The Healthy Redhead

Why I Don't Wear a Personal Fitness Tracker

2015-02-08T09:35:00.002-08:00

What are your views on wearing a personal fitness device. Something like fitbit, nike, or jawbone? I have never worn one, and thus far, I probably never will.

The way I see it

How accurate can they really be for people on a treadmill, lifting weights, or riding a stationary bike? I have read a ton of articles (similar to this) of fitness people saying that they are not very accurate for that. I realize that there are products such as ifit.com that will sync to your treadmill or bike and keep track of distance for you. I also know that they can sync with some personal devices. But really, how many apps, memberships, etc. does one need to buy to keep this stuff accurate? Not to mention, that as the article above states, treadmills and other machines are notorious for inflating the value of calories burned. Finally, tracking steps has been proven to be more accurate if you are wearing a device on your hip rather than a wrist. In which case, the Fitbit One would be the best choice. But don't get too excited, as that has reviewers say that it can fall off easily, get lost with clothes, and be a tad annoying to transfer it to a "sleep band" at night to track sleeping. While it's competitors already come in a wristband form (some having multiple uses as a watch, tracker, monitor, and will let you receive and answer texts,) the placement itself seems to be a problem with the actual counting steps. Although, I hear they work well for distance... but again, what if you stay stationary?

Calories

What about calories? You all know that I am not a fan of tracking calories. I don't see it as a long term solution to a healthy lifestyle. I don't pay attention to the caloric value of my food OR my activity. When I follow the Intuitive Lifestyle the way that I should, I haven't found a need for it. Honestly, I cannot imagine myself tracking calories for the rest of my life. Again, I have read articles (such as this one) about people GAINING weight while wearing a device because the app told them that they were doing so much activity that they could eat way more calories! I've said it before: I just don't think that one equation or algorithm can work for everyone. There is just no way to measure individual metabolism, genetics, or the body's use of food. Plus, I find it tedious to journal every ingredient that I use, just to get the caloric value of what I am eating.

So, I can see that wearing a device might be best for those people that are able to do a lot of activity OUTSIDE (biking, jogging, swimming, etc.) and who are willing to track their food. (Whether it works or not.) But other than the sleep tracker, heart monitor, and idle alarm (an alarm that buzzes your wrist when you have been idle for too long) I am not sure that a tracking device would be worth it.

Having said that, I am a super fan of being active out side rather than inside. I love to swim, walk, play, hike, etc. I just need to get back into that habit. It seems that since I have left Arizona, those things have been more difficult to do.. not sure why.

Sleep

Want to track your sleep? There's an app for that! Check out the new Apple App, that will count your steps, measure your sleep, and sync to other apps as well! Ok, so you have to have the iphone 5S or higher for it to work, but I DO! Don't have an iPhone? Check out these apps for sleep!

So, am I missing something? As far as I can tell, it would work out just fine to set a few alarms through out your day saying something like "Have you been active today?" and BOOM, there is your reminder! Use an app to track sleep, and food (if you choose,) and there you go! Now, if someone invented an intuitive lifestyle device that buzzed you to remind you to be active, check your hunger, and used an app to help you journal how the food made you feel, along with where you stood on the hunger scale, I would probably buy it.

So, do you wear a tracking device? Do you like it? What am I missing? Have you stopped wearing your device? Why? Fill me in! Let me know! Who knows, maybe you will see me out and about with a wristband tracker flashing around my wrist!

How Praying Made Me Healthy

2015-01-05T10:25:00.002-08:00

Before I start, I want to remind you that I currently believe in the concept of an Intuitive Lifestyle. Click HERE to learn more about what that is.

This past year, I have REALLY struggled with eating properly, getting in activity, and just plain finding myself again! We moved from Arizona to Utah and I feel like my life turned upside down. Now, of course, at the New Year, ONE of my resolutions is to get my "groove" back.

When I lived in Arizona, I lost quite a bit of weight with the Intuitive Lifestyle. I was mindful of what I was eating, how it tasted, what it looked like, and how it felt. I included activity into my daily life. And just like magic, I felt better, had more energy, and yes, lost weight. I yearn to feel that way again.

As I pondered my success in Arizona, it occurred to me that praying, if you will, played a HUGE factor in my success. Mind. Blown. What a concept! Now, I'm not talking about asking God to help me to lose weight. I'm talking about the prayer itself. What I prayed for, what I did during the prayer, and how I felt after the prayer. Let me break it down for you.

Morning Prayer

During my morning prayers, I took the time to breathe deeply, ponder my day ahead, and most importantly, share how grateful I was for the ability and strength to tackle what lied ahead. My morning prayers are my "grateful prayers." I find that I do better during my day when I have recognized my blessings. After the prayer, I felt peace, and was ready for the world!

Taking time to breathe deeply helps stimulate metabolism and increase energy. Recognizing the things that you have in your life helps us to not take things for granted. Having the ability to walk, run, climb, eat, sleep, and do so comfortably can be very motivating.

Praying Over Food

When it came time to eat, I would pray over my food. This gave me time to SLOW DOWN and to FOCUS on eating! It helped me to be mindful of the food and of my hunger. During the prayer, I would use my tongue to feel my teeth (bringing focus to my mouth.) I would take deep breaths to slow down my anxiety and business from the day, ensuring that I wouldn't eat too quickly. I focused on how blessed I was to have the food that I had, helping me to see the value in every bite. With each bite having value, I was able to TASTE the food instead of "snarfing it down."

Slowing down and enjoying the food helps us to not over-eat. Recognizing how the food tastes, looks, smells, and feels is all a part of the eating experience. We are less likely to over-eat or waste the food, when we value the food.

Evening Prayers

I considered my evening prayers to be more of a "one-on-one" with God. This is where I would thank him for my life: my wonderful, amazing, life. This is where I would feel his love for me, and gain a sense of individual worth. This is where I would plead for those that I love. This is where would I feel his arms around me. This is where my happiness came from. I would sleep in peace knowing that I was protected by my Father in Heaven.

A peaceful sleep resets the body, reduces stress and Cortisol levels, and gives us the energy needed to tackle our day. It also gives our bodies the energy to function the way that they should. All systems are "go!"

It's been too long since I have prayed like this. My life has been rushed. My activity is rushed. My eating is rushed. My SLEEP has even been rushed! Today, I realized that all of that would change if I took the time to sincerely pray.

I know people that meditate every day. They meditate to prepare their bodies for exercise, eating, work, whatever. They SWEAR that it helps. I'm sure it does! I KNOW it does. Prayer isn't unlike meditation, they are similar in many ways. For those that don't believe in God, all of these things can be accomplished through meditation. I DO believe in God, and I have to admit, that I like having that support. Talk about choosing the right person to be on your team! It's time to start praying again.

I might not pray for God to help me be healthy. He just does it.... because I take the time to talk to him.

**This journey has been awesome, and I have learned so much! As I read previous posts, I found that my definition of "healthy" has changed from what it was when we started. It's not about losing weight and eating right anymore. It's much, much more. Perhaps you have noticed that over the course of this blog as well. Therefore, I will no longer be using the same logo that I used to end my posts with. Instead, I'm searching for another that will fit the essence of my new views and findings. Thanks!**

The Insulting Compliment

2014-11-05T19:33:00.002-08:00

I am on a journey. This journey to become the healthiest person that I can become has taken me 18 months thus far and I have just scratched the surface. Being healthy is SO MUCH MORE than just losing weight. Yet, THAT seems to be the focus of most people. Over the past 18 months, it has come to annoy me more and more that people are only considered healthy if they are at their "ideal weight" or doing whatever it takes to get there. Man, that just bugs me!

The Compliment

I recently was having a conversation with a friend. We chatted about kids, husbands, lives, and yes, even gossiped a little bit. Out of the blue, she suddenly said:

"You are looking good! Have you lost weight?"

This question has been asked of me, and a lot of other people, time and time again. THIS TIME, I was offended. I know, in all reality, I shouldn't have been offended at all! I mean, I know that her intentions were good! I know that she really meant it as a compliment. But THIS time, THIS. TIME. I was a tad hurt.

"Why is she asking me that? Do I only look good when I'm thinner? I obviously didn't look good BEFORE, but NOW I do. Wow! What did I look like BEFORE??? What will she say if I lose more weight? What if I GAIN weight? THIS means that she is LOOKING at how I look! She is judging me! PEOPLE are judging me!"

Now, I know that most of you will point out that these are OBVIOUSLY thoughts from a very insecure, and perhaps a little crazy, girl. I say "girl" because I feel that those insecurities are immature and girlish. But, don't lie ladies, we ALL have those insecurities. Some maybe more than others, but I would like to meet the person that is seriously 100% completely happy with themselves.

I digress. After the flood of insecurities came, I realized that I felt this way EVERY time someone asked me if I had lost weight. But, wait a minute, isn't that comment supposed to LIFT me? Isn't it supposed to give me the strength to keep going with my journey of health? Perhaps. But it doesn't. Not for me. And, my suspicion is, not for a lot of us out there that are on this journey.

I decided to do a little research! Was I the only person who felt this way? I tried asking my Facbook Followers...(thanks to the ONE person that replied) :) I asked my friends. I tried to see if there were articles on the topic. I found THIS ONE from Weight Watchers. And, in contrast, I found THIS picture.

REALLY?!?! This is motivation to people??

I found out that I'm not really alone. A lot of people feel the way that I do. Some are LOOKING for that affirmation. Others, like myself. almost dread it. I feel that giving this particular "compliment" can have more of a negative impact than a positive one. Consider the following:

1. It can add a bit of self-consciousness to someone that is already struggling with self esteem.

2. It sort of reinforces the idea that it's OK to look at someone and judge their body. AND, that people ARE judging your body.

3. The compliment ASSUMES that the person is TRYING to lose weight, and that this is somehow a goal that should be obtained.

4. It puts the idea into our heads that losing weight = looking good. That we can only look good if weight has been lost.

5. What if the person has NOT lost weight... that makes for an awkward situation.

What Makes a Person LOOK Good?

See, I AM a healthy person. Ok, well, I have a cold that I can't seem to get rid of, BUT while at the doctor for said cold, I had some blood work done. The results?? P-E-R-F-E-C-T!!! Nothing too high, nothing too low! I said to the doctor "I'm just a healthy gal!... other than this cold." Then I felt the need to add ..."and my weight." You know what he said??? "Yup, just a healthy gal!"

Now, I'm not going to pretend that my weight doesn't come into play when it comes to being healthy. We ALL know that being overweight can, and probably WILL, cause health problems. But, at that point, I was pretty happy to hear those words.

Interestingly enough, earlier in the year, I had a conversation with my brother-in-law. He and his wife are SUPER active. They go biking, jogging, skiing, water boarding, hiking... you name it! I admit, I'm even a little jealous of how active they are. BUT, his cholesterol is pretty high. He struggles with it. He was SHOCKED to hear that I have always had perfect numbers on my blood work. How could that be?? To LOOK at me, you would never guess that I didn't struggle AT LEAST with cholesterol. Does my blood work change the way I LOOK? Nope! Do people say "WOW! Perfect blood work! You look great!" Well...I wish!

The truth is, I'm not sure that what I LOOK like should matter. I think that people can be healthy and NOT look super thin. I think that people can be thin and be unhealthy. I think that if a person is TRULY healthy, they will be happy and THAT is what matters. Happiness.

What Makes Me Happy

I DO look good! I'm happy! I eat whole foods. I limit my sugar intake. I try to eat organic whenever possible. I eat foods that I grow myself. I am not a runner or a sitter. I like to play while being active. I like to walk and have time to myself. I'm not sure if I will EVER be a runner. But maybe, a hiker, biker, swimmer, or something else unknown. I can't tell you what is on TV because we don't have cable. I grind wheat, oats, flax, quinoa, and brown rice to make AMAZING bread! I sing. I teach singing. I am a mom and wife. I'm not thin. But, I'm ME! And, I LOVE ME!!

So, PLEASE, stop telling me that I look good. I feel that it implies that I didn't look good before. Stop telling me that I'm NOT healthy because I'm overweight. Just STOP TALKING TO ME ABOUT MY WEIGHT! There is so much more to me than that. Instead, tell me how happy I look. Tell me how nice my smile is. Tell me that you like my AWESOME hair! Or how about just simply saying "You look nice!"

I'm not making a declaration for ALL WOMEN out there, but... for me... let's not have my weight be the focus of any conversation. If you ask me if I have lost weight, you might find me answering:

"No, have you FOUND some??

How 10 Ten Seconds Changed My Life

2014-10-16T10:54:00.001-07:00

I had this whole post written about how crazy my life has been over the past year and how that led to my neglecting this blog. After reading it, I realized that I could sum up ALL 3 PAGES in one sentence:

Being healthy went from the top of my priority list, to the bottom of it.

See?? This is my "I know that my priorities got messed up" look.

That's it. We moved, we needed more money, I was trying to build up a vocal studio and start a new music business, we were living with parents, I was teaching until 7:00 and then going to rehearsal until 10:30, we moved into a new house, I started a new day job, the boys started school, and I used any extra time that I had to try to be with them so that they wouldn't see how badly I was failing at being a parent.

That is my year in summary. ONE YEAR!!! WOW!! My, how time flies!

I write this after a doctors appointment that I recently had where it was determined that I was suffering from exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and maybe even some more underlying issues. After threatening to hospitalize me (I'm sure a last ditch effort to make me take him seriously,) the doctor told me to go home, get some rest, and "take my medicine" while I wait for blood work to come back.

So, as I TRY to be a good girl and lay in bed, my mind has wandered back over the past year, and "where it all went wrong."

I can list 100 things that led to my lack of care for my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. See, that's how it works. It's never just one thing that throws your life off track. It's lots of little things. Lots of little "I can handle this," or "I can add this to my life" decisions and events. All this leads up to the day that you look in the mirror and you don't recognize yourself anymore. In fact, you resent the person that you see. Maybe even despise them. I wasn't taking care of myself, and as a result, I was failing at almost everything else that I was trying to do.

Taking Care of Myself

A week ago, I sat in front of my mirror and examined my face, my arms, my stomach, my legs, even my nose. Like so many times before, I found myself literally HATING what I saw and feeling overwhelmed with the effort that it would take to change it. I know the rules. I know that sending those messages to your body actually makes matters worse, both physically AND emotionally. I know that it raises Cortisol levels that then lead to a lower metabolism and increased stomach fat. I have tons of previous posts about emotional health and it's relation to physical health. But it didn't stop those feelings of frustration, defeat, embarrassment, and hatred from sneaking inside my head. I thought that by focusing on everyone else and their needs- or our needs, things would be better. But that's not true, is it? I mean, we need to be on top of our game to be able to handle things when times are tough.

