Vitamin L...

Today is my birthday and I turned 36 years old. Every morning when I wake up, I grab my phone and begin my routine of "waking up." I check the weather, look at my to-do list, play a few turns on Words w/ Friends, and scroll through email. What do these two things have to do with each other? This morning I found an email from my husband with a subject line stating "36 Reasons I Love You - Happy Birthday" and that followed by me starting my day with a smile.

The month of February is known by many as the "month of love." Love is a key nutrient that we all need in our lives. Valentine's Day should not be the only day we choose to express this most wonderful feeling. We need to give and receive love every day. It is vital to our survival and health. And those of us who have gone through training in the holistic health and nutrition world were taught all about this and like to call this "Vitamin L" (the L stands for LOVE).

Getting a daily dose of Vitamin L is essential to living happier, healthier lives. Vitamin L comes in many forms and isn’t just about romantic love between two people. It can be love for ourselves, or a particular practice of self-care. Vitamin L can come in the shape of our partners, our pets, our kids or parents. Love is food for the soul and heart; it nourishes body, mind, and spirit for optimal well being.

Well, this morning I was on the receiving end of Vitamin L with this email. My husband's list made me smile and it was awesome to see what things about me he values. The greatest part about it for me was he thought through my day and knew that this would be the first thing I see in the morning when I woke up. It made me feel good, noticed, thought about, and cared for, and it encouraged me to keep on doing some of the things I do, even when I don't think they matter. So what were those 36 things he loves about me? Yes, I will share...34 of them. Because the other two are for my eyes only :)





He's a great guy and I love him so much!! So how do you get (or give) your daily dose of Vitamin L?



Adapted from this IIN Blog Post

Breakfast Blight...

Since when do I eat brownies and drink coke for breakfast??

This is what I asked myself this morning when I sat down at my desk two-fisted with both of these items. What in the world?? How did these things even get into my pantry?

Warning! Warning! Warning! The alarm has sounded. My life has become grossly out of balance! The sign? Coke and brownies. I haven't had either of these items for well over a year, maybe even two!! And today, they were both in my hands...for my breakfast. Hmmm...

In contemplating this catastrophe, I did a mental rewind of the last six weeks of my existence. It has been busy, stressful, and chaotic for sure. There has been a new job offer, which led to a scurrying of new ideas, a lot of traveling, and the prospect of many things to come...a fresh start, so to speak. A new home (yes again!), a new city, a new state, new friends, new church, new schools, new clients, new grocery stores, new EVERYTHING!

With this new adventure on the horizon, there has also been some tragedy mixed in to work through, with the death of my husband's friend. Then there was new life, with the birth of a new baby for one of my best friends. And intermingled with that we are dealing with some hiccups trying to secure our future...the new beginning which will begin just 10 weeks from now!!

Wow. That is a lot to absorb. I am overwhelmed. Nervous. Excited. Afraid. And extremely grateful for the new opportunity. It's funny the way life works sometimes. Just when you think you've settled into a nice groove, it topples over and you need to reset. Frustrating? Yes! Overwhelming? Yes! Too much to handle? Apparently, maybe a little for me. But it's nothing that can't be fixed.

Coke and brownies. My warning sign. Time to reset myself. Time for more self care, quiet time to reflect and process, for exercise that has been neglected in all the travel, time to slow down, regroup, and make sense of all that is happening. This is serious, because I don't even like coke or brownies :) But I can do it.

Step one? Throw out the coke and brownies.

Just Drink The Water...

We all know that water is good for us, but often the reasons are a little fuzzy. And even if we know why we should drink water, it's not a habit that many people form. But there are some very powerful reasons to drink lots of water every day, and forming the habit isn't hard, with a little focus.

The thing about it is, we don't often focus on this habit. We end up drinking coffee, and lots of soda, and alcohol, not to mention fruit juices and teas and milk and a bunch of other possibilities. Or just as often, we don't drink enough fluids, and we become dehydrated -- and that isn't good for our health.

I've made drinking water a daily habit. Although, I will admit that a couple of years ago I was more likely to drink anything but water. Now I don't drink anything but water, except for maybe an occasional cup of juice. I love it.

