Why yes, you can get there from here!!

Life can be hard. It’s hectic. Always fast-paced. Rarely is there any time to slow down and simple “be”. If you’re a single working mom, it’s impossible. I have the utmost respect for those women…the ones who really do it all. All people need time to simply “be” – even single moms. So how does a single working mother find the opportunity to just “be.” Some single moms have help from grandparents, biological fathers, and friends; but for others there is none. Here’s some information that can help. If your children are old enough delegate to them some duties that are age appropriate. Even smaller children can put dishes away or vacuum the carpets. It’s important that while you have delegated some duties to your children that, at the same time, you are working as well. Your children need to see their home running as a finely oiled machine. Delegate to each child a duty that must completed and explain to all of them what they are to do and let them know what YOU will be doing. Set a timer for 15 to 30 minutes (depending on the age of your children) and explain to them that by each of you working for the duration of time your efforts are multiplied and what would take mom all evening to do can be done in only 20 minutes. When the timer goes off you’re DONE. Spend at least 30 to 45 minutes focusing SOLELYon your children, perhaps a board game or card game you could even bake some cookies or brownies (the healthy option option of course :)). After you have worked AND played, explain to your children that you need some mommy time. Set a timer for the same amount of time that you set aside for cleaning and let your children know that this is your quiet time and all people need this time in their lives everyday to be the best they can be. Ask your children to play quietly in their rooms or together and explain that until the timer goes off, you get quiet mommy time unless someone is bleeding, something is broken, or somebody needs to go tithe hospital. It will probably take a few times of putting this into action for the children to accept it, but I promise it will happen. Just be consistent and do it the same way each time. Your children need to know that even mommies need a time out. Use your quiet time WISELY. It’s not set aside for cleaning or laundry it’s for YOU!! Use it to journal, meditate, or just simply “be”. You will be a better mom for it.

You Charge a Fee?????

Somebody said to me, “you have so much healthy helpful information, and you genuinely care about people’s health, so why is there a fee to work with you? Why would you not just want to teach them health and wellness?” Well, the truth is I do. Health and wellness for everyone is my passion! So much so that I’ve paid an expensive tuition to go the World’s largest nutrition school to become educated in more than 100 dietary theories and the role that primary foods play in relation to secondary foods. What I have learned through trial and error is that the people who REALLY want to make changes, who REALLY want healthy relationships, and who will REALLY follow recommendations are those who are willing to INVEST in a program like this. I give tons of free advice and never think twice about doing so; but to work so closely with an individual on the basis of their needs and goals requires an enormous amount of time and dedication. As a professional, if I’m going to invest that much time, energy, and resources I have to know that the person I’m coaching is investing in themselves, as well. It’s a karmatic flow of money so to speak. Different individuals require different needs and services and I want to give each of my clients the program time they deserve and in doing that, I can’t commit to individuals who won’t commit to themselves. I’ve already seen this in my practice. I’m glad I learned it so quickly. If you are willing to commit to me, I PROMISE you that it will change your life.

Service After the Sale

I had an opportunity to visit with a client who has been a recipient of a lap band for weight loss. In talking with her, I was surprised to learn about the lack of support that received since going under the knife. It would seem to me that after care services would come highly recommended due to the fact that many people with eating disorders don’t have eating disorders at all….they have lifestyle disorders. Now she is not the first person that I have come across who had this type of experience. I worked with a gentleman who also had weight loss surgery. He did lose about 100 pounds but what I noticed is that he sat at his desk for 8 hours a day and all I ever heard from behind my desk was “crunch crunch crunch.” He ate all day long and his choices certainly were not of the healthy variety. I had wrongly assumed that he was a special case. It seems as if there is a real need for Health Coaches to assist weight loss surgery patients in their after care therapy.

I must say that’s I am particularly excited to work with my new client. I expect that she will teach me as much as I will teach her.

From Healthcare to “Self-Care”

Frustration. Rushed. Ignored. Intimidated. These are just a few of the answers I get when talking to clients about their relationships with their physicians. It’s not that doctors are unwilling to connect with their patients on a deeper level, it’s that time is money and there isn’t enough time. By the time your physician pays for the costs of running their practice, there’s not much left over. The Healthcare system is clogged just like a drain in your kitchen sink. The treatment cannot get to where it’s needed because there’s so much gunk in the way. It’s time to change that.