I wonder if I had taken some "me" time each day, like I was used to doing, if I might have had the energy to deal with the cards that I was dealt at the time. One thing is for certain, I wouldn't have had as much anxiety, stress, and depression. I would have FELT better, had more energy, and better focus. Perhaps I would have had better balance because I would have not felt so overwhelmed. This is a lesson that I am just now learning. Instead, I ignored myself, and put the focus on trying to put out the fires that were part of my life. I was too busy and tired to fight back.... and perhaps even care. But THIS DAY, it was particularly bad. I thought about going back on one of "those" diets that never worked before. I thought about faking ADHD so that I could get a prescription for a drug that has extreme weight loss as a side effect! What the....!!! WHO WAS THIS GIRL THAT I WAS STARING AT IN THE MIRROR?? What happened to the girl that had energy about living a healthy life style- no matter what she LOOKED like!?? Then, a small thought entered my mind....

1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10... make it better!

When my boys are scared, I tell them that it's ok, everyone gets scared, but everyone also has courage. Even if we don't FEEL like we have any at that time, it's still there. So, we have ten seconds to be afraid, to question, to be defeated. THEN, we stand tall. We give it all we have. We make a change. We make a difference. We figure out a way that WE can make it better, and realize that not everything is in our control. It doesn't matter what the outcome is. We win some battles, we lose some battles in life, but I tell them I will ALWAYS be proud of them if they can honestly say that they stood tall and worked hard. This gets us through nightmares, arguments, homework, and MOST of the issues that little boys face on a daily basis.

CHANGE... AGAIN....ALWAYS.

These are our "battle" faces.... his is better than mine.

For me, one week ago, it got me to stop in my tracks, and start the pathway back to where I needed to be. I made an appointment to go to the doctor and be brave enough to say that AT THIS TIME, I can't do this alone. Normally, my anxiety is something that I have control over. But right now- I need help. I am super tired, anxiety is at it's height, depression is at it's low, but I've had my 10 seconds... I need to have the courage to make a change.

This post is the beginning of that change. The Healthy Redhead helped me feel good about myself. I like to think that it helped others as well. And, it's time to put some more focus into her. It sounds funny to talk about The Healthy Redhead as a different person, but she IS a different person. Different than who I am right now. I don't know where to start, really. I guess we will all learn and grow together! That was the point of the blog in the first place. I can't wait to see what happens! What I DO know is that I can't stop taking care of myself. Everything else will fall apart if I have fallen apart. Again, I'm organizing a change. I'm TAKING the time to prioritize my life. I'm pondering, praying, and setting the ball into motion. I'm on my way back! Did you miss me?

I know that EVERYONE feels this way at times. We ALL let life get in the way of our well-being. I REALLY encourage YOU to take "10 seconds" and breathe. Be afraid. Be mad. Be hurt. Then, look yourself in they eye and make a difference. Make a change. Give it all you have! Figure out a way to make it better.

Canning Season- Is it worth it?

2014-09-23T12:05:00.001-07:00

So, I basically took the Summer off from blogging! It was a crazy Summer! My garden was HUGE!! I MIGHT have gone a little overboard with it. BUT, the harvest was WONDERFUL!

Tomato Sauce
Green Beans
Peaches
Grape Juice
Raspberry Jam
Corn
Broccoli
Onions
Strawberries
Peppers
Pickles
and so much more!!!

I've been busy!

I still have apples, some peaches, and green beans to go. PLUS, harvesting the carrots, drying onions, and using the last of the tomatoes!

So, is it worth it??

This seems to be the question of the hour! For me, the answer is... sometimes. See, my jars and supplies have long since paid for themselves. So, financially, it IS worth it. But in the time that it takes to bottle or freeze these items, I'm not sure that over powers the financial gain. I lost a lot of time with my family because of the time spent canning/freezing. AND, it totally took over my kitchen.

I think in a time when organic food is SO READILY AVAILABLE, and at a fair price (at Costco,) we can finally ask ourselves if "putting up food" is really worth the benefits to the family.

PROS:

Cost: Once you make the initial purchase, the cost of canning your own food is fairly negligible. Even if you take the time spent on it and paid yourself $10/hour, your would still be coming out on top. However, this is only after about 3 years of use.

Let's take green beans for example. At $0.10/oz, each of my bottles of green beans are worth $3.20. Since my initial investment of the bottles has paid itself off a long time ago, that doesn't go into my costs. The lid for that bottle cost me $0.10. The rings are re-used over and over and, have paid themselves off long ago as well. In a matter of 4 hours total, I can process $38.40 worth of organic green beans for a total cost of $1.40 and 4 hours of my time. Even if I bought everything new, I would be getting $38.40 worth of green beans for appx. $15.00 plus 4 hours of my time. If I added together the canning time PLUS the planting, it would only be MAYBE 6 hours total since I plant my garden in a way that I don't weed... at all. So, that helps too. I'm getting better quality food at over half the cost. And, as I said before, I know EXACTLY what went into that bottle, and what was used to grow the bean. But like Alice said, if you ARE going to bottle produce, you'd better do it right! Take pride and care in it. I too, have seen too many people bottle bruised, or questionable fruit only to have it go bad in the jar and they have to throw it out. On the other hand, if you have the cash to spare and you just want to rely on the Organic standards, by all means, spend the time doing something else, because it IS a huge pain! Some will argue that their time is worth MORE than what it saves them. I guess that is relative. Sometimes, my time is precious and valuable.... other times, I've got plenty to share. So, if it comes down to spending quality time with the family or canning, family wins. But if it's watching Dr. Who or canning, canning wins.

Quality: You KNOW where your food came from. You know what brand of peaches or apples you like and you know if pesticides were used, or if worms got into them... etc. There isn't a middle man to make you wonder.

Recipe: If your mothers recipe to salsa, chili sauce, apple pie filling, pickles or what not is the best- then the only way to get it is to can it yourself.

Decor: Ok, so, I like the way canned goods look in my pantry. I feel so... "general store-ish."

Pride: There is a sense of pride that comes from doing this yourself. The whole "I DID THAT" feeling goes a long way.

CONS:

Time: Canning is time consuming. It just is! Prepare ye to stand in the kitchen for hours on end. And your Saturdays??? Oh kiss them good-bye! Sorry camping trip, the BEANS ARE ON!!

Processed: This is just a con all around for canned food. It's no secret that frozen food maintains its nutrients while canned goods have most of the nutrients cooked out of them. However, some things just don't freeze very well and you HAVE to can them!

Physical Labor: Yup, gardening is a lot of work! I am pretty lazy and I use black plastic to help keep the weeds out, and it STILL takes a lot of work!

Overall, I would have to say that some foods were worth the work, while others... not so much. I found that this was mostly the case with the particular recipes that I was canning. Things like pickles, tomato sauce, green beans- things that I want to taste (or feel) a certain way. Other than that, I think that you might find me a little more in the canned/frozen section at Costco!

What about you? Anyone else do some canning this year? How many buy from the store? Why? What works best for YOUR family?

Amazing Discoveries

2014-07-24T08:23:00.001-07:00

Last week, I posted about "Sharpening the Saw." I set a goal for each of my four "dimensions of nature:" physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual state of being. What I learned was I function better when I FEEL that I am accomplishing things. I feel worthwhile, alive, like I'm making a difference.

It seems sort of silly to think those things, doesn't it? I mean, in reality, what I accomplished was all self-centered. I nurtured MY relationship with God. I focused on MY eating habits. I basically focused on ME! In doing so, I found that those in my circle of influence benefited from my efforts as well. I was happier, more organized, and had a better overall self image.

One thing I want to highlight in this post is what I learned about my eating habits. It's no secret that I am in the process of applying the "Intuitive Eating" lifestyle. This journey has been eye-opening and life changing. Although I have not reached my physical goal, I continue to learn more and more about WHY I am not at that goal. The more I learn, the more I change for the better. This past week was no different. I learned that although I am quite good at recognizing hunger, I am NOT good at recognizing it's absence! I have no idea when to stop eating! I don't even stop when my plate is empty! I only stop when I reach the "point of no return." In other words, I stop eating when my body is so full, that it would make me almost sick to take another bite.

My friends, lightning has struck my brain! I have been using HUNGER as a cue to START eating, and FULLNESS as a cue to STOP eating. I have been known to say:

"Eat when you are hungry, stop when you aren't hungry anymore. Don't wait until your full."

I wasn't taking my own advice! (Isn't that the way it always happens?) So, WHY wasn't I taking my own advice? Because I didn't want to accept the fact that I wasn't hungry anymore! The food tasted so good, or I paid so much money for it, or I felt that I wouldn't have the chance to eat that food again for awhile. No matter the excuse (and there are plenty,) I found myself more and more IGNORING the fact that I just wasn't hungry anymore. This little LIE, let me keep eating and eating until I could almost feel the food in my throat.... literally. (Gross, right?)

That being said, I am now AWARE of this little problem and have now decided that I need to not only eat when I am hungry (not starving,) but I need to ACCEPT when that hunger has been satisfied and is no longer present.

This. This, is my ONLY physical goal this week. To accept the absence of hunger. My other goals go as follows:

Spiritual: Read scriptures daily. I am SO out of that habit, and I really enjoyed it.
Emotional: Spend quality time with the boys. Summer is almost gone, and I want to PLAY some more.
Mental: Get my "School Year" schedule set for voice lessons and Let's Play Music. It's almost time to start!

How about you? What are YOUR goals? What did you learn about yourself this last week?

Sharpening the Saw

2014-07-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

There is an old Irish legend, a story of two lumberjacks. Both men were skilled woodsmen although the first was much bigger, welding a powerful axe. He was so strong that he didn’t have to be as accurate for he still produced due to his sheer size. He was known far and wide for his ability to produce great quantities of raw material. Many hired him just because he was bigger. After all, his customers reasoned, everyone knows that bigger is always better!!

In spite of his size, the second woodsman’s fame was spreading for his skill was in his accuracy. There was very little waste in his efforts so his customers ended up with a better product for their money. Soon the word spread that his work was even better than his larger competition!

Upon hearing this, the larger man became concerned. He wondered, “How could this be? I am so much bigger that I MUST be better!” He proposed that the two compete with a full day of chopping trees to see who was more productive. The winner would be declared “The Greatest Lumberjack in all the land.” The smaller man agreed and the date for the bout was set.

The townspeople began talking. They placed their bets. The larger woodsman was the favorite to win with a 20 to 1 advantage. After all, bigger is better! The evening before the bout, both men sharpened their blades. The smaller woodsman strategized to win the bout. He knew he would never win because of his size. He needed a competitive advantage. Each man went to bed confident that he would be declared the winner.

Morning broke with the entire town showing up to cheer on the lumberjacks. The competition started with a the judge’s shout, “GO!” The first woodman, strong and broad, leaped into action. He sawed vigorously and continuously without stopping knowing that every tree he felled brought him closer to his coveted title.

The second woodsman, wasting no time and jumped into action as well, attacking his trees with every intention of winning the distinguished title. But unlike his larger competitor, this man stopped every hour to sharpen his blade.

This worried the townspeople greatly. They murmured among themselves. Surely, he could never win if he didn’t work longer and harder than his competitor. His friends pleaded with him to increase his speed, to work harder but to no avail. This pattern continued until the end of the day when both men heard the judge yell “TIME!”, signaling the end of the match.

The larger man stood, winded and exhausted but proudly by his pile of trees knowing he had given his best. Surely, he was the winner! The smaller woodsman also stood by his pile of trees though, unlike his competitor, the smaller man was still fresh, ready to continue if necessary. He also stood confident of his efforts having toiled mightily for the prize.

When all the trees were counted, it was announced that the second woodsman had indeed felled more trees and had won the title of “The Greatest Lumberjack in all the Land!” He happily shook the judge’s hand gripping the new blade that signified the win. The larger man, and most of the townspeople, stood in stunned silence at the announcement for he was, after all, stronger with the larger axe!

But the smaller woodsman, well, he was not surprised. For he knew all along that in order to win especially against a larger competitor, his instrument had to be continually sharpened. His axe was smaller and therefore each swing must be more accurate in order to produce the better product. By stopping the sharpen his instrument, he had proven, once and for all, that he was the better man for the job.

Sharpening the Saw

In his book, "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," Stephen Covey talks about sharpening the saw. He says:

"It means exercising all four dimensions of our nature, regularly and consistently in a wise and balanced way. To do this we have to be proactive."

The "dimensions of our nature" that he is referring to are the following: Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical. Keeping balance between these four areas in our life brings greater peace, happiness, and purpose. You define what it is in your life that you are committed to.

I'll admit, my situation is and has been very similar to where it was when I started THR over a year ago! I've been up and down in dress sizes, and have not focused on my health the way that I should have. I have found myself going over old posts to motivate myself again and put ME back into the spotlight. Yet, most of the time I feel like I am spinning my wheels.

Now, I as stare at the mountain of laundry ahead of me (a side effect from moving,) I realize that I am getting back to where I can focus on myself and my family. Although it was really nice to be living with my parents and spending quality time with them, I have to admit, I am ready to be just us again. My life is still crazy busy! "High School Musical" doesn't open for another month, I am recruiting for a children's music education program that I am teaching from my home called Let's Play Music, and I still teach voice lessons. Top this off with the HUGE garden that I have planted and I don't really have down time. Alas, I find myself sitting at my computer trying to organize my life into something bearable. My life FEELS overwhelming, and I am letting it affect me! Therefore, today, I have decided to "sharpen my saw." It's time to sit down, prioritize, and make room for the important things in my life. I find that if I am put together, the rest sort of puts itself together. Anyone else notice that?

Give it a shot! Take some time to re-set goals. I mean REALLY set them, like, write those suckers down! Start with ONE goal for each dimension in your life: Spiritually, Mentally, Emotionally, and Physically. Come up with a game plan for each goal, and focus on those things for a week. I'll add my weekly goals at the end of my posts for awhile to help me stay on track. Let me know how it went for you!

My Goals

Spiritually: Take time to have REAL, heart-felt, prayer. Too often, I end up spouting off the "go-to list." That needs to change. I need time to have a one-on-one with God.

Mentally: Put some time into studying and preparing for rehearsals, voice lessons, and Let's Play Music recruiting. The "work" aspect of my life seems to be "treading water." I attend to it when they call, but then I'm only half as good as I could be because of lack of preparation.

Emotionally: FAMILY TIME! My life is so busy that I need to PLAN family time. I want to have at least ONE night a week where we GO OUT and DO something as a family. Golf, Mini-Golf, Hiking, Bikes, Lagoon, whatever. We need it. I have about 10 other goals for this category, but those will come when I get a handle on this one.

