Garden of Life was founded in 2000 by Jordan Rubin, author of The Maker's Diet. Jordan, at the age of 19, was overcome by Crohn's Disease, an “incurable disease”. After visiting over 70 health care professionals in 7 countries, totaling over 500 different treatments – all of which failed - Jordan was sent home to die.

Jordan however had different plans. With serious determination to find a cure and a refusal to give up on himself, Jordan fought his way back to health. Since his recovery seven years ago, he has yet to show any symptoms of the disease which nearly took his life.

After attempting so many different therapies, with so many different doctors and health care providers, Jordan knew that the method he discovered to bring back his health was not an available one, nor was it looked upon favorably by the medical community. He also knew that by simply becoming a licensed doctor himself, he would be limited to the number of patients he could actually help.

So Jordan shared his method of healing with the entire world by creating Garden of Life. He brought his health back with what is now referred to as “The Maker's Diet," a 40 day health experience that will change the way you live, and consequently the way you feel. The 40 day approach is the beginning of a total lifestyle change that will convince you that it is worth the effort to make it a permanent change.

The Maker's Diet, like Garden of Life 's company principles and their products, is based on the four pillars of health: Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and Emotional.

The physical involves a commitment to diet and nutrition, exercise, hygiene and body therapies. The mental involves being in control of your thoughts and therefore the tasks at hand. The spiritual is a connection with “The Creator and His supreme purpose.” Although “The Maker” refers to the god of the bible, The Maker's Diet still benefits people who do not share that same belief system because it lines up with historically proven dietary principles and with science. And the emotional pillar is interrelated with the other three pillars, as emotional health promotes physical health, and vice versa.

The Maker's Diet 40 day plan is based upon biblical precepts, such as eating organic whole foods, and the scientific resources to prove just how and why it works. Garden of Life 's products are based upon the same principles. They are comprised of whole foods that your body recognizes and, more importantly, utilizes. Most vitamins and supplements are comprised of isolated nutrients that are difficult for the body to recognize and often more difficult to digest. These isolated nutrients are not delivered in the correct form, and they in turn pass through the body, unrecognized, and therefore wasted.

Garden of Life creates products that are alive with enzymes and beneficial bioorganisms that your body recognizes and puts to use. They use a special patented system, the Poten-Zyme fermentation process, that can take up to 21 days to complete, before the product is ready for market. This process makes the products “more digestible or bioavailable, unlocks unique nutrient compounds, enriches them with probiotic cultures, and preserves and increases nutritional value.”

Jordan Rubin, along with the employees of Garden of Life , is dedicated to empowering consumers to attain and maintain extraordinary health. Their ultimate goal is no small one: to change the way the world eats and lives.

Are you ready to join the health revolution? Wellfx.com carries the full line of Garden of Life supplements, so whether you are interested in a high quality multi-vitamin or if you are following the guidelines of The Maker's Diet and using the Clenzology program, we have the products you need to create and maintain great health.

The Power of Choice -
The fast food industry is making some needed changes.

After reading about two obese teenagers from his home state of West Virginia who unsuccessfully sued McDonald's for making them overweight, Morgan Spurlock's documentary “Supersize Me” was born. Spurlock's mission was to eat 3 meals a day for 30 days at McDonalds; his goal was to prove whether or not the food at McDonald's was in fact the culprit for the teens' obesity.

Spurlock gained almost 25 lbs, raised his cholesterol and triglyceride levels up to alarming numbers, pickled his kidneys, and, overall, felt miserable unless he was eating.

What did he learn that we didn't know already?

Doubling your daily caloric intake and consuming over 5,000 calories a day, from foods loaded with sugars and fats, will cause you to gain weight. Not getting sufficient exercise, deliberately, can cause you to gain weight. Eating fast food three times a day for 30 days, is not good for your health and will probably cause you to gain weight.

We all knew that.

But as it turns out, the documentary has made an impression on the fast food industry. And maybe this was Spurlock's ideal goal – to bring about awareness and change.

Around the same time "Supersize Me" was premiering, McDonald's eliminated their “Supersize” menu. The restaurant claims there is no connection. And around that exact same time, the McDonald's chief, James Cantalupo, who introduced entree salads and was a key figure in eliminating the Supersize menu, died at the age of 60 from an apparent heart attack (Time Magazine May 3, 2003).

At first McDonald's had no direct response to "Supersize Me". Perhaps fearing that silence would lead consumers to believe that McDonald's was admitting their guilt, the fast food chain has recently launched a multi-million dollar campaign to counter the documentary's message.

McDonald's, like most fast food companies, target children with their ads, their play grounds, their kids' meals, etc. This is no secret either. But McDonald's new ads are displaying a new message and some new products, and we've got to give them credit for trying.

One ad I found recently in Entertainment Weekly shows two boys dressed as super heroes, masked and caped proclaiming in all lower case letters, “now i've got the power of choice.” The ad is for McDonald's new kids' items: Chocolate Milk, Apple Juice, and Apple Dippers with chocolate dipping sauce.

Juice and chocolate milk are novel replacements for soda. I'm not sure if the Apple Dippers are desert or french fry replacements with chocolate instead of catsup, and they appear to be dried or somehow preserved – but still, McDonald's is making an effort, and I think it's great.

Americans like fast food, and at some point, each one of us is bound to eat it, even if we say we never do, and especially if we are regular customers. Armed with the power of choice, you can make your fast food experience a bit more healthy. WebMD's own registered dietitian, Kathleen Zelman, breaks down what to avoid and what to consider at five popular fast food restaurants, in WebMD's new article on eating smart .

Basically, avoid the Big Macs and Big Bacon Classics. Opt instead for salads with half of the dressing, junior and regular burgers with no mayo, tacos, chili and soups with no bacon or cheese. Steer clear of double meat sandwiches, large fries, and loaded baked potatoes. If you choose wisely you can actually keep your calorie intake under 300, which makes for a healthy, filling meal.

American commerce is controlled by demand. The more Big Macs we consume, the more Big Macs McDonald's needs to make. So, the more low calorie portions we consume, the more options the fast food industry will create to supply the demand. As consumers we control the fast food market, so use your power of choice to continue making a difference. The fast food industry will continue to respond with healthier choices.

Resources:

Spitting Chips, McDonald's Fight Back

Morgan Spurlock's Blog

Supersize Me Homepage

WebMD Fast Food Finder