I liked the drinks, once I got used to the tang of Acai. It tastes like a combination between grape and cranberry, but stronger and thicker. Acai is a superfruit and very high in antioxidants and vitamins.

I’ve been using their new Daily Wellness Shot for a couple of weeks now. One shot – a 1 ounce serving – contains 100% of the recommended daily amount of ORAC. ORAC helps to protect the body from free radicals. Free radicals are able to enter the body through pollution and certain foods. They are believed to be a huge factor in aging. A daily dose of ORAC helps to defend your body against the free radicals.

Zola’s Acai Daily Wellness Shot works on the body in the following ways:

*Supports your Immune System
*Promotes a healthier heart
*Fights aging
*Boosts Energy and Stamina

I’m not sure if I’m more well, it’s not easy to measure something like that, but I figure that boosting my immunity cannot hurt. Taking a shot of the Zola Acai Daily Wellness is easy and it tastes pretty good, too.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

For Your Health – Zola Acai Wellness Shots

Zestra is a new product made from natural botanical oils that is applied on a woman’s body to increase sexual satisfaction.  I wanted to hear a little more about how Zestra works, so I conducted an interview with Dr. Michael Krychman, MDCM about the product.  Dr. Krychman is the medical director for Sexual Medicine in Newport Beach, CA and formerly served as Co-Director of Sexual Medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  He has experience studying sexual dysfunction in cancer and non-cancer patients.

Q:  I understand that Zestra is made from natural botanical oils.  Can you explain how it affects a woman’s body once it is applied?  How would it affect other parts of the body?

A:  The oil is topically applied and most women can expect a pleasant tingly or warming sensation within 3-5 minutes—this has been coined the Zestra Rush™!!! Women should apply the oil to the mons, clitoris, labia or outer areas of the vagina.  In clinical situations, I have also suggested some women apply it to the breast and nipple area—sometimes nipple and breast sensation can be diminished so the use of Zestra can also be helpful. Rarely, for some women, this feeling may result in a temporary feeling of discomfort, but it can be washed off simply with soap and water.

Q:  How is sexual satsifaction measured in a woman?

A:  Sexual satisfaction can be measured in a variety of ways—patients can either self report the strength of orgasm/latency (time to orgasm), their overall improved sexual function and of course sexual domains like arousal and desire can be measured by objective questionnaires which are typically used in the research setting.  Very often in the clinical setting, health care providers will ask patients to personally rate their satisfaction on a linear scale, e.g. 1=bad, 10 = great, since sexuality is so individual and unique satisfaction is also something that is personally measured.  In my clinical experience when patients try Zestra they move up on the scale towards the “great” level. Women who said their orgasms were weak are now reporting improvement, and they also report decreased time to achieve orgasm.  Overall, in the clinical scenario and with my patients it’s been shown to be helpful.

Q:  If a woman has success with Zestra, does it increase the possibility that she will have sexual satisfaction without the product?

A:  Zestra can enhance the sexual experience and promote wellness in the relationship; it can be used as an add-on to sexual activity.  Certainly sexual happiness and sexual satisfaction as well as intimacy and love are dynamic complex interactions for the couple—women’s sexual improvement can directly and indirectly affect a variety of facets in her overall health and functioning.

Q:  What are the benefits, besides happiness, of sexual satisfaction in a woman?

A:  Improved sexual function and positive intimate relationships have been linked to improvements in overall health, wellness, decreased disease, decreased medication requirements, lowered stress and decreased chronic medical disease.  Those who have some positive sexual connections and increased intimacy can expect to live longer happier lives—sexual hormones can boost immunity, promote longevity and in some cases have been linked with lowered rates of depression and anxiety.

Q:  Are there any side effects to using Zestra?

A:  Using Zestra has been demonstrated to be safe in clinical trials. No serious side effects have been reported, but as stated above, some women may find the tingly or warming sensation discomforting.  Zestra should not be used if you have any active infection, genital infection or local irritation.

