Weekly Health and Fitness Tips! – Video
Posted: September 4, 2012 at 11:15 pm
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Weekly Health and Fitness Tips! - Video
Prograde Genesis Leaps Ahead of Competition
Posted: at 11:15 pm
North Palm Beach, Florida (PRWEB) September 04, 2012
Prograde, a leading manufacturer of natural health and fitness supplements, has released a new product line known as Prograde Genesis. Genesis enters the market as a greens product, or a supplement that delivers extracts from leafy greens and vegetables. But Genesis' makers say it includes much more.
Prograde's director of research, Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter, says that the company has included a wider range of ingredients in Genesis so that it can address more health concerns than a conventional greens product. Genesis is made from berries, fruits, and therapeutic mushrooms as well as vegetables, and includes probiotics or beneficial bacteria that help the body digest and ward off infections.
Genesis is, simply, the most powerful combination of active natural ingredients that we could create, Hunter said. We keep a close eye on new discoveries in the field of nutrition, and Genesis represents the very best formula.
The supplement can dramatically improve general health, but is specifically marketed around four benefits: optimizing how the body processes glucose to achieve healthy blood sugars levels, promoting good digestive health, delivering antioxidants and minimizing free radicals in the body, and bolstering the immune system.
Blood sugar levels are a growing concern as increasing numbers of patients struggle with diabetes, and because unhealthy blood sugar levels contribute to aging. But Hunter says that most greens supplements don't address glycemic intake at all.
We looked at what other greens products contain and we realized we could do so much more, said Hunter. People shouldn't need to take a dozen different supplements everyday. It's inconvenient and it gets expensive. So we put everything important into Genesis. And after trying enough other greens products, we decided to make ours taste better, too.
Genesis is sold at http://www.GetPrograde.com and through licensed health and fitness professionals.
Sitting in Column: Health and Wellness Day at Swampscott Farmers Market
Posted: at 11:14 pm
Submitted by Kimberley Fillenworth of the Swampscott Farmers Market Committee
Last Sunday once again the weather was perfect, cool and crisp as September is now upon us and with that comes fall in New England. We had a light turnoutlast weekendwith our vendors due to several family events withClark Farm and Cherry Street Fish Market,but rest assured we will be at full capacity this week, Sept. 9.
Also this week, The Lynch van Otterloo YMCA will join us to promote theirHometown Wellness Showdown. The Showdown is a 4-week total wellness challenge to crown the healthiest town in Eastern Massachusetts, sponsored by boston.com and Lose It! a diet and fitness tracking application.
Being healthy and eating fresh, local produce, go hand in hand, so please come out and join in the fun. Emily OBrien, the Marketing & Communications Director of the YMCA of the North Shore will be with us passing out some fun giveaways and hosting some mini-challenges, like one-minute pushups or jumping jack challenges as well as other fun mini events kids are sure to enjoy!
Mark your calendars for our Farmers Market Style Throw Down/Cook Off coming Sunday, Sept. 16. Live and in person, come watch three of our local chefs as they show you the best of their talents and creativity. Each of our chefs will be given 15 minutes and $35 dollars of spending money to procure ingredients from our vendors at Swampscott Farmers' Market. Then its off to cooking stations where theyll have one hour to prepare a dish of their choice. The final decision will be based on Creativity, presentation and of course, taste.
The Swampscott Farmers Market is open each Sunday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Swampscott High School parking lot. Also, check our Facebook Page. We post regular market updates and market information, recipe ideas, etc. Its a great interactive way to connect with our local growers and food enthusiasts!
You can follow us on Facebook at ttps://www.facebook.com/SwampscottFarmersMarketor visit our website athttp://swampscottfarmersmarket.org/
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Sitting in Column: Health and Wellness Day at Swampscott Farmers Market
The toxic message in Facebook teen health and fitness sites
Posted: at 11:14 pm
I WORK with thousands of teen girls across Australia every year. So I am always interested to note online trends as these provide an insight into their emerging interests; and nothing seems to be engaging teen girls more at the moment than the incredibly fast growing ''Teen Health/ Fitness'' inspiration sites on Facebook.
