Vitamin Deficiency & Supplementation

According to wikipedia: "A vitamin deficiency can cause a disease or syndrome known as an avitaminosis or hypovitaminosis. This usually refers to a long-term deficiency of a vitamin. When caused by inadequate nutrition it can be classed as a primary deficiency, and when due to an underlying disorder such as malabsorption it can be classed as a secondary deficiency.”

As stated, vitamin deficiency refers to a LONG-TERM deficiency of vitamin. Even if you are not feeling anything now, it doesn’t mean that you are safe from having this.

One way of preventing this is by eating adequate amount of food with the right amount of vitamins & minerals. But let’s face it. #realTalk . Many of us doesn’t have the luxury of eating the right amount of food we REALLY NEEDED. Many of us rely on fast foods for convenience. We say that we don't have the time to prepare the right food. We are busy at our work that we ought to pick fast foods to eat. Or we are just unaware of what our body really needs.

To solve that problem, supplements were created. Again, supplements are there to SUPPLEMENT, to complete or enhance something, meaning it is meant to be taken with food that we eat everyday to prevent unnecessary vitamin & mineral deficiency. But then again, NOT ALL SUPPLEMENTS ARE CREATED EQUAL. You must first check the supplement, if ever you will be planning on taking one.

Good thing that USANA’s Essentials, along with other products, are Pharmaceutical-grade, manufactured in an FDA registered facility, and voluntarily follows the Good Manufacturing Practices(GMP) required of pharmaceuticals.

USANA’s Essentials', aside from vitamins and minerals, also contains antioxidants which are very important to good health. It doesn’t have the “No approved therapeutic claims” and does have the indication: “Prevention and treatment of vitamin deficiency. Supports healthy immune function”

Mega Antioxidants is USANA's daily vitamins and antioxidants supplement while Chelated Minerals is USANA's daily mineral supplement for adults.

To know more about USANA's Essentials, click here to know what's in it for you.

7 Keys To Goal Setting

According to Brian Tracy's book called "Goals! How to Get Everything You Want - Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible", there are 7 Keys to Goal Setting which can be used to virtually any goals. And if until now you can't achieved your goal, there is at least one key that you are missing.

1. Your goal should be clear, specific, detailed and written.

When you set a goal, you should be clear on what you really want to achieve. You should know the specific details of what you want. For example, your goal is to have a car. Car itself is a vague goal. Be clear on the type of car that you want. Do you want a sedan type car? An SUV? A van? Or maybe a sports car? What color do you want it have? How much does it cost? Specify the details of the goal you want. The more you want to achieve your goal, the more specific the details it should have. And lastly, your goal should be written. 

"A goal which is not in writing is not a goal at all". 

2. Your goal should be measurable and objective, believable & achievable.

You don't wanna set a goal which, in reality, is unachievable/unbelievable. It will just make you frustrated before you even start. Your goals must be capable of being analyzed and measured. Also, for your goal to be believable, you should know where you are right now. Where do you stand? What is your current status in life? What is your net worth? 

For example, if you are currently earning PHP 30,000(600USD) monthly and your goal is to have a sports car in a year, it wouldn't be believable/achievable. Another example would be, "In a year, I would be earning a lot of money" is another vague goal. "Lots of money" can't be measured. Your goals should be measurable, by specifying the exact amount, for it to be considered as a real goal.

3. Your goal should be time-bounded.

Schedule your goals. Set a deadline. Determine when do you want to achieve your goals. If you goal is a long-term goal divide it to sub-goals with subdeadlines. For example, a yearly goal can be divided into monthly goals, which can then be divided again into weekly then into daily.

4. Your goal should be challenging(50% success)

Challenging yourself to achieve a goal can help you in the long run. It is like going to the gym and forcing yourself to do a few more rounds of exercise. It is difficult yes, but it is in these kind of situations where you can bring out the best in you.

5. Your goal should be congruent with your values and in harmony with each other.

People have different values in life. I have mine. You have yours. When setting a goal for yourself, you must look within you. Determine your values in life. And your goals should be in harmony with each other meaning your goals should not be contradicting each other. For example, if your goal is to be good in playing basketball within a month and yet you are just sitting around during the weekends, your goal will never be achieved.

6. Your goal should be balanced.

Your goal should be balanced between career/business, financial life, family, health, spiritual, community. Achieving your goal should never compromise any of these things. Even if your goal is towards achieving great wealth, you should never forget your own well being.

7. Your goal should have a major definite purpose.

And last but not the least, your goal should have a major definite purpose. It is the one goal, when you accomplish it, can have a big impact on your life. It is the goal which is of great help to you and your life, compared to any single goal that you have. When you have really decided on this one major definite purpose or goal, and focused all your energy on achieving it, only then you will realize the big changes in your life.

