Product Review: Sensé Skin Care

[Visit this link and "Shop Online" to order]

Here we go, a guy blogging about skin care.  He's going to invite us to a spa party to educate us on exfoliation and pampering with floral essential oils, right?  Not quite.

Here's a fact:  Skin is skin.  It's the people underneath it that are different.  The Sensé skin and body care line is designed for skin care, plain and simple.  It doesn't care if  you're male, female or otherwise.  The main factor that differs is how oily or dry your skin tends to be - and with that, you choose a different moisturizer for each type.

So what makes Sensé different?
It's made by a company dedicated to nutrition, science, and effectiveness rather than packaging, buzzwords and fragrance.  They describe it best on the Sensé main website:

Sensé beautiful science® skin-care products offer an innovative approach to skin care. With groundbreaking, patented Self-Preserving Technology, Sensé™products contain no added chemical preservatives—meaning they stay fresh naturally—so they are more gentle and healthy for even the most sensitive skin. Our skin-care specialists have carefully formulated exclusive antioxidant complexes in every product using ingredients proven to revitalize skin cells, leaving skin looking younger and more radiant.

Developed by USANA Health Sciences, Sensé products are formulated to properly nourish and hydrate your skin’s cells. The Sensé beauty regimen is designed to be a comprehensive approach to skin and hair care that takes into account the nutritional needs of both the skin and body.

I've tried several products within this line.  Here are my notes:

Body Care:

• Shampoo - Very effective.  Minimal fragrance, but it does the job a shampoo should do - with less quantity used; my bottle from May is still about 2/3 full.  Comparing to an organic tea tree oil shampoo, this doesn't irritate, but does seem to heal the scalp at least as well.  Compared to Head & Shoulders, it's much lighter and doesn't seem to leave a film after rinsing.
• Conditioner - Like the shampoo, it doesn't leave a greasy feel.  Leave it on for 3-5 minutes and once rinsed, it's quite obviously done its job.  A lot of other conditioners feel like they won't wash out.
• Shower Gel - This has a natural orange scent which helps one wake up in the morning.  It works well, but as far as I can tell, the shampoo has the same cleaning effect and is interchangeable.  From a science perspective, I'm probably wrong, but my point is that both are very good.
• Intensive Hand Therapy - I haven't tried this myself, but I have a friend who has.  He works with irrigation systems and his hands are in water 8-10 hours a day, so he'd come home with blackened, cracked hands every day - even with several of the leading lotions.  A few days with this, and he's highly impressed at the healing ability.  Nothing else compares.  Notice a trend?

Face:

• Gentle Daily Cleanser - I've tried dozens of other face cleaners, and none come close.  This is quite simply the most effective product I've ever found.  A few dots of this cleanser will cut through average oil production, but won't leave a film.  It does its job - very well - and doesn't add any unnecessary fragrance.  You need so little that one bottle will last months.
• Hydrating Toner - I don't really understand toner well enough to judge effectiveness.  My experience is that it tightens up the pores without the sting of alcohol.  It's supposed to be used after the daily cleanser, to prepare for one or more of the following, among others.
• Night Renewal Creme - This may sound strange, but this stuff is amazing.  Its intended purpose is to feed and moisturize cells overnight.  That sounds like it'd make for a greasy pillow, but it soaks into the skin within seconds and does whatever it does to heal the skin at the cellular level.
  A fellow associate at the 2009 convention told me she used it to heal a cut instead of Neosporin, so I tried it.  It doesn't have antibiotics in it to kill an infection, but from a skin healing perspective, it's far more effective.  Neosporin and other ointments are, beyond the antibiotics, simply moisture barriers so the skin can heal itself.  The Night Renewal Creme actually feeds the skin cells so that they heal themselves - sometimes seamlessly without scarring.  In my experience, after a potential infection is neutralized, two days with this is more effective than two days with Neosporin.
• Rice Bran Polisher - This is where we exfoliate, ladies and gentlemen.  Apply a thin layer and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Then rinse - thoroughly.  Dead skin cells will be gone.  No tingling, burning or pain - but you'll want to rinse before about 30 minutes is up, when the enzymes start up on the live skin cells.  Even after an hour, it doesn't really burn - but it's obviously been on too long.  Ask me how I know.
• Nutritious Creme Masque - A thick white mask that's used to moisturize, then dries out and flush the pores when rinsed.  I don't have much experience with other masks, but this works very well, with no irritation or noticeable fragrance.