Physically: Here it is! Time to pay attention to my body again! My goal is to pay attention to my hunger scale. I KNOW that I am eating past the time when I am no longer hungry. There seems to be this small line where you aren't hungry anymore, but you aren't full. THIS is when I need to stop eating. I just have to slow down and NOTICE it!

Ways to Sharpen the Saw

Physically
Organize a space dedicated to yourself
Play
Meditate
Go to the Spa
Read

Mentally
Stretch
Have quality conversation
Complete a "bucket list" item
Listen to music
Learn something new

Spiritually
Read Scriptures
Enjoy Nature
Write in a journal
Pray
Smile

Emotionally
Laugh
Hold Hands with Someone
Apologize
Forgive
Date night!

If you'd like, go ahead and share your goals with me! Having someone to account to really does help! I'm not even sure that people read this, but it certainly helps me! Don't forget to check out our Facebook Page!

Eating off of the Land!

2014-06-06T07:54:00.003-07:00

How many of you grow gardens?

While we lived in AZ, I wasn't able to grow a garden. We were renting, and the landlord didn't want us to. Needless to say, I am SUPER EXCITED to be growing one this year. As a result... I MIGHT have over shot a little. Thus far, I have planted:

20 Roma Tomato Plants
20 Celebrity Tomato Plants
30 Pole Bean Plants
20 Bush Bean Plants (these are white beans.. I have a vision of canning/freezing the white beans and the green beans together. Pretty, huh!
Spinach
Lettuce
Kale
Red Onions
Green Onions
Romaine Lettuce
Basil
Swiss Chard
Carrots

Pickling Cucumbers

Garden Cucumbers

Crookneck Squash

Spaghetti Squash

Butternut Squash

Zucchini

Cauliflower

Broccoli

LOTS of CORN!

All of THIS on top of land with a HUGE raspberry patch, blackberry patch, apple tree, 2 peach trees, 2 pear trees, 1 cherry tree, and a walnut tree!!!

I might be in over my head... but OH the fresh goodness!!!

Butter head lettuce... pretty tasty

Corn! It's popping up! Time to thin....

A view of the SOME of the garden...
the black plastic helps keep the weeds out!

FEED ME, SEYMORE!! Isn't this just the cutest little squash plant??

It's getting bigger and bigger each day! How many of you plant gardens? What is your favorite thing to plant? Anyone have any "go to" tips to share?

When You're Happy, You're Healthy. Avoiding Emotional Hoarding.

2014-05-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

I recently found myself in a situation where I was told that I "wasn't liked" by some women that I know. Obviously, my feelings were hurt. Although I had suspected this was the case, I didn't let it bother me until it was "confirmed" by one of those women. She chose to tell my husband how she didn't care for me and found me "opinionated, abrasive, straight forward," and other, similar traits. He was a gem and defended my honor to the best of his ability. It hurt HIM to hear these things and it hurt ME to hear them from HIM. But, you know what?? She was right!

Let me be clear. I am not ALWAYS opinionated, abrasive, or straight forward. But I CAN be. And, since this woman hasn't take the time to REALLY get to KNOW me, I figure that is all she might see because that is all she KNOWS.

I stressed about this for a couple of weeks. I worried, prayed, cried, yelled, complained, and became very bitter toward these women UNTIL..... I found out that they were holding grudges for things said and done YEARS ago!!! What!?!? Suddenly, I felt bad for them. Holding onto negative feelings toward a person without that person knowing anything about it only hurts YOU! Can you imagine holding onto something so long that it just eats at you... creating a hole that just gets bigger over time?

My first instinct was to confront these women. "Give them a piece of my mind" and let them know that THEY are FAR from perfect! My next instinct was to confront them and try to "work it out." Although that might still happen, something tells me that IF the grudge was released and good feelings came through, there is a high possibility that it would be quickly replaced with yet, ANOTHER grudge. I say this because I have learned a little bit from this experience. As some time has passed, I learned that I am not the only person that these women have negative feelings towards. There are more! Quite a few, actually. Some of them have known this wrath for longer than I. Knowing that I wasn't singled out did make me feel a little better, but it made me feel worse for those that hold the grudge. This has led me to believe one of two things: These women won't let go of this grudge, or they will let go, only to replace it with another. I quickly began to wonder if these women are, what I refer to as, EMOTIONAL HOARDERS.

Emotional Hoarders

Most people have seen those shows on TV about the people that hoard junk in their homes. To the outside eye, these people seem happy, normal, and functional. But, taking a closer look, you realize that they have been hurt. Something made them feel insecure and they started holding on to things. The things that they hold on to are ALWAYS "important" to them. They feel like they can't let go of them without giving up a piece of themselves. While others realize that most of those items are trivial and unimportant, it takes A LOT of effort to convince the hoarder that they need to LET GO. In the mean time, they have shut themselves off from the world, only letting in a few close people. The house gets so full that it covers windows and sinks, making it impossible to allow light into the home or to clean house. It becomes overwhelming and takes over their life. A false sense of security is created by holding on to these items and the hoarder loses themselves in the mess.

It is SO easy for humans to become "emotional hoarders." We carry grudges, say mean things, hold onto "that one time" that "so and so" did something that hurt us. Each instance is "important!" The more that we hold on to, the easier it gets and the quicker we judge. We stop wanting to be around people that are positive... in fact, they annoy us! Sometimes, we let others in to see our "mess." We complain, gossip, and perhaps even confront the "offender." But emotional hoarders NEVER let go. They might tell you EXACTLY what it was that hurt them 10 years ago, but won't forgive... or forget. They CAN'T! If they did, they are giving up something that has now become "precious" to them. A defense. An emotional wall of negative JUNK. A wall that is SO high that soon, light will no longer be able to shine through. The only thing left is to be bitter, full of negativity and sarcasm.

Protect Your Health

Are you one of these people? I almost was... well, toward these certain people anyway. Do not mistake me, I understand that there are emotional scars that cut very deep. Those scars take a long time to heal and a lot of effort to forgive. I wish that we could all be like the Amish People who forgave the murderer that killed their daughters. If you are unfamiliar with that story, it is a life changing read. You can find it HERE. The fact is that not everyone can easily forgive. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't TRY.

You might be wondering "What does this have to do with health? Isn't this The Healthy Redhead Blog?" Well, yes, and, I'll tell you.

"Joseph Neumann, PhD, a clinical psychologist at East Tennessee State University, is researching the relationship between forgiveness and heart disease. "When I treated patients with cardiovascular disease, I was struck by how many were bitter, angry, and depressed," says Neumann. "It clearly affected their health and their ability to heal."

To test his hypothesis, Neumann is planning a study using a variety of methods to test 200 volunteers for their capacity to forgive. Neumann says that based on past experience, he would be surprised if he doesn't find that those who score high on the forgiveness scale have less anger, depression, and anxiety and are at lower risk for cardiovascular disease."

Above is a section of an article found on Web MD. The article is fascinating and can be found HERE.

Negative Emotions LITERALLY poison your body.
What happens when you HOARD negative emotion?

Cleaning House

I was very fortunate and knew that I needed to "clean house." I needed to stop holding on to the things that were bringing me down. It wasn't easy! I mean, I have to see these people on a fairly regular basis. But, I also understand that although they may continue to have their opinions, I have the option to move past it. I control how I act, what I say, and how I respond. Therefore, I am choosing LOVE. It sounds cheesy, I know. But I wonder if I invite them to dinner with me and the girls, or if I invite their children over to play, or serve them in other ways, that maybe they will see the side of me that I HOPE other people see. I don't have to argue with them to defend my integrity and character. I prove them wrong through ACTION. Actions speak louder than words, right? If that is the case, I can only hope MY actions will SHOUT POSITIVE, LOVING, words from the tops of the Wasatch Mountains!

If you find yourself on the road to emotional hoarding, follow these steps to start releasing some of that junk.

1. Recognize the Issue. Avoid complicating the problem by recognizing the main source. It does no good to clean up cobwebs if you don't kill the spider. What is it that is truly causing the negative feelings?

2. Ask yourself what it would take for you to feel better and if your desire is realistic. Sometimes just an "I'm Sorry" really isn't enough, especially if behavior doesn't change. However, when someone truly wants to be forgiven, they have to feel like forgiveness really IS possible. Setting unrealistic expectations complicates the issue and in many cases, worsens it.

3. Follow through. Once you have decided to forgive, and HOW to forgive, actually DO IT! You can't change the game rules at the last second because you suddenly decided that that person wasn't deserving of forgiveness. EVERYONE DESERVES FORGIVENESS. Let us also not forget that WE too will find ourselves needing to be forgiven. Who wants to be the person that expects forgiveness but won't forgive.... especially if it involves the same person that we had an issue with. Finally, I think that we can all agree that it's not our place to judge or grudge. Let's leave the judging to the "big guy upstairs."

4. Find something positive to replace the negative. Ever heard that it takes two positives to replace a negative? It's true. Find those positive things and embrace them. THEN, let the other person know that you "like" those things about them. That will make them feel like their efforts in obtaining forgiveness were not in vain and their smile will help to solidify the positive emotion within yourself.

5. Let it Go. At the risk of breaking into the now ever popular song, just LET IT GO!! Forgive, forget, and release the negative issue. YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO HOLD ON TO IT! Negative emotions will ruin your health, your relationships, friendships, break apart families, and darken your spirit. It's not worth it. Forgiving doesn't make them right, it lets you move forward.

If I am able to get these ladies to meet with me, I will:

Listen to their concerns
Apologize for hurting them
Explain that I didn't mean to hurt them. I mean, who wakes up in the morning thinking "I'm going to piss this person off today." Not many people.
Tell them that I love them
Explain that I too have had bad feelings towards them.
Ask for forgiveness from them
Tell them that I forgive their negative feelings towards me

Then, I would get up, hug them, walk out the door and LET IT GO. LIKE A BOSS! My "house" will be clean and free from hoarding, and hopefully, theirs will be too. Or at least a window will be clear and light will be allowed into their home. Yup, that is what I will do.

If not given that opportunity, I can assure you that I won't let THIS issue turn me into a hoarder. Nope, "I ain't got no time for that!" I'm to busy being happy with the things that I DO have control over. And, that is enough for me. Let it be enough for you to.

365 Days

2014-04-29T10:54:00.001-07:00

I have been both excited for and dreading this post. 365 days ago, I wrote my very first post for T.H.R. I don't want to say 1 year, because that just feels like I am "skimming" over the whole journey thus far. In reality, it has been a day-by-day journey.... 365 days. 365 days of trial and error. 365 days of ups and downs. 365 days of negative and positive thinking and motivation. 365 days of joy, frustration, learning, exercising, laziness, old, new, happy and sad. My personal road to a healthier, happier, life has been one with A LOT of hills, and many more MOUNTAINS! Much like a lot of you have probably experienced.

365 days ago, my ultimate goal was to "take a year off" from dieting. I was sick of being told how many calories I "should" have, and how long I "should" exercise. I wanted to be both HEALTHY and HAPPY. And, at that point, I just wasn't. I don't know that anyone can really be happy if they spend their days counting and deducting calories, waking up at the crack of dawn to exercise, then eat nothing but brown rice, grilled chicken, and broccoli. I DO know that I just couldn't try that anymore. The more that I tried to exercise, count calories, portion sizes, and eat specific foods, the more I hated myself. Why? Because I was FAILING at it. I couldn't LIVE that way. 365 days ago, I realized that I was missing the point. I needed to LIVE.

"Learning to eat was about learning to LIVE, and DECIDING to live! And, it's one of the most radical things that I have ever done!" - Anne Lamott

The term "healthy lifestyle" is thrown around a lot in the dieting community. I had always thought that once I BECAME healthy, I would LIVE healthy. Isn't that just a ridiculous thing to think? Yet, how many other people out there feel the same way?

I had plenty of excuses! In fact, I think I started my first post with naming all of those excuses. We ALL have excuses! 365 days ago, I realized that MY excuses just didn't matter. I realized that I COULD be both happy and healthy and STILL have the issues that I had. I sat down at my computer, came up with a plan of exercise and diet (based off of my knowledge at the time,) and put the plan into motion. 365 days later, that plan has changed a few times. As I continued to learn and adapt a lifestyle that felt good and made sense to me, I adapted my "plan" accordingly. Now, I look back and see how much I have learned, how much I have grown, and how much happier and healthier I am.

Day 1 to Day 365
I like this the most. You can see a consistent difference.
Slowly but surely! Never to go back!

Day 1 to Day 365
Not a HUGE difference... 6 months is the best.
Guess those push-ups were working.... should get back on those.

Day 1 to Day 365
Dramatic Difference at 6 months- Just a little at 1 year

WHAT DID I LEARN?
Over the past 365 days, I grew to understand the following:

1. I do best when I listen to my body. I have adapted the "Intuitive Eating" policy of eating what your body wants to eat, when it's hungry, and stopping when it's not hungry anymore. I refer to my body as "it" instead of "me" because I consider "me" to be my MIND. If I listen to my MIND, I over eat because my mind tells me that I WANT more food. "It tastes so good." "I won't have another chance to eat this again for a long time." "I spent a lot of money on this meal."

When I listen to my BODY, I stop at the right time. I ignore the messages from the 35 years of brain training, and outside triggers, and I just DO.

I have adapted the same idea when it comes to exercise. I leave myself an hour of activity time each day. What I do during that time depends on how I FEEL. I will admit, this is my weakest spot since I DO tend to listen to my brain more on this one. I give in too easily when the time comes and I am "too tired" or "too busy" to take a walk, go for a jog, swim, bike ride, hike, or anything else that requires physical effort.

I still need work. It's good to still be WORK-ING on it though. I haven't given up. I don't WANT to give up. WHOA! I. DON'T. WANT. TO. GIVE. UP! Keep listening to your body. It will tell you what it needs.

2. Losing weight comes naturally. I don't really like to refer to losing fat as "losing weight." I haven't weighed myself in 6 months or so. (Since I decided THAT NUMBER didn't define me.) My clothes got loose. I went down 3 dress sizes.... went up when times were stressful, and then went down again.

Although I might not be as "small" as I had hoped I would be after a year, I AM small-er! The crazy thing is that I am not just smaller around my waist (my BIG problem spot,) my FEET are smaller (a whole shoe size!) My FINGERS are smaller! I can FINALLY put on my wedding ring! (Although it still looks pretty tight- at least it goes ON!) My NOSE is smaller. My glasses keep sliding off!

Don't stop living a healthy lifestyle because you aren't getting the results that you WANT. Be grateful for the results that you HAVE. Notice them. The rest will come.

