Eat your fruits and veggies!

Contrary to what most of us want to believe, donuts are not, in fact WHOLE foods. Sorry all of you Dunkin' Donuts lovers out there!

Recently, I read some statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that were quite alarming. I did not realize that as of 2012, about half of the adults in America (117 million people) had one or more chronic health conditions, and one in four adults have two or more chronic health problems.

If that is not unsettling enough, the CDC also found that seven of the top 10 causes of death back in 2010 were due to chronic diseases. They also found that more that 78 million Americans were obese--and that was six years ago.

The CDC statistics paint an alarming picture that overall, Americans are not very healthy. The problem is not necessarily that 50% of adults have a chronic disease. The problem is that the majority of these diseases are preventable.

It is no secret that our government spends billions of dollars on treating these diseases and researching cures. And the advancements they have made have been incredible. However, after years of research on it, they came to the conclusion that these diseases are much easier to prevent than they are to cure.

So, what was their recommendation for preventing these diseases?

7-13 servings of RAW fruits and vegetables EVERY day. 

Here's another problem, though. Hardly anyone actually eats 7-13 servings of RAW fruits and veggies every day. 

There is good news, though!

The good news is that there is a product out there that will help you get the nutrients your body is craving, and it is called Juice Plus. You may have heard us mention Juice Plus before, and I would like to quickly tell you why Juice Plus is so awesome. 

Juice Plus bridges the gap between what our body needs (those fruits and vegetables) to what we actually put in our mouth. The Juice Plus company makes these awesome capsules that, if taken, give your body nutrients from over THIRTY fruits and vegetables. Yes, THIRTY fruits and vegetables! They literally take the fruits and veggies right off the tree, ground them up, and put them in a capsule for you. 

Some people argue that no "capsule" should ever replace actual food. And we agree. However, rarely anyone gets nutrients from 7-13 RAW super foods EVERY day. We just don't have access to these super foods here in small town Iowa, and if we do, they are SO expensive. 

Think of it this way: your body is like a car. The "gas" you put into your body are macro-nutrients (protein, carbs, fats). This makes your body "run," much like gas makes a car run. The "oil" you should put into your body are the nutrients you get from super-food fruit and veggies. Your body CANNOT run without the oil! However, many of us do not give our bodies the same amount of TLC that we give our cars. We need to give our bodies these nutrients!

Juice Plus capsules (or chewies if you do not want to swallow capsules) should NOT replace fruits and vegetables in your diet. However, if taken every day, your body will start thriving because you are giving your body the nutrients it is craving. 

In addition to the capsules, the Juice Plus company makes nutritional shakes. These shakes are made out of REAL, whole foods. There are no synthetic products in the shakes. It is made out of plant-based proteins. They are VERY reasonable in price, and when incorporated into a diet, can replace a meal or a snack that is often times made up of empty calories. Juice Plus also makes yummy bars that replace empty calories when eaten as a snack.

What we love most about Juice Plus (aside from, well, everything), is that their products are made out of REAL food. The sugar in it? Well, that is fructose sugar (sugar from FRUIT). Sugar from the literal FRUIT that is ground up into your capsule. Are there some carbohydrates? Well, yes, but they are the GOOD carbohydrates. They are the complex carbohydrates that come from PLANTS and VEGETABLES. The shakes are made of a perfect mixture of two carbohydrates for every one protein, so the shakes are a perfect breakfast option or post-workout snack option. 

When a person chooses to incorporate the shakes and the capsules into their daily life, we advise them to limit their simple carbohydrates (white breads, pastas, donuts, etc.), sugars, dairy products, and soda/sugary beverages. We encourage them to incorporate more water and exercise in their daily routine. We also challenge them to do it for 120 days (and stick to it)! The Juice Plus company named it the Transform 120 challenge, because you will undoubtedly see a change in those 120 days.

There has been so much research on the Juice Plus company, and the research has found that individuals who incorporate the capsules and shakes into their diet see benefits like lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, better digestive health, more energy, clearer skin, an increase in lean muscle, weight loss, etc. etc. etc. 

We also love that if a mom or dad takes the Juice Plus capsules, their kids (over the age of 4) can get the children's Juice Plus chewies for free. We have met so many parents who have seen their children go off ADHD medicine; experience less illness; and have fewer (if any) doctor visits once they incorporate Juice Plus into their daily life. 

I realize that we have mentioned Juice Plus in our blog before, but recently we have had quite a few inquiries regarding what it is. Do your body a favor and at least look into providing it with the nutrients it needs! If you'd like more information on Juice Plus, or if you'd like to order it for yourself and your family, feel free to e-mail lakecity24hourfitness@gmail.com or call 712-464-3301.

And if this was not convincing enough, check out this short, two minute video from the Founding Director of Yale's Preventative Medicine Department, Dr. David Katz, MD. In this video, he explains some of the benefits of Juice Plus. Here is the video: Dr. Katz Video

We will be giving a prize away again with this blog post. All you need to do is “Like” the Redenius Chiropractic official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/redeniuschiropractic/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel) and SHARE this blog post to your own page by Saturday, July 30, 2016 The giveaway is open to USA residents only.  This week, we will be giving away a FREE week's worth of Juice Plus product!!!!!!

Have a great week!

Dr. Jeff and Jenny Redenius