Live Better and Live Well

Living Well, November-December 2010, P.5

I have low blood sugar and I have a protein drink every morning. I’ve been hypoglycemic since 1970. Sugar is my enemy. I have tried many protein drinks in the past but none have kept my sugar as balanced as ProPeas. I have been trying to become 100 percent vegetarian, and with my past protein products, that was impossible because my sugar would get so unbalanced and I would have to eat meat protein to get it in check again.

Since I have been on the ProPeas, my sugar stays level, and I am eating almost no meat products and have never felt better. Please don’t change the product!

— Preferred Member Sandy Dingler, Ocala, Florida

(These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  Testimonials should not be construed as representing results everybody can achieve.)

Living Well, March- April 2010, p.16

“Do you like being alive?”

This was a question posed to Director Len Twigge of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 25 years ago by a doctor who was evaluating Len’s health. The doctor had discovered that Len’s liver and kidneys were deteriorating, and his outlook was grave.

The doctor continued, “If so, you should quit drinking because otherwise, you have only six months to live. If you don’t believe me, go ask another doctor.”

Len got two other medical opinions, and both had the same conclusion. In addition to the problems with liver and kidneys, Len also was a borderline diabetic with high blood pressure, and three-quarters of his body was covered in psoriasis.

“In other words, I had one foot in a real estate plot and I wasn’t out looking for any property,” Len says. “I gave up drinking and have not touched alcohol since May 17, 1984.”

Twenty-five years later, in 2009, Len checked into Edmonton’s University of Alberta Hospital. His body was completely yellow from head to toe. He had four specialists trying to diagnose his condition, which meant taking regular blood samples, sometimes thirteen vials at a time.

“I felt like a pincushion,” says Len, who also remembers the doctors trying many different types of drugs, some of which had no effect at all. “The doctors determined that my immune system was trying to shut down my liver. On top of this, my blood sugar was just under 540. They tried to bring it down to a normal level but it wasn’t working.”

Hospitalized for nine days, Len lost a total of 27 pounds. Before being discharged, the doctor put Len on a liver transplant list.

“I said, ‘Whoa, whoa!’ to the doctor,” Len says. “We hadn’t even started treating the problem, and already I needed a new liver. I suppose at that time they thought there wasn’t much hope that it would get better. I was determined in my mind, body, and soul that I was going to beat this problem.”

Everything changed for Len in May of 2009, when Director Diane Winters and Group Builder Art McEwen, who were longtime friends of Len’s, took him aside and told him that he needed AIM products. Len also met AIM Director Ron Murray, and Ron suggested a list of products to take, including AIM Herbal Fiberblend®, AIM GinkgoSense™, AIM LeafGreens®, and AIM GlucoChrom™.

In a matter of weeks, Len’s blood sugar levels dropped significantly, and his blood pressure had lowered as well. He now routinely tests at a healthy blood sugar level, and to top it all off, at his last checkup Len was told his liver is working just fine.

“I’m 57 years old, and I keep fit by working out regularly and taking AIM Peak Endurance®,” Len says. “I also keep a positive mind and talk to positive people. But the key is good nutrition and supplementing with food products like the AIM Garden Trio® and natural health products such as AIMega®. I tell you from the bottom of my heart that AIM products work if you just give them time. If it weren’t for AIM, I don’t know where I would be today.

“As a result of my belief in AIM products and wanting to share the way to good health, I unintentionally became a Director in just five months. As my AIM business grows, I see other people achieving positive results with their health. I feel as though God has given me a chance to do something good with my life with AIM.”

(Testimonials should not be construed as representing results everybody can achieve. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)

Living Well, January 2012, p.11

Julie Dunaway, AIM Preferred Member • Meridian, Idaho

I was born in the early sixties and can tell you that by the seventies, my life was full. Full of the wrong things, I might add, such as bad habits and food addictions.

After graduating from high school and working various jobs, I did a tour in the military. Then I graduated college, where I studied art, business, medicine, and horticulture. At that time I realized I had to do some serious changing.

Lifestyle Changes

I quit smoking and drinking, and I began to study the Bible more and went to church. It wasn’t until I got married and started to raise my family that my destiny was sure to change for the better.

After reading about self-help and nutrition, I revamped my eating habits. I had to re-think food and how it affects the body. My husband and I decided to use 100 percent whole wheat instead of enriched white flour, eat fresh fruit and vegetables, and steam and broil instead of fry. We don’t use unhealthy fats and margarine—no processed meat either. We choose low-fat, low-salt, and low-sugar foods as well as 2 percent milk and low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese. Instead of sugar, we use stevia. And we drink pure water—no soft drinks.

AIM Products

I lost fifty pounds using AIM products! At first my weight fluctuated like a yo-yo as I experimented and found out what worked for me.

Every six months I do a four-week cleanse using AIM Para 90® and AIM Herbal Release® and finish it with AIM FloraFood®. Every day, I take two scoops of AIM fit ‘n fiber™, one tablespoon AIM BarleyLife® Xtra, and 1 tablespoon AIM Herbal Fiberblend®. This great-tasting meal replacement helps me with mid-afternoon food cravings. I also take antioxidant-rich AIM Proancynol® 2000.

AIM GlucoChrom™ saved me from becoming a diabetic. By taking one capsule every morning and evening, my blood sugar levels dropped dramatically, as did the extra weight around my middle.

By the way, my exercise routine is a simple one. I park at the far end of parking lots when I shop, and I enjoy housework and gardening. It’s not all fun and games. I have to push myself to keep up with the grind especially in bad weather.

Try these lifestyle changes and watch yourself change slowly, but surely.

(Testimonials should not be construed as representing results everybody can achieve. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)

  The following facts are from the World Health Organization (WHO):

 (These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.   Testimonials should not be construed as representing results everybody can achieve.)