After using the skin care line, I have a new appreciation for the art of skin care.  It has an oddly rejuvenating effect - and I've had people comment that I look thinner.  I obviously didn't lose 15 pounds in a day, so think about it - what makes a person look old?  Their face looks "rough" - meaning skin isn't smooth; you can see pores and various imperfections that aren't usually present on, say, the face of a child.  Repair the skin and you'll appear younger - which can help give you the edge in a sales meeting or interview, where a mature and successful appearance is key.  Maybe it's the equivalent of a suit and tie compared to jeans and T-shirt, but visible mostly to the subconscious of the person that sees it on the other side of the table.

I'm not holding a spa party anytime soon - that's not my thing.  But to anyone that asks, I'll fully admit that this stuff rocks.  And because it does, it makes for a heck of a resale business - spend a few bucks on samples to give to a prospective customer, and there's a high likelihood they'll buy.  The products are so good they sell themselves within minutes.  You just need to say, "try it."

* I've been asked about acne and similar issues; since this line is not medicated, it's hard to say it will work against acne or eczema.  But I have read that the various products are so effective at the core values of healing skin cells so they can fight infection, that those conditions are less of a problem for a lot of people.  The fact that they're designed to be gentle probably factors in.

** If you're ordering from the website link above, and it asks for Associate/ Sponsor ID, give this information:
3970090 - Mark Holmes / Mobile, AL
If you've visited http://supergeek.usana.com, it should already have the info saved.


* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Product Review: Essentials, HealthPak, MyHealthPak

* Top Picks *  [Products linked here]

Today I'll be blogging about several products, because they have a lot in common: Essentials, HealthPak, MyHealthPak.  They are what I believe to be the core nutritional products that everyone should consider taking.  They are substitutes for one another - different combinations with the same goal of comprehensive nutrition.

First, the Essentials.  Comprised of two Mega Antioxidant and Chelated Mineral tablets, taken twice a day (that's 8 pills a day), the Essentials are the core formula that Dr. Myron Wentz used in his research decades ago, and it's the formula that founded USANA - enhanced every few years.  When I first joined USANA in 1996, I was taking the Essentials, and noticed a distinct improvement in my health.  I used to tell people I was 22 going on 45.  I had low energy, depression, hair loss, all kinds of things.  The Essentials didn't magically cure me, but I felt better and my symptoms were reduced.  I actually was told by a doctor that I had the health of a sedentary man in his mid 40s, and it would take years to reverse the damage done by ten Whoppers a week (yes, I'm serious).  That was a wakeup call - I knew I had to change something, but it took years and several setbacks before I would have the epiphany to actually change my habits.  Fast forward to 2009, with glimpses of stress, moves, family crises, horrible eating habits for the first decade.

When I was looking for a solution to my personal health crisis (no, you don't get the details), I remembered my positive experience with the Essentials, but knew I needed to unleash the Kraken on the free radicals I'd allowed to take over.  Enter The HealthPak - USANA's top of the line multi-vitamin product.  It's the Essentials plus an Active Calcium and an Antioxidant Booster with Grapeseed extract, Alpha Lipolic Acid, and as much resveratrol as you'd find in 5 bottles of wine.  Read the science and research as deeply as I have, and you'll see it's truly powerful stuff - in travel-friendly packets instead of bottles. For most of the past 17 months, I've taken the HealthPak and seen a consistent improvement in a lot of health issues that I struggled with for a decade or longer. I used to feel old and weak, but not so much anymore. I used to struggle with physical energy, even to breathe at times, but it's much easier now. I know I'm on the right path.


