Wednesday, July 17, 2013

The Biggest Mistake In a Health Food Store

The Biggest Mistake In a Health Food Store

Ever since we have been children we have been taught we can take a pill and within minutes our problems would go away, and we've been fine with that way of thinking.  That brings me to today's entry, the biggest mistake people make when walking in a health food store.

Many of you treat the wrong problem, going after the SYMPTOMS and not the ROOT CAUSE.  In the following video I explain a little about the misconception that may be keeping your ideal health at bay.

Enjoy



As you can clearly see, simply treating only the symptom is no the solution.  Get that root problem solved and the symptoms disappear like magic.


Stay healthy and stay motivated
Shane Chartrand

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Can't Sleep?

Can't Sleep?

When I was 18 years old I walked into one of my very first health food stores and I picked up a bottle of melatonin.  I can’t remember how I heard of melatonin but I spoke o the woman behind the counter and she told me how she used it because of all the caffeine and ephedrine she used, it helped her come down from her high at bedtime.
That night I took my first 3mg dose and went to sleep.  It must have worked great because I have been using it for years. Shortly after I started using it the Canadian government  banned it from the shelves in Canada.  I was a little upset, you see I suffered with anxiety and panic attacks when I was younger and having a great nights sleep was a great thing for me.  Not knowing what to do, I moved onto over the counter sleeping pills, not prescription just kind you would find on the shelf at the drug store.  I sleep very well but the dam side effects sucked.  Diarrhea, grogginess the next day and headaches are what I traded for a good nights sleep.

Then years later when I was working in health food stores myself, melatonin was reintroduced in Canada and I bought a bottle so fast as I was anxious to use it again.  Let’s fast forward to present day.   I have used melatonin for many years and gone through many bottles.  It is part of my supplement program, I use it almost every night, which can cause controversy.
I am not recommending you use melatonin every night for years (warnings say to use it for no more than 7 days and for occasional uses) but I have been using it for a very long time and I am a fan.

 Side effects I have encountered have been next morning grogginess when taking high does of 6mg or more but it’s not like I can’t sleep if I don’t use it I just enjoy a deep sleep from using it.
Will melatonin work for everyone?  I believe it does, but many believe it doesn’t, let me explain.  Our body doesn’t function at optimal levels went we are deficient in certain nutrients, sorry this is a fact.  Melatonin helps regulate sleep cycles, so if you are deficient in magnesium or b vitamins the melatonin may not be the immediate answer but taken long term you will regulate your sleep cycles.
If you have been wondering about the little bottle of pills the sits on the shelf at the health food store that says melatonin on it, I hope today’s blog helped.  Got more questions about it, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you :-)


Stay motivated and stay healthy
Shane Chartrand

Saturday, July 13, 2013

No Need To Fear Protein Powder

No Need To Fear Protein Powder

There's a huge feeling of intimidation when people walk in the health food store as they look at the huge containers of protein and assume they are only for for bodybuilders or that they contain steroids or worse that it's simply not the right product for them.

Using a protein powder daily is nothing to fear.  A good whey protein can actually boost your immune system, balance your blood sugar levels and help hair, skin and nail health.
There are many different forms of protein powder yet the most common is whey protein.  This is simply a by-product from the making of cheese.  It's very nutritious and great for your health.

It's a great easily digested meal to have after a workout and this is exactly why it is marketed so much towards bodybuilders and athletes, yet perfectly fine to use for the whole family.  In the video below I explain a little more in detail about the different quality of whey protein that can be purchased.

Here are 3 of my favorite recipes you can try in your daily routine:

Scoop of chocolate protein

1/2 cup of skim milk

1 cup of ice

1/2 cup of coffee

 

Scoop of vanilla protein

1 cup of orange juice

1 banana

 

Scoop of vanilla protein

2 TBSP of coconut oil

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of blueberries


Watch the video to understand the benefits and what protein is....
 
 
 
 Stay healthy and stay motivate
Shane Chartrand

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

What Pills Look Like?

What Pills Look Like?

When you work in a health food store you see something that is quite amusing.  It's people shaking bottles, they shake bottles trying to figure out what the pill looks like inside.  The shaking is usually followed by one of two statements:

"They sound small!" or "They sound big!"

I usually smile upon watching people do the bottle shake, it's very amusing to me.  Today I want to cover pill shapes and what they look like and this may help you in selecting your next bottle.

Tablets and caplets

A tablet or caplet are the hard pills most people fear.  A hard compacted round pill or a long football shaped hard pill.  These are not ideal if you have difficulty swallowing or have bad digestion



Capsule

This is the longer easy to swallow pill with powder inside.  If you cannot swallow them, simply open them up and pour the powder in water and quickly drink it





Softgel

The easiest to swallow, this is a tiny pill with liquid inside.  Even the larger version of a softgel is easy to swallow to to the shape and coating.