3. There is no such thing as a "quick fix." Changing a lifestyle doesn't happen over a period of 30, 60, or 90 days! Sure, you can do a 90 day program that kicks your trash and, if you are overweight and not used to that lifestyle, you will hate every minute of it. Once the 90 days are over, you will be happy with the results, try to keep going with it, try to maintain the diet, and soon.... give up. 90 days later, you are back where you started. How do I know this? Because I have been there more times than I care to count.

A true lifestyle change comes from within. It starts with a firm knowledge and acceptance of what is right. Then, it builds from there... block by block. Sometimes, you have to tear down a part of a wall and re-build, re-train your mind and body. Other times, you destroy a wall because you stopped making it a priority. Then, it takes extra care when you come back. Overall, changing your LIFE should take more care than 90 days. I am 365 days into it and just on my way. But I can honestly say that I will NEVER be back to where I was when I started. I have CHANGED too much.

4. Nothing is off limits! One cookie is not the end of the world... 12 cookies are not the end of the world (although your tummy might disagree....) I am in control of my own destiny. I am not perfect. But, I am ALSO in charge of my own destiny. I CHOOSE whether I take myself closer to my goal or further away from it. Sometimes, the pastry is JUST what I needed.... most of the time, I can pass.

The more restrictive and complicated I make things, the MORE I don't give a crap. (Not the word that came into my head, but nicer, for sure.) Isn't it funny how that works? Tell me that I CAN'T do something, and all I want, IS to do that very thing! It's just better if I CHOOSE not to eat certain things, or live a certain way.

5. Fit is NOT the same as thin. My WHOLE LIFE, I have wanted perfect legs, skinny waist, and delicate arms. Now, I don't care about that. I HONESTLY don't care WHAT I look like, I care about how I FEEL. I don't LOOK like it, but I could probably lift more than a lot of those "bird leg" gals. I am stronger. I can jog longer than I could a year ago. I CAN DO A FULL BODY PLANK FOR 60 SECONDS!!! That might not seem like a lot to YOU, but for someone that could only do 10 seconds before, that. is. HUGE! I am getting stronger ever day. The only reason that I wish my OUTSIDE showed a little more of my efforts, is so that people would LISTEN to me when I tell them that what I am DOING is actually WORKING.

I am getting more and more FIT on the outside AND on the inside!

6. Little efforts still bring big results... they just take more time. Small changes are easier than big ones. Walking for 10 minutes a day starts the ball rolling toward 20 min, 30 min, 60 min, JOGGING! Sometimes, your motivation will be strong and you will jump head first into your day. Other times, your motivation will be just a spark, a thought, and you might not care enough to do anything. Whether big or small, ANY effort is good.

A spark can cause the same forest fire that a flame thrower can, it just takes a little more time to build. That isn't a bad thing.

7. Enjoying the day makes all the difference. Finding happiness in sunshine or rain is important. Discouragement happens. There is ALWAYS something to be grateful for. Maybe it's how you ate for the day, maybe it's how active you were, or maybe, it's just that you showered! Just be happy. Enjoy your day.

Happiness fights more than just negativity. It creates energy, fights off cortisol, and is a fat buster! Who knew!

8. Water is Good. I know that this isn't news to any of you. But, really, I am surprised at how much better I feel when I drink my water! And I am LOVING my new citrus water! Somehow, water makes me WANT to eat healthier foods, exercise, and be happy.

Water is the ONLY "nectar of the Gods!" (And I used to think it was Coke! I hope this doesn't cause a war!)

9. How I feel AFTER I eat or exercise is MORE important than WHAT I eat or HOW I exercise. I no longer like Chinese food. Why? Because I don't FEEL good after I eat it. I LOVE how it tastes. I just don't like the outcome. I don't like cake anymore because it leaves a weird feeling on the roof of my mouth. Soda BURNS when it goes down. Too much salad gives me the runs! (TMI?) Clean foods give me energy (if I don't over eat.) Limes make me happy! A little cheese is perfect, too much cheese causes digestive problems. (better?) Greasy foods leave a weird coating in my mouth AND make me nauseous. Mexican food is wonderful and amazing, and I almost ALWAYS over eat, so I need to be VERY careful.

Although nothing is off limits, I choose to eat healthier foods more than other foods. I still eat everything else too, just not as often and not as much.

10. I can't do this alone. I just can't. I need my family, friends, their family and friends, anyone who might care even a little bit! I NEED YOU! I've tried doing it alone. I suck. That is all there is to it! Who doesn't need a little bit of cheering on their behalf? But just as much as I need others, I also need to be that cheer leader right back 'atcha!

Nothing brings happiness, hope, and motivation more than sharing an experience TOGETHER, with other people. People that understand when fall and cheer when you succeed because they are right there with you!

I have grown each day throughout this journey. The past 365 days have brought me to the life that I want to live. Now, I can't wait to see what the next 365 days bring and I would LOVE for YOU to be there with me. Let's do the next 365 together! Invite your friends and family! I'll be here. Will you?

I'm MARRIED!!! Again... still...

2014-04-15T10:35:00.002-07:00

After almost TWO years of not wearing my wedding ring, it FINALLY FITS AGAIN!!!

This is so awesome! I just HAD to share with you all! It still LOOKS a little tight, but doesn't really FEEL tight. So... do I keep wearing it, or wait a little longer until it REALLY fits?

Before- Aug. 2013

Now- Apr. 2014

Cast your votes here or on the Facebook Page!

Detox Water- Truth or Myth?

2014-04-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

So, about two weeks ago, I came across this little concoction. It was advertised as "Weight Loss Water." The idea is that it is supposed to suppress hunger, flush out toxins, and get in all of your water. The ingredients are all foods that are known for their health benefits in one way or another. I thought that I would give it a shot and see what I thought of it.

How It's Made

The ingredients for 1/2 gallon pitcher are:
3 lemon slices- Health benefits include:

Regulating blood pressure (special for high blood pressure)
Fight against cancer
Maintain bone strength
Provides high hygiene and health of the oral cavity
Helps to reduce weight
Prevents overgrowth of parasites and intestinal worms (tapeworms) in the digestive system
Protects against fungal bacterial infections
Strong anti-depressive effect
Anti-Anxiety aid
Cleansing effect on body
Helps with cystitis and tumors
Decrease the cholesterol levels in the body which results in maintaining good health of our hearts. This is due to the presence of polyphenol flavonoids

5 cucumber slices (partially peeled to remove the bitter taste)- Benefits include:

Immunity Booster
Vitamin B
Weight Loss Aid
Digestive Aid
Fights bad breath
Helps to control Diabetes
Joint Care-

3 slices of lime- Benefits include:

Weight loss Aid
Skin Care
Eye Care
Cure for Scurvy
Constipation relief
Digestive Aid

3 slices of orange (I used clementine)- Health Benefits Include:

Helps to prevent cancer
Emotional Stimulant
Kidney Health
Liver Health
Boosts immune system

4 leaves of mint (or 3 large leaves.)-Health Benefits Include

Digestive Aid
Nausea and Headache
Respiratory Disorders (Asthma, coughs, etc.)
Anti- Depressant
Energy Booster
Boosts Memory
Weight Loss Aid
Fertility Aid
Reduced Allergies and Hay Fever
Fights against bad breath

**Remember to use ORGANIC ingredients to avoid ingesting pesticides.

Put all ingredients into the pitcher and fill up with filtered water.

You can pour some immediately, but make sure to keep the pitcher FULL at all times. Otherwise, the water gets pretty strong. This last for about 2-3 days before you need to make some more.

Does it Work?

In short, the answer is YES! After one day of drinking this, I really was feeling the detoxing. I'll spare you the details, but a minor headache and the need to be near a restroom were both experienced. After a full week of drinking it, I have noticed my clothes starting to get loose again (something that I have been struggling with for months- a story for another day.) Finally, I felt energized, experienced an increase in happiness, and got in all of my water for the day. I don't have a SUPER hard time getting my water in anyway, so I know that these results didn't just come from the water itself.

The best part is that I made some for my parents, and both of them have felt the exact same way! A word of caution though: if you don't like the taste of lemon water, you won't like this. (DUH) But, it would be a good liquid to add to your morning smoothies!

There you have it folks! Huh! Who knew! Have you tried this for yourself? What were your thoughts?

15 Things You Should Know About Planking

2014-04-11T10:53:00.002-07:00

I'm doing a PLANK CHALLANGE!!! I have to confess, that my workout routine has been put away for a bit. But, I'm getting it back out and I want YOU to join me! Pretty please???? (Does the physical appearance of the "please" make a difference?)

Although I will be getting in my hour of activity every day, I am planning on adding THIS to my routine. It's 30 seconds- 1 min every day. C'mon..... easy, right?

Starting MONDAY, I am going to post my times on the Facebook Page! Should any of YOU feel the need to do this with me, post YOUR times as well. Let's cheer each other on.....

unless your SCARED! Mwuahahahah!!

The Benefits of PLANKING

If you push yourself a little, doing planks are not easy BUT the benefits are outstanding.

1. Works your upper abs, your lower abs, your obliques, and your lower back (do standard and side planks to work your entire abs).
2. Builds the stabilizer muscles.
3. Builds strength for pushups.
4. Promotes good posture and helps prevent back injuries.
5. Teaches your abs to stay contracted in a regular standing position.

Look at ALL the muscles that benefit from planking!

How to Do a Plank

1. Get face down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees.
2. Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.
3. Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.
4. Keep your back flat — don't drop it or you'll be defeating the purpose. Picture your body as a long straight board, or plank.
5. Hold as long as you can. Aim for 20-30 seconds in the beginning and work your way up to one minute, as you get stronger. If you find this is easy, do it in sets of 3-5! Sucka!!

Tips While Planking

1. Turn the timer over so that you don't see it.

2. Read a book or magazine to help pass the time.

3. Listen to Music

4. Take Deep Breaths

5. Look ahead of you for half of the time, then down at the floor for half of the time.

There you have it! I'm ready to add this back in to my daily routine! Funny, I think I have actually missed it! I've said it before- if there is ONE exercise to do every day, it's THIS one.

A Lifestyle Change Doesn't Happen Overnight!

2014-03-25T15:05:00.000-07:00

So many times, I hear people talk about being healthy as a "lifestyle." Which it is. It's just that I have often wondered...

"How long before it BECOMES a lifestyle?"

Is it like a habit... 21 days? Or, if I believe P90X, it should only be 90 days. Wait! There is "Trim in 30," too. I have finally come to the conclusion that, like unto many things that I blog about, there just isn't ONE answer. It really is different for everyone. See, I'm not one to jump into anything. I research, analyze, experiment, and practically go crazy over details. Once I try to make the "change" I inevitably find SOMETHING that I wasn't prepared for, and therefore, I stop the "program" that I was doing. As a result, I felt like a failure, and made damaging decisions that affected my body, mind, and spirit.

Almost a year ago, I started THR because I no longer wanted to be "skinny." I just wanted to like myself again. I wanted to forget about the weight. Instead, I decided to focus on HOW to get to that path. Since then, I have tried different programs, foods, diets, and exercises. I have seen successes and failures. I have felt the words of doubt come into my mind too many times to fathom. But, it's almost a year later, and....

I. AM. STILL. HERE.

I haven't given up!! Do I feel different? YES. I do. Although it took me a long time to find "my" groove. It took time to find the things that I could do to LIVE a LIFESTYLE. I couldn't see myself counting points, calories or fat grams for the rest of my life. I knew that if I weighed any more food, I would go crazy. So, I searched high and low and found what works best for me. I have read more books on fitness, health, eating, etc. than I care to admit. But I think that I have the answers that I was looking for.

How do I know this? Because I am HAPPY. I FEEL beautiful again. I can breathe freely. I might not LOOK a lot different, but I FEEL different. I have a love for life again. I am in tune with myself. I love myself..... finally.... for the first time in a very long time. That is quite a success, don't you think?

The best thing about it is that I am NOW in a place where I can focus on letting go of the old, scared, calorie counting, food weighing, Cindy, and just be me. In this past year, I have worked on getting myself emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually ready for a mighty change in my life. In my journey, I have found the things that "make the grade" for me. Intuitive eating, daily activity, personal serenity and peace, "me" time, and food that FUELS my body. I have had a small glimpse (two dress sizes, beautiful skin, lighter disposition, and more energy) of what lies ahead of me. I don't know about you, but I am excited to see what this next year brings!

I'm in the process of writing my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY post! It is FOR SURE something NOT TO BE MISSED! It's coming up on April 27th..... Let's celebrate! Any ideas??

The Basics of Essential Oils

2014-03-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

I LOVE essential oils. There is something about the aromatherapy, the massaging them into my skin, the fresh scent in my home made laundry soap, and so much more!

Essential Oils can be used for a variety of purposes. Pinterest has multitudes of "recipes" that you can put together to solve just about any medical problem, cleaning problem, or beauty problem. Although I use both oils and medicine for my ailments, I couldn't fathom getting rid of either. I use essential oils in my laundry soap, as relief for colds, allergies, and headaches, massage and in my household cleaning- just to name a few.

Use of essential oils

Air freshening
Bathing | Amount of essential oils to use in bath
Compresses
Foot and hand baths
Hair care | Amount of essential oils to use in shampoo
Jacuzzis
Massage | Amount of essential oils to use in massage blend
Saunas
Showers
Sitz bath
Skin care | Amount of essential oils to use in creams
Steam inhalations
Vaporization

Have you ever wanted to use essential oils, but didn't know where to start? Here are some things that you need to know to get started.

Essential oils are not really oils. They do not contain the fatty acids that constitute what we would consider an actual oil. I would define them more as "plant juice."

Most essential oils are high in antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties: This makes them an excellent addition to your homemade cleaning preparations. Oils that are best for cleaning are: Lemon, grapefruit, eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, lavender, and rosemary.

Essential oils are miniscule in molecular size, which means they are absorbed well by the skin – making them perfect ingredients in personal care items intended to heal, soften, and nourish. However, they do not accumulate in the body over time – they simply offer up their healing properties and then pass on through.

Fragrance oils and essential oils are NOT the same thing. As a rule of thumb, if you see the word “fragrance” or “fragrance oil” or even “perfume” on anything, you can assume this is synthetic and NOT natural. (Even if it says natural fragrance.)

Essential oils are wholly natural and cannot be patented; which means that you’ll never see an essential oil in a pharmaceutical drug.

Enormous amounts of plants are needed to produce essential oil. In fact, on the extreme end, it takes 4000 pounds of Bulgarian roses to produce 1 pound of essential oil. Other plants like lavender only take 100 pounds of plant material to produce a pound of essential oil. Still, can you imagine how concentrated essential oils must be, in light of how many plants are used to produce them?