There are at least two of these launching each week, and within a matter of weeks they gain tens of thousands of predominantly teen girl fans.
We might be tempted to think this is a good thing. After all isn't there a much-talked-about obesity crisis? Aren't we currently considering weighing children in schools as part of our response to this deadly epidemic? If our girls are finally taking matters into their own hands, isn't that to be ''liked'', and ''shared''?
But these sites are very problematic. First, we have no idea who is administrating the pages and if they are even qualified to hand out advice (and after reading the advice posted I think it's fairly safe to say that many most certainly are not qualified).
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Second, all the pages I've seen are often nothing more than Thinspiration sites - sites that glorify unhealthy eating practices and become communities where girls with eating disorders can ''feed'' each other's illnesses by sharing tips and encouraging each other to stave off hunger and exhaustion.
Advice offered on one claiming to offer ''Healthy living tips'' includes: ''Work out twice as much as your skinny roommate'' and ''Look in the mirror and choose not to see any changes'' (in order to feel motivated to work even harder). The research clearly shows that online sites that offer this type of advice normalise unhealthy relationships with food and exercise, and may trigger the onset of eating disorders in vulnerable young people.
And finally, these pages aren't supporting girls to get fit or healthy so that they will feel good, but rather so they will simply look not just thin, but sexy.
One page, aimed at girls 13-25, tells its fans they should ''cultivate your curves - they may be dangerous but they won't be avoided''. The cover photo shows a girl's very large breasts in a skimpy white bikini (I'm not sure how you could exercise your way to those) and has its profile picture the almost obligatory shot of a headless girl (never a somebody, just a body) in skimpy undies holding up a midriff top to show her abdominal muscles.
Qualified Health and Fitness coach Amelia Burton explains: ''The difference between promoting healthy eating and exercise from a place of respect and love for your body versus a voyeuristic desire to be stick thin or to fit some sexy ideal is often blurred. And it makes me very angry as healthy diet and exercise offers so much more than just hot abs and bouncing breasts! For teen girls in particular, a balanced diet and sensible exercise program will assist them in many ways other than just the aesthetic: including eliminating stress, regulating sleep patterns and giving them the energy they need to study, work part time and party with their friends.''
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The toxic message in Facebook teen health and fitness sites
Piper Jaffray Research Analyst: Health and Wellness Stocks are Hot Investment Sector as Real Growth Rates Accelerating
Posted: at 11:14 pm
67 WALL STREET, New York - September 4, 2012 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Retail Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts and Money Managers. The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.
Topics covered: Brick-And-Mortar Versus Online Retail Sales - Cautious Consumer Spending - Specialty Hardlines and Softlines Retail - Strong Secular Growth in E-Commerce - International Retail Platforms
Companies include: Under Armour, Inc. (UA), Nike Inc. (NKE), Lululemon Athletica Inc. (LULU), Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS), Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and many others.
In the following excerpt from the Retail Report, Piper Jaffray's Health and Wellness research analyst discusses the outlook for this unique investment category:
TWST: What is your retail coverage?
Mr. Naughton: My coverage universe is a little unique. I cover what we have termed active and healthy lifestyles. I have two relatively distinct sets of stocks that I follow. The one side focuses on organic and natural foods as well as the supplement business, which I would consider the health and wellness side, and then the second part is the active lifestyle side, which would be more focused on sporting goods as well as active apparel and active footwear. There are also some other pieces in here for fitness clubs that fit into the active side as well.
TWST: Are the active lifestyle and organic and natural foods/supplement spaces seeing the same kinds of trends right now, or are they experiencing two distinctly different situations?
