We all know that processed convenience foods are not good for us. Right? RIGHT? Of course we know that. One of the reasons...as if we needed another...is preservatives. What I'm about to tell you, be it hearsay or not, may convince you to never eat another 'preserved' food again. Apparently, Americans consume so many preservative-laden foods each and every day that when we die, our bodies are not decomposing like they should. Everything about that is just GROSS.
Did you know that typical grocery store brands of vitamins are so full of synthetic ingredients, that when port-o-potty companies clean them out they find whole vitamins in the holding tanks? Those aren't the kind of vitamins I'd want to take. I mean, what's the point? I've heard the ridiculous argument before about why you shouldn't bother paying more for quality vitamins...the only difference it makes is that you have expensive pee. I guess the port-o-potty findings take that to a whole new level.
You know all those food packages and signs at fast-food restaurants that claim 'No Trans Fats!'? I'm sure you've seen them and been comforted by their presence. Did you know that when you eat a food that contains hydrogenated oils that when your body processes them they get turned into trans fats? Did you know? Well you do now. Nice marketing ploy guys, but we're on to you.
Don't fall for these advertising scams that claim 'corn sugar' (high fructose corn syrup) is a natural product. No it's not!! By whose freaking dumb ass standards??? Since HFCS has gotten such a bad rap, industry will try and cover their asses by changing the same to something so harmless sounding as 'corn sugar'. How dumb do they think we are? At this point I would hope that we are all aware of the damage that HFCS does to our bodies. If not, read up folks. Educate yourselves. However natural the (GMO, but that's a whole different blog) ingredients used to make HFCS or corn sugar started out, rest assured that by the time they make it onto the shelf in the grocery store they have been processed beyond the point that they can be recognized as a natural food item.
I repeat, educate yourselves. The government is not looking out for us. The FDA and USDA have taken on a whole new meaning in my vocabulary, and those letters stand for something I shouldn't write here. The best we can do is arm ourselves with knowledge. We can all be healthier, and it really doesn't mean making huge extreme changes. Pay attention to what you eat. Read labels in the grocery store and have a list of ingredients that you avoid. If that's too much work, then at least stick to the outer rim of the grocery and skip all the processed stuff in the middle. None of us needs it. I may have eaten a big, fat, beautiful reuben sandwich yesterday, but you bet it was organic pumpernickel bread, and organic 1000 Island, and organic sauerkraut. Maybe the ingredients aren't the healthiest to begin with, but splurging on a less than ideal meal once in a while isn't going kill you as long as you put it together with the best ingredients you can.
A friend of mine posted a blog today about how important it is that we take care of ourselves and I couldn't agree more. You're the only one of you there is and you've only got one body and it shouldn't end up mummified because of your diet. No one else is going to take care of it for you, so get to it!!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
File Under H for Healthfood
I don't use the word 'ginormous' lightly. In fact, I don't ever use it cause I don't like it. But it is the only word I can come up with appropriate and accurate enough to describe the size of the big, fat reuben sandwich that just came out of my panini maker. And I am going to eat every last gorgeous bite of it.
I saw a fitness tip written somewhere today that basically said if you aren't having the weight loss you want but are working out like a fiend, it could be because you are not taking in enough calories. Well how about that. So, either slow down on working out, or step it up in the eating department. Sounds good to me. I'm pretty sure that the idea is to eat healthy stuff like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, etc. But for some reason I think my body has gotten the wrong idea.
See, I love food. I eat just about anything, I'm not picky. There are certain things I purposely leave out of my diet, but it isn't because I don't like them. In fact, there really isn't much I don't like. Since I was little, I've always been easy with food...not like one of those kids who will only eat three things, and they're all...white, or breaded, or whatever. No sir, not me. So naturally as we get older, this could present a problem. Metabolism slows down, life picks up. We get busy with kids, jobs, life, and convenience foods get the better of us. We gain weight and it gets harder and harder to lose it. Hopefully we pick up a fitness program and stick to it. I have, and I'm loving it. I work really hard, and I feel good, and feel good about myself. Maybe I work really hard so I can eat whatever I want.
Last night when I got home from the gym after an hour long workout it was already waaaay past dinnertime. For so many reasons, after a workout I usually go for my recovery drink. Of course, I'm out of it. I need the calories, and considering the time of day I don't want anything too heavy. So instead of making another equally healthy choice, I go to the freezer and pull out the strawberry ice cream. There's this little voice in my head asking what the heck do I think I'm doing, don't do that! I shut the voice off and reach for the ice cream scoop. As the third pretty pink lump falls in bowl, my dear husband walks up. His eyebrows go up as I drizzle the bowl with chocolate syrup, and his mouth hits the floor as I reach for the can of whipped cream. He begins to comment on what I'm doing, and I simply tell him that he just better hope I keep working out.
