Friday, July 20, 2012

The Misconception of Muscle and Fat

We have all heard this statement, "Muscle weighs more than fat." Let us all think about that for a moment. Can it really be accurate? Do you remember the old time scales where there is a bucket on one end and another on the other end? Let's envision that for a moment. If you put a pound of muscle on one side and a pound of fat on the other, will the scale balance out? Yes, because a pound is a pound regardless of what it is. So having established that fact, let's ask the question- Why does the scale often go up when we start working out.
Which would you rather have?
I pose this question because Donald and I have started a pretty intense workout regimen this week. It involves muscle building aerobics three days a week and muscle building weight training another three days with an off day at the end of the week. Basically, we have worked our tails off and I step on the scale this morning and weigh 4 pounds more than I did last week! I started researching this phenomenon. I know the workouts are working, I can hardly walk down the stairs! I feel muscles in parts of my bodies that I never knew muscles existed, so why then is the scale moving UP?

This is what I have found. While a pound of muscle is a pound and a pound of fat is a pound, a pound of muscle is more dense making it smaller. Therefore, if you carry more muscle for your body weight, you will appear smaller and leaner. According the the National Health Association a body can only build about 8-10 pounds of muscle in a year. Knowing that, the question becomes- Why in the heck am I four pounds heavier in one week?!?! I obviously can't gain 4 pounds of muscle in one week! The above mentioned article explains this quite well. Muscles contain glycogen which is 75% water. While an article by Shulman and Rothman explains, in very clinical terms, the purpose and function of glycogen on the muscles, what I surmised from reading this article is simply this: Glycogen aides in the balancing of glucose in the muscle. Muscles use these nutrients in the reparation process after strenuous workouts that break down the muscle. If you don't have enough glycogen, you may experience muscle fatigue which will prevent proper building of muscle. You want glycogen! Those levels will regulate as you continue working out. Don't freak out over that initial upswing on the scales after starting a weight training program. Just know that you are building muscle and your body is becoming smaller and more lean!
This picture from Humanity First illustrates how glycogen in stored in the cells when glucose is not needed immediately for energy. These cells can store from 1 to 3 percent of their weight in glycogen which can be attributed to the gain that is shown on the scale.
In short, the next time someone says, "I started working out this week and I actually GAINED weight" instead of calling it "muscle weight" you can tell them not to worry it is just glycogen weight. It is actually a good thing.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Recipe Wednesday- Low Carb Pizza

You all know that we are trying to eat low carb. Well, pizza is one of our favorite meals and I have to tell you that I have gotten in a rut of chicken and vegetables EVERY night. I love chicken but that gets kind of boring after a while. So I found this recipe for low carb pizza on Instructables. I have to tell you that I only used the crust part of the recipe. Then I used prepared pizza sauce, Italian grated cheeses, green pepper, onion, and pepperoni. I think that anyone who did the home made sauce might be my hero. I was just too lazy. Let me know if you do! I would love to think I had it that together. All in all, this helped with our pizza craving and the crust was AMAZING!

You can get the original recipe and comments and variations on it here: Low Carb Pizza with Home Made Sauce. You should really consider checking out the original recipe. She has great pictures and there are some really great comments with variations that people have used. Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you enjoy!


For the pizza crust, you will need:

2 eggs
1 8oz package cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, brought to room temperature
1 cup Parmesan cheese - shredded or grated

9x13" baking pan
cooking spray to coat pan


For the sauce, you will need:

1 6oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup sangria
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cloves of garlic, minced


Toppings of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, cream cheese and Parmesan and mix well with a fork or spatula. Don't panic if the mix looks very wet and runny, it will firm up as it bakes.

Coat the 9x13" baking pan with the cooking spray, then spread the mixture to cover the bottom of the pan.

Place pan on a rack in the middle of oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is firm and lightly browned.

In a medium bowl, mix tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt and garlic, then add sangria to thin the mixture to a spreadable, but not too thick consistency. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Remove baking pan from oven when crust is lightly browned on top. Stand to cool for a few minutes. It is normal for the crust to shrink as it bakes.

Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Spread the sauce over the crust, then add toppings of your choice. A nice thick bed of mozzarella helps everything stick together. We covered our pizza with a lot of pepperoni.

Place pan back in oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and it looks delicious. Remove from oven and let stand a while; it will be too hot to eat for about 10 minutes.

Remove from pan, slice and enjoy.
 

Friday, July 13, 2012

This Is Why I Do It!

Happy and Healthy about 40 pounds lighter than last summer!

At this point, summer is fading fast! I, like many of my teacher friends, am in the process of preparing myself to go back to school. I know it is only July 13th but it starts early for us. I have already staring having that nightmare that I have every summer, where I show up at school for "Meet the Teacher" night and have NOTHING ready. I mean, there is not even a stick of furniture in my classroom. So as I begin the task of getting ready for my new bunch of little ones, I have to say that I am glad to be doing it more healthy, weighing less and with more energy than I have on any other year since I have been teaching. Teaching is my calling and my absolute love. I hate to put it in writing but I would teach even if my paycheck stopped coming. That is what I was meant to do. So I know that many people, especially those who are above me on the school totem pole have wondered why I took on another job.

If you have read my blog before, you know that I did not plan to start another business. You can read about how it all began by clicking here. Then my husband and I started taking ACE. Then..... IT WORKED!!! You can check out his weigh ins here. I saw an opportunity to help those around me find a better happier life and it has all been worth it! I have struggled with my weight and health issues my whole life so I decided that ACE/Saba could help me help others avoid some of what I had experienced. You can read my story here.

Then a few days after my first customers purchased their ACE, I began getting phone calls, emails and messages of successes! Wow what a a feeling. People lives were changing and I was going to be part of that. My husband and I, as well as some of our friends and family, have since started taking some of the other Saba supplements. We love the Borojo and Pomegranate Juice. We have also done the Fat Flush Diet with great success. It is hard to document all that I have heard about our products but I wanted to share the comments. Ultimately, that is why I began this business- to help others achieve their goals. Now my goal is to make sure that every person who has ever struggled with health issues, their weight, needed extra energy or extra focus knows about Saba and their wonderful supplements. I am a believer and my customers are too! Check out what we have all discovered:

About ACE

Although it was over the phone, I have had two customers report having lost 10 pounds in the first week. One of those is now an associate and is now helping others do the same thing. I have had numerous phone calls reporting the extra energy and my customers absolute pleasure in their purchase of ACE.

I have also had numerous emails and Facebook reports about my customers and other associates results with ACE:

"Hey look at my face book lost 2 more just 3 lbs away from my second goal of 125 love it"

"I have lost 6 pounds since I started ACE! My energy is out the roof"

"I can not believe that taking one capsule in the morning can curb cravings all day. I am sitting at Dairy Queen drinking water while everyone else has ice cream! I love my ACE!"

"Started Ace in Feb!! I ♥ my ACE!"



"Wayne and I had gotten to the point that we did not feel as healthy as we should. However, since May 21st, both of us have lost weight - 24 pounds for me and 24.5 pounds for Wayne. We are well on our way!! Also, our energy levels are a lot better. Finally found something that works for both of us!"

"Woo hoo!!! As of this morning I am DOWN 20 Pounds:-). Great feeling before heading to the beach this afternoon!"

"Matt told me last night " your butt is getting smaller, like east to west..." I think thats a compliment... anyway I fit into a dress this morning that I haven't been able to wear since before I got pregnant, 3 years ago!! YIPPIE!!! Inches baby!!!!
Thank you for telling me about this product!!!!"


