Self Care Awakening 2020

“I hope you live a life you’re proud of.”

— F. Scott Fitzgerald

Healthy by Choice 2020

Heather and I want to wish our subscribers a very Happy and Healthy New Year. As we all build our Global Wellness Community, it is paramount that we continue to share and disseminate information that empowers anyone to be Healthy by Choice.

What started a few years ago as a tagline, “Healthy by Choice not by Chance,” has developed into a battle cry for many of us. Our current healthcare system is broken, and it will take each one of us to turn the tide from a treatment and management of disease approach to a disease prevention focused system.

Currently, the United States leads the world in chronic disease and pharmaceutical consumption, however, we are facing a global health crisis due to the increasing burden of chronic disease. Currently, chronic diseases are responsible for 70% of deaths worldwide. Over 50% of us live with at least one chronic illness and 33% have two or more. People who suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and arthritis experience limitations in function, health, activity, and work, affecting the quality of their lives as well as the lives of their families. According to the World Health Organization, chronic diseases are by far the leading cause of mortality in Europe, representing 77% of the total disease burden and 86% of all deaths. Ninety-seven percent of health expenses are currently spent on treatment, with only 3% is invested in prevention.

Chronic diseases are interrelated, have common risk factors and are largely preventable. It is the scope of the Self Care Awakening series to provide information to empower anybody to live a healthier life.

If there was ever a time for a Self Care Awakening it is NOW.

Regrettably most everyone reading this article has experienced chronic disease in their lives, either personally, a family member or someone they care about. It is our purpose and our passion to change this and empower everyone to Be Heathy by Choice and not leave their Health to Chance.

To help facilitate this, Heather and I are very excited about a new addition to our Self Care Awakening curriculum. Premiering next Tuesday, January 21st at 6 PM/PT (9 PM/ET) we will be broadcasting a weekly program entitled Healthy by Choice. The objective of the program is to provide simple, easy solutions for a healthier life. We will be including a live Q&A section at the conclusion of each week’s presentation.

Please plan on joining us and inviting guests so that together we can all help anyone Be Healthy by Choice.

To Join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live see you on Tuesday.

The Self Care Revolution

If there was ever a time for a Self Care Awakening it is NOW.

Our nation faces a health crisis due to the increasing burden of chronic disease. Currently, 7 of the 10 leading causes of death are chronic diseases, and almost 50% of us live with at least one chronic illness. People who suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and arthritis experience limitations in function, health, activity, and work, affecting the quality of their lives as well as the lives of their families.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), treating people with chronic diseases accounts form 86% of our health care costs. Nearly 70% of our population are on some type of prescription medication, with an average of nearly 15 per person. Many chronic and degenerative conditions are becoming epidemic.

From reading the preceding paragraph you might surmise that I am talking about the United States, but these same figures (or very close) apply globally.

 Global Health Crisis.

Although the United States currently leads the world in almost every disease and chronic condition.  This is not just a problem here in the U.S., it is global. One-third of adults worldwide suffer from multiple chronic conditions. Disease rates from these conditions are accelerating globally and advancing across every region and pervading all socioeconomic classes. Chronic disease is responsible for 70% of deaths globally and pharmaceutical consumption continues to increase globally driven by a growing demand for drugs to treat chronic diseases, according to the World Health Organization.

 In a recent presentation for the United Kingdom, I summarized the epidemic of chronic disease that Britons are experiencing. In the UK, a 47 percent increase in prescription drugs dispensed over the last decade as reported by the National Health Service. Currently, one billion prescriptions are written every year, with medication reaching a shocking level of 15 prescriptions per individual and 50% of Britons taking prescription medication.

Part of the problem for this dramatic and epidemic rise is due to poor choices. Nearly 90% of Britons are chronically dehydrated.  Sleep deficiency is on the rise across UK, two-thirds have sleep problems and this is called a public health epidemic. The average sleep per night per individual in the UK is less than seven hours.

