Surge training is highly recommended by many chiropractors at Maximized Living. They don't just like it because it is fast, fierce and fun, they like it because on top of all that it promotes fitness. 4 minutes per day 3 to 4 times per week is all that you need.
If you're like me and you don't want to be doing a lot of outdoor activities like bike riding in the winter, or if you just don't have the time to go to the gym; check out this video!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Living with Depression (Part 4)
My success in combat with depression didn’t exactly begin or end with neurofeedback. I knew years before I knew anything about neurofeedback that I had to change my lifestyle completely. For example, I had to change the way I thought. This was, however, easier to do after the neurofeedback therapy I admit. These days, I MUST be positive. I eat much better than I did ten years ago too; I avoid refined foods and sugars and refined white flour as much as I can. I also nourish my body with fresh whole foods and whole food vitamins.
When you battle a condition like depression which takes over your whole life, I strongly believe it is important that while you focus on strengthening where your body is weak, you make the rest of your body strong as well. In order to do that, you must change how you think and how you live. When you do this, you WILL steal your life back from the dark side and show the world what you are truly made of.
I’m finally in a place where I can have a beautiful relationship with my family and friends. I can live a happy life with my husband who could never have found a place in my unhappy world before. I can see my future with faith and hope. I’m saying this hoping that depressed individuals know it is possible for them too. You won’t believe the beauty in your life when it hits you.
So I encourage those with depression to go after the life I KNOW that you can have. Leave the darkness for the clouds on a delicious rainy day that you can enjoy before the sun comes out reminding you that even in your new life the bad days will come to an end and you will smile again. Get well, live well and be well my friends!
http://www.eeginfo.com
When you battle a condition like depression which takes over your whole life, I strongly believe it is important that while you focus on strengthening where your body is weak, you make the rest of your body strong as well. In order to do that, you must change how you think and how you live. When you do this, you WILL steal your life back from the dark side and show the world what you are truly made of.
I’m finally in a place where I can have a beautiful relationship with my family and friends. I can live a happy life with my husband who could never have found a place in my unhappy world before. I can see my future with faith and hope. I’m saying this hoping that depressed individuals know it is possible for them too. You won’t believe the beauty in your life when it hits you.
So I encourage those with depression to go after the life I KNOW that you can have. Leave the darkness for the clouds on a delicious rainy day that you can enjoy before the sun comes out reminding you that even in your new life the bad days will come to an end and you will smile again. Get well, live well and be well my friends!
http://www.eeginfo.com
Living with Depression (Part 3)
My family never could understand what was wrong with me. There was always a struggle to get out of bed, to do my homework and schoolwork. People couldn’t understand why one day I was what people described as my bubbly self and the next I would seem as though I had a death in my family. I struggled to go to school, I struggled with work, I struggled in my relationships, I struggled in my life entirely. I struggled just to get up in the morning let alone getting through the rest of the day. Looking back, I would say now that it was like being in hell and never knowing when I would get burned yet again.
I was on Prozac for about a year. I admit it felt like it helped at the time. The problem is I needed it again two years later. I was on it again for about two months. Then one night when I was visiting California with a friend I flushed all the contents in the bottle down the toilet. If Prozac is a cure, then I shouldn’t have needed it again. My psychiatrist was FURIOUS with me. He was very stern about how I needed him and I needed the medication.
I ask my depressed friends to consider this advice; if you are on any antidepressants for more than six months, you must RUN not walk away…far away… from those pills and the one prescribing it to you. If you need it for longer than six months then the medication IS NOT FOR YOU! There is REAL help out there for you and you can be cured. I thank God to this day that I found neurofeedback and I found the strength to do what I had to do to get the help that I needed. You can too.
I'll talk more about the beauty that I found in my life in the next post. In the meantime, if you are living with depression and you believe you are ready for help, try the link below. Make sure you look for the clinics that do brain mapping. Brain mapping is how the therapist knows what is going on with your brain and they can show you where your brain needs help and why. If they start hooking you up to a computer without a brain map, you need to start asking questions and doing more research. I welcome questions, comments and emails.
http://www.eeginfo.com/
I was on Prozac for about a year. I admit it felt like it helped at the time. The problem is I needed it again two years later. I was on it again for about two months. Then one night when I was visiting California with a friend I flushed all the contents in the bottle down the toilet. If Prozac is a cure, then I shouldn’t have needed it again. My psychiatrist was FURIOUS with me. He was very stern about how I needed him and I needed the medication.
