Category Archives: Optimal Health

Optimal Health, Today's World

Fueled by the Power of Friendship

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I am all smiles as I hold a plaque given to me as a bon voyage present from our Guest Relations Team as I depart for a sailing adventure to the South Seas. It depicts a motto dear to me heart: Live. Laugh. Love. Newport Marina, Calif., November 7, 2015.
I am all smiles as I hold this plaque given to me as a gift depicting a motto that is near and dear to my heart: Live, Laugh, Love. Newport Marina, 2015.

Throughout my life, I’ve met many successful people who are fueled by the power of friendship. One quality they share is an ability to take genuine interest in making space for the people they meet. When you interact with them, they make you magically feel like you’re the only person in the world, even if it’s only for a moment.

Friendship is deeply embedded in Amway’s approach to Health and Wellbeing; an approach which also recognizes core Nutrilite values that mean so much to me, like optimal health, community, and care for our planet.

A variety of categories comprise our Health and Wellbeing approach, including “community connection” and “personal growth” – two pillars that truly go together because we can’t go it alone in this world and expect to be successful for the long term.

That’s why I’ve been reflecting lately on how important healthy relationships – and friendship – have become when you are meeting people and making connections.

I’m sure you know people who seem to easily build incredible networks with numerous connections, which makes sense in a world dominated by social networks – and social media influence – where connections are like currency.

The more connections you have the more validated you might feel. But we should also ask ourselves whether these types of “connections” are supporting our individual wellbeing and making us feel happier.

The Fabric of Relationships

There’s nothing wrong with being well connected, but not if you’re unable to go deeper and turn a connection into a healthy relationship. That takes more effort and a willingness to see people more fully.

Think of a connection as a single thread, and a relationship as a woven fabric. A connection is a basic point of contact – you might share a common interest with someone or have a brief interaction. Whereas a relationship has more depth – and breadth – because you are sharing experiences and feelings. In a healthy relationship, there is mutual respect and a willingness to reciprocate because you support each other and better understand each other.

Starting from your Base Camp

Our partners and our families should be like a base camp for healthy relationships. How we connect with our loved ones is a blueprint for how we treat our friends and neighbors, and how we can turn our connections into healthy relationships when appropriate.

I care deeply about my family and circle of friends. They create joy for me and keep me motivated to live a long healthy life so I can get to know my grandchildren, and eventually my great grandchildren!

Getting ready to take a brisk walk with Francesca. Being outdoors surrounded by nature is one of our favorite ways to maintain a positive outlook.
Getting ready to take a brisk walk with Francesca. Being outdoors surrounded by nature is one of our favorite ways to maintain a positive outlook.

A World of Social Media

Social media is here to stay, and the reality is that for many people in today’s world it has fundamentally altered how we interact with each other. Even though we are hyper-connected, studies have shown that depression and loneliness are on the rise in a world where face-to-face interaction is often interrupted by a smart phone.

In some ways we are multitasking our relationships. We’re often so focused on capturing our experiences that we forget to live in the wonderful moments that make up our lives. I believe it’s those moments that create momentum and make us who we are, which is why we might need to do better at focusing on what’s important to us.

A Final Word on Success

The most successful people are also the people who will turn out to be your best friend. They connect with others on an emotional level, and they easily turn connections into relationships. They’re the people who will make a difference in your life, and the ones you will want to be around no matter whether you are feeling happy or sad.

In the end, it’s exceedingly rare for anyone to achieve success without the help and support of others.

That’s why being successful and being a product of the product takes a rich community of friendship, laughter, and maybe most of all, healthy relationships that last for the long haul.

Cheers!

News & Views (Amway & Nutrilite), Optimal Health

Spending Time with The Amway Scientific Advisory Group

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Last month I was in Michigan to attend an Amway Scientific Advisory Group meeting. I joined a robust conversation with cross-sections of Amway scientists, brand marketers and, most importantly, distinguished scientists from outside of our company who represent current thought leadership in nutrition research and discovery.

Their ideas and work help guide Amway as we continue transforming into a Health and Wellbeing company. Frankly, it’s rare that you have that much high-level scientific leadership expertise gathered in one space to present their findings.

It was a pleasure to be included.

Meet Scientific Advisory Group Member, Emily Ho, Ph.D.

One of the newest members of the Scientific Advisory Group is Emily Ho, Ph.D. who is the Director of the Linus Pauling Institute and professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University.

Emily Ho, Ph.D., Director of the Linus Pauling Institute.

