The Body by Vi (Visalus) Bandwagon

In the past few months in my small town it seems as though so many people have jumped on the Body by Vi bandwagon. Local chiropractors are having parties promoting this and advertising for it on the radio. Some friends are even selling them and spreading the great news of how awesome these shakes can taste. Where do these phases and trends come from? Just a few months ago people were having the wrap parties which are basically the same as taking a hemorrhoid cream and saran wrap and wrapping yourself to “lose inches.” As a dietitian, I know that people fall into the lose weight quick schemes all of the time. However, supplements and shakes are not the answer. I decided after hearing so much about this and almost having to get ugly with someone who kept pushing me to buy this ridiculous product to research it and here is what I found:

The Body by Vi meal plan provides a person with around 1200-1400 calories per day. Of these calories, 18% is fat content, 44% is carbohydrate content, and about 38% is fat content (CRAZY!). The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has evidence-based research that shows that a person only needs 45-65% of their daily calories from carbohydrates, 20% of their daily calories from protein, and 20-30% of their daily calories from fat and less than 7% of those fat calories should come from saturated fat sources.

Why are people losing weight on this diet? The calories are so low that of course people are losing weight on this diet.  If you normally eat around 2,000 calories per day and you cut out 500 calories per day for one week, you will lose one pound because 3,500 calories equals one pound of weight. Therefore, if you were consuming a 500 calorie breakfast and a 500 calorie lunch and replaced these two meals with a Body by Vi shake that is around 200 calories or so, of course you will lose weight because you are creating a 600 calorie deficit daily. However, why drink a shake instead of obtaining your nutrients from food that has added benefits such as being natural?

Oh that’s right – Visalus advertises itself as being “all natural.” Well, the Vi-Pak states that it’s “all natural.” After looking at the ingredients it says that it contains kosher gelatin. I am not sure how you make cow hooves which are where gelatin comes from Kosher but good luck at figuring that one out. Another problem that I found is that the capsules Visalus sells are made from glycerin which inhibits absorption of nutrients. Therefore, Visalus is using a cheap product to sell for a big profit that actually inhibits your ability to get all of the nutrients it claims to provide.

What else is in the Visalus products? Soybean oil, Titanium Dioxide, trans fat in the form of Magnesium Sterate, talc residue, Maltodextrin, Aminogen, and soy-based protein. These are just a few of the ingredients that I found surprising to be in a weight loss/health product.

What is the problem with these ingredients?

Well soy-based proteins are fine; however, if you are a woman, you should know that soy-based protein is very estrogenic. What does that mean? Well if you have breast cancer in your family, I would steer clear of a majority of very estrogenic food items or supplements. 

What about aminogen? Aminogen is a patented protease which is an enzyme. This enzyme breaks down protein which is most likely added to the Visalus mixes to help you break down all of the random excessive protein that is in their shake mix.  

Magnesium Sterate used in the Visalus products is a trans fat. Yes, the dreaded trans fat that increases your risk of high cholesterol and heart disease. Why would Visalus use trans fats in their products when it is not even recommended for a person to have in their diet at all? To make the shelf life of their product last longer. Not only do trans fats make the shelf life of a product longer, but they also inhibit the absorption of many nutrients in the body, sometimes up to 80%. It is also very cheap for them to add this however it makes the quality of any product go down. We should be working trans fats out of our diet and the realm of supplements and diet products, not adding it in.

Since talc residue is used when pills are made in machines, if you take Visalus pills, you are probably getting some talc residue in your diet as well. Talc residue is known as a carcinogen which is a cancer causing agent.  

Soybean oil sounds so good right? It has to be a healthy fat is what most people would think when seeing it on the ingredients of a health product. Well, soybean oil is genetically engineered which causes problems. Genetically engineered products can inhibit the absorption of minerals, especially iron which the body uses for multiple purposes but mainly it is essential for the formation of hemoglobin and transporting oxygen throughout the body. Also, soybean oil is loaded with something known as goitrogens. Goitrogens slow down the thyroid gland. Anytime you eat or consume a soy product, if you are on thyroid medication, it interferes with how the drug works which is a problem.

Titanium Dioxide cannot be natural in any way. If you look it up, it is white paint. Look on most paint cans or containers and you will see this listed at the top of the ingredient list. Why is this added at all? I have no idea.