I ask my depressed friends to consider this advice; if you are on any antidepressants for more than six months, you must RUN not walk away…far away… from those pills and the one prescribing it to you. If you need it for longer than six months then the medication IS NOT FOR YOU! There is REAL help out there for you and you can be cured. I thank God to this day that I found neurofeedback and I found the strength to do what I had to do to get the help that I needed. You can too.
I'll talk more about the beauty that I found in my life in the next post. In the meantime, if you are living with depression and you believe you are ready for help, try the link below. Make sure you look for the clinics that do brain mapping. Brain mapping is how the therapist knows what is going on with your brain and they can show you where your brain needs help and why. If they start hooking you up to a computer without a brain map, you need to start asking questions and doing more research. I welcome questions, comments and emails.
http://www.eeginfo.com/
Living with Depression (Part 2)
If you have a depressed loved one, you may notice that they seem as though they just don’t want to be helped. It is harder for people with depression to pursue help and I understand why. Living with depression is like eternally living with this morbid self fulfilling prophesy. Many people with depression have this underlying belief that they are doomed to suffer for the rest of their life; so they do just that. They live to suffer. This is why so many of them are suicidal. Who wants to live in pain forever? The thing is, if someone lives in a painful situation for long enough they are more likely to accept that as their reality even when there is help available.
Take Seligman and Maier’s theory of learned helplessness. They trapped dogs in a painful situation but when they gave them the opportunity to escape it, the dogs just cried, yelped and stayed put. The dogs were convinced that they were doomed to be in pain indefinitely; in other words they felt helpless. One of the signs of depression is helplessness. They believe life is painful and there isn’t a thing that they can do about it which leads to hopelessness; another sign of depression.
As I declared on an earlier post, depression is CURABLE. I guess you could say it helped me unlearn helplessness in a way. I haven't had an episode in six years thanks to neurofeedback. The following video explains how nerofeedback works and how it can help a variety of people with neurological disorders such as depression, ADD/ADHD, autism, alcoholism, migraines and more.
Take Seligman and Maier’s theory of learned helplessness. They trapped dogs in a painful situation but when they gave them the opportunity to escape it, the dogs just cried, yelped and stayed put. The dogs were convinced that they were doomed to be in pain indefinitely; in other words they felt helpless. One of the signs of depression is helplessness. They believe life is painful and there isn’t a thing that they can do about it which leads to hopelessness; another sign of depression.
As I declared on an earlier post, depression is CURABLE. I guess you could say it helped me unlearn helplessness in a way. I haven't had an episode in six years thanks to neurofeedback. The following video explains how nerofeedback works and how it can help a variety of people with neurological disorders such as depression, ADD/ADHD, autism, alcoholism, migraines and more.
Living with Depression (Part 1)
This post is especially for those who live with depression or who has a loved one who lives with depression. Depression is very difficult for people and their families to live with because it is one of those silent demons. Someone with depression can just look like a very unhappy person, when the truth is that person is ill. I know because I’ve suffered from it for most of my life.
Ever read a story written by someone who is going through a depression episode? Perhaps it sounds like a death fantasy or it is about someone who is all alone or angry at the world. Try to perceive the world as light and darkness. What is done in light is seen by everyone around, what is done in darkness is more difficult to see. Depressed people are often angry with or ashamed of themselves. I can remember whenever I had an episode, I loved being in my room in the dark. Daylight frightened me when I had an episode because it meant I had to get up and do something; I had to live. Living scared me because life meant pain.
Does this sound familiar? If so, it's possible that you need help or you know someone who needs help. Here is the good news, are you ready for this? Depression is curable! Antidepressants aren't for those with clinical depression. If you have clinical depression neurofeedback is the first mode of therapy to think about.
Keep following to read more about my personal experiences with depression and neurofeedback this week.
