When Fruits and Veggies Are Not What You Think

I rang across this article that talks about how different food is today than it was in the past.

To be honest, I already knew this and it was probably because I was really privileged and at a lot fresh foods from gardens growing up. But, the truth is there is way more to it than just that.

My grandparents and parents got twice as much nutrition from some fruits and veggies as my kids and I are getting these days. TWICE AS MUCH! That makes my heart hurt. Especially since I have been so sick and then learning that the best way to fight illness and disease is fruits and veggies.

I have not always made the healthiest choices and because of that neither have my children. But, about 4ish years ago I made some major life changes. I started to eat whole food nutrition daily. I started to cut back on processed foods and sugars. And, truth be told, I thought that I was probably doing enough because I was eating more fresh foods.

Turns out I wasn’t doing as much as I could or should. And that makes me sad. Still, with all that being said I am now currently doing all I can and more for my family, daily.

That was when, after 8 years of watching a friend eat their daily capsules and chews I started my family on them. It has been life-changing. When you are immune deficient, it is scary. When you are allergic or sensitive to a lot of foods and some of those are put into medications, it is scary. When doctors run out of options for you, it is scary.

I recall going into my general practitioner’s office and trying to hold back the tears. She has been doing everything she could to help me and that included sending me to specialists. I am forever grateful for everyone who has ever taken time to listen and treat me because I am a very unique case and I know this. But I sat in her office and when she walked through the door the flood gates pushed open and I could not prevent the tears from flowing.

Each specialist either wanted me to try another new pill, have testing done I had already had done, and/or see another specialist. I didn’t think I could handle much more.

It wasn’t that long after that moment when I did give up and went to eating what Dana was eating daily. We have had some amazing developments since that time. Healing has occurred in many areas for me and is still happening inside of me. My children don’t miss nearly as much school (which if I am being honest, Jack David HATES). We have been able to take vacations because of not missing school and me not being as sick.

It has been pretty amazing. So, if you are curious as to what we are eating daily, I will gladly share it with you! The link is below. I also am going to share the article that talks about broccoli and how it was twice as nutritious 50 years ago. Why? Because education is so important for those we are currently living and those who have yet to be born!

This is scary in our day and age, especially with the flu and coronavirus spreading like they are! Do you want to read the article or learn about how I am getting more fruits and veggies into my kiddos and myself? Click here

Do you want to read the article? Click here.

You Have To Be Resilient To Make It Through Life

The problem is so many people think and feel they should not have any difficulty going through life. The solution is we have to be willing to learn to be resilient because difficulty does exist.

Life is hard and I have been through my fair share of difficulties. Unless you are in my inner circle or personally in my life you probably do not know most of what I have dealt with and how I have overcome it.

The key though is I am resilient. I am emotionally resilient. I am physically resilient. I am mentally resilient. I am resilient.

I am pretty sure I have been most of my life but I didn’t always acknowledge it. But, if I am not willing to acknowledge that I do get knocked out and that there is something inside me that helps me get back up, I am truly missing out on helping others!

What is the hardest thing you have gone through? A partner cheating? Sexual abuse from someone you knew? Rape from someone you knew or even someone you didn’t know? A divorce? Abuse in a marriage or relationship? Financial ruin? Self-abuse?

The list of things is endless, how you respond is not.

I am a hot air balloon. I can be high up in the sky and see God’s artwork, which I am a part of and I can be down deflated on the ground where no one can see me but those who are close. But no matter where I am, I have the potential to fly high and go far, I just have to light my resilient fire.

Have you had times where you have no idea how you are going to keep on going? Maybe you are on the ground now and need help getting your fire lite again. Ask to join my inner circle by clicking here!

The Ebb and Flow of Marriage Sometimes Needs Some Guidance

All relationships have ebb and flow! I don’t think arming yourself with tools is a bad thing.

Currently Jack and I are doing this thing at church called, “Connect”. At first it was learning about your temperament. Which was really interesting. I had learned mine a LONG time ago. I had used it for a time to learn about myself but I stopped. I became the know it all teen who knew better than everyone else in the world. And yet, here I am 30+ years later using it again.

Now we are learning how to do intentional dialogue. Let me bare my soul here —> I suck at it! No joke. I realized something very interested and it came to me and I had never realized it before. We were doing our first of 2 practices (we were encouraged to do 2, 10 minute dialogues before this next Sunday because we are doing it in our small group). We were encouraged to pick something really light and easy just to practice. 

