Confessions of a personal trainer

So…. Some days I love what I do….but not everyday. Not only do I do nutrition counseling and one-one-training, but I also teach a group fitness class 4 days a week. I’ve had several out sick so we haven’t had a group class in over a week (we’ll be back on schedule next week). So…I haven’t worked out since then. I know. I know. That’s pretty bad huh? I’ve just kinda felt like my body needed a recovery period. Our group class is INTENSE and it’s 4 days a week. Do I feel guilty? Maybe a little. I’m more concerned about how hard it’s going to be to get back in the groove next week. I’ve still maintained my healthy eating habits so it’s not like I’m going to gain any weight from not working out, but still. Sometimes I feel like I’m not setting a good example. It’s sometimes hard to be a leader in the field I’m in. Some days I just don’t want to. It’s not like those days are frequent but I still have them. Maybe that’s part of normalcy. I’d like some feedback about your struggles. Are you able to go and do every time you’re supposed to, or do you sometimes need a break?

Chlorella..the super supplement you may not know about

Chlorella is one of the most widely studied food supplements in the world. Aside from being the subject of medical research in the USA, USSR, Germany, Japan, France, England and Israel, chlorella has been extensively studied as a food source since it is made up of a whopping 50 percent protein and is considered a complete amino acid-based food.
Even NASA has studied using chlorella as the one of first whole foods in space on the international space station!
Studies in Japan have shown chlorella may help reduce body fat percentage and may be useful in fighting obesity and weight related diabetes. It may also help reduce both cholesterol and hypertension. Chlorella’s cleansing action on your bowel and other elimination channels, as well as its protection of your liver, also helps promote clean blood. And clean blood helps assure metabolic waste get efficiently carried away from your tissues.
Chlorella is such a powerful detoxifier because it is rich in chlorophyll, which is known to:
Aid you in processing more oxygen
Cleanse key elimination systems like your bowel, liver, and blood
Help purify your blood and clean away toxins
Aid you in promoting optimal blood pressure
Support elimination of molds in your body
Help neutralize bad air you might breathe in
Promote growth and repair of your tissues
Chlorella is actually very useful even beyond detoxification, and its range of health benefits includes:
Boosting your immune system
Improving your digestion, especially if constipation is a problem
Providing B vitamins from an animal source
Enhancing your ability to focus and concentrate
Increasing your energy levels
Balancing your body’s pH
Normalizing your blood sugar and blood pressure
Reducing your cancer risk
Freshening your breath
A three-year double-blind metal detoxification study with over 350 people participating was undertaken at a Russian metal foundry, where more than 20 natural compounds were used in trials to remove heavy metals from people who had been exposed at very high levels to four main metals — antimony, lead, cadmium and arsenic.
What were the results of testing chlorella as a heavy metal detoxification agent? The Russian trial using Broken Cell Wall chlorella combined with cilantro eliminated ALL heavy metals, including mercury! With no reported side-effects! In fact, the heavy metal binding power of chlorella was first discovered in the mining industry. Mixed with water, they pumped chlorella into mine shafts to collect the residual metals after bulk mining was completed.
Not All Chlorella is Created Equal

Unlike many food supplements, chlorella has one unique feature that makes the manufacturing process one of the primary concerns when considering a source of supplementation. Chlorella is completely indigestible by humans. We simply do not have the enzymes to break down its cell wall.
Unlike other green foods, chewing and digesting chlorella will not release the powerful health benefits contained within this green algae. This is because chlorella’s tough outer cell wall, which is also chemically responsible for binding with the toxins inside your body, cannot be broken down by your biology,
Therefore, it is imperative that the manufacturing process break down the tough outer cell wall for you, as this is the only way to make the chlorella biologically available to remove toxins from your body.
This is why I only recommend supplementing with Broken Cell Wall chlorella, because this is the only form that allows your body to use this powerful detoxification agent. Another concern when choosing your chlorella is to be sure that the source waters where it is grown and harvested are free of any contamination. Since chlorella is a natural green food, it will be affected by polluted water and will retain environmental toxins if it’s grown in contaminated waters. So be certain any chlorella you supplement with comes from a naturally clean water source.
One other aspect of chlorella you need to be aware of is some people tolerate it better than others.
You should always start any detox with chlorella gradually, taking just a small amount at first to see how your body tolerates this powerful detoxification tool. Some people also report benefits from beginning a detoxification by first eating small amounts of cilantro for a few days. Cilantro also promotes a detoxification response in your body, but at a less intense level — which may help your body ease into a smoother detoxification response from chlorella.
The best results of using broken cell wall chlorella for detoxification have also been documented as coming from mixing chlorella with the green plant cilantro, so this might be another consideration for you when undertaking your detoxification program. I recommend finding an organic source of cilantro, to insure you are not putting more unwanted chemicals into your body as you try to detoxify your body’s already existing heavy metal burden.
Learn more about me at http://www.empowerwellnessholistichealthcenter.com