I was personally intrigued by her presentation at the meeting about micronutrients and optimal health, so I reached out to learn more about her research focus and daily work.

She has studied micronutrients in depth, with a deeper focus on zinc and sulforaphane, which is a plant compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale and cauliflower. She understands the importance of vitamins and minerals and the role they play helping us take a proactive approach to our health.

Everyone Deserves to be Healthy

I wanted to get Dr. Ho’s perspective on the topic of optimal health, which has long been an area of interest for the Nutrilite brand. I think it’s a misunderstood idea because people are often under the misperception that it’s something the average person struggles to achieve.

“Optimal health is not enhanced health, as we tend to mistakenly believe,” Dr. Ho explains, “It means being the best that you can be, for where you are in life.” It’s striving to live a high quality life both physically and mentally. Yes, you might consider it to be something you achieve, but instead, for her, it’s something you deserve.

That’s an important differentiation, and a new way to think about good health — everyone deserves to be healthy. But I’m certain we all could use a little help along the way.

An assortment of colorful fruits and vegetables formed into the shape of a heart. Your heart works nonstop pumping about 1,500 to 2,000 gallons of blood through your body daily. In order to do its job optimally, your heart needs proper nourishment.
An assortment of colorful fruits and vegetables formed into the shape of a heart.

As Dr. Ho knows, to get the health we deserve our bodily systems need to be working well, which is why good nutrition is so important. We also need the ability to make the right nutritional choices – which can be a daunting task.

The best way to get the micronutrients we need is from our food, but we need to know what to eat and how much. Because if we’re not eating enough whole foods and fruits and vegetables throughout the day, we’re going to have nutritional gaps in our diets.

And as Dr. Ho pointed out to me – and something we understand at Nutrilite – even the healthiest eaters can have shortfalls in the nutrients they need, even if they think they are eating well.

The Micronutrient Information Center

Ideally, our journey to the optimal health we deserve shouldn’t be complicated. But the reality is different.

It’s one of the key reasons why the Linus Pauling Institute created the Micronutrient Information Center, a website database that provides focused and searchable nutrition advice. It’s one of the most visited sites at Oregon State University with more than 1.5 million users from almost every country on the planet.[i]

The Linus Pauling Institute’s Micronutrient Information Center is a source for scientifically accurate information regarding the roles of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals (plant chemicals that may affect health), and other dietary factors.

As Dr. Ho points out, it’s challenging for the average person to weave through all the noise in nutrition recommendations. There are so many “health” voices competing for our attention that it only adds to the complexity that can come with understanding nutrition.

That said, you can control your nutrition choices, being able to do so makes a difference. The Micronutrient Information Center provides an evidenced based public resource that will help you find the right nutritional information for your needs.

Why is this important? It’s because our bodies are under constant attack. We not only have to deal with stresses from our environment and lifestyle, but also issues that can come from our genetics, our gut microbiome, and our age – just to name a few.

According to Dr. Ho, micronutrients help increase our ability to combat oxidative stress and other metabolic imperfections. Dr. Ho emphasizes, “But, if you are running low in one of these micronutrients, it’s not always obvious. You can run the risk of your bodily systems declining, long before a test can recognize it. This is particularly concerning as we get older because not only does our resilience to stress decrease, but our need for quality micronutrients increases.”

That’s why maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important. For me, exercising, eating well, getting enough rest, and having a community that supports my wellbeing has helped me increase my health span and allowed me to live a vigorous, meaningful life.

It’s a reminder that good health is something everyone deserves!

Cheers!

[i] Neither Amway or this article is endorsed by, directly affiliated with, maintained, authorized, or sponsored by the Linus Pauling Institute or Oregon State University.

Optimal Health, Reflections, Today's World

Going on Tour, and Going Full Circle

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Last month, Francesca and I toured through Asia visiting China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Taiwan. The trip was an opportunity for us to talk about Amway’s leadership as a Health and Wellbeing company and to begin celebrating the upcoming 90th anniversary of Nutrilite.

Throughout my visit, I spoke to employees, company leaders and – from the stage – tens of thousands of Amway Business Owners all of whom were eager to learn more about the legacy of the Nutrilite™ brand and the power of nutrition in today’s world. Many leaders have enthusiastically embraced the Product of the Product philosophy and are doing all they can to improve their health and wellbeing, and their outlook about the future. 

In the Beginning

It’s what my father, Carl F. Rehnborg, envisioned when he founded Nutrilite nearly 90 years ago. He was an adventurous man who was innately curious. As a young entrepreneur living and working in China in the early 1900s, he spent lots of time building his business by traveling throughout the Chinese countryside.

