Over the last three months here in Australia I and my family have been involved in a TV campaign for Flora Pro Active which is a spread that has been proven to reduce the amount of cholesterol your body absorbs. I can say it has been proven as I recently took the Pro Active challenge – where by you consume 25 grams of flora pro active spread every day for three weeks – I had my cholesterol taken before I started and then again the day after I finished the challenge – my cholesterol had dropped 16% after three weeks. During those three weeks I was very careful with limiting my saturated fat intake and I walked 6 days a week for approximately an hour each day. I know of someone else who had a 25% reduction. If you stop using the spread then your body goes back to absorbing cholesterol the way it did before taking it so if you want to keep your absorbtion rate down you need to keep taking it. The approximation that if you take 25g every day you should lower your absorbtion rate by an average of 10% – so if you take 12.5g you will lower your rate by 5%.
Here is the web site if you want to find out a little more:
http://www.florapro-activ.com.au/index.asp
As part of the challenge I was asked to keep a bit of a diary which you may or may not be interesting in reading but I have posted it as I wrote it and if you want you can read it.
Flora Three Week Challenge
With Paul Mercurio
Day one 15.306
I am really excited about this challenge. I
I enjoyed reading the diary, Paul.
Well done on the challenge, great result!
I’ve made something for you, click on my name to see it!
Love Clair.
XXXXX
Hi Paul–it was fun reading your diary. We have a similar product in the States called “Balance” and it claims to help reduce or maintain a healthier balance of the good and bad cholesterols. It’s made from healthy vegetable oils (like olive) and it tastes well and cooks up great. (Another product called Promise also promotes a healthy alternative, but it’s not recommended for cooking or frying.)
But like everything, we’re still looking at it working in conjunction with balanced eating and physical activity.
Congrats!
I had read the diaries while you were taking the challenge and found them very interesting, at times humorous. Congrats on making it through the challenge and on your awesome results. So are you going to stick with that “diet” (whatever you call it)?
Just as Melody indicated, balanced eating and physical activity as part of life style changes is what i’m working on. Right now it’s going well for me, lost about 6 kg during the lasts 6 weeks, long term goal, another 10 kg, although that might be pushing it a bit. Will see…
WOW! If I ate like that and walked an hour a day, my cholestrol wouldn’t be the only thing that would do down!
Great job Paul.
Go Evelyn!
With all the travelling I have been doing I have slacked off on the Flora, didnt want to be lugging it in my suitcase. Being away from home getsin the way of set routines and health y eating patterns although I try to keep it good. I just drink too much beer!
Balance is the key word! Now I am back home I can get the balance right again.
Hi Paul
I am sorry to be a pain but i would LOVE to know the secret to that big slide! Still can’t do it myself. Maybe there was a skateboard??
Kind regards
Amanda
Paul, I can see how difficult it is when you do all that travelling to keep up a healthy life style, esp. when you are tied to eating out.
Yesterday I wore my white jeans I bought about 2 months ago when they fit perfectly, although a bit on the tighter side, well now they are rather loose, but oh so comfy and I get to see the result of what I’ve been doing, made me feel REALLY, REALLY good!
Happy balancing things to you, Paul and enjoy being at home!
Evelyn
Are you gonna be on dancing with the stars ? I dont usually watch much tv here in the states it pretty much bites big time,but if paul joseph mercurio is gonna be on it we’ll have to make an exception. I think most people that have ever emailed you feel like you’re family. I hope I didnt already miss it if you were on it,that would be bad…real bad
I need some green tea !