CONTROL

We are losing control in our world ... everywhere we look people are out of control, spending, eating, gaming, working, etc.  I could go on forever.  What is it that is facilitating this "out of control" world?  Lack of purpose, diet, society?  Maybe all and even more!

But all the while we are out of control ourselves we are still trying to control things around us.  In the past our family was involved with a very controlling family.  They wanted to get us out of their lives and we really didn't care one way or the other but instead of just ignoring us, they went out of their way to make life terrible for us.

Yes strange ...  I know

(there is a lot more to this story but I won't go into it here.  You will probably read about it in "It Takes Two" since it was a real trouble spot in our marriage.)

I have just met a young person recently whom has some depression and other medical issues.  I'll call this person, Jordan, since that name is neither male nor female and their identity will be protected.

Jordan is the oldest in his/her family and I truly believe the parents do not want to let go.  Why?  Because letting your children grow up is a sign that you are getting old.  Jordan's age is early 20's past 21 and Jordan wants to get on with his/her life, but because of the medical and depression issues the parents find it necessary to control their child's every move.  Even to the point of shipping them off to a medical facility.  Now I'm not saying they shouldn't go .. but what I am saying is if Jordan agreed to go then let him/her live their life.

Help your child make decisions even if means letting them make wrong decisions.  Now I know depression is a hard thing to watch your child go through ... I have watched it .. and I myself have gone through it, but really you will never make it out of the pit, unless you take a leap of faith.  

The fact that these parents are continuing to control Jordan and his/her coming and goings means only that they continue to facilitate the very thing they want to stop.  Jordan feels like if things go wrong they will be his/her fault because that is what Jordan's Mom told him/her.

So what does this have to do with diet?  Or God?

I'm glad you asked that! 

 ... first we need to find our security in God.  When we lean on Him for our every need and desire. Our need to control then goes away ... we know He is in control.  And what better BEING, than God, for us to allow to control our lives then the creator of universe.

If Jordan's parents had faith they could let go of Jordan, knowing that God loves Jordan more than they do ... You know when I realized that Jesus loved my kids more than me ... I was like ...

wait a minute ... that is impossible ... I gave up my body for nine months then another couple of years to nurse them, then 18-23+ more to help them grow up ... in fact I'm not done!

The Lord spoke to me only 4 words ...

"I died for them."

Ok ...I said you win ...

I love the Lord ... so few words but such great meaning ...

The other area .. diet ...

our food source is getting worse and more contaminated with GMOs, pesticides, chemicals, antibiotics, drugs, ... the list goes on ... and so ... without proper nutrition our bodies do not work properly ... our brains can not think or process things properly ... so we make bad decisions ...

What to do?

Detox, Detox, Detox ...
Read labels
Stay away from GMOs
Stay away from processed foods
Stay away from sugar, conventional meats, and vegetables, gluten, soy .... EAT RAW! 

I know this is hard ... but you will feel better ... and if you can't knock these things out ... then Detox ... more ...

And oh ....

                take a leap of faith!  

Sleep

Sleep is a true necessity .... I wish I could sleep for few days and not feel guilty.

It appears that sleep is necessary for the brain to function properly.  You know that if you have had a poor night's sleep you find it hard to concentrate during the day.  Experts are saying that in the western industrialized nations sleep deprivation is becoming the norm.  Burning the candle at both ends as many do can cause a person to have mircosleeps.  These are marked by brief periods in the day that you just drop off.  Or if you fall asleep within five minutes of lying down.

I think I should sleep for a few days....

I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. Psalm 3:5

GM Contamination

Did you know to control native cane beetles in Australia, in 1935 101 toads were introduced to the continent.  It failed, now Australia is overrun by the toads and is one of Australia's worst environmental mistakes, ranking alongside the catastrophic introduction of rabbits.  I didn't even know they didn't have rabbits there naturally!

So what is my point ... GMO is also an environmental mistake.  

"GM contamination of conventional and organic food is increasing. An unapproved GM rice that was grown for only one year in field trials was found to have extensively contaminated the US rice supply and seed stocks.* In Canada, the organic oilseed rape industry has been destroyed by contamination from GM rape.** In Spain, a study found that GM maize “has caused a drastic reduction in organic cultivations of this grain and is making their coexistence practically impossible”.*** 

The time has come to choose between a GM- based, or a non-GM-based, world food supply. 


*  Risky business: Economic and regulatory impacts from the unintended release of genetically engineered rice varieties into the rice merchandising system of the US. Blue, Dr E. Neal, report for Greenpeace, 2007, http://www. greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press/reports/ risky-business.pdf


**Seeds of doubt: North American farmers’ experience of GM crops. Soil Association, 2002, http://www.soilassociation. org/seedsofdoubt 

***Coexistence of plants and coexistence of farmers: Is an individual choice possible? Binimelis, R., Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, Vol. 21, No. 2, April 2008 


So my point is God gave us the garden and then cast us out because we didn't listen.  Now through our toil and sweat we grow our own foods ... or run to Giant Eagle! But we want it easy! And we want it cheap.  And, we continue to not listen and destroy His foods.  Look, I'm not a environmental crazy but I do know that the world's food supply is in jeopardy.

More on GMO

So what is a GMO?  And what is all the hype about labeling?  Genetically modified (GM) foods are created using biotechnology to change their genetic material. 