Mr. Naughton: It's interesting. The active lifestyle space, in my opinion, is a category where the consumer is continuing to spend more money. I think that the fusion of fashion and function is well underway with what we've seen from apparel and footwear growth from Under Armour (UA), Nike (NKE), Lululemon (LULU) and those types of names. These are all companies that are clearly benefiting from trends within this entire lifestyle and the next leg of that growth is those brands continuing to offer the types of products that they do today with better fits, but also now introducing more technology. So whether it is chips inside of shoes or tracking on shirts to monitor heart rates inside of your body, I think those are the types of initiatives that will continue to drive innovation in that category and continue to drive share of wallet with the consumer.
TWST: What about with youth sports? Are sporting goods companies benefiting from that area as well?
For more from this interview and many others visit the Wall Street Transcript - a unique service for investors and industry researchers - providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs, portfolio managers, and research analysts. This special issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.
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Piper Jaffray Research Analyst: Health and Wellness Stocks are Hot Investment Sector as Real Growth Rates Accelerating
Hartford to Sell Retirement Plans for $400 Million
Posted: at 11:14 pm
By Zachary Tracer - 2012-09-04T21:22:48Z
Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG) agreed to sell a retirement-plans business for $400 million after billionaire investor John Paulson pressured the insurer to improve results.
The sale to Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. may be completed by year-end, Hartford said today in a statement. The deal, structured as a reinsurance transaction, will boost capital by $600 million and wont affect financial results under generally accepted accounting principles, the Hartford, Connecticut-based insurer said.
Hartford Chief Executive Officer Liam McGee, 57, agreed this year to sell a broker-dealer unit and individual-annuities distribution business. Prudential Financial Inc. emerged last month as lead bidder for Hartfords individual life-insurance business, people with knowledge of the matter said then.
Hartford could use cash proceeds from the sale of its life and retirement units to reduce debt, support ongoing businesses and repurchase stock, Jay Gelb, an analyst at Barclays Plc, wrote in an Aug. 20 research note. Ongoing core units should deliver improved and stable returns.
Paulson, whose hedge fund is Hartfords largest investor, had called on the seller of life insurance and property-casualty coverage to do something drastic to boost the stock price, which fell 39 percent in 2011. McGee responded with plans to sell or shutter parts of the insurer.
We continue to make good progress executing on our strategy, McGee said in the statement. With the Hartfords sharper focus on its historical strength in insurance underwriting, along with efforts to improve expense efficiencies, increase capital generation and reduce market risks, we are on the right path to deliver greater shareholder value.
Hartford advanced 2.2 percent to $18.09 at 4:30 p.m. in New York. It had gained 8.9 percent this year through the close of regular trading.
The transaction will help policyholder-owned MassMutual expand its retirement-plan business to smaller clients, CEO Roger Crandall said in a telephone interview.
The opportunity to get into that smaller and mid-sized plan market is a real positive for us, Crandall said. There are an awful lot of small companies and small plans out there.
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Hartford to Sell Retirement Plans for $400 Million
The worst retirement investing mistake
Posted: at 11:14 pm
William Bernstein, investment adviser and author, says the worst mistake is not knowing when to take money off the table.
NEW YORK (Money Magazine) -- William Bernstein has a gift not only for grasping the complex but for helping the rest of us get it too.
He spent the first chunk of his career as a neurologist practicing on the coast of Oregon but cut back on his work hours in 1990. A few years later he focused on a new fascination: investing. He launched an online journal (a sort of proto-blog) called efficientfrontier.com and wrote "The Intelligent Asset Allocator," the first of several books. (He has also written for MONEY.)
Now he's an investment adviser for a handful of high-net-worth clients. Bernstein's writing often explores academic financial theory, but he manages to turn it into practical, plain-English advice.
His latest obsession, resulting in the short e-book "The Ages of the Investor," is what economists call the life-cycle theory, which dictates that your asset allocation should be tied to your earnings power throughout your career.
Bernstein, 64, spoke with senior editor George Mannes; their conversation was edited.
There's a debate going on now among economists about how much exposure people should have to stocks. What made you weigh in?