While doing so, he made the quintessential observation that ultimately led to the creation of the Nutrilite™ brand: People living in the countryside were much healthier than people living in the city; they were more physically active, and they ate more fruits and vegetables.

Historical image of man standing in front of steps leading up to a building facade.
Photo of Carl F. Rehnborg in Shanghai, Picture During the Years of 1915 and 1916, Carl F. Rehnborg was an accountant with standard Oil Company of New York, in Tientsin, China, which is in the northern part of the country

But let’s rewind and think about this. Just getting to China from the United States in the early 1900s was a monumental task. For him, it included traveling across the continental United States, and then extended passages across the Pacific Ocean where he had lots of time to dream about the future, and the opportunity to learn about a completely different culture – and build a business.

As a young businessman, he started off in China representing Standard Oil selling cooking oil traveling up and down the Yangtze River. But, again, based on his observations, he believed that selling canned milk in China would serve an immediate need and benefit the Chinese population. He soon returned to the States and was able to convince Carnation Milk to let him represent their company in China.

It was while selling canned milk and becoming more embedded in Chinese society, that he realized most people he was interacting with had nutritional gaps in their diets that plant materials could help fill. He also soon understood that eating well, exercising, and leading a healthy lifestyle was the best way to combat poor health. Simply because it helps prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

So, from the very beginning, through my father’s observations, a deep understanding of health and wellbeing has been engrained in the DNA of the Nutrilite™ brand.

The New Opportunity

Today, Amway understands how Health and Wellbeing can help improve peoples’ quality of life and help increase health span – helping people live better, healthier lives. The commitment to Health and Wellbeing is coming to life in different ways across the globe, but everything is rooted in a consistent direction.

Together, we are focused on six interconnected domains that illustrate how a healthy body, a healthy mind, personal growth, community connection, financial wellbeing, and taking care of our planet can positively transform our overall wellbeing.

Going Full Circle

An exciting part of our Asian trip was the opportunity to share the stage with co-chairmen, Steve Van Andel and Doug DeVos, and CEO, Milind Pant. Spending quality time with them in each country we visited made me realize how interconnected we are and how important our partnership is.

During our final presentation in Taipei, an on-stage interview session between the four of us and Michelle Lin, Managing Director of Taiwan and Hong Kong, I heard Doug say something that truly resonated.

The whole team onstage at the Platinum Rally in Taipei.

While speaking about the direction we are going as a company, Doug said:

“Health and wellbeing is who we were in the first place. And now we’re discovering more about who we are. And if we do that, we can build an even better future together.”

Listening to Doug speak, I realized that we are – in many ways – going full circle.

What my father observed so many years ago is as important today as it ever has been. And it is now at the center of the future Amway is pursuing.

What an incredible opportunity!

Cheers!

Blast from the Past, Optimal Health, Reflections

The 90th Anniversary of Nutrilite

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Believe it or not, next year marks the 90th anniversary of Nutrilite. Many amazing things are in the works to celebrate this important milestone.

For starters, something I’m truly excited about is the upcoming release of The Nutrilite Story, 3rd Edition. The updated version of the book will not only to tell the ongoing story of the Nutrilite brand, but its release will also coincide with the 90th anniversary.

The book tells the story of my father, Carl Rehnborg, and how his insatiable curiosity and dogged determination created Nutrilite. It also shares how my personal journey from childhood up to the present has helped Amway and Nutrilite become what it is today. You’ll be able to get a copy of the book early next year.

That’s not all we have been busy with lately. To help people better understand the Nutrilite story and how my personal life has been so intertwined with health and wellness, I spent several days in a production studio capturing my impressions about the past, present and future.

Here’s a teaser video we put together to give you a taste of the content you will soon be able to see.

There’s even more. During the last two weeks in October, I will be touring Asia – stopping in China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Taiwan – to begin celebrating the 90th anniversary of the brand and all the amazing things happening with Amway and Nutrilite.

So make sure you stay tuned to my blog for updates about my trip.

I’ll talk to you soon!

Cheers!

Optimal Health

3 Lifestyle Habits for Better Gut Health

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With Summer ending and our Fall routine right around the corner, it’s a perfect time to reshare a post about 3 lifestyle habits for better gut health. Gut health is an increasingly important topic, and these tips will help you increase the good bacteria in your gut.

