Fallen Off Your Diet? Yeah, Me Too

Have you ever been doing good on your healthy eating only to have a stressful situation crop up and you find yourself with your nose buried in the feedbag?

Yep, me too.

In fact just yesterday after an exceptionally stressful day I found ice cream in the freezer. It’s not every day we have some and this just happened to be my favorite flavor. Imagine that.

I was saving it for the weekend for my free day that I allow myself to indulge in anything I want. I don’t binge eat on that day, I just allow myself a special treat and I refuse to feel guilty about it.

Well, I didn’t make it to that day and I ate enough for about 3 days worth of indulging. Aren’t I efficient?

I didn’t even bother to get a bowl. Why dirty a dish when I can just eat it straight from the carton. And I did. Ugh!!

You’ve done that, too? Whew! It sure is nice to know I’m not the only one!

It seems like whenever we get rolling, something always manages to happen to us that cause us to slip back into our old habits.

We try so hard to take those three steps forward only to end up slipping on the banana peel and slide two steps back. OK, so it wasn’t a banana peel, it was an ice cream slick.

So what’s a stressed out girl (or guy) to do?

We can’t escape stress and we can’t escape our feelings, but we can control how we react to both.

If you often turn to food like me, when those times hit and they will, believe me, then we need a battle plan.

We need to write the alternatives down (our battle plan) and hang them everywhere we look – the refrigerator, the bathroom mirror, the TV, our car sun visor, even tape the battle plan right to the top of the carton of ice cream!

Writing things down that you can turn to instead of food when you need comforting or a boost in confidence will be your lifeline when life throws at your head cupcakes with stones inside of them.

What are the alternatives to ice cream, cookies and potato chips you ask?

Let’s look at some of these alternatives and please add your own. We may be the same when it comes to our reactions, but everyone is different when it comes to solutions.

So here are just a few lifelines to grab on to when you find yourself drowning in that carton of ice cream:

• ·     Have a buddy to call. When you decide to make the commitment to lose weight and get healthier, many studies show making yourself accountable to someone you respect is extremely beneficial in reaching your goal. Find a friend who has the same goals as you do, lock arms and vow to stick together through thick and thin. (pun intended)

We feel the guilt if we have a check in and there is no progress to report to them. A good friend will also talk you off the cookie binge cliff that we all find ourselves on from time to time.

And don’t worry about abusing your friend, I’m sure she will be calling you next week stressed out, in tears and she can’t seem to get the oreo cookie wrapper open. Then it will be your turn to talk her down off of that binge eating ledge.

• Write down what you eat. Gasp! You ask, “Do I really need to?” Yes, you do! Study after study has shown those who keep a food log lose more weight than those who don’t.

It’s not hard, just write down what you ate and for what meal – breakfast, snack, etc. Write the times down to see if you notice a pattern. And no cheating! Write everything you eat down. You will be surprised at how much you are shoving in each day.

• Have an exercise you LIKE to do. I promote doing structured exercises – cardio, weightlifting, etc on a regular basis for health and weight loss. But when you are stressed, this NOT the time to do something you have to push yourself to do.

I am not a big fan of structured exercise. Yes, I do structured workouts, but sometimes it is a struggle to get motivated to do them. I sometimes have to dig real deep to do them. I ALWAYS feel great afterwards and I am really happy that I did it, but there are days….

Guess what, everyone feels that way at times. Even the fit Hollywood stars with personal trainers will tell you they need pushing to get to the gym now and then.

So when stress hits you and you feel the sting of the brick wall in your face, don’t turn to an exercise you dread, turn to something you love.

• Go for a walk with the dog, your kids, your neighbor’s kids, your friend, whoever. Grab them and go.

• Take your phone and call someone and talk while you walk.

• Take your favorite tunes, ones that get you pumped and feeling strong.

• Walk outside. Nature has an amazing ability to heal mind and soul. Walk to a creek and sit on a rock and breathe deep. Get lost (on the park trail) for just a little while and really soak in the beauty around you.

• You can also garden. Like to pull weeds? Come to my house, I have plenty to share.

• Go to an animal shelter and play with puppies or kittens. Sit on the floor and have them climb all over you. I dare you not to smile and forget your troubles for a while. You might even take one home with you. Pets have been proven to make people happier and healthier. Have a fat dog? Then you aren’t walking enough.

• Refinish furniture; paint/sketch; make crafts; clean (again come to my house if you need to do more)

Do anything that gets you up off of the pity party floor, out of the refrigerator and into life. 

Distract yourself, do something with your hands and drink a lot of water.