Here are 8 powerful reasons to drink water (with tips on how to form the water habit afterwards):

1. Weight loss. Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn't have any calories. But it's also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.
2. Headache cure. Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it's simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.
3. Healthy skin. Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won't happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.
4. Digestive problems. Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).
5. Cleansing. Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. This can also help prevent the onset of colds, and other illnesses.
6. Cancer risk. Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.
7. Better exercise. Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.
8. Clarity of mind. Water can reduce stress within your body (after it has cleansed out all the toxins) and provides for better thinking, clarity, and mental concentration. Who doesn't want to be smarter?

How to form the water habit…

So you're convinced that water is healthier, but you'd like to know more about how to make drinking water a daily habit.

Here are some tips that have helped me:

• How much water? This is a debatable question. What's clear is that the old recommendation of "eight 8-ounce glasses a day" isn't right, for several reasons: that amount includes all dietary water intake, including food and non-water beverages; it also ignores a person's body weight, which is an important factor in figuring the amount; it also varies if you are sick or exercise. It's also not good to just drink when you're thirsty -- you're already dehydrated by then. Best is to form a routine: drink a glass when you wake up, a glass with each meal, a glass in between meals, and be sure to drink before, during and after exercise. Try to generally keep yourself from getting thirsty. A good guideline…drink ½ your body weight in oz. each day.

• Carry a refillable water bottle with you at ALL times. A lot of people find it useful to get a big BPA free plastic or stainless steel drinking bottle, fill it with water, and carry it around with them all day. I like to keep a glass of water at my desk, and I drink from it all day long. When it's empty, I fill it up again, and keep drinking. I also put a glass of water on my nightstand so I can drink a glass f water before I even get out of bed in the morning.

• Set a reminder. Set your watch to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder, so that you don't forget to drink water.

• Substitute water. If you would normally get a soda, coffee, or an alcoholic beverage, get a glass of water instead. Try sparkling water instead of alcohol at social functions with a slice of lime or lemon to add flavor color to your glass.

• Filter. Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a filter for your home faucet. It'll make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price.

• Exercise. Exercising can help make you want to drink water more. It's not necessary or ideal to drink sports drinks like Gatorade when you exercise, they are often loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients. Just drink water. If you're going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well. Another tip…on days that you exercise vigorously, add an additional 32 oz of water to your goal of “½ your body weight in oz.” water intake.

• Track it. It often helps, when forming a new habit, to keep track of it -- it increases awareness and helps you ensure that you're staying on track. Keep a little log (it can be done on an index card or a notebook), which can be as simple as a tick mark for each glass of water you drink. If you track your food intake as well, track your water intake right along with it.

Now, I know a lot of you are thinking...

What about flavored water? Water with lemon? Bottled fruit water? Vitamin water? Powder packets to add to my water?? Most of these are loaded with sugar, artificial, and manufactured ingredients...none of which you want to be putting into your body.

Seriously, just drink the WATER. Plain and simple. You'll be glad you did.


Adapted from an article by Leo Babauta at Dumb Little Man

It's Not About Me...Or Is It?

As I sit here reflecting on the past two weeks of my life, I feel jumbled and out of sorts. I crave quiet and order and routine and discipline. Today is the last day of summer and I can hardly wait until Tuesday morning when all of my children are in school for an entire day.

This summer has a been a weird one for my family. We moved into a new house and have been adjusting to our new surroundings. We traveled more than I can ever remember traveling in one summer. My oldest daughter spent 5 straight weeks away from home AND got her level one drivers license (a permit to drive with parents). And most recently, my eighteen year old niece has decided to leave home in Colorado and has asked to move in with us! It's been busy, for sure.


As our niece settles in, and I reflect on all the above events, I realize that for some period of time now, I have been completely neglecting to care for myself in the midst of all this chaos. I have allowed stress to take over, worry to keep me awake, clutter to creep into my environments, and have settled on less than desirable meals to "nourish" my body. Over the past couple of days I have found myself experiencing extreme emotions at random times through out my day...tears while washing dishes, anger while cleaning up messes, discontent while taking a walk with my husband, and stress and worry while attempting to fall asleep at night.

The adventures we have had this summer and adding a new member to our family has been absolutely delightful but also overwhelming and incredibly time consuming. My routine and responsibilities have come to a screeching halt. And now I know I am paying the price for allowing this to happen. I have noticed the crankiness begin to creep in. I have heard myself sighing more and more throughout my day. And a feeling of overwhelming discontent with my days has taken over the feeling of happiness at accomplishing the many tasks I might have had on my "To Do" list.

