Earn a $1,000 Bonus at Nikken!

You can earn money at Nikken. Become a Nikken Consultant and you can generate a home-based income either part time or full time. You can earn commission checks in addition to a 20 percent retail profit on sales of Active Wellness products. And, there are cash rewards and bonus incentives.

For example, this December is unlike any other December! Why? Because you are eligible for a one-time cash bonus of $1,000 when you achieve the rank of Silver Consultant with Nikken during this particular month of December.

No matter when you attain the rank of Silver Consultant, you jump into an exciting new world of entrepreneurship where your part-time income can turn into something much more. At the rank of Silver, you begin to maximize the Nikken Compensation Plan. At Silver and all higher ranks, you are eligible to earn the highly rewarding Leadership Bonus that is based on six percent of sales volume on your personal group’s commissionable volume down through two levels of qualified Silver or above Consultants.

You still have a few weeks left to qualify for the $1,000 bonus! If you are already a Senior or Executive, talk to your sponsor or an upline leader, review your game plan and ramp up your efforts to find and sign up new Consultants and Registered Customers!*

*See the Consultant’s Average Income Sheet at http://www.nikken.com/join-nikken

Too Many Gastronomic Temptations?

As the holiday season progresses, we have to be realistic about keeping our digestive systems working properly, knowing that we’ll fall off the wagon a little in the area of food and beverage consumption.

Two of the biggest culprits over the holidays are overeating and over-drinking. Both excesses involve copious amounts of sugar, something that we know we should avoid. Both add empty calories and carbs to the diet, and alcohol also has a dehydrating effect on the body. Then there’s the extra sodium used in meat marinades, brines and gravies, which produces a dehydrating effect as well.

In addition, there are enticing carbs in the form of potatoes and pasta, bread and muffins, to name just a few. Carbs that contain gluten may produce a feeling of bloat—that feeling of an expanding waistline after only a single big meal is not a figment of the imagination.

To maintain a lifestyle of Active Wellness, the digestive system needs to work efficiently to keep us on-the-go. If we’re “going” too much, our bodies aren’t absorbing enough nutrients to provide the natural energy we need. If we’re “going” too infrequently, sluggishness sets in. Eating too much of the wrong food and too few of the right nutrients can produce either effect, depending on our individual digestive tracts.

What’s a body to do? The answer is thankfully simple.

Nikken produces a nutritional supplement that takes the guesswork out of your daily digestive patterns. The name of our nutritional supplement is long, but there’s a reason for that. Kenzen® Digestion Complex 4-20 (link to product in shopping cart) helps the body to process the four major food groups—carbs, proteins, fats and fiber—with a total of 20 enzymes . This is no small feat of formulation. If you take the time to check other nutritional supplements, you’ll find they commonly contain enzymes to process two or three of the food groups at best.

You’ll also find our recurring theme with Nikken Wellness products: there are specific ingredients that are NOT included, because they’re of no benefit in a nutritional supplement. Kenzen® Digestion Complex 4-20 therefore does not contain dairy, preservatives, salt, sucrose, soy, wheat, yeast, corn, nuts, gluten, artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors. Even if you’re a vegan or on a gluten-free diet, you’re good to go with Kenzen Digestion Complex 4 -20.

Take one capsule before each meal and let’s enjoy our feasts and try not to fall off the wagon.

How Much Did You Gain Over Thanksgiving?

Okay, be honest. How much weight did you gain this past week? Popular belief finds that the average American gains around five to 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. This starts off with approximately a little over a pound gained over Thanksgiving week. If it doesn’t sound like much to you, you’re probably one of those fortunate people with a fast metabolism that kicks into high gear once you get back on your regular eating regimen.

Unfortunately, many people—especially those who are middle-aged and older—gain a few pounds over the holidays every year and never take the weight off. Not to be an alarmist but multiply two by 10 and that’s 20 pounds in a decade! There’s no better time than right now to jump into Active Wellness!

