Your Plexus® Schedule: The Ultimate Guide on Taking Plexus® Products

You committed to health and happiness. You placed your Plexus® order. You stalked the mailman. The order arrived! You tear open the box, and now you’ve got a lovely stash of health and happiness products sitting there on your counter, just waiting to change your life.

And then the questions come.

“Can I take this right now?”
“Can I take this before bed?”
“Do I have to take this with food?”
“What do I mix this in?”
“I love this stuff! Can I take more right away?”

We know that it’s always a little bit overwhelming to get started on a new supplement or dietary routine (which is why you should always talk to your doctor before doing so). And of course, you should always follow suggested use guidelines from the product labels.

But if you’d like just a little more help navigating your new health and happiness regimen, you’re in the right place. We’re going to take an up-close, in-depth look at how and when to take your Plexus products to make sure they’re giving you the results you’re looking for.

Because as good as they look on your counter, they won’t do you any good just sitting there.

Meet the fam: your intro to Plexus products

First, let’s get to know each of our Plexus products, including directions on how to take them. (In alphabetical order; we don’t play favourites in this family.) If you’re already totally familiar with all our products, you can skip to the next section, you smarty-pants, you!

Plexus Bio Cleanse™
Benefits: Contains magnesium that helps you manage those days when you feel unbalanced and uncomfortable.
How and when to take Bio Cleanse: Take 2 capsules with 250 mL of water 3 times daily between meals.

Plexus Block™
Benefits: Helps support healthy glucose metabolism and the body’s ability to metabolize the beneficial nutrients your body needs.
How and when to take Block: Take 2 capsules with water immediately before meals containing sugar or carbohydrates. Use Block no more than two times per day.

Plexus Ease™ Capsules
Benefits: Designed to soothe away discomfort due to an active lifestyle.
How and when to take Ease Capsules: Take 1 to 3 capsules per day as needed. Take with food.

Plexus Edge™
Benefits: Helps to temporarily improve mental alertness, mental focus and increased energy levels.
How and when to take Edge: Take 1 capsule at breakfast or lunch.

Plexus Lean™ Vegetarian
Benefits: 100% vegetarian meal replacement that delivers nutrition, weight loss^ benefits, and energy. 20 g of protein from pea, rice, and ancient grains. 24 bioavailable vitamins and minerals. Helps control hunger with high protein and fiber. Delicious chocolate mocha flavour.

How and when to take Lean Vegetarian: For a meal, blend or stir 2 scoops (60 g) with 295 mL – 355 mL of cold water. For a snack, blend or stir 1 scoop (30 g) with 145 mL – 175 mL. of cold water.

Plexus Lean Whey
Benefits: Next-level meal replacements that go way beyond the protein shake, providing 15 g of rBGH-Free whey protein, 24 bioavailable vitamins and minerals. Supports digestive health and weight loss^. Available in Milk Chocolate and Creamy Vanilla.

How and when to take Lean Whey: For a meal, blend or stir 2 scoops (40 g) with 237 mL of nonfat milk. For a snack, blend or stir 1 scoop (20 g) with 118 mL – 177 mL. of 1% milk. Can be used twice a day for weight loss^ or once a day for weight maintenance.

Plexus Slim®
Benefits: Plexus Slim features a proprietary formula with powerful ingredients that help with supporting cardiovascular health and maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Packed with antioxidant support, Slim helps protect cells from the oxidative damage caused by free radicals, all while supporting a healthy glucose metabolism - helping you manage your weight safely and effectively.*

How and when to take Slim: Pour one packet of Plexus Slim into 360-480 mL of water, shake well, and consume once daily half an hour before a meal.

Plexus VitalBiome™
Benefits: A probiotic with clinically-demonstrated ingredients to help improve your health! The formula contains 8 different probiotic strains that that promote a favourable gut flora, helping bring your microbiome back into balance, helping you feel better all around.
How and when to take VitalBiome: Take 1 capsule daily. If you are taking antibiotic(s)or anti-fungal(s), take at least 2-3 hours before or after taking your medication.

Plexus XFactor Plus™
Benefits: XFactor Plus helps you stay healthier and feel better with premium, bioavailable forms of nutrients and vitamins. Helps to maintain and support cognitive and healthy immune function. Boosts metabolism and supports normal thyroid function.
How and when to take XFactor Plus: Take 2 capsules daily with food.

Your health and happiness schedule: what your daily routine might look like

Now that you’ve got a good grasp on what each of our products does, and a general idea of how and when to take them, let’s create a hypothetical product regimen for a typical day.