Ever read a story written by someone who is going through a depression episode? Perhaps it sounds like a death fantasy or it is about someone who is all alone or angry at the world. Try to perceive the world as light and darkness. What is done in light is seen by everyone around, what is done in darkness is more difficult to see. Depressed people are often angry with or ashamed of themselves. I can remember whenever I had an episode, I loved being in my room in the dark. Daylight frightened me when I had an episode because it meant I had to get up and do something; I had to live. Living scared me because life meant pain.
Does this sound familiar? If so, it's possible that you need help or you know someone who needs help. Here is the good news, are you ready for this? Depression is curable! Antidepressants aren't for those with clinical depression. If you have clinical depression neurofeedback is the first mode of therapy to think about.
Keep following to read more about my personal experiences with depression and neurofeedback this week.
Monday, November 29, 2010
More on Autism and Neurofeedback
This is just more information about what I've posted earlier. This is another parent who found success via neurofeedback therapy.
Autism
Autism is a neural developmental disorder that is characterized by difficulty with social interaction, communication and sometimes abnormal behavior patterns or repetitive behavior. There doesn’t seem to be any specific test for autism. There are a variety of symptoms and signs that differ from person to person which are usually seen within the first three years of age.
For the parents of autistic children, there is hope. There are ways to treat it naturally. Chiropractic treatment is one option. A chiropractor from Maximized Living helped a child with autism find success. After a series of treatments, their child started to show improvement. If you are a parent and you have an autistic child who feels overwhelmed by affection, you could probably relate to how those parents must have felt the day that they were able to hug their child without a problem.
There are parents who found success with making dietary changes. Some doctors postulate that certain toxins commonly found in food and the environment can exacerbate symptoms of autism and other neurological disorders. They claim that the removal of these toxins can help.
Another option, one I happen to highly recommend, would be neurofeedback therapy. The video below should demonstrate why.
For the parents of autistic children, there is hope. There are ways to treat it naturally. Chiropractic treatment is one option. A chiropractor from Maximized Living helped a child with autism find success. After a series of treatments, their child started to show improvement. If you are a parent and you have an autistic child who feels overwhelmed by affection, you could probably relate to how those parents must have felt the day that they were able to hug their child without a problem.
There are parents who found success with making dietary changes. Some doctors postulate that certain toxins commonly found in food and the environment can exacerbate symptoms of autism and other neurological disorders. They claim that the removal of these toxins can help.
Another option, one I happen to highly recommend, would be neurofeedback therapy. The video below should demonstrate why.
Exercise
Get movin’! That is the bottom line… no, seriously.
I remember talking to a man in a health food store several years ago. He said that he doesn’t like exercise and if he hired me to train him (as his personal trainer), I would somehow have to make him like it. The bad news is no one can make you like it; however, there are steps you can take before you find yourself enjoying it. I used to love teaching step, when I gave up my fitness career to become a counselor, it was a long time before I found something as exciting and exhilarating as leading a step aerobics class. I find myself addicted to bike riding these days. The only bummer is when the winter comes around in Colorado I’m not as much of an outdoors person. But that just means that I need to find some other fun way to get my body moving. I remember taking a rebounding class that kicked my tuckus; it was WONDERFUL! I’m still ashamed to admit that none of the classes I’ve ever taught made me sweat that much! Trampolines are now looking pretty good to me these days and I’m thinking of purchasing one. It was fun, it’s indoors and it will keep me moving all winter.
There are so many other ways to get moving without having to get a gym membership. There are tons of exercise videos which I don’t always recommend because good form is often very important to avoid injury and no one is around to check your form. For people like myself who are trained to maintain proper form, there is a lower chance of getting hurt or if you do the video with a professional in your family or that you are friends with, that is another way to go. If you have kids, go out and hula-hoop or jump rope, it’ll get you moving, right? Colorado is known for the lean residents that live in it because of the biking, snowboarding and skiing. I have two in-laws who find enjoyment in running marathons. Running can be very addicting to some people. Then there is something as simple as brisk walking which can do wonders. My college roommates would wake up with me at 5am every weekday and we would walk for two miles, come home, eat and then go to the coffee shop to study. This was great because our brains were awake, alert and ready to absorb information. I had a client that was taken off two of her heart medications because I got her butt moving daily with brisk walking. I remember how addicted she was by the second day we walked together.