This has been your simple guide to what pills look like so you no longer shake bottles in the health food store :-)

Stay healthy and stay motivated
Shane Chartrand

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Green Powders or Berry Powders-Which Is Better?

Green Powders or Berry Powders-Which Is Better?

For many years in health food stores their has been a huge selection of greens powders to choose from.  All of which provided the benefits detoxification, boosting energy and balancing ph levels in the body.  The benefits your health receives from using a greens supplement is far superior that what your standard salads could ever give you.

Then a few years ago another powdered supplement hit the shelves of health food stores.  A much tastier and colorful powder that packed a punch by protecting our bodies against the harmful free radicals that ravage our cells leading to pre mature aging and disease.

Many customers have asked me the question which is right for me?  In the following video I provide the answer on which is best for you.  I use the PROGRESSIVE line of products which make some of the highest quality greens and berry supplements in the Canadian market.

ENJOY!



Shane Chartrand
Stay healthy and stay motivated

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Start Your Day Right!

Start Your Day Right!


We have all heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  The unfortunate part about breakfast is it can be very difficult for most of us to eat due to lack of appetite.  This is where the right supplements will help you.

We can always start our day with a great protein shake which is my breakfast of choice:

I know, I know this didn't make me look like the coolest guy in the world explaining strength and focus while losing the battle to my MAGIC BULLET, but the shake truly is a life saver in the morning.

Even before starting your day with a great shake you may want to stimulate your liver and crank up your energy with an amazing drink I discovered a few years ago

I do know that starting your day with some amazing goodness for your bdy does make you perform at your best in this world that can take you down.  Use these supplements and you will truly make a difference in your health.

Stay healthy and stay motivated
Shane Chartrand

Monday, July 1, 2013

The "As Seen On T.V." Problem

The "As Seen On T.V." Problem

Just this past weekend I watched a half hour show that turned out to be an infomercial for a drink that was the cure for joint pain.  The scene was an interview between two people in a clearly scripted dialogue claiming to be selling the best product ever made.  I listened more so I could get the ingredient listing, and it was clear I sold the same ingredients in several products that I've sold in health food stores for years, and it got me thinking.

My thoughts were that many people were watching this infomercial and were being tricked into thinking they would need to order this product to get pain relief.  When the reality is they could simply come to the health food store for the same type of product or even a better quality product and probably at a better price.


The Internet, magazines and commercials are such an allure for people trying to get a quick fix supplement, advertisements can be so alluring.  The only effort people need to do is click through a few web pages or calling a toll free number allowing you to buy the next quick fix in a pill, powder or juice.

I'm not going to lie, advertising is very convincing and easily leads to impulse buying, but I'm here to tell you don't believe everything you hear or see.



Here's how it works

"Call Now And I'll Throw 2 More Bottles for $29.99!"

Usually someone or a group of people get the idea to make money, they do some research, find a product they can buy at a low price and create value to you the customer claiming they have taken years to formulate a product and they can only sell it on television or online, because it's so good.

"In 29 days get rock hard abs"


With that said, whenever you stumble upon on infomercial, or a slick website that sells "THE NEXT BIG THING" in a powder, pill or juice, what the company has done is purchased raw material at a very low price, made a supplement, put a fancy sticker on to finalize packaging and spent a ton of money to promote the product.


The final outcome of a cheap product wrapped in fancy packaging.  Now the company must find a cleaver way to market it to make it appealing to YOU the potential customer.

 

What are you left with?


You as the customer, sees a product and the commercial or a bright website.  Most of the time you get drawn in and believe anything you are told, next thing you know you have purchased a very overpriced product you could have spent a fraction for at the health food store that would be higher quality anyway.


Understand this, what you see no matter how amazing it looks on T.V., the internet or in a seminar can be purchased in a health food store at a lower cost and at better quality and you can actually get the knowledge you need from the staff you are buying it from.

It boils down to this


If  a company spends a ton on marketing a specific supplement for television, national magazines or to drive thousands of people to a website.....MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE USING CHEAP RAW MATERIAL SUPPLEMENTS!


With that said, I am getting sick and tired of seeing people get suckered into believing they are buying amazing quality products online or from television at extremely low prices or worse at a very high price.

It all breaks down to this, if it costs really low, it's probably not worth buying.  And if it costs a lot of money, there is an equivalent at the health food store at a better price.

At the time of this writing Green coffee bean and colon cleaning is all over the net, you do not need to order it, come to the health food store and pick it up.  Check out one of my latest videos describing which you should buy.  If you are in Canada, check out your local Nutrition House location for your supplement needs.





Stay healthy and stay motivated
Shane Chartrand