I realize now that in my attempt to live a life centered around the thought of "it's not all about me" I have lost touch with who I am. In my attempts to serve my children, husband, distant family members, and welcome my niece into our family, I have stopped remembering to care for myself and my needs as well. Not only is this not good for me it is also not good for everyone who has to live with me.

I will tell my clients "If you don't care for yourself and your body first, you will be no good to others." And once again, I find this true in my own life. Even though I am spending my entire days serving and loving others, the quality of that servanthood is quickly waning as I continue to neglect myself and my needs in the midst of it. Self care is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves...and we need to remember to give to ourselves as well as others.

If you think taking time out of your day to get a workout in at a gym that offers child care sounds frivolous, think again. If you think spending $3.00 (or even $20) on a body care product that you love is selfish, think again. How about taking a long hot shower...a waste of water? What if you told your children they needed to entertain themselves for 30 minutes while you quietly read a book? How about taking the time to cook an extra meal (or a larger one that would yield leftovers!) in the evening to take to work the next day for a healthy home cooked lunch instead of eating out at a restaurant or driving through a fast food establishment? Not worth the time or the effort? YES it is! We are worth spending time and resources on ourselves!

If you are finding yourself overwhelmed with stress, life, or lack of time sit quietly for ten minutes and write down a few things you could do to care for yourself during this time. Not only will it nourish your emotions, your soul and your body, it will also allow you to recharge so that you can be even more aware and effective in whatever you throw yourself into...your job, parenting, serving others, creating art, or just being you!

Today my niece went to her first day of college. Tomorrow my children all go to their first day of school. While the house won't be quiet for the whole day, it will be for a few hours in the morning. During that time, I plan to set all responsibilities and work aside, sit with a cup of tea in my favorite room in the house, where the sun shines in bright and warm, and quietly reflect, recharge, and renew my thoughts for my near future. I know this down time will nourish me greatly and I am very much looking forward to it. I also plan to eat lunch and spend the afternoon with my very best friend who I have not seen since the beginning of summer. To be able to share, unload, and ask what is new and good with her will be fabulous! Tomorrow will be a wonderful day all about me, it will fuel me for Wednesday and the rest of my week where I have a very busy schedule and need to be focused and have energy.

How about you? Are you caring for and loving yourself in times of stress or craziness? If you don't give yourself the attention you need, even if things aren't stressful or busy, you will become unbalanced and lack in all other areas of your life. Do something today to show yourself you are worth it and it can be "all about you" sometimes!

Did You Eat Enough Today?

The consequences of not eating enough can be detrimental to anyone trying to improve their health. Many of us think that if we skip a meal or cut way back on calories, we will succeed at losing weight and gaining health. This is not true.

It's not a myth when they say the most important meal of your day should be breakfast. This is where you get the most "bang for your buck". Eating a healthy and substantial breakfast will help you jump start your metabolism for the day. You will actually burn more calories than if you had not eaten breakfast to "save" calories. It also helps prevent binging later in the day when you become ravaging because your body has had no fuel to function on. So skipping it is not a good idea!

Actually, skipping any meal is not a good idea. Our body needs consistent nutrition to work properly and support our bodily functions throughout the day. If you skip meals you can cause everything to go out of whack. One nasty side affect is that your body may begin to think it is starving and immediately take any of the calories that you do consume and turn them into fat stores to live off in the future. When trying to lose weight and gain health, that is exactly what you don't want!!

Today I had an off eating day. My day in general was just plain off. For some reason, insomnia cursed me last night and I did not get enough sleep (Was it from stress, too much sugar, watching TV before going to bed, lack of self care?). Because of the lack of sleep I ended up sleeping in and then eating breakfast at 11am. I then immersed myself into work related tasks and "forgot" to eat for the remainder of the afternoon. Since breakfast was only a bowl of cereal, man, did I pay for that decision! Come 5pm, I was so ravaging with hunger, I felt dizzy, cranky, impatient and ready to eat and entire chocolate cake! Thankfully, I did not resort to that. Since I was waiting for hubby to come home and grill some chicken breasts, I started out with a huge dark leafy green salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing drizzled on top. It took the edge off and I am looking forward to that dinner which is currently cooking on the grill, which I now will likely not binge on since I filled up with greens first!

This was a good reminder for me that it benefits me to have a plan, stick to a routine, and care enough for my body so that such extreme imbalances do not occur. Planning and prevention are the best ways to assure that your goal of eating healthy and maybe losing weight are achieved!