Most essential oils should never be used undiluted on the skin. Instead, they should be combined with “real” oils (called carrier oils), waxes, butters, alcohols, or other diluting measures. Because they’re so concentrated, if you don’t dilute, you may end up with an unfortunate reaction (and unhappy skin). My favorite carrier oil is olive. Although some oils are classified as "safe" to use in their full strength, you will still probably want to dilute just to weaken the smell.

Never use an undiluted essential oil on a baby or child. Children have much thinner, more delicate skin than adults have, and tend to be very sensitive to the potency of essential oils. In fact, even if you do use essential oil in a recipe for children, only use half of the essential oil recommended in the recipe.

To test if you’re sensitive to an essential oil (which is probably best to do before using it in a skincare preparation): Combine one drop of essential oil with 1/2 tsp carrier oil (like olive, jojoba, or sweet almond). Rub this on the inside, upper portion of your arm and wait a few hours. If no redness or itching develops, you’re most likely not sensitive to that essential oil.

Keep all essential oils out of the reach of children – and avoid contact with your eyes. I know that this is more of a "duh" thing, but it really should be mentioned.

Do not take essential oils internally, especially oils like wintergreen and eucalyptus. While some essential oils may be used well-diluted in something like toothpaste with safety, it’s generally recognized that there’s no need to take essential oils internally.

Not all essential oils are created equally, nor does more expensive necessarily mean “better.” There are certain brands I will use in a less therapeutic fashion (like for cleaning), because they’re far less expensive than their counterparts. When you see a wide fluctuation in price between, say, lavender essential oils, you can bet that the far less expensive one is likely lower in quality. However, a small variation in price differences on the higher end will NOT mean a better essential oil. It will just mean a higher price. (A little birdie also told me that there are also only a handful of essential oil distilleries in the world, which means that most essential oils come from the exact same places – thus there is little difference in quality between the more “typically priced” EOs.) What I’m saying here is: Understand that you DO have to pay for quality, but that if you’re just using essential oils in non-therapeutic fashions, it’s okay to use less expensive oils.

Where do I purchase my oils? I suggest using Native American Nutritionals or another ethical supplier that offers organic essential oils (grown without pesticides or toxic fertilizers). **No, I don't get compensation for recommending them. This is where I purchase my own oils. THIS is a great blog explaining WHY I chose NAN for my oils. I highly recommend reading ALL of her entries on essential oils. They are very informative.

To test your essential oil to see how “pure” it is, put a single drop of it on a piece of construction paper. If it evaporates quickly and leaves no noticeable ring, it is pure. If you have a ring left, then it is likely diluted by the manufacturer with an oil of some sort (this test will not work for myrrh, patchouli, and absolutes).

Essential oils will last for at least 5 years (if not 10), so one bottle could literally last you a decade. Hopefully that thought will help mitigate the cost involved in purchasing some essential oils. Because they are SO concentrated and only a tiny amount is needed in anything you do, they’ll last you a very, very long time. The only exception to this rule is citrus oils, which will see a reduction in potency after a year or two.
Store your essential oils in dark glass bottles (which they were probably packaged in) and out of direct sunlight. This is simply to help preserve their potency.

USE ESSENTIAL OILS TO HELP YOUR MOOD. Lavender, peppermint, grapefruit, chamomile, lemon, ylang-ylang all help produce happy, joyous moods. Clary sage helps with PMS (although there have been reports that overuse of clary sage can lead to intoxication). Rosemary increases focus and concentration. Don’t forget the mood benefits of essential oils.

Recommended Essential Oils to Get You Started

I’ve narrowed it down to 7 essential oils to consider when starting to use them in your personal care products or homemade cleaning supplies.

Peppermint (good for lip balms, oily/acneic skin, and cleaning products)
Rosemary (good for hair preparations, oily/acneic skin, and cleaning products)
Sweet orange (good for all skin types and very soothing in room sprays for children)
Rose geranium (good for all skin types, creating perfumes, and for use in homemade moisturizers)
Tea tree (great for healing, getting rid of dandruff, oily/acneic skin, and cleaning products)
Lavender (great for all skin types, for relaxation, hair preparations, and cleaning products)
Lemon (great for lifting moods, cleaning preparations, and sparingly in toners and products for oily skin)

All of these essential oils also happen to be some of the least expensive and easiest to find. Bonus!

There you have it! Hopefully, this answers some questions about using essential oils. I can honestly say that once you start to find a place for them in your life, you can't ever imagine NOT using them.

Want to learn more? Check out THIS BOOK! It's full of information and recipes!

The Keys to a SUPER AWESOME SALAD!

2014-03-10T08:26:00.001-07:00

A sure way to make sure that you have yummy salads!

Include the following:

3 types of lettuce (I usually buy the Spring Mix) cut into smaller pieces

4-5 more vegetables- Cut into VARIOUS sizes and textures. This keeps all the good stuff from falling to the bottom.

Example: Carrot Ribbons, round Cucumbers, half cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered broccoli florets.

1- onion- watch the amount depending on the strength of the onion. Purple onions or Green onions are my favorite.

1-2 fruit (This adds juice so that you don't have to have as much dressing.)
Example: avocado, mango, peach, strawberry, capers, mandarin oranges, olives, grapes, raisins, dried apricots

1- cheese (This will add a boldness to the salad.)
Example: Parmesan, Feta, Goat, etc

1- fresh herb- not too much (This adds a freshness to the salad)
Example: cilantro (my favorite,) basil, mint, parsley, thyme, oregano

1- Nut or seed (try flavored nuts as well.)
Example: raw walnuts, raw almond slivers, raw pecans, candied nuts, roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flavored seeds.

1- Good CRUNCH- croutons, Chinese noodles, crackers on the side, toasted baguette, tortilla strips,etc. Not more than a few.

My favorite combinations thus far:

1. various veggies, tomatoes, avacado, raisins, diced green onions, fresh shredded parmesan, cilantro chili lime pumpkin seeds, with teaspoon of a dressing that I made out of lemon juice, cilantro, mint, parsley, olive oil.

2. various veggies, mango, asagio cheese, cilantro, avacado, tomato, purple onion, tortilla strips. salsa dressing

3. various veggies, ribbon Parmesan, capers, croutons, walnuts, basil, avacado, purple onion slivers, green olives. white balsamic dressing

Get creative! Try new things! Watch the dressing- you'll find that you really don't need a lot MAYBE 2 TSP

What "They" Don't Tell You About Losing Weight.

2014-02-26T11:26:00.003-08:00

The truth is about to be told! No pictures, just truth.

I'm pretty sure that we all have heard the same "helpful sayings" about losing weight. My mind is constantly full of quotes such as:

" It took years to put the weight on, it is going to take years to get it off."
"The fat comes off in the reverse order that it came on."
"Muscle weighs more than fat."

Etc. Etc. Etc.

While all of that may or may not be true. Let me share with you what I have found to be absolutely 100% true. Folks, these are the things that NO ONE talks about.

1. It's normal for plateaus to last awhile. Most people give up too early because the results that they saw at first don't continue. They hit a plateau. That plateau might last MONTHS which then, makes them feel like what ever it is that they are doing to lose weight is not working anymore. Although the WEIGHT might not be coming off, the FAT may still be coming off.

2. You will lose the fat in the WEIRDEST places BEFORE it comes off of the WANTED places. I have lost fat in my fingers, chin, feet (a whole size smaller now...) and even my NOSE! Yup, my rings fit better, I don't have the huge double chin that I used to have (although there is still one there...,) I have had to buy new shoes because my old ones were falling off, and my glasses don't fit my nose anymore. They fall off. I'm sure that this has happened before in other attempts to lose weight, but I never noticed because I was only looking at my "problem" spots... like, you know, the HUGE belly and FLABBY arms! THOSE parts.

3. There is NO magic number on the scale that is your "ideal weight." Now, before all of you haters start attacking me on this one, let me explain. Look, I come from German descent, with a touch of English. I don't run marathons each day, but I don't just sit at a desk for 8 hours either. There is so much more going into your "ideal" weight than your height, bone structure, sex, and age. According to Dr. Evelyn Tribole, your race, culture, and health history are all in play as well. THIS is why I have been told that I should be between 115-135 lbs, but have never been below 180 as an adult. At 180 lbs, I wore a size 10 (the smallest that I was as a adult.) I was slender and happy with the way that I felt and looked.... until someone told me that I should be 50lbs lighter. I had not weighed 115 since JR. HIGH school, and even THEN I was not considered overweight by my doctor. SO, I'm not sure when the opinion changed, but I find it unrealistic to think that someone could stay the same weight all the way through high school and into adulthood through having kids. But at the time when I was told that I should go from 180-130 (by a "health professional") I got scared, but you know what happened? I became depressed. I started eating emotionally (something that I never did before) and GASP, I started gaining weight. THEN, I got married, had kids, and gained MORE weight. It wasn't until about 6 months ago that I realized that "ideal weight" just might be WRONG. That is when I started forgetting the scale and calories, and started going off of REAL evidence like, how my clothes fit, how I felt inside, and how my blood work came out at my annual physicals. (By the way, levels are all practically perfect. I have perfect blood pressure, perfect cholesterol levels, and perfect vitamin levels. The only thing that isn't perfect are my hormones. Go figure.

4. Being active doesn't necessarily make you lose weight. I know, another GASP moment. For more details on where I get this opinion from , click HERE. Although that it's true that burning calories is better than your body STORING calories, the idea is to burn MORE calories than you take IN, right? That is what we have been taught. But what about those people that don't eat multitudes of calories, and exercise? Oh, THOSE people are storing calories because their bodies aren't getting enough to USE. So, basically, don't eat too many calories, but don't eat too little, OH, and make sure that those calories aren't "empty" calories. (I won't even open up that can of worms.) WHOA! Too much! I had no idea how much I needed to exercise or eat... I just did what the "professionals" told me to do. But, THAT was based off of a generic formula meaning that "on average" that is what I should eat. But, I am different from everyone else. We all live different lifestyles. How can that POSSIBLY be measured in formula form? I am fairly active, meaning that I go up and down a flight of stairs (14 to be exact,) multiple times a day. Like, so many times that I would shudder to even try and count them, but I would venture to say rival what most could do on a stair stepper. I also go for walks (I like long walks on the beach..but I live in Utah, so the neighborhood has to count.) I dance with my kids, chase my dog that escapes, bend over to pick stuff up AT LEAST 100 times a day, make beds, vacuum, and I MIGHT even do a little running... sometimes. This is all on top of the actual "exercise" that I try to get in my day. Sound familiar? Well, that is my life. It isn't new. Do I need to do MORE than that? I aint got not time for that! THIS is how I exercise.

5. Everyone Loses Weight Differently! STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS! I mean it!! I recently read an article about all of the different things that make redheads unique. One of the items mentioned is that redheads are more sensitive to pain, and therefore have a higher pain tolerance. I guess we just constantly feel more pain than others, so we are used to it. How exactly can they measure this? I'm not sure. But it got me thinking. If humans can be so varied with something like pain, why would we not be varied with weight loss OR ideal weight? We all feel pain on different levels. We all have different make up inside. My brother-in-law has very high cholesterol, BUT he is VERY active in his lifestyle. This is frustrating for him because he can't figure out WHY his cholesterol levels are so high! Well, it's genetics! Our bodies ideal form is also unique. There isn't a formula that can pin point perfection for us. I'm not saying that they don't give us a good idea, but I also don't think that they should be taken as "doctrine" either. I can take another redhead, weighing the same as I, with the same body shape (maybe,) two kids through c-sections, like me, of German descent, my exact same height, and put us on the exact same diet for 2 weeks. I would bet you a million dollars that we would NOT lose the exact same amount of weight. Duh! The point is that we are all different, and our bodies handle things in different ways. It might take you months to lose the same amount of fat that it takes your sibling! THAT IS OK.

6. Keep a healthy attitude!!! THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU CONTINUE TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE. For sure. This is the ONLY thing that matters. Live a healthier life, a happier life. Continue to better yourself through the foods you eat and the activities that you do. Eat when you are hungry, and stop when you aren't hungry anymore. NOT when you are full, but when you aren't hungry anymore. There is a difference. Pay attention tonight when you eat. You will see what I mean. Click HERE to for more details on what I am talking about. No one tells you how much happier you will be when you STOP GIVING A CRAP ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT! Seriously! STOP. Stop stressing (which raises Cortisol levels and causes weight GAIN,) stop counting, stop obsessing, stop crying, and analyzing. It's not worth it. Just keep working. Keep going. You will notice a change, I promise. I did. After YEARS of stressing, counting, and analyzing. I have FINALLY started to notice CHANGE. It didn't happen fast, but I'm ok with that because I am OK with how MY body needs to do this. Well, MOST of the time I am ok with it. I DO let it get to me sometimes. Who doesn't.

There, those are the things that no one tells you. So, STOP stressing over it all. LIVE YOUR LIFE! I wrote an awesome post about this awhile ago. Find it HERE . Now you know. Now, you can go about your daily life feeling better about not stepping on the scale, losing inches off of that belly, or eating too many or too little calories.

THR's 8 or 9 month report.

2014-02-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

Let me start off by saying that this post is based COMPLETELY off of my own experience. I have been running this blog for ALMOST a year! I can't believe it. When I started, this was a place for me to have accountability. It was a place for me to journal my experience and journey to a healthier lifestyle. I'll admit, when I started my journey, I had high expectations that changing my eating and exercise habits would not only make me FEEL better on the inside, but would make me LOOK better on the outside. And, yes, that DID happen....just not as much as I EXPECTED it would.

From watching others lose weight, I saw how quickly they lost the inches. I supposed that the same would happen to me. If I worked hard, ate well, and exercised, I would look and feel better, right? The problem is that I expected to lose MOST, if not ALL of my excess fat within a YEAR! We have all seen the pictures of overweight people holding a newspaper and 90 days later, they are transformed! That happened with a lot of my friends that lost weight. However, just a few days ago, I noticed that MOST of those friends had gained the weight back.

Without asking them WHY (because it's rude to go up to people and say "Hey, why did your fat come back?") I can only assume that they just stopped living the way that they were living before. I can then only assume that they stopped because it was too strict in the first place. That seems to be a common thread in the "dieting" groups.

My question is: Can eating healthy actually be a "diet"? Well, yes, I suppose it can. According to the dictionary, a diet is "a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons." This means that if you are used to eating "unhealthy foods" such as sweets, greasy foods, etc., to suddenly restrict yourself from eating those foods means that you are on a diet.

