From the Founder: Diet Beverages

Even though I haven’t completely cut out diet beverages, I gave up soda as a New Year’s resolution 7 years ago and have stuck with it. I knew back then that soda, whether it had calories or not, it was bad for my health and appearance.

In our main feature this week, you learned some shocking information on the world of diet beverages, however, when I gave up soda I was not aware of the majority of that information. I had given it up because of the un-natural ingredients, high sugar content, staining and rotting of my teeth, and figured if I wanted something with no calories I could just drink water. I still drink diet energy drinks once or twice a month for that extra kick, and yes, I go for the diet because I too buy into the whole calorie counting mind game when I have a choice of regular or diet. Everything else I drink is completely un-sweetened or is sweetened with the best form of sweeteners (fructose, sucrose) or with an organic sweetener (cane juice, honey).

Now, some people drink diet soda, mainly colas for the caffeine high because they either do not want to drink coffee, prefer the taste over other options or do not seek that energy boost naturally. I have a close friend who tells me over and over again how she is addicted to Diet Coke and how she drinks on average 3-4 cans a day. There are so many alternatives available to get that energy boost such as green tea, guarana, apples, stretching your muscles to increase blow flow and much more.

With the surge of these alternative beverages, for the first time since its inception, the Soda Industry is seeing a significant drop in sales. This is mainly due to the increase in the wellness movement (Congratulations!) where people are more inclined to grab water or enhanced water.

Times are changing and that’s exactly why Coca Cola made over a BILLION dollar investment in Smart Water/Vitamin Water and why they are now moving towards using Stevia (which is still up for debate) in their diet beverages instead of aspartame. You are becoming more aware and educated on your health and your buying power is changing ingredients and giving us healthier options – Thank you!

C.H.E.K Yourself

Are you ready for a whole new approach to fitness and wellness? The C.H.E.K (Corrective High-performance Exercise Kinesiology) approach promises just that.

C.H.E.K -trained practitioners help clients achieve their goals by addressing all aspects of our health with a balance of movement, rest, nutrition and thought. Simply put, “C.H.E.K is an approach to being a healthy human,” says Penny Crozier, Chief Executive Officer of the C.H.E.K Institute. “Our practitioners view the body as a whole. We don’t just help you reach your fitness goals but look at the big picture, including your present level of health and fitness.”

That means not just prescribing one type of exercise, but assessing a client’s physical needs and limitations and then addressing them with specific actions. “We don’t just recommend specific types of exercise without first building an underlying foundation of fitness,” says Crozier.

C.H.E.K -trained practitioners (Levels 1 – 4) begin with the basics- movement analysis, then learn to assess the human body based on survival reflexes. This extremely effective system seeks to identify the etiology (cause of ailment) of each patient’s challenges or injury based on sound orthopedic, neurological, hormonal, digestive, eliminative and limbic/emotional factors. “C.H.E.K practitioners look at all parts of the foundation for good health, including diet, stress, sleep, and emotions, as well as fitness,” explains Crozier.

Level 4 practitioners are able to also focus on chronic pain patients and medical failures. Paul Chek, Founder of the C.H.E.K Institute states, “so many ailments can be traced back to the 'Faulty God Model', students (at the C.H.E.K Institute) are given extensive training in basic metaphysics, comparative religion, and philosophy so that they may effectively understand many of the common reasons people don’t heal.”

Once you undergo a thorough health assessment, your C.H.E.K practitioner will recommend the next steps to achieve good health. In cases where additional help may be needed, C.H.E.K practitioners assess and then refer clients to other experts. “We walk the client through several possibilities to determine what they need to work on, and do not attach ourselves to our client’s outcome." says Josh Lebow, of The Body Tailor, a Massachusetts-based C.H.E.K Level 4 practitioner. This allows the success or non-compliance of the action plan to be based on what the client really wants for their health and wellness and can only look to themselves for achievenment or blame.

C.H.E.K Practitioners are able to develop highly specific and effective physical, emotional, mental and spiritual development programs. C.H.E.K practitioners can also identify and rectify most nutrition, hormonal, organ, circadian and lifestyle challenges. While many C.H.E.K Level 4’s hold professional licenses, those that do not are trained to work within the scope of practice for their profession and to effectively integrate with licensed professionals for optimal patient outcomes.

By following the C.H.E.K approach, you’ll learn to stop compartmentalizing the many different aspects of your health—and view your mind, body, and soul as one. Taking Personal Training to the highest level.

For more on C.H.E.K and to locate a practitioner, visit www.checkinstitute.com.


Are you looking to take your health and wellness to the next level?

From the Founder: C.H.E.K Yourself

I have to start by letting you know that this topic really fascinates me. I had heard about Paul Chek through my work in the wellness industry but never really looked that deep into his Institute or the C.H.E.K concept until a friend of mine, who is really into his health and wellness told me how he is working with a woman who is C.H.E.K certified instead of a Personal Trainer. Because of the enthusiasm and intensity in the way my friend shared this information with me, I jumped into detective-mode to get a better understanding.