Living Well – 2009 – July August, p. 6

Woow, talk about the kind of friend all of us should have, and all of us should be. Meet AIM Member Ty Robinson from Port Saint Joe, Florida.

 Ty has a friend of more than 30 years, Karen, who lives in Apopka, Florida. She is diabetic with the diabetes controlled to some degree by a noninsulin oral medication. Late last year the illness reached the point where her physician requested that she schedule an appointment to install an insulin pump due to her high glucose count despite efforts to control her diet. “Being a nurse myself and seeing patients who had insulin pumps,” said Ty, “I told her that this should be a last resort.”

 New to AIM at the time, Ty consulted with Blue Diamond Director Eugene Baldwin, Altamonte Springs, Florida, the person who had introduced Ty to AIM. Eugene recommended AIM GlucoChrom™. “I asked Karen to at least try the product,” said Ty. “She seemed to need a nudge so I bought her first bottle. What is $16 when you have had a friend for 30 years? I had AIM send her the bottle.”

 Karen remained a Doubting Thomas about trying something non-traditional. She even asked her doctor about it. He advised her to give it a try. If it did not work, the pump could be installed later.

 In December of 2008 Karen began taking GlucoChrom. Karen had been monitoring her blood glucose levels prior to taking the AIM product. The readings were typically in the 400s. Two weeks after taking the GlucoChrom, she was shocked to see her readings now at 140 mg/dl. She kept measuring; the number continued to remain low. Her physican, says Ty, “could not believe the results” but did postpone the pump installation. Karen, by the way, also lost some weight during the first month of using GlucoChrom.

 Ty is thankful she discovered “this product for this dear friend. Thank you, AIM, for having it out there to help our broken bodies.”

 Good for Karen, Ty, and Eugene for dealing with the diabetes issue. It is a monumental problem. Some 11 million men and 10 million women have been diagnosed with diabetes. Those with some form of diabetes have a 2-4 times higher incidence of stroke and heart disease than someone without it. Severe gum disease will show up in one-third of all diabetics. More than $130 billion will be spent annually on diabetes and diabetes-related care. Medical costs for diabetics are 2.5 times higher than for non-diabetics.

Each day, there are 4,000 new cases of diabetes, which ultimately will result in 600 deaths, 200 sufferers will be forced to undergo an amputation, and 100 will experience kidney failure.

Annually, it is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., totaling 200,000 deaths. When Ty thanks AIM for GlucoChrom, she is lauding a natural product containing:

Chromium: A trace element that improves the body’s response to efficiently use and stabilize insulin levels.

Vanadium: A trace mineral that has been found to decrease blood sugar levels and stimulate insulin receptors.

Bitter melon: This tropical fruit has been found to reduce blood sugar by improving glucose utilization by the liver.

Gymnema sylvestre: A woody plant that stimulates insulin secretion and has been shown to assist in lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

 Obviously, the statistics point to all of us knowing someone with some form of diabetes and the  figures point out the need for obvious intervention. Ask yourself the question Ty posed. “What is $16 when you have had a friend for 30 years?”

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Note: Those taking insulin should consult a physician before taking AIM GlucoChrom.

(Testimonials should not be construed as representing results everybody can achieve.  These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)

Posted on October 28, 2011 by aim

For increasing the effective action of insulin, which regulates blood sugar, add GlucoChrom to your supplemental choices. And if you are trying to shed some pounds, this natural health product also supports weight loss by metabolizing both carbohydrates and fats.

Daily Essentials

The World Health Organization recognizes a healthy diet as a way to prevent diabetes, and a healthy diet requires greens, essential fatty acids (EFAs), and fiber—the Daily Essentials. Our diets and food supply are deficient in nutrients, so supplementing with greens from AIM BarleyLife®. EFAs from AIMega®. and fiber from AIM Herbal Fiberblend® or AIM FibreBalance® can improve overall health.

AIM offers a choice of four Daily Essentials packs—priced to save you money (see the Price List and Order Form for product combinations).

           (Testimonials should not be construed as representing esults everybody can achieve.  These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)

 Posted on February 22, 2011 by aim

By Jenny Brown

Do you take time to read the labels of refined products you plan to eat!

Some of us might spend time making sure that trans-fats have been eliminated from processed products, but many people aren’t aware that in order to make the product taste good without the fats, the food manufacturers add sugar!!   Sugar is loaded into your soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, and hidden in almost all processed foods—from Tomato sauce to pretzels to Worcestershire sauce to cheese spread. And now some infant formula has the sugar equivalent of one can of Coca-Cola, so babies are being metabolically poisoned from day one if taking formula!!

Food Manufacturers really don’t  want to inform you that there is a whole lot of sugar in their processed products because that would eliminate those “crazy label reading customers” as potential buyers.  So they disguise this fact by using scientific sounding names like sorghum or corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup or fructose or lactose or dextrose or sucrose or sucralose or galactose ….. all enough to make you comatose!!!

Now I do confess that I’m not a paragon of virtue when it comes to sweetness, but it does pain me when our gardener and other casual labourers we have hired insist on having 3 teaspoons of sugar in their coffee!  Many people I know (including family members) are quite happy to down a can of cola that probably contains up to 10 teaspoons of sugar – and they do this more than once a day!  

If you saw someone in a restaurant adding that much sugar to his coffee, wouldn’t you think he was crazy? Did you know that just consuming one can of soda a day increases your risk of diabetes by 85% and can cut 11 to 20 years off your life? A study done at the American College of Neuropsycopharmacology (see if you can pronounce that after two cans of soda!) found that sugar gives the same brain reaction as morphine, cocaine and nicotine. To put it another way, sugar is addictive!

