Check out the video:

It’s wonderful to see that in an age when many athletes only think of themselves, there are some who’s love of the game overrules. Truly inspirational!

Have a great weekend.

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” - Willie Nelson

There’s no doubt about it, having a negative attitude can have a huge impact on overall health, upsetting the balance within, and being a source of additional stress in our life.

For some, negativity has been a lifelong habit. So, what can you do to effectively change this ‘inner bad language?’

#1 Commit to positive thinking. When you wake up each day give yourself a mini pep talk – what do you want to achieve? How will you react to situations? How will you avoid negative thoughts? Remember, thinking positive is a habit, this means you can learn to do it!

#2 Notice negativity. When you become aware of the negativity in your attitude, you become more conscious of your internal thoughts, and therefore you can begin to challenge this behaviour.

#3 Record negative thoughts. Make a record of any negative comments you make throughout the day. Can you see a pattern in your thoughts? Is it related to work, other people, your health? How can you begin to challenge this behaviour?

#4 Appreciate what you do have. What are you thankful for? Appreciation can turn anger, and frustration into something more positive. Focus on your strengths, or what’s good about your life. We all have weaknesses, but focusing on our strengths prevents them getting the better of us.

#5 Create a gratitude journal. At the end of each day try writing down five things that made you happy, or thankful. Are you grateful for your health? Having food to eat? Or, having children or a partner who you love?

#6 Focus on your motives. What motivates you? Maybe it’s your family, your job, your love of music, or your religion. Whatever it is, focus on that when you get discouraged.

#7 Accept that you fail sometimes. Remember, there’s no shame in making mistakes - accept them, learn from them, and move on! Michael Jordan said, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

#8 Avoid limiting beliefs. These are statements, such as “I can’t do this!” Instead try saying “How can I do this?” or “How is this possible?” This way you become more open to new possibilities and solutions. In difficult circumstances try to see opportunities to learn, grow, and experience.

#9 Focus on what you can change, rather than what you can’t. Often circumstances arise that are completely out of our control. We can’t change them, so stop worrying! If you feel your life really sucks, what can you do to change it? Try setting one or two goals now!

#10 Be educated. Read motivational books, listen to podcasts, and ask others what they did to improve their skills.

#11 Befriend positive people. There’s no doubt about it, being with naturally happy people elevates our mood. Allow their positivity to rub off on you, and learn how they react to stressful circumstances in their own life.

#12 Laugh often. Laughing has a wonderful way of reducing stressful feelings, connecting us with others, and generally making us feel better. Try to bring laughter into your life whenever possible!

#13 Help those in need. Giving your time to help others helps refocus the mind on what really matters. Do you have an elderly neighbour who could use some help? Maybe you could prepare a meal for them once each week, or offer to take them shopping. What about community volunteer work?

#14 Learn from negative experiences. Make it a your new goal to learn something from each negative life experience. This way you turn a negative occurrence into something positive.

#15 Remember, most things pass with time. There will be a tomorrow, and circumstances may change much sooner than you expect.

What I’m suggesting isn’t intended to be mindless positive thinking where you pretend everything’s okay, when clearly it isn’t. It’s more about making the choice to be positive, and learning something good from every situation.

“I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.” -William Allen White

What are your tips for staying positive?

Connect with me!

You can stay in touch with Dietriffic for free by subscribing to receive my latest articles via email or RSS feeds.

I’ve recently joined Facebook, and created the Dietriffic Group where you can add your own thoughts, leave an interesting link, and find out what’s happening at Dietriffic. Or, you can follow me on Twitter.

I’d love to hear from you!

If you find it difficult to lose weight, you may have underlying unhealthy habits that are acting as a stumbling block to you.

Lets take a look at a few possibilities:

#1 You eat when you’re stressed

Many people eat more when they’re stressed, bored, depressed, or lonely. It has been estimated that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions alone.

Do you find yourself eating junk food when you’re really not hungry?

Research suggests that women are particularly prone to poor eating habits when they’re under pressure.

In a study by Dr Zellner, from Montclair State University, men and women were given sets of word jumbles in different difficulty levels (easy and hard), and also bowls of grapes, chips, peanuts and M&Ms nearby.