"So here is my very first (and quite amateurish side by side) and my story.
I was diagnosed with MS in 2005 & in summer 2011 I was diagnosed with a rare form of colon cancer... I was tired ALL the time and was sick and tired of being sick and tired!! I work at the local high school as a cook and I LOVE what I do! But, I would get off work about 2 and be home, in bed, asleep by 230 and would sleep ...until 6, get up, do farm chores, come in and get the kids ready for and into bed and be back in bed asleep by 830...I wasn't Happy... I wasn't Healthy... I wasn't LIVING!!
I started ACE In March I think and ran out the week my kid's school bus flipped the Tues after Easter, BOY did I need and MISS that energy, dealing with a 10 year old being put in a wheelchair and not being able to go to school OR summer camps... It was then that I realized what I missed when I didn't take my ACE... I was Exhausted all over again. Since I have been on ACE I am down 3 pant sizes and just about 4 belt notches :) I am not a scale watcher because I understand that inches are what is important and that muscle weighs more than fat, but I am also down 35 lbs (my 1st 2 months I only lost inches)
I have energy like never before and am able to do things with my kids that I had no hope of before. I have been taking them for geology expeditions and tadpole hunting in the many ponds, to 4H camps and running all over doing fun and exciting things!
I have not had to take any meds since I have been on ACE. No Muscle relaxers, No pain meds, nothing... and I am sleeping better than I ever have, no tossing and turning or lying awake for hours on end Praying to fall asleep! I go to bed at 1030 and go right to sleep and wake up with or w/o my alarm between 630 and 7. I also have not had any migraines, problems with blood sugar (I am hypoglycemic) or issues with diverticulitis Since I began using ACE!!
I became an associate because... I figure if it works for me and made such a tremendous change in my life then it can for someone else too!
I LOVE MY ACE!!!"
"Just as a positive note. I went to the doctor and I have lost another 4 lbs. My BMl in Sept was 27. I ventured on a very difficult and hard diet to maintain, which involved Daily injections for 40 days. I had lost 23lbs. Then I lost 7 more. I started to slowly gain a few pounds back. I was 172 in Sept. I started ACE in March at around 150. I weighed in yesterday at 135. My BMI was 22 yesterday!!!! Although my venture started with something else, it did not give me energy or relieve any of my Fibro symptoms. ACE changed it all for me. It not only helped the last of my weight to come off, but gave me the ability to function!!!!! That is priceless!!!!"
These and many that have been left at the bottom of my blog posts are proof that ACE is changing lives. I love being part of that.
About the Juices:
"I am in love with the Borojo juice. It has made me feel so focused and not jittery. I actually think it is beginning to melt away some unwanted thigh fat! My husband loves the Pomegranate juice to deal with business stress. We even give it to our 3 year old on occasion at bedtime. I am glad I became an associate for the discount. It has been well worth it and I look forward to possibly selling it. The customer service is fantastic! For example: I had a leaking bottle in my last shipment and they sent me a whole new order of three bottles- no questions asked!"
"I have seen an increase in energy and I just feel good. Don't know how to explain it!"
"I just thought of something and have to share. You know how you notice stuff when it is happening but not so much when it is not? Well it just hit me today that all of the things that usually bother my allergies have not bothered me in about two weeks! I love the Pomegranate juice!"
"My husband told me yesterday that he has slept so soundly the last few nights. I hadn't told him that you said that was one of the benefits of the Pomegranate juice."
"I can definitely tell that (boyfriend's name) is more chill and not as high strung since he has started taking the juices."
These customers are taking both ACE and the juices:
"I don't know if it's a fluke or not, but I weigh 3 lbs less than I did on Monday. haven't really changed my diet much, still watching what I eat as usual, but I have had nothing sweet this week at all. increased my water intake. exercised 3 days this week, not yesterday, but will sometime today, so that's normal for me too. I don't usually weigh more than once a week, but today I knew I felt different, less bloated or something. will be interested to see the scales on Monday after 1 week has passed."
"After the discussion yesterday my lab results came in my liver enzymes were perfect,triglycerides were 93 and have always been 300-600 not good.They said my cholesterol was excellent.I take 1 ace a day,1 oz saba juice and 1 of our fish oils a day and have so since last Oct.For me these products have truly been a blessing,thank you Saba so much."

Donald's Before and After


So, there you have it. These supplements are helping people be healthier and better! These days who couldn't use that? I am just proud to be part of it. And I am making some extra money in the process which may come in handy if those paychecks do stop coming. Which just might happen! You never know!
Please let me know if I can help you with any of your health, weight loss or just general well. That, right there, is why I do it!
Denise Thrasher (256) 338-9687 or acestome@hotmail.com

Friday, July 6, 2012

Let Freedom Ring!