Sugar and Diabetes:

As we eat more refined foods, this causes sugar to very quickly enter the blood, thus requiring more insulin to transport it into the cells.  If not enough insulin is produced, or if the insulin present is not sufficiently effective, the elevated blood glucose levels that normally follow a “high carb” and “high sugar” meal subsequently do not fall in the normal pattern.

This occurs because glucose cannot enter the target cells in the liver, muscles, and fat for storage or conversion to usable energy.  This is why a highly refined diet is particularly troublesome for anyone with a blood sugar imbalance such as diabetes.

So what are the other negative effects of eating sugar?

From a vast number of Medical Journals and other scientific publications Nancy Appleton, PhD, contributes in her book “Lick the Sugar Habit” an extensive list of the many ways sugar can ruin your health.

Here are just a few facts we would rather not know:

sugar damages teeth, feeds bacteria, yeast and fungus

All sugars provide quickly absorbed calories that must be rapidly converted into hard fats in order to prevent the toxic effect that “sweet” overload would otherwise have on our bodies.

Sugar interferes with Vitamin C transport

Depletes the immune system and impairs our defences against infectious diseases. 

Sugar can produce a significant rise in total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol 

All sugars, including honey, brown sugar, corn syrup, fructose, etc…. have the same detrimental effects on our health as do hard fats -  they make platelets (a blood component, which helps with the clotting of blood) more sticky.  Bear Paw Garlic lowers LDL, stops oxidation and raises HDL,  reduces platelet aggregation (blood stickiness).  Helps treat diabetes by regulating insulin – providing more free insulin to the bloodstream.  Bear Paw Garlic enhances cognitive functions and is a powerful immune stimulant.

Sugar interferes with insulin function

Upsets the mineral relationships in our body causing chromium and copper deficiencies. AIM’s Glucochrome helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels for people with hypoglycemia and Type II diabetes. 

Interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium contributing to osteoporosis

 BarleyLife balances blood sugar levels and keeps insulin in the system for longer periods and supplies 11 major minerals and 12 trace minerals needed by the body – high in calcium needed for strong bones!  

Sugar causes crankiness in children and is the main contributing  factor for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating. BarleyLife, AIMega and Proancynol 2000 are three products that are most effective in dealing with ADHD – BUT don’t forget to eliminate sugar!!

Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract including:

an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.

AIM’s Herbal Fiberblend improves the gastrointestinal tract, aiding in nutrient absorption.  BarleyLife helps with any inflammation in the body which means any diseases ending in “itis” 

Sugar is to cancer cells as fertilizer is to plants!

Sugar has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach!

BarleyLife contains the enzyme P4D1 known to shrink tumours. Cancer thrives in an acidic system and BarleyLife is 66.4% alkaline which is helpful in balancing the body’s pH.

Sugar causes us to age fast!

Sugar speeds up ageing by causing a loss of tissue elasticity and function.  The single most important factor that accelerates aging is insulin, which is triggered by sugar.

Sugar can make your skin age by changing the structure of collagen.

AIM TO THE RESCUE FOR AGING SKIN …..

Proancynol 2000:   Contains OPC’s in the grape seed extract. This  “cosmetic” value  protects elastin and collagen which gives skin its strength, elasticity and smoothness.   Alpha-lipoic acid is described as an anti-aging substance, which protects against the effects of free radicals.

BarleyLife : Contains one of the greatest anti-oxidants – SOD (super oxide dismutase) for anti-aging and the good news is that one can even build up a bank account of it! 

Under no circumstances substitute fake sugar and think it’s the answer!

Aspartame will turn you into a zombie because the methanol in aspartame converts to formaldehyde at 84 degree F (the body’s temperature is 37 C) – read Pat Quill’s story below

Sucralose (Splenda) is derived from chlorine and is best used in your swimming pool. It is NOT a sugar, despite its sugar-like name and deceptive marketing slogan, “made from sugar.” It’s a chlorinated artificial sweetener in line with aspartame and saccharin, with detrimental health effects to match.

The reality is that these fake sugars do not eliminate sugar cravings; they actually increase them. A study proved that a person’s risk for obesity went up 41% for each daily can of diet soda.

Sugar alcohols like xylitol, glycerol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, and erythritol are neither sugars nor alcohols but are becoming increasingly popular as sweeteners. They are incompletely absorbed from your small intestine, for the most part, so they provide fewer calories than sugar but often cause problems with bloating, diarrhea and flatulence.

Dextrose, fructose and glucose are all monosaccharides, known as simple sugars. The primary difference between them is how your body metabolizes them. Glucose and dextrose are essentially the same sugar. However, food manufacturers usually use the term “dextrose” in their ingredient list.

What is considered a healthy alternative to sugar?

Stevia is a highly sweet herb derived from the leaf of the South American stevia plant, which is completely safe (in its natural form).

Lo han (or luohanguo) is another natural sweetener, but derived from a fruit. 

Honey  is about 53 percent fructose but is completely natural in its raw form and has many health benefits when used in moderation, including as many antioxidants as spinach. 

How can you keep your blood sugar stable?

Apart from the help from AIM as mentioned above, you can keep your blood sugar stable by including protein with every meal. If you know about quinoa, the incredible grain from Peru  which is a complete protein, you can include that in your diet  and you’ll be getting plenty of fiber as well.

Remember, if it had a face or a mother it has no fiber!

If you use fruit as a substitute for sugar it will help curtail your sugar cravings.

It should now be crystal clear just how damaging sugar is. You simply cannot achieve your highest degree of health and vitality if you are consuming a significant amount of it.    So if you are still “using”  my advice to you is    ……

DO NOT STAY AS SWEET AS YOU ARE!!!