So what can we as patients do to help this system run a little bit better? Well first of all, we can start taking better care of ourselves. We have a responsibility to properly care for this one body we have. There are no second chances. Preventable illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are just a drop In the bucket of reversible disease. So what do we do to prevent or reverse these conditions? Take responsibility for our personal health and the health of those we love. Real nutrition and lifestyle changes are the cure for preventable disease. It’s not complicated. It’s rather simple really. Eat REAL food. Food that comes through your car window is not real food. It does nothing to give your body the nourishment that it requires. Something that you can just pop in the microwave and eat is not real food. Reduce your sugar consumption. The average American consumes more that 150 pounds of sugar each year. Plan meals ahead of time including vegetables and leafy greens. PRACTICE cooking. Try some healthy recipes.

Get off the couch. Take the stairs. Move your body. With every passing second, you’re getting closer to the end of your life. Remove negative people from your circle and foster healthy relationships that feed your soul. Find work that you love or find a way to love the work that you do. Slow down. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Enjoy doing nothing. Even five minutes of quiet time for reflection can change the course of your entire day. Many “medical” conditions are actually “lifestyle” conditions. We need to help our physicians help their patients by removing our gunk so they can better focus on treating the patients that are truly ill. Our health and wellness is not the responsibility of our physicians. That responsibility falls on each of us individually. Your physicians and your future self will thank you for it.

Nutrition and healthy relationships??

Healthy relationships……well they’ve never been the strongest part of my life. As a matter of fact most of the relationships in my life have been a train wreck. I was an only child growing up in a home of alcoholics and had zero relationship with my parents. The sins of my mother fell heavily on my shoulders at a very young age and I was ostracized from aunts, uncles, and cousins. To this day, I know not the sins I carried. With the passing of my mother in December and very few blood relatives remaining, it’s unlikely that I will ever be brought into the light in that area. There are some things that you simply must learn to accept and push past them…..most days, that’s where I am. I have had a rotting pile of broken relationships that I’ve carried with me throughout my 40 years. They have held me back and weighted me down. My first healthy relationship came with the birth of my son in 1993. I had sworn an oath to myself that I would not be the cause of my children’s dysfunction….it would have been easier had I chosen a proper father for 2 of my 3 children. It wasn’t until many years later that I realized that “nutrition” encompasses everything that feeds you including relationships and careers, as well as spirituality. My nutrition in these areas was nothing but junk. It took some time and some “way down deep” soul searching – you know, the searching that makes you fearful of what you’ll find – but I found a place in me that was whole and unscarred from my life. This tiny speck of innocence was tightly wrapped and guarded with my very life. I fed this small glimmer of life with positivity and purpose, using caution to keep the negativity of the remainder of my being from poisoning this one good thing I could find in myself. I fed this lone flower everything good I could find for it, and it became stronger and began to grow roots as it spread like perfectly cared for Impatients In the sun. I learned that it doesn’t matter how small the positive, if you feed it the right things, it will take over your life. The same holds true for the darkness in your life. The more light you keep out, the darker you become. We do not exist to live in darkness. We exist to live the abundance of light.

Getting to know ME

I could give you a glossy picture perfect bio of myself complete with education, work experience, and awards……but that wouldn’t actually tell you anything about who I am. I could divulge my strengths and my weaknesses or give myself a big ‘ol pat on the back for getting where I am. Getting here has not been easy and it certainly hasn’t been fun. I have spent the biggest part of life feeling powerless and unequipped to play any significant role in society. Many of these circumstances will be discussed in greater detail as you continue getting to know me. I have spent my 40 years knowing my passion but not knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up. I have always known that I have a spiritually driven ability to connect with people on a very deep, personal, and intimate level. I’m often called a “sponge” due to my ability to soak up information…..even information that may be confusing to some. I take that information, break it down, and relay it in a more understandable and personal dialogue. I’m service oriented and heart-minded and want nothing more than to see the people I touch find success in all areas of their lives. I’ve struggled. I’ve failed. I have climbed the mountain only to find that I still haven’t made it to the top. I have learned…..I have learned how to cope with life and live it to the fullest. I have learned to find joy in small everyday things. I have learned gratitude. I have learned thoughtfulness. I have learned how to live my best life ever. I have been told that – because of situational stressors during the course of my life – I could have easily chosen a destructive path for which nobody could blame me. I rose above that, and I’m here to tell you that you can also. Magic can happen in your life, you just have to learn how to let it be. I will be teaching you how to “be” in spite of life…in spite of your past…in spite of hurt and betrayal and loss. It’s a journey. I know the path and will walk it with you. Prepare for changes……they WILL happen….I promise.