Find what inspires you. Find your passion and turn to it for comfort instead of food.

What is your passion? What do you like to do?

Make time to figure this out if you don’t know yet and make it a priority. Then write it down, post it everywhere and turn to it when you feel weak.

So come on, stand up, brush the cookie crumbs off your shirt and hall your heavier than it should be butt back up and back onto the healthy wagon. It’s coming around the bend again and we all have our hands out ready to help pull you back on.

I just ask you to lend me a hand when I fall off the wagon and bounce on the hard ground littered with cupcake crumbs and ice cream scoops.

To your good health,

Julie

Find us Online at:

Product Info & Ordering Website: To Be Healthy

Health & Wellness Info Site: Better Health in 31 Days

Our Health & Wellness Blog: YouToBeHealthy.com

Join Our Freedom Project: tobehealthy.yourfreedomproject.com

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Dear Weary Mom Linkup

If you are a Weary Mom or have a great post to share with another mom who may be weary, please visit Hope for the Weary Mom and link up your article or just browse the other wonderful articles that are being shared. I shared mine from Mother's Day - To All Moms

Just know you are not alone. We have all been weary at one time or another. 

We just take turns.

To All Moms & Who Wish to be Moms

Happy Mother's Day to all you lucky moms. To those of you who are still waiting to be moms and feel left out, please allow me to share with you my thoughts. 

Not that long ago I was a woman who did not fit in on Mother's Day.

I dreaded when that day rolled around.

I felt so excluded, so cheated. I would rather be alone on Christmas than to face Mother's Day.

See I had no mother, she died when I was young and I had no children, with no hope of ever having any.

You can't get much farther away from celebrating motherhood than that.

Then God answered a long given up on prayer. A prayer I stopped praying because I received no answer. I took God's silence to mean, "No." When really it was, "Wait".

My son is a complete miracle from God. And I thank God for my miracle every day of the week and twice on Sunday's.

So for all you moms out there, I wish you a Happy Mother's Day and I am so profoundly grateful to be celebrating with you.

But to those who hearts still break, either from the loss of a child or the loss of never having a child, I am weeping with you. I know how that feels and I wish and pray that each and every one of you has your prayer answered.

It may be of little comfort to read this, but I do know God has a special plan for all of us if we just let Him. If we just trust Him.

Maybe He will make you a mother someday. Whether it be one of your own or through fostering or adopting. He may even use you to help children through other means like teaching or volunteering or advocating for them - being a voice for them. I don't know. There may be other ways He wants to use you in the lives of children.

Just don't give up. 

Ask God to help you hear and wait for His message. Ask for His guidance in what to do and to not be afraid to follow what He is calling you to do.

I know there is a place out there for you. God has a place for every one.

Don't sit idly by. Go out there and get involved. There is a child somewhere who does not have a mother and is waiting for someone like you to fill the void. You are needed and wanted.

I taught children in the field I was experienced in and found great joy in helping children overcome fears and problems and watched them succeed. It helped me fill the void even if only a little.

Be the answer to someone else's prayer while you wait for your prayer to be answered. And God will answer yours in His time. This I know for sure.

Happy Mother's Day both today and in the future!

Julie

"Do All Parents Love Their Children?"

I was asked a hard question this morning by my 5 year old: "Mama, do all parents love their children like you love me?"

I paused and thought for a moment whether to tell him the truth or a sweeter lie. I chose the truth.

I bent down and told him that no, unfortunately not every parent loves their children. That there are some bad people in the world, but there are more good people than bad and we must be a light to shine for others to follow.

Then I told him that I have always loved him and always will, no matter what.

Typical of little boys, he rolled his eyes and said, "I know" and walked away.

Telling the truth to our children may not be easy, but we must prepare them for the world outside of our homes and to show them the difference.

What hard questions have you been asked by your children?

Everyday Balance Sweepstakes

Everyday Balance Sweepstakes Begins Friday, May 10

May is Women’s Health Month! 

Help us celebrate and you could win one of three Everyday Balance kits.

Each kit includes the following Shaklee products:

•    Stress Relief Complex*
•    Sustained Release VitalMag®
•    B-Complex Vitamins
•    Iron Plus C Complex
•    Enfuselle® C+E Repair P.M.
•    Enfuselle® Instant Firming Serum
•    A complete Shaklee 180™ Lean & Healthy kit

The contest begins May 10, 2013 and ends May 24, 2013.  

To enter, go to the WIN tab on the Shaklee Corporation Facebook page or go to this URL: http://woobox.com/phgqzw.  