From:  Pat Quill – Ireland, August 2002

 AS-PAR-TAME, THAT’S SOME NAME.  YOU TASTE DELICIOUS …BUT YOU’RE ASPAR-VICIOUS!!!

O.K., I know its not prize winning poetry, nor even Edward Lear but hey, I’m glad that the fuzzy brain is clearing and I’m able to write anything again. Where to begin with this rather long and dreary tale? I guess it must go back to about 5 years ago when I went from never having a headache (except due to a bad hangover!) to ever increasing head aches. Mentioned this to my health guru, sweet sister of mine Jenny Brown, and she advised that she had recently heard that this could be caused by Aspartame, an artificial sweetener which is prevalent in numerous products. So I gave it a try, cut out the Diet drinks, and voila – lost the headaches.

Fast forward to end of July last year. I signed up with WEIGHT WATCHERS here in Dublin. Now let me say at the outset that I have nothing but praise for the organisation and their very balanced and sensible diet regime. I embraced it wholeheartedly and was totally thrilled with the new slimline me and the fact that I never ever felt hungry on their plan. However, I went the whole hog – pardon the inappropriate metaphor – and bought all of the diabetic jams, sugar free yoghurts, sugar free chewing gums, wonderful little low point value sweets sold by W.W., and loads and loads of Diet drinks to compensate for the lack of alcohol!! Achieved my goal weight and happily flew out to C.T., for my 5 months in the sun. During this period I was still trying to adhere to the sensible eating plan (not always successfully as evidenced by the very snug fit to most of my clothing on my return to Ireland) and drinking loads of Diet Coke after a game of golf instead of a beer or 3. However I began to notice frequent dizzy spells. Went to see a local Dr. in C.T. and I guess he was another bald guy having a bad hair day as he made me feel like a hypochondriac woman. So left it until I returned to Ireland. The dizziness increased, headaches began, my ears felt frequently blocked, and I was having problems with my balance. So I saw my local G.P., and he said he thought I had vertigo. Prescribed Stemetil – finished the course, no change. Something stronger called Cerc 16 – finished that, symptoms were by now worse. I told my G.P. that I was now having trouble going for my daily brisk walk as had to focus mightily on just walking a straight line, I was also finding it difficult in getting the correct words out when I talked as telling a joke was almost beyond me, AND (unkindest cut of all) my golf game had deserted me as a golf swing requires balance, putting means bending over (whoops) and just walking the fairway without weaving from side to side was now very difficult.

To cut a very long (and by now totally boring to all of you) story shorter – I was booked in to see a neurosurgeon as the symptoms were all pointing at something like MS, or a brain tumour. Saw the neuro, who gave me a very thorough examination, pronounced himself somewhat baffled, but at least gave me the good news that I had nothing like the aforementioned nasties. SO – where to from here?

Help arrived in the form of a timely email from Saint Jen who casually remarked “I guess its stupid to even think you might be taking Aspartame again but those little W.W., liquorice sweets you brought over from Ireland contain them and it might have escaped your notice”. Click – the little man in my mind who turns on the light managed to fight his way through the fog and mist and new horizons opened up to this dizzy dame. I went onto the web, typed ‘aspartame’ into the search section and got back so many hits and web sites that I didn’t know where to begin. Aspartame undergoes a chemical reaction in the body and this can cause an amazing variety of side effects, including mimicking MS, and sundry other horrid things.

I am not for one moment suggesting that it would affect everyone in the way it affected me and thousands of others world wide. But if you do find yourself presenting with baffling symptoms take the 60 day abstinence test that web sites suggest and see if ridding your system of the toxin makes a difference to your general sense of well being. Lets face it we imbibe numerous harmful substances on a daily basis unknowingly – why on earth add to the toxic build up deliberately?!

To sum it up – Aspartame is totally toxic and should never have been passed by the American Food and Drug Association. However, money talks, big money shouts, and Monsanto (the manufacturers of Aspartame) had money that would deafen one. Lets be among the many who open ears by boycotting the product.

ADDENDUM: Its now 2010 –I had to re-read this because I couldn’t even remember how bad I was.  The symptoms don’t clear up overnight, but once you stop taking Aspartame the improvements you need to experience should show within a few weeks.

(These testimonials should not be construed as representing results everyone can achieve. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)

Posted on March 13, 2007 by aim

Balancing sugar and insulin levels is necessary in preventing diabetes

The body gets the energy it needs to function from the metabolism of blood sugar (glucose). Blood sugar is created during the digestion of foods and is taken into the blood from the intestines. After a meal, blood sugar levels rise sharply. The pancreas responds by releasing enough insulin, a hormone, to escort all the newly added sugar into cells where it can be used. Insulin bonds to receptor sites on the outside of muscle cells and other tissues and acts like a key to open a doorway into the cells through which the sugar can enter. When insulin is active, blood sugar levels fall. Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen and is converted to blood sugar and released as needed for energy. When the pancreas does not release enough insulin or when the cells do not accept it, blood sugar levels rise, resulting in a condition called diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes

The two most common types of diabetes are Type I and Type II. Type I diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, most often occurs in children and young adults. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) claims that Type I diabetes accounts for 5 to 10 percent of diabetes. Type II diabetes, also known as noninsulin-dependent diabetes, most often develops in overweight adults. It is the most common form of the disease. The ADA indicates that Type II diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diabetes. It is also more common in people of Native American, Hispanic, and African-American descent.

The ADA also estimates that approximately 14 million Americans under the age of 50 (about 5 percent of the population) have diabetes. This number increases to 10 to 15 percent in those over 50. Unfortunately, as many as one-half of them are unaware that they have it.

The symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, fatigue, excessive thirst, weight loss, and increased appetite. If left untreated, it can damage or cause failure of the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, blood vessels, and other body organs.