He told me about tests he’d taken with his C.H.E.K practitioner that were more advanced than what a typical Personal Trainer and even some doctor perform. Excited about the programs they were about to embark upon, he also showed me the book she gave him, How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!, which I had seen before but never paid attention to its contents. The book, even though it looks like something for school kids if you quickly flip through it, is filled with detailed information and illustrations and is easy to understand and follow.

What drew me in even more was reading this page on the C.H.E.K Institute’s website and the interview I conducted with Josh Lebow, a Level 4 practitioner. This approach is the real deal when it comes to wellness and personal responsibility for your health and fitness (no one is going to do the work for you or help you get results if you’re not willing to do what it takes). The C.H.E.K approach takes it to another level (depending on your practitioner), which supports the whole mind, body and soul foundation of wellness and addresses spirituality and your thoughts.

I know a lot of people get turned off and maybe even offended when things start to go down this path, but I am the exact opposite because of what I know about achieving wellness, optimal health and happiness.

News Flash! Your health is completely tied into your emotions and spiritual outlook. Please understand spirituality is not religion, it is not faith- it is what guides you towards happiness, positivity and doing what’s right for yourself and others. Josh Lebow expresses, “True spirituality is taking responsibility of what you create moment-to-moment.” This means it is up to you to create your own health and happiness – no one else can and will do this for you.

Now, getting back to this level of spirituality, Josh discussed that they study (at the C.H.E.K Institute) how people tend chose guilt and pleasure. This was an “Ah Ha” moment for me because I do this see in life. Josh went on to say that people with chronic pain chose to continue to live with pain and won’t take the steps needed to alleviate and potentially eliminate the pain altogether because deep down they feel they don’t deserve to be pain-free. This notion is pretty deep but he goes on to say that we are a society of guilt-ridden people that would rather suffer than be happy and free of ailments because it makes us feel it is an easier way of life.

Josh gave the example that if someone does not feel pain [in their knees] they have to take on, in their mind, more responsibilities such as taking out the garbage or exercising regularly.

The C.H.E.K approach, on top of the health and fitness achievements, teaches people to move away from guilt and towards pleasure - you are deserving.

Who wouldn’t want all of that?

Love You!

Cupid has arrived and in the tradition of St. Valentine this one day asks us focus on the people in our lives who we want to express our feelings of love and commitment. While this is a time honored holiday, why not spend the other 364 days loving and making a commitment to yourself?

Janet Jackson asked, "What have you done for me lately?" The Wellness Industry asks, "What have you done for yourself lately?" in regards to your health, happiness and longevity.

Just last week, my health deteriorated to the point where I practically fainted during a Super Bowl party which scared me to death! I had experienced something similar to this during my freshman year in college during track practice. I started to feel extremely weak, saw black spots, became very hot and felt nauseous. A teammate gave me a piece of candy and some Gatorade and instantly, I felt better. I didn’t think anything about the incident until it happened again the following week.

I went to my doctor and explained what happened and expressed my concern that I may have Diabetes or Hypoglycemia. At that time the tests concluded that I had low blood pressure which increases dehydration and that I had a very active metabolism (couldn’t complain about that one).

Now, 14 years later, the incident at the Super Bowl party was more severe than what I had experienced in college. I considered the obvious – I had guests visiting me so I was very social that weekend - drank alcohol, did not consume enough food over a 60 hour period, and was sleep-deprived from the work week. The following night after the incident I had major menstrual and/or abdominal cramps which was not normal for that time of the month, plus I do not suffer from PMS.

After that red flag, I called my doctor and she wanted me to take a pregnancy test…yikes! However, I was 99.9% sure I did not have a bun in the oven and was right. From there, we started discussing a few other possibilities and I made an appointment to come in for tests.

Due to the fact that I always want to be and feel healthy, I really felt uneased by this whole situation. Also, my allergies were bothering me which I have not experienced in long while. So I did what I do best – I turned into my own detective and started “investigating” all of my symptoms online.

To add to all of this, I discovered that there was a big mushroom growing in one of my plants. When I went to get rid of it, I saw a ring of mold around the pot. Just like a detective I added this information to my notes and now have more to share with my doctor at this appointment and will have her also test me for mold toxins.

The point in sharing my story with you is that if I didn’t love myself enough and want to really take the driver’s seat with my health and wellness I might have just taken allergy medication, seen a doctor that conducted the same basic tests that I had done 14 years ago (thankfully, my doctor's practice has incorporated a wellness approach with their patients and go beyond basics), or I could have ignored the incident altogether going by information that was given to me 14 years ago.

Love begins with yourself and BalanceBoost.com hopes to inspire you to become your own detective and educate you on all areas of wellness to help you love yourself all year round by being healthy, happy and living well.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Tiffany Houser, Founder


Are you your own detective when it comes to your overall health?