Can we have ice cream for dinner? Who am I to say no? I'm just making sure I get enough calories to keep myself going. So now I've got this big, fat reuben willing to help me out. Musn't keep Reuben waiting!
I saw a fitness tip written somewhere today that basically said if you aren't having the weight loss you want but are working out like a fiend, it could be because you are not taking in enough calories. Well how about that. So, either slow down on working out, or step it up in the eating department. Sounds good to me. I'm pretty sure that the idea is to eat healthy stuff like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, etc. But for some reason I think my body has gotten the wrong idea.
See, I love food. I eat just about anything, I'm not picky. There are certain things I purposely leave out of my diet, but it isn't because I don't like them. In fact, there really isn't much I don't like. Since I was little, I've always been easy with food...not like one of those kids who will only eat three things, and they're all...white, or breaded, or whatever. No sir, not me. So naturally as we get older, this could present a problem. Metabolism slows down, life picks up. We get busy with kids, jobs, life, and convenience foods get the better of us. We gain weight and it gets harder and harder to lose it. Hopefully we pick up a fitness program and stick to it. I have, and I'm loving it. I work really hard, and I feel good, and feel good about myself. Maybe I work really hard so I can eat whatever I want.
Last night when I got home from the gym after an hour long workout it was already waaaay past dinnertime. For so many reasons, after a workout I usually go for my recovery drink. Of course, I'm out of it. I need the calories, and considering the time of day I don't want anything too heavy. So instead of making another equally healthy choice, I go to the freezer and pull out the strawberry ice cream. There's this little voice in my head asking what the heck do I think I'm doing, don't do that! I shut the voice off and reach for the ice cream scoop. As the third pretty pink lump falls in bowl, my dear husband walks up. His eyebrows go up as I drizzle the bowl with chocolate syrup, and his mouth hits the floor as I reach for the can of whipped cream. He begins to comment on what I'm doing, and I simply tell him that he just better hope I keep working out.
Can we have ice cream for dinner? Who am I to say no? I'm just making sure I get enough calories to keep myself going. So now I've got this big, fat reuben willing to help me out. Musn't keep Reuben waiting!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Mom vs. Vomit
Kids and cleaning products were made for each other. As were kids and candy, kids and puppies, kids and padlocks, kids and boarding schools.... *ahem* sorry, I got carried away. But seriously, what would one do without the other? My kids, as I'm sure yours are too, are capable of the most fantastic messes my imagination couldn't hope to compete with. The Cat in the Hat's got nothing on them. I always say crumbs seep out of their pores and they can destroy an entire room (that it took me 3 hours to make sparkle) in 3 minutes flat.
One of the most common things I come across in my daily cleaning is spots. Spots on the couch, spots on the carpet, spots on laundry. Some of those spots take more of the shape of intentional marker scribbles, but who's counting? So, I arm myself with cleaning products (non-toxic of course) and go to work removing spots from every surface. Another day, another load of laundry full of stains and spots. Lucky for me I have this Shaklee stuff called Nature Bright to remove the evidence of 'having a good time', as my mom always says. Without Nature Bright, a lot more stuff would go in the Goodwill pile because of stains. I am secure in the knowledge that there is not a spot I can't conquer with Nature Bright. I absolutely will not use chlorine bleach or any other stain removers (or cleaners, detergents, soaps, etc.) that will maim, directly or indirectly kill you, irritate the heck out of your skin, cause an asthma attack, or at the very least make your eyes water. I believe that last statement covers probably 95% of the stuff that is sold in grocery stores. Anyway...
As I mentioned in another post, my 9 year old son is involved in Taekwondo. This past weekend there was a tournament two states away from us, which involved about six hours of driving, an overnight stay with relatives and a 55 MPH ice rink commonly known as I-294.
The boy has participated in quite a few tournaments before, and never really had a case of 'the nerves'. That is MY job, and I do it well. So, what happened this past Saturday probably can't be explained away as nervousness. This was a smaller tournament than the last one and he felt very prepared for the events he participated in, even excited to compete in one particular event for the first time.
As we turn onto the street of the high school where the tournament took place, I hear a meek little 'Mom, I don't feel so good' from the back seat. I swear it was slow motion...I turn around in my seat while simultaneously asking 'Are you going to barf?' and grabbing the nearest plastic bag. I got it in his hands not a second too soon. Thinking it may have been nervousness, we sat in the car a few extra minutes for him to chill out (and see whether there would be a repeat), then headed inside. He seemed ok, if a little wigged out, and was even able to laugh about it a little. He managed to get through his first two events, even placing 2nd in one of them, before it was time to toss the cookies again. Thank goodness for extra large garbage cans on wheels.