Please note: you cannot view this tab on a mobile phone, and you must have a Facebook account and Pinterest account to enter. 

Like the page (if you haven’t already), repin the Pin to Win! image on your Pinterest pinboard of choice and that’s it! Winners will receive an Everyday Balance Kit (Valued at $453.70). 

Share your sweepstakes entry on Facebook and receive two additional entries for each person who clicks on the link and enters! We'll give one more bonus entry to new fans of the Shaklee 180™ Facebook page. Go to www.facebook.com/shaklee180 and hit Like!

To learn more about these products got to: tobehealthy.myshaklee.com

The contest is open only to legal residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry.  No purchase necessary to enter.  Void where prohibited.  Further rules are available on the Shaklee Corporation Facebook page WIN application.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

"You haven’t a moment of time to call your own..."

"You haven’t a moment of time to call your own, but you are privileged to use each moment as it passes by."
~ Forrest C. Shaklee, Sr. 

That's how it goes, being a mom. Scarcely a moment to call your own. You may be weary at times, but you know you wouldn't change a thing. Except for maybe a time out to go to the bathroom by yourself now and then. 

Remember Mom, to take care of yourself. You are the only one who can and they need you. We can help you find easy ways to get and stay healthy. 

Let us help you. You can read our wellness blog to learn ways to get you and your family healthy www.youtobehealthy.com

May Newsletter

I believe that Spring has finally decided to come and stay awhile around here. Some of you may be getting that last blast of winter snow and others a lot of rain. We pray that you all stay safe and that nice weather blesses you all real soon.

May has always been a time of renewal, a time of freshness and a time to celebrate. Of course many of us turn our thoughts to planting and to Mom.

If you are thinking about getting your hands dirty this spring with planting, we can help. We have a wonderful product, Basic-H that is amazing in the garden and on the farms. Yes, I said Basic-H  the same thing we clean our floors and wash our dog in.

Basic-H is truly 1000 products in one. We can show you many ways how we get seeds and young plants off to a great start; how we control weeds without pesticides and control insects without dangerous insecticides – all with Basic-H.

If you want to learn more about using Basic-H in the garden, just contact us and we will be happy to let you know how we use it. Also be on the lookout for upcoming gardening articles on our site, To Be Healthy. We will also be highlighting these articles on Facebook and Twitter. So be sure to follow us if you use them.

Mothers are another highlight of May. We like to celebrate Mom and give her the much deserved recognition for all she does. We can help you in that area, too. With fantastic gifts designed to pamper Mom without breaking the bank, our Natural Skin Care line, Enfuselle can make Mom look and feel like the million dollars we all know she’s worth. So check it out and if you are unsure, contact us and we will be happy to help you make the right choice.

Also be on the lookout for articles to help women, actually everyone, feel better and improve their health. This month we will be highlighting women’s health on our website, To Be Healthy as well on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to pass the info on to the women in your life. Good health is a gift we can give ourselves and others that never wants to be returned.

We will also be advertising some great specials and giveaways. So be sure to bookmark our page and list us in your contacts so you don’t miss them!

Did you know we offer referral rewards? Don’t keep Shaklee a secret! We reward those who share with others with cash rebates off of orders. Many people take advantage of these rewards to help pay for their products. Don’t miss out! Contact us today to learn how you can earn rewards.

Below is a recap of some of the articles we published this past month. If you would like more information on a particular subject, have questions on a product or just need to discuss ways to help you improve your health, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to serve you.

• Confused About Supplements?

• What Your Cleaners Do to Local Water

• Are You Ready for an Emergency?

• FREE Sample of Basic-H2

• Meet Kianne - A Young Girl with a Passion for Animals and the Earth

• Meet Theresia, an environmental educator. See how she is teaching and connecting kids to nature.

• Child Asthma, Leaded Water, Toxic House?

• Do You Thing Green Cleaners Don't Work as Well As Toxic Ones?

• Why Filtered Water?

• 10 Reasons to Fall in Love with Basic-H!

• Video: Shaklee 180™ Power Foods

I hope you all have a very special and wonderful Spring! Let us know how you are doing!

Always Safe, Always Works, Always Green - See why we work when others don’t – The Shaklee Difference

Find us Online at:

Product Info & Ordering Website: To Be Healthy

Our Health & Wellness Blog: youtobehealthy.com

Like us on Facebook: To Be Healthy

Twitter: You To Be Healthy

Pinterest: YouToBeHealthy

Google+: Shaklee ToBeHealthy

A Lesson in Dirty Dishes

As I stand here for what feels like the millionth time doing dishes, I feel the weariness settle in.