We have talked at length about the diet mentality. You all know that although I do my best to make healthier choices in my eating, I do NOT restrict ANYTHING from my diet. I eat what I want, when I want...and, through listening to my body, I am learning to eat as much as I NEED. THIS is the key for me. Some people call it "portion control." Yes, perhaps that is the best way to describe it, but really, it's more of a PERSONAL PORTION CONTROL. I go into detail about this HERE.

As a result of living this way, I suppose that my weight has not come off as quickly as I had hoped. I know that if I were super strict and ate nothing but lean meats and veggies, I would probably be thinner than I am now. Although I DO work hard to eat nutritiously, following The Healthy Redhead Nutrition Plan, I don't sweat it if I fall away from this sometimes as well. That also means that I don't lose the fat as fast. But, you know, I'm OK with that. Well, I am now.

I will admit that these past few months have been difficult for me. I have let myself feel guilty because I feel my clothes get tighter, then loose again, then tight again, then loose... etc. I've been afraid to post about my progress. I've felt like I needed excuses as to WHY I wasn't down another dress size. (I'm not UP a dress size either, but it's a lot easier to focus on the negative side of things- isn't it.) It's not like I have a TON of people reading this blog, but somehow, putting it in writing and out there for everyone to see made me feel like it was SO final.

I kept telling myself that I would post my progress as soon as there was something to post about. Well, it's not a huge change, but here you go.

In the past 4 months, since my last photo, I have not lost another dress size. As I said before, I waiver between loose and tight on my jeans. But, I haven't had to drop another size yet. So, I LOOK the same. HOWEVER, in the past 4 months, I HAVE dropped a SHOE size! WHAAA?!?! I know, that sounds weird, but my FEET are thinner. PLUS, I think that my body finally adjusted to being two dress sizes smaller and realized that it didn't have to carry around so much awkward fat.

Here is the KICKER! Notice that I didn't say that my body adjusted to my WEIGHT. Nope, it adjusted to my new body SIZE. What is the difference? Well, I will tell you. Since starting my journey, I have only lost a total of 12 lbs!!!! That's it! Yes, I'm sure that it has something to do with muscle vs. fat, etc. But seriously, no wonder I would always quit my previous efforts to lose weight. See, losing the WEIGHT was my focus. When I would step on the scale to see results, they weren't there! And, if I DID see results, it was because I was being SUPER strict with what ever program I was doing. Don't get me started on my OCD with Weight Watchers Points! I'm a points NAZI! That alone just isn't healthy. I stopped because I couldn't live my whole life worrying about everything that I put in my mouth!

Look, there isn't a magic equation that works for everyone. Some people can just lose weight like crazy, some can't. Some people need more calories, some don't . For me, if I would have only measured success through a scale, I would be a failure. 8 months, and the only thing I have to show for it is 12 lbs. But in reality, that isn't it at all! I FEEL so much better than I did! I can't tell you how FREEING it is to not count calories or points, to not weigh my food, and to exercise when I feel like it.

I don't know how long it "should" take to get my body back to where it should be. But I DO know that it took awhile to get it in the shape it was in before. SO, I figure that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Almost a year later, and The Healthy Redhead has been a success. It's not mind-blowing. It's not a miracle, but I can honestly say that I will NEVER be that size 20-22 again! Nope, never. Why? Because I've learned too much. I've come too far. And, it just isn't natural for me to live that way anymore. THAT is what these past 8 or 9 months have done for me.

There is so much more to learn! Like, how to get rid of the flabby arms, or the "c-section belly." But that will come. In May, I will celebrate my YEAR of being The Healthy Redhead. Looking over my posts, I have learned so much! It took time to research, understand, and implement what would end up being "my" way. I'm glad that it is taking time to reach the final results. I'm a real person, with a real life, a real plan, that gets me real results. REAL takes time.

Be patient. Don't skip around from diet to diet. Don't weigh yourself every day. Just... live. Be conscious of eating, exercising and living. I promise that you will be happier. I am.

8 months!!! 12 lbs. 2 (almost 3) dress sizes. Smaller feet. Smaller fingers. Nicer skin. Healthier hair. Happier disposition. Not bad... not bad at all. And it will just get better! Can't wait for my YEAR report!

Juvo- My Green Powder of Choice

2014-01-29T14:13:00.000-08:00

Most people don't get their recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables all in one day. I am one of those people. SO... how does one solve this horrendous problem? Well, we purchase "greens." Greens come in a form of a green powder that includes a bazillion fruits and vegetables. ONE SCOOP boosts up our veggie servings up to SEVEN servings! Seem to good to be true? Well, consider this. The leafy veggies and fruits are FREEZE DRIED. Yes, this is different than dehydrated. It's better. This means that NO heat was used in the processing and therefore all of the cool vitamins and minerals stay in tact. After the freeze drying process, the fruits and veggies are ground into a fine powder. That means something that was big is now very small. Thus we see, we get a lot of punch in one small package. WHAAA!?!?!

Most people mix their greens with water, juice, or throw it into their green smoothie- which is what I do. The problem is that a lot of greens have a HORRIBLE taste!! Oh yes.. I'm talking NAS-TAY! Well, my lovelies, I have finally found a brand that has everything that I am looking for, AND the taste is....non-existent.

What to look for in a greens drink.

Not my Kid

In looking at different greens, it's important to know WHAT you are looking for them to accomplish. If you work out a lot, you might want something that is heavy protein. I was looking for a little of everything. I wanted something to serve as a protein, a meal replacement (should I be in a hurry,) a weight loss aid, and
an immune booster. Yup, I wanted ALL (or a lot) of the "superfoods" as I could find. Leafy green vegetables are often called superfoods as they are packed full of vitamins and minerals.They are rich in folic acid and B vitamins, which are necessary for healthy cell growth. Leafy greens such as spinach, broccoli, and parsley are loaded with vitamin C , vitamin A and powerful antioxidants, which support a healthy immune system.They are high In nutrients and enzymes such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium, which keep muscles, ligaments and skeleton healthy. Plus, Phytonutrients protect your cells from damage and maintain good vision. (Insert Charlie Brown "wah wah" voice) I know, not too interesting, but still important to know.

Many greens are also rich in Omega3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are essential to healthy brain development. So your greens powder breakfast smoothie helps to keep you and your kids focused during the day.According to science writer Susan Allport, Omega3 fatty acids have also been lnked to reducing the risk of heart disease, arthritis and cancer.

Many of today’s food are overly acidic and greens help balance your body’s pH, which in turns leads to a good night’s sleep. And chlorophyll detoxifies your blood, which leaves you feeling more energized during the day. So, Superfoods are HUGE in the greens powder catagory.

In addition to superfoods, I wanted something with mushrooms. Known as the Herb of Good Fortune, the Reishi mushroom has a long tradition of supporting the immune system, cardiovascular system, and for stress support. Mushrooms are also known for their role in mental clarity and immune boosting.

Seaweed was very important to me as well. Seaweed's best-known benefit is that it is an extraordinary source of a nutrient missing in almost every other food: iodine. Consuming healthy levels of iodine is critically important to maintaining a healthy thyroid. For those that don't know, the thyroid is a gland in your neck which helps produce and regulate hormones. A malfunctioning thyroid can result in a wide range of symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness and high cholesterol (to name a few). So, you can see why I wanted some seaweed in the greens.

FINALLY, I, of course, wanted to make sure that I wasn't ingesting pesticides and other GMO's. SO.. I looked for something RAW (meaning freeze dried,) and ORGANIC. I also threw in kosher, gluten free, dairy free and vegan. OH, and pretty fair on the price as well. I don't want to pay $75+ for a 30 day supply. Not too much to ask for, right?

What I found?

I found Juvo Superfoods. Juvo has a unique an interesting formulation that, I think, you need to try for yourself and see if it works for you. The mixture is fairly heavy in grains (millet, rice solids, various beans), which some say is more of a filler, but they also provide some cleansing action and protein. It has quite a lot of veggies (kale, beet, parsley, carrot, tomato, pumpkin, radish, and cabbage) and a huge amount of alfalfa as the primary green superfood (other greens include spirulina and chlorella, radish leaves and seaweeds). The mixture also offers a lot of fruits (lingonberry, black currant, aronia, concord grape, pomegranate, sour cherry, acerola, blueberry, cranberry, elderberry, and others).

Finally, the formula includes a larger than normal amount of mushrooms. Mushrooms include Shitake, Reishi, and Agaricus. This impressed me since it is hard to find a greens drink that includes mushrooms. They can be expensive to add and usually bring the cost up quite a bit.

What Do They Have to Say For Themselves?

According the the website ( www.gojuvo.com) JUVO retains nature’s purity without any modification or additions. The whole grains, vegetables, sea vegetables, mushrooms, and fruits of JUVO are grown organically in fertile land to bring you the purity and full vitality that mother nature offers. JUVO is made with organic, kosher, and NON-GMO ingredients from whole grains, vegetables, sea vegetables, mushrooms, and fruits that are grown organically in fertile land to bring you purity and full vitality of nature. JUVO ingredients are freeze-dried to keep nutritive properties and enzyme. It’s absolutely free of preservatives, whey, yeast, dairy, artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners.

The price is actually really good at $35-$45 per bottle and that will usually last 1-2 months (depending on how often you use them.) The taste is non-existent and the powder really packs a punch. (I might warn those that try it for the first time that there MIGHT be a SLIGHT detox that happens... stay close to a bathroom.....not that I know from experience, but.... just sayin.)

In my opinion, Juvo has a little bit of everything. They have a protein and weight loss formula as well, but really, if you are going to just live a healthy lifestyle, go with the superfoods. This will enhance your already awesome, whole foods, diet.

I like to purchase it from Lucky Vitamin. They do a "the more you buy, the more you save" sort of thing.

I'm in a GIVING mood!!

This is what I use, and will continue to use until I find something better! In fact, I like it so much, I feel a giveaway coming on!!! Want a bottle of Juvo Superfood to try for yourself?

1. Leave a comment on the blog and make sure that you "like" the Facebook page and/or Follow me on Twitter. I will choose a winner from the comments and announce it on my social media pages! Winner will be chosen on February 5th!

2. Want an EXTRA entry? Share this with your friends and tell them to mention YOUR NAME in THEIR comment on the blog!

Do you have a greens drink that you love? Share it with us! Any comments with a link to personal websites for products will be deleted. But, feel free to mention the brand! Thanks a bunch!

For my Green Smoothin Recipe that includes Juvo CLICK HERE. For more info on supplements that I add to my diet CLICK HERE.

TL;DR- I choose to use Juvo Superfood as a green powder supplement for my green smoothies. It is a great blend of powerhouse ingredients and packs a punch! Plus, how to enter the new Giveaway.

Finding Peace

2014-01-17T09:32:00.001-08:00

Have you ever eaten something that "you shouldn't have eaten," and then felt GUILTY afterward? I have. Then, I started wonder WHY I was feeling guilty. WHO said that that food was "bad" in the first place? Was it me? Was it based off of some article that I read? Did my doctor tell me that it was bad? Most of the time, the answer was ME. I was the one setting limits. I was the one defining the good from the bad.

The crazy thing about all of this was that I really didn't have GOOD reasons as to what made particular food good or bad. It was all based off of what "they" say. Have you met "they?" "THEY" say that it's going to rain today. "THEY" say that too much fat is bad. "THEY" say that not enough fat is bad. "THEY" say that a protein based diet is the best. "THEY" say that a protein based diet is horrible. "THEY" say that we should all be vegetarian. "THEY" say that becoming a vegetarian doesn't give us enough protein. Get the picture? WHO are THEY, and WHY do I let them tell me what is best for ME?

I'm not saying that all of the information that we learn about our bodies and health should be tossed aside, but I AM saying that ultimately, we need to base our health based upon what WE feel and know to be true about US. For example, I don't eat creamy soups. I used to think that it was because I didn't like them (which I don't.) But the REASON that I don't like them is because they make me feel sick every time that I eat them. It has taken me a long time to make this connection. So, I avoid creamy soup... and other things with a lot of cream in them for that matter. I also have friends that don't eat gluten. Why? Because it hurts their stomach when they DO eat it. Their bodies don't react well with it (which has also served as a clue to deeper issues with their bodies as well.) However, in general, we don't need a doctor to tell us that we have a disease or some other life threatening problem to change the way that we eat. We just need to listen to our bodies. I think that it should be US making changes.

MAKE PEACE WITH FOOD

How do we do that? We find peace with food. Accept the fact that there unless the food contains harmful or addictive substances, or makes you feel like poop after eating it, it's probably OK to eat! Yes, this includes chocolate, meat, dairy, grain, and every other FOOD out there.

For years, health professionals have agreed that there shouldn't be any "forbidden" foods. Yet, they continue to tell us about certain foods that are "better" than others. To make peace with your food, you need to accept that ALL FOOD IS CREATED EQUAL! Or, at least, all food should become EMOTIONALLY EQUAL. This means that chocolate should receive the same emotional response within YOU as a peach does. Once you ALLOW these foods to come into your diet, you will find that the urgency to eat them in large quantities will dissipate.

HABITUATION

Research shows that people will tire of eating the same kind of food- it's called HABITUATION. Habituation studies have shown that the MORE a person is exposed to particular food, the less appealing it becomes. Habituation explains why we quickly adapt to a repeated experience- and subsequently experience less pleasure each time. It applies to many situations. The Christmas Morning gift is the perfect example. A lot of children anxiously await Christmas morning to get the ONE gift that they have wanted for months (or weeks....days if its' MY kids.) In any event, they unwrap that wonderful, awe-inspiring gift and squeal with joy at the sight of it! They play with it all day long. This excitement starts to dwindle until one day, that toy is just thrown into the toy box with the other toys from Christmas mornings past. See what I mean? Habituation is the reason that LEFTOVERS are less appealing...especially on days two or three. My mom SWEARS that movie popcorn gets STALE the SECOND she leaves the movie theater. We actually have a bucket of popcorn sitting on the counter that has been there since the New Year.... don't judge me. I just can't bring myself to throw it away...and yet, no one is eating it. It has lost it's appeal. Part of the purpose of having unconditional permission to eat ANYTHING is not so that you will get sick FROM it, or get sick OF it. It's simply to experience habituation, in which the novelty of eating a particular food just...wanes.

I'll admit. When I first tried this concept, I fell victim to the "I finally have this in my grasp, I MUST eat this NOW" state of mind. I ate EVERYTHING that I wanted in the first hour!!! After that, I still had the food in my kitchen. I just left it there. I would have a little more later on in the day. Then, the next day, I would remember that the wonderful "treats" were there and I would get all excited to eat it! Can you believe it?!? I was EXCITED to eat the food! Why? Because I considered it "special." It was a TREAT. Something that was FORBIDDEN! As time passed, and I grew to accept ALL food as being OK to eat, I find that I can buy the same foods, and they actually get OLD! There is ice cream in my freezer that has been there since before Christmas, and it's only HALF gone! There are UNOPENED cookies (Keebler stripes, my favorite) in the pantry. They have been there for days and I STILL haven't opened them. See, I just don't FEEL like eating them. Now that I CAN have them, I really don't WANT them ..... as much as I did anyway.