Morning (daily)

• Slim 30-60 minutes before breakfast (pour into a water bottle, shake, and drink. Done.)
• Plexus VitalBiome (1 capsule) with breakfast
• Plexus XFactor Plus (2 capsules) with breakfast

Morning (as needed)

• Plexus Lean (Vegetarian or Whey) for a quick, healthy breakfast (Vegetarian: 2 scoops in 295 mL - 355 mL cold water; Whey: 2 scoops in 250 mL 1% milk)

Mid-morning (daily)

• Plexus Bio Cleanse (2 capsules, take with 236 mL water)
• Plexus Lean (Vegetarian or Whey) for a snack (Vegetarian: 1 scoop in 145 mL - 175 mL cold water; Whey: 1 scoop in 118 mL 1% milk)

Lunchtime (as needed)

• Plexus Block (2 capsules; take if eating a carb-heavy lunch)
• Plexus Lean (Vegetarian or Whey) for a quick, healthy meal (Vegetarian: 2 scoops in 295 mL – 355 mL cold water; Whey: 2 scoops in 250 mL 1% milk)

Before dinner (daily)

• Plexus Bio Cleanse (2 capsules, take with 236 mL water) (Yes, you can take this twice a day! Between meals or at night is recommended.)

Before dinner (as needed)

• Plexus Block (2 capsules; take if eating a carb-heavy dinner)

Before bed (as needed)

• Plexus Ease (1 capsule)

That’s the recipe for daily health and happiness. You’re welcome.

Only want to take products a couple times a day?

If you’re the type that wants to limit your product-taking to two times a day, no worries. We’ve got a simplified regimen, just for you.

Two times a day
Morning: Slim, XFactor Plus
Night: BioCleanse, Ease

And remember: even if you’re following this simplified routine, you can add Block before a carb-heavy meal (up to twice daily).

Still have questions? We’ve got answers.

Here are some common questions we get about how and when to use certain Plexus products. If you have a question of your own, don’t be afraid to ask a friendly Ambassador, or check out our product pages for more information!

Q: Do I need to refrigerate VitalBiome?
A: It is not necessary to refrigerate VitalBiome. VitalBiome is guaranteed to deliver efficacious amounts of probiotics if stored below 21ºC.

Q: When is the best time to take XFactor Plus?
A: It is recommended that you get into a routine of taking XFactor Plus whenever convenient for you. Those with a sensitive stomach may consider taking it with a meal..

Let’s wrap this up.

The bottom line: these products are for you. Your health and happiness is on the line. Customize your routine to your needs, make adjustments as needed, and enjoy a happier, healthier you!

Disclaimers:
^As part of an energy-reduced diet
*Along with a healthy lifestyle that includes calorie reduction and physical activity

Skincare For Men?: 
Attractive At Any Age

The 4 Commandments of Gym Safety

Gym membership: acquired. Workout gear: donned.

You march in the door with a purpose in your step, a sparkle in your eye, and extra deodorant in your gym bag. Maybe you’ve even signed up for the Plexus^® 60 Day Trim Up^™, so you’re in the running for one of our a-MAZ-ing prizes like Plexus products, shopping sprees and an all-expenses paid VIP Disney experience.

You’ve conquered the hardest part—getting to the gym. But what are you supposed to do with your glorious self, now that you’ve gotten yourself there? Before you get your sweat on, you need to understand the basic rules of keeping safe and healthy in this sort of dynamic, challenging environment.

Commandment 1. Tie up loose ends

Keep those gorgeous locks tied back while you’re in the gym. Anything loose and flowing can get caught on moving parts in the exercise machines or even on hand weights. The same thing goes for oversized or too bagging clothing. You’ll thank us for this suggestion when you’re not begging gym staff to disentangle you from your elliptical’s handlebars or a neighboring weight machine.

Commandment 2. Know your space

Speaking of moving parts, the gym is full of them—they’re called people!

With people constantly criss-crossing between cardio machines, through the weight machines, or scrumming for that one non-ratty yoga mat in the group fitness room, there’s always potential for a collision. Pay attention to your surroundings and look before you swing your weights (or body!) around or start moving through a space where someone else might be doing the same thing.

Oh, and if you’re single—the more aware you are of your environment, the easier it’ll be to run into that attractive weightlifter passing by…on purpose.

Commandment 3. Form matters

Speaking of good-looking weightlifters, it can be awfully tempting to pick the heaviest weight possible and start flinging it around. After all, that looks kinda impressive, right?