The antioxidant nobody talks about

Glutathione is considered to be the master antioxidant and detoxifier of the cell. Without glutathione, the antioxidant system breaks down, and toxic chemicals hang around to wreak havoc in our cells and tissues. Glutathione is so critical because it’s the cell’s first line of defense against the toxins that enter your body through the foods, liquids and gases you take in.

Among the different antioxidants found in the body, glutathione performs a very unique role. Its main function is to provide cell protection as well as boost other healthy compounds in the body. It is essential in the proper functioning of different systems of the body like:

Respiratory system
Gastrointestinal system
Nervous system
Immune system
Glutathionealso aids in proper metabolism of nutrients and absorbs harmful chemicals. Because it performs a very crucial role, the glutathione level of our body is equivalent to our level of health.

What Affects Glutathione Level

Because it is a naturally-produced substance, the body produces glutathione as needed. However, there are number of factors that affect the normal level of this important substance in our body.

Age – The most common reason for glutathione depletion is age. The older a person gets the lesser glutathione the body produces.
Diseases – Diseases also contribute to the ability of the body to produce or recycle glutathione.
Diet and Pollution – Diet and pollution are considered by many experts as the biggest culprits in glutathione reduction. It is a known fact that in order to be healthy, we need to eat healthy foods. Unfortunately our lifestyle today has given us easy access to any food that we like to eat, regardless of their health benefits. We have become so accustomed to fast food and junk foods that our body becomes a dumping ground of chemicals. The influx of harmful chemicals to the body prevents the natural production of glutathione, and eventually there are more toxic materials in our body than glutathione.
Environmental Factors- Aside from our diet, our environment also contributes to the depletion of the glutathione level in our body. Pollution is the biggest hazard that we encounter on a daily basis and the heavy metals that we breathe in daily eventually find their way into our organs and cause illnesses. The stress brought about by our lifestyle also contributes in our body’s inability to function properly.
The combination of aging, stressful lifestyle, pollution, and unhealthy diet is just too much for our body to create or recycle glutathione. Once the body is overwhelmed, it will eventually succumb to illness.

How to Boost the Body’s Glutathione Level

There are two ways of introducing glutathione to our body: artificial and natural. The artificial method involves taking glutathione supplement in a pill form. For a lot of people, their introduction to the benefits of glutathione revolves around marketing information about this kind of supplement. Although it is a very convenient way of supplying our body with this substance, it is not really as effective as we think it is. For one, our digestive system does not absorb glutathione very well. Only a small percentage of oral glutathione actually gets transferred to the circulatory system of our body.

Secondly, glutathione supplements prevent the body from producing the substance naturally. As the chemical is detected by the body, it regulates its natural production to the point where it completely stops, which in turns leads to dependence on supplements.

The most advisable way of getting glutathione into our body is through the natural way. Eating the right kinds of food that help boost glutathione production is the primary means of ensuring that we have enough of this essential antioxidant in our body. The key here is not to introduce glutathione, but to induce our body to produce the chemical naturally.

The Best Ways to Increase the Body’s Glutathione Level

First, you need a lifestyle check: how can you prevent unnecessary depletion of glutathione? Are you active enough to induce natural glutathione production? You see, exercising regularly helps keep glutathione at the optimum level. Simple exercises like jogging, walking, or cycling keeps the body active, helps in metabolism that leads to better immune system response, detoxification, and improves antioxidant function.