Examples of What Genetically Modified Means:

Crops - toxin genes from a bacterium found in soil are inserted in the plant DNA which make the plant produce toxins specially deadly to the larvae of their pest insects
Soybeans - modified to tolerate high levels of weed killing herbicides
Farm Animals - pigs, cows, and chickens modified to have a faster growth rate.  Cows can produce milk that contain higher levels of bioactive milk protein or human blood clotting components or a human breast milk component.

Foods That Have Been Modified on the Market Today:

Maize (corn)

Wheat 

Rice 

Oilseed rape (canola)

Chicory

Squash

Potato

Soybean

Alfalfa

Cotton

Benefits  Of GM Foods:

Sturdy plants able to withstand weather extremes

Better quality
Larger quantity 

Higher nutritional yield***

Great shelf Life (tomatoes last longer, they also bounce)

Crops resistance to diseases and insects

So the benefits to the food industry are an increased shelf life, resistant to pesticides and insecticides, and improvement to the crop nutritional yield***.

Wow I just made a case for GMOs ... here is some other facts. Get ready for some heavy stuff.

Chinese researchers have found small pieces of rice ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the blood and organs of humans who eat rice.  The Nanjing University-based team showed that this genetic material will bind to receptors in human liver cells and influence the uptake of Cholesterol from the blood.  This is not the normal cholesterol** but that which collects and causes blood disease.  This type of RNA in question is called microRNA (miRNA) and has been implicated as players in several human diseases including cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes.  They turn or shut down certain genes that would prevent such things as diabetes. 

When used on crops, miRNA can make insects sterile or kill them when ingested.  It also changes the genes of the insects. This is cause for some concern since genetically humans and insects have a lot in common. If miRNA can survive the human digestive system, which the Chinese researchers have found to be true, then it is possible that miRNA could also affect humans with adverse conditions.

Now that is a brain full of information!
Here are examples of why GMOs are dangerous.


I personally like lists!

Higher levels of plant estrogens 

Contain unknown toxins

Risk of negative interactions

No long term research

Unknown Genetic effect on Humans

Higher fat content in foods

Insect and weed resistance (What is wrong with this?  Weeds and Insects become resilient, so they become more of a problem)

Little information available

More Allergens 

Claimed to have higher nutritional value, but our bodies do not recognize and so there is less absorption
Lack of Regulations on Labeling

Here is an article and action you can take to push through labeling of foods that contain GMOs:

Take Action, Demand Labeling

**Cholesterol has a place in the body.  It has many functions which I will address in another blog.  The dangerous cholesterol is not LDL nor the HDL.  WHAT???? When we lower our cholesterol we are actually making our cholesterol smaller. The smaller cholesterol causes the problems, and it moves through the blood and gets caught in places it isn't supposed to be.  Like I said, more on this in a later blog.

***Higher nutritional value but there is some debate as to whether or not humans can absorb the nutrition from the plant, or if the body refuses the food.   

 

Asian Diet vs American Diet

So why do Asians seem to eat soy without the health concerns?  Well, first of all they aren't eating the same types of soy that is in the American diet or as much.  Epidemiological* studies have shown that Asians, particularly in Japan and China, have a lower incidence of breast and prostate cancer than people in the United States, and many of these studies credit a traditional diet that includes soy. I personally do not believe soy is the only reason. Asians consume much more raw food than Americans.  

Studies showing the dark side of soy dates back 100 years," says clinical nutritionist Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story (New Trends, 2005)."The Asian diet does include small amounts--about nine grams a day--of primarily fermented soy products, such as miso, natto, and tempeh, and some tofu. Fermenting soy creates health-promoting probiotics, the good bacteria our bodies need to maintain digestive and overall wellness. By contrast, in the United States, processed soy food snacks or shakes can contain over 20 grams of non-fermented soy protein in one serving." **More than double the amount the Asians are consuming.  And think about it ... if you are trying to lose weight, you might have a protein bar for breakfast, protein shake for lunch, another protein bar for a snack. Then maybe a meal for supper, and lets pretend that the meal you are eating does not contain any processed food.  Probably you have consumed 60 grams of soy in one day alone.  Compare that to the 9 grams the Asian diet contains.  And remember they eat many more vegetables than Americans.

"Industry discovered soy and found that lots of money could be made from the plant, every part of the bean makes a profit. Soy oil has become the base for most vegetable oils; soy lecithin, the waste product left over after the soybean is processed, is used as an emulsifier; soy flour appears in baked and packaged goods; different forms of processed soy protein are added to everything from animal feed to muscle-building protein powders. 'Soy protein isolate was invented for use in cardboard,' Daniel says. 'It hasn't actually been approved as a food ingredient.'"**

"Soy is everywhere in our food supply, as the star in cereals and health-promoting foods and hidden in processed foods. Even if you read every label and avoid cardboard boxes, you are likely to find soy in your supplements and vitamins (look out for vitamin E derived from soy oil), in foods such as canned tuna, soups, sauces, breads, meats (injected under poultry skin), and chocolate, and in pet food and body-care products. It hides in tofu dogs under aliases such as textured vegetable protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and lecithin -- which is troubling, since the processing required to hydrolyze soy protein into vegetable protein produces excitotoxins such as glutamate (think MSG) and aspartate (a component of aspartame), which cause brain-cell death."**

Switching to organic soy isn't the answer either.  Soybeans naturally contain plant estrogens, toxins, and anti-nutrients.  These can not be removed from the plant.

Taking a look at each one of these substances; anti-nutrients block the body's ability to digest properly, mainly trypsin inhibitors; which limits the amount of energy the body has to use and process.  The result is a lack of proper absorption of what the body needs.

The toxins that the many articles I read referred to haemagglutinin a clot-promoting substance that causes red blood cells to lump together. Think blood clot ...