According to a recent official Health Survey for England 2017, the UK has a weight problem. Nearly two thirds of adults are either overweight or obese, with one third of these obese. The number of people with diabetes in the UK has more than doubled in the last twenty years, Diabetes UK. 2018. Once again, excessive sugar consumption is fueling this problem, with the average Brit consuming nearly 100 grams of sugar daily. Well above the daily recommended consumption.

The four main principles of the Self Care Awakening are not a panacea for all chronic conditions. There are many other factors involved depending on the disease being examined. However, these principles are vital to the health of us all irrespective of our current status of health.

All can benefit from reducing our body burden of toxic chemicals, being hydrated, well rested and reducing our daily sugar consumption and maintaining a healthy weight.

 Chronic disease is not a normal part of life. Up to 80% of chronic conditions can be prevented. My hopes are that this information and corresponding Self Care presentations have enlightened and empowered anyone to employ and share our battle cry for the Self Care Awakening,

 We invite you to look at our most recent video, Self Care Awakening, UK Edition.

Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance.

The ABC’s of Self Care W

“Dehydration is the mother of all epidemics and it is the first step we need to take in addressing chronic disease.”

— Gina Bria, Cultural Anthropologist

A Nikken Wellness Home is designed to address many health concerns, including environmental toxins, contagions, dehydration, poor sleep quality, weight matters and nutrition. In a practical sense, the Wellness Home creates an environment that enables us to make healthier choices every day.

This week our series on the ABC’s of Self Care continues with W. We could blog about the Wellness Home, Weight Matters, being Wealthy by Choice or Water Matters. A recent article in the Epoch Times has prompted this week’s Impetus. The article entitled Dying of Thirst outlines the many reasons that we should stay hydrated. One quote from the article, sums it up, “Dehydration is the mother of all epidemics and it’s the first step we need to take in addressing chronic disease”, so says Gina Bria, cultural anthropologist.

Water Matters

Proper hydration is essential to a healthy life. Water comprises over two-thirds of our body weight and is one of the most essential elements to maintaining well-being. If you consider our composition in terms of molecules, we’re practically all water, nearly 99 percent. 

Water is important in every physiological process. Water helps your body with circulation, assimilation, digestion, elimination and temperature control.

Researchers estimate that about 75% of people in the US have a mild chronic dehydration. This can lead to many health issues such as fatigue, joint pain, weight gain, headaches, ulcers and high blood pressure. Chronic dehydration may affect your organs and lead to kidney stones, cholesterol problems, constipation, and liver and muscle damage.

Water is not just a beverage choice

Water is not just a beverage choice, it is our most essential nutrient. When we think of water in this way it becomes apparent that we must drink enough each day.  We can live for 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water!

How Much Water Should We Drink?

There is no perfect answer to this question as it depends on your age, health status, level of physical activity, body type and ambient surroundings.

Everyone has heard drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day. This is insufficient in my opinion for proper hydration for most us. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces per day of water. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, 10 glasses or 80 ounces per day is a good rule to follow. 

When we hydrate, we are often doing it with compromised water. It’s either full of other chemicals, or, if it’s filtered, it has a loss of minerals which drives the energy inside the water. The body needs to work harder with this water to absorb and utilize it.

Hydration is not just about the quantity of liquid you consume, but about the quality of water and how well your tissues absorb it.

An effective way of providing yourself and your family with healthy water is filtration of tap water. There are many types of systems to accomplish this. Common methods of filtering can remove the chemicals, but it also removes important minerals our bodies need. Guidelines I suggest looking for when comparing systems are advanced filtration that is corroborated and meet or exceed ANSI/NSF standards of 42 and 53.  Look for a system that adds minerals back to the water and creates a slightly alkaline water. I am also a proponent of micro-clustered water that helps with absorption and I suggest getting a system that is easy to use and maintain and cost effective.

What if we could create fresh spring water in our own home or office? The Nikken Waterfall converts tap water into fresh spring-like water. Using a multi-stage process which filters, alkalizes, mineralizes, ionizes, energizes and oxygenates the water, the Waterfall provides great tasting water which is easy to use, affordable and a healthy water choice. Water the way nature intended it.