They found that:

• Women working on the most difficult puzzles were more likely to eat the M&Ms, and reported feeling more stressed, than women with the easier puzzles, who mostly ate grapes.
• Men showed opposite results, with those working on the easy jumbles eating the most M&Ms and chips.

The study demonstrates that for women the trigger may be psychological, rather than biological. Zellner calls it ‘disinhibition.’

Another problem many face is unconsciously snacking on foods. But, what can you do to change these habits?

Try to determine what triggers unhealthy snacking. For example, if you find yourself snacking while you read or watch TV, make a conscious choice to only eat raw veggies with a low-cal dip.

Check out Healthy Snack Ideas.

#2 You watch too much TV

Research suggests that those who watch two hours of TV per day are much more likely to be overweight, than those who watched only half an hour per day - not all that surprising considering we are virtually motionless during this time.

So, instead of vegging out in front of the TV each night, schedule some time for exercise, play with your kids, cook a nice meal, catch up with friends. Basically do whatever it takes to get yourself moving more than you normally would.

#3 You don’t get enough sleep

It’s thought that sleep deprivation can increase the risk of obesity by boosting ghrelin (an appetite stimulating hormone), and lowering leptin (an appetite suppressor).

A study from the University of Bristol, in the UK, found that compared to a healthy eight hours sleep, each one hour decrease in sleep duration was linked to almost 3% more body fat.

Research by the University of California at Irvine suggests that people are more likely to binge eat at night, in darkened rooms or restaurants, and during the darker seasons of fall and winter.

So what can you do? Try taking measures to prevent overeating, such as getting to bed earlier (aim for 8 hours sleep each night), and eating meals in brighter light.

#4 You focus on “dieting!”

Not only is yo-yo dieting extremely unhealthy, but it can really knock self esteem for six making you feel like you’ve “failed” yet again.

Instead, stop the tedious cycle by focusing on healthy eating and exercise, rather than the latest fad diet.

#5 You eat too fast

When we eat fast it allows us to consume more food than necessary. This is because it takes our brain around 15-20 minutes to begin signaling that we’re feeling full.

So, try eating at the table, putting your knife and fork down between each mouthful, and enjoying each bite, rather than eating as if you’re in a food marathon!

#6 You’re too busy to exercise

The demands of a busy schedule, often mean that exercise is one of the last things on our minds.

However, this sedentary way of life is having a huge impact on our health and wellbeing, and it’s an important area to focus on if you want better health.

Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week, and remember household chores also count, so try putting extra effort into those tedious chores!

#7 You pay for food using a credit card

In a study conducted of 100,000 fast food restaurant transactions, they discovered that those who pay for food with a credit card, spend 30% more than those who pay with cash.

77% said they can buy exactly what they want, because they’re not limited by the amount of cash they have on hand.

So, it seems that paying with cards not only costs us more, but it also leads to a higher calorie intake!

Photo source

What would you add to this list?

Some information edited from Health Assist.

So, recently I contacted them via email, to see if they could clear things up.

In my first email I asked for scientific studies carried out on Mannatech products in humans, as I had been unable to find adequate examples.

To which I was encouraged to visit sites such as Pubmed, and Google Scholar to search for “glyconutrient” or “Mannatech,” where I would apparently find many independent studies. I had already done this, but failed to find significant results.

Below is the second email I sent, detailing more specific queries:

“Hi Catherine,

Many thanks for getting back to me.

Can you tell me if Mannatech endorse the book, “Miracle Sugars: The Glyconutrient Link to Disease Prevention and Improved Health,” By Rita Elkins?

In her book she makes specific claims that glyconutrients:

• Work against tumors
• Boost immune activity
• Heal damaged tissue
• Complement chemo and radiation
• Decrease bad cholesterol
• Ease PMS and menopause

These claims, as far as I can discover, have not as yet and according to your website, been scientifically proven.

I know that the Mannatech website explicitly states:

“Mannatech makes no claim that its products are anything other than products designed to improve nutrition and, thereby, optimize health…Mannatech products are not designed for use in the treatment of disease or to substitute for a doctor’s care or for proven therapy. Mannatech’s products are designed to improve nutrition rather than to treat disease.”

My concern is that books such as Rita Elkins’ are leading the general public astray. I also know that Mannatech state:

“Any product claims made by individuals within the content of this website are based upon his or her personal belief and/or experiences after the use of Mannatech products and Mannatech disclaims all liability for such claims that may be made. These reports have not been verified and are not represented as providing a balanced view of the available science. These are the statements of the individuals giving them and not of Mannatech.”