Along with the trypsin, heamagglutinin is a  growth inhibitor.  Makes you wonder why so many mothers use soy formula.  Goitrogens, which are also in soy, are substances that depress thyroid function.  In the last decade the US has reported a rise in thyroid disease, in humans as well as America's pets.  Soy is highly used in pet foods.

Lastly, plant estrogens (phytoestogens), which have been highly debated, almost as much as soy in the American diet is the last one I will look at in this entry.  Some experts feel that phytoestogens are great for replacing estrogen in a woman after menopause, while others say they are the main cause of cancer in menopausal women.  Some claim that phytoestogens have lead to the rise of infertility in younger American women.  Phytoestrogens are readily absorbed into the body, circulate in plasma and are excreted in the urine.   

*Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and patterns of health-events, health-characteristics and their causes or influences in well-defined populations.

**Parts of the information in this blog are from The Dark Side of Soy by Mary Vance from Terrain.

The Tiny Powerhouse in Your Body

Your adrenal glands are a powerhouse of energy.  They are about the size of walnuts.  They are best known for the their ability to aid in the fear or flight response while experiencing stressful situations.  There have been reports of real cases of unbelievable strength in people, demonstrated by lifting very heavy objects off loved ones.  I remember watching an episode of "I Love Lucy;" Lucy lifts a washing machine off someone in a department store and she is proclaimed a hero. She retains her strength throughout most of the episode, but loses it when another person is stuck. Lucy flexes and then attempting to use her super strength tries to lift the heavy object but she fails. Of course we are entertained by her attempts and the many faces she makes.  Lucy received the ability to lift heavy objects during an emergency situation and then lost it when another emergency arose. I'm sure that this isn't a documented event, but I do know we are given unbelievable strength or speed when the need arises.

The adrenals aid in the fear or flight but they do so much more.

It is also your adrenal glands' job to keep your body's reactions to stress in balance so that they are appropriate and not harmful. For example, the protective activity of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant adrenal hormones like cortisol helps to minimize reactions like swelling and inflammation in situations ranging from allergies to autoimmune disorders. Also these hormones closely modulate many metabolic processes:

the utilization of carbohydrates and fats

the conversion of fats and proteins into energy

the distribution of stored fat  – especially around your waist (the spare tire) and at the sides of your face

normal blood sugar regulation

proper cardiovascular function

gastrointestinal function

The adrenals kick in to replace the hormones that give women a sex drive after menopause. Your adrenal glands are small but so important.  

 

What happens when you over use your adrenal glands?  How do you over use your adrenal glands?  Athletes have been known to have trouble when they over train.  Usually the body exhibits this by restless legs and insomnia.  The most common condition, that actually encompasses the above conditions is called Adrenal Fatigue.  This condition can affect other glands in the body, the thyroid being the main one.

 

Adrenal fatigue is a dangerous syndrome that is diagnosed when your glands work below normal levels. Usually this happens when you are in a situation of prolonged stress or illness.  Adrenal fatigue can wreak havoc with your life.

 

Here is a web site where I found an adrenal fatigue test along with loads of information. Run by Future Formulations.  Some of the above information is from that site.  The site has many helpful tools and plans for adrenal support.  Dr. Wilson provides programs for de-stressing.  Stress will cause your adrenal glands to overwork, which leads to adrenal fatigue.  Adrenal Fatigue

 

Lastly I am no expert when it comes to Adrenals but I am experiencing moderate adrenal fatigue myself.   Our church service really is a help to me when my adrenals are going full force.  Below is an event that got me started looking into the Adrenal glands as I was thinking about getting into worship but feeling like I didn't have the energy.   

So ...I starting thinking, what gets you excited at a sporting event?  Well, it is your adrenals, they give you the energy to cheer and root for your team, but also yell at the refs!  But I also have noticed that in church when the Worship Leader starts with a upbeat song, I get into worship quicker.  Last night our Worship Leader started with a medium beat song, but because my adrenals were already flowing from the day's activity, I got right into the song.  On some Sunday mornings, I find it hard to jump into the song or worship because I am not awake. I need a warm up to get going, so take note Worship Leaders; want to create energy in the service?  Start Upbeat!  Besides it matches the natural rhythm of the body.  Think about it .. we need to warm up to exercise, you just don't jump right into a heavy workout or stretching.  One last thing .. it gets me into worship on time when I hear the music and it is upbeat.

So What's Wrong With SOY?

Recently I went to my son and daughter-in-law's for a visit.  My son is into raw nutrition.  He also has been teaching a summer course on nutrition at a community college. So while being there he shared some of his course information with his dad and I.  One of the main things he suggested was to for me to take all soy out of my diet.  I exercise and thought I ate right but had a huge stomach.  Most of time I held it in but lately I couldn't even do that anymore.  My son said that if I take the soy out my stomach would reduce.  I thought I ate only a small amount of soy and didn't think that the soy I ate was a problem, but when I started reading the labels I was shocked how much soy I was really eating. 

First off my protein bars first ingredient was soy and then again twice down the list.  I'm gluten free, so I started reading all my labels.  Soy was in almost everything I was eating.   Over the next few days I am going to share with you the wisdom of my son's nutrition and what I have found out while researching soy.