Woman making a heart hand symbol over her stomach. Three lifestyle factors — no smoking, less stress, and regular exercise — are things you can do right now to improve the health of your gut microbiome. Love your gut, and your gut will love you right back!
Woman making a heart hand symbol over her stomach. Three lifestyle factors — no smoking, less stress, and regular exercise — are things you can do right now to improve the health of your gut microbiome. Love your gut, and your gut will love you right back!

The human microbiome – the bacterial community that calls the human body home – continues to fascinate me. I am not alone. Last year, over 9,000 articles were published in the scientific literature on the subject, many about the bacterial community that lives in the human gut (the gut microbiome). In a previous post, I talked about how the health of your gut bacteria depends on your diet. Now, emerging research suggests that there are three things you can do right now to improve the health of your gut microbiome.

If you smoke, quit. You’ll improve your gut microbiome

We can add a healthy gut microbiome to the long list of reasons to quit smoking. In one review, published in the July 2018 issue of Archives of Microbiology, researchers found that smoking alters the gut microbiome in two important ways.

First, smoking changes the makeup of the bacterial colony in your gut, including decreasing potentially beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria. Second, smoking narrows the diversity of the entire bacterial colony.

Researchers have yet to confirm how smoking exerts these negative effects, but some believe it may relate to the ability to increase oxidative stress. Others suggest smoking may directly alter the integrity and function of the cells that line the intestine.

Two friends enjoy a laugh. The stress-reducing benefits of laughter are also good for your gut microbiome. Live, laugh and love. That’s one of my life mottos!
Two friends enjoy a laugh. The stress-reducing benefits of laughter are also good for your gut microbiome. Live, laugh and love. That’s one of my life mottos!

Relax and de-stress, your gut microbiome will thank you for it

There’s no debate that too much stress can cause digestive upset. Now, emerging research reveals this uncomfortable effect may relate to the gut microbiome. How?

First, stress may deplete potentially beneficial bacteria in the gut, including Lactobacillus bacteria. Second, stress may trigger the production of undesirable bacteria. Third, stress may increase the ability of undesirable bacteria to adhere to the cells that line the intestine. That’s a triple whammy that can take a serious toll on your gut health. 

A family enjoys a hike in nature. Exercise is another significant factor that helps keep your gut microbiome healthy.
A family enjoys a hike in nature. Exercise is another significant factor that helps keep your gut microbiome healthy.

Get moving, it will fortify your healthy gut microbiome

Exercise, even moderate exercise, delivers a wide range of benefits for the body (and brain). Now, emerging research suggests that a healthy gut microbiome is another benefit.

In one study, published in the December 2014 issue of Gut, researchers were able to confirm for the first time that exercise increases the diversity of bacteria in the human gut. For this study, they compared the gut microbiome in professional male athletes (rugby players) during pre-season training to that of their sedentary counterparts.

When the researchers assayed stool samples for bacterial composition, they found the athletes had significantly greater diversity of gut bacteria, and the absolute differences were impressive. The athletes had at least twice as many bacterial phylum and families and almost twice as many genera. What’s more, the athletes had a higher proportion of bacteria associated with health, especially those who ate more protein.

Since the publication of this study, other researchers have been actively exploring the role of exercise on the health of the gut microbiome. Does exercise intensity matter? Do some types of exercise like Tai Chi offer benefits? Does exercise frequency matter? I, for one, am following this area of research with much interest.  

A healthy microbiome starts with diversity

All ecosystems thrive when there is diversity. After all, diversity promotes stability and maintains performance. The human microbiome is no different, whether it relates to the bacteria living in our intestines or other areas of the body. For example, in the vagina, numerous Lactobacilli species are common, particularly in healthy women. This diversity contributes to a microbiome in balance that, in turn, is able to act as a protective bacterial barrier to maintain vaginal health.

A colorful meal brimming with vegetables. A diet rich in plant-foods helps nourish your healthy gut bacteria.
A colorful meal brimming with vegetables. A diet rich in plant-foods helps nourish your healthy gut bacteria.

A healthy microbiome is a new measure of optimal health

I am eager to watch what researchers will uncover next. I truly believe that a healthy microbiome, whether in the gut, the vagina or elsewhere on the body, will become an important biomarker of health. 

It’s a simple notion, really. Healthy diet and lifestyle habits nourish a healthy microbiome that, in turn, promotes strong immune defenses and digestive health for children, vaginal health for women, and intestinal health for adults of all ages. 

Ready to nourish your gut? Here’s an easy 3-step plan. First, eat a diet rich in plant-based and fermented foods to promote the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria. Next, take a daily probiotic supplement to fill any gaps in your diet. Finally, choose lifestyle habits that help keep your microbiome in balance. 

Cheers!