Jack picks something about his work. I did okay (I think) on the mirroring part. Then when we got to the other parts I lost it. I would dare say we were probably at 1:30 of our 10 minutes and the tears started to flow. Jack held his hand out and told me to take it. I put my hand in his and that is when it hit me, the thought I had never had before, when I do not understand how to do something from beginning to end and when I can’t do something perfect, I get frustrated and I cry. 

I had never realized that before. And boy am I good at it! I rock the crying when I have frustration. It was this eye opening moment and it all came from him talking about his work and me not understanding how to do this intentional dialogue! 

Anyway, I do believe having tools to help relationship are great. So I do love reading suggestions for how to make things work or better or even how to make it through the ebb and flow of daily life! I found this article and I really do like what they suggest. Maybe you will too. Here Are 11 Tips To Keep Your Marriage Fresh!

Want to connect with me in my inner circle? Click here.

Gossip Is The Problem and People Are The Solution

Gossip is the problem and people are the solution.

I am sure you have been in this situation before because we all have. I was sitting in a restaurant and overheard the table next to me talking. I know, I can hear it now, that’s the pot calling the kettle black, you should not have been listening to them talk, it was a private conversation, and I realize all of this. Still, when my ears catch a word, I struggle to turn them off. And when you are in public anyone can hear anything you say.

She was talking about a friend. She wasn’t lifting her up. I would dare say that Susan really wasn’t a friend of hers!

I am the solution to gossip. I’m working hard to change my mindset so I am confident with who I am.

I once heard a story about a feathered pillow that went like this, “My mom held a feather pillow and said, ‘If I tear this open, the feathers will fly to the four winds, and I could never get them back in the pillow.”

I encourage you to keep your pillows together because you never know when you will need to lay your head down.

Do you want to learn solutions to combat gossip in your life? Click this link to be invited to my inner circle: http://bit.ly/LifeSynergyInnerCircle

Make Your Own Sleeping Balm And Change Your Days

This world is busy and our brains have a hard time shutting off. I have started using a homemade sleeping balm on my feet and wrists to help me shut it off.

I know you have been there! You want to sleep and your eyes are burning. You climb into bed and can not wait to drift off to sleep. And you get all snuggled in and it seems that your brain didn’t get the memo that the rest of your body did. You think about everything that went on that day. You think about everything you didn’t accomplish that day. You think about conversations you had, what you could have said instead, what was left unsaid. And the thoughts just keep on coming.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could help your brain shut off? Wouldn’t it be great if you could do it and it was natural and not harmful to your body? The good news is there is something and it is natural and you can make it!

When your brain is the clown car and the clowns just keep on coming out. Sometimes, you have to slam the door to stop the madness.

Are you ready to help yourself relax and to shut your brain down naturally? Give a shout out and ask to be added to my inner circle so you can have the recipe!

Change Your Mindset and Change Your Life!

So many people talk about things they want to change or how they plan on changing but then fall short. The solution is a mind change because nothing changes until you have a real inside change and that begins in the mind.

I know you have been here. You look in the mirror and are truly dissatisfied with what you see. It doesn’t have to be something major, it can be as simple as your hairstyle. But it is the discontent that stricks a cord with me. When you are dissatisfied and have discontent, something much deeper is going on. There is a huge difference between, “I want a new hairstyle.” and, “I hate the way my hair looks.” And this can be applied to anything in your life!

I want a change and I hate the way this looks are two very different things!

Change is hard but it is worth it. Change takes work, daily work, but it is worth it. It is the small steps that take you the furthest. It is the hard steps, that make the biggest changes.

The mindset is huge. You see, for years I believed I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t skinny enough. I wasn’t healthy enough. I just wasn’t…..enough!The mindset is huge. You see, for years I believed I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t skinny enough. I wasn’t healthy enough. I just wasn’t…..enough!

I would try to exercise. I would lose weight and then gain it all back plus some. I would try programs that included pills and shakes and I would look amazing and then it would all change and I would go back to where I was, plus some.

My health was in jeopardy. I was getting sicker and sicker each and every year. I was put on more and more and more pills. My reactions and side effects of each were getting worse and worse.