You can visit Zestra’s website at Zestra for more information about how to order.

Post from: Blisstree

Zestra Helps Women Find Sexual Satisfaction

Check out this quote: “Everything in life is imbued with energy. Our clutter is no exception. Clutter blocks the flow of positive energy into our life.” I believe these words. I feel them. When my house is organized, I feel more positive about life.

Not everyone looks at it this way, of course. My husband doesn’t! haha (Isn’t that always the way?) But to me, feeling more positive gives me just enough of a push to look at the day with optimism rather than dread.

This weekend is one I’ve looked forward to for quite a few weeks now. I have made time to clear the clutter. All those piles will be gone! Some will go to Goodwill, others to Half Price Books. Some will go into the garbage. When I’m done, I know I will get a sense of accomplishment about the days ahead that I haven’t felt in quite a while.

How do you view clutter?

Image: sxc.hu.

Post from: Blisstree

Clear Out the Clutter for Wellness

Another flip flopping subject is vitamins. My doctors over the years have suggested that I take them, and after breaking my ankle one year I finally did. I drink milk, and try and eat healthy foods, but still, I take vitamins for that “extra protection.”

However, a new study by the Women’s Health Initiative “tracked multivitamin use by 161,000 older women over an eight-year period to see if the vitamins might reduce their risk for heart disease and certain cancers. In the end, the researchers found no such benefit from the vitamins.”

So what’s a girl to do? I know there are a lot of women that will continue taking vitamins regardless of this study, but is it worth it? What do you think?

Image from Morguefile.

Post from: Blisstree

Vitamins…Needed or Not?

A new article on MSN has six simple hints for living longer. A couple items on the list truly surprised me. I knew, for example, that eating a healthy diet was key to longer live, but what about eating less altogether? Eating less means pushing yourself away from the table when you’re 80% full.

This act alone can lower “production of T3, a thyroid hormone that slows metabolism.” It is also believed to help with longer life.

Image from Morguefile.

Post from: Blisstree

Eat Less, Live Longer

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recover Month and in recognition of this, the bloggers at b5Media’s Health and Wellness Channel have put together their interpretation of the 12 Steps, looking at each step not just from it’s orginal intent but also in relation to their own blog topic. The result is an interesting and informative group of posting that provides ‘food for thought’ in own lives.

We’ve all heard of the 12 Step Program, but most of us won’t be able to recite what each step was. That’s because we are lucky enough not to need to. But for thousands of people around the world, the 12 steps is their world.

Mark over at A Dozen Steps lists the 12 Steps  that he believes are designed to bring the person who practices them to a spiritual awakening and a psychic change sufficient enough to bring about a radical change in thinking.

Angelique from Breaking the Mirror starts off with Step 1 and finds that this step could just as easily apply to many addictions and disorders.

Alicia from Mental Health Notes addresses Step 2, asking Can A Power Greater Than Yourself Restore You To Sanity’?

Karen from Pink Ribbon Review looks at Step 3 as it relates to her and her life as a breast cancer survivor.

Kelly from Grounded Fitness tackles Step 4, saying she believes everyone can benefit from doing a little honest soul searching.

Kendra from A Hearty Life dicusses Step 5, saying we need to stop hiding behind our own excuses, problems and shortcomings and take responsibility for our own actions.

Grace from Kids Health Notes contemplates Step 6, saying that while “defect of character” seems little to do with nurturing healthy children, in reality our weaknesses have a lot to do with keeping our children healthy and productive.

At Diabetes Notes, Kendra moves on to Step 7, saying humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.

Breaking the Mirror, looks at Step 8, saying if she was to make a list, she would probably start with herself, to be perfectly honest. Then, she’d move on to her immediate family, and from there, branch out to friends.

Alicia from Mental Health Notes further explores the twelve steps, this time looking at Step 9, asking ‘Should You Make Amends With Those You’ve Wronged?

Kristina from AutismVox focuses on Step 10, find that the call to self-scrutiny and to reexamination of oneself has always been important to her as an aid in figuring out how to help her son Charlie who is autistic.