His next two events were a couple hours away, so we bundled him up with our coats and he chilled out in a corner with a Sprite and some crackers to wait. One or two more trips to the garbage can and he seemed to really perk up, like whatever it was might have been out of his system. With the help of another TKD mom, we got him to agree to participate in one more event, which he did, and then we headed back to our relatives house an hour or so away. We hadn't quite turned into their subdivision when I heard the distinct sound of liquid hitting the bottom of a bag. A paper bag. That leaked. All over the seat and the stark white pants of his TKD leadership uniform, which ran us a cool $150. The poor kid had to strip in the car and hang around pants-less while I ran in the house to collect all our junk and bring him new clothes. Another hour or so car ride later and we're home in time for him to lose it again, this time into the kitchen garbage can.
The barfed-on TKD uniform pants came out of the wash sparkling clean and restored to their original bright white...or so I thought until I investigated the inside of the pants, and found the evidence that this really was a flu bug, and not a case of the nerves. But hey, what did I say about conquering stains? That's right. I'm not afraid. Already through the washer and dryer usually means an item is doomed, but not at my house!! And this is one stain there can't be ANY evidence left of, EVER. Nature Bright to the rescue once again.
So bring it on, life! Hit me with whatever stains you've got, I'll conquer them all - blood, sweat and tears...and vomit - and do it safely with non-toxic products. But really, I can wait quite a while before being put to the test again. At least until AFTER the next taekwondo tournament. And please, no blood!!
One of the most common things I come across in my daily cleaning is spots. Spots on the couch, spots on the carpet, spots on laundry. Some of those spots take more of the shape of intentional marker scribbles, but who's counting? So, I arm myself with cleaning products (non-toxic of course) and go to work removing spots from every surface. Another day, another load of laundry full of stains and spots. Lucky for me I have this Shaklee stuff called Nature Bright to remove the evidence of 'having a good time', as my mom always says. Without Nature Bright, a lot more stuff would go in the Goodwill pile because of stains. I am secure in the knowledge that there is not a spot I can't conquer with Nature Bright. I absolutely will not use chlorine bleach or any other stain removers (or cleaners, detergents, soaps, etc.) that will maim, directly or indirectly kill you, irritate the heck out of your skin, cause an asthma attack, or at the very least make your eyes water. I believe that last statement covers probably 95% of the stuff that is sold in grocery stores. Anyway...
As I mentioned in another post, my 9 year old son is involved in Taekwondo. This past weekend there was a tournament two states away from us, which involved about six hours of driving, an overnight stay with relatives and a 55 MPH ice rink commonly known as I-294.
The boy has participated in quite a few tournaments before, and never really had a case of 'the nerves'. That is MY job, and I do it well. So, what happened this past Saturday probably can't be explained away as nervousness. This was a smaller tournament than the last one and he felt very prepared for the events he participated in, even excited to compete in one particular event for the first time.
As we turn onto the street of the high school where the tournament took place, I hear a meek little 'Mom, I don't feel so good' from the back seat. I swear it was slow motion...I turn around in my seat while simultaneously asking 'Are you going to barf?' and grabbing the nearest plastic bag. I got it in his hands not a second too soon. Thinking it may have been nervousness, we sat in the car a few extra minutes for him to chill out (and see whether there would be a repeat), then headed inside. He seemed ok, if a little wigged out, and was even able to laugh about it a little. He managed to get through his first two events, even placing 2nd in one of them, before it was time to toss the cookies again. Thank goodness for extra large garbage cans on wheels.
His next two events were a couple hours away, so we bundled him up with our coats and he chilled out in a corner with a Sprite and some crackers to wait. One or two more trips to the garbage can and he seemed to really perk up, like whatever it was might have been out of his system. With the help of another TKD mom, we got him to agree to participate in one more event, which he did, and then we headed back to our relatives house an hour or so away. We hadn't quite turned into their subdivision when I heard the distinct sound of liquid hitting the bottom of a bag. A paper bag. That leaked. All over the seat and the stark white pants of his TKD leadership uniform, which ran us a cool $150. The poor kid had to strip in the car and hang around pants-less while I ran in the house to collect all our junk and bring him new clothes. Another hour or so car ride later and we're home in time for him to lose it again, this time into the kitchen garbage can.
The barfed-on TKD uniform pants came out of the wash sparkling clean and restored to their original bright white...or so I thought until I investigated the inside of the pants, and found the evidence that this really was a flu bug, and not a case of the nerves. But hey, what did I say about conquering stains? That's right. I'm not afraid. Already through the washer and dryer usually means an item is doomed, but not at my house!! And this is one stain there can't be ANY evidence left of, EVER. Nature Bright to the rescue once again.