Nope. Getting hurt isn’t cute and people who really know what they’re doing won’t be impressed by seeing you flail big weights around. Instead focus on good form instead. Dial the weight or exercise intensity back enough to keep your movements challenging but under control. Two awesome things will happen. One, you’ll look great! (Go on, check yourself out in the mirror—we think you’ll like what you see.) Two, you’ll trim up faster because you’re making your body do more of the work, instead of using momentum.

This applies to anything you might do in the gym from weightlifting to body-weight exercises to the treadmill. Once you find that doing the exercise with good form isn’t as challenging as it used to be, you can dial up the intensity (or weight).

Commandment 4. Stay warm…and cool

We get it: Everybody’s in a hurry, especially during the holidays, the school year, the summer, before work, after work, and during your lunch break. So, pretty much all the time, every day. As tempting as it might be to skip the five- to 10-minute warmup before you work out and five to 10 minutes of cooling down after, you must resist!

Think of the warmup like the on-ramp for a highway: it makes it way easier for your body to get up to speed smoothly. The cooldown is the exit ramp, which gives your body time to adjust back to everyday life.

Taking those extra few minutes will make your workout easier on your heart, feel easier, and is a great excuse to zen out and spend ten minutes listening to your favorite music or watching a TV show.

10 Bittersweet Reasons Why Sugar is Bad for You

You’ve been told to stay away from sweets. But why sugar is bad for you?

Let’s be real, sugar makes everything just a little bit sweeter. But, if you take a closer look at the effects of sugar on your health, you might just begin to wonder how good does something have to taste for you to keep indulging?

Taking it easy on the pastries? Resisting the urge to splurge on the 42 oz. soda? You may still be consuming more sugar than you think.

Bread. Low-fat yogurt. Ketchup. Our diets are laden with sugar—in even the most unexpected places. And the biggest culprits? The foods we most often eat are unknowingly the biggest contributors of sugar in our diets.

Whether or not you consume more sugar than the amount recommended daily by the American Heart Association is up to you—and your doctor. Oh! And, in case you’re wondering, the daily recommend amount of added sugars for most American women is no more than 100 calories per day. For men, that recommended value is no more than 150 calories per day from added sugars.¹

If you’re looking for ways to cut back on sugar intake, there’s plenty of places to start—including some all natural sugar swaps. Where do we think you should start? Learn about what reducing sugar can do for your life. Once you understand the benefits, taking the first step toward a healthier diet is a whole lot easier.

Here are 10 bittersweet reasons why sugar is bad for you.

References

¹http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/circulationaha/120/11/1011.full.pdf

The Power of the Omegas: Chia & Hemp Seeds

Balance. Easier said than found.

Certain seeds may come in handy when it comes to achieving a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Chia and hemp seeds are gaining increasing popularity as legitimate sources of PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids).^1,2

The human body needs these essential fatty acids, but we don’t make them. Totally messed up right? That’s why it’s important to find healthy dietary sources. Chia and hemp seeds help us to consume omega-3 and omega-6, and—bonus!—they tend to come with additional health benefits.³

Chia Seeds

Not all fat is bad. Chia seeds are approximately 40 percent oil. Of this 40 percent, around 60 percent is the plant-based omega-3 fat, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

ALAs can help support healthy cholesterol levels already in the normal range.²

Food preparation

With little to no preparation, chia seeds can easily be incorporated into your diet.^2,3 Use them as salad toppings or additions to soups, pudding, or pasta. They add a mild nutty flavor to oatmeal, yogurt, and smoothies.

Heads up! If you’ve ever experienced swallowing difficulties, you may want to add the seeds to a liquid base first, since they expand in size and could block your throat if swallowed whole. Or, reap the benefits by adding to pancakes or other baked goods.

Hemp Seeds

Like chia, hemp seeds contain ALA, the plant-based omega-3. Dietary hempseed also contains linoleic acid (LA) which is an omega-6.⁷

Since 30 percent of hemp seeps are healthy fats, they’re a healthy, plant-based fatty acid addition to our diets.¹

Protective factors

Because dietary hempseed is high in PUFAs, it tends to provide protection to the heart.¹ And, the ratio of omega-6: omega-3 is also believed to provide relief from some skin conditions. If we are deficient in essential fatty acids, we may notice an increase in dry skin, eczema, and cracked heels.⁴

Essential Omegas

The human body is a well-oiled machine. Essential fatty acids provide much of this natural oil, but our bodies don’t make all of the essentials on its own. Everything from supporting brain health and stress management can be affected by omega-3s.^5,6

Seeds like chia and hemp offer high proportions of the plant-based version of these essential fatty acids.

