (disease fighters), etc. Next to water, protein is the most abundant substance in the body. Our bodies require daily intake of a high quality protein which is essential to facilitate growth, repair and heal any and all body parts.

My favorite protein is the energizing vanilla flavor pictured above. It also comes in cocoa as well as Instant Protein, which is great for baking. My parents like the Cinch Inch Loss Protein in their morning breakfast shakes. I put mine in my and my toddler's morning oatmeal. It is a great way to gain some energy and also healthy protein that keeps me feeling full for hours.

I also love Shaklee's Cinch Energy Tea to give me a little extra pick me up once in awhile.
It comes in Pomegranate and natural or green tea flavor. You can make it hot or cold and it has natural caffeine for that extra energy when I need it. It gives me a gentle, natural energy boost and is blended with taurine to enhance the feeling of well-being, alertness, energy, endurance and mood. As an added bonus, the tea helps to boost metabolism, and has a lot of antioxidants, which are great for immune boosting. I am hardly ever sick with Shaklee and when I am, it doesn't hit that hard. My favorite is the green (natural) flavor since I prefer non flavored tea, but most of my friends like the pomegranate the best.

I also REALLY love the Energy Chews for a little boost of natural energy.


I don't need these too often, but when I do, I just take half of one and it gives me so much more focus and energy. They taste kind of like a green tea/citrus starburst would. They also have natural caffeine in them from the green tea extract as well as vitamin D. The other day, I was going to a music therapy contract that I have once a month at a local nursing home. I was feeling more tired then usual that morning and really wanted to be more focused while I worked with the residents. I took half of one before I went, and was so pleased with the extra energy and focus I felt while I worked. It was great! These are also great for athletes before a workout.

The energy chews also come with the trio of Sports Nutrition that are FREE to new members with only a $70 order. Members save 15% on all products, always.


This is over a $75.00 value and includes Shaklee Performance which is a rehydrating product that you mix with water. It comes in orange or lemon lime (which is my favorite!). My family loves this and we have found that it also gives us a nice boost of energy. It is much better then other sports drinks we have tried and is all natural, so it is a great choice for both of my young kids too. The other product in the trio is Shaklee Physique which repairs and builds muscle faster for recovery. This comes in a natural banana flavor and is great for people looking to add a little muscle during their workout. The Shaklee Nutrition products are used by many US Olympic teams and other world class athletes and explorers. I am not a world class athlete, but I know first hand how these products work for me, giving me more stamina and energy for my day. I also know that because they are made by Shaklee, they are excellent quality with pure ingredients. That means a lot to me as a mom of 2 small children.

So there you have it - some ways that I have regained my energy this past year. How do you keep your energy level up?

Thanks for reading. Have a great rest of your week!

Rebecca

Get a Free Sports Nutrition Pack through July 31. ($75 value!)

	I love the new Sports Nutrition Pack. These products have been around for awhile but recently got a new look. This trio is FREE to new members with a $70 order. I take only half of an energy chew when I need a little extra energy and they work so well! I also love the Performance for re-hydrating and for energy. It is so much healthier then Gatorade, without anything artificial or high fructose corn syrup, and is easy to mix into water. Good stuff! If you are interested in taking advantage of this wonderful promotion, you can do that Here.
	Powering athletes. Fueling dreams. From start to finish. Shaklee Sports Nutrition products have helped Americans rule the podium—winning more than 100 gold, silver, and bronze medals! That's more than most countries! We have gone to the ends of the earth to prove Shaklee Sports Nutrition is the best. From the North Pole to the South Pole and all points in between. In fact, seven of Time-Life's Greatest Adventures of All Time were fueled by Shaklee. Energy Chews - Before Exercise Shaklee Energy™ Chews provide a clean burst of healthy energy to help you get that extra edge when you need it most. Each chew contains a scientific blend of caffeine from natural green tea extract, plus L-tyrosine, L-theanine, B vitamins, and vitamin D, to help: + Sustain energy* + Improve performance* + Stay alert* + Sharpen focus* + Improve mood* Performance® - During Exercise Shaklee Performance is clinically proven to hydrate better than water. Plus, Performance has more electrolytes and provides more energy than the leading hydration drink. Our proprietary OPTI-LYTE electrolyte blend plus our unique mix of carbohydrates delivers instant and sustained energy and supports optimal hydration. Clinically proven to: + Minimize fluid loss for enhanced hydration + Maintain blood-glucose levels to sustain intense energy output and to increase stamina + Increase endurance for better athletic performance Physique® - After Exercise Shaklee Physique is a pure, natural, high-octane fuel for rapid muscle recovery, endurance, and strength. Physique is clinically proven to enhance the body's recovery process after exercise. The intelligent-release protein blend and unique protein-to-carb ratio: + Allow your body to absorb a full spectrum of amino acids over time + Help build firm, lean muscles + Help restore muscle energy + Support muscle repair Thanks for reading and have a high energy week! :) Rebecca *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

cleaning the shower - finally!!

If you know me, you know that cleaning isn't my favorite thing to do. Since I sell cleaning products, it may seem a little ironic. But it actually works in my favor as I get much better before pictures the longer I wait (procrastinate) on the cleaning:) I have some very good examples of that in this post about cleaning my shower. Every morning when I take a shower, I say to myself "I need to clean this today!" But with my 2 small boys and a million other things to do, the shower continues to stay on the "to do" list. Until TODAY! Yay!!! Here are some before and after pictures to illustrate what I am talking about. No judgment please:)

You can see how the soap scum has built up on the floor of the shower.


And here is the after picture.

This is what I used to clean it:
I filled this tub with water and mixed in half a scoop of nature bright , which is great for brightening and whitening laundry and removing stains, but also works great to whiten and brighten showers and sinks. My Mom let some nature bright soak in her white kitchen sink recently and said it was like she had a new sink!

Along with the Nature Bright, I used some of the Scour Off Paste with a scrub brush. It did such a great job at removing the soap scum.
I started this container almost a year ago and am just about half way through it. I use it a lot to clean my glass top stove and also use it a lot for demonstrations. It is made of cherry pits, so it smells very nice and does not have any harsh chemicals or fumes.

Scour Off is one of the products in the trio that I use to clean my entire house.


The other two are Basic H2 Super Organic Concentrate and Basic G Concentrate Germicide. I sprayed a little of the Basic G in the shower today to help disinfect.

Since I was at it, I decided to clean the glass shower door too. I used the same cleaners that I did with the floor and they worked great! Here is a before picture:
You can see in the bottom right of the before picture where I cleaned a small area to show the difference before I cleaned the entire door. Big difference!!

And here is the after:
Notice the dark shadow in the top right corner. That is the shelf with all of our shampoo, soaps, etc. You can't see it in the before picture because the door was so cloudy from the soap scum! lol

One of the best parts of using these Shaklee cleaners is that they are completely safe to use around my entire family. My 9 month old was only a couple feet away from me, happily playing, as I cleaned today. I wasn't worried about any fumes or chemicals harming him.
He was 6 weeks premature with a lot of respiratory issues in the beginning of his life. The NICU doctors told us that he would have a lot of breathing issues this first year, but he has only had one cold and doing great. I attribute a lot of that to the natural cleaners that we use in our home along with the Shaklee children's powder vitamins that we give him. Good stuff!

Thanks for reading and happy cleaning! :)

Rebecca