You may also need to cut down on your alcohol consumption. Although there are some health benefits in drinking wine in moderation, prolonged exposure of the liver to alcohol prevents the organ to produce the antioxidant regularly. Without the detoxifying effect of the liver, the body becomes overwhelmed by toxins and free radicals that results in diseases.

Eat the Right Foods

The best way to boost glutathione level naturally is by eating the right kind of healthy foods that contain either natural glutathione or elements that can help in the production of the antioxidant. Foods that are rich in amino acids are considered the best sources of glutathione.

Fruits and veggies. Fruits and vegetables must be eaten raw to maximize their glutathione content. Some examples of glutathione-rich foods are tomato, broccoli, garlic, spinach, asparagus, avocado, and walnuts.
Milk thistle. Aside from getting enough natural glutathione supply from natural sources, preventing glutathione depletion is also equally important. Milk thistle contains the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammation chemical silymarin which is essential in treating liver-related illnesses and helps in boosting glutathione level.
Vitamins and minerals. Vitamins B6, B12, and B9 (folic acid) are considered as the most effective natural glutathione producers in the body. Needless to say, eating foods like salmon, tuna, scallops, beef and lamb (for B12), spinach, banana, potato, chicken (for B6), and lettuce, asparagus, spinach, and lentils (for folic acid) is highly recommended.
Whey to go. This can be a bit tricky because there are so many products in the market today that contains whey. However, they also contain chemicals and sugar that may have adverse health effects. So if you choose whey as glutathione-booster, you have to make sure that it came from grass-feeding cows which are not exposed to synthetic hormones or pesticides. Another consideration is the way it is processed. Cold processing is the only way to go as heat destroys the molecular structure of whey.
Curcumin, a naturally occurring chemical compound that is found in turmeric, may also be useful for increasing glutathione levels.
Protein rich foods. 3 amino acids – cysteine, glycine and glutamate – are the precursors to glutathione production. Protein-rich foods tends to be high in all 3. But heating or pasteurizing them destroys many of the glutathione-producing properties.
Glutathione is very important in our overall health status. It cleanses our body of toxic substances, helps improve our immune system to fight off diseases, and prevents health concerns that can be fatal. In our effort to remain healthy, it is very important that we consider the most effective method of improving the glutathione level of our body. Supplements can be an option, but doing it the natural way is still the best.

Being generous

If you’re like most people, you’re an extremely generous person. You most likely give and give and give. So much so it’s likely that you give until there is nothing left for you to give. You likely deplete your biological resources mentally and emotionally, and ultimately that depletion shows up physically. Women especially are prone to believe that we are to put the needs of EVERYONE else far and above our own. We even give more generously to strangers than we do to ourselves! In counseling women, I usually have two words in regards to this behavior…”STOP IT!” It’s good to give generously; but in order to live a truly healthy and balanced life, you have to give equally as generous to YOURSELF also. If you’re not refilling your own resources, what can you possibly give to those you love? I get it…. You love your family and friends and want to do things for them. That’s understandable, but you MUST do and love yourself just as much. If you don’t, your living your life out of balance and actions like that will eventually catch up to you. When it does, you might find emotions such as resentment and discontent. You may even find yourself in your physician’s office with a stress disorder, depression, or irritable bowel syndrome. Then what? Who is going to do for those you love? Ladies, it is OKAY to love yourself and give yourself some TLC. Spend some time learning to practice extreme self care. If you’re not certain how to make that happen, let me teach you. Extreme self care is something most women have to learn. It’s not always bred into our DNA. We tend to think that if we’re doing something for “us” that we’re selfish and self-centered. That couldn’t be farther from the truth!! Loving ourselves and caring for ourselves gives us the ABILITY to love and care for our families and friends more contently and more completely. So stop what you’re in the middle of and schedule some time in your calendar for extreme self care for YOU. It’s okay to “love yourself up”!! I promises that you will be a better wife, mother, daughter, and friend because of it.