MyHealthPak: Absolute genius.  Who says, "I want to take the world's best-quality nutritional products and customize them into travel-friendly packets, with my name and custom label?"  Whoever introduced the idea, you rock.  Whoever convinced management to invest bajillions of dollars for the equipment, you rock also.   Now, add in the special pills you can add in - higher, more cost-efficient doses like Proflavanol C200, Visionex DS, and CoQunone 100.  I've created what I call a Zombie Plague Prevention Pack with the Essentials, vitamin D, along with Hepasil DTX and Proflavanol C200 - which use the new Hybrid Nutritional Technology.  That's a whole other blog post.

With HealthPak and MyHealthPak, if a friend gets sick, I can offer to share a few packets along with the nutritional information, which is printed on the box.  The sealed packets make certain that they're avoiding contamination.  When I've shared the HealthPak, in most cases I've had the friend remark how much better they feel and how they're impressed with how fast they recovered - two days instead of a week.  As for me:  I've had one sick day in 17 months. Wait, I was sick?  Yes, I admit it.  I broke my wrist and for a month all but stopped taking my vitamins because I needed two hands to use the pill crusher.  Someone at work got the sniffles, then another, then me. One Saturday I woke up with a familar headache.  I got my wife's help to crush the Essentials, and added 2000 IU of vitamin D.  Repeat twice a day.  Sunday was rough, but I was walking around and making jokes. I took Monday off to be sure I didn't infect coworkers.  I was able to attend meetings by phone and do all of my work, which as a database administrator requires mental focus.  I have no doubt that the nutritional support was connected to my healing.*

This isn't a cure for the common cold.  There isn't a "cure" - there is, however, the immune system.  Let's use a military analogy, because, after all, the immune system is our internal version of the armed forces.  When you send troops into a battle, do you starve them, or do you feed them well and give them tools to do their highly trained job?  I once read that a Navy SEAL's training diet is over 10,000 calories a day.  I'd rather have that guy defending my country with his bare hands than a 90 pound weakling trying to lift a sword.

Give your immune system what it needs to defend you from disease.  As you can see from my experience above, if you stop getting the cold and flu for a year, you haven't cured it - your immune system is just dealing with invaders more effectively.  It's also doing a better job defending you against free radicals that turn cholesterol into arterial plaque and turn healthy cells into cancerous cells.  Cancer and heart disease are not inevitable.  You can do something about them, too - with proper nutrition.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
 

Product Review: Nutrimeal

* Top Pick *  - [Product information link]  [Nutritional Stats Link]


For my first in the series, I'll start with a followup on my Nutrimeal experience linked here.  I've been drinking the meal replacement shakes off and on for 17 months, and my original assessment stands - it is great stuff.  Now that I'm in "maintenance mode", I've also kept off all the weight I lost - almost 30 pounds.  I've tried all the flavors in that time, and here are my thoughts:

• Vanilla - mild, just enough flavor to notice it.  Great for (possibly designed for) blending with something else like a fruit. 
• Wild Strawberry - "wild" does not describe intensity.  It's very mild, and like vanilla, blends well with frozen berries.
• Chocolate - pure heaven.  I've been a chocolate addict since birth, and this tastes like Ovaltine - which might be why it masks the flavor of ground-up HealthPak.  Grape seed extract can be bitter, so it took me some experimenting to find something that works.  This does, every time.
• Chocolate Whey - It's chocolate and good, but the whey formula kind of threw me for a loop.  I'll stick with the original formula as my first choice.
• Cappuccino - Not my favorite.  It definitely had a coffee type flavor, but I can see why it an orange were discontinued.
• Orange - see Cappuccino.  Tasted sort of like orange, but I don't think it hit the target.  

There are so many ways to vary coffee and orange flavors, that they'd have to focus on another company's brand recognition, like Orange Julius or Creamsicle.  The classic three flavors are doing quite well, and I'm happy to have a recipe that allows me to be creative with three base flavors.