Last month, Nikken announced the concept of vital Wellness Home Packs to enable anyone to make simple, affordable choices to create a Wellness Home. The Packs address all the areas of self care and help make being Healthy by Choice more convenient than ever.

The Wellness Home Water Pack

Clean water is key to good health. Whether you need clean water at home or on the go, Nikken water products give you access to healthy water. The Water pack comes with replacement filters and the PiMag MicroJet® Shower System to reduce contaminants in the water we bathe in.

Our redesigned Sports bottle is a favorite of ours for healthy water on the go, without the expense of, or pollution associated with bottled waters. The new improved PiMag Sport bottle is not just a state-of-the-art water filter, but also a health product crucial to an Active Wellness lifestyle. The new filter can significantly reduce certain harmful pathogens in potable drinking water. It’s also a green choice; You won’t be adding to landfills and polluting ocean waters with plastic. Instead, you’ll be saving a fortune by not paying for commercially bottled water. 

Empowering individuals to take greater ownership of their health has never been more important. The rising cost of healthcare, the unprecedented increase in chronic disease, and the cost of treating and managing preventable conditions has launched an Awakening to raise Self Care as an essential component of health care. The new Vital Wellness Home Packs are easy, convenient and affordable ways to empower anyone to be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance.

The ABC's of Self Care Q

“Our job is improving the quality of life, not just delaying death.”

— Robin Williams

The ABC’s of Self Care Q

For the letter Q let’s talk about Quality of life.

I think it’s safe to say that quality of life is important to everyone. Although the term “quality of life” has meaning for nearly everyone and every academic discipline, individuals and groups can define it differently. What makes it challenging to measure or quantify, is that quality of life is a multidimensional concept that usually includes physical, mental, and social domains. These are usually qualitative or subjective evaluations of both positive and negative aspects of life. Although health is one of the important aspects of overall quality of life, there are other domains such as jobs, housing, schools, the neighborhood and finances. Aspects of culture, values, and spirituality are also key components of overall quality of life that add to the complexity of its measurement and assessment. In the context of self care we all can and should be the guardians of our own quality of life and what that means to us.

The pressures of daily living, busy schedules, demands of work, inadequate family or personal time, not enough rest, health and financial challenges can lead to a life thrown out of balance and can disturb our quality of life.

Balance is the key. Just as our bodies strive for physiological homeostasis, we must balance all the areas of our lives. Over 43 years ago, Nikken’s founder, Isamu Masuda, recognized this imbalance. He felt that total happiness and wellness depended on living a life in balance in five key areas, what he named the 5 Pillars of Health® — Healthy Body, Mind, Family, Society and Finances.  Leading a balanced life strengthens each of these pillars, and results in a more satisfying, healthy and rewarding lifestyle.

Nikken offers the means to attain this balance, through the Nikken Wellness Home and the Nikken business opportunity. We believe the way to fulfill our mission of a life in balance is through duplication of Wellness Homes. The awesome thing about a Wellness Home is that any home can be a Wellness Home, by utilizing Nikken products and technologies to make your home the healthiest environment possible for you and your family. Our motto is “Every home a Wellness Home”. 

Healthy Body

We often say in the Self Care Awakening, we cannot put a price on our health. It is our most precious asset. The concept behind the Nikken Wellness Home is to provide our bodies with the tools it needs to be healthy while making healthy choices easy. Clean air; pure energized alkaline water; organic whole food nutrition; deep, regenerative sleep, and organic personal use and skin care products are all part of the Nikken Wellness Home. Nikken’s leading-edge products and technologies have been the cornerstone for providing thousands of people with great physical health. Think of a seedling being grown in a green house where just the right amount of sunlight, moisture, nutrients and protection from the elements allows it to flourish into a lush, green plant. Creating a Wellness Home provides us with an optimal environment that nourishes, protects and energizes us in much the same way. With any category of Nikken products, you begin the process of assisting people with building their Wellness Homes. The Wellness Home concept is universal: everyone needs to sleep well, drink beneficial water and consume healthy nutrition to live a Life in Balance.