The media tells us that soy is a health food so we feel good about eating it.  But God created soy to be used as a soil refresher.  Farmers in Asia would plant soy alternating years to replenish the soil.  At first they never ate it just plowed it under before planting the next years crop of rice.
Most soy is GMO .. Genetically Modified (this is a whole other topic but just take it from me right now ... avoid GMO foods, I talk more about that later)
Soy is loaded with trypsin Inhibitors, trypsin is an enzyme that helps you digest protein.  So when you eat soy your body's ability to digest protein is inhibited.

Tomorrow ... more reasons to why you shouldn't eat soy.  Until then read the labels and eat up what you have so you can move towards a Soy Free Diet.

PS ... Fermented soy is ok in moderation. An example of that would be Soy Sauce.  Not Tofu...

Soy??? Should I or Shouldn't I?

I am going to start a series on soy and GMOs but first a question.

I have removed most if not all soy from my diet and I have never had body odor before, in fact my husband teased me that I must be alien since I didn't stink.  But now I do... Has any one ever heard of body odor being caused by taking soy out of your diet?

Mandy Pitinkin ... Gideon the best of the best!

Ok so I could go on about soy or GMO's .. but another day... right now I'm obsessing over Mandy Pitinkin!  Not only can the man act, is passionate about Israel, BUT he can SING ... and my favorite song of all times. Over The Rainbow!  I love his voice.  Over the Rainbow

My husband and I are presently watching season one of Criminal Minds.  I know why Mandy left and I do understand his thinking but if his counterpart is working anywhere with the FBI;  then the thought that comes to mind is that, I am so thankful for those whom are working the horrific crimes and hopefully solving them.
As far as Mandy's acting.  It is superb!  The connection he makes with his fellow actors and audience is wonderful.  Although Joe Mantegna, (David Rossi) is good ... Mandy as Gideon is a much better character.  Being an actor myself, I know the concentration it takes to create a character so real that the audience has to believe that they truly exist somewhere in the world.  Mandy has done that with Gideon. When the actor creates a character so real he/she takes it all home and so my guess is that played a role to his decision to leave.  I would love a showdown with Rossi and Gideon, as they meet some old unsub that both have investigated.  I would love to be that unsub of course, who wouldn't! 

It would be great just to see him return and I believe would bring a wonderful refreshment to the show.  I know Spencer would love him around, even if for a couple of shows.  CBS can you do it?  Convince Mandy he should return?

Food and Jesus ... do they go together?

So I’ve been thinking about food.  I love to eat …  and I’m always starved.  I have a friend that says all I think about is eating!  There is something about food that just satisfies the body, soul and mind.
    When you are hungry, there’s nothing like a good meal.

                 When you are discouraged, there’s chocolate                             cake to comfort the soul.

                         And Fuel Your Body with Eggs for Breakfast To Improve Memory Recall & Energy!                                                   

The other night Ken, Theresa and I watched a movie called, “The Encounter.”   Pretty simple plot but unbelievable, yet I can’t stop thinking about it.   Here is the summary;

“When five strangers with nothing in common come together at a remote roadside eatery, they place their orders with the diner's omniscient owner, who seems to know everything about them ... and is eerily reminiscent of Jesus Christ.”

Sounds really interesting huh?  I thought so too, that is why we rented it … but when they are arrived at the diner, there was no mystery to whom owned the diner.  His name tag read, “Jesus” … That was disappointing, so obvious, but we watched it any way and the power in God’s Word did not disappoint us.  During the scenes in the diner, Jesus prepared each of the five their favorite meal and then placed it in front of them while telling them all about themselves.  All ate but one guy.  In fact after he walked away Jesus gave his meal to the runaway.  (there’s a message in that action too but I’m leaving it to your own thoughts)
When the movie was over we all talked about the actors and who were the better ones.  Of course the one that played satan was the best, I think because it is so easy for us to be evil since it is our nature. 
Then we went to bed ….  I had the usual thoughts like, Jesus is the bread of life and so on but … something kept eating at me … Pardon the pun!

So today Ken and I read daily bread … here’s the story ….

“James was diagnosed with heart problems, and his wife, Becky, was no longer able to care for him or herself very well. They started looking for an assisted living home. One of Becky’s first questions as she visited each home was, “Do you puree your food?” She was concerned that James have the kind of food he needed for his swallowing difficulty. Several places answered “no,” so she kept searching. Finally she heard “yes” at a Christian assisted living home.
Even though they weren’t believers in Jesus and had often argued with a Christian neighbor about Him, James and Becky chose the Christian home because of the pureed food. They began attending chapel services, heard the gospel, and felt well cared for by the workers there. One day James surrendered his life to Christ. He believes that God was pursuing him (John 6:44), and He used pureed food to bring them to the Christian home where he received the care of God’s people and heard of Christ’s forgiveness.”

Now I was really thinking … how many times did Jesus use food or prepare food for his followers?  How often do we read about him reclining at the table sharing a meal with friends or even antagonizers?  Well, many times ... first look at the word ... eat, phago in the Greek, is used 90 times in the New Testament.  It means to eat, to take food, eat a meal.  Another word is Aristao which means to dine.  This is used only three times in the New Testament, only with Jesus and twice after the resurrection, on the beach when he prepared the breakfast for some of the disciples.  These are just two of the words that I found it the short time it took me to write this. I’m sure I could find more incidents in the Bible that would support eating and the gospel.  One more story for you, a personal one ...