As to effectiveness, Nutrimeal never disappoints - the taste is consistent and it's filling, with enough energy to last several hours.  Remember, when choosing a diet plan or meal replacement, you DO want enough calories to last from breakfast until lunch.  That's what they're designed for.  Artificial sweeteners are misleading; you want smart carbs, not zero carbs.  Starve the body and it goes into hibernation mode.  Get carbs too fast, and you have an insulin spike for storage as fat.

I have a regular shipment of chocolate Nutrimeal to take care of breakfast and the occasional lunch.  It's a great hurricane supply, too.  When I had to hunker down for 3 days during Katrina, I got tired of canned meat and PB&J - possibly because they weren't nutritionally complex enough.  I can live on Nutrimeal alone for 5 days if necessary.  I could probably live for 30, with most of my health, but that goes far beyond the intent of the product.

So now to answer the question : "Who needs this?"

• Anyone looking to lose weight in a healthy way, especially someone looking at a surgical option because "diets" have failed.  Nutrimeal is not a diet.  This is a simple tool that can have a potentially life-changing effect.  For someone looking to a guided diet-style method to lose weight fast, I recommend USANA's RESET program, of which Nutrimeal is a key component.  Trust me, with RESET, you'll lose weight fast and feel a lot better about your hopes in a week.  
• Anyone in a hurry who might otherwise choose to skip a meal, go for fast food, or grab a snack bar for lunch.  Managers, police, firefighters (though they'll need to add Soyamax for protein), students - the list is endless.  It costs about $3 per serving, less than a mocha at a coffee shop.  I dare you to find a healthy lunch in under 5 minutes for $3 anywhere.
• Anyone with troubled blood sugar  (i.e. diabetes); note, while I am not qualified to recommend this as a treatment, I will say that it's macro- and micro- nutritionally complex, with a glycemic index of 23.  It's been used in at least one study to demonstrate the effectiveness of low-glycemic eating on metabolic syndrome, a precursor to diabetes.  Next time you go to the doctor, ask if this specific product will help - show the doctor this study and the nutrition stats.
• Anyone at risk of losing power for 5 days at a time.  It's shelf stable for at least 18 months and a whole lot better than canned chicken.

If you know anyone that meets those criteria, email me: markjholmes@usana.com or browse my website at http://supergeek.usana.com.  If you tell me don't know anyone meeting those criteria, you're not looking hard enough. With a 30 day money back guarantee, it's worth a try.


* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Hindsight is 20/20

It's been almost a month since my last blog, so I'm going to pretend it's not from me being lazy but rather that I wanted to get a distant perspective to make sure it was unbiased. You buy that, right? OK, good. Swamp land, Florida, check.

So let's discuss the convention. Remember I had this fear that I'd be in amongst 5,000 health nuts worshipping a few select people? It was nothing like that at all. The convention experience was amazing. 7,000 people attended. It was held in the Salt Palace, which in itself is an L-shape two blocks by two blocks - Salt Lake City blocks, mind you - so going from one end to another is about 2/3 mile. The general sessions were in the Energy Solutions Arena, another 1/3 mile of a walk beyond that. In all, I walked about 15 miles - and get this - didn't get a single leg or foot cramp.

The lack of pain tells me that I was in better shape and health than a year prior, where I'd get a cramp just walking 200 feet in a parking lot. During the convention, I even lost another 5 pounds or so, and had plenty of energy through the end of the 14-hour days. I'm sure it was partly psychological, because I was having a blast.

Everyone at the convention had such high energy, especially the speakers. The company had a huge store set up, with attention-grabbing contests and games for prizes. Convention-only specials on Rev3, sampler packs of Nutrimeal and energy/protein bars, and skin care products made sure the store was constantly packed. But when the company announced they had reformulated the Essentials and HealthPak, and improved the MyHealthPak, the "new products" section of the store had hundreds of people in line until it closed noon Saturday.