Who said that exercise has to be unpleasant? Find something that is fun and addicting or something that will bring you closer to another individual. What’s the bottom line?
Get movin’!
I remember talking to a man in a health food store several years ago. He said that he doesn’t like exercise and if he hired me to train him (as his personal trainer), I would somehow have to make him like it. The bad news is no one can make you like it; however, there are steps you can take before you find yourself enjoying it. I used to love teaching step, when I gave up my fitness career to become a counselor, it was a long time before I found something as exciting and exhilarating as leading a step aerobics class. I find myself addicted to bike riding these days. The only bummer is when the winter comes around in Colorado I’m not as much of an outdoors person. But that just means that I need to find some other fun way to get my body moving. I remember taking a rebounding class that kicked my tuckus; it was WONDERFUL! I’m still ashamed to admit that none of the classes I’ve ever taught made me sweat that much! Trampolines are now looking pretty good to me these days and I’m thinking of purchasing one. It was fun, it’s indoors and it will keep me moving all winter.
There are so many other ways to get moving without having to get a gym membership. There are tons of exercise videos which I don’t always recommend because good form is often very important to avoid injury and no one is around to check your form. For people like myself who are trained to maintain proper form, there is a lower chance of getting hurt or if you do the video with a professional in your family or that you are friends with, that is another way to go. If you have kids, go out and hula-hoop or jump rope, it’ll get you moving, right? Colorado is known for the lean residents that live in it because of the biking, snowboarding and skiing. I have two in-laws who find enjoyment in running marathons. Running can be very addicting to some people. Then there is something as simple as brisk walking which can do wonders. My college roommates would wake up with me at 5am every weekday and we would walk for two miles, come home, eat and then go to the coffee shop to study. This was great because our brains were awake, alert and ready to absorb information. I had a client that was taken off two of her heart medications because I got her butt moving daily with brisk walking. I remember how addicted she was by the second day we walked together.
Who said that exercise has to be unpleasant? Find something that is fun and addicting or something that will bring you closer to another individual. What’s the bottom line?
Get movin’!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Product Faves (Part 2)
I was on antibiotics as a kid… a lot. Ironically, I only had one major bacterial infection. I just remember that after taking a throat culture, the doctor would tell my parents to start me on antibiotics “just in case” and the next morning the culture was almost always negative. It was negative every single time except ONE time when I had Strep in second grade. By the time I was a young adult I would frequently get these black scaly rashes on my skin and later found that it was due to Candida (despite what an MD told me). I haven’t had an attack in years. Synergy is one of many reasons why, but I admit that it was one of my favorite reasons why because it’s so tasty. Although some people like my husband feel that it is an acquired taste. It does have a faint vinegary smell and taste; but because I drink it all the time I don’t even smell or taste that vinegary quality anymore.
One of my favorite qualities about the Synergy product is that they don't put sugar in it. Other Kambucha products use cane sugar to feed the Kombucha. Because I’ve never seen sugar in the Synergy drink ingredients I believe they use the natural sugar in fruit juices to feed it. So I don’t have to worry about feeling spacey after drinking it. Although, because Kombucha eats sugar, I may not have to worry about other Kombucha products either; but why chance it when you have a product like Synergy?
What do you think of think of this product? Have you ever tried it?
The Benefits of Neurofeedback (Part 1)
Among many abnormalities found in the brains of ADHD patients, one common abnormality found was elevated frontal theta activity and diminished beta activity (Fine and Kotkin 2003). In these cases neurofeedback can lower theta and raise beta activity (Swartz 1995). Neurofeedback treatment can also raise one’s IQ by an average of 10 points (Treijs 2000). These are just a few facts that lead to the belief that neurofeedback training can contribute to improving ADHD students’ capacity to learn.