Maltodextrin is a sugar and really, it’s very similar to regular sugar (Sucrose). Your body absorbs sucrose and maltodextrin the same. However, Visalus claims that this Maltodextrin in their product is “digestion resistant” which seems a little farfetched. If it is truly altered, it could cause severe problems for people with stomach problems because poorly digestible sugars can definitely increase the risk of an upset stomach.

Another problem that I have with Visalus is that since the calorie intake is so low, they recommend that you purchase “Clear Control.” This is an appetite suppressant that will make you feel less hungry. However, I have yet to figure out what is wrong with feeling hungry. Hunger is a natural feeling that should not be suppressed because you are starving yourself using Visalus products instead of eating food that can give you a long lasting fullness effect. The fact that they want you to purchase an appetite suppressant is a red flag in itself. What kind of marketing is this company using?

What about risks with these products? There definitely is a risk when using any weight loss product. Particularly ones that promise you fast weight loss. Here is the problem with the Body by Vi shakes. When you eat less and consume less calories like you do when you drink these shakes, you definitely lose weight. However, if you are not consuming enough calories (1,200-1,400 calories is not enough to meet everyone’s needs) your metabolism will slow down and when you start eating more again, you will rapidly regain weight. Your metabolism will not speed up along with your appetite and intake so it will remain low while you gain weight and it takes time to build it back up.

Another thing is the cost of Visalus products. $56 per bag of vanilla shake mix is ridiculous. I can get the same nutrients through a multivitamin with minerals and not have all of the added extras that are not needed. This can add up to cost over $1,000 per year spent on a mix that can be easily replaced with a multivitamin that costs around $10 for 60+ pills. Plus, these shakes taste just as good without the expensive mix added to them. Google it, you can find tons of great nutritional shake recipes that do not require any mix whatsoever. You can take yogurt, add some fresh fruit, fruit juice, canned fruit, chocolate syrup, ice or whatever you want to it and still have a great shake that is low in calories and cost-efficient.

Another problem is the comparisons Body by Vi uses. They compare their powder mix alone (without the stuff you add to it in a blender) to products that are already mixed with milk or whatever else is used. Therefore, the Body by Vi mix looks as though it is a better choice when truthfully, its misleading.

Evidenced-based? I think not. Very little clinical research is out there about Visalus. I found a Registered Dietitian’s website that stated that Visalus had “white papers” (referring to clinical trials) that were evidence enough to prove the reliability of the product. However, their “white papers” are extremely biased. One of their lead researchers in the Body by Vi research is on their Visalus Board of Directors. That is a little questionable, don’t you think?

While I know that trends like this come and go, it is so misleading if you don’t look into it. You cannot always believe what you hear. A lot of people are getting paid to sell this product to you or getting free products if you buy it. I am not a fan of drink supplements, mixes, or food substitutes anyway but this is over the top crazy if you ask me. Also, the supplement industry has no one that regulates how it is sold or what is in the products. That is a problem in itself.

I know that people want an easy weight loss solution. I understand that shakes sound so easy and good. I know that people lose weight with this product. But why drink your calories when you can eat them? Why lower your metabolism for quick weight loss when you can keep it high and lose weight at a safe rate and keep it off for a long time? Visalus does not have well balanced products. While I love that they are promoting the use of fat-free/skim milk over other choices (which is something I think everyone should drink), these shakes compromise your health in the long run. Be educated before you buy. I personally don’t like products that have tons of ingredients listed. Look for natural ingredients that you know what they are when you see them on a label. Eat in moderation. Exercise. You can lose weight and save money by opting to just eat healthy and exercise.

Resources:

http://globalsuccesswithjoe.com/business-opportunities/body-by-vi/body-by-vi-scam/

http://www.revivewellness.ca/body-by-vi-vs-body-by-revive/

http://thesensiblefoodie.weebly.com/1/post/2012/04/diet-product-review-body-by-vi-part-two.html

http://www.fortefitness.com/im-about-to-become-very-unpopular/

http://www.visalus.com/

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/nutrition-facts-calories/visalus

http://www.ajcn.org/content/45/2/391.short

Updates

 

This was Stella when we first got her! So tiny and precious!

