Debbie Ellum

Easy Ways To Feel Happier

2017-09-14T20:40:00.001-06:00

Some days can be quite challenging. The next time you need a little pick me-up, try one of these suggestions to feel happier.

1. Get Some Fresh Air

Head outside and get some fresh air to help raise your endorphins. A brisk walk will help to reduce stress and fatigue.

2. Have A Warm Bath

A nice warm bath at the end of the day is the perfect way to unwind. A University of Wolverhampton study found that a warm bath significantly improved the mood and optimism of the participants.

3. Give Someone A Hug

Hugging someone lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) and stimulates oxytocin which helps to boost positive emotions.

4. Take Deep Breaths

When you are feeling tense, you will take shallow breaths. Deep breathing helps send more oxygen to your cells which lowers blood pressure and helps release tension. It also boosts your immune system and gives you more energy.

5. Buy Flowers

Flowers make us feel good. Rutgers behavioral researchers found that flowers elevate mood, increase feelings of life satisfaction and promote positive social behaviour.

How do you cheer yourself up?

Strawberry Smoothie Bowl

2017-03-21T06:30:00.000-06:00

I have recently been enjoying smoothie bowls. This smoothie is made from frozen strawberries, almond milk, frozen banana, water and protein powder.

I topped it with chia seeds and slices of banana.

Delicious!

Topping Ideas:

Bananas

Fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)

Chia Seeds

Coconut Flakes

Granola

Mango Slices

Nuts

It takes about five minutes to make and they are creamy and satisfying.

Have you tried a smoothie bowl before?

Achieving Your Goals

2017-03-20T06:30:00.000-06:00

5 Benefits of Chia Seeds

2017-03-15T12:59:00.001-06:00

Chia seeds are a wonderfully healthy food, packed full of essential nutrients and are so easy to use. You can add them to smoothies or yogurts, sprinkle them over your salad, turn them into pudding or add them to homemade granola bars or muffins.

Here are 5 benefits of chia seeds.

1. Chia seeds are an excellent source of plant protein with all nine essential amino acids.

2. They are rich in antioxidants which helps protect your body from free radical damage. Chia seeds help repair your cells, reduce inflammation and support a healthy digestive system.

3. They are full of omega-3 fatty acids. 2 tbsp of chia seeds has as much omega-3 as a 4 oz fillet of salmon.

4. Chia seeds support healthy bones and energy metabolism as they are high in the daily recommended intake of calcium (18%), phosphorus (35%) and magnesium (24%).

5. Scientists believe chia seeds have great benefits for diabetics as studies show they can control blood sugar as they slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars.

Have you tried chia seeds?

Five Ways To Pamper Yourself At Home

2017-02-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Life is busy but it's important to try and take time for yourself, even if it is only for a few minutes. A little time spent taking care of you gives your family the best mom she can be.

Here are five ways to pamper yourself at home.

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1. Have a cup of tea

Take your time and enjoy it. Savour each sip. I like to drink either orange pekoe or a fruit/herb blend such as Celestial Seasonings peach tea.

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2. Take a hot bath (alone)

After the children are in bed, run a hot bath, light a candle and enjoy reading a good book. Optional extras are a bath pillow, epsom salts and relaxing music.

3. Give Yourself A Facial

Try to take some time once a week to give yourself a facial. I like to use my favourite mineral masque from Shaklee's skincare line.

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4. Paint Your Nails

Give yourself a manicure and make sure to rub in plenty of lovely hand cream to make your hands feel pampered.

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5. Listen to Relaxing Music

Sit in a comfortable chair and listen to some relaxing music, while concentrating on your breathing. This will help you feel calm.

How do you pamper yourself?

Pomegranate Orange Water

2017-02-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

This is such a pretty drink and it tastes delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 lime
1/2 lemon
1 orange
2 tbsp pomegranate juice
ice cubes
sparkling water

Directions:

Squeeze the lime juice, lemon juice and orange juice into a glass. Pour in the pomegranate juice. Top with ice cubes and sparkling water.

Enjoy!

You Are A Leader

2017-02-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Shaklee Products

2017-02-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

I love my Shaklee products! These are my favorites that I use for myself and my family.

Vivix® - Did you know that aging starts with our cells? Our cells are damaged every day by environmental exposure, stress and our diets. Shaklee scientists created Vivix to help slow aging at the cellular level. It’s a patented blend of polyphenols and has key ingredients shown in laboratory studies to help protect and repair your DNA and combat free radicals. The formula is now even 30% more powerful and also available in a liquigel. It’s really great!

Vitalizer™ - is supplementation made simple. This clinically supported solution packs advanced nutrition into a convenient, go-anywhere Vita-Strip™. Vitalizer provides vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and healthy probiotics -- using a patented delivery system specially designed to enhance absorption of key nutrients in your body. And now Vitalizer Women is excellent as a prenatal/postnatal multivitamin. Vitalizer Women provides a full spectrum of nutritional support including 800 mcg of folic acid, 200 mcg of iodine and 18 mg of iron.