Because I just did a great big post on Monday about specific products, I decided that I would do a little different post this week. I would like to share some random thoughts about ACE and my Saba business that have crossed my mind lately.

This week we spent the week of the Fourth of July at the lake with my family. This included mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, 2 nieces, husband, son, son's girlfriend and me. This week reminded me of how blessed I am as a daughter, sister, aunt, mother and wife. There are so many wonderful things that I could share with you about my family but since this blog is supposed to be focused on my business, I am going to focus on what it has done for me and my family in the short time I have been a Saba Associate.

My mom and dad have always supported me in all my endeavors. There have been times when I have called my mom to tell her that I have signed her up for some kind of home party or something. So when I started my business with ACE, they jumped right in. They own a beauty/barber shop so this opportunity went right along with what they were already doing. They started out by taking ACE and loved it! Then they started the Borojo and Pomegranate juices. Within a few days they were telling me how good they felt. Since then, they have ordered other of the Saba supplements and added them to their daily intake.  My parents are getting close to retirement age. This business is going to help them in two ways. They are going to be in the good enough shape to feel like doing something when they retire AND they are going to have a supplemental income to fall back on so that they can afford to retire!

I have mentioned before that my sister was the first in our family to get interested in natural supplements in order to prevent and not just treat symptoms of many illnesses and disease. I have leaned on her knowledge in many ways while getting started in this business. She is a constant source of encouragement and a wealth of knowledge on the benefits of the ingredients in the supplements that are available through Saba. She has put her four year old and nine year old on the juices to help with their health and she and her husband are both taking Saba supplements.

Then there is my baby boy! Justin has always been a work out guy. He started using ACE immediately when I became an associate and loved that it was more economical and just as effective as other performance enhancers he had purchased. Justin is also a little "high strung". There was a time in his youth when he was treated for ADHD. I have provided him with the Saba juices and the difference in his demeanor is amazing. It has not changed him but it has helped him to be more patient, not as anxious and a little less easily frustrated. At first he said that he was not able to notice a change but everyone else, including his girlfriend absolutely can. After discussing it a little further, he now agrees that he can too! As for the girlfriend, Brittney, I am pretty sure that she is going to be sticking around a while. So this weekend it was decided that she will start the juices too. After all, she is probably going to be the mother of my grandchildren someday! I want her to be as healthy as possible!

Then, of course, there is Donald. My sweet husband who has been my test subject, let me take pictures of his feet, and basically put it all out there in an effort to get healthy and help me start my business. He has lost nearly 40 pounds and has become more healthy. He even accidentally left his C-pap machine at home this week and was able to sleep soundly without it AND I did too! No snoring, no abrupt waking from sleep from not sleeping. I know that is because he is healthier and lighter!

So yes, I am a very blessed woman in many ways! I thank God for my wonderful family and this opportunity that he has presented for me to help them improve their health and wealth! I thank God that he has put me in a country where I have the opportunity to grow a business that can help me, my family and so many others be free of weight, health issues, and financail difficulty. Saba is a company that I know will help us continue to improve our health, lives and finances for years to come. I didn't even know I wanted a business but I am sure glad I took the step! And so I say LET FREEDOM RING!

Please contact me if I can help you with any of your health or wealth needs! 256-338-9687 or acestome@hotmail.com.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Fat Flush Diet- Success or Failure?

I am starting this blog post on Wednesday June 27th because today is our first day on the Fat Flush diet. It is a five day cleanse created by Clark Bartram in order to cleanse toxins from your body and kick start weight loss. You can do the Fat Flush diet any time but we decided to do it now because Donald hit a little bit of slump last week and I put a few pounds back on over the last few weeks. Although, I had decided that I didn't care, as long as I stayed within five pounds of my goal, I thought this would be a good time to try this program out.

Although his weight was 198.2 the last weigh in, he was at 201.0 this morning so we will start with that. I was at 143.8. So we will see what the results are on Monday morning.