The manipulation of brainwaves is an effective way of improving symptoms of ADHD, however, the benefits of neurofeedback isn’t limited to treating ADHD. Neurofeedback can lend assistance to a variety of challenged learners. More recent research shows that neurofeedback can treat or improve the symptoms of other illnesses/ conditions such as alcoholism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), certain phobias, anxiety, depression, affective disorders, epilepsy, substance addictions, personality disorders, behavior disorders, certain neurological disorders, brain injuries and more.
The manipulation of brainwaves is an effective way of improving symptoms of ADHD, however, the benefits of neurofeedback isn’t limited to treating ADHD. Neurofeedback can lend assistance to a variety of challenged learners. More recent research shows that neurofeedback can treat or improve the symptoms of other illnesses/ conditions such as alcoholism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), certain phobias, anxiety, depression, affective disorders, epilepsy, substance addictions, personality disorders, behavior disorders, certain neurological disorders, brain injuries and more.
Chiropractic
I got my first adjustment from a chiropractor I worked with in California several years ago. Once the torture...I mean therapy was finished I vowed that no one would EVER touch my back again. A few years later, the migraines that I used to suffer from occasionally, started hitting me frequently. It felt like as soon as I was over one the next one would be along any second. It's impossible to describe with words how frightening and frustrating it was. It affected everything; work, school and EVERYTHING. When I had a migraine, looking at a television, computer monitor or even the screen on my phone was the best possible way to turn the pain way up. When I say turn the pain way up I mean from excruciating to “Holy guillotine!” kind of WAY up. A brilliant acupuncturist did some work on my neck a few years ago and the migraine I came into her office with was gone within hours. That is how I learned that the problem was in my cervical spine. I visited her every time I had a migraine from that day on.
About ten months ago I was in so much pain that I called every ND I knew trying to find an orthopedist. I finally saw one and he was a monster disappointment. Weeks after I saw him I bit the bullet and saw a highly recommended chiropractor named Dr. Chris Pellow from this nationwide group known as Maximized Living. There were times I left his office in tears because he wasn’t able to make the pain go away as quickly as my much missed acupuncturist, however, after four months of treatment my visits started to pay off. I remember getting what felt like a small migraine, but dissipated after about a day; this has NEVER happened before. About two months ago we had to change chiropractors because it became so difficult to make that 45 minute drive three times per week. Of course, we found someone else from Maximized Living. He is also excellent! A few weeks ago I had what at first felt like a migraine, but apparently wasn’t since I was able to watch movies with my husband and work on my computer without turning up the pain. I can’t remember when I last had a bad migraine. I also had on and off low back problems for about five years now. After our new chiropractor, Dr. Joe Arvay, really worked on my low back and gave me exercises to do at home for two weeks, I finally found relief.
In my experience one must be so careful when looking for a chiropractor but so far the Maximized Living chiropractors have been amazing. I recommend them to anyone. The thing that I love most about them is that they are doctors and educators. They teach you how to make your body healthy, strong and fit. They aren’t just professional back crackers, they are healers.
About ten months ago I was in so much pain that I called every ND I knew trying to find an orthopedist. I finally saw one and he was a monster disappointment. Weeks after I saw him I bit the bullet and saw a highly recommended chiropractor named Dr. Chris Pellow from this nationwide group known as Maximized Living. There were times I left his office in tears because he wasn’t able to make the pain go away as quickly as my much missed acupuncturist, however, after four months of treatment my visits started to pay off. I remember getting what felt like a small migraine, but dissipated after about a day; this has NEVER happened before. About two months ago we had to change chiropractors because it became so difficult to make that 45 minute drive three times per week. Of course, we found someone else from Maximized Living. He is also excellent! A few weeks ago I had what at first felt like a migraine, but apparently wasn’t since I was able to watch movies with my husband and work on my computer without turning up the pain. I can’t remember when I last had a bad migraine. I also had on and off low back problems for about five years now. After our new chiropractor, Dr. Joe Arvay, really worked on my low back and gave me exercises to do at home for two weeks, I finally found relief.