So bring it on, life! Hit me with whatever stains you've got, I'll conquer them all - blood, sweat and tears...and vomit - and do it safely with non-toxic products. But really, I can wait quite a while before being put to the test again. At least until AFTER the next taekwondo tournament. And please, no blood!!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Getting the Axe
A few years ago when I found out about dangerous chemicals in the home, aside from cleaning products, one of the first things I changed was the personal products we were using - shampoo, soap, lotions, etc. I was surfing one day and came across a website you've probably heard of by now - Environmental Working Group or EWG. These folks are fantastic and both their main and sister websites (Skin Deep Cosmetics Database) are so full of information, you could spend days just reading and reading. Which, I did. I read so much, used the database to search for the products I had at home to see their safety levels, read about which ingredients to avoid, etc. I armed myself with knowledge that I have been using ever since.
I am careful when I shop for products that go on our bodies, because as safe as so many products may seem...they are not. There are ingredients that cause cancer, endocrine disruption, asthma, allergies, reproductive toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation...I mean, WHAT??? These are popular grocery and department store brands!! I don't want that stuff on me, let alone MY KIDS. So, I became the soap nazi. No chemicals for you!
I've held onto this for quite a few years now...since Alex was probably 2, and he's 9 now. So...he's 9 now. Becoming independent, wanting to do what his friends do, following trends, and all that good stuff. One of the things some of his friends do is use this oh-so-manly product called Axe. I'm sure you've seen the fascinating commercials - a guy turns to chocolate and the girls eat him, and of course the 'clean balls' one. If you haven't...feel free to youtube it, I'll wait here.
So there we are at the grocery store, and the boy wants to 'go smell Axe'. I don't mind humoring him once in a while, so no biggie, we'll go smell Axe. My first course of action is to read the label. Upon picking up the bottle and turning it over, the first thing I notice is the Recommended Usage. It has this nice little diagram done in the spirit of 'later, rinse, repeat'. Axe's label basically says 'shower, and the girls will be on you like white on rice'. But, not in so many words. Check it out sometime. I literally laughed out loud when I saw it. Alex looked a little hurt, like I was digging at him personally. Moving on to the ingredient label, I didn't immediately see any of the red flag ingredients I commonly look for, which was VERY surprising. 'Fragrance' is always a concern, and of course that is practically the #1 ingredient. Ok that's an exaggeration, but it should be...I mean, have you smelled this stuff? I have and let me tell you, I started sneezing right there in the Man Aisle of Woodman's. VERY potent stuff.
Naturally, there is no way I am going to buy this garbage and bring it into our house to pollute his little body...not to mention my indoor air quality. I do NOT want my little boy to smell like 'a hunk of man candy'. Completely inappropriate and unnecessary! I think at this point he is under the impression that because he got me into the aisle, we will be taking home one of these offensive bottles of poison. HA! No way!
As we are lightly arguing about it, a man about my dad's age comes and stands in front of us at the Axe display, and starts smelling the different scents. Alex grabs his favorite and throws it in the cart, then in true character informs me that the last item we need to get is Ding Dongs. I inform him (and indirectly the man in the aisle) that if he uses this Axe garbage, he is going to smell like a ding dong. His resolve to buy the product does not waver, but the man turns around laughing, puts the bottle of Axe back on the shelf and walks away! Yay, one point for Bonnie!!
To make a long story short, Axe came home with us that day. I know, I know, it is completely the opposite of everything I normally do and buy and believe in and everything else. Once in a while I give in to the puppy-dog eyes and the lower lip and the please please please I'll do anything you want I'll clean my room every day and scoop the litter box and anything else please please PLEASE. Well, not only does the boy use Axe every day, but dear husband (the traitor!) uses it too. As my dad would say, they walk around smelling like a couple of French Who-ers.
It's a funny thing, this resistance I get. I'm only trying to do the best for them and keep them safe. GOSH. Why can't they just conform and not want the bad stuff?! I don't know. Maybe a couple more brainwashing sessions are in order (I got the boy to go Vegan for about two weeks once!). Something has to be done though, cause one day I will set him loose on the rest of the world and hope he makes the right choices.
Someday he will have a family with kids who may resist him, and I will have to remind him of the time he got rebellious and resistant and used Axe body spray as air freshener in his room, then called out 'HA, MOM! Now my room is HYDROGENATED!!'
*Shameless Shaklee plug: Shaklee has a full line of SAFE products, including skin care, hair care, and body products. Check it out Shaklee Personal Products
www.ewg.org
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Compost: It's green, but it sure is ugly.
On this snowy day in January, I am at home cleaning my house and doing chores and taking the occasional break to geek out on the computer. My friend's daughter is coming home on the bus with my kids after school, so I figure it's high time to get rid of the compost situation growing on my kitchen counter. It's getting ugly.
Our house is on a one-acre lot, and both sides of the lot are very brushy and overgrown and very conducive to composting. I have a little area bordered with chicken wire with stakes in the corners to hold it up, and I toss in all of our kitchen scraps, fireplace ashes, and some yard waste in there throughout the year.