Life Energizing Shake - I love these shakes! They are rich in protein and so good. I can mix in strawberries, bananas, peaches, or whatever fruit I want and they are always tasty! The protein and fiber help keep me feeling full and energized throughout the morning. And the probiotics help my digestion. The shakes are great for those of us watching what we eat and feature an ingredient called Leucine which helps retain lean muscle.

Basic-H2® Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate - I love this because I can use it in so many different ways around the house. I clean my whole house with it. One bottle goes a long, long way. A 16 oz bottle creates an unbelievable 48 gallons of super-safe, really powerful, all purpose cleaner. It replaces so many household cleaners I used to buy at the grocery store. It's concentrated, so it saves me a lot of money compared to ready-to-use cleaners. It's nontoxic, too!

Fresh Laundry Concentrate - I really like this laundry concentrate. It cleans very well with an enzyme booster and biodegradable surfactants, so it’s safe in water systems and on the environment. I also love that it’s triple concentrated and is formulated to perform beautifully in both standard and high-efficiency (HE) washing machines.

Vitamin C - Your body is capable of doing many things, but it can’t make or store vitamin C, which helps in the development and maintenance of your bones, cartilage, teeth and gums, and also helps in connective tissue formation and wound healing. We take this every day to stay healthy. Available in Sustained Release and Chewable formulas, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect against damaging free radicals.

Enfuselle® Nutrition Therapy Skin Care System™ - This is a great skin care system for women and men. Exclusive to this line is Vital Repair+® Complex, which blocks all those skin-damaging free radical reactions and actually allows the skin to keep making healthy cells. I like it because it leaves my skin looking smooth and feeling incredible.

Vita-Lea® Ocean Wonders® - Filled with pure tasty goodness, Vita-Lea® Ocean Wonders® is a sugar-free, tooth-friendly, kosher-certified chewable “multi” for kids. It’s packed with essential nutrients that growing bodies need, including vitamins A through E plus calcium, magnesium and more. My girls have these every day to keep their growing bodies healthy and happy!

If you would like to find out more information about any of these products, visit my website here. If you would like to shop, please change the tab at the top of the website to "USA: English", "Canada: English" or "Canada: French".

I buy and use these products. I am not paid for my endorsement or my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase any of these products through these links, I may make a commission on those sales.

Strawberry Banana Protein Shake

2017-02-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

This strawberry banana protein shake is delicious and will keep you full until lunch time.

Ingredients:

1 scoop strawberry protein powder (I use Shaklee Life Shake)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

6 whole frozen strawberries

1/2 frozen banana

1 - 2 tsp chia seeds, optional

as much water as needed for a smooth consistency

Directions:

Blend together and enjoy!

Talk to Yourself

2017-02-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

How To Become A Shaklee Member

2017-02-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

Would you like to become healthy and happy?

With Shaklee I can help you reach your health goals.

What will you get when you become a Shaklee member?

Join our online community of like minded people (1700+ in our private community)
Get discounts (save 15% on all products and 25% on some)
Ask unlimited health questions
Communicate with other members for stories and advice
Shipping specials
The latest specials, news and health facts
24/7 access to community
Your own secure ordering website with lots of health information just for you
100% money back guarantee on all products – no questions asked

Questions you may have about joining as a member:

How much is it to renew each year?

There is no renewal fee. It's a lifetime membership and one time fee.

Is there a minimum each month or year?

There are no minimums ever! You can order once a year or monthly. It's up to you.

What is your return policy?

We offer a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee for all products. If you don't experience the desired results from a Shaklee nutritional, personal care or household product, you may return the unused portion for a 100% refund. If our products are not the best they can be, and the best you can buy, what else matters?

By joining as a member, does that make me a distributor?

When you become a Shaklee member, you are not a distributor and will not receive bonuses. If you would like to get paid for sharing Shaklee, please apply to partner with me.

What else do I get?

In addition to a money-back guarantee, we also offer:

100% guarantee that the ingredients listed on the label are actually in the product
100% guarantee of quality-controlled product formulations that ensure product safety, purity, reliability and product performance
100% guarantee that we use the finest quality ingredients available

How do I get started?

If you would like to become a member, visit my website (Canada here and U.S. here) and you'll see a button called "Join Shaklee". Click on the button and choose a kit to join as a member.

I would love to welcome you to the Shaklee family today!

Welcome to my blog!

2017-02-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog. It's lovely to have you here.

My name is Debbie and I'm a happily married mom of two beautiful girls.

I have been on a journey to change my health over the last few years. I had been feeling run down. I suffered from headaches nearly every day and was slowly gaining weight. I was tired of feeling sick and tired all the time. I needed to make a change.

A lady I followed online worked with a company called Shaklee. I had watched her health transformation and I wanted that for myself. I am thankful for Shaklee's Vitalizer vitamins and life shakes as I now have my energy and zest for life back again.

This blog will be about my life, my health journey and what I'm learning on the way. Hopefully, I will provide motivation and inspiration to other moms to help you have healthy, happy families and to live your best life.