It's almost like a political issue. There's a "right wing" of very smart, authoritative people who think that savers and retirees should be investing conservatively because stocks are so risky. And then there's a "left wing" of equally smart and authoritative people who believe the opposite.
I was trying to reconcile the two views. Plus, I wanted to deal with what happened in the 2008 financial crisis, which changed how people, myself included, think about risk.
How so?
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The worst retirement investing mistake
Is BG Group the Ultimate Retirement Share?
Posted: at 11:14 pm
LONDON -- The last five years have been tough for those in retirement. Portfolio valuations have been hammered and annuity rates have plunged. There's no sign of things improving anytime soon, either, as the eurozone and the U.K. economy look set to muddle through at best for some years to come.
A great way of protecting yourself from the downturn, however, is by building your retirement fund with shares of large, well-run companies that should grow their earnings steadily over the coming decades. Over time, such investments ought to result in rising dividends and inflation-beating capital growth.
In this series, I'm tracking down the U.K. large-caps that have the potential to beat the FTSE 100 (UKX) over the long term and support a lower-risk income-generating retirement fund (you can see the companies I've covered so faron this page).
Today, I'm going to take a look atBG Group (LSE: BG.L) , the highly successful gas exploration and production company whose share price has risen by more than 400% over the last 10 years.
Gas futuresBG Group has thoroughly outperformed the FTSE 100 over the last 10 years, thanks to stonking outright growth that's been consistently reflected in its share price and dividends:
Total Return
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Is BG Group the Ultimate Retirement Share?
MassMutual To Acquire The Hartford's Retirement Plans Business
Posted: at 11:14 pm
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Sept.4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement with The Hartford to purchase its Retirement Plans business, a prominent small to mid-sized retirement plan provider. This transaction will significantly increase the size of MassMutual's retirement business and strengthen its position as a leading retirement plan provider.
The purchase price is $400 million, subject to adjustment at closing. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory and other approvals, is expected to close by the end of 2012.
"This acquisition represents an important step for MassMutual and underscores our long-standing commitment to the retirement market. Following the closing of the transaction, we look forward to combining the best of our two organizations to offer enhanced capabilities and greater overall value across a broader retirement market," said Roger Crandall, Chairman, President and CEO, MassMutual. "Our Retirement Services Division has experienced record growth in recent years and is an important contributor to MassMutual's overall profitability and success. This transaction enables us to accelerate growth into new sectors, add complementary distribution capabilities, and nearly double the number of retirement plan participants we serve."
Under the leadership of Elaine Sarsynski, Executive Vice President and head of MassMutual's Retirement Services Division and Chairman and CEO of MassMutual International LLC, a plan will be implemented to ensure an orderly integration of this acquisition over the coming year.
"Today's announcement recognizes the strength of The Hartford's Retirement Plans business and the innovation, dedication and talent of the team," said The Hartford's Chairman, President and CEO Liam E. McGee. "The agreement marks the second of three planned business sales as we continue to make good progress executing on our strategy. With The Hartford's sharper focus on its historical strength in insurance underwriting, along with efforts to improve expense efficiencies, increase capital generation and reduce market risks, we are on the right path to deliver greater shareholder value."
MassMutual's Retirement Services Division offers a full range of products and services for corporate, union, nonprofit and governmental employers' defined benefit, defined contribution and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. With a strong focus on the mid-size market, it provides retirement plan services to more than 7,600 plans, serves more than 1.6 million participants, and has more than $66.2 billion in assets under management (as of June 30, 2012).
After the closing, the strong distribution network of The Hartford's Retirement Plans business among small to mid-size plans will complement and strengthen MassMutual's excellent position with mid-size to larger corporate plans. Additionally, The Hartford's Retirement Plans' tax exempt business, including its position as a top provider of governmental plans, will strengthen MassMutual's foothold in this segment. The Hartford's Retirement Plans business, which also provides administrative services for defined benefit programs and has $54.9 billion in assets under management (as of June 30, 2012), provides retirement plan services to more than 33,000 plans and serves more than 1.5 million participants.