One year during a holiday dinner at my church, we were seated with all the young pastors.  I marveled as I felt important and loved.  For once in my life, I thought I was finally fitting in with the crowd.  I noticed that the only couple missing was the young senior pastor and his wife.  They were no where to be found.  I asked the associate pastor’s wife where they were, knowing they were good friends.  She responded with, “I don’t know.”   Then her husband stood up to say the grace and the first course of the meal began being served.  I noticed my server and much to my surprise it was our senior pastor.   I was humbled by his service and have never forgotten that blessed evening.  I felt special and     loved.  When I asked him, why he wasn’t sitting, he responded with, “well, it was my turn to serve.”  Times and people change but that was a lesson I will never forget. I pray for that pastor often and know that God continues to use him. I’m not sure if he will ever know how God used him in my life that night. I knew from that point on, that to be a great leader you must serve greatly. 

Jesus fed the multitudes, he prepared meals for his disciples, even on his last night on this earth he was breaking bread and serving his followers.  What does this all mean?   And why do you think Jesus used food to serve others?  He even called himself the bread of life and in saying that, claimed that all who eat from his table will not hunger. 

Food makes us feel at home, loved, and fulfilled.  It is almost as necessary as oxygen, without oxygen we die in a matter of minutes, first passing out, only suffering a few minutes but without food we can live for days but miserably.

If you allow Jesus, he will enable you to feel at home, loved, and satisfied.  You can live you life at peace and not in a miserable state. 

I don’t always lean on Jesus for my satisfaction, I’m human and life is a struggle. It is just life in this fallen world, if I don’t eat everyday I would die a horrible death.  And so it is with Jesus I must eat of his bread everyday so that I do not allow this world to lore me away to empty satisfaction then live miserably. 

Humm ...I can the hear the Rolling Stones ... without the bread of life, “I can’t  get no satisfaction.”

Teachers

It was open house tonight at my daughter's high school. She is my youngest and I have three more years of having her home. What I do with that time? It is so important and I know it will go fast ... too fast ...

Her teachers are wonderful, especially one, Mr. M. She has him for two classes and I suspect she will begin to love Latin in a way that most of us never dream of doing. He teaches Latin. He taught her brothers and he continues to be one of the most creative teachers I've ever met. I mean if you can be 15 and love Latin ... the teacher must be a genius!

I've made an assessment tonight at open house ... there are three kinds of teacher: I can say this cause I am a teacher ... well, maybe I have more right since I am a parent ... whatever ... maybe I have no right except to my opinion ... but anyway ... here goes:

Teacher #1 "Teaches because it is their job, they really have no passion for the student, parent, or subject."

Teacher #2 "Relates well to the student, has some passion for the subject, but thinks parents are idiots"

Teacher #3 "Is amazing ... relates to students and then to the parent in a way like none other ... is creative and does everything to see their students succeed. Believes in the students' ability to overcome anything life throws at them, as long as they have a support group. Does not get along with administration."

I think my daughter has a mix of the above teachers and that is good ... she will learn. And so will we...

Become

Finally a sunny morning in south western Pa ... don't know if it will last but that is Pittsburgh! I have heard it said that if you don't like the weather here, wait fifteen minutes and it will change!

One thing that is here to stay is Become Beauty Health and Wellness! This company is the greatest and I can't believe how it has changed my skin forever but also it has changed my life! Being a 'become advisor' has given me confidence I have never had before. I believe it is because of the extensive support and training plus the product is amazing and it is like the big pink bunny ... just keeps going ... well, just keeps working. You may wonder what I mean by that, well, you know when you find the 'perfect' shampoo and you just love what it does to your hair! But then in six months it seems to stop working? Become works beyond the six months and in fact it just keeps on working. I have been using it for almost two years and still see differences in my skin everyday. In fact my husband notices at least once a month how young my skin looks.

Send me a message to receive free samples and check out this blog Nuts 4 stuff, for a free hydration serum!

Believe me you will love your skin!

Continuation of Foam Roller Just Click

Sorry I never got back to finishing this here at my blog but it is at my web site!

The Foam Roller Posture Workout

Check with you physician before preforming these exercises or any other.    
Have you ever been told to stand up straight?  Or if someone mentions posture, immediately you begin to lift your shoulders and suck in your gut.  If you sit at a computer all day, do you find that your neck, upper back, and shoulders are tight, tired, and achy all the time?  Do you feel that you are extra tired everyday even though you are getting at least 8 hours of sound sleep at night.  You might have weak and/or tight posture muscles.  So first what is correct posture?  Looking at the human body perfect posture is ear over the shoulder, shoulder over the hip, hip over the knee, knee over ankle.  Weight evenly distributed in the feet, hips are tucked under and in neutral with the knees slightly bent. Chin is level with eyes focused forward.

And it looks comfortable?  Not so much. 

Since Americans live mostly a sedimentary lifestyle, correct posture is not something that comes natural.  We spend most of our time bent over computers or slumped down in a couch watching the tube.  We drive or ride to work and fight to the closest parking space so we don’t have to walk far to the mall. Also poor self esteem and stress will weaken your posture.

Even though I exercise 6 times a week I still struggled with correct posture.  Through a session of PT, I learned readiness position (correct posture) but felt it a struggle to keep my body in correct alignment.  Pilates helped some but since I had lived most of my life with poor posture, maintaining readiness position throughout the day became work.  I found myself feeling even more tired and just figured it was age.  Then I spent a week with my sister-in-law, Sheryl in San Francisco.  She introduced me to the foam roller and its exercises. When I returned home I then incorporated the foam roller into my Pilates class.  I began to see results immediately, not only in my own posture but also my clients.  I also noticed that I was not as tired throughout the day.  I attribute the increase in energy to my strengthen posture muscles which means, I am not working as hard as before holding up my skeleton.  