Shhhh…..it’s a secret

Why don’t you know what it is that you don’t know? Why is it that there is so much conflicting information about health, wellness, and nutrition? The answer to that question goes way, way back. In the past, physicians referred overweight and health challenged patients to nutritionists and dietitians. After all that is their speciality. So if that is the case, why do we have this pandemic of obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases? Shouldn’t the dietician sand nutritionists have a handle on this? The truth of the matter is at the very core of the healthcare system….money. Always follow the money. Nutritionists and dietitians are licensed by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). That makes sense, right? The problem lies in where the ADA gets their “funding.” You see, the ADA has sponsors, you know those people who “donate” money in exchange for what is most often good publicity. Now, what if you knew that a key sponsor of the ADA was the American Cattle Rancher’s Association? How would you feel about that? So if the ADA gets funds from the ACRA, then we know that there is a conflict of interest in that the ADA cannot possibly say anything about negative about the cattle industry, or the meat industry, or the dairy industry. So that makes discussions of these topics off limits for these “registered” practitioners. Let’s not leave out some of the other sponsors such as the National Dairy Council, the Coca-Cola Company, Kelloggs, General Mills, and PepsiCo. Now can you see the problem here? The ADA, or A.ND. as it is sometimes called, is a tainted entity. The allegiance of the ADA is not to consumers or the patients of the “licensed” practitioners, it is to the companies who funnel money through their organization. The truth is, the ADA does not care about your health, wellness, or nutrition. They simply exist to funnel money into the broken healthcare system. So, this is exactly why “you don’t know what it is that you don’t know.”

Goooaaalllllll!!!!!!

I don’t usually brag on myself but this time…I can’t help myself. A few years back I had this “dream” that someday somehow I would be able to wear the clothes that my daughter just didn’t want anymore. She’s one to get rid of stuff just to get new stuff. I kept all those clothes in boxes in my closet thinking….someday. With integrative Nutrition plus my own 6-month Empower Wellness Coaching program plus HoP…..someday arrived. I have met a goal that I HONESTLY thought I’d never reach. You CAN reach your goals and we can help

Inevitable Change

Some people hate change. Others live for it. I reside somewhere in the middle of that. Sometimes I need change but fail to accept it. I fail to accept that what I had always been doing is no longer working. I refuse to accept that my “plan” is now failing. The problem with that mentality is at it’s core. Changes happen around us whether we like them or not. When changes outside ourselves occur, we have to be willing to make changes in ourselves that better serves us. I have to be willing to make changes that better serve me. Since beginning my journey of wellness, my lifestyle has changed. I’m putting all of my energy into teaching others what I have learned and my life schedule is no longer the same. After a few weeks, my body began to tell me that I was no longer balanced. I was physically exhausted. I had no appetite in the evenings. My face began to breakout. And I knew something was off. So I did with myself what I would do with a client, I sat down with myself and said, “self, what’s new with you?” I began listing the new things, all of which were good, but we’re affecting me in a negative way. My wellness program needed tweaking. I had to change the times of day when I was filling my tank, so to speak. My largest meal has always been after my 6:15 workout in the evening as I was famished by the end. With the new things on my plate, I can’t always work out at 6:15 and I exercise in the morning instead. So my fuel fill up needed to change on those days to a larger, more nutrient based lunch and smaller nutrient dense dinner. Just this simple reflection changed my life immensely. I now have the fuel I need to get through the day everyday. As you can see, things change….even for me as a Wellness Coach. I had to make changes. Maybe it’s time for you to sit down with a Wellness Coach to see what’s new in your life that needs to be addressed so that you are balanced and fueled properly. Maybe you need a simple change, or perhaps you need a over-haul…either way, working together, we can get it done.

How did I get here?

