Shakeology, The Breakthrough

The Healthiest Meal of the Day

Honey, dinner is served.

Shakeology by Beachbody has been a blessing to me and my family. My struggle with Psoriasis and weight loss is now so easy to handle. Why? Because I drink Shakeology. Best of all it takes like a frozen treat, it is economical and so easy to make. My whole family loves it! Try it.

With love and gratitude,
Filipina

Filipina & Vince
Beachbody Coaches
avibrantlife@beachbodycoach.com
http://beachbodycoach.com/AVibrantLife

What is Shakeology®?

Shakeology® is a nutritional protein shake that provides a wide spectrum of healthy nutrients in a low-calorie formula. Whether you use it as a meal replacement for weight loss or simply to ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs for optimal health, Shakeology® takes the guesswork out of nutrition.

What’s in it?
Shakeology® contains over 70 ultra high-quality ingredients conveniently located in one glass, to deliver nearly all the nutrients you need to maintain a healthy diet. It’s good for you—and good for everyone—because everyone’s diet is deficient in some of the key nutrient groups packed into just one Shakeology® serving†:
- Protein from whey, which is highly absorbable, gives you 8 essential amino acids that help you build muscle, lose weight, support brain function, and keep your skin and bones healthy.

- Vitamins and minerals support optimum health.

- Antioxidants boost the immune system and help reduce free radical damage that can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, blood pressure, and stroke.

- Phytonutrients support immune function and have anti-inflammatory properties. Many phytonutrients have antioxidant properties as well.

- Prebiotics support digestive and immune health.

- Digestive enzymes help in the digestion of foods and increase the absorption rate of those foods for optimum health.

What can it do for you?
Shakeology® is an effective way to help you lose weight, increase your energy and be the healthiest you can possibly be. In an independent 90-day study*, participants who replaced at
least one meal per day experienced some amazing health benefits.

Shakeology® can help you†:
- Lose weight
- Reduce cravings
- Increase energy and stamina
- Promote healthy digestion and regularity

Proven results:
As part of the recommended Shakeology® program of replacing a meal with one shake per day, along with regular exercise and a balanced diet, participants experienced even more remarkable health improvements. The study also showed that participants were able to*:

- Reduce total cholesterol by 30% on average
- Reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by 38% on average
- Reduce cardiovascular risk ratio by 24% on average
- Reduce oxidative damage caused by free radicals on average by 45%, which can help decrease the risk for developing degenerative conditions like heart disease, dementia, and arthritis

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*In a 90-day study, participants replaced one meal per day with Shakeology, ate a balanced diet and exercised moderately three times per week. Total cholesterol was reduced on average by 30% and LDL cholesterol reduced on average by 38%. †These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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Why do you need Shakeology®?
It’s hard to eat the recommended daily servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day, especially with today’s busy lifestyles. Convenience foods, like packaged or fast food, are so processed that important nutrients have been destroyed. Shakeology® helps provide what you’ve been missing, delivering a wide variety of nutrients from whole food sources to meet your body’s needs. Plus, each highly nutritious, low-calorie serving helps to keep you full and and
satisfied between meals.

How to use it?
It’s simple. Mix 1 scoop of Shakeology® with 8 oz. of water. If you like, add ice. Or, if you want something more filling and maybe even more satisfying, blend your Shakeology®with ice and nonfat, almond, rice, or soy milk. Shakeology® dissolves easily, but blending it will give it a thicker, creamier texture.

Here are some favorite recipes that we enjoy:
Make it like a frostie: 1 scoop of Shakeology® with 8 oz. of water, ice, 1 banana, raw almonds soaked in water overnight, flax seed meal and wheat germ. For a more berry flavor, add fresh or frozen blueberries, strawberries and/or blackberries.

How does it compare?
Many other products can give you a few of these nutrient groups, but as a breakthrough in nutrition, Shakeology® provides them all in one shake!

Where do I order my Shakeology®? Easy. Order your Shakeology® today at

http://beachbodycoach.com/AVibrantLife


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Data Source: Beachbody Shakeology® Product Guide

Frosty or Shake? Anyone?

After a great workout, my husband and I enjoy a delicious Protein Shake or Frosty by Melaleuca.