 

This is Stella 3 weeks ago, growing like a weed!!

My 23rd Birthday!!

Jerrod Neiman, Chris Young, & Miranda Lambert Concert in Macon!

Me & My Sweet Mother who took me to the concert! :) LOVE her!

Girls Night Out for Whit & Meg's 23rd Birthday!

I just wanted to make a quick post! I've been super busy lately. I finished up my dietetic internship rotations! Whoo hoo! 8 months flew by but I am so grateful for the opportunity and experience God blessed me with. Cedar Crest College was a great opportunity! I completed my rotations in Georgia (distance intern) at the Medical Center of Central Georgia, South Central Health District, the local school nutrition program office, and the district Head Start facility. I learned so much and had the most amazing preceptors. I definitely was blessed. I would recommend a distance dietetic internship to anyone looking for one this fall or spring! It is a lot of paperwork but once you get past that part, it is not so bad. God always puts you where he wants you.

Now, I just have to submit my final paper, pass my RD exam, and get a job! Wish me luck!

Nutrition & Autism

This is an assignment that I had and I found it to be interesting. Nutrition & Autism is a huge topic right now in the world of dietetics. I would love to have one answer for everyone that asked me what to do but I don't. Each child requires an individualized plan. Enjoy my assignment about it:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a broad disorder. Multiple websites, books, and magazine articles are written with generalized information that is available to the public with information on ASD. Subjective information can cause confusion in parents or anyone else looking for information due to the fact that anyone can write a book or write something online. The problem with this information is that every autistic person is different and autistic adults and children are all different and range from having mild autism to severe autism so there is no one solution. Some people with ASD may avoid multiple foods due to the texture and some tend to fixate on only one food item. (Mahan & Escott-Stump, 2008)  Some parents search for answers because their child with ASD may avoid contact or interaction with people providing or preparing the food and they want that to change. Once again the problem with current information is that each person with ASD is different and needs specialized attention and there is not one quick fix to make a change.

There is research on the elimination diet and on the gluten-free-casein-free diet (GFCF) and the results vary. Some researchers believe that those with ASD have difficulty breaking down some compounds of food so they are suggesting alternative therapies such as enzyme therapy. “Enzyme therapy can be helpful, since some researchers have suggested that children on the spectrum may have an inborn error of metabolism: they may lack certain enzymes that break down compounds in foods (eg, peptides in gluten and casein). If these undigested peptides cross the blood brain barrier, they may potentially interfere with cell signal transmissions” (Peregrin, 2007). In one study, thirty-one parents of children with ASD gave three-day food records to the researchers on their child’s regular diet or on their child’s gluten-free, casein-free diet. Children who followed the gluten-free, casein-free diet consumed less foods from the dairy group and from the fruit group, therefore there were multiple micronutrient inadequacies. Some nutrients not consumed such as calcium are important micronutrients that are essential while a child is growing. Although, this diet may produce small results and changes in a child, there are consequences and not enough evidence to state that it is a diet backed with evidence of solid results. (Burzminski, Caine-Bish, Ha, & Mantos, 2011) If young enough, instead of an elimination diet, parents could partake in an introduction diet where they introduce foods one at a time of different textures such as applesauce, yogurt, toast, cheese, crackers, and so on. If a parent keeps a diary of the foods liked and disliked by the person with ASD, this can help prevent food aversions that would arise otherwise. This can be brought to meetings with a dietitian in order to make sure that the patient is receiving all of the macro and micronutrients that the patient needs. If the needs are not met, the dietitian would need to make diet recommendations for the patient in which their needs would be met. The gluten-free-casein-free diet definitely would not meet all of the patients’ needs and deficiencies should be addressed immediately.