Healthy Mind

Our minds are remarkable! What we think determines our success. Many people suffer ‘lack’ versus ‘prosperity’ due to their thinking. When we are in balance, our mind is open to enjoy all the blessings of abundance. Freedom from health and financial stress is a goal that we all can achieve for a greater quality of life.

Healthy Family

In addition to the benefits that a Wellness Home can have for the physical health of a family and its members is the time freedom that a Nikken business allows for a healthy family. One of the crucial components to the success of a healthy family is creating work/life balance. In today’s fast paced environment, it very difficult to maintain the work/life balance that we all desire. Too often people work well past their office hours or skip lunch in order to meet tight deadlines. People are becoming over stressed, over worked, and over tired, which can lead not only to health problems, but also directly affect your home life.

This was always a challenge for me in my previous career and unfortunately work was usually the priority. My profession involved a tremendous amount of travel. I had developed a thriving business that I loved, but it took an awakening for me to see how it was affecting me and my family. I came to an epiphany one day while on a telephone call my wife was giving me the play by play of my son’s little league game over the phone. I didn’t want to miss ball games, by gosh I wanted to be the coach. Although I loved my business it appeared that it did not love me back. Not until I fully understood the 5 Pillars of Health and the importance of maintaining a balance in all five areas did I put a plan into action that utilized the Nikken business opportunity to create more time freedom for my family. Oh, and by the way, I coached baseball for the next 10 years. You can’t put a price on that.

Healthy Society

Have you ever done something for someone, great or small, and felt even better than the person on the receiving end? Giving back to society is vital for living a meaningful and fulfilling life. When we see ourselves as “more”, we can be “more” to others in society. Nikken’s Humans Being More workshops offer fabulous opportunities to improve yourself, thereby allowing you to give more of yourself to others in need.

Healthy Finances

Finances are a major vital component of the Wellness Home. When the finances are affected, then everything is affected. Many people work around the clock often at the expense their family time and their health. They spend most of their lives working, usually too hard and for too many hours, just to make more money. In today’s world, it is very rare to achieve financial security by working for someone else.

Compare that to Nikken, where you have complete flexibility and unlimited opportunity. Earn extra money part-time or develop a new career or an encore career. Build your business and create a steady source of income. We provide the tools, support, the leadership from experienced professionals.

When you create a Wellness Home and teach others to do the same, you generate a healthy lifestyle that provides you with a source of revenue. Spread the word. Educate your Consultants on how to grow their Nikken businesses by building their Wellness Homes as well as by creating repetitive orders for clients who are similarly learning to build their own Wellness Homes. It’s a continual cycle of health and prosperity. As an Independent Nikken Consultant, you can have the freedom to live as you wish. To earn as much as you deserve and to make a difference in the world, helping others.

Humans Being More

The Nikken mission is both simple and inspirational—to help people discover an Active Wellness Lifestyle. We provide the means with The 5 Pillars of Health®. Since 1975, Nikken has provided the innovative products and income opportunity to live a life in balance and to share the message of every home a Wellness Home. Our action plan and easy-to-understand compensation plan create infinite possibilities of building a better future for everyone. It all begins with you and your commitment to the 5 Pillars of Health®.

Have a very happy and healthy 4th of July. We will see you all the following week for our next installment for the ABC’s of Self Care.

Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance

The ABCs of Self Care: M, Magnetic Energy

““... healing comes from nature, not the physician...””

— Paracelsus

The ABC’s of Self Care M

This week we are concerned with the letter M for our series the ABC’s of Self Care, so let’s talk about Magnetic Energy.

The Earth's natural electromagnetic field is one of the fundamental forces of nature and is essential for life. Heather and I have been enjoying the recent National Geographic series, “One Strange Rock” #OneStrangeRock.  We have been reminded multiple times in the series that it is the earth’s magnetic field that enables our planet to support life as we know it.  The Earth's magnetic field shields us from deadly cosmic radiation. The motion of liquid iron in the planet's outer core, a phenomenon called a "geodynamo," generates the field. But how it was first created and then sustained throughout Earth's history has remained a mystery to scientists.