Our Favorite Recipe

Ingredients:
Cup of puffed wheat
Handful of Ice
1-3 Fresh banana ( I prefer freezing my own before they turn brown)
2-4 scoops of your favorite Whey Protein (or Soy Protein) chocolate or vanilla flavor preferably Proflex 20 by Melaleuca
Cup of low or non fat milk (you can also use soy, rice or almond milk)
You can also add your favorite fresh berries (eg. strawberries, blueberries and/or blackberries)

Makes 2-4 servings

Gadget:
Blender and cups

Mix all ingredients in the blender, puffed wheat first and the milk last. To make a Frosty, replace the mild with cold water.
Cover and blend. Enjoy!!!

FUN FACTS:

Isn’t protein just for weightlifters? Definitely not. Protein is the basic building block of muscle. It is essential for proper growth and maintenance of everything from muscles and skin to hair and fingernails. Everyone should be aware of their protein intake.

• Beginning at around age 35, you can lose about 1% of your muscle mass each year
• Without protein, you can’t keep or build muscle—no matter how much you work out
• Without protein after exercise, your body may break down existing muscle.

Melaleuca's ProFlex15’s proprietary blend of 4 diverse proteins gives your muscles what they need to build lean muscle.

Vitamins C, E and lipoic acid provide powerful antioxidant protection so you can recover faster.

Two plant based enzymes help you absorb the protein while fiber aids in digestive comfort.

New ProFlex15 Shakes gives your muscles what they need to Build, Recover, and Absorb.

Available in Classic Vanilla or Dutch Chocolate Protein Shake Mix. Also available in Doble Chocolate or Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars.

How do I order my Melaleuca Proflex Protein Shake and Bars?

To order email, Vince or Filipina at JourneytoTotalWellBeing@gmail.com or call (732) 721-0408 and get a preferred customer price and save up to 30% to 40% on all Melaleuca products.

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Data Source: Melaleuca Proflex20® Product Guide

The Beginning of a New Journey...

CONGRATULATIONS AMANDA MARIE, MY ANGEL, ON YOUR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, June 19, 2009. You never cease to amaze me. Here's to you my Angel! God bless you always. You always make me proud and grateful to be a part of your life. I love you.

- Your Mom

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A little something about Amanda Marie:

Amanda is a brilliant and talented young woman in her own right. She was accepted to all 4 renowned schools she applied to for College. To her mom's delight, she had chosen to attend a Jesuit College nearby, St. Peter's College, where she can explore the world of Communications and enhance her skills writing prose and poetry. Amanda's facination with literature started early on in her life. She was reading the bible by age 2 with her Lola Mary. She read bedtime stories to her mom instead:-) She was asked to read to Grade 2 students when she was in Kindergarden. That was only the beginning. She is a well read and well versed, gifted writer and overall an extraordinary girl. She exceeded her teachers expectations when she wrote, co-produced and directed her very first one act play, "When Curtain Falls", during her senior year in high school. Amanda aspires to be a great novelist. Her aspiration was brought by the novel "Noli Me Tangere" (Latin for Touch Me Not) written by a Great Filipino Hero, Jose Rizal. Amanda was inspired to make a difference in this world in a huge way. I believe this would be natural for Amanda to do since she has a huge heart to begin with and will surely shine with her voice (singing voice and voice of reason), wit and grace combined with her responsible nature, patience, determination and diligence. Amanda is born a winner and likely to succeed and to achieve anything she desires in life.

Leap of Faith

(Lovingly dedicated to my husband Vincent Schlesier)

You came in my life like a sweet surprise
In my space like an online prize
Not wanting to see but could not ignore
Your charm lured me for more

Quick messages, text and pics
A phone call that made me think
You said, perhaps we can meet for coffee
Ah, better yet meet my family

With astonishment I said yes
Not knowing how it could be
A leap of faith, one would say
Maybe fate had a plan for me

I'll never forget that first night we met
As you walked down the steps gazing at me
With your head tilted to the side you smiled
Oh God I felt a spark that opened me

With your arms wide open and still smiling
You greeted me with a gentle squeeze
And exclaimed, "Wow, you're so beautiful!"
Then whispered, "I think my heart just skipped a beat"

Your warm welcome took me by surprise
As I stood there, weak in the knees
Butterflies crept faster in my stomach
Oh God! This must be the love I've been asking Thee

All night I watched you and I
Communicate and laugh with your family
In total surrender, with ease I must say
You and I bonded naturally

What a magical experience, a blessing in disguise
How two of a kind like us bonded so easily
Soul mates perhaps, love at first sight
Or maybe it was just our destiny

I thank God each day for this gift of love
A leap of faith that brought you to me.
I am so glad we followed our hearts
Now we trust in love through eternity.