My compost system is as follows: I have an antique enamelware pee-bucket with a lid (yep, I said pee-bucket) on the counter, and all of my appropriate food scraps go in the bucket. The full bucket then gets either taken right out to the compost pile, or depending on how busy I am in the house I may empty it into a big kitty-litter bucket that I keep on the back porch. Then when that bucket is full, it gets taken out and dumped on the pile. Saves us a lot of garbage, and I have peace of mind knowing that my kitchen scraps are not sitting in an impermeable plastic bag somewhere, not biodegrading as they should. Yay, me!
There are a lot of specifics about composting - what you're supposed to compost and what you're not, turning, temperature, nitrogen, ratios, etc. I like to call MY way of composting The Lazy Person's Compost System. I dump it on, it rots. Maybe next year I stir it up and spread it in the garden (my tomato plants get monstrous!). Hey, my system works. And at least I'm composting at all.
But then it gets cold out. Then frosty. Then frigid. Then frozen tundra crispy nose-hair cold. Yay, let's go dump the compost! NOT. So naturally, I end up with a full bucket on the back porch, a full bucket on the kitchen counter, and then I might even grab another container and start filling that. This will get transferred to the back porch when it's full, too, keep it nice and cold. Yuck, right? You betcha.
Again, today I am home doing chores. Part of cleaning the kitchen is dealing with what my husband affectionately calls The Rot Bowl. To begin, I empty the ashes from wood-burning stove into a paper grocery bag, then pile some old bread and banana peels and stuff on top of the ashes. My intention is to get all geared up in boots and coat and heavy gloves, and take this beast out to the pile where it belongs.
But I haven't. It's on the back porch. And it's stinky. I'd like to think that when the kids get home from school I can bribe the boy to go dump it for me by paying him 2 bucks or something. But he's way smarter than that. I'm on my own. Buck up and get out there, Bonnie.
Remind me again why I compost? Hmmpf. I mean...YAY, I LOVE IT! GO GREEN!
Our house is on a one-acre lot, and both sides of the lot are very brushy and overgrown and very conducive to composting. I have a little area bordered with chicken wire with stakes in the corners to hold it up, and I toss in all of our kitchen scraps, fireplace ashes, and some yard waste in there throughout the year.
My compost system is as follows: I have an antique enamelware pee-bucket with a lid (yep, I said pee-bucket) on the counter, and all of my appropriate food scraps go in the bucket. The full bucket then gets either taken right out to the compost pile, or depending on how busy I am in the house I may empty it into a big kitty-litter bucket that I keep on the back porch. Then when that bucket is full, it gets taken out and dumped on the pile. Saves us a lot of garbage, and I have peace of mind knowing that my kitchen scraps are not sitting in an impermeable plastic bag somewhere, not biodegrading as they should. Yay, me!
There are a lot of specifics about composting - what you're supposed to compost and what you're not, turning, temperature, nitrogen, ratios, etc. I like to call MY way of composting The Lazy Person's Compost System. I dump it on, it rots. Maybe next year I stir it up and spread it in the garden (my tomato plants get monstrous!). Hey, my system works. And at least I'm composting at all.
But then it gets cold out. Then frosty. Then frigid. Then frozen tundra crispy nose-hair cold. Yay, let's go dump the compost! NOT. So naturally, I end up with a full bucket on the back porch, a full bucket on the kitchen counter, and then I might even grab another container and start filling that. This will get transferred to the back porch when it's full, too, keep it nice and cold. Yuck, right? You betcha.
Again, today I am home doing chores. Part of cleaning the kitchen is dealing with what my husband affectionately calls The Rot Bowl. To begin, I empty the ashes from wood-burning stove into a paper grocery bag, then pile some old bread and banana peels and stuff on top of the ashes. My intention is to get all geared up in boots and coat and heavy gloves, and take this beast out to the pile where it belongs.
But I haven't. It's on the back porch. And it's stinky. I'd like to think that when the kids get home from school I can bribe the boy to go dump it for me by paying him 2 bucks or something. But he's way smarter than that. I'm on my own. Buck up and get out there, Bonnie.
Remind me again why I compost? Hmmpf. I mean...YAY, I LOVE IT! GO GREEN!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Cheer up, baby chick!
This post is pretty personal and a bit of a testimonial, but will also hopefully serve as a ray of hope to some folks out there who deal with mood disorders or behavioral issues, whether in themselves or their family or friends.
My son recently turned 9. He's a great kid, smart, very social, active in Taekwondo. He is mine, I own him, and I love him to pieces. I don't care how 'cool' he is...I will grab him and kiss him and squeeze the daylights out of him any time I please. That's my boy. My first, my oldest, my son. Any parent knows what I'm talking about, you will do anything for your kids!