> Learn about “The Complete Omega Product”: MegaX®

> Share your recipes featuring Chia Seeds on Facebook!

References

1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17122327

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3518271/

3 https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000727.htm

4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3931201/

5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2826215/

6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2174995/

7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4189990/

11 Foods That Promote Heart Health

Your heart. The organ of love. And life. Your heart works tirelessly to pump blood throughout your body. And, it needs a little TLC.
Caring for your heart starts with a heart-healthy diet, exercise, and stress management.¹ We’ve compiled a list of top heart healthy foods to help you eat your way to cardiovascular health.

1. Fish high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Salmon, tuna, sardines, and other oily fish are all high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Eating two 3.5 ounce servings of fish high in Omega-3s per week can have a positive impact on your heart health.² The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times a week.³
You can also take a plant-based Omega supplement like Plexus MegaX^®. MegaX contains a full spectrum of Omega-3 fatty acids derived from AHIFLOWER® Oil—an effective and sustainable source of omega-3 PUFA.⁴ Oh! And no fishy aftertaste!

2. Nuts

A single serving of nuts can contain unsaturated fats, omega-3s, vitamin E, and fiber.⁵ Nuts can be a high-calorie snack so read the labels and keep in mind portion control.

3. Whole Grains

Foods rich in whole grains, cereal fiber and bran—like whole-grain bread and pasta, brown rice, barley and quinoa—are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play a role in heart health.⁶ Substitute these for refined grains like white, refined flour/bread and egg noodles.

4. Red Wine

If you choose to partake, the moderate consumption of red wine can have heart-healthy benefits.⁷

5. Dark Chocolate

Chocolate containing over 70 percent cocoa is a good source of the antioxidant flavanol—known for its ability to improve heart health.⁸

6. Beans

Beans, beans, the magical fruit. They’re chockfull of soluble fiber helping you feel full longer and have been known to help in lowering cholesterol levels.⁸

7. Citrus Fruit

Oranges, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits are high in the flavonoid, hesperidin and its heart healthy glory.⁹

8. Tomatoes

High in antioxidants, vitamin C, lycopene, folate, and more, tomatoes include several nutrients that have been shown to lower your LDL cholesterol and your blood pressure.¹⁰

9. Berries

Berries are high in polyphenols, super-healthy antioxidants, and fiber. All of which have been shown to improve heart health. Eating a full serving of berries—especially blueberries and strawberries—once a week can have a positive impact on your heart.¹¹

10. Oatmeal

Both steel-cut and old-fashioned oats offer heart health benefits.¹²

11. Olive Oil

Olive oil contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids which can help to lower your LDL cholesterol while increasing your HDL cholesterol.¹³ The foods you choose can have a significant impact on your cardiovascular health. Show your heart some love with a heart-healthy diet.

References

¹ https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/healthy_living.htm
² http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/omega-3/art-20045614
³ http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/HealthyDietGoals/Fish-and-Omega-3-Fatty-Acids_UCM_303248_Article.jsp#.WJoLpRCBL30
⁴ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23417895
⁵ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/nuts/art-20046635
⁶ http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2013/06/26/ajcn.113.067629.abstract
⁷ http://www.bmj.com/content/310/6988/1165
⁸ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26026398
⁹ http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/93/1/73.short
¹⁰ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12587984
¹¹ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068482/
¹² https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25267241
¹³ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26148918

7 Ways to Keep Healthy Habits from Hibernating

As the weather begins to drop from fun to frigid, the motivation to keep healthy habits begins to tail off. Next thing you know, it’s been weeks since your last workout and you may or may not have just purchased your favorite treat at the grocery store.

Although it’s tempting to welcome the winter season with an increase in Netflix and naps, there are plenty of activities in and around the house to help you stay healthy.

Exercising to increase your heart rate, eating more fruits and vegetables to combat fatty holiday foods, and spending time in the sun can yield great results for your health. If office hours or other responsibilities prevent time in the sun, Plexus XFactor™ Family Chewables provide 1000 IUs of Vitamin D, so you can get all of the necessary nutrients this winter.^*

No need to write your New Year’s resolution to reclaim your healthy routines. Here are seven easy-to-follow suggestions to ensure your healthy habits don’t hibernate this winter.

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