However, despite Mannatech stating, “These are the statements of the individuals giving them and not of Mannatech,” it appears to me that there is great financial gain to be reaped when distributors are allowed to make such claims, whether correct or incorrect!

I do not understand how distributors of Mannatech (nor indeed book authors) can be allowed to make wide ranging, and specific claims to the benefits of a group of products which, as yet, do not have the backing of available science.

Your thoughts on this matter are most welcome,

Kind regards,

Melanie Thomassian
Registered Dietitian”

I received this reply:

“Dear Melanie,

My apologies for the delay, I have been away attending the Mannafest convention.

The use of testimonials is restricted to general health and wellbeing. Please refer to our Policies and Procedures below on testimonials.

We do not encourage the use of testimonials to assist in the sales of our products.

It is my hope that authors such as Rita Elkins can back up their claims with scientific evidence.

As quoted in my last email, medical sites such as Pubmed or Google Scholar have published the results of trials and tests carried out with Glyconutrients. I would strongly recommend you have a look through these sites to get a better understanding on the science behind Glyconutrients.

Mannatech nutritional products are designed to maintain health and general well-being. Mannatech makes only those claims for its products that are on product labels or in Mannatech-approved promotional materials. Mannatech nutritional products are not promoted for and Mannatech does not endorse the use of its products in any way for the prevention, treatment, or cure of any disease or as a substitute for a doctor’s care or for proven therapy.

Kind regards,

Catherine Micallef
Product Inquiry Coordinator
Mannatech Australia Pty. Limited”

Catherine states, “It is my hope that authors such as Rita Elkins can back up their claims with scientific evidence.” But, the fact is that Rita Elkins cannot back up her claims with scientific evidence at this point.

Catherine further confirms the fallacy of Elkins book by clarifying “Mannatech does not endorse the use of its products in any way for the prevention, treatment, or cure of any disease.”

It really bothers me that authors like Elkins get away with such unfounded claims.

I’ve recently been told that Mannatech representatives who step over the line and make outlandish claims are now being corrected with proper training (at least in the US).

I’ve also heard that Dr. Rob Sinnott, Chief Science Officer of Mannatech, has commenced product studies in an attempt to build a scientific basis for their products.

This is a positive step, I only wish it had come sooner!

Final thoughts

• Glyconutrients are simple sugars, best described as nutritional supplements.
• No therapeutic claims can be made that they prevent or treat specific diseases, as specified by the FDA.
• Representatives selling Mannatech products must be careful not to overstate their potential, particularly in relation to disease treatment.
• Much of the literature on the clinical use of glyconutrients has been inconclusive and preliminary. See Glyconutrients: The State of the Science and the Impact of Glycomics (2006).
• There are a number of case reports and small pilot studies for conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, ADHD, inflammatory bowel disease, etc, providing intriguing leads for the future. However, the clinical science of glyconutrients is clearly in its infancy.
• Many of these studies suffer from methodological and statistical problems.
• There is also the concern that financial support from Mannatech may unduly influence researchers interested in this field.

As I’ve said before, my main concern is that those with life-threatening conditions (understandably) begin looking for alternative therapies. But, in their extremely vulnerable state I do fear they not only lose money, but also precious time as well.

Medical conditions are extremely complex, requiring professional help, please think very carefully before you believe the marketing hype.

Have you heard about glyconutrients? Do you think they’re a worthy investment?

Connect with me!

You can stay in touch with Dietriffic for free by subscribing to receive my latest articles via email or RSS feeds.

I’ve recently joined Facebook, and created the Dietriffic Group where you can add your own thoughts, leave an interesting link, and find out what’s happening at Dietriffic. Or, you can follow me on Twitter.

I’d love to hear from you!

Is there something holding you back from achieving your goals? Maybe it’s limiting beliefs about yourself, the “I can’t do it,” type of thinking. Challenge those inner thoughts right now!

When you find yourself saying “I can’t” immediately replace it with a positive statement. Instead, try saying “How can I do this?” or “How is this possible?” This way you become more open to new possibilities and solutions.

Make it your new goal to challenge those negative thoughts each time they appear!

William Allen White made a very poignant statement when he said,

“I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.”

Photo source