Living With Love and Gratitude

MY TOP 15 REASONS FOR LIVING HERE AND NOW

1) I am grateful for my life as it is right now, what I have, what I don't have this moment and what I will have in the future waiting for me to receive.

2) I am grateful for my family, my friends, my relatives, my peer group, colleagues, acquaintances, even those who may not like or agree with me very much. Because of you I've learned a lesson or two and loved my life even more.

3) I am grateful for the love of my life, Vincent my husband who inspired me to love unconditionally and not be afraid with being IN LOVE FOREVER!

4) I am grateful for my daughter Amanda, who is the wind beneath my wings since she was born, who has been my inspiration, my Angel a gift from God to guide me each day and strive to be the best I can.

5) I am grateful for all the powerful women in my life esp. my mom who raised me to believe in God and that He is always my Savior, my mom also taught me the real value of faith, she always believed in me no matter what; my sister Amanda, who taught me to stay focused and keeps me accountable for my actions; my Aunt Betty, who taught me how to give and have faith always and most of all my fairy godmother and mentor; Ana who taught me to love myself first so I can give more of myself to others and to soar like the phoenix always getting up from fire and flying higher each time.

6) I am grateful for the responsible and respectful men in my life esp. my dad who taught me to always strive to be the best, for showing me the values of determination and perseverance; my brother Ferdie for showing me diligence and focus and my brother Nino for inspiring me to live and enjoy the moment and always learn from it.

7) I am grateful for my family for teaching me the values of unity and loyalty. These values are not defined by the distance we live from each other but by the love, support and understanding we have for each other.

8) I am grateful for my in laws for receiving me as part of their family and for my step children Justin, Danyella and Ally.

9) I am grateful for my upbringing, for growing up knowing and experiencing God each day, for being able to pray any time and any where.

10) I am grateful for my sense of happiness no matter how difficult or easy life gets.

11) I am grateful for the abundance in my life and around me. Regardless of the economic changes, growth, resources and choices still abound.

12) I am grateful for all the new connections and gifts I receive each day.

13) I am grateful for my health and my ability to be vibrant and fit.

14) I am grateful that everyone I love and care about is safe and healthy.

15) I am grateful that I can feel God's riches every moment...

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

With Love and Gratitude,

Filipina

Healing Myself With Love

I just turned 37 years old this June, married to a wonderful and loving man named Vincent, proud parent of four fantastic and energetic kids (one from a my former marriage and three are from Vincent's former marriage). My husband and I are very much in love with each other and our life together. We have committed to each other and to a life of total well being. We believe that "life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more," just like what one of our role models, Tony Robbins live by.

Like many, I have been on a yo-yo diet for years striving to be healthy and fit. I've struggled with a skin condition called Psoriasis since I was 17 and have tried various conventional medicines (i.e. topical steriods, cortizones, sedatives and light therapy). It cleared my skin for days, even months to a year but always find myself with other debilitating side effects including fatigue, drowsiness, infection even depression.

I also have tried natural medicine, various exercise and diet programs but I was not able to really maintain it. I explored on being a vegetarian after finishing the 10-day cleansing challenge after attending Tony Robbins' Unleashed the Power Within in 2005 with my daughter. We kept on for the semi-vegetarian lifestyle, adding only fish in our diet. It helped a lot that my daughter committed to doing it with me but we were only able to sustain it for about 2 years, after a while saying no to social conditions became exhausting.

I knew this will only be effective if I exercise regularly as well. So I tried different exercise programs such as Tae Bo with Billy Blanks and Core Secrets with Brooke Burke. I also went to a local but high class wellness center and even hired a fitness coach. I have to admit, my skin cleared up and my energy was high when I was active. I felt great but I struggled on sustaining the day to day lifestyle.

In the past winter months, my skin had been unbearably irritated and ugly to look at. Although my family and friends do not see it or talk about it, I see and feel it in the mirror everyday. My husband and I spoke of exercising with our eldest daughter and actually tried a few times. We also tried eating healthy and giving up meat again but we haven't really been consistent. Because of the agonizing pain and not being able to sleep well at night, I went back to the Specialist and all he can do is prescribed a new medication that would require daily injections. It seemed easy and it promised great results however the repercussions were more harmful to live with.