What it is

During the time you participate in the Fat Flush Diet you eat three meals basically consisting of meat and vegetables with grapefruit or grapefruit juice at every meal. You take the Saba Pomegranate juice and Co-Clenz every day. You can take the Borojo but that is optional. We are taking the Borojo because we were already taking it. You DO NOT take ACE during the five days of the Fat Flush. It basically eliminates all sugar and carbs for those five days. You use sugar free dressing on your salad and cook your vegetables in real butter but that is the only condiments and flavoring used.

Getting Prepared


First, I will tell you that sugar free dressing is VERY hard to find! I finally found Walden Farms at Walmart. At our Walmart, it was with the marinades instead of the salad dressings. They had four flavors and since I knew I didn't like Bleu Cheese with sugar, I bought a bottle each of Ranch, Raspberry Vingarette, and Honey Mustard. They have a lot more flavors on their website.

I also purchased No Sugar Added grapefruit juice, grape fruit, lots of salad fixins, and the green, red, and yellow vegetables that we like. You will also need either V-8 or skim milk, turkey bacon, eggs, and any kind of meat you prefer.

1st Day

So we begin with everything we are supposed to have for breakfast, 8 oz water, turkey bacon, eggs,
Saba Borojo and grapefruit juice. Not too bad. Very filling and not dissapointing at all.

Lunch was 8 oz water and a salad with chicken and half a grapefruit. We used the ranch sugar free dressing. I have got to say it was not bad! Although, I will tell you that the grapefruit puckered my mouth. It didn't bother Donald. I didn't have any problem with the juice so I will be sticking with that, since either is fine.

The hardest part so far has been that long span between lunch and dinner. I am used to having a snack and you don't get one.

Dinner was good though, with 8 oz water, fish, squash, salad and grapefruit juice. This time we used the Honey Mustard. It was good too! I am sufficiently impressed with Walden Farms sugar free dressing.

The evening was pretty easy because you get to eat as much veggies and salad as you can hold at dinner and we had church to keep occupied.

Evening snack is either skim milk or V-8 (yuk) Donald did one, I did the other. Along with that you drink another 8 oz water, take two Co-Clenz capsules and Saba Pom.

For some reason, I did not sleep well at all this first night. For one thing, I was up peeing every hour. Besides that, I seemed to never really get fully asleep. I am not going to say that it was the Co-Clenz because I often have disprupted sleep but usually I sleep well and just wake up around 3 am for a while. Just in case, I will start on weekend next time when I have nothing to do the next day.

2nd Day

This day was a little harder for me. I had a training session for Saba/ACE in Georgia which meant a 3 1/2 hour drive both ways. What do you want to do on a trip? Snack! Luckily I had thought ahead and packed a grilled chicken salad for lunch and dinner. I made it through without messing up! I did heat up and eat some asparagus when I got home since I didn't get my vegetable.

This day was also harder for Donald. He ended up working until after midnight and we did not prepare for that. He did not have anything with him to eat for dinner and did not go anywhere that he could buy anything. He said that he was hungry for awhile and then it passed. It was so late when he got home and he was so tired that he didn't eat at all. He just drank his juice and took his Co-Clenz.

3rd Day

We weren't supposed to but both Donald and I weighed this morning! I was down 4 pounds and he was down 6! Wow, that is just two days.

This day was easier for me. I was cleaning and organizing so I kept busy. I ate what I was supposed to at all meals. We did leave late in the afternoon to take some stuff to the thrift store so I ended up eating out. I had the forsight to take my own dressing and we went KFC! I had grilled chicken, green beans and salad! I stayed on it even eating out! I was very pleased.

Donald did better today. Even though he worked past dinner, we packed him two salads. This is really a good thing because he said that taking Co-Clenz after not having eaten in 12 hours tends to cleanse you a little more than is comfortable.. (I am kinda hoping he doesn't read this part lol) Besides, I am sure that going with that little nutrients can't be good for you when working in this kind of heat!