You Will See The Things You Set Your Mind To

During the last quarter of 2014, I was walking along the side of a mall. As I reach the parking, I saw a silver-colored car exiting. My initial response was to guess the brand & model of it, (disclaimer: I’m not really a fan of cars. I just try to guess. To practice my memorization skills), but I failed. During that time, I didn’t know that Toyota has Camry. I was amazed to know that Toyota has a car of that kind, a sedan-type car. Maybe because I was used to seeing Vios all the time.

During the first quarter of 2016, I made a vision board which consists of a car. You wanna try to guess what car it is? Yup your right! It is the Toyota Camry! Mainly because I was stunned the first time I saw it!

After I decided to put Toyota Camry as my “dream car”, I started to notice that I always see it. Whether it is in the road or in the parking. And every time I see it, I would always say to myself, “Nice! Saw you again!”

Recently, I added Subaru XV to my “dream cars” and the same thing happened. I would always see it together with Camry.

What I’m pointing here is that, whatever you set your mind to, be it material things or intangible ideas, you will see that it will come to you.

If you want to do something and you keep thinking about it, your mind will be open to ideas on how to do it. And sometimes, you will then realize that those ideas are ALREADY existing beforehand but you didn’t notice it simply because your mind isn’t set to think about it.

So, as a final say, I’ll leave this famous quotation: “You can do anything you set your mind to” — Benjamin Franklin

Passion and Action For Success

In order to attain success or to be successful, one must have Passion. Passion is defined as “a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something”

Many people tried to be successful but failed to do so because they lack passion. Yes, they do the “things” which they think will bring them success or fortune, but the bottom-line is, they are not passionate about it. And this will bring down.

Action, on the other hand, is defined as “the accomplishment of a thing usually over a period of time, in stages, or with the possibility of repetition”

Even if you are passionate about something, if you don’t plan anything and take actions, it will be useless.

There’s a truth in the saying:

“Love what you do and you’ll never work in your life again”

When you love what you do, when you are passionate about it, when you are excited to do again and again, that’s the sign that you are on your way to success!

Again, passion without action is useless, but passion with action is success!

Tiny Steps For Success

"There is no one giant step that does it. It's a lot of little steps." ~ Peter A. Cohen

       Above is one of the many inspirational quotes around. When you want something, it will not happen just by taking one "giant step". You must take a step, a little step. From there take on more steps. But there is something, somehow, missing from it. It is not just about taking those tiny steps, but it is also about the direction to which your are going. Be sure that you are moving forward, towards what you want.

       When talking about success, many of us, and I mean it, MANY OF US, wants to be successful immediately. We want to take that one giant step to success. We want to get what we want as soon as possible. One reason may be because, we "see" that other people have succeeded already. What we fail to see, or realize, are the things they took to achieve the things they have. Many of them have had sleepless nights, early meetings, taken risks and failures, etc. We then see their final result and many of us wants to "jump" at it.

       But let me tell you. There are no shortcuts. There is such things as an "overnight success". There is no one giant step towards success. As Robert Collier says it, "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out."

       Here are some "tiny steps" which you can do achieve success:

• Read Daily
Start to read a book, preferably non-fiction. Read books about self-development, business, successful people. Here are three books I can refer for you to read: Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, and The Meta Secret by Dr. Mel Gill
• Discuss Ideas
Find like-minded people. Discuss your ideas. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."
• Continuously Learn
Many people thought that when we graduate from school, we stop learning. But the truth is learning never stops. Life becomes our teacher. We will learn from things we do. We will learn from the people we encounter. We will learn from the failures.
• Goal-Oriented
Set yourself some goals. Also, make it SMARTER. Always go over the list of your goals to be motivated day-in and day-out. And, I also advice you to make a visual representation of your goals, make a dream board. Place it in a place where you can always see it.
• Embrace Change
The world is constantly changing. The places and people around you are changing. Those who can't embrace change are limiting themselves from growing.
"Change can be scary, but you know what's scarier? Allowing Fear to stop you from Growing, Evolving, and Progressing." ~ Mandy Hale
• Compliment
As much as possible, give someone a praise for what they have achieved. Complimenting others gives them more self-esteem. Knowing that they have done something good makes them continue to do what they are doing. Having these kind of people around you is a good environment for success.
• Forgive Others
Having a grudge on someone is not a good thing to have. Especially for your mind. Having this makes your mind unclear. Having an unclear mind prevents you to think properly. It will prevent you from getting successful. Forgive them and let your mind clear up.
• Accept Responsibility
You already have your goals, now you make definite plans and then execute them. If you have planned fails, take the responsibility for it. Don't blame other people. If your plan fails, move on. Re-plan and re-execute them until you achieve your goals.
• Sense Of Gratitude
Always be grateful for the things you have now. Be grateful for the people who are helping you achieve your goals. Be grateful for yourself because you made it here and now.
• Exercise & Diet
I always believe that if you are not healthy, you can't be successful. If you are unhealthy, you cannot plan well. If you cannot plan well, you will not execute anything to achieve your goals. And, whatever achievement or success you have, when your body is not healthy, it is worthless.