The following exercises if done twice a day will help to put you on the right road to stronger posture.  It takes five minutes morning and night and I am almost certain you will see a change in posture if not immediately within a week.

Equipment needed:  A 36inch long/6inch circumference dense foam roller and a sticky mat is recommended but not needed.  

Getting on the foam roller can be a little tricky but I have helped women in their 70’s safely lie down on the roller using these simple steps. 

1. Sit on your mat with the end of the roller up against your tail bone. 

2. Placing your hands behind you next to roller lift your hips up onto the roller. 

3. Slowly lower yourself down, lengthen wise on the roller while walking the hands down the back of your legs for support.

  

Once you are lying back on the roller you will need to put yourself in neutral spine.  You will begin by placing you feet hip width apart and flat on the mat, with knees bent.  Arms down at your side relaxed.

 

Neutral spine is the strongest position for the spine whether you are standing or sitting.  Performing the pelvic tilt will help you find this position. Exhale and use your abs to press your lower spine into the floor in a pelvic tuck. Inhale to release.  Exhale and pull your lower spine up, away from the floor creating a pelvic tilt.  Inhale to release.  You will want to repeat these tilts 3 to 4 times. 

Ok so you are neutral spine .. now what ... well, ... HTML is driving me crazy so I will have to finish this tomorrow, please don't put yourself on a foam roller and wait till I finish my post and as always check with you physician before preforming these exercises or any other.    

My Review

Originally submitted at UGG Australia

I Want One In Every Color!

By Msjcats from Canonsburg, PA on 1/22/2011

5out of 5

Pros: Feels great on, Wonderful for travel, Versatile, Looks Savvy, Great For Casual Outfits, Great For DressySporty, My Favorite Ugg
Cons: Hard to put on at first
Best Uses: Everyday boot, Going through Security, Running to the store, All Year Round Boot

I love this boot it is just so neat and easy to wear. Goes with everything. I love to just slip this boot on and run out to exercise class or the store. Plus it is so nice on long trips, not cumbersome at all.

(legalese)

Shakin Up New Year's Resolutions

We are already half way through January and I hear the comments in the line at the Giant Eagle ... "I hate to diet!" "Yeah, I already gave up on my new year's resolutions." "I am always hungry when I use meal replacement shakes." So ... I butt in .... with words of encouragement!  "Don't give up, so you break your resolution today ... start again tomorrow." OR ... I say, "Just view your resolution as a LIFE RESOLUTION! Not a new years ... then you won't feel like if you mess up in the middle of January, you have failed, cause you have your whole life for success."

And what is the number one New Year's Resolution?  To lose weight ... To make it a LIFE RESOLUTION, change the wording ... and be specific but giving your self something to work towards other than a number.

Like:  I resolve to live a healthy lifestyle by reading labels and cutting out HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) and walking three times a week for 20 minutes. 

Now that is something you can do and if you fall off the wagon, tomorrow is a new day.

By just replacing one meal a day with a meal replacement shake will cut calories and fat!  So if you start your day with that shake, you are probably adding another component to a healthy lifestyle and that would be breakfast.  It is reported that 50% of Americans either skip breakfast or eat high sugar/calorie breakfasts, another study reported that 40% of the participates thought coffee was enough for breakfast.  It has been proven over and over again that those that eat breakfast keep their overall body weight lower and perform at higher levels at their jobs and in school.  So why not start it off with a meal replacement shake ... Become Beauty has a two wonderful vegetarian (they do contain dairy products) flavors in the Figure 1st Weight Management Program.  Just last night some of my clients tried both flavors and commented that they were delicious, not chalky or gritty like some they had tried before.  They are also satisfying and filling. 
When I have one in the morning before my class ... I feel great and don't crave sweets after class.  I know that when lunch time comes around I am ready for salad or soup!
What makes them different ...
Here are the facts ... 
Become’s unique line of nutraceuticals combines precise blends of clinically proven natural ingredients with delivery systems that can be absorbed more effectively than traditional weight loss products. Figure 1st is designed to support and enhance your healthy eating and exercise program so you see and feel maximum results in minimum time.
What are Nutraceuticals?
The term “nurtraceuticals” defines a quality of ingredients with proven pharmaceutical performance. Unlike a typical supplements + vitamins, the scientific promise of a nutraceutical is prevention and repair at a cellular level. Become products only utilize premium nutraceutical ingredients in their formulations. 

The Vanilla is my favorite .. because I like to mix it with juice and fruit.  It is enhanced with Super CitriMax® + fibre to keep you feeling full for loner. This protein shake packed with vitamins and minerals, as well as 16 grams of protein, gets you from breakfast to lunch or snack time to dinner every day! The shake has SuperCitrimax that is a patented weight loss supplement that has a two-fold action: to curb appetite and burn fat. It is made from garcinia cambogia - a small South American fruit that looks like a pumpkin.  Here is how it works ... The extract of this fruit is hydroxycitric acid (HCA). It prevents excess carbohydrates from being turned into fat. At the same time, SuperCitramax sends a message to the brain to tell you that you're full. Genius! 

So try a shake today and shake that News Year's Resolution into a LIFE RESOLUTION!

Wondering

I spend too much of my time

Thinking … Thinking ….

I know I say I am fine

But really …. really

You are always on my mind

When I wake I think of you

Early … Always at 5 …

Then I feel low and so blue

But really … really

It is time to take the clue

I wanted you more then gold

You are worth it ALL …

For your love I would have sold

Everything …. Everything

Going forth would be so bold

Now I know the mask you hide

Hiding … hiding …

Some might say that you just lied

But really … really

Your heart can not testify

Love comes to you only this time

Loving … Love

You would have been always mine

To always come and go

Now my heart has not a chime

Winter Cold Already Gotcha?