In my experience one must be so careful when looking for a chiropractor but so far the Maximized Living chiropractors have been amazing. I recommend them to anyone. The thing that I love most about them is that they are doctors and educators. They teach you how to make your body healthy, strong and fit. They aren’t just professional back crackers, they are healers.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Change, Support and Family
You start a new diet (to lose weight, to get fit, to get well or to avoid allergens). On the first and second day you do very well and you can’t help but feel really good about yourself. Then on the third day you go to mom’s house for lunch or dinner and she prepares a whole table full of “no-no” foods! Doh! STRUGGLE!
“Change is good” was a phrase that some commercial used perhaps about 10+ years ago; and yes, change can be very good. Change can also be overwhelming especially when you are with loved ones. How often have you made a decision to do something good or healthy for yourself and your mother, father, brother, sister, husband, wife or friend encouraged you to slide back into your old ways? You would hear things like “Just this one time won’t hurt.” or “Worry about your diet tomorrow.” right? I am going to state what is blatantly obvious; if you follow this advice tomorrow will never come.
I’ve been through this so many times with friends and family that I’ve lost count. When you make changes it is good to keep in mind that sometimes the changes that you make can be just as overwhelming for your loved ones. I’ve discovered that the real hard part about change is being patient with the people that you love; often you have to be even more patient with them than with yourself. The reason why this is so incredibly difficult is because when you are trying to make a change support can be the difference between fast success, slow success and a constant struggle.
I’ve gone as far as trying to invite some of my loved ones to change with me. That doesn’t always work out; but the few times it has worked out, it was indescribably rewarding.
What are some ways that we can invite our families to grow with us when we implement change?
“Change is good” was a phrase that some commercial used perhaps about 10+ years ago; and yes, change can be very good. Change can also be overwhelming especially when you are with loved ones. How often have you made a decision to do something good or healthy for yourself and your mother, father, brother, sister, husband, wife or friend encouraged you to slide back into your old ways? You would hear things like “Just this one time won’t hurt.” or “Worry about your diet tomorrow.” right? I am going to state what is blatantly obvious; if you follow this advice tomorrow will never come.
I’ve been through this so many times with friends and family that I’ve lost count. When you make changes it is good to keep in mind that sometimes the changes that you make can be just as overwhelming for your loved ones. I’ve discovered that the real hard part about change is being patient with the people that you love; often you have to be even more patient with them than with yourself. The reason why this is so incredibly difficult is because when you are trying to make a change support can be the difference between fast success, slow success and a constant struggle.
I’ve gone as far as trying to invite some of my loved ones to change with me. That doesn’t always work out; but the few times it has worked out, it was indescribably rewarding.
What are some ways that we can invite our families to grow with us when we implement change?
Creating a Healthy Environment for the Challenged Learner
ADD/ADHD (Attention deficit [hyperactivity] disorder) is a condition that many school age children (and their parents) face and struggle with. Many are treated with medication; however, there are numerous parents that are rightfully concerned about medicating their child for ADD/ADHD. There are other forms of treatment that is often overlooked, but do schools have the necessary information to refer the parents to the correct professionals for alternatives? Because medication is such a popular method of treatment for many ailments today, other treatments with equal or more potent results may not even be considered. Many studies have implied and demonstrated how effective neurofeedback treatment is; in a few cases in fact change of diet was all that was necessary to alleviate the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Various studies have demonstrated that neurofeedback and medication have equal efficacy, however, the effects of neurofeedback tend to last long after termination of treatment where the effects of medication wane shortly after the termination of treatment. Neurofeedback and proper nutrition together can not only treat ADD/ADHD but a variety of other conditions that may cause or contribute to inattention, hyperactivity or distraction. The nutritional aspect of alternative treatment cultivates another question; is the food at school (whether sold in the cafeteria or given to the students by teachers in class) benefiting the ADD/ADHD students or contributing to the problem? Food carts and vending machines sell many foods that can only maintain or exacerbate symptoms of ADD/ ADHD. Once again, the teachers’, counselors’ and administrators’ lack of information inadvertently creates a precarious environment for the ADD/ADHD student.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Health and Finance
There are a couple of different things that make living a healthy lifestyle difficult. Money is perhaps one of the most if not the most difficult of challenges. Organic fruits and vegetables are usually more expensive than any of the conventionally grown fruits and vegetables and sometimes by far. Healthy choices of products like breads and eggs often have astronomical prices compared to the junky choices. Unfortunately, I can’t allow myself much choice nor can many others like me. Either I pay the money or I spend a few hours or days feeling fatigued, sickly or dazed.
