Joy in Juicing

In my quest for better health, I've removed many foods, or rather toxins, from my life the past year.  For the most part, I haven't felt deprived but rather revived, as I can feel myself healing from the inside out.  The saying is so true - you really are what you eat!

For as many items as I've taken away, it's been a joy finding and trying new foods to delight in.  My pantry contains ingredients that I'd never even heard of a year ago.  Things like dulse, chia seeds, flax, xanthan gum, coconut flour/sugar, and ghee.  And I'm a regular connoisseur of kimchi, fresh cilantro, sriracha, coconut milk/water, and cauliflower rice. 

It's been fun to recreate favorites that were not so healthy with alternative ingredients.  And even better that -for the most part- my guys enjoy the swaps.  Noah regularly requests my buffalo cauliflower casserole; and Tim has learned to love more veggies than mashed potatoes and corn, even if he still turns his nose up at asparagus.  Their support through this transition has really meant the world to me.

Yesterday was another first, with my newest adventure - juicing!  Following the wisdom of Anthony William, also known as the "Medical Medium," I drank my first of many glasses of fresh celery juice. 

From MM, "The more alkaline your body is, the less chance you have of being afflicted by disease. This is because disease thrives off things like mucus and acid.  Celery is a major alkaline food. This means it has an extremely high toxin removal rate.  It purges the body of acid and poisons, and cleanses the liver and bloodstream like nothing else."

Thanks to a fellow health foodie, armed with organic celery and a milk nut bag, I attempted my first batch with a blender.  Youtube makes things look so easy.  Unfortunately, my ancient chopper made more of a salsa-like consistency instead of juice.  As she was upgrading her juicer, I was able to score a deal and get a new-to-me contraption ready to squeeze the liquid gold, err green, right out of those stalks. 

Maybe it was my imagination but I felt a surge of energy and could smell celery the rest of the day.  I can't wait to see how it helps over time. 

Do you juice?  Share your favorite recipe or success story below. 

Cheers...

Step It Up

Most days in my job, it is a constant go-go-go.  I work with babies and toddlers and visit homes within two counties.  I'm in and out and up and down and back and forth throughout the day.  And like most moms, the busyness doesn't stop once home.  Then it's time for dinner and laundry, taxi service for kiddos, and all the odds and ends that most parents try to keep tied together.

Shew, I'm tired just thinking about it.  (And glad it is Friday!)

Because I feel forever busy and am exhausted by day's end, I assumed that my step count would be pretty high.  Facing the dreaded big 4-0, having my eye on a Fitbit, and due to a walking campaign at work, it's something top of mind right now.

I'm a few points away from the Fitbit I want, but this week we were given Fitbug pedometers at work to track our steps.  Our team's goal is that magic 10,000 steps a day.  Each.  Falling in line with goals I already had for myself, and certain all the in and out of my job would add up help, I joined without hesitation.

The first day was a big disappointment and truly, a wake-up call.

Though I clocked nearly 10 hours on the job, I was barely reaching 1,000 steps.  Was there a zero missing?  Maybe I was wearing it wrong.  Did I hit a button and clear steps by accident?  Seriously?!

I know I'm slow when I walk and hobble now a then, thanks to old wreck injuries and genetics, but I thought slower might actually mean more steps.  After all, it feels like it takes me twice as long to get somewhere when walking next to someone.

Thinking back through my day, rather typical for me, I realized that my feet really don't get as much action as I thought.  Yes, I'm constant and busy, but a large majority of my day is spent behind the windshield and in the floor with families.

But I'm so tired when I make it home.  The last thing on my mind is exercise.  Wah Wah Wah!

That evening we were at my niece's birthday party and gathered around the grill awaiting dinner.  Kiddos were running everywhere, full of energy and spunk.  And although I was enjoying the adult conversation, I decided to get up and join them.

All the littles are under eight, so when I bolted up and started walking down the hill, I quickly gained a curious line.

"What's that thing on your shirt, Aunt Heather?"

"It counts my steps," I told them.  "Want to walk with me and see?"

A vibrant yes exploded from them and we were off.  1, 2, 3, 4.....they began chanting in a sing-song tone.  Every now and then I'd stop and show them how the number grew.  This excited them and they'd push me to go more.  Around the house, up and down the hill, and through a secret path they wanted to explore.

My niece joined us on her pretty pink new bicycle.  At least until it was time to go up the big hill and then it was "Help me, Aunt Heather!"

I'm not sure how much time passed, but by the time I made it back to the party my number had doubled.  Still nowhere close to what other coworkers are doing, but I'll take it.  My number may be small but the rewards were great.

The next morning, when random insomnia pushed me out of bed earlier than planned, I decided to dust off a walking dvd.  Fifteen minutes later, thanks to a peppy and inspiring Leslie Sansone, I had my first mile logged.  By day's end, I'd doubled the steps from the day before.

Yesterday, I logged an additional 1,000.  Slow and steady wins the race?  At this rate, I'll be lucky to reach 10,000 by the end of the challenge! While I'm not going to be a leader on my team, I still feel like a winner.

Here's hoping I can walk lighter and healthier into my 40s by the first of the year.

Why I Chose Essential Oils

A little over a year ago, I began researching essential oils.  I was facing unemployment and for the first time in my life, I was also uninsured.