Here are half a dozen tips for fighting the battle of the holiday bulge:

  • Drink water—lots of it. Water not only helps you feel full but it also helps your digestive system work more efficiently. A bonus of drinking more water than you might be accustomed to is an improvement in your skin, especially if you drink filtered water!
  • Don’t deprive yourself and abruptly cut out everything you think of as fattening. Instead, cut out a third of everything. Portion control is key. Too often, we think of what to eat rather than how much to eat.
  • Increase your consumption of green, leafy vegetables. They’re bulky and therefore filling, and they contain very few calories. In addition, you reap the benefits of their inherent vitamins and minerals, which are sources of natural energy.
  • Decrease your consumption of “white” foods, such as bread, rice, pasta and potato. Replace with organic whole grains.
  • Ditch anything that’s “ready-made” for the microwave. Chances are it contains too much sodium and some kind of preservative. Our bodies absolutely despise preservatives.
  • If you’re generally sedentary, take a brisk 15 to 30 minute walk every day. If you’re already on a good exercise regimen, increase whatever you do by two to five minutes. The trick is to be consistent.

Stylish or Sporty Magnetic Jewelry: Choose Both!

Throughout human history, jewelry has been worn as an art form and way to show wealth and social status. The materials and techniques used to manufacture jewelry have evolved since the very first forms were worn about 90,000 years ago. From wooden beads to shells, twine to thread, pebbles to metal, the same components are still available today—sold as primitive and contemporary art.

Dramatic improvements in technology mean that present-day jewelry is made with a huge range of materials, both natural and synthetic. But what about jewelry that is worn not just for artistic expression or as a status symbol but also for a purpose?

That’s where Nikken excels. From the Marquesa Collection to Milana to the Kenko Perfect Link® silver plated and gold plated necklaces, Nikken helps everyone make an artistic statement while imparting the benefits of magnetic technology. Who would think that neodymium magnets could look so stylish!

If you’re serious about Active Wellness, looking good and feeling even better, the sporty look of Kenko PowerBand® magnetic jewelry for neck and wrists will suit you. You virtually never have to take them off—they’re fine in the pool and in the shower.

When you wear Kenko magnetic jewelry, you help maintain health and beauty. Feel the Nikken difference every day!

Sugar in Whole Foods vs. Added Sugar

Sugar is like cholesterol: there’s the good and the bad. The good news is that it’s easy to distinguish between edible sugars and those to avoid. Here are two facts to remember:

  • Sugar found in whole foods comes with vitamins, minerals, protein, phytochemicals and fiber. This naturally occurring sugar is a source of nutrition.
  • When any type of sugar is added to foods during processing, cooking or at the table, it contains calories without any nutrients or fiber. Added sugar not only offers no benefits, it actually is a source of potential physical harm.

There are three basic carbohydrates in our diets — simple sugar, starch and fiber — all consist of sugar. Simple sugars, such as sucrose, fructose and lactose, only have one or two molecules of sugar. The “sugar high” and the crash that comes with it can be vividly witnessed in some children who are usually fed healthy foods and suddenly are given so-called “treats” at a party: ice cream, cake and candy, for example. Their bodies react to the simple sugars they are not accustomed to by creating an artificial burst of energy, followed by crankiness and fatigue. This is because simple sugars shoot quickly into the bloodstream and may cause spikes in blood sugar.

Starch and fiber are complex carbohydrates because they’re made from three to hundreds of sugar molecules. During digestion, simple sugars and complex starches break down into single molecules of glucose. Since they contain multiple molecules of sugar, starches take longer to digest, so they enter the bloodstream slowly.

One teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories, a teaspoon of honey has 21 calories and there are 136 calories— including 33 grams or 8 teaspoons of sugar—from a 12-ounce can of generic soda pop. These empty calories quickly add up to potential weight gain and an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Extra sugar also may cause an uptick in triglyceride levels, which contributes to cardiovascular disease.

We should try to eat complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans. Guidelines from the American Heart Association recommend that women should consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar daily, while men should limit their added sugar to nine teaspoons. Remember that some healthy-sounding sweeteners, such as maple syrup, agave, brown sugar, molasses and honey are also added sugars.

Added sugar is found in virtually every type of processed food, which makes healthy eating challenging. One way to help eliminate added sugars from the diet is to check the ingredient listings of every packaged food item. For example, take a look at the ingredient listings of popular brands of so-called energy drinks and energy bars. Added sugar comes under the guise of maltose corn syrup, cane invert syrup, fructose, dextrose, glucose syrup, corn syrup—the list goes on and on.

Compare those commercial brands of energy drinks to the sugar-free Kenzen Ten4®!  Nikken nutritional products are lifestyle changers.