There is so much to tell about the convention that I'll have to split it over a few posts. I learned a lot about the science behind the products, as well as how to promote them and the business effectively; that part isn't as hard as I thought. I'll share some of the highlights with you next time. As always, if you have questions, email me at markjholmes@usana.com or visit my website at http://supergeek.usana.com.

Nutrimeal Saved My Life

Ok, so the title sounds a bit extreme. Maybe it's an exaggeration, maybe not. My time machine's in the shop, so I'm just extrapolating.

Several months ago I went to the doctor with specific complaints of a general feeling of not-well-being. She listened, we discussed for over an hour, and we concluded that the doctors I'd seen for the past decade about this same thing had not taken enough time to listen to the full story. Thus, they were never prompted to run some tests that were more comprehensive than usual.

I won't divulge the details, but at our next meeting she showed me the full results, which were remarkably normal in the usual areas, but had the word "alert" in key places - while I was not in immediate danger today, there was evidence of a specific long term problem. She wanted to prescribe lots of medication and tests, but we discussed the fact that I'd been taking the USANA HealthPak for a few weeks and already feel a distinct improvement - which she also observed. We agreed that I would keep taking two prescriptions with the HealthPak and check in now and then. So far I'm doing much better than before, and the prognosis is a full recovery without drastic measures - although it may take a while for my body to heal itself. I need a way to take my prescriptions every day without swallowing pills.

So, this is how Nutrimeal Saved My Life:

• On its own, it has more nutrition in one serving than I was getting all day six months ago. I'm confident what's on the label is really there, as bioavailable as modern science will allow.
• I can practically inhale the Nutrimeal in 30 seconds, which is good because no matter how early I wake up, I arrive at work just 3 minutes before a meeting.
• Because I often have trouble swallowing, I need to crush my medication including vitamins. Chocolate Nutrimeal has some sort of magical ingredient that neutralizes the taste of anything put into it. Granted, the heavenly Ovaltine-like flavor is also neutralized, but like a matter-antimatter reaction, the chocolate "takes one for the team."
  
• All of this means I get my full dose of whatever's prescribed without fear of choking on a pill, thus I'm ten times more likely to take anything at all.

P.S. The HealthPak 100, when crushed into a very fine powder, can be inadvertently inhaled like Pixie Stix powder. Unlike Pixie Stix powder, the vitamins are completely safe and will not cause a burning sensation of nasal passages. Ask me how I know.

Weight loss: The Moebius Frontier

I haven't been keeping my blog up as well as intended, so it'll take several posts to catch up. Today we'll be discussing weight loss. At length. Bear with me.

I have lost and kept off 11 lbs - I've gone down a whole size in shirt and pants. I reached the 10 lb mark about 6 weeks ago, and was so proud of myself I decided to find a new restaurant. And another. And another. This is what happens to kill diets, folks - straying from the path. You can have the best foods, exercise, and system in the world, but if you don't stick to it, you'll rebound. Here's the kicker, though - in past attempts, I had regained the weight within weeks, but my strategy of maintenance seems to be paying off: When I know I am about to give into a craving, have 3-4 oz of chocolate Nutrimeal. This lessens the impact of the ingested carbs by lowering the average glycemic index of what I'm eating. So if I have a cup of coffee with 4 tsp of sugar, in theory the fiber+protein in the Nutrimeal (Glycemic index of 23) will lessen that through averages. That seems to be the case, because I've eaten out (the same half portions as before) and not gained a pound.

I've tried to seek out low fat, low carb (not Atkins low, but low glycemic) options wherever possible. Sushi is great but with all the rice (GI 60-80) I make sure to eat the full soup and salad (GI <>

What hasn't worked for me in the past?

Slim Fast - I chugged those and then had donuts; they had zero impact on my hunger and cravings, and the texture seemed oily and artificial. I'd have trouble finishing one because of the taste. Nutrimeal reminds me of Ovaltine.

Starvation - most days I ended up sick, with low energy, cranky and low quality of life. Then I'd binge and store all those calories for my next starvation cycle - not part of the plan. 4 out of 5 coworkers agree: I'm much better to work with, if I have calories to burn and a full stomach.