Germs, germs … everywhere!  EEEKKKK

“Where is my antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer?  I can’t live without it and I never leave home without my trusty travel size sanitizer, I mean with all these super germs you would be crazy to go anywhere without it.”   

This seems to be the latest Mom mantra. You see it them with their kids using their sanitizer in McDonalds, at the mall, or on the playground.   Have you seen the pumps of hand sanitizer at your office, school, or church?  I have, these protective pumps are everywhere and it seems like a good thing right?  But I not so sure, my own mom’s mantra was, “you can get to much of a good thing!”  She was right on many occasions, like the time I ate too much junk food at the circus.   The ride home was not a pretty one.   Or the time I insisted on spending that extra night at my girlfriend’s house.  I got sick of her and her mom got sick of me!  And the one I remember best; I wanted to spend another weekend with my boyfriend at his college, … she died that weekend …

But really my point here is not my guilt over my mom’s death it is my guilt over helping to create super germs!  Yes, I admit I have used antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer too much to which my hands turned red and ached when the cold hit my glove-less skin.  I think that when we replace the use of just plain warm water and soap with super antibacterial soaps and sanitizers we just make the germs fight harder to stay alive.  Then we end up with these so-called ‘super’ germs, and red chapped hands.  So what do we do to combat the many germs out there that are spread from person to person with just a handshake or even a hand bump? 

First we go back to plain Ivory soap and warm water.  And you ask why?  Well, these new hand sanitizing products that effectively kill 99.9% of germs, sounds like a good thing but in actuality, the body needs certain bacteria. When antibacterial hand washes are used on a daily basis, the good bacteria that are responsible for fighting the germs that make us sick also die in with the bad.  There are medical studies that have found that the use of antibacterial soap and sanitizers have increased the amount of bacterial found on the hands.  The body knows something is missing and so it doesn’t fight the bad bacterial on its own rather it weakens and bad bacterial strengthens.  

So the first thing is to teach your children and yourself that plain soap and water used correctly will clean your hands of the germs that really don’t belong there.  Plus an orange oil scrub or lotion can be helpful in preventing infection.  As an antiseptic, it can inhibit microbial growth and prevent infection in cuts or scrapes. Orange essential oil efficiently tackles the problem of colds and flu. It detoxifies the body and boosts the lymphatic system. At the same time, it also takes care of the collagen formation in the skin. It is known to possess antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, sedative and antiseptic therapeutic properties.

Become has just a scrub and lotion.  I have heard of my clients’ hands healing in a matter of days.  A friend of mine even commented on how her eczema has almost completely disappeared.  Both men and women have benefited from the purity of our Hand Smoothing Complex, followed with the Rejuvenating Hand Cream.  Used daily, through the winter, these products, can alleviate your red, chapped hands and even encourage collagen regeneration in the thinning layers of your dermis layer. 

(Remember these are from my personal experiences and I do not claim to hold any medical degree, but really my customers will tell you, they have never experienced a better product that is so healing with this early wave of cold we have had this year.)

My Become Story

I have tried many products through direct sales and the cosmetic counters at Macy’s.  Like most women I want to stave off the effects age as on my skin.  I can control how my figure looks through diet and exercise but my skin is another thing.  So I was almost willing to do anything for a younger looking complexion, almost even taking a second mortgage. 

I knew I was spending too much money on over the counter products from the department stores; and I knew when all the free gifts were coming so I could stock up on my products.  But every time “free gift time” came around I spent so much money that I felt like I was actually buying gifts for the entire cosmetic company. Free gift is a great gimmick; give you something that you might use or maybe just keep giving you eyemake-up remover.  Any way, you think you are getting this great deal that comes in such a pretty package but what really happens is most women spend way too much money at “free gift time.”  And never use half the free gift.  

My daughter in law asked if I wanted to go to this “home party” with her.  Actually, I did not and when I heard it was skin care, I tried to think how I could get out of going.  I knew I had already tried that route and thought if the high priced French stuff couldn’t prevent the lines I was finding, and more every time I looked, then some direct sales company wasn’t going to take care of them either.  I was very much a skeptic and liked receiving my so called ‘free gift’ even though I had too many of the same things. (and it cost an arm and leg) But the love I have for my daughter in law won over and I went.  That turned out to be not only skin changing, but life changing. That was in November of 2009.

I started using ‘become’ but still trying to use up the abundance of skin care I owned.  Also I booked a clinic of my own for the new year.  I really liked the ‘become’ line but didn’t see much of a difference.  I know all to well that everyone’s DNA is different so I thought, “maybe I will just have to deal with the grey skin and lines.” 

Now I want to remind you here that I was still using the “other” products.  I was trying not to be wasteful so I needed to use them and not just throw them away.  I did notice that when I used only my ‘become’ products my skin did look better.  And I remembered the advisor, Jen, that sold me my products said that I could mix and match; but then again I also knew from my previous job that the products from one company work better together. 

The reality hit me after my first clinic hosted at my home, I told Jen I needed cover-up, she asked me, “You do use ‘become’s’ eye cream, right?”  I said, “Yes, but not consistently, I am still using up the other stuff.”  That was when I made the decision to stop using everything else.  And in a few days the line began to truly change my skin and I noticed that my eyesight seem to clear too. (I really have no reason to that but the cloudiness I so often experience was gone, maybe it was the parbins [preservatives in cosmetics] in the other products) I threw or gave away all the other products and then booked another clinic cause I was not only going to need to restock sooner but when I hosted it was like “free gift time” … for real. 