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The Battle Against High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that comes from two sources: our bodies and what we eat. Our bodies, and especially its liver, make all the cholesterol we need and circulate it through the blood, but it cannot be dissolved. It must be transported through the bloodstream by carriers called lipoproteins, which are composed of fat (lipid) and proteins. Cholesterol is also found in foods from animal sources, such as meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. The liver produces more cholesterol when we eat a diet high in saturated and trans fats.

A tendency towards high cholesterol can be caused by a diet that is high in fat, but a person can also be genetically predisposed. In other words, high cholesterol can run in the family. Cholesterol is such a common topic of conversations these days because when it is too high, it is a proven risk for cardiac problems. As a result, cholesterol medication, commonly referred to as statins, are one of the highest sources of revenue for pharmaceutical companies.

Statins work by slowing the body’s production of cholesterol. The body produces all the cholesterol it needs by digesting food and producing new cells on its own. When this natural production is slowed, the body begins to draw the cholesterol it needs from the food you eat, lowering your total cholesterol.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), statins also lower your body’s levels of coenzyme Q10 (“CoQ10”). As your levels go down, the side effects of statins increase. Taking CoQ10 supplements might help increase the levels in the body and reduce side effects caused by statin usage.

The most common statin side effect is muscle pain. It can be mildly uncomfortable pain or bad enough to compromise daily activities. Statins can also adversely affect the liver and kidneys. Some people may develop nausea, gas, diarrhea or constipation after taking a statin, although these side effects are relatively rare. Taking statin medication in the evening with a meal can reduce digestive side effects.

The FDA warns on statin labels that some people have developed memory loss or confusion while taking statins. These side effects reverse once you stop taking the medication. Talk to your doctor if you experience memory loss or confusion. On the other hand, there has also been evidence that statins may help with brain function — in patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s, and this continues to be studied.

If your diet is the cause of high cholesterol levels, it can be relatively easy to lower levels by making changes to daily consumption of red meat and dairy—and focusing on whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Cholesterol can be both good and bad, so it’s important to know what your cholesterol levels are in order to manage the health of your circulatory system. If you have high overall cholesterol and it’s not genetic, you have a good chance of controlling it via diet.

Caffeine-sensitive? Try Kenzen Ten4® with natural caffeine.

Athletes are always looking for that competitive edge. For example, some swimmers shave their entire bodies; many runners swear by carbo-loading; jockeys are known to fast before races; extreme behaviors become run-of-the-mill—all in pursuit of heightened performance and victory. One performance enhancer that is drawing more attention from elite athletes is perfectly legal: caffeine.

Caffeine has always been the perennial best friend of high school and college students—whether as a wake-me-up or a means to stay awake while cramming for exams. Triathletes and distance runners have used caffeine as an energy booster for decades, but in more recent years, those involved in short-burst sports are also taking advantage of this stimulant.

Natural sources of caffeine include seeds, leaves, nuts and berries. In Kenzen Ten4® Energy Drink Mix, there are 80 mg per serving of natural caffeine from organic matcha green tea. The caffeine in organic matcha green tea not only may help boost energy, but it also may create a calm type of awareness. In other words, organic matcha green may well provide you with a pick-me-up feeling without the jitteriness that caffeine from other sources may cause. The natural caffeine in organic matcha green tea binds to the naturally occurring phytonutrients to slow down the absorption of the stimulant, giving it a slow release effect, resulting in up to six hours of enhanced alertness or physical performance.

PiMag® Water: Taste the Difference

We love hearing from customers who have wonderful Nikken product experiences. We especially appreciate it when we’re told that a Nikken product not only helps people but may well make their lives more livable. Platinum Pam Barnes sent us a note that one of her customers wrote her:

“Just a little note to let you know how much we appreciate our PiMag® Sport Bottles. We are living in a house on the Zambezi River here in Zambia. The drinking water comes from the river. Although it has passed through three different filters and an ultraviolet light, the taste is horrendous.

“We put this same filtered water* through our PiMag® Sport Bottles and we have great tasting water! When we make tea or coffee with the filtered river water, it tastes bad. But when we use PiMag® water to make coffee and tea, it tastes great. I don’t think we can ever do without our PiMag® Sport Bottles. Thank you!”

*PiMag® products are to be used for filtering potable water only.

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