Basically, we live on a big magnet. Not only does this energy provide protection for our planet but also provides a natural energy and an environment for us to be healthy. In their book “Earthing, the most important health discovery ever?”, authors Clinton Ober, Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D. and Martin Zucker describe how our current living conditions have reduced the vital energy of the earth to our bodies and the resultant chronic issues that ensue from being disconnected from the power and energy of the Earth.

The use of magnets for health can be traced back as far as the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese. Pliny, a Roman naturalist, used magnets to rectify eye problems, female disorders and wounds. Documentation tells us that Chinese doctors believed in the therapeutic value of magnets at least 2,000 years ago, and perhaps earlier than that. In sixteenth century Europe, Paracelsus, used magnets for many different conditions, claiming that “…the magnet is king of all secrets and that the art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore, the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.” Two centuries later, German physician Franz Mesmer became famous for using magnets for various disorders.

In the middle decades of the twentieth century, scientists in various parts of the world began performing studies on the therapeutic use of magnets. From the 1940s on, magnets became increasingly popular in Japan. Yoshio Manaka, one of the influential Japanese acupuncturists of the twentieth century, used magnets in conjunction with acupuncture. Magnet therapy also became a commonly used technique of self-administered medicine in Japan. For example, a type of plaster containing a small magnet became popular for treating a variety of discomforts. Magnetic mattress pads, bracelets, and necklaces also became common. It is estimated that one in seven people in Japan use some form of magnetic products for health.

North American interest in magnetic energy for health was inspired by NASA’s space program. NASA recognized the importance of electromagnetic fields to biological organisms when astronauts in optimal health became ill traveling in outer space. Beyond the outermost layer of the atmosphere (ionosphere), the astronauts’ bodies were no longer immersed in the geomagnetic fields of the planet. Withdrawn from the influence of these fields, their health declined (poor sleep, fatigue, weakness, rapid bone loss, etc.), but was restored when administered artificially generated magnetic fields that emitted the necessary planetary frequencies. Magnetic field generators installed in NASA’s spacecraft alleviated many of these health problems in orbit.

During the 1970s, magnets became popular among athletes in many countries for improving performance, rejuvenation and alleviating sports-related injuries.

In 1975, the Japanese company, Nikken, developed a magnetic insole and ensuing products that has resulted in its prominence in the field of supporting our health. Nikken magnetic products are designed to be natural, easy to use, for more energy, rest, rejuvenation and recovery.

Nikken magnetic technologies have been developed for over 40 years to provide a carefully designed, supportive environment. Nikken’s magnetic products are designed to fit easily into our normal day-to-day lives. This can be in the form of our Sleep System or special magnetic insoles, seats, jewelry and massage products that can be used conveniently throughout the day. This is one technology that we frequently utilize in the Wellness Home. I have personally benefited from these products for over 20 years and have met and know thousands of others that have incorporated them into their daily self care routines. 

It’s generally safe for most people to wear and use low-intensity static magnets. However, if you use an electronic medical device such as a pacemaker, have a magnetically sensitive surgical implant, are in the first trimester of pregnancy or have health problems, consult a physician before using magnetic products.

Magnetic energy is just one of the technologies that are utilized in the Wellness Home to provide simple, easy to use, natural ways of being Heathy by Choice.

Please note, that Heather and I will be taking a break next week from the Impetus in honor of Memorial Day and tribute to the many men and women that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in enabling and preserving our freedom and liberty. We wish you all a good Memorial Day Weekend.

Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance

ABC’s of Self Care K & L

““Our bodies are our gardens - our wills are our gardeners. ”

— W. Shakespear

 

The ABC’s of Self Care K & L

In our continuing series the ABC’s of Self Care, this week we are concerned with the letters K and L.