Grace from Kids Health Notes looks into Step 11, saying she believes words can either bring life or death, curse or blessing, and that when we speak, or pray, specific words then something tangible takes place: Hope.

And for Step 12, the final step, Breaking the Mirror addresses ways that anyone can carry the message about their

Post from: Blisstree

12 Steps- The road to recovery at the health and wellness channel

We will kick it off with Alicia at Mental Health Notes- She did her own take on the top picks…Top 5 Posts I had the most fun writing for Mental Health Notes

Kristen at Lively Women gave us Lively Women’s Top 5 Posts, 2007-2008- I’m joining the rest of the Health and Wellness bloggers in selecting my 5 favorite posts of all time since I started writing this blog. Who knew it would be so difficult??? Here are 5 of my all-time favorites (and picking just five was TORTURE):

Kristina at Autism Vox focused on one topic… About this vaccine issue- previous posts- With another round of vaccine court going on this week, the question of whether there’s a link between vaccines and autism is again getting a lot of discussion. Here’s five past posts on this blog that suggest how this one hypothesis about the cause of autism has become entwined…

Karen’s Pink Ribbon Review offered a wonderful idea- a look into her past blogging experience. A Blast From the Past: Five of My Favorite Posts From The Breast Blog… I started blogging about breast cancer on Wednesday, November 1, 2006. I know that for a fact, because I recently revisited The Breast Blog, my first breast cancer blog…

Gab at Fertility Notes has The Fabbest Five Pots From fertility Notes (so far)- …a combination of my favorite, your favorite, most commented, most viewed…

Gab also gives us Daily Tomorrow Looks Back At it’s Favorite Five Posts- The five most popular posts from the last few months…

Moving on, Angelique at Breaking the Mirror has a great twist on this idea- The post’s you’ve never seen... Instead of the usual round-up of favorite posts or highly regarded posts, I thought I’d pass along links to the five posts from 2008 that you probably never saw…

Grace and Kids Health Notes gave us Top 5 Posts at Kids Health Notes- So I pondered what the top 5 posts for Kids Health Notes would be.. and I realize it has to do with well-written posts that are relevant anytime of the year – and part of what makes a healthy childhood.

Liberty and Liz have been hard at work over at Healthbolt and just reached a milestone. With that they gave you My Pick- Healthbolt’s Top 5 Posts- I did some maths and five months working on ‘the Bolt’ equates to around 250 posts between us. That’s a whole lot of words. My choice for Top 5 Posts…

Mary Emma and Liz also had for us My Pick- To 5 Alzheimer’s Notes Posts- Sometimes it’s good to recap, so here’s a quick roundup of my favorite…

Scott at Health and Men gave us Health and Men’s Top Five of All Time

Mark at A Dozen Steps offered up Top Five All Time Posts… Theses entries have been, and remain, at the top of the statistics for most viewed every month here at A Dozen Steps…

Hope and Weighting Line- one of our newcomers but she has for us Weight Loss Blog Top 5 Pots For May… In case you’re new here, I’d like to share my top five posts for May (up to today). These posts are totally based on numbers. Here are my top five, most-viewed blog posts….read and enjoy!

Marijke and Help my Hurt gave us Top 5 Posts From Last Week- Here at the Health and Wellness Channel, we’re developing a regular tradition of weekly post round ups. Here are my top 5 posts for the past week…

Angela at Breastfeeding 123 gave us Friday Five: Top Five “Best”Breastfeeding 123 Blog Posts- …I think it’s the post of which I am most proud, the post into which I put extra effort and care. So I offer for your consideration, in no particular order…

And finally, Gloria at Cancer Commentary gave us her take on the top 5 with Top 5 Posts By Readership-…wanted to give you the most popular posts in the blog. Mostly read, mostly commented I guess.

Post from: Blisstree

Top 5 Health and Wellness Roundup- Top 5 Posts From Our Bloggers