Registered Dietitians’ need to be knowledgeable about what parents of children with ASD may be reading on the internet. “For example, there is research on gluten-free/casein-free (GF/CF) causing rickets, and there is research paper on GF/CF helping with autism, but they aren’t multidisciplinary. Each is looking for their own conclusion without taking the concerns of the other into account.” “Much of the research is anecdotal; but that doesn’t mean any of these treatments won’t yield improvements” (Peregrin, 2007). There are over 40 studies that have been completed trying to place a link between nutrition and ASD in reports that were recorded over a course of fifty-three years. According to researchers, most of the research lacked a control and a measurable outcome. Although some ASD patients and children may benefit from some nutrition modifications, it is a fact that more research is needed. (Brown, et al., 2009)

Before approaching a patient with ASD, a dietitian would need to know the underlying facts of the specific ASD patient’s disability and diagnosis. This information may be obtained from the patient’s psychological examination and physician’s evaluation. This may show if the patient is malnourished or not.  Interviewing the parents is essential in determining the patient’s daily intake at home if the patient is under their parent’s care. After obtaining this information, a dietitian should introduce him or herself to the patient and the patient’s main caregiver to create an appropriate plan to meet the patient’s nutritional needs.  Establishing a relationship with the patient’s caregiver is key to maintaining communication in order to properly meet the patient’s nutritional needs.

Interventions that I would include when seeing an ASD patient would be: monitoring a food diary kept by the patient’s caregiver, monitoring the patient’s labs and the medications taken by the patient, and correct issues such as deficiencies, diarrhea, and constipation if they are found to be nutrition related. Also, if a diet is started, follow up visits should be regular to monitor the tolerance of the diet and to evaluate the intake to see if needs are being met. Interventions also include giving a list of foods that the patient should avoid if the caregiver states that the patient has allergies, intolerances, texture issues, food jags, or cannot chew or swallow well. If that patient is a child, I would not recommend trying a gluten-free/casein-free diet because they would be at a high risk of developing rickets. For children with ASD, I would suggest introducing one food at a time and each food should have a different texture. Introduce milk to see if the child likes the creamy texture and then try orange juice with pulp added to see if the child likes the texture of it and so on. Then the caregiver should try meat products or dairy like yogurt and cheese and then items like bread and crackers. I would make sure that the caregiver is keeping a diary or a list of likes and dislikes. For adults with ASD, a gluten-free/casein-free diet may be a good idea if the caregiver is willing to aide in providing the foods that are allowed on the diet. I would remind the caregivers that the gluten-free/casein-free diet is not a diet that has any definite proven outcomes but that it does work for some ASD patients while for others it does not. It does however severely limit the items a patient can have and may promote deficiencies. If the gluten-free/casein-free diet is not tolerated or the caregiver does not want to try it, I would recommend trying to incorporate different textures one at a time. There is not one intervention that I would recommend to all ASD patients. Each one will be highly individualized based on the patient.

Roasted Squash & Zucchini with Parmesan

This recipe is also a Pinterest one! My husband and I love squash and zucchini so I decided to try it.

Chopped sweet/yellow onion

Minced Garlic

4 tbsp olive oil (divided)

Zucchini

Squash

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Saute onion, garlic, and 2 tbsp olive oil.

Once cooked, place in the bottom of a glass 9x9 casserole dish.

Slice zucchini and squash (I used my food processor so they were definitely thinner than the perfect looking ones on Pinterest)

Place in dish over onions mixture

Add the other 2 tbsp of olive oil and stir.

Sprinkle sparingly with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and add grated cheese to the top.

Return to oven and bake for 15 more minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

Serve warm!

Sauteing Onions and Garlic

After they are cooked, place in pan. I could have used more but I used what I had left at the time!

Chop veggies by hand or in processor!

Place in pan and bake for thirty minutes.

After 30 minutes, stir if needed and add grated cheese to top and then return the dish to the oven for 15 more minutes.

Serve Warm!

We LOVED this dish and definitely will be making it again. It was easy and very tasty!

Cleaning The Stove Hood Vent

I was on Pinterest earlier and came across a blog on how to clean your stove hood vent. I immediately thought, what vent? Well, I knew that my hood was dirty and needed cleaning, little did I realize how disgusting my vents were. The fix was easy: a large boiling pot of water, and 1/2 cup of baking soda. Soak the vents, rinse, and dry. This entire process for two vents took me less than 10 minutes and they look 100 times better than before! See for yourself!

I have two vents so this is one of them. It was DIRTY and as soon as I submerged it in the boiling water/baking soda mix, it fizzled and the water turned NASTY colors.

This is after I flipped it over. The difference was AMAZING after just a minute!

You can see the difference! 

After cleaning

I was very impressed with how easy and quick this was!