K is a very important letter for Nikken and the Wellness Home, so let’s let the letter K represent a few terms that we frequently use in describing our products, business and philosophy, Kenko, Kaizen and Kenzen.

Nikken originated in Japan over 43 years ago. Fittingly, many of our products use the word Kenko in their description as kenko is the Japanese word for health. Meaning a healthy product or choice and very appropriate to our mission of the Self Care Awakening to empower anyone to be Healthy by Choice. It is used in our sleep system products, magnetic products and support wraps. A quick stroll through our Wellness Home will reveal many of these products that enable us to make healthy choices daily.  

Kaizen means improvement. The Japanese word kaizen simply means "change for better", with inherent meaning of either "continuous" or "philosophy". The word "kaizen" in English is typically applied to measures for implementing continuous improvement, especially those with a "Japanese philosophy".

Kaizen is also defined as a “continuous improvement through positive change.” This term in the context of our health can be interpreted to mean a progressive improvement in our state of health. Our bodies are amazing, and we are continually replacing old cells with new cells. The Wellness Home is designed to give our bodies the tools it needs to be healthy. The Wellness Home itself is always under remodeling. New products, technologies and natural solutions for Being Healthy by Choice are continually being added or upgraded for continuous improvement through positive change, Kaizen.

Since 1975, Nikken’s philosophy has been and still is, to be truly healthy one must live a life in balance based on Five Pillars of Health, Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Family, Healthy Society and Healthy Finances. Our business is about sharing the benefits of a Wellness Home and our motto of “Every home a Wellness Home” exemplifies the meaning of continuous improvement in all areas of the Five Pillars of Health. 

Kenzen is another Japanese word that describes health, soundness, or wholesome. Many of Nikken’s nutritional supplements in the Wellness Home are described as kenzen, a healthy choice. A good example is Kenzen® Lactoferrin 2.0™.

So, for the letter L, let’s talk about Lactoferrin.

L- Lactoferrin is a protein present in milk and other bodily secretions whose main biological function is to bind and transport iron. Iron is essential for overall health and is considered the number one micronutrient deficiency by the World Health Organization. It’s also one of the most problematic to supplement because in many instances, iron can irritate the intestines. Iron deficiency can result in anemia, fatigue and poor circulation, as well as many other physical discomforts. Thirty-nine (39%) of consumers are adding iron supplements to their daily diets.

The Wellness Home solution is Kenzen® Lactoferrin 2.0™. Lactose-free, gluten-free and GMO-free, our advanced lactoferrin formula provides a delivery system to support better utilization and balance of iron in the body. * Lactoferrin 2.0 is naturally iron-binding, which studies have shown to have a positive effect on iron absorption, blood iron levels and digestive issues. *

Lactoferrin 2.0 also supports gastro-intestinal health. Lactoferrin has a unique affinity to iron, allowing it to bind to the nutrient. Interestingly, numerous strains of pathogens need an iron-rich environment to reproduce. Lactoferrin limits the availability of iron to bacteria in the intestines, allowing only beneficial bacteria to thrive.  Lactoferrin is present in other bodily fluids, including tears, nasal secretions, saliva, bronchial mucus, gastrointestinal juices, vaginal mucus, and semen. At first glance, these secretions may seem unrelated, but they share one important similarity, they are consistently exposed to potentially harmful microbes.

Nikken’s Lactoferrin 2.0 formulation also contains organic Inulin, organic Ginger, organic Turmeric and organic Rhodiola, a combination that works together with Lactoferrin to produce antioxidant effects and anti-inflammatory properties that support overall health. *

Kenzen® Lactoferrin 2.0™ is a gentle way for more than 35% of woman looking for alternative sources to boost their iron, whether to improve their overall health or to supplement for specific health needs like menopause, pregnancy or menstruation. For the 56% of male and female athletes with iron deficiencies, Lactoferrin 2.0 is an excellent iron-balancing solution for increasing endurance and accelerating post-exercise muscle recovery.

We hope you are enjoying the ABC’s of Self Care and the Wellness Home series. Who can guess what the letters M and N will represent next week?

Until then, Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.