For someone with an autoimmune disease that catches colds over the phone, it was a scary place to be.  Knowing I couldn't afford to just run to the doctor if I became sick, my search for healthier options kept leading me to essential oils.

Finding (a company I can't tell you the name of), researching further, and even seeing it on blogger friends' pages, I went as far as nearly becoming a member.  And then chickening out at the last minute.  What did I know about using EO?  Where in the world would I start?

So, I put it on the back burner and moved to using vitamins whenever I felt sluggish.  By the grace of God, I made it through the next year only being ill enough to need antibiotics once.  Even then, I only took them to get back to work sooner.

In reality though, antibiotics rarely made me feel better.  And I hated being so dependent on medicine.  I watched others have to take a full dose, and then go back for another, because it didn't help.  I really wanted a more natural approach.  I wanted to take preventive measures.  I needed a healthier choice for my family.

A few weeks ago, I read about a friend's experience using EO on Facebook.  So convinced in the product, she scheduled a workshop to share the product with others.  And I was lucky enough to be invited.

When I walked in, the lady passed around peppermint oil and offered to anyone wanting to try.  Suffering from allergies, it is rare I can breathe through my nose at all.  That night, my left side was completely blocked.  Within 15 minutes of taking, I could breathe through both sides!  I also drank a water with lemon oil and, while I don't know of any immediate benefits, it was very refreshing.  Later I learned it could be used as a detoxifier.

By night's end, they probably thought I was the quickest, easiest sell in history, but in reality it was the missing piece of the puzzle I'd been waiting for.

This week, my oils arrived!

The day it arrived Noah was complaining of a headache (rare for him) and Tina was scratching her arms from an eczema outbreak.  Reading for recipes and instructions, I put peppermint on Noah's temples and lavender on his foot.  For Tina, I mixed up a few into coconut oil and had her put it on her arms after her shower and again this morning.  And Tim and I snoozed off into lullaby land with our diffuser.

This morning, I certainly felt more refreshed.  In fact, sleeping so soundly, I nearly didn't make it in time to the restroom this am!  Oops!  Noah shared that he fell asleep in the middle of his show, something he isn't known to do, being a night owl.  And - his headache was gone.  As of this post, I've not seen Tina for her results, but this morning she said it was slightly better, after only one application.

I'm still new but am so excited about learning more on essential oils.  If you're in the area, I'm planning an informational workshop next week.  If not, I'd be happy to chat with you online.  In the meantime, you can visit my site here.

Do you use EO?  I'd love to hear from you and the successes you've had.

HealthQuest 2011

Leave it to a monetary incentive to get my husband motivated about being healthier!  Tim's a guy's guy...happy with a big ole' plate of country cooking.  He considers macaroni and cheese a vegetable and turns his nose up at most anything green.  Even though he frequently consumes red meat, fried foods and soft drinks, he's never really battled with his weight.  Part of this, I know, is because he rarely sits still.  He's very active at work, and combined with being a volunteer firefighter, lives a fairly active lifestyle. 

The other reason must be that the metabolism fairy paid him an extra visit (and skipped me) at birth.  I've always been a little jealous at how easy it is for him to lose weight, anytime the urge strikes him.  Once, he quit drinking soft drinks for a few weeks and lost 20 pounds.  Two weeks ago his company started an incentive program for weight loss, with the winner receiving the pot at the end, and Tim was all in.  Even with being off work last week and lying around the house, he's down about five pounds.  He seems to have a new burst of energy and I'm proud of him living a little healthier.

One of the parts I enjoy about his "health quest" is that he's more flexible and open to trying new foods.  I'm an adventurous eater and cook and love all types of vegetables.  It's difficult planning a healthy meal though when you have a stubborn meat-and-potatoes man at the table.  Usually I'm stuck with the Green Giant to help me meet my vegetable quota because cooking enough for all of us is often a waste.  That, or I'd have to eat corn and beans every meal!  I'm pretty creative about hiding and sneaking veggies in for him, and for Noah, but lately he's even somewhat enthusiastic about trying new and healthy dishes. 

It's also been helpful that after dinner he isn't raiding the fridge for dessert, all the while downing one or two snack cakes.  (Kind of makes it hard to swallow my skinny cow popsicle watching a sugar smorgasbord in front of me!)  In fact, I've all but removed all unhealthy snacks in the house and replaced them with fruits and low cal treats.  This takes away the temptation for all us and I feel better knowing we are all eating healthier at every point of the day.

We've enjoyed being a little more active together as a family too, during a season when it is so easy to mold yourself into the couch.  The Wii has been dusted off again and we're having fun with Just Dance and Wii Fit.   Tim's discovered a new love for the elliptical machine at the fire department.  And Noah just got an indoor ladderball game for his birthday that we've played every night this week.  While I love snuggling on the couch, getting some activity into our days together as a family has been a fun way to getting healthier.

My biggest hope is that this isn't just a fad or a short-lived season for us.  No matter what stage you are, everyone can use a few more doses of goodness and health into their lives.  By being realistic, not obsessing, and supporting each other, we'll teach Noah health skills that will hopefully stay with him for life.  If we lose a little weight in the process, that's a plus.  And who knows, Tim's wallet may become fatter in the end, about the only time I'd be happy about gaining!