My Life in Pictures

Time for new pictures!

Enjoy! :)

View from my back yard

Savannah Bound

At the rodeo!

My Sidekick & I at the George & Martina Concert in Atlanta

Rodeo!

Our newest member of the family, Stella.

Fireballs on New Years Day

The Hub & I at George & Martina's Concert

Martina McBride

George Strait

Zoe Bug!

Bonefire with the girls!

New Years Eve with the girls!

Court & I

Sweet Zoe!

Profile of Annalyn Peele - An Essay from 2007

Below you will find an essay I wrote after interviewing and receiving permission from Annalyn Peele. Currently, Annalyn is enrolled in the Medical College of Georgia as a medical student. She has came a long way and is still an inspiration to many people including me. Annalyn is truly a living testimony of God's love and faith in him.

It was the summer of 1999, and the Peele family had just loaded up their white mini-van and was headed toward Macon, Georgia to visit a fellow church member in the hospital. Just in the outskirts of town, they were heading around a curve and saw a large gas truck coming directly towards them. The truck had just topped the hill traveling at eighty miles per hour in a fifty-five mile per hour zone when the driver saw a car in front of him stopped. The driver slammed on brakes causing his trailer to jack knife into the opposite lane in which the Peele family’s van was traveling. The Peele’s van hit the side of the truck with a very hard force of impact.

            Annalyn Peele was born in January of 1986. She has two wonderful parents, Jerry and Karen Peele, and is blessed with two younger twin sisters, Kristen and Kellie Peele. As the daughter of a preacher, she was given the opportunity to live in more than one place throughout her childhood. She lived in Alma, Georgia, for a year, followed by Orlando, Florida, for seven years, and then Eastman, Georgia, where her family currently resides. Annalyn stood at five feet five inches tall, and she was a cheerleader during her first two years of middle school. She loved to tumble, stunt, and cheer at football games and pep rallies. Annalyn has been about four feet six inches tall since the summer after her seventh grade year due to injuries from the car wreck. During her family’s car accident, the impact of the gas truck hitting their van shattered the lower L-4 vertebrae in her back. Annalyn was slung very hard, and her head hit the window, causing a concussion. She also broke her ankle and sustained internal damage to her intestines. Both Annalyn and her sister Kellie were airlifted to Macon, Georgia. Annalyn was there for about a week. Annalyn stated, “I did not wake up for about a week, almost in a drug induced coma. I would wake up, but I do not remember it; they were trying to suppress my pain.” The doctors told Annalyn’s parents that she would be fine, and she would be able to walk again.

After the week in Macon, Annalyn was transferred to Shepherds Spinal Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. While in Atlanta, Annalyn had major back surgery. The doctors put three rods in Annalyn’s back, took some of the bone from her hip, and put it over the rod. Following surgery, Annalyn had to learn to sit-up by herself, and she began to lift two pound weights. The doctors soon told her parents that Annalyn would have to be in a wheelchair due to paralysis of the lower extremities. Annalyn said, “I am paralyzed in my hips and the back of my legs from my knees down. I can move my quadriceps, but not my waist.” Annalyn stayed in Atlanta for three months doing rehabilitation and trying to learn to move the muscle that she did have in her leg. Annalyn stated, “I started with braces that came to my hip, trying to walk. It was very hard. Eventually, I had braces that came to my knee; I was just very slow with those. This experience was very difficult for me because before the wreck I was a cheerleader, and I loved it. That was probably the biggest devastation when they told me I would not be able to walk again.” Annalyn also stated, “Some of the simplest things soon became the most difficult to overcome, such as sitting up, moving from my wheelchair to my bed, and putting on clothes. They began to get easier with time though.”

After speaking with Annalyn, I asked her how someone in her situation is still full of joy and acts as though nothing is wrong, and she replied,

Honestly, I know that you know this has not been easy for me. But being a Christian, it has just put a totally different perspective on this. I was upset and all, but while I was in Atlanta, my dad and I prayed every day. We kept reading the Bible; Romans 8:28 states, ‘And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.’ I know that God has a purpose, and God had a purpose for me being in that accident. I have faith, and I know that I will be able to walk again when I get to Heaven, and that is why I am not totally discouraged. For us, at first it was hard to accept that things would be the way they are. It is all about God’s glory. If he gets more glory out of me being in a wheelchair, then I know it is best this way. Being in a wheelchair has taught me to trust God and everything he does. Every time a person asks how this happened, I get a chance to share my testimony. People ask me all the time what happened; some people are very rude about it and others are not. I do not mind them asking, because I would want to ask too if I was them. I tell them I was in a bad car accident and I have paralysis in my leg. They always tell me that I seem so happy, and I tell them that it is because of God and I cannot help that my joy overflows with hope and faith in God.