When I looked in the mirror I could not stand what I saw. Any of me! My hair, my weight, my looks, my smile. The list goes on but you get it. Basically there was nothing about myself I could enjoy. And I kept on trying to change my outsides but never bothered to touch my insides. I didn’t understand the importance of changing my insides before ever attempting to fix anything else about me.

When my insides were broken, nothing else could ever be fixed because I was broken. I was damaged. Even when I was my ideal weight, my hair cut was complimented all the time, people would tell me I was glowing and I would go home and cringe. I still saw all my flaws and my mind saw each and every broken thing about me. That is, except the brokenness inside of me.

Now, I may not look healthy on the outside but I am 100% healthier than I have been since I was 8 years old. My mind wins battles daily. I am even making daily healthier choices that are helping my body.

I still take capsules and I still eat shakes but they are not full of chemicals and fake things I can’t even pronounce. They are full of whole food nutrition and I know it benefits my body. I am getting into working out every day, and for me that means yoga.

Changing your mind is a battle but victory changes the outcome of the war.

Nothing changes until you change your mind and your insides. Are you ready to make a change? I am getting ready to do a 5-day stress release challenge. Really easy, no purchase necessary, and it is completely beneficial for anyone. Would this be something you are interested in? I have been doing this for a while for myself and it is one of the ways I began to change my mindset!

What Does Living Intentionally Healthy Mean?

One of our biggest problems is that we are afraid of the word healthy. The best solution is to define what healthy means to you!

Let me be perfectly clear, I do know how to live a healthy life. But it used to sound boring and bland (those darn teen years).

When I was little I loved fresh fruits and veggies. My grandparents lived on a farm and going into the garden was awesome! Then I turned into a teen and all my friends were eating junk so why can’t I enjoy junk as well? Let me tell you what happened very quickly. I was craving sugar. I wanted candy bars. I wanted pop. I wanted chips. I wanted junk. That is what my body wanted all the time. Not only is it what my body craved it changed how my body worked.

What Doors Are Waiting To Open For You?

Have you ever thought about what happens to the body when you make unhealthy choices? What happens when you eat mostly sugary foods (learn about that in my inner circle)? It can cause problems you never knew about, never thought about and didn’t realize was really going on causing health problems. How much sugar do you eat? What does it mean to be healthy for you? What doors would it open in your life?

When you sing and you sound like an angel but are always alone, no one hears you, and no one will ever be blessed. When you sing and sound like an angel and always sing in front of others you bless everyone. Are you singing alone or in front of others?

If you want to hear more about me and the little things I did ask to join my inner circle!

Whole Body Transformation Starts Within

Do You Want To Be Happy?

Want a great life – deal with your past crap. Work through it, your fears, your limiting beliefs, your past and the triggers that cause your reactions. You have to clear out all your negative emotions and energies and people or you will never be free to be the self confident unique you that you’re meant to be. 

L.E.D.

Learn it – your triggers, negative feelings and emotions, limiting beliefs that are holding you captive

Embrace it – work through it, disable the falsities by embracing truth, accept your part in the past, dig deep

Dance it Out – you made it through and you’re free, keep your new beliefs at the forefront for triggers so you can stomp it out and dance in your freedom for who you truly are and can be.

~ Amy L. Buitendyk

Happiness Circle

Have you ever heard about the happiness circle? Well, I thought I had but turns out I had not. Most of the time when I heard people talking about the circle, they were talking about the Wheel of Life.

Do you want to be happy? I highly suggest you take the time to watch these two videos. Then take the time to take the assessment to see where you are at with your rubber balls and your crystal balls!

Happiness Circle I
Happiness Circle II

Hurt-People Hurt People

Honestly, I truly believe that hurt-people hurt people, that all attack is a cry for love, and that MOST of the mess we see in the world is the direct resut of unresolved early childhood trauma. 

So, my focus is radical self-honesty, and radical self-healing/integration. And then/thus to be a radically contagious catalyst.  

~Dena Lynn

Transparency in 2019

Transparency is not easy to do, especially when it comes to healthy and weight. Who wants to put it out there for the world to see how much you weight, put photos up and invite them into what you hope to do and the struggles to accomplish them. 

I say the struggles because it has been a struggle for me. From a young age, I was and still am an emotional eater. When I am not an emotional eater, I am a bored snacker. When I am not a bored snacker, I starve myself. So as you can see, I have not had the best relationship with food. 