5 STEPS TO HABITUATION

To really find peace with your food, I suggest doing the following steps. These steps were taken from the "Intuitive Eating" book and will help you avoid the "I can eat whatever I want, as much as I want, whenever I want" trap that I fell into. Trust me... you will feel better about doing it this way. You can learn more about Intuitive Eating HERE.

1. KNOW YOUR WEAKNESSES THAT THEY MAY BECOME YOUR STRENGTHS! Pay attention to the foods that are appealing and make a list of them.
2. Put a check mark next to the foods that you consider "forbidden."
3. Choose ONE food from the list and give yourself "permission" to eat it. Go buy it from the store.
4. Test the food. Does it taste as good as you imagined it does? (The Keebler cookies didn't.) If you really like it, keep it in your house!
5. Make sure that you ALWAYS have some of this food on hand. It's there whenever you want it. I know that this seems scary, but I think that you will find that KNOWING that the food is there and available makes it less desirable.

*It's completely natural to eat a lot of the food at first. It's ok. But my suggestion would be to avoid eating the food all by itself. Eat it with other foods to help curb the appetite.

Once the food isn't a "big deal" anymore, move on to another item on your list.

But CINDY!! I'm addicted to certain foods! If I start, I won't be able to STOP! Well.... I'm not so sure that there IS such a thing. I'll explain more in my NEXT POST.

Until then. Eat, Drink, and be Merry for tomorrow..... wait..... no. Just stop being so hard on yourself ok? EAT what you want. Eat WHEN you want. Just don't eat AS MUCH as you want. ;) And don't forget to ONLY eat when you are hungry. THAT IS THE KEY!!!

TLDR: Find peace with forbidden foods so that you can create habituation and therefore decrease your cravings for these foods.

Wii Fit U Experience

2014-01-15T10:36:00.002-08:00

Last year, our whole Christmas was "Wii" based. It became the first gaming system that our little family owned. The boys got the Wii U, games, remotes, the works! THIS YEAR around Christmas time, Nintendo finally came out with the Wii Fit U. Basically, it's the Wii Fit but...with a U. Ok, so there is a little more than that!

Like the normal Wii Fit, this takes your body calculations (weight, height, etc...) and then it comes back and tells you how out of shape you are. (I am assuming that it does this with EVERYONE since even my 6 year old shows as out of shape.) You get to have a little cartoon character (Wii Mii) that you create to look like the over-weight you as well. So, now, I get to look fat in cartoon form as well! (And the peasants rejoice!)

Once you finish all of this, you have the choice to choose a personal trainer, play some balance games, learn some awesome dance moves, do some yoga or find just about any other exercise that is out there. Staying true to the name, the Wii Fit U really DOES Fit YOU! The information is saved for each user, and it gives suggestions for exercises based upon the info that it receives from the assessment and from your performance in the games.

Since we didn't have the regular Wii, I don't know how all of this compares to the "old" Wii Fit. But, all in all, this is pretty cool. The BEST feature that I KNOW didn't come with the "old" Wii is the nice little pedometer! It is called the "FIT METER." This little buddy counts your steps and measures your movement throughout the day. THEN, when you log into the Wii Fit U, it syncs up with your little fat cartoon and tells you how you "measure up" towards your goals. Check out Nintendo's WEBSITE to see all of the cool features.

I tell you this because although I have had the Wii Fit U game and meter for about a month, today, yes, TODAY, was the FIRST time that I have REALLY used it. Even then, it was my second choice because I was not able to use Maj. P.I.M.A today. (Maj. P.I.M.A is my awesome treadmill. Aptly named because it is a Major Pain In My A**......literally.) See, I went to USE Maj. P.I.M.A and realized that hubby brought the key HOME with him and now, it is in a "safe place." ANYWHO..... what did I think of the Wii Fit U? Well, it was actually pretty fun. Minion #2 and I played for quite some time! I broke a sweat. I pushed him off of the balance board proclaiming "It's MY TURN!" And, according to the fit meter, I burned just under 100 calories!

You all know that I don't really CARE how many calories I take in or out, but it's nice to know that it was doing SOMETHING. The key point is that I FELT like I was getting some great activity in! We only used it for 30 minutes (it took 30 minutes to figure it out... don't judge) So, after my hour of exercise time was over, I was happy with the results.

This is one of the dancing games.... I rocked it! "Center Stage Dancer!"
Yup, That's me!

I'm not sure that I would do this EVERY day, but maybe for about 10-15 minutes as a cool down from Maj. PIMA would be pretty good. The dancing is fun, the snowball fight is a blast, and the mulit-player games are super! And, as a HUGE fan of the PLANK, I actually liked doing it on the balance board with the game better than just normally! See, there is this little dot that shows you where your center of gravity is and how shaky you are. It really helped me to see how much control I really had! That was fun!

So, today's activity time was a success! If you have a Wii U, or even just a Wii, give this game a shot! If you already have a balance board and have just purchased the Wii U system, you can buy the game plus the meter for $49.99 from the website. $89.99 to purchase the balance board with it! I don't think that you will be disappointed.

TLDR: Wii Fit U Review

Know When to Stop

2014-01-13T09:34:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to eat lunch with my parents and siblings. One of the topics that was brought up was how to tell a good joke. My brother's comment was to MAKE a joke about HOW to tell a joke. It went along the lines of "What is the most important part of telling a joke, timing.....crap." (This joke is obviously better when told aloud." SO, ANYWAAAAYY, my comment was that I think that people need to know WHEN TO STOP. Too often, people tell a joke, others laugh, and THAT encourages the joke teller to continue on. Well, the next joke might be funny too, so people laugh. But after that.... not so funny.

On the way home, I started thinking about how true that statement is to life, in general. KNOW WHEN TO STOP. Not only should people know when to stop telling a joke, but it helps to know when to stop when you are:

Teasing
Tickling
Arguing
Exercising
Explaining
and, of course, EATING.

THR's Current Struggle

Knowing when to stop eating has become my arch nemesis. One would think that the answer would be easy. "Stop eating when you are satisfied." This is easier said than done! I LOVE FOOD. I love everything about it. I love the way it tastes, looks, smells...everything. So, very often, when I am "satisfied," physically, I am NOT satisfied in other ways. Sometimes, I just want to keep eating the food just to EXPERIENCE the food!! The problem with this is it 100% of the time leads to OVER EATING. So, my job today is to figure out HOW to KNOW WHEN TO STOP..... and still be completely satisfied.

Listen to the Physical Signals

In a previous blog, I have written about the physical signs of eating. Some of the tips included are to eat slowly, take time to TASTE the food, and to frequently check the hunger scale.

A way to test this would be to pay attention to how your stomach feels when you are hungry and then to how it feels after drinking a full glass of water. The empty sensation should fade slightly within a couple minutes of drinking the water, making your body feel less hungry. Using water to test this instead of food helps you pay more attention to your body instead of tasting the food.

When you eat, focus on how your stomach feels through the entire meal. As you become full, the empty feeling will be replaced with a gentle pressure. As soon as you feel the pressure in your stomach, stop eating. You should still feel light and energetic with this gentle pressure; if the fullness is uncomfortable, you overate.

Now, I am a CHAMP at noticing when I am around a "7" on this scale. I am NOT a champ at STOPPING at that time. So, I know WHEN to stop. I just have to ACTUALLY do it!

Fulfill the Emotional Satisfaction

One way that I thought might help me ACTUALLY stop eating, is to give it some time. 20 minutes to be exact. Once I hit the "7"mark, I can sit and enjoy the conversation, or perhaps, I can get up (away from the food) and start dishes or something. The food will still be there in 20 minutes if I am really still hungry.

See, according to healthyeating.com, Your stomach can hold up to 4 liters of volume -- about 17 cups -- but the feeling of satiety is not caused by your stomach being full. Instead, feeling full is a result of your brain reacting to chemicals released when you put food or drink in your stomach. Your brain takes around 20 minutes to register these chemicals. After your meal, the levels continue to rise over 10 to 30 minutes. They stay elevated for three to five hours following the meal, keeping you sated. As the chemical levels fall, the feeling of hunger returns. If you do not feel full directly following a meal, wait. As the level of chemicals increases, your hunger will dissipate.

So, even if you can't wait for 20 minutes. Just sitting at your plate for a little bit to "let the food settle" will help.

Don't Wait Until You are Ravenous to Eat Something

GUILTY AS CHARGED, SIR!!! Look, I'm not going to give you all some big sob story about how busy I am. We are ALL busy. We all get doing that "one last thing" and the next thing we know, we are eating because we HAVE to before we pass out! This happens to me a lot. And, by "a lot," I mean pretty much at every meal. DON'T JUDGE! Yes, I KNOW that I need to be more in tune with my body and HONOR the HUNGER SIGNALS! I wrote a whole post about HOW to do this! Just like we use the hunger scale to tell us when to stop, we need to use it to tell us WHEN to START! And, there was a time... before moving... that I was really good at it. Now is NOT that time. But, I know how to do this, and so do YOU! It's time to not let that "one last thing" get in the way of ME and MY NEEDS! Be selfish for a little bit. It's ok.

Save Some For Later

Imagine that I had two $5 bills on the table (because the average meal of going out to eat is $10). You come and sit there and I tell you that you can have BOTH of them. BUT, for your own good, you can only have ONE $5 bill NOW. The other you can have the next day, or maybe two days later. Would you have an issue? No, probably not. So, WHY do we seem to have an issue saving some of our food for later?

I know MY answer is that the sequel is never as good as the first meal. There is a lot of food that just doesn't taste the same the second time around. So, to say "I will take this home and eat it later" is not completely realistic for me. I'm too picky. I realize that some foods DO re-heat OK. Chicken Noodle Soup, for example, re-heats wonderfully. So, in those cases, I'll go ahead and put the remaining food away, and enjoy it later. No skin off my nose. No money lost. No excess food in the body causing health problems and weight gain. Happy ending.

But, what about the times when you have the food that really WON'T reheat well?

YOU ARE NOT A GARBAGE CAN! You don't have to finish it. If it's wasting money that you are worried about, get over it. Let's use the example of the 2 $5 bills again. THIS time, I tell you that you can either HAVE the other $5 bill, but it will cause health problems and weight gain, and you won't feel very good if you have it. OR, you can just throw it away and not worry about it. What would you do? I would throw away the $5 like a moldy onion and get it as far away from ME as I could.

Actually, I would learn from my mistake and see if someone ELSE wanted to SHARE the two bills with me. I have come to accept that in the rare cases that we are eating out and a place that we will NEVER get to eat at again (like on vacation or something,) hubby and I will often SHARE a meal. This way, we don't over eat, and we don't waste money. Plus, we can always order more food if the first round didn't satisfy us. This plan isn't fool proof though because more often than not, we both want different things. But, it is a better solution than throwing away "money" because you don't want to turn into a garbage can.

Ultimately, we eat to give our bodies the nutrients that they need to stay alive....for a long time. I know that the taste, look, smell, etc. shouldn't really matter. My nephew will literally pour some oats in his mouth, wash it down with water and swallow a raw egg just to get his "fuel." Nope, not me. Can't do it. So, the next best thing is to follow the advice of Michael Pollen:

Eat food. (Real food.) Not Too Much. (Know when to stop.) Mostly Plants. (Yup, go for the healthy stuff.)

I have a great nutrition plan HERE for those that want to look at it. This is how I try to eat on most days.

After moving and not being focused on myself, I think that THIS is a great way to get back in the game. Knowing when to stop will help me feel better after eating and will help my body get rid of the excess fat that it doesn't need, instead of storing it up. I am re-learning WHEN to START, and when to STOP! Too much of a good thing is never fun. I'm confident that being aware of this trait will help me in more areas of my life other than eating. Perhaps I will stop arguing before something hurtful is said. Maybe I will stop explaining something before my kids roll their eyes. And, who knows, maybe my joke telling might get better along the way.

TLDR: Follow these tips to know when you have satisfied your hunger.

Cleaning Up the Holiday Mess...

2014-01-01T08:47:00.001-08:00

When I was little, I would go to my grand-ma's house every New Years Eve. There would always be A TON of food and we would play "Bunco" into the New Year. Kids would run around the house, grown-ups were laughing, and the "bunco bell" was hit about every 10 minutes or so.... then the pandemonium would start as everyone took a seat in a different chair and the whole thing would start over again.

I remember one particular New Years Eve where I stuffed myself silly with the yummy foods of the evening. I ran around with the other kids. I laughed, I played. At 12:30am, I went to bed with the excitement of sleeping over at grand-ma's house and bringing in the new year. At approximately 12:50 am, my stomach started to rumble. 1:30.....oh no.......my little body rejected the junk that I had eaten all night and I spent an hour or so hugging the toilet bowl while the foul beasts and demons were exorcised from my body.

Last night was a similar night for me.

For the past 3 weeks, I have packed up (and color coded the boxes) the house, Christmas shopped, organized voice students, found a new renter for the house, planned a Christmas party for 40 women, talked in church, packed up a moving truck (in 72 degree weather), drove two days to another state, unpacked the moving truck (in 23 degree weather) into THREE separate locations, unpacked boxes at my parents house, finished Christmas shopping, cleaned my parents' house to prepare for Christmas Eve, emailed schools, saw two movies, and finally, brought in the New Year. THIS means that I ate junk! I didn't eat it in huge portions. I didn't stuff myself silly with Christmas fudge. BUT, the food that I ate was NOT quality. We ate out for almost EVERY MEAL!

Although, my pants are a little tighter, I still fit in them. (Hubby isn't so lucky...) But the BIG difference that I notice is that I am irritable, tired, retaining water, and now, sick to my stomach. THIS, my imaginary friends, is living PROOF that WHAT you put INTO your body DOES matter!!

***Pause for dramatic effect***

According to eonline.com (a totally credible news source,) the TOP 5 New Years Resolutions for 2014 are:

Lose Weight
Meet New People
Keep a Journal
Stop Swearing
Learn Something New Every Day

Once again, LOSE WEIGHT is at the top of the list. That is NOT my New Years Resolution. I am already on that journey. In the past 8 months, I have had ups and downs. I am STILL two dress sizes down. Do I wish that it were more? Well, OF COURSE, but I am just grateful that I have been able to maintain it through the past 3 months of crazy "let's move to another state" deal!