So for now, I'm going to reapply the discipline and lose another 9 lbs, to make it 20. I'll stock up on chocolate Nutrimeal, which at $2 per meal ought to save me a bit over going out for lunch. Think about it- McDonald's has well over 1000 calories in a breakfast, costs $6 or so, compared to $2 and 300 calories? For someone like me who doesn't cook breakfast or make a balanced lunch (it's hard to do in 5 minutes), USANA's Nutrimeal is a lifesaver. Literally - more on that in the next post.

Now for my shameless plug: If you'd like more information on USANA's products, visit my website at http://supergeek.usana.com. Feel free to contact me through the contact page there or anywhere else my contact information shows up.

I have books!

Today I received three books recommended by my USANA team:

NutriSearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements - Lyle MacWilliam

Comparative Guide to Children's Nutritionals - Lyle MacWilliam

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

This is why I purchased them:

The first two will help me understand the USANA products when compared to others.

The third will help me grow in whatever career path I have - in this case, being a distributor for these products.

I've pored through the two nutritional books and found that yes, my teammates are telling the truth: USANA nutritionals are top-rated.  At first, I thought, "Sure, anyone can give a star rating or claim something's #1."  The science and research in nutrition is explained.  The ingredients of 1500 adult and 160 children's nutritional supplements are analyzed, piece by piece, in a way only a scientist would do.   For example, vitamin A is good, beta carotene is a better option.  Having large amounts of both is not good.  Iron is not a good thing in most supplements - unless you specifically need it, too much can be toxic over time.  

USANA's products rank #1 or so close to #1 as to be a tie with a few other excellent products - none of which are on a megamart shelf or even known by the average person.  Their balance and quantity of ingredients are impressive.  USP and pharmaceutical quality are critical.  I didn't know before researching USANA that a lot of supplements don't even have to have what they claim on the label - it's not regulated.  And most are inconsistent... the batch may average out the same, but one pill to the next could vary wildly.  USP guidelines mean that the pills actually dissolve when they're supposed to, so you're not wasting vitamoney.  I'm convinced that if you go with an off-the-shelf brand, that's exactly what you're doing - wasting vitamoney.

So much information to review, so little time.  I'll keep posting tidbits now and then.

Until then, visit http://supergeek.usana.com if you'd like to see product or business information.

World domination in 10 easy steps

While I wait for my new toys to arrive, I'm impatient and want to look at all the online tools they gave me.  I have to say,  in the 12 years since I attempted this the first time, they've come a long way.  I much prefer the online approach, because I find it uncomfortable to approach people I don't already know.  That includes the supportive upline - sponsors, etc., who are directly benefitting from my own success.  

The online tools are diverse:

• A downline manager that's pretty robust - I can track the sales activity of thousands of people sponsored by me and others below them.  
  

• A website hosted on their servers, with a template - nay, a hundred templates to choose from, variables and even raw HTML capability.  This means I don't have a lot of technical limitation on creating the presentation.  The new site is at http://supergeek.usana.com.  You'll see that not only can you find information about the products and business side, but sign up and buy the products without depending on me to act quickly and get your name spelled right.
  

• What appears to be hundreds of downloadable sales tools, brochures, and guides on setting up my new business for fastest success.  Not just "get out there and sell" but even including a step by step process on which to build a real business.  I can see how the company's grown so well over the past decade.
  

• Training on the products, USANA's history and foundations, the business and compensation model.  A reading list to help develop the business instinct.  (Yes, Carnegie and Covey are included)
  

• Motivational stuff like reward programs and evidence of others' success.  
  

Interesting... I'm noticing that I'm more motivated now, even so far as to blog about this, than almost anything in the recent past.  I'll probably ignore the reasons why until they smack me upside the head, but for now I'm rolling with it.

The journey begins... again.

"Hi, everybody!"

"Hi, Dr. Nick!"