There are a few things that I do to make things easier on my wallet. For example, as much as I love Whole Foods market, no one will deny that they can be pricey. When I shop at Whole Foods, I buy only the things that I cannot find many other places. For example, I haven’t seen buffalo and grass fed beef in many places other than Whole Foods. Fish I buy at Sprouts or Sunflower market for a fabulous price. Then there is the Vitamin Cottage, which is considered the angel of mercy to those who live the way I do. Their prices are wonderful compared to other places. For example, I purchased an ounce of cocoa butter for about fifteen dollars from this online site. I didn’t buy it very often because fifteen dollars for one lousy ounce is ridiculously steep. I found a seven ounce container at Vitamin Cottage for about eight bucks; HUGE difference!
When you must make something work, you make it work. My best friend is a lymphoma survivor and she has also struggled financially. A single mother of five doesn’t exactly have money pouring out of her ears. But she always found a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle for her and her children.
I welcome commentary or advice on this one. In fact, I’m requesting advice or comments. How can we live well, be well and not break our bank book?
There are a few things that I do to make things easier on my wallet. For example, as much as I love Whole Foods market, no one will deny that they can be pricey. When I shop at Whole Foods, I buy only the things that I cannot find many other places. For example, I haven’t seen buffalo and grass fed beef in many places other than Whole Foods. Fish I buy at Sprouts or Sunflower market for a fabulous price. Then there is the Vitamin Cottage, which is considered the angel of mercy to those who live the way I do. Their prices are wonderful compared to other places. For example, I purchased an ounce of cocoa butter for about fifteen dollars from this online site. I didn’t buy it very often because fifteen dollars for one lousy ounce is ridiculously steep. I found a seven ounce container at Vitamin Cottage for about eight bucks; HUGE difference!
When you must make something work, you make it work. My best friend is a lymphoma survivor and she has also struggled financially. A single mother of five doesn’t exactly have money pouring out of her ears. But she always found a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle for her and her children.
I welcome commentary or advice on this one. In fact, I’m requesting advice or comments. How can we live well, be well and not break our bank book?
Product Faves (Part 1)
Discontinued Products (Part 1)
I used to use this product daily and always made sure I was well stocked. It was one of those things that I didn’t realize how much I relied on until it was gone. Fruits and vegetables are a VERY important part of my diet, especially greens. I try to eat as many greens as I can. Preparing greens, however, can be very tedious. My favorite greens, kale, can be even more tedious because there is a lot of dirt on the leaves and that takes some time to clean off. Organiclean was a product that cleaned this dirt off beautifully. It says that it also removes pesticides so when I eat conventionally grown produce like grapefruits, I used to spray a little Organiclean and scrub the fruit with a brush. I even used it to wash my hands because the ingredients were so gentle, but it did such a great job removing dirt.
Since Organiclean was taken off of the market, I have searched for another veggie cleaner that is remotely as effective and I am still currently searching. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Label Reading
If you are in the same boat as me, you’ve probably experienced the following. You are walking through the supermarket picking up the groceries on your list. Your tummy is suddenly rumbling reminding you that it has been a few hours since you have last eaten. You decide to pick up a quick snack. Cereal bars are on sale, but they have sugar so you look at another item. Then you find some protein bars. They are a little expensive, but they have some flavoring that you are wary of anyway, so you go to the next item. Snack after snack has something adverse; sugar, white flour, artificial ingredients, hidden MSGs, allergens, hydrogenated oils and the like.
Label reading is one of the most tedious and frustrating aspects of living a healthy lifestyle in my opinion. Constantly needing to know what exactly you are putting in your body is enough to just make you grit your teeth sometimes. This doesn’t stop with food either, oh no! This means soaps, cleaners, detergents for clothes and dishes, what we eat and drink out of, even pesticides, herbicides and paint! The list is endless. I know I drive my family up the wall with my toxicity awareness and it seems to keep getting worse because of the new toxins that I realize that I need to watch out for like GMOs. I do try to be a little accommodating, but then I get scared of what it will be like when I have kids. I don’t mind compromising my own body a little, but I could never compromise my child’s!