Nope, my New Years Resolutions are more fulfilling.

1. Fuel My Body- I have spent the last 6 months or so focusing on being in tune with my hunger signals and knowing when to STOP eating. I didn't pay much attention to WHAT I was eating, although I tried to keep it on the whole foods side. After last nights experience, I think it's time to focus more on WHAT I am eating. Good form, don't you think?

2. Slow Down- I am a happier person when I have time to experience things in life! I think that when people spend their time going from one appointment to another, they miss their own life. Nope, not me. I am going to spend more time quality time with the family (now that I live close to, or with, them again.) I will leave time for the more important things in my life such as church, family, etc. Now, this is easy to say and I hope that it will be easier to DO, given the fact that right now, I just moved here and I don't have a lot of commitments. I just need to KEEP it that way.

3. Never Say "YOLO" Out Loud. I have never said this word. I think it's a ridiculous word. So, this goal should be easy to keep. I'm convinced that people actually lose brain cells when they say this. SO, for the good of my brain, I shall refrain. (That's catchy!)

What about YOU? What are YOUR resolutions? Who knows, maybe I'll steal a few from you awesome people!

Welcome 2014! I'm waiting with open arms!......Don't sucker punch me.

Something's Gotta Give

2013-12-05T10:39:00.001-08:00

I am in a tug-of-war. It's me against...well, me. As I try to focus on eating when I am hungry, and stopping when I am full, eating good foods that are full of good things, and making sure that I get sleep, I realize that my life is a constant tug-of war.

I find myself constantly worrying about eating. Not over eating, mind you, but actually just REMEMBERING to eat. I am in the state of "I'm hungry, but I don't have time (or food) to eat." So, I put it off. THEN, I get the "My stomach sings louder than some of my voice students" stage. This is the point of no return. I know that I am now in a ravenous state. I want food, and I want it NOW. I don't want to wait until it has thawed out (because I continually forget to thaw out meat,) I don't want to go to the store for produce (no, I don't have any on hand because I am too busy to use it!! Sheesh!) and I DON'T want to take the time to MAKE anything! So, pizza, fast food, and call ahead pick up is my new best friend.

This is a horrible place to be. I know. I just can't help it! I have put myself on the back burner. And, you know what? I HATE IT! There is nothing worse than KNOWING what is right and PURPOSEFULLY doing the opposite. I KNOW that I should listen when my body says it's hungry. I know that I need to have healthy snacks available for this EXACT purpose. I know that good food brings more energy, and yet, the thought of having to cut up some carrots or celery, make my whole wheat bread, or even dirty a bowl with cottage cheese makes me what to CRY. The ugly cry.

My house has an "Elf on the Shelf." No tree, no stockings, nothing. No Christmas feeling. No Christmas treats- thank the heavens above! I walk around in yoga pants (that I don't do yoga in...) a T-shirt, and an oversized (thanks to the two sizes lost) sweater. And, as you know, I have been MIA from THR for about a month.

My 8 month mark is at the end of this month. I know that measurements have to come. I also know that I'm probably not going to get the results that I have been looking for. Why? Because I'm NOT eating the right WAY. Forget about the right food right now, I can't even eat crappy food correctly!

One might think "Cindy! How can this be?? You are so inspiring and amazing to the multitudes of readers that you have. How can you be so LAZY!?! How can you be in such a rut??" Well, sweet bunnies, I'm actually not in a rut. I am just as motivated as I always have been to continue on this journey. But, I also know that this is a JOURNEY, and I have come across an enemy that I am unfamiliar with. NOT being able to prioritize!!

For the first time in my life, I am looking AT my life, and I can't decide when to get things done. My brain is short circuiting! I. can't. function! This is so strange to me. I have always been able to PLAN out EXACTLY how everything is going to work. But I can't right now. It's NOT that I am lazy....it's the opposite. I'm a bit of an over achiever and I'm in a little over my head. At this time, I am currently:

* Packing the house to move out of state. Yes, the boxes are color coded because we have different items going to different places.

*Christmas shopping. I'm not a total Grinch and the boys need SOMETHING on Christmas morning. Luckily for me, that magical morning will NOT be under a tree that I had to put up and decorate.

*Planning a Christmas Party for a LARGE group of women

*Practicing O Holy Night to sing at ANOTHER Christmas Party

*Teaching Voice Lessons

*Doing online School with the boys

*Helping the landlord get quotes for new carpet and paint

*Preparing a talk that I have been asked to present this Sunday in church

*Planning the move (getting a truck, storage unit, cleaners, etc.)

*Selling items to lighten the load

and let's not forget....

*JUST BEING A MOM- (cooking, cleaning, hugging, reading, laundry, and the never ending list of chores that comes with that job.)

So, I've got a lot on my plate. As I sit here in my sweater and yoga pants (that I wore yesterday,) holding my head in my hands, I can't help that think that I should be doing SOMETHING else... but what??? Grocery shopping??? Ugh, that requires too much time and that is just MORE food to worry about having to go through. But, it probably should be done. Perhaps I should pack another box, or make phone calls for the party, or call the students that need to reschedule lessons, or research audition songs for those students, or practice MY song, or research painters, or carpet people, or maybe I need to SLEEP, or I KNOW, I need to pay bills! YES, bills need to be paid. Wait, do I wait until we are moved and then just pay the final bill? No...yes...no... crap.

So, eating is NOT at the top of my "to do" list. Yet, it really should be near the top because food is important. Eating is important. That requires food though. I suppose that I should break down and get some food.

These are where my thoughts have been for the past month. Now you know. I'm still here. I still care.

T.H.R.

A Letter To My Children- How a LIVING a HEALTHY Life Will Make You a Better Person

2013-11-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Baby Corbyn

My 1 year old nephew, Corbyn, passed away two weeks ago. We traveled up to Utah for the funeral and to be with family. I was inspired by how many lives this little boy had touched. It was so inspiring to hear people talk about this sweet spirit. As events like this usually do, this all made me reflect on my own life, and the life of my boys. Do they know how much I love them? What am I doing to SHOW them this love? One of the many things that came to me was that I am doing my best to live a healthier life so that I can be with my kids on this earth for LONGER than I would have been had I continued on the road that I was on.

Corby and his mommy, Krystle

Both of Corbyn's parents are quite active. Facebook shows loads of photos of half marathons, triathlons, and various activities that they shared together. Just last Saturday, three days before the funeral of their son, both of his parents ran in a half marathon (something they had signed up for months earlier,) in Corbyn's name. Being active is a part of their life, a part of their family. It is inspiring.

This year, after all the events that October brought, I pondered my thoughts and feelings for my boys (their birthdays are 3 weeks apart.) I found myself wanting to talk a lot more to them about HEALTH and LIFE. Although their letters aren't quite finished, and I DID say "my two bits," I thought that this would be a good place to share those thoughts. So, on a perhaps more...tender... note, I am taking the time to share what "we" have learned over the past 5 months... well about healthy living, that is. And, surprisingly, these same thoughts can be applied to most anything in life.

Every year since they were born, I write a letter to my sons. It started out as a way to purge my fears of parenting, desires and dreams for them, and an open "pre-apology" for the many, MANY mistakes that I will make as a parent. Every year since, I have taken the time to write down little stories about that year, insert pictures, tell them my favorite things about them, and again, apologize for the mistakes. I take the time to tell them that even though they have told me that I am "the WORST mom- EVER." I take that as proof that I MUST be doing SOMETHING right. So, here we go. What I want my kids to know.

Minion 1 and Minion 2. I know he looks drunk. Just go with it.

TO MY CHILDREN:

1. Enough is Enough!! I mean it!! Don't use outside forces to tell you when you are finished with your food. You're body will tell you when you are hungry and when you are full. Although I don't care if you finish everything on your plate, please try to save it for another time (and actually eat it.) I would LOVE it if you became the king of leftovers! Just... know when to stop, or not even start at all because you aren't hungry. Listen to your body. If it won't help you, it will hurt you.

The same applies to real life. Know when to stop.... or to not even start. You have a little voice inside of you that tells you when you should and shouldn't do something. LISTEN TO IT! Listen when it tells you to walk away from friends, or when you feel like someone has been teased just a little too much. It's O.K. to argue a point. In fact, I prefer that you stand for what you believe in. But listen to that voice when it tells you that your point was made or that it's not the right time to argue. People would be a lot happier if they stopped talking instead of kept arguing. Again, if it won't help you, it will hurt you.

2. Failure is Not An Option Because It Doesn't Exist. I don't want you to go through life worrying about your weight or your body build or whatever diet you need to "be on." If you diet, you will fail. Therefore, my advice to you is to NOT diet! Eat what you want to eat. Eat food that brings you to life! Stop eating when you are full. There is no failure at this! You will have ups, you will have downs, and it's ok. It's life. But as long as you are doing what is good for you, you CANNOT fail!

I would be lying if I said that I didn't have dreams for you. You are my children. I believe that you are the most amazing thing that ever walked this earth! But, if I told you what I thought was the best thing for your life, I would not be any different than those that tell us what "diet" is best for us! (We all know how well the world does with that!) Now, having said that, it is my JOB, my CALLING, to teach you what I KNOW to be true and good. And, if I had my way, I would FORCE you to do EXACTLY what I tell you to do because, well, like I said, I KNOW it to be good and true. BUT, I know that life doesn't work that way. You will eat lots of sugar, and you will get sick. You will make bad decisions and you will suffer the consequences from those decisions. All that I ask is that you take the time to LEARN from your decisions: the good and the bad. Then, and only then, will failure not exist.

3. Learn between WANTS and NEEDS. Look, I like a good dessert just as much as the next "eating chocolate in the closet" mother, but I also understand that it is a WANT..... ok, sometimes it's a NEED. You will understand that when you are older. When it comes to health, our bodies NEED certain things to help us sustain our lives. A man named Maslow came up with a whole entire hierarchy of these needs. We need air, water, food, shelter, something to believe in. But what he fails to mention is that we also NEED a certain TYPE of these things. The air we breathe needs to be clean. The shelter needs to protect us. And, the food needs to give our bodies nutrients. So, as long as you are fulfilling those needs, I don't care if you throw in a few wants. In fact, I encourage it. Nothing is better than enjoying your favorite treat after a long day! EXPERIENCE that, don't just CONSUME it!

Fulfilling your needs before your wants is a great way to live your life. If you live life based upon your wants, you will not be happy. I know that sounds funny, but our desires often leave us feeling empty. Please, don't try to fulfill your life with THINGS. Family, friends, hobbies, things that make you smile. THAT is what life is about. Fill it with GOOD, with SUNSHINE, with CHARITY. You will find that at the base of all of your "wants" what you really want are these things. You don't want the big house, you want a house big enough to hold your family. You don't want a ton of money, you want enough money for your needs and then a little to create experiences. You really don't want the fast sports car (that will probably bring heart ache through speeding tickets and possibly a spinning death- just sayin) but you want a vehicle that will take you where you will experience life! You will be happy when your needs are fulfilled in the best way possible.

4. The Purpose of Temptations. I wish that I could say that it is going to be an easy ride. But the fact is that eating healthy really doesn't include doughnuts. But LIVING healthy DOES! That doesn't mean that you should give in to the temptation to eat two, three, or more of those yummy, fried, sugar filled dreams. You WILL be tempted to "bite off more than you can chew." That is NEVER a good thing.

Throughout your life, you will be tempted to make wrong decisions. As much as I want to control every single move that you make, I know that I need to trust that I have taught you well. As you grow, you will learn right from wrong. It's easy to say "YES." It's hard to say "no." It's even HARDER to say no when you know that it's something that you should ALWAYS say no to. Things like, drugs, smoking, pre-marital sex (yes, I DO believe that you should wait until you are married,) and other things of this sort will be hard to say NO to. It's funny, for me, food temptations are very often just as strong as the temptation to do things that I know I shouldn't be doing. I cannot stress to you the importance of controlling your physical appetites and desires. You will be a better person and a healthier person for doing so.

5. The Real Deal. REAL is SO much better than "fake" for SO MANY things! From food, to faces, to diamonds, fake is NOT good. We need to be so careful about what we put in our bodies. Processed foods have so many bad things in them that can do harm to our bodies. We try to keep our diet focused on whole foods. I can't explain to you how much better you will feel if keep your body fueled with REAL food. You can always tell if it's real by how it feels!

When it comes to other things in life, this concept is no different. Real is better in so many ways. I want to take the time to tell you about REAL love. I mean, love that you would literally DIE for. This love comes in different forms. You will first feel love from your parents. We love you so much it literally hurts sometimes. You might not think it, but EVERYTHING that we do is so that YOU can have a better life. Right now, you feel warm, cuddly feelings when we hug and kiss you, read you a story, or tuck you in at night. This is just the first step of love. It's real.

The next time you will feel real love is when you meet and know your spouse. This love will be intense. It will literally draw you closer to this person until it hurts to be without them. Your heart will feel like it has wings and you will ache for their touch. You will smile constantly and, even though you will have only known them for a short time, you will walk the world over to get a single blade of grass that they wanted.

After this, you will experience the love of BEING a parent. This love is different. No one told me that when I held you in my arms for the first time that I would feel a love so intense that I wouldn't understand it. Until that point, I had only only felt wonderful, tingly, feelings. Now, I felt a love so strong that it made me cry... a lot. I wanted so much to guide you and direct your every thought and move from the time you were born until you left this earth just to make sure that we would be together again as an eternal family. The thought that I was going to have to let you make your own decisions only scared and frustrated me! This love was so real that the only thing that would completely satisfy it would be to make it un-breakable, to seal it forever. Yup, I KNEW that I NEEDED you forever. YOU are a part of me.

Now, I know that I sound like an overbearing, crazy, psycho mom. But, I said that I only FELT this way. Just be glad that I haven't ACTUALLY acted upon those feelings! I know that I can't protect you from everything. Ultimately, you are not just my child, but a Child of God. When your time comes to go home, I want HIM to be proud of the way that I took care of you. I KNOW that He is proud of Corbyn's parents. He is proud of the way they love him and cared for him. They were such great examples of living life to it's fullest! That is what I want for myself as a parent, and for you as my child. I saw REAL love this past week as we celebrated baby Corbyn's 411 days on this earth. I saw the importance of family, love, and strength.

Ok, now I know that I went off on that a little bit. I promise you that you will know REAL when it happens, and believe me when I say that it's the REAL things in life that make life worth living.

These 5 principles will make you a healthier person, both inside and out. The same principles that we use to take care of our bodies also can take care of our lives!

I'm sure that I missed so many principles and ideas. Anyone reading this is more than welcome to add their words of advice as well....it takes a village.... ;)