In high school, Annalyn stayed busy. She had a 4.0 grade point average, she was the class president for four years, student council member, first runner up on Homecoming court, Prom Princess in eleventh grade, and Prom Queen in twelfth grade, a member of the honors classes, a Senior Superlative, and she was voted “Best All Around” by her fellow classmates. After she graduated with honors, she attended Middle Georgia College in Cochran, Georgia, for two years, and then she transferred to the University of Georgia, where she is currently enrolled. She said, “Now, I am at UGA majoring in Nutrition Science. I want to be a Physician’s Assistant. I have always wanted to be a doctor. I just want to help people and not only medically, but I want to be able to relate to them. After UGA, I will go the Medical College of Georgia to PA school.” Annalyn currently resides in a handicap accessible room at the University of Georgia. She recently traveled to Hawaii with her family, and also she spent nine weeks in Daytona Beach, Florida working with the University of Georgia’s Campus Outreach group. She is also a member of Alpha Zeta and she holds a grade point average of 3.9. She will be quick to tell you that she stays busy. She works out four times a week, goes to class, attends prayer meeting, Campus Outreach groups, has study groups, and goes to the football games on Saturdays. She also spends a lot of time with different people.

One may wonder how Annalyn exercises. When I asked, she replied,

I cannot run, do gymnastics, or anything like that, but there are a lot of things I can do with what I have. I can now walk a mile in about thirty minutes on a treadmill. I hold onto the sides and slowly walk. Actually, this summer, I learned how to do handicap equipped wakeboarding. It is adapted for a person in a wheelchair. It is a lot of fun. I also love to have slip and slides at my house. My sisters and I get a tarp and lay it out on the huge hill in our backyard, and we wet it and put soap on it. Then we invite people over, and it is a blast!

 Annalyn also told me, “I absolutely love practical jokes. Someone who has never met me will see me go flying in my wheelchair. I will fly by in it and quickly flip myself out of it and start laughing. I also love to go roll houses with toilet paper in my hometown with my friends. That has always been a fun pastime.”

I have always wondered how someone who is confined to a wheelchair could drive a car. Annalyn explained,

I was the youngest kid at the hospital in Atlanta. I did not even think about driving then, yet all of them had to learn to drive. I knew when I did begin that I would have to get hand controls. Now, I love them. I can drive fine and even if I could use pedals, I love my hand controls they are so much fun. They did take a while to get use to, but now I can drive just like anyone else can.

I also asked her how many wheelchairs she had, and she answered, “I currently have four, but I have gone through about five. I love putting Christmas lights on my wheels at Christmas time!” I asked Annalyn, what kinds of changes at her home were made in order for her to be able to get around, and she replied, “We had to build a ramp, adjust doorways, and eventually we bought a new house. In our new house, we put in an elevator, and I have a walk in shower with a shower chair.” I also asked, “Do you still go to doctors and therapy?” She responded, “I went to therapy a total of nine months, and I really have not had any complications, and I currently do not go to any doctors unless I get sick.”

Annalyn Peele is a living testimony. I do not know a single person that is as energetic, smart, humorous, lively, pretty, and as happy as her. She is an amazing person and a strong Christian. By just simply watching her, one can see all of the amazing things that she can do in her situation. She acts as though nothing is wrong. Her situation has not stopped her from reaching her goals and continuing to live her life. She simply does her best at everything she can and puts all of her hope in God. She stated, “I just totally rely on God, and apart from Him, nothing else matters.” Annalyn has truly been an inspiration to me, and she is a wonderful example and a role model for anyone who has ever had any experience they thought they could not overcome. Through talking to her, one can come to understand that any individual can truly get through any situation if they simply have faith and rely on God.