At no point in your life will you ever feel more alone, more abandoned, or more orphaned that at the time when you lose your parents. In a matter of 18 months, I lost the people nearest and dearest to my heart. At this point in one’s life, it’s natural that you would step back and take a long hard look at your life, your passions, and your dreams for your future. It’s natural that at this time, you would look for something that fills that empty space where loved ones had resided all those years. Being a heart-centered person, I looked high and low for a career that would fulfill me. I worked in medicine for many years, and it did not take long to see that the system we call “healthcare” is broken. Because time with your physicians is fiercely limited, Enormous amounts of time is spent on illness and little to no time is spent on health and wellness. But if more time could be spent on wellness, there would be less time required to spend on sickness. It’s a cyclical pattern that needs to end. Several years ago, I been seeking out a career in which I could use my heart-centered gifts to advocate for patients In this “sick-care” system in which we all must live. But it wasn’t until the passing of my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, and then my own mother that I became adamant about finding a career in which I could help people live longer, healthier lives. Sadly, a career like this was not going to be found in Western medicine. It wasn’t until a medication side-effect suddenly took the life of my mother that I became determined to be the change that world needed. I did hours and hours of internet research and found the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and realized that the career I had searched for for so long was that of a Health and Wellness Coach. Sick-care has over-burdened Western medicine and Health Coaches are the future of the HEALTHcare system. It is my heart-centered desire and passion to see people live long, happy, healthy lives with the people they love. No person should lose a loved one because of a sick-care system that can’t possibly treat the population of chronically ill people. Becoming a Wellness Coach is the greatest thing I could have ever done for me and my family; but my education has been bittersweet as I have learned things about wellness that may have prolonged the lives of those that I held nearest and dearest to my heart. But I am determined to see to it that nobody else loses a loved one to an untimely sudden death because of our sick-care system. You see “Medicine is not health care. Medicine is sick-care. Integrated nutrition is healthcare. Let’s get this straight.” Don’t let the people you love be a causality of the sick-care system. Fight for them. My loved ones are gone, but I WILL fight for yours.
Frankie Davis, Penny Davis, Norma Aklestad…. May you always rest in peace.

The BIG lie

I hate it when people lie to me. There are some lies that almost seem like a necessary evil, but others……unforgivable. When I seek advice, I go to the experts for information. Don’t you do the same? When I seek out these “experts,” I want to be certain that they have at least SOME knowledge of what it is that I need to know. If you have a busted water pipe, you call a plumber. If your car won’t start, you call a mechanic. If you have an issue with your health, you call your medical doctor, right? WRONG. For years the population of America has depended on our “licensed” physicians to take our health issues away. How well has that worked for us? We are the most unhealthy country on the planet. Even third-world countries have better HEALTHCARE than we do. Every day new drugs are being pushed on Americans in hopes of treating this illness or that disease when in fact, everything we’ve ever known about healthcare is a lie. There is so much misconceptions about what type of “doctor” or “specialist” you should see. Should you see an endocrinologist for diabetes? A gynecologist for polycystic ovary disease? A neurologist for migraines? You could, I guess but you’ll never get better. These “licensed” doctors are not healthcare providers. They are sick-care providers. You have a problem, you go to your sick-care provider, they give you a diagnosis and prescription to treat the symptom or by-product of your illness. These “doctors” really do not care about your illness. As a matter of fact, it’s better for them if you keep your illness so they can continue to receive payment from you and your insurance company. I worked in sick-care. I’ve witnessed it. If you want HEALTHCARE you need to see a HEALTH professional such as a wellness coach or Holistic Health practitioner. You should see your sick-care provider when you are actually SICK. Diabetes is not a sickness. Hypertension is not a sickness. PCOS is not a sickness. Heart-disease is not a sickness. Obesity is not a sickness. Somewhere in the past, these two professions have been skewed. There are most definitely times when you need to see your sick-care provider, and if you have a trained HEALTHCARE provider, he or she will tell you. It’s time to STOP pumping our hard earned money into this sick-care system. We’re feeding the monster and it’s just getting bigger and BIGGER!! The sick-care providers have forgotten who it is they work for…..the patient. When you leave your “licensed” sick-care doctor’s office, you STILL don’t know what’s wrong with you but they’ll happily take Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. More people die every year from physician errors, medication side-effects, and hospital malpractice than ALL diseases combined!! I actually had a “licensed” sick-care professional ask me about my “malpractice insurance” and “state license”…..I’m a certified health coach. In HEALTHCARE those things are not required. Not ONCE have I EVER heard ANYONE say “My husband’s health coach told him to eat more kale and it killed him,” NOT ONCE. However, my mother took a prescription that was advertised on television to be such a miracle drug and she bled to death from the inside out right in front of me. Her sick-care provider was happy to write the prescription for her. For the rest of my life I will regret the fact that I did not find health coaching prior to my mom’s death. We believed the big lie. Doesn’t everyone? Yes, you need a sick-care provider for when you are acutely ill. But more importantly, you need a HEALTHCARE provider whose passion it is to get you to Wellness NOT to the pharmacy.

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.