Lifestyle habits

Sometimes called age-onset or adult-onset diabetes, Type II diabetes is nearing epidemic proportions due to an increased number of older Americans and a greater prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles.

The typical American diet is one high in fats, refined sugars, and animal products, and low in fiber, fruits, and vegetables. When we eat simple carbohydrates, we receive a quick, intense but short-lived burst of energy due to the increase in blood sugar. This causes a large burst of insulin to enter the bloodstream. When insulin removes blood sugar from the bloodstream, the body believes that the energy is gone and that we need to eat and we feel hungry again. The result is a cycle of intense energy as blood sugar rises, a letdown as insulin is released, and then a feeling of hunger again. The amount of insulin needed to remove blood sugar and the intensity of the cycle can result in inefficiency in the system and lead to diabetes.

Preventive measures

Balancing sugar and insulin levels is necessary in preventing diabetes. While insulin tablets and injections are used in more severe cases, diet and moderate exercise can often support healthy blood sugar levels in those with mild, early, or late onset of the disease.

If we eat smaller amounts of food that are less carbohydrate-heavy throughout the day instead of the larger meals we are accustomed to, we will not experience energy ups and downs and will have energy all day.

Missing meals is just as detrimental as eating big meals. When we consistently skip meals, the body becomes accustomed to storing energy so that it has it for later when it thinks it will need it. This energy eventually becomes fat. Overweight or obesity is a risk factor for diabetes.

The body has a phenomenal capacity to adjust to its situation. However, over time, these adjustments become routine. When the body doesn’t operate the way it was meant to, problems such as diabetes arise. The good news is that just as the body can learn “bad” habits or ways of dealing with its situation, it can relearn the way it was meant to operate. Many Type II diabetics will experience benefits from weight loss, usually achieved through better nutrition and moderate exercise.

In one study, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that moderate exercise helped reduce the risk of developing Type II diabetes in those who are most at risk. By walking 30 minutes per day and losing 15 pounds, high-risk study participants were able to reduce their odds of developing Type II diabetes by 58 percent. Researchers in the NIH study chose participants whose glucose tests revealed that they were already improperly processing blood sugar. Those participants who exercised moderately for 150 minutes per week and lost 5 to 7 percent of their weight successfully prevented the onset of diabetes for at least 3 years.

AIM products

AIM GlucoChrom™ is specifically developed to provide strong nutritional support for healthy blood sugar management. It is the ideal product for those seeking to maintain their good health and to support the natural blood sugar balance of the body.

These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These testimonials should not be construed as representing results everyone can achieve.

Posted on November 15, 2008 by aim

Dene Cole is a walking, one-person MASH unit. Diabetic (1968), blind (1983), victim of a stroke (1992), heart attack (2002), kidney failure (2003). And those are just an outline of his physical challenges. Along the way he lost his first wife, Nell, after 14 years to complications from diabetes. “When Nell passed away, it was very difficult readjusting my life because we were a team for 14 years.”

But in talking with Dene, you wouldn’t know he has endured more than his share of difficulties since being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes in 1968. His first shot of insulin came at age 5. “If my problems are all I thought about, I wouldn’t be very useful in life. To dream and make your life a beacon for others to follow is a great endeavor and a big responsibility. When you live life that way, you don’t have time to be sorry for yourself and you can’t help others to thrive and grow. If you only cope, you lose hope.”

Dene, an AIM Director, is the son of Dave and Linda Cole, Royal Emerald Directors from Washington state. In 1996 Linda was diagnosed with cancer. Mom called her son for advice. “Mom, walk by faith, not by sight,” Dene told her. “I have done that,” says Linda. “Dene has been my example of walking by faith through the obstacles of life. He does not give up or give in to the health challenges he faces daily. Dene keeps on a steady path moving forward. He has always been a positive thinker. He adjusts his life and choices according to each new health challenge.”

Dene credits his faith, attitude, parental support – “a lot of times it feels great but at times I feel like an adult being watched by my loved ones for the next failure of my body” – and AIM products for his survival. He pretty much takes all the AIM products. “AIM products help me survive and heal and do the work God has put before me. I am alive and doing awesome. AIM products have helped my body come back to balance and become more alkaline, the way the body is designed to be.”

It was Linda who influenced her son to try the AIM products. “My mother told me about the products, kind of told me to take them. After being on AIM BarleyLife® and AIM Herbal Fiberblend® for awhile I felt they were working for me.”

Dene’s daily regimen includes the use of AIM products and kidney dialysis. He has been a dialysis patient since May 2003. At first, it was hemodialysis but Dene says the “needles and other stuff involved with that type of dialysis are hard to deal with.” So he is now on peritoneal dialysis. In 2007 a tube was surgically inserted into his abdomen. Now, every day he plugs into a home dialysis unit on his bedroom dresser. The unit is about the size of a VCR. Dene is one of about 150,000 patients worldwide using peritoneal dialysis. His blood is cleansed of water, salts, and waste.

While Dene has a very supportive family, he also now has a second wife, Ann. They dated for a year prior to marrying in November 2007. They met through the Internet on Match.com, became friends, then married. “Both of us decided getting married was our next step in life, so we did it.” Dene now has a cat and a stepson, Taylor, age 10. Ann works for Boeing in the accounting department following 12 years at Microsoft®.

The Dene Coles make their home in Dene’s hometown, Marysville, Washington, which is located at the base of the Cascade Mountains along Interstate 5. It is close to many lakes and rivers and, when Dene was growing up, it was pretty much a farming community, but not so much any more due to growth in the area. Dene describes it as a “good area to live in. We are close to the mountains, it is a short drive to saltwater, we can fish, hike, or swim in a lake.”