From the time he was a baby we knew we were in for a heck of ride - he has always been strong-willed. At first it may seem an undesirable quality, especially in a small child, but strong-willed can be good! If cultivated correctly, he can turn into one determined, confident, knows-what-he-wants-and-does-what-it-takes-to-get-it adult. But recently he has seemed...out of sorts. Honestly, he's been a miserable shit. Moping around, being nasty with a bad attitude, seemingly upset or angry all the time. I've had a hard time even talking to him because he's immediately defensive and angry. This has not made for very pleasant family time! I want my happy little boy back.
I've done a lot of thinking and worrying about him. Should we see a counselor? Is there something 'wrong' with him? What am I doing wrong as a parent? OMG, should he be medicated? Maybe I'm not strict enough. Maybe I'm TOO strict. Could it be diet or allergies? Do we not give him enough attention? WTF is his PROBLEM?!?!
As you may know, I am very health conscious and do what I can here at home with natural remedies first. Naturally the first thing I think of is food allergies. Maybe there's something he is eating that makes him act out. It's certainly not unheard of! (Food coloring is a big offender when it comes to behavior). Over the past couple years I have cut the artificially colored, flavored and processed foods down to very little here at home. No cow's milk, no meat with 'added hormones', etc. Naturally, it's hard to control what goes on at the school lunch table or at friend's houses or where ever, but we do our best where we live and spend most of our time. Unfortunately, this hasn't helped a whole lot with his attitude.
Being a Shaklee distributor, I've learned so much about what supplements do what for you, and what happens when you're deficient. One of the first things you learn is that B vitamins are your 'happy pill'. Sounds good! Bottoms up, boy! (And husband, and mother, and sister, and...kidding, kidding!) So I've been giving the child a single B Complex tablet every morning with his breakfast, along with another Shaklee product called Moodlift Complex. Moodlift contains St. John's Wort along with a proprietary blend that helps the St. John's Wort be more effective.
We've been doing this for a week now, and the difference is AMAZING. He wakes up in the morning joking and energetic. I've been communicating with his teacher by email all this week, and she has said that the boy is much more focused and on task at school all day. When he comes home from school he actually speaks to me and tells me how his day was! He is agreeable and hasn't been nearly as argumentative as before. The negativity is not completely gone, but it is so far in the background that if I was not overly conscious of it I'm not sure I would realize it was there.
I guess my point here is sometimes a little bit of the right stuff can make all the difference in the world. Nutrition is such a huge part of our lives, and so many people don't realize how important it is and how it affects SO MUCH of what we do. Too many times people resort to heavy medications to 'fix' a behavior that could easily be remedied by changes in diet or by supplementing a deficiency. Not all cases of course...there are many children that need the heavier stuff on a daily basis, and there's nothing wrong with that. Simple solutions aren't always going to work for everyone, I'm not trying to say they are. But if you've been feeling down, don't run to the doc and get a prescription for Zoloft. Try a natural remedy first - diet, fitness and nutrition. You might be surprised!
My son recently turned 9. He's a great kid, smart, very social, active in Taekwondo. He is mine, I own him, and I love him to pieces. I don't care how 'cool' he is...I will grab him and kiss him and squeeze the daylights out of him any time I please. That's my boy. My first, my oldest, my son. Any parent knows what I'm talking about, you will do anything for your kids!
From the time he was a baby we knew we were in for a heck of ride - he has always been strong-willed. At first it may seem an undesirable quality, especially in a small child, but strong-willed can be good! If cultivated correctly, he can turn into one determined, confident, knows-what-he-wants-and-does-what-it-takes-to-get-it adult. But recently he has seemed...out of sorts. Honestly, he's been a miserable shit. Moping around, being nasty with a bad attitude, seemingly upset or angry all the time. I've had a hard time even talking to him because he's immediately defensive and angry. This has not made for very pleasant family time! I want my happy little boy back.
I've done a lot of thinking and worrying about him. Should we see a counselor? Is there something 'wrong' with him? What am I doing wrong as a parent? OMG, should he be medicated? Maybe I'm not strict enough. Maybe I'm TOO strict. Could it be diet or allergies? Do we not give him enough attention? WTF is his PROBLEM?!?!
As you may know, I am very health conscious and do what I can here at home with natural remedies first. Naturally the first thing I think of is food allergies. Maybe there's something he is eating that makes him act out. It's certainly not unheard of! (Food coloring is a big offender when it comes to behavior). Over the past couple years I have cut the artificially colored, flavored and processed foods down to very little here at home. No cow's milk, no meat with 'added hormones', etc. Naturally, it's hard to control what goes on at the school lunch table or at friend's houses or where ever, but we do our best where we live and spend most of our time. Unfortunately, this hasn't helped a whole lot with his attitude.