4th Day

Donald ended up off work today so we did some shopping amd were able to stay on the Fat Flush fine. We thought ahead and took the salad that I had made for his lunch with us and had a little picnic.

However, we started a new class at church. Of course there were all kinds of snacks there. Chips, crackers, candy bars, other candy and soft drinks. AND- I was the one that took them! I am the cooridinator for this class and I had planned to have snacks way before we started this flush. I was afraid that they would really mess with our heads. We came through it just great. We both commented on how it didn't even bother us! I was so proud of us both! We came home and ate our dinner AND looked forward to our glass of milk. I will say though, that I am glad that tomorrow is the 5th day. Not that it has been hard but I am ready to not have to think about it so hard.

5th Day

The last day was Sunday. This made the Fat Fush a little harder on us for several reasons. First, Donald is off work and everything is off schedule when he is at home. Second, Sunday is usually our off day. We eat what we want and don't worry about it. Lastly, we had church and on top of that we had a guest speaker. I thuroughly enjoyed his message and absolutely love God, Jesus and my church family. Don't get me wrong. However, this speaker went about an hour over our usual time and by the time we got home at 1:30, we were starving. We came home and ate our salad and drank our grapefruit juice and all was fine.

Until...... we went shopping for some part that Donald needed for his Jeep and they didn't have it in the town that was 30 minutes south of us. But they had it in the town that is 30 minutes north of us. So we turned around and headed north for an hour and it was 6:30 by the time we had the part. So we went to Wally World and bought a new bottle of sugar free dressing and headed to KFC. Grilled chicken, green beans, and side salad never tasted so good. Walden Farms also makes a very good Sugar Free Thousand Island.

To Sum Things Up

We are both very proud to report that we made it through the entire five days of the Fat Flush diet. There was one night that Donald's work prevented him from eating his dinner and that caused an upset stomach the next day. Also, on the night that I ate KFC and also on the night that we both did, we had to drink our grapefruit juice when we got home. When looking for grapefruit juice we discovered that the grapefruit juice that is packaged in the individual bottles like they sell in the service stations are not "no sugar added". So we didn't chance it.

All in all, this cleanse was not as hard as I imagined. For me, the hardest part was the time between lunch and dinner. That was the longest that I had to go without eating anything. Although I could eat as much as I needed at the meals and really wasn't that hungry, I was just used to having a snack around 3:00. Of course Donald reports that the hardest part for him was the night that we were not prepared for him to work late. I can not stress how important it has been for us to think ahead to stay on this diet for even five days.

The End Results

Was it all that we had hoped it was? Well to be perfectly honest this morning we were a little dissapointed. Yesterday I was down 5 pounds and Donald was down 7. This morning it was a little less than that. We believe that it may be due to eating at KFC last night. We both feel bloated this morning. I feel sure that we probably had more salt last night than we have in the past five days. I can feel it in my fingers, if you know what I mean. I think this was a great alternative given the situation, however, maybe it was not the best choice of meal the night before the official weigh in. I fell sure that if we had of had time to really drink our water afterwards and flush out the sodium, the scale would have read differently.

Even with that being the case, we feel that the flush was very worth it. I am down below my orignal goal, giving me flexibility while eating. Donald is within 4.8 pounds of his original goal and has even decided that he may take it down another 5 pounds. I am so proud of him!He looks GREAT! We both feel great! We are ready to jump back on our ACE this morning and continue to get healthier and better every day!

                                Total Fat Flush loss -6.2                  Total Fat Flush loss -5.2

Want to try it?


If you are ready to kickstart your weight loss, you have hit a plateau or just want to get a few pounds off really fast this cleanse is for you. Now is the time to order everything you need for this Fat Flush!

You will recieve :

one bottle of Co-Clenz (to kick your cleanse into gear),
one bottle of Sabe Pomegranate Juice (to assure that you get the nutrients you need),
one bottle of ACE (to keep the weight coming off) 
a copy of the Fat Flush Diet.

Everything you need to lose 5-10 pounds in 5 days for

$127.00

plus 6.95 shipping. (if applicable)

 Please contact me directly if you will not require shipping.