Dene, now 45, worked in the ferries division for the Washington Department of Transportation on the help desk then as an administrator for eight years (totaling 12 years) until his health no longer permitted it, retiring in 2003. Retired, yes; idle, no. Far from it. Dene composes music, writes books, grows vegetables in his garden, and his newest endeavor is converting a gasoline-powered car into an electric solar vehicle. Dene, the oldest of three children, lives by a couple of simple standards, says Linda. One is, “Where there is hope, there is life.” The other, “Never give up or give in.” Says Linda: “We are blessed and proud to have Dene as our son.”

No doubt plenty of people have given Dene lots of advice during the years, but it is something from his grandfather, Frank, that has stuck with him. “Look where you are at, stop and think before moving forward, measure twice, and cut once.” That bit of caution carries forward when Dene is asked how best to handle an issue or problem. “Be still and listen for God,” advises Dene. “Sometimes it is a small voice. At other times, a loud voice in your mind.”
If a problem or challenge has any chance of being overcome, it takes a combination of three things – determination, patience, and courage. To keep moving in those areas, says Dene, he relies on three other factors – faith, hope, and love. “These three keep me focused and moving.”

Clichés about dealing with adversity are everywhere. “Do you see the glass half full, or half empty?” Or, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” And, “The trick is to make lemonade out of lemons.” We have all heard them, and plenty of others.

For Dene, life is not a cliché, his motivation does not necessarily come from something once said by someone. For him, it is really pretty simple: “I run the race by keeping my eyes on Christ.”

(These testimonials should not be construed as representing results everyone can achieve. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)

 Posted on May 16, 2006 by aim

Supplementation of the diet with plants goes back to ancient times. Greek athletes would consume a barley mush before competitions because it was nutrient rich and easily digested. Roman gladiators also fed on barley and were known as the “hordearii,” or barley men.

Plants are a superior source of minerals, in comparison to conventional mineral sources. Common sources of minerals found in the majority of multivitamin tablets are inorganic minerals and mineral chelates.

• Inorganic minerals are those that have been mined from the earth or are developed in a lab by reacting one chemical with another. Only a small portion of inorganic minerals are assimilated by the human body, due to their large size and lack of solubility (Ashmead et al. 1985).
• Mineral chelates are formed by attaching an organic molecule or complex such as a protein to the mineral. Most of these mineral chelates are compounds not normally found in nature and may even be viewed as foreign substances by the body. There are many conflicting studies on the absorption of these so-called “organic minerals” that can attest to this fact (Gregor 1987, Monsen 1988, Scholmerich et al. 1987).

Plants are the ideal mineral factory. The plant can take up both inorganic and chelated minerals into its root system and convert them to small, water soluble minerals. In this way, large, insoluble minerals are pre-digested by the plant into a form that the human body was designed to utilize. Plant-bound minerals have been found to be more soluble in simulated gastric and intestinal fluid and therefore are potentially more bioavailable than other commercial supplements (Elless et al., 1998). The plant is a perfect “factory,” no laboratory required. Instead of producing a mineral through reaction of a metal with a chemical or protein, the plant does the work for us. Our bodies are designed to digest minerals from natural food sources, and recognize plant minerals as food. Plant minerals are formed within the plant matrix; therefore they have the stability and order that are associated with naturally occurring compounds.

AIM Barleylife® is an example of this perfect plant factory. It contains an abundance of many different minerals in a natural form. LeafBrand™ chromium, found in AIM GlucoChrom™, is another example, targeted to the mineral chromium.

Why is barley grass such a good natural food?

Barley grass acts as a perfect mineral matrix for a number of reasons:

1. Barley grass is a very effective accumulator of minerals, particularly at the beginning of the growing period (Kivisaari, 1998).
2. Barley grass is known to have an affinity for binding minerals to proteins, due in part to its exceptionally high protein content (Gissel-Nielson, 1987).
3. Juvenile barley grass plants are free of anti-nutritional factors and, in fact, are rich sources of enzymes that act as catalysts and cofactors in numerous reactions involving minerals in the body (Duffus, 1984).

Regular consumption of barley grass and plant-based minerals such as those found in AIM GlucoChrom™, along with a healthy, well balanced diet, will help ensure that our bodies are receiving the nutrients required. As Roman gladiators and ancient Greek athletes consumed barley for strength and stamina, we need to consume it to get us through today’s fast-paced and often hectic lifestyle.

(These testimonials should not be construed as representing results everyone can achieve. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)

Posted on May 15, 2005 by aim

AIM GlucoChrom™, with its easily absorbable form of chromium and other synergistic ingredients, can play an important role in almost any health program.

Chromium supplementation is often used to help balance blood sugar levels, and is especially useful for managing glucose levels in diabetics. Chromium may also help to promote healthy triglyceride levels and maintain healthy blood levels of cholesterol and other lipids. It may even help to control sweet cravings and assist in weight loss.

Chromium deficiency in the modern diet

Chromium is an essential trace mineral that is not made by the body and must be obtained from the diet. Food sources of chromium include: brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, broccoli, sugar and molasses, but when processed, many of these foods are stripped of their chromium content. Very few people consume brewer’s yeast since it sometimes causes abdominal distention (bloating). Black pepper contains small amounts of chromium, but is typically consumed in small quantities.

A chromium deficiency may produce diabetic-like symptoms, such as high glucose levels and decreased insulin-binding. Most nutritionists recommend that adults may safely consume between 50 to 200 mcg of chromium per day, but few (less than 10 percent of healthy adults) obtain that goal. Aging and pregnant people, those who consume highly processed foods, and those who participate in strenuous exercise programs may require the maximum serving of chromium per day.

The manner in which foods are grown and processed today has stripped many foods of their natural chromium content. Chromium is a natural element of the soil, but modern farming practices have resulted in chromium-deficient crops. Moreover, the processing of our foods has made the dietary availability of chromium scarce.