Wheatgrass by day, Margaritas by night

Technorati Profile
Are you a hypocrite if you party on Saturday night and go to church on Sunday?

Will a cardio kickboxing class erase a cigarette smoked with a glass of wine?

No and No, but Balanced Living could be your answer to even things out. Keeping everything in your life that makes you happy while learning how to make adjustments to reach your goals is Balanced Living and here are some examples:

Balance Environment: You’re a do-gooder who treks to the Dominican Republic for an annual Habitat for Humanity project. You are helping people while your airline is trashing the environment with CO2 emissions…uh oh. The good news is that some airlines are implementing environmental programs to help you cope with flyer’s remorse.

Anti-Aging Balance: You WANT to go to a yoga class, but you work a full-time job that isn’t just 9-5. You have a career. You have meetings to attend. Teams to build. Deadlines to meet. Networking events to attend. Family responsibilities. Dreams to fulfill. You’re not 20-something anymore when time was blowing along in perfect doughnut holes. One thing to try is a little bit of yoga into everything you do. Take a deep, Pranayama breath when you are typing, analyzing, reading, surfing, eating in front of your computer.

Balance Fitness: Yoga is all the rage, but if your joints hurt, it’s nothing but pain and you’re left cursing, “F the yoga hype!” If you don’t like the gym, take a dance class. Do whatever it takes to unflatten your butt after sitting in front of a computer all day…except for buying a pack of belly dancing classes and quitting after two sessions. Just like that TV infomercial “Learn Spanish in One Week” audio tape you ordered, impulse buys never do anyone any good (except for the salespeople).

Balance Spa: A car needs an oil change every three months. What if you visit the spa as frequently? Chances are, your car and your body will take you to all the places you want to be.

Balance Personal Growth: A break-up can be the best form of personal evolution. Author Elizabeth Gilbert shows how a brutal divorce blossomed into a 21st century exploration of Italy, India and Indonesia in New York Times bestseller, Eat, Pray, Love.

Balance Nutrition: We’ve all tried cutting carbs, or going all vegan, or all raw…but if you’re craving something, you’re body needs it. So eat that filet mignon if you have to and then go back to your vegan diet. Is it cheating? Is it hypocritical? Only if you feel it is.

Balance Health: Drink coffee Mon-Thurs, but refrain from this good bacteria killer and teeth-stainer Fri-Sun. Eat an apple instead with natural energy boosters.

Life is not about beating yourself up. Have a toolkit.

What’s your Kryptonite and how do you balance it?

Happy New You!

As we begin 2008, there is the pressure to make resolutions. According to dictionary.com, a resolution is the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure; a solution, accommodation, or settling of a problem, controversy.

Unfortunately most resolutions are destine for failure because there is no real understanding of the issue at hand, just the call for action. To truly experience successful change in life you need to dig deep into the root of the issue before taking action.

By following these 4 stages of change, you will be on your way to a new you:

1. Identify what you want to change (attitude, appearance, health commitment, career, environment awareness, etc.). Many of us have come to accept the fact that we are not perfect, and quite frankly, who wants to be perfect? By clearly identifying a starting point for change, you will be better positioned to tackle the challenge.

2. Examine all of the components of your life that are in need of change to create forward movement and positivity in life (poor social skills, low confidence, increased health risks, tired of working for someone else, wasting precious resources). This will reinforce your purpose for change.

3. Explore how you envision your life to be with change (smile more, toned muscles, reduce your risk of cancer, love your job, not just the money, contribute to the sustainability of humanity). This list may become lengthy, and very quickly you may find yourself motivated to start experiencing change.

4. Finally make an implement a Plan of Action. After you have completed the first 3 stages you will have your own information and the right tools to make your change happen. There will less room for failure because you will follow what you learned rather than another plan that someone else designed.

Making things happen for yourself and visualizing what it is you really want for your life is how long term change comes about - and what better way to do that than with your own information. Not everything is based on facts and statistics. Only you know yourself.

Self discovery is one of the most uplifting and gratifying moments in life. Most of us want to be ourselves and want people to like and love us for who we are, but if we do not discover who we are and determine what we want out of life how can we expect understanding from others?

Ask yourself, what do you want for your life? How do you want your life to be? When we say Happy New You, we are welcoming you into the world of Personal Growth. There is something to be said about focusing solely on yourself. This does not mean becoming selfish or isolated from others, it is about looking deep inside yourself to find what you truly want for yourself. You will see how this exercise will permeate into other areas of your life and from this experience you will be able to give more, and more importantly, receive more.

Remember the old adages, if you want something done, do it yourself. The person who will be most effective in caring for and changing you is YOU! You are important, you are special!

Happy New You!

What do you want for yourself in the New Year?


Live Well. Achieve Balance.
Tiffany Houser
The Balance Group l BalanceBoost
http://www.balanceboost.com/
wellnessguide@balanceboost.com