Smile

It's been a long time since I wrote something here. Hoho! Been "busy" at work. *code code code*

Right now, I'm thinking of something to write here but I can't seem to think of anything. Maybe I'll just share one of the poems I've made last year :D

Smile

Whenever I see you

I can't get enough of you

Thinking to myself, "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Maybe it's simply because, God gave me you

Thinking of all what we've been through

Whether it's false or true

Every time I get a glimpse of you, one thing is for sure

All I can do is smile, and that is only because of you.

Disclaimer: I rarely make poems. It really depends on my mood, my surroundings, events, etc. It may depend on something I hear, see, feel.

Hypertension: The Silent Killer

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is defined in an adult as a blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg systolic pressure or greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg diastolic pressure (140/90). High blood pressure directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, especially along with other risk factors. ¹

* Normal blood pressure

Systolic indicates the pressure in the ventricular contraction.
Diastolic indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.

Stages of Hypertension

• Prehypertension - This hypertension stage is defined as a systolic blood pressure between 120 and 139 or a diastolic pressure between 80 and 89. This can identify people who are at higher risk of having Hypertension.
• Advice: Doctors can advice lifestyle change.

• Stage 1 - If your systolic blood pressure is between 140 and 159 or your diastolic pressure is between 90 and 99. 
• Advice: Doctors can advice lifestyle change, and some oral medications.

• Stage 2 - If your systolic pressure is 160 or higher or your diastolic pressure is 100 or higher.
• Advice: Immediate hospitalization.

Common Causes of Hypertension

A-E-I-O-U-S.S.S

• A - Alcoholism
• E - Excessive Caffeine
• I - Improper Diet
• High Sodium(Salty food) - leads to high water volume which leads to high heart pressure which leads to hypertension.
• High Fat
• High Cholesterol
• O - Obesity
• U - Unhealthy Lifestyle
• S - Smoking
• S - Stress
• S - Sedentary Lifestyle

2 Types of Cholesterol

• HDL - High Density Lipoprotein A.K.A Good cholesterol
• LDL - Low Density Lipoprotein A.K.A Bad cholesterol

When LDL attaches to the blood wall, it results to blockage/plaque formation. 

• If blockage is on the part going to the heart, a cardiac arrest may occur.
• If blockage is on the part going to the brain, a stroke or CVA(cerebrovascular accident) may occur.

Also, plaque formation can lead to Atherosclerosis, which is the hardening/narrowing of the arteries.

And having Atherosclerosis, one can be prone to Aneurysm, which is the enlargement of the arteries which can lead to rupture.

Statins - oral medication which a doctor can prescribe. And because of it being potent, one side effect is, it can harm your liver cells which can cause liver problem. 

Signs and Symptoms

• Blurry vision
• Numbness in the shoulder area radiating to the left shoulder.
• Body weakness
• Difficulty in breathing*
• Chest pain*

*frequent occurrence requires hospitalization.

Complications

• Stroke (cerebrovascular accident)
• Heart Attack
• Cardiomegaly (heart enlargement)
• Atherosclerosis
• Aneurysm
• Kidney failure
• Blindness

Health Teachings

Reverse the CAUSES (A-E-I-O-U-S.S.S)

• Avoid alcoholism
• Limit caffeine intake
• Watch your diet
• Food low in sodium, fat, & cholesterol
• Manage weight
• Healthy Lifestyle
• Stop smoking (gradual)
• Manage stress (e.g. proper breathing exercise)
• Diversional activities (e.g. exercise [walk for 30mins] )

USANA's Product Recommendation

• Essentials
• Renal vitamins (for kidney)
• Vitamins B1, B2, B6, & B12
• Vitamin C
• Folic acid
• Pantothenic acid
• Niacin
• Biotin
• Hesperidin
• Promotes heart muscle relaxation
• Inositol
• Can help lower bad cholesterol
• PS: Do not give if client is taking Vitamin K antagonist
• Proflavanol C100
• Bioflavonoids
• Lowers bad cholesterol
• Dilates the constricted blood vessels
• Strengthen blood vessels
• Promote better blood circulation
• BiOmega
• Acts as a blood thinner
• Dilute the plaque formation
• CoQuinone 30
• High in CoEnzyme Q10
• Strengthen heart muscles

¹ Hypertension