“Because it is so difficult to meet the recommended daily allowance of chromium through food alone, dietary supplements are becoming an extremely popular source of chromium. Many people are discovering that, along with a healthy diet, chromium supplements are an effective means of ensuring they are getting enough of this essential mineral.” (www.chromiuminformation.org)

Chromium’s strong nutritional support

Chromium plays an important role in nutrition by breaking down the fats and carbohydrates in the foods we eat to produce glucose. In this way, scientists think that chromium becomes a cofactor to assist in regulating the production of insulin, helping it to transport glucose across the cell membranes. In short, chromium assists with glucose balance and helps to regulate the need for insulin production. Diabetics and those with insulin resistance find supplementation with chromium beneficial in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Those with weight-loss goals also find chromium helpful as a way to balance insulin levels and potentially offset “sweet cravings.”

In addition to the metabolism of food, chromium also plays other important roles within the body. Chromium stimulates fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis, which are important for brain function and other body processes. Chromium is an activator of several enzymes which are needed to drive the numerous chemical reactions that we need to live. With chromium supplementation, triglyceride levels often improve.

“In diabetic and overweight individuals, chromium supplements have been shown to reduce triglyceride levels by almost 20 percent, improve glucose tolerance and normalize insulin levels. Supplements of 400 mcg have helped overweight women lose about 50 percent more fat in three months compared to a placebo group.” (www.supplement.watch.com)

When glucose and fats remain in the bloodstream at unhealthy levels, triglyceride and cholesterol levels increase. Diabetics and those prone to insulin resistance frequently show elevated triglyceride and cholesterol levels prior to full onset of disease. The successful management of triglyceride and blood lipid levels may be helpful in combating not only weight-loss and obesity, but cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well.

AIM’s superior leaf-bound chromium

Chromium can be a difficult mineral for the body to absorb, and many supplements offer synthetically produced chromium formulas such as chromium polynicotinate, chromium picolinate, and chromium chloride. However, scientists have long known that nutrients found in concentrated food sources (such as AIM’s) offer better absorption.

With this knowledge, AIM discovered a way to grow green barley plants in water rather than soil. As the barley plant grows, chromium is added to the water. The chromium is absorbed into the cells of the plant where it becomes bound to the molecules of the barley grass, becoming a natural part of the plant matrix. When the barley plants contain the optimum amount of chromium, the plants are harvested, dried at temperatures low enough to preserve the enzymatic activity, and concentrated into a powder.

AIM’s unique formula

The AIM GlucoChrom™ powder is then encapsulated in a vegetarian capsule along with other herbal ingredients to enhance the body’s natural response to chromium. This synergistic blend includes: vanadium, bitter melon, and Gymnema sylvestre. These natural ingredients work together with chromium to support balanced glucose levels, promote fat loss, maintain healthy triglyceride and blood lipid levels. AIM’s herbal formula includes:

Vanadium—an ultra-trace mineral found in very small amounts in grains and oats, radishes, and parsley. Vanadium is an essential micronutrient needed for cellular metabolism, and it may play a role in reducing cholesterol. Vanadium improves insulin sensitivity, and it also decreases hypersecretion of insulin. Hypersecretion, or the excessive secretion of insulin from the pancreas, sometimes occurs as the result of a poor diet and it can be associated with the metabolic changes associated with aging.

Bitter melon—this tropical fruit has been used for ages in folklore as a remedy for diabetes, and has gained recognition in recent years for its polypeptide properties. Bitter melon may help to lower blood glucose levels by increasing the activity of hexokinase and glucokinase, the enzymes in the body that convert glucose into glycogen, which is stored in the liver and used by the body later for energy.

Gymnema sylvestre—this woody climbing plant native to the tropical forests of central and southern India is known to stimulate insulin secretion while lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. G. sylvestre is favored for long-term use as a supplement for blood-sugar stabilization. G. sylvestre has been known to lower fasting blood glucose levels and it has been studied for improving the health of the pancreas by regenerating beta cells.

AIM GlucoChrom™ provides a natural way to support healthy glucose and triglyceride levels. It is recommended to take 1 capsule with meals twice per day. As always, those with serious health conditions, diabetics, and those who are pregnant or nursing should consult with a healthcare practitioner before adding anything new to the diet.

(These testimonials should not be construed as representing results everyone can achieve. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)

The body gets the energy it needs to function from the metabolism of blood sugar (glucose). Blood sugar is created during the digestion of foods and is taken into the blood from the intestines. After a meal, blood sugar levels rise sharply. The pancreas responds by releasing enough insulin, a hormone, to escort all the newly added sugar into cells where it can be used. Insulin bonds to receptor sites on the outside of muscle cells and other tissues and acts like a key to open a doorway into the cells through which the sugar can enter. When insulin is active, blood sugar levels fall. Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen and is converted to blood sugar and released as needed for energy. When the pancreas does not release enough insulin or when the cells do not accept it, blood sugar levels rise, resulting in a condition called diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes

The two most common types of diabetes are Type I and Type II. Type I diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, most often occurs in children and young adults. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) claims that Type I diabetes accounts for 5 to 10 percent of diabetes. Type II diabetes, also known as noninsulin-dependent diabetes, most often develops in overweight adults. It is the most common form of the disease. The ADA indicates that Type II diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diabetes. It is also more common in people of Native American, Hispanic, and African-American descent.

The ADA also estimates that approximately 14 million Americans under the age of 50 (about 5 percent of the population) have diabetes. This number increases to 10 to 15 percent in those over 50. Unfortunately, as many as one-half of them are unaware that they have it.

The symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, fatigue, excessive thirst, weight loss, and increased appetite. If left untreated, it can damage or cause failure of the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, blood vessels, and other body organs.

Lifestyle habits

Sometimes called age-onset or adult-onset diabetes, Type II diabetes is nearing epidemic proportions due to an increased number of older Americans and a greater prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles.

The typical American diet is one high in fats, refined sugars, and animal products, and low in fiber, fruits, and vegetables. When we eat simple carbohydrates, we receive a quick, intense but short-lived burst of energy due to the increase in blood sugar. This causes a large burst of insulin to enter the bloodstream. When insulin removes blood sugar from the bloodstream, the body believes that the energy is gone and that we need to eat and we feel hungry again. The result is a cycle of intense energy as blood sugar rises, a letdown as insulin is released, and then a feeling of hunger again. The amount of insulin needed to remove blood sugar and the intensity of the cycle can result in inefficiency in the system and lead to diabetes.

Preventive measures

Balancing sugar and insulin levels is necessary in preventing diabetes. While insulin tablets and injections are used in more severe cases, diet and moderate exercise can often support healthy blood sugar levels in those with mild, early, or late onset of the disease.

If we eat smaller amounts of food that are less carbohydrate-heavy throughout the day instead of the larger meals we are accustomed to, we will not experience energy ups and downs and will have energy all day.

Missing meals is just as detrimental as eating big meals. When we consistently skip meals, the body becomes accustomed to storing energy so that it has it for later when it thinks it will need it. This energy eventually becomes fat. Overweight or obesity is a risk factor for diabetes.

The body has a phenomenal capacity to adjust to its situation. However, over time, these adjustments become routine. When the body doesn’t operate the way it was meant to, problems such as diabetes arise. The good news is that just as the body can learn “bad” habits or ways of dealing with its situation, it can relearn the way it was meant to operate. Many Type II diabetics will experience benefits from weight loss, usually achieved through better nutrition and moderate exercise.

In one study, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that moderate exercise helped reduce the risk of developing Type II diabetes in those who are most at risk. By walking 30 minutes per day and losing 15 pounds, high-risk study participants were able to reduce their odds of developing Type II diabetes by 58 percent. Researchers in the NIH study chose participants whose glucose tests revealed that they were already improperly processing blood sugar. Those participants who exercised moderately for 150 minutes per week and lost 5 to 7 percent of their weight successfully prevented the onset of diabetes for at least 3 years.

AIM products

AIM GlucoChrom™ is specifically developed to provide strong nutritional support for healthy blood sugar management. It is the ideal product for those seeking to maintain their good health and to support the natural blood sugar balance of the body.

(These testimonials should not be construed as representing results everyone can achieve. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)

 Posted on March 13, 2006 by aim

When the two people most involved with quality control and quality assurance for The AIM Companies™ both list the same product as a “hidden gem” for the Members, it isn’t going to remain a secret for long.

Biologist Ryan Davis and his assistant, Heather Cooper, both point to AIM GlucoChrom™ as a product that should excite Members.

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One AIM staff member, Call Center representative Maria Garcia, has been fired up about the product since first trying it.

“The year that AIM introduced AIM GlucoChrom™, I had gone to the doctor and had a routine blood test. The test results showed I had high glucose levels. My doctor recommended that I change my diet because I was borderline diabetic. That was the start of my commitment to the AIM products, in particular AIM GlucoChrom™.

“I started taking the product on a daily basis as suggested. Within a year by taking the product and reducing my sugar intake, my blood sugar levels returned to normal. But the best thing, and I am sure a lot of women will agree, is that I lost weight. Within a couple of months I had lost 10 pounds. That motivated me to start exercising. That first year I lost 30 pounds. This improved my health tremendously.

“After giving birth to my second child in June of 2005, I started taking the product again and I’ve had the same wonderful results. It has helped me lose some of the extra weight I put on during pregnancy.”

For years it has been accepted that chromium is useful in regulating blood sugar levels and helping a person maintain a constant energy level. What was less publicized, however, is its role in weight loss. According to nutritional-supplement-info.com, “because glucose (sugar) is the body’s primary source of fuel, what is not used by the body is stored as fat.” It adds that chromium supplements have been shown to aid in keeping elevated glucose levels in check therefore reducing the potential for weight gain.

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Chromium is an essential trace mineral and it is estimated that 90 percent of the North American population is chromium deficient. Thus, chromium is one of the top three selling supplements in the U.S.

The chromium in AIM GlucoChrom™, unlike most competitor products, is natural, not synthetic. AIM GlucoChrom™ begins its life in water, not soil. Chromium is added to the water and the roots of the host barley plant absorb it. When the plant is harvested, the result is a product rich in chromium that is easily absorbed into the body due to its natural form.

Other ingredients in AIM GlucoChrom™ include:

Vanadium: An ultra-trace mineral that can aid in decreasing blood sugar levels and has value in making the cells more receptive to insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas. Insulin is necessary to metabolize glucose and works to achieve a balance in the body of glucose, fats, and energy levels.

Bitter melon: This tropical fruit is thought to be valuable in lowering blood sugar levels. And a recent trial study, based on rats, indicates “that there are components in bitter melon that possess anti-obesity properties, which may be helpful for weight control …”

Gymnema sylvestre: In Hindu, it means “the destroyer of sugar.” The woody plant has been found to stimulate insulin secretion, as well as lower cholesterol and triglycerides. A study in India added that it may play a role in the health of the pancreas by regenerating healthy cells.

Overall body health depends on acceptable blood sugar levels, avoiding energy ups and downs during the day, and a sensible body weight. Help is just an AIM product away – AIM GlucoChrom™. It is a secret that Ryan and Heather are not interested in keeping.

(These testimonials should not be construed as representing results everyone can achieve. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)