Once the transaction is completed, the combined retirement businesses are projected to have approximately $120 billion in assets under management and 3 million participants.
"Importantly, this is a win-win for both MassMutual and The Hartford's Retirement Plans business, their clients, distribution partners and employees," said Ms. Sarsynski. "The addition of this business will enable us to broaden and deepen our product offerings and relationships with valued distribution partners. We look forward to welcoming the talented team of professionals at The Hartford's Retirement Plans business to MassMutual."
"In addition, clients from The Hartford's Retirement Plans business will benefit from MassMutual's industry leadership in many areas, including our participant communication and education programs, comprehensive tools that help plan sponsors and plan participants measure retirement readiness, and award winning customer service," Ms. Sarsynski continued. "Together, we will create enhanced value for our advisors and plan sponsors, and work collectively toward our goal of helping our participants retire on their own terms."
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MassMutual To Acquire The Hartford's Retirement Plans Business
The Hartford To Sell Retirement Plans Business To MassMutual
Posted: at 11:14 pm
HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Hartford today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Retirement Plans business to Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) for a cash ceding commission of $400 million, subject to adjustment at closing. The sale, which is structured as a reinsurance transaction, is expected to close by the end of 2012, subject to regulatory approvals and satisfying other customary closing conditions.
Todays announcement recognizes the strength of The Hartfords Retirement Plans business and the innovation, dedication and talent of the team, said The Hartfords Chairman, President and CEO Liam E. McGee. The agreement marks the second of three planned business sales as we continue to make good progress executing on our strategy. With The Hartfords sharper focus on its historical strength in insurance underwriting, along with efforts to improve expense efficiencies, increase capital generation and reduce market risks, we are on the right path to deliver greater shareholder value.
The Hartford expects the transaction to have no material impact on its GAAP financial results and to benefit net statutory capital by approximately $600 million, including the ceding commission and a reduction in required risk-based capital, on closing. The estimated GAAP and statutory financial impacts are based on June 30, 2012 values and are subject to change based on final adjustments, market conditions and financial results through closing date. These impacts are expected to be recognized in the quarter in which the transaction closes.
The Hartfords Retirement Plans business is primarily a defined contribution business with $54.9 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2012. The business serves more than 33,000 plans with more than 1.5 million participants, and has a strong presence in thesmall to mid-sized corporate401(k) and tax-exempt markets. It also provides administrative services for defined-benefit programs. As a result of the agreement, The Hartfords Retirement Plans employees will become part of MassMutuals Retirement Services Division.
This acquisition represents an important step for MassMutual and underscores our long-standing commitment to the retirement market.Following the closing of the transaction, we look forward to combining the best of our two organizations to offer enhanced capabilities and greater overall value across a broader retirement market, said Roger Crandall, Chairman, President and CEO, MassMutual.Our Retirement Services Division has experienced record growth in recent years and is an important contributor to MassMutuals overall profitability and success. This transaction enables us to accelerate growth into new sectors, add complementary distribution capabilities, and nearly double the number of retirement plan participants we serve.
As part of the agreement, The Hartford will continue to sell new retirement plans during a transition period, and MassMutual will assume all expenses and risk for these sales through a reinsurance agreement. Between now and the close of the transaction, there are no planned changes with respect to the day-to-day interactions or processes between The Hartford and its Retirement Plans distribution partners, plan sponsors and customers.
The Hartford's financial advisors for the divestiture are Greenhill & Co. and Goldman, Sachs & Co., and the companys legal advisors are Sidley Austin LLP.
About The Hartford
The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG) is a leading provider of insurance and wealth management services for millions of consumers and businesses worldwide. The Hartford is consistently recognized for its superior service, its sustainability efforts and as one of the world's most ethical companies. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at http://www.thehartford.com.
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The Hartford To Sell Retirement Plans Business To MassMutual