Striving4Zen

Americans are spending more and more dollars each year on probiotic supplements, or so-called “friendly” bacteria. Studies have shown that probiotics—which you might purchase in the form of yogurt, capsules, miso, beverages, or powders—can treat a host of conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea caused by viral infection or antibiotics, vaginal yeast infections, hypertension, the common cold, and even acne. Over the past decade, consumer sales of probiotics in the U.S. have nearly quadrupled (growing from $115 million in 1998 to $425 million in 2008), according to Nutrition Business Journal.

But, according to a report released today, many of the most popular probiotic supplements don’t contain the amount of live bacteria listed on their labels. ConsumerLab, a private company that tests health and nutritional products at independent labs across the country, found that at the time a consumer buys a probiotic, it may contain as little as 10 to 58% of the amount of viable organisms listed on the label. “It’s shocking how many products really don’t have what they claim on their labels,” says Tod Cooperman, the president of ConsumerLab. “The buyer has to be careful.”

The highest quality probiotics that ConsumerLab tested included Advocare Probiotic Restore, GNC Nature Brand Best Super Acidophilus, and Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus. For the full report, click here.

Labels: bacteria, healthy diet, IBS, Probiotics, wellness, yogurt

The following is a list of the common symptoms of chronic toxicity. If you suffer from any of the following, detoxifying might be critical for you to get healthy and feel good again:

• Fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Joint pain
• Sinus congestion
• Postnasal drip
• Excessive sinus problems
• Headaches
• Bloating
• Gas
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Foul-smelling stools
• Heartburn
• Sleep problems
• Food cravings
• Water retention
• Rashes
• Skin problems
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Canker sores
• Acne
• Bad breath
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Other menstrual disorders
• Puffy, dark circles under the eyes
• Difficulty concentrating
• Trouble losing weight

Labels: detox, detoxify, holistic healing, Holistic Health, illness, wellness

WITH EYES ON THE BOTTOM LINE, COMPANIES TRY TO GET WORKERS TO SLIM DOWN AND SHAPE UP....

Across the city and beyond, a growing number of companies are trying to similarly open their employees' minds and otherwise encourage them to eat better, lose weight, exercise, tend to dormant medical issues - in short, to be healthier.

In recent years "wellness" has become quite the corporate buzzword: The magazine publisher Meredith Corporation is one of a rising number of firms with a "wellness manager." UPS employees can volunteer to be "wellness champions" and inform colleagues of company resources; Scholastic has an on-site "wellness center" in its SoHo offices.

Other increasingly common initiatives include smoking-cessation and weight-loss programs, on-site gyms and exercise classes, and health screenings in which employees fill out questionnaires about their lifestyles and take blood tests to determine risk factors. More than two-thirds of companies now offer such programs, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

"At first it was just something a few large workplaces were doing," says Marilyn Helms, a professor of management at Dalton State College in Georgia who's studied corporate health programs. "Now, with rising healthcare costs, the tide's kind of turning."

As Helms' words suggest, there are financial reasons for all this get-well gusto. Having healthier workers cuts down on health-care costs, as well as reducing sick days and medical leaves.

But the rationale goes beyond cutting costs. There's growing appreciation for the notion that healthier employees are happier employees - and more productive ones. "People do a better job when they feel good about themselves," says Deborah Musso, director of Sea Change New York, a wellness company that works with firms around the city. "This is what companies are getting to understand."

Tim O'Neil, the Meredith wellness manager, sees creating a healthier workplace as part of building a better business culture. "Anytime the company can help an employee feel better, enhance their level of energy and help create a fun atmosphere at work, it's mutually beneficial," he says.

Some employers are offering another incentive besides convenience: cash, vacation days or prizes. The Boston-based Tangerine Wellness has built a booming business setting up incentive-based plans that reward employees for shedding pounds or maintaining a healthy weight. At some companies, colleagues team up to compete in weight-loss contests, and the winners split a cash award or donate it to charity. Tangerine CEO Aaron Day compares the incentives to stock options. "People are used to rewards for measured results," he says.

Events like contests figure into other initiatives. At XMPie, a division of Xerox, 22 staffers teamed up for the Eat Well Live Well Challenge, which required colleagues to walk 10,000 steps and eat five cups of fruits or vegetables each day.

In addition to fostering healthier habits, the contest - which required workers to wear pedometers around the office to log their movement - was "a great morale booster," says marketing director Kimberly Meyers.

In addition to health coaches, the SoHo-based publisher Scholastic has an on-site wellness center staffed by a doctor and nurse practitioner - a perk 13% of companies offer, according to SHRM.

Source

Labels: Corporate Wellness, eating healthy, health trend, wellness, workplace

When it comes to helping employees stay fit, few organizations go further than the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in Manhattan. The for-profit school, which trains health counselors, spends nearly $700 a week to provide organic lunches and midafternoon snacks for its 25-person staff.
But the caring efforts go beyond the institute's recent lunch of tilapia with couscous, fennel and Brussels sprouts. The school also provides its team with free weekly chair massages and yoga classes.
"We want our employees to be in good health," says Suzanne Boothby, editorial coordinator for the institute. "I can't say that no one here has ever taken a sick day, but the program helps."
Small businesses in New York City, where health insurance costs are among the highest in the nation, are increasingly turning to wellness and preventative measures to keep their premiums down.
The moves range from sponsoring traditional weight-loss and anti-smoking campaigns to hosting on-site health fairs and relaxation workshops.
"Stress has a long-term impact on employee health and, therefore, a company's bottom line," says Miriam Belov, founder of The Wellness Agenda, a Manhattan company that organizes on-site stress-reduction programs that incorporate approaches like meditation and yoga.

SOURCE

Labels: health care, innovative, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, wellness