So today on January 1, 2019, I got up and went into the bathroom. I got these clothes on and got on the scale. I took a photo of the weight. I went into the living room and have my Bella take a set of 4 photos. Then I went and created an image. It has taken me almost 10 hours to post this. 

It takes vulnerability, bravery, transparency, confidence, and a willingness to be hurt to post this. I am not happy with my current health. I am not happy with my current activity level. I am not happy with my current eating habits. I am saddened by the actions of those around me when they to try and guilt me when I won’t try a bite, or won’t gladly accept the treat they got me, because if it hurts their feelings I no longer care because this is about me. It is about me being here for my children, my family, my grandchildren, and the best one of all: FOR ME!

On January 7th I am starting the healthy living revolution nutrition program. I am already implementing a lot of these things and today it created a lot of tears. When Bella asked for a snack from the store and I said, “sure but it has to be a healthy one.” And she picked fruit gushers and I said, “not healthy”. I gave her a long list of options and threw her tears picked nothing over healthy. It is okay, it is a process, for all of us. 

So, welcome to my journey, my whole health journey. If anyone would like to join me on this journey, comment or message me. If anyone is curious what the Shred is about, let me know and I can add you to a group that has every question answered you could think of. If you just want to watch, I hope it helps you on your journey and encourages you. 

I Have Been Quiet

I am around. I am thinking. I am cleaning. I am making it through the first week of school.

When the summer comes, I have a schedule and we did really good about sticking to it. I did indulge in the kiddos more than I had planned to (that sounds bad) but it was perfect. We swam, we went to the library, we walked, we played, we overall had a really good summer. That has come to an end though and this was our first week of school.

I am proud to say that tomorrow is the last day of school for the week and I am almost 99% positive that we are going to make it our first full week without any absences. Unfortunately for my children, they have my poor immunity. There has not been a year up to this point that one of my children has not missed at least one day the first week of school. It isn’t that they want to miss, but by day three they are typically feeling miserable and have a fever before heading to bed and by day four they are missing school because of the fever.

We are not without feeling sick. Jack David is complaining of a sore throat and his cough is starting. But I know it is from a runny nose this time. Currently he is sleeping in my bed with a diffuser going and we doubled up on his fruit, veggie and berry chews today. Plus add to all of that, he is growing so his legs are waking him up from the pain. He has not started a fever though and by now, he would have the fever. So I am about 99% positive both of the children will make it to school tomorrow.

As we are getting into the school year, I am also refocusing on our business. I did a lot of slacking over the summer that I had not planned on doing. The positive thing though is that we were still getting our residual checks, they just were not growing much. So I have decided it is time to do some serious focusing on it. It is time to really help others to get healthier and to help others realize their dreams as well!

Along with refocusing on our business, I have joined a group to help with that. Our team started some teams that are here to help everyone duplicate, encourage, support, correct, help and grow. It is two folds actually. There is the big group of people who are all working toward the same goal and then there are smaller pods within the group who is your small group help. So far, just listening to the first meeting and then talking in the small group, I am really encouraged. I am getting laser focused and I already accomplished more than I could have imagined!

So I have been quiet but I have had some things going on. I do have a favor to ask though: prayers, good vibes or even just passing this on to others who pray would be truly appreciated.

There is a lot of pain, heartache and sorrow going on around the world, in our country, states, communities and those who are close to each of us. Please pray for those who are being affected by Harvey. There is a lot of scary things going on down in Texas right now. I have friends who have reported that when they went down to help with their boats, people are acting stranded and then trying to rob those who are helping or are even shooting at those who are helping. Why? So everyone who is helping, who is stranded, who has lost their homes, belongings and even family and friends, please pray.

I also have a lot of people around me who are dealing with cancer: Dana, Gary, Brison, Heather, Terry, Megan, Bobby, Michael and a few who have asked to remain unknown. Please pray for their healing (whatever God has planned for their personal healing). Please pray for peace for the one who has the cancer and the families. Please pray for guidance with tough decisions that need to be made. Please pray for all of the healthcare workers who are there to help.

So much has been going on in our personal life that I often feel like “our” issues are so minor to what others are going through. And yet, God loves and cares about each one of us, each tear that falls and all that troubles each and every one of His children. There are a lot of things happening. Just please pray.