There are times when you can’t read labels like when someone invites you to dinner. You want to eat whatever they give you because we are taught to be polite, but how can I do that when I can’t even function on the majority of what people eat? I’ve had to take food with me on trips since it is such a headache to find a place for me to eat; and don’t even get me started on airplanes and the whole no liquid, no gel thing. Eating well is a necessity for people like me, but it isn’t always easy.
What are some things that can make this lifestyle easier?
Label reading is one of the most tedious and frustrating aspects of living a healthy lifestyle in my opinion. Constantly needing to know what exactly you are putting in your body is enough to just make you grit your teeth sometimes. This doesn’t stop with food either, oh no! This means soaps, cleaners, detergents for clothes and dishes, what we eat and drink out of, even pesticides, herbicides and paint! The list is endless. I know I drive my family up the wall with my toxicity awareness and it seems to keep getting worse because of the new toxins that I realize that I need to watch out for like GMOs. I do try to be a little accommodating, but then I get scared of what it will be like when I have kids. I don’t mind compromising my own body a little, but I could never compromise my child’s!
There are times when you can’t read labels like when someone invites you to dinner. You want to eat whatever they give you because we are taught to be polite, but how can I do that when I can’t even function on the majority of what people eat? I’ve had to take food with me on trips since it is such a headache to find a place for me to eat; and don’t even get me started on airplanes and the whole no liquid, no gel thing. Eating well is a necessity for people like me, but it isn’t always easy.
What are some things that can make this lifestyle easier?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a time of year when most Americans reflect on things that we are grateful for. Gratitude is something that I find very necessary in my life. For anyone who suffers from temporary or clinical depression, or for anyone who is going through a very difficult time in their life, gratitude can be downright necessary. As someone who has suffered from all of the above and who in the past suffered from aversions to the holidays, I am one to say that affirming that life is beautiful and then listing reasons why can work wonders. I recently moved to Colorado after living in San Diego for nine years, that change was very traumatic for me both emotionally and physically. Keeping a gratitude journal is honestly what got me through my first winter here in Colorado. I’m not going to say that it brightened up my day, but it reminded me that I have a purpose and that I have something to look forward to tomorrow. I would also think and write about the things that made me laugh. That is ALWAYS something to be grateful for. Things that brought you laughter, especially if you had the opportunity to laugh with someone you love!
What are you grateful for?
What are you grateful for?
Roots of my Convictions
I believe my passion for a healthy lifestyle is rooted in my past obsession with how I looked at age twelve or thirteen. I wanted the perfect body like many middle school and high school girls did (and like many still do). Popular belief was that a low calorie diet in addition to exercise would get anyone there; so throughout middle school and high school I always strived to do that. Then in college I met a friend from Russia who gave me an entirely different perspective on health. Natural foods were the only way to go for her. I tried it, and honestly felt better. I remember eating ice cream for the first time after avoiding it for a whole year; I was sickly for almost a week.
What most dramatically changed me forever was when I met my best friend a few years later who at the time was fighting lymphoma. Now, ten years later, she is one of the healthiest people I know and I am healthier than I’ve ever been in my whole life thanks to her influence. I’ve just seen too many people try the “popular belief” way too many times with little success when someone like my best friend went with their gut and did the alternative and had amazing success. I want to write a series on how my own life experiences disproved a variety of popular beliefs about health because these are the experiences that really provided the foundation of my convictions.
What most dramatically changed me forever was when I met my best friend a few years later who at the time was fighting lymphoma. Now, ten years later, she is one of the healthiest people I know and I am healthier than I’ve ever been in my whole life thanks to her influence. I’ve just seen too many people try the “popular belief” way too many times with little success when someone like my best friend went with their gut and did the alternative and had amazing success. I want to write a series on how my own life experiences disproved a variety of popular beliefs about health because these are the experiences that really provided the foundation of my convictions.
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