But how did I join become? I mean I was really fed up with the direct sales business and I didn’t want to put that pressure on my friends and family to have parties for me.  Actually the way it all happened was a ‘God Thing.’  A friend of mine was hosting a clinic.  I actually hadn’t gotten anything free from her hosting.  She had contacted Jen on her own and had worked it all out.  But she was having problems getting a date to jive with her schedule and all of the ladies in class.  It ended up being a book party.  And since she went on vacation in the middle of it all, I did all the work of collecting and delivering orders to Jennifer.  I thought this is stupid.  I should just sell the product.  And that is the life changing part.  I can’t believe how excited I am to be working the business, to be sharing the “become anti aging” products with everyone.   I love preparing for the clinics and really I can’t believe how easy it is to make money.  These first few months have been great but also stretching.  I am not leaning on friends and family for sales, I am truly introducing “become” to people whom have never heard of the company.  At the end of my first month I received a paycheck from the company for over $500.00.  I was truly amazed.  

I admit that since I want to be a success at my business I have had to invest some money but I know it will pay off in the end.  Funny thing the money I invested was not buying “become” it was other stuff to get things going. 

But the paycheck isn’t the only thing that has happened to me.   I am more energized and calmer about my future.  My husband said that he can see that this is the right direction for me since I seem to have a peace about me.  Our lives are constantly changing, in fact, my husband just came home today with news of other possible major change in our lives.

The Pains of Modern Technology

Well, I have completely moved to MAC ...no more PCs ... no more crashes ... just ease in whatever I do on my computers ... haha ... what a joke! What I failed to realize is that I live in a PC world and so my printer doesn't always seem to get along with my MAC ... and some of my Office software gives me a headache! Oh well ... my MAC is much better than any PC I ever owned, so no more complaining about that ... and my DROID is working today ... well, gee I haven't even picked it up yet off the charge stand, so that is "maybe" ....
But that isn't the real pain of modern technology,  Electro-magnetic frequencies (EMF) can cause us 100 times more stress than past generations ever had.  Ok, I know you might be skeptical and I must admit I was unsure too when my son started telling me about EMF.  I can't see the signals created by my microwaves, wireless networks, cell phones, TVs, GPS, computers, radio, power lines... the list is long, but I know  and you know they are out there.  I mean just think when I call someone on my cell, it goes somewhere and connects ... and then connects to their phone ...  something is moving out there!  So I thought why not?

My son told me about a natural path in McMurray, Dr. Val Nelson, who sold EMF Jewelry.  I decided to try it and wore it about six weeks.  I didn't see any change but wore it away since I was wearing it I thought ... it isn't hurting anything .... then something happened and I decided to write her and let her know about the change I was experiencing in my body.   Here is my story ....



Dear Dr. Val,

I must admit I was unsure when my son showed me the EMF Protective Jewelry but not skeptical since I know you have such expertise in the areas of health and wellness.  So I decided to try wearing it for awhile to see if had a change in my body.  At the time I began wearing my beautiful piece of EMF Jewelry, my weekly massages were coming to an end.  My massage therapist always said that I was very tight and irritated under my scapula.  I am a Fitness Professional and so my body takes a beating and at age 52 I do not seem to rid my body of the toxins that exercise leaves behind.   I did have a lot of upper back pain and the therapist told me that is where I would carry the stress from life.  I thought it was just weight training.  Little did I know that the frequencies from modern technology were affecting me more than the lactic acid left behind after class.  

I continued to wear my my pendant even though I didn't see much change ... it isn't hurting I thought ... then I decided to treat myself to a massage since it had been six weeks since my last one.  I prepared for the pain as I laid on the table face down but knew that the therapist was helping my body rid itself of the toxins I had been storing.  Much to my surprise she seemed to move through my problem areas without much difficulty and even commented that I seemed looser then normal.  Afterwards, since my therapist didn't have any appointments we went to the mall together.  As we were walking through I asked her, "Gee, I wasn't as tight as normal and it didn't hurt as much today, were you going easy on me?"  

She replied, "no. What are you doing different?"

Then it hit me ... only one thing had changed, I pulled out my pendant, showed her and said, "this is the only difference, my EMF Jewelry from Dr. Val!" 

"Wow" was the reply... and wow it is ... I wear it all the time now ... I even sleep with it around my neck and I can't wait till Christmas since I told everyone I want EMF Jewelry from Dr. Val Nelson as a gift! 


Here are some facts about EMF frequencies:

Well-known cardiologist, Dr. Sinatra believes there is a strong connection with heart disease, cancer and high cholesterol because of these EMF signals. (http://www.doctorvalerienelson.com/EMF-Jewelry.html)
Researchers suspect artificial EMFs cause sleep problems.
There is a growing body of research showing EMFs have a negative impact on melatonin production in the body.  (http://www.magnopro-usa.com/harmful-manmade-emfs.htm)

Here are some facts about EMF Protective Jewelry:

Users report having more energy, feeling happier, being more centered and grounded.   Many have noticed pain reduction.
Deeper sleep is reported along with clearer thinking. (http://www.doctorvalerienelson.com/EMF-Jewelry.html)
More efficient stress management.
ADD and ADHD patients are calmer and are more focused

I don't completely understand all this but I know there is a difference in my body.  And in the same way I don't completely understand God but I know He is out there and He is always working.   Maybe it is all just a FAITH thing ...