Ok, so you're familiar with the Simpsons' Dr. Nick, so you know all about over-hyped promises from someone with no expertise.  Thus begins my journey, with my self-described expertise.

I have no medical degree.  I'm a software engineer, working for the past 10+ years on various medical information systems.  This doesn't qualify me as an expert.  But I'm not Dr. Nick.  I won't launch blindly into recommending a solution for someone without carefully considering the impact.  I've seen that, and the results are always bad.  Besides, I can't lie to save my life; I always get caught.

What I do have inside my noggin is several years interest in improving my own health, while also losing to many, many temptations along the way.  Like McDonald's, chicken fingers and Chinese buffet.  mmmmm, crab rangoon.... sorry, did I space out again?

So, my first leg of the journey begins around 1997, when in reality I was looking to make a living at home without dealing with stupid people at an office.  The stupid people were two or three bosses that insisted I actually produce and not just sit back and collect a check.  So, I'm off to a great start here, at age 23 and not a lick of responsibility in the world.  Except for an attempt to keep my family fed, which somehow I always did.

During that first leg, I found an ad for a work at home business - and thinking there's little risk, I called and arranged a meeting with a couple of guys.  I could always walk out, right?  Well, these guys had a great system to show me from a company named USANA, a nutritional supplement manufacturer just a few years old.  I sign up, buy some stuff, find 4 friends and family and rinse, repeat, profit.  Ok, that's what I got out of it -- remember, sit back and let the world coddle me.  So I join the team and start using the products for myself, then tell some family members what a great idea it would be for them to help me out by joining the business... just humor me guys, help me get a bonus.  Yeah, that didn't work out so well.  I think I got one to sign up that way.  

I found out the hard way that you have to really believe in the products before you can convince someone to make a long term investment; this isn't Tupperware where the benefits are visible in 30 seconds.  For the average person, nutrition benefits take weeks, months, even years to fully manifest.  For me, I noticed increased energy within about two weeks.  Hair loss (yes, at 23 - due to extreme stress) eliminated within 3-4 weeks.  My cholesterol was still through the roof, but I loved those Big Macs.  So, after a few years of using the products off and on whenever I could afford them, I realize I have no sales skills and dropped my associate membership somewhere around 2000.  Over the next few years I watched the company grow (stock multiplied by 10, membership by many times that).  And then comes my most recent motivation.

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I remember when I was taking the USANA Essentials alone that I had far more energy, was in a better mood, and didn't feel sick all the time.  Lately I've been under so much stress that my physical health has suffered and I'm paying more in medical copays and prescriptions than I was for the Essentials.  There HAS to be a better way!  My job performance suffers when stress peaks, because I'm so tired or otherwise affected by health issues.  

So, as of a couple days ago I am officially a new USANA "distributor associate" which means I consume the products, resell them and bring others on board to do the same.  My first order consists of a HealthPak 100, chocolate Nutrimeal (think of a Slim-Fast made by Rolls Royce), a 12-pack of Rev3 energy drink (seriously, I have got to see if they can even make a decent energy drink with the nutritional emphasis of their other products), and some kids' vitamins for my nephew.  I also got some of the Sense skin care system's Gentle Daily Cleanser because I've never found anything as effective in the last 10 years.  My order should arrive April 21.  Come to think of it, I didn't order enough and will want to try some new things in a few weeks.

As I start using the products, I'll post my opinions and experiences for the world to see.  Yes, I'm biased because I want my resale business to succeed, but if I don't believe in these products, there's no way I can convince others anyway.  I fully anticipate that I'll have some form of positive, tangible results, and you'll just have to deal with my anecdotal evidence.  If I don't bring you over to my dark side, then so be it.  Most of the reason I got into this was that I wanted the products for myself anyway.  Worst case, if I sign up as a distributor for all of 20 bucks extra, I get discounted pricing.  

There's my long intro to a long journey.  Questions and relevant comments are welcome.  I say relevant because I'm not really into the whole spam thing, so I hope you won't try and post just to promote a competing product without saying something meaningful.