I knew in my heart where it came from. My body has an auto immune response to any stress factors. Stress comes from different sources and almost impossible to eliminate. It didn't help that I've built it up from unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. I have wished in my heart so many times to get started with taking care of body but I always found myself procrastinating, until one day I had enough.

I was ready to take control of my life and heal myself with love...

On March 28, Saturday morning while Vince was at work, I saw an infomercial by Beachbody Tony Horton's P90X program. It hit me! Muscle confusion work out mixed with cardio, strength training, martial arts and yoga. I was so thrilled! I decided to buy the P90X program and I committed to doing it. I knew it was what I needed to do. Thank God it didn't take much to convince my husband to commit to doing P90X with me. We both agreed that this would be a lifetime commitment!

So on April 21, Vince and I started the program by taking our "Day 1" pictures, performed a fit test and took our body measurements, weight, body fat analysis (Army Method), BMI, and set our goals. Then we tried the workouts throughout the week as a trial run to establish a schedule that worked for both of us. We committed not only to a lasting lifestyle by also to doing it more effectively and efficiently this time, so we also took the time to do the following:

* Reassessed our eating habbits and food choices
* Consulted on a few health books about my skin condition and proper eating habits
* Read up on the P90X Nutrition Plan and assessed our meal plans accordingly
* Cleansed our pantry and refrigerator from any unhealthy condiments and treats
* Shopped for energy foods like whole grains (bread, wraps, pasta, flour) and brown rice
* Stacked up on fresh green and leafy vegetables, sometimes yellow, water vegetables
* Eliminated red meat from our diet instead we have tofu, fish and occasionally have lean meats like pork loin, turkey and lamb for extra protein.
* Hydrating by drinking water, water with electrolytes or greens
* Stacking up and taking the the proper supplements (i.e. vitamins and minerals)
* Protein Shakes or Recovery Drink
* Researched and obtained the proper equipments (i.e. dumbells, bands, pull up bar/machine, mats, etc.) we needed to do the workouts successfully.
* Prepared the forms and logs we needed to document our progress
* Rearranged the basement and made it our P90X Gym
* Brought ourselves in peak state and positive energies

We were so ready to "BRING IT!"

On April 27, we officially started the program with full force, going through the workouts daily, Monday to Saturday and resting on Sundays.

We also committed to eating healthy, breathing, hydrating, taking proper supplements, thinking positive thoughts and being in a state of gratitude as much as we can each day. The best part is, we hold ourselves accountable for our actions and keep each other motivated each day. This is a part of our journey to total well being and life long commitment to each other.

We are grateful for all the blessings in our life and for being able to step up. We believe life is a moment to moment decision making and a never ending commitment to succeed and sharing with others.

With love and gratitude,

Filipina

Commited to A Vibrant Life!

In gratitude I face the sky...

What a beautiful and peaceful day?
The sky is clear, blue and bright,
the sun is shining just as it should.

I hear the birds chirping and
the wind whispering through the trees
and echoing through my window

I sit here and face the sky
with a smirk in my face and
gratefulness fills my eyes.

The white and fluffy clouds look down on me.
It gives me comfort. It gives me peace
that today I breath!

I breath in this magnificence
and nothing else fills my mind
Thank goodness, I'm alive!

Today is always a great day for change!!!

Today I decided to write again. I signed up for blogging since July 2007 but never got to really doing it. I remember wanting to have a blog forever, well to keep a journal, that is. Blogging is an online journal. I figured keeping a journal is a great way to release stress such as pent up emotions, thoughts and ideas. It is also an effective way to follow my progress in any goals I set (i.e. fitness, health, relationship, financial, overall wellness), and be able to share it with others.

It took awhile for me to get back to blogging, maybe I didn't like writing as much as my daughter does. Writing is her passion and she is very good at it. She was born a writer. I am more a of thinker, I think:-), and that could be my downfall. When I think too much, I overwhelm myself and end up not writing or enjoying it. Perhaps I should just stop thinking it through for once and just write. Now that is a concept!

If only I can be a kid again, this won't be a problem. Well, lucky for me, today is always great day to start! . Here is to a great beginning!

With Love and Gratitude,
Filipina

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DEDICATION:

My blog is lovingly dedicated to my daughter, Amanda Marie, who inspires me to live, laugh, love and write about it. I love you you babe!