Being a Shaklee distributor, I've learned so much about what supplements do what for you, and what happens when you're deficient. One of the first things you learn is that B vitamins are your 'happy pill'. Sounds good! Bottoms up, boy! (And husband, and mother, and sister, and...kidding, kidding!) So I've been giving the child a single B Complex tablet every morning with his breakfast, along with another Shaklee product called Moodlift Complex. Moodlift contains St. John's Wort along with a proprietary blend that helps the St. John's Wort be more effective.
We've been doing this for a week now, and the difference is AMAZING. He wakes up in the morning joking and energetic. I've been communicating with his teacher by email all this week, and she has said that the boy is much more focused and on task at school all day. When he comes home from school he actually speaks to me and tells me how his day was! He is agreeable and hasn't been nearly as argumentative as before. The negativity is not completely gone, but it is so far in the background that if I was not overly conscious of it I'm not sure I would realize it was there.
I guess my point here is sometimes a little bit of the right stuff can make all the difference in the world. Nutrition is such a huge part of our lives, and so many people don't realize how important it is and how it affects SO MUCH of what we do. Too many times people resort to heavy medications to 'fix' a behavior that could easily be remedied by changes in diet or by supplementing a deficiency. Not all cases of course...there are many children that need the heavier stuff on a daily basis, and there's nothing wrong with that. Simple solutions aren't always going to work for everyone, I'm not trying to say they are. But if you've been feeling down, don't run to the doc and get a prescription for Zoloft. Try a natural remedy first - diet, fitness and nutrition. You might be surprised!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
How Not to be a 3-Weeker
I pulled up at my health club first thing Monday morning to find that the parking lot was packed with cars. Oh yeah, all those New Year's resolutions put into effect, everybody's at the gym. After my fitness class, my friend and I were walking out into the bitter cold and commenting on how unusually full the parking lot is, and how it will be a relief when all these '3-weekers' drop off so we can have our old parking spots back. Yes, of course I know that's not very nice. Sorry.
Later the same day, I overheard a conversation where someone was commenting on how so many people join health clubs the first week of the new year, work out for three weeks, then fall off the wagon. In the past two days I have heard or seen at least half a dozen other references to these poor folks who just can't seem to keep up with what they've committed to.
This got me to thinking. What makes people drop off after 3 weeks or so? Health and fitness is my business, so how can I help?
As someone who has been steadily working out for quite a while now, it is easy for me to say that I can't or won't go a whole week without working out, I love it too much, and I get off on the way it makes me feel. But not everybody is like that. And believe me, there are many days that I don't want to peel myself off the couch and away from the Hershey kisses and go out in the cold to the health club where I'm just going to do a bunch of stuff that makes me want to vomit. Hey, I'm normal. Relatively...
I think the key to sticking with it is getting visible results. When you work out for a couple weeks and one day you're at home and happen to catch a glimpse of a tricep you didn't know existed other than to cause you pain, or your significant other says something like 'Boy, they really work your ass hard in those classes, don't they? I mean your ass is literally hard.', or you run up the stairs and aren't heaving at the top...now those are good feelings. Those feelings make you want to work out more, right? Hopefully!
If you've got a long road ahead of you, the results you get in those first couple of weeks may not be significant enough to keep you coming back for more. So how do you get the bests results you can? Lose weight at a healthy rate, build muscle, get stronger, fitter, healthier? AND KEEP AT IT?!
1. Keep your eye on the prize. Find a picture of someone with your body type who is fit and healthy looking. Cut it out and post it up. Or a swimsuit, or dress you want, or some reward you will give yourself when you reach your goal. And don't make your goal something insane...set small goals to reach in a certain time frame. 'I will lose 10 pounds by March 1'. Realistic! Then when you reach that goal, go another 10.
2. Accountability is the word of the day! Find a partner, and hold each other accountable. A little friendly competition never hurt anybody! I have a couple workout partners, and there are many days that they are dragging me to the gym, and vice versa! But the thing is, we go. We motivate each other, hold each other accountable, and we go and we do it and we complain the whole time, but we are getting the results we want.
3. Evaluate your diet. By now we are all aware that McDonald's is not health food. But other than cutting out the obvious - fast food, soda, sugar, etc., what else can you do? Depending on how you shop, you may have to reprogram your brain. Don't buy products that contain hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or more than 20 ingredients - and that's being generous. Keep it simple - the less ingredients, the better. Add more alkalizing foods to your diet, and add more natural sources of Omegas, including a pure supplement (Shaklee, of course). Start your day with protein, and I don't mean bacon. Vegetable protein!! Soy is your friend. I have a protein shake or bar every morning, and I won't go without it. My energy level all day is waaaay better when I start my day with a protein shake (Shaklee, of course). Plus, the Leucine in Cinch shakes will help you lose fat while you retain muscle, among a million other awesome health benefits. Don't fall for stuff like Vitamin Water. Scam! Muscle Milk. Scam! Slim Fast. Scam! These products are full of synthetic ingredients, hydrogenated oils, and SUGAR. If you need more info on what foods are alkaline, go here www.energiseforlife.com for a free, printable list of alkaline foods. If you need more info on the Cinch line of products, CLICK HERE .
Whatever you do, just get out there and do it! It's the time for new beginnings, so make your fitness and health a priority and rework your schedule to make time to take care of yourself. You've only go one body, and no one else is going to do it for you!
P.S. Because I would be doing you a disservice if I did not add this; Shaklee has an amazing Cinch offer right now through January 31...join membership, buy yourself a box of Vitalizer (or place other $70 order), and get over $100 worth of Cinch products for free to get you started. Includes: full size can of Cinch, full size box of Cinch tea, full size box of peanut butter snack bars, plus a pedometer, program guide, and 3 month subscription to cinchwellness.com. Ya, I know!! AWESOME!!! http://greengiraffe.myshaklee.com
Later the same day, I overheard a conversation where someone was commenting on how so many people join health clubs the first week of the new year, work out for three weeks, then fall off the wagon. In the past two days I have heard or seen at least half a dozen other references to these poor folks who just can't seem to keep up with what they've committed to.
This got me to thinking. What makes people drop off after 3 weeks or so? Health and fitness is my business, so how can I help?
As someone who has been steadily working out for quite a while now, it is easy for me to say that I can't or won't go a whole week without working out, I love it too much, and I get off on the way it makes me feel. But not everybody is like that. And believe me, there are many days that I don't want to peel myself off the couch and away from the Hershey kisses and go out in the cold to the health club where I'm just going to do a bunch of stuff that makes me want to vomit. Hey, I'm normal. Relatively...
I think the key to sticking with it is getting visible results. When you work out for a couple weeks and one day you're at home and happen to catch a glimpse of a tricep you didn't know existed other than to cause you pain, or your significant other says something like 'Boy, they really work your ass hard in those classes, don't they? I mean your ass is literally hard.', or you run up the stairs and aren't heaving at the top...now those are good feelings. Those feelings make you want to work out more, right? Hopefully!
If you've got a long road ahead of you, the results you get in those first couple of weeks may not be significant enough to keep you coming back for more. So how do you get the bests results you can? Lose weight at a healthy rate, build muscle, get stronger, fitter, healthier? AND KEEP AT IT?!
1. Keep your eye on the prize. Find a picture of someone with your body type who is fit and healthy looking. Cut it out and post it up. Or a swimsuit, or dress you want, or some reward you will give yourself when you reach your goal. And don't make your goal something insane...set small goals to reach in a certain time frame. 'I will lose 10 pounds by March 1'. Realistic! Then when you reach that goal, go another 10.
2. Accountability is the word of the day! Find a partner, and hold each other accountable. A little friendly competition never hurt anybody! I have a couple workout partners, and there are many days that they are dragging me to the gym, and vice versa! But the thing is, we go. We motivate each other, hold each other accountable, and we go and we do it and we complain the whole time, but we are getting the results we want.
3. Evaluate your diet. By now we are all aware that McDonald's is not health food. But other than cutting out the obvious - fast food, soda, sugar, etc., what else can you do? Depending on how you shop, you may have to reprogram your brain. Don't buy products that contain hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or more than 20 ingredients - and that's being generous. Keep it simple - the less ingredients, the better. Add more alkalizing foods to your diet, and add more natural sources of Omegas, including a pure supplement (Shaklee, of course). Start your day with protein, and I don't mean bacon. Vegetable protein!! Soy is your friend. I have a protein shake or bar every morning, and I won't go without it. My energy level all day is waaaay better when I start my day with a protein shake (Shaklee, of course). Plus, the Leucine in Cinch shakes will help you lose fat while you retain muscle, among a million other awesome health benefits. Don't fall for stuff like Vitamin Water. Scam! Muscle Milk. Scam! Slim Fast. Scam! These products are full of synthetic ingredients, hydrogenated oils, and SUGAR. If you need more info on what foods are alkaline, go here www.energiseforlife.com for a free, printable list of alkaline foods. If you need more info on the Cinch line of products, CLICK HERE .
Whatever you do, just get out there and do it! It's the time for new beginnings, so make your fitness and health a priority and rework your schedule to make time to take care of yourself. You've only go one body, and no one else is going to do it for you!
P.S. Because I would be doing you a disservice if I did not add this; Shaklee has an amazing Cinch offer right now through January 31...join membership, buy yourself a box of Vitalizer (or place other $70 order), and get over $100 worth of Cinch products for free to get you started. Includes: full size can of Cinch, full size box of Cinch tea, full size box of peanut butter snack bars, plus a pedometer, program guide, and 3 month subscription to cinchwellness.com. Ya, I know!! AWESOME!!! http://greengiraffe.myshaklee.com
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