Today being like most days passed by in a blink of an eye. The night is closing in fast and I feel the urgency to hurry up and get done so I can go on to the next task. I sigh deeply and think about all that still needs to be done before I get to lay my head down.

I straighten up and crack my aching back and I find myself feeling jealous of all those other lucky moms that have a working dishwasher. Money is so tight that some things just have to wait their turn to be repaired or replaced.

I feel so alone and while I listen to my husband and son watch TV and relax, I feel the anger start to creep up. I feel angry over how I never get to “clock out” of my job. I feel angry over the fact that I worked hard to put a nice dinner on the table and no one bothered to say thank you. I feel angry at all these dirty dishes I have to wash by hand. I plunk another wet plate down into the dish drain.

It was at that moment that I heard it – the thought. The thought, those words that only can come from Him, God. And he said, “It could be like before, you know. Quiet, dark, lonely and not as many dishes to wash. Remember?”

I remember, Lord. I remember that emptiness, the loneliness, the sadness. Thank you for reminding me. Thank you for the many dirty cups, plates and piles of crumbs under the table. Thank you for the constant interruptions and endless messes to clean up.

I smile with wearied joy as one of my messy interruptions trots in to tell me about one of his toy cars. He turns to walk away as I put one more wet plate in the dish drainer, this time with a more gentle hand. Then I hear him say, “I love you, Mama.”

Then I feel the warmth of love poor over me from above and from below from my sweet little one. I reply my, “I love you , too honey.” With a sense of gratefulness that had been lacking just moments earlier.

Funny how fast chores go when you look at them in the new light of being grateful for having so much to do and the ability to do them.

Are You Ready for an Emergency?

I got stung several times on the lower leg yesterday while at the park. A wasp crawled up my pants leg and got me a number of times before I was able to get him out. I tried my best to get him! Luckily I am not allergic, but it sure made for a painful walk home.

It's that time of year again, so if you or a loved one is severely allergic to stings, make sure you always have an Epi pen or at least some Benadryl (or some other doctor approved allergic reaction medication) to keep on hand in case you are stung and your throat begins to swell. Learn what to do and be prepared.

My mother said she feared no disaster as long as her purse was within reach.

My father always said to hope and pray for the best, but be prepared for the worst.

I always like to be prepared for emergencies. 

How prepared are you?

First aid kits, allergic reaction supplies, food and water carried in the car with you or in a backpack if you are hiking, are all very important to have on hand. I also have a change of clothes for everyone in the main car in case we get stuck out somewhere or need a change of clothes if one of us falls in the creek! Ha ha.

But how prepared are you? We laugh about needing to change wet clothes if we fall into a creek, but true accidents or disasters are no laughing matter and how prepared we are can make a huge difference in how we come through those incidents or disasters.

What about severe weather? Do you have supplies such as, flashlights, batteries, radios. Do you have a plan of action like knowing where to go? Do your children know what to do if severe weather breaks out and you are not with them?

How about a different sort of disaster? Could you and your family be packed up and ready to leave in 5-10 minutes if disaster struck your area and you were forced to leave your home? That is often all the time you will have to get out. Many people think it could never happen to them where they live, but it can and you just never know. You need to be prepared. 

You can go to any one of Internet sites out there that can tell you how to build a kit. FEMA's site, http://www.ready.gov/ is one of them. On that site are instructions on how to build a disaster kit, how to make a family plan and tips on what to do before, during and after a disaster strikes.

It may be time to get the information, sit down to a family meeting to discuss the how’s and what to do’s and then get the necessary items. As a family you need to discuss the plan on each possible scenario and do drills at least once a month to make sure everyone, even the youngest child knows what to do automatically.

Remember, during an emergency cell phone access may be limited or cut off completely, so you cannot rely on that form of communication.

I thought about going into detail all the different things we should do for each possible scenario, but there are many good places you can go to get this information. Print it out, go over it with each family member, pin it to your kits and practice it.

So read up, learn what to do and how to do it. Build disaster and readiness kits. Take a class in CPR and first aid. Get prepared. God willing, you may never need those skills or supplies, but if you do, you will never be sorry that you made the effort.

Knowledge is power. Preparedness is confidence. Knowing what to do can be lifesaving.

Are you ready?

Shaklee April Newsletter

Welcome to our Celebrating Earth Day April 2013 Newsletter!

Shaklee has always celebrated Earth Day everyday and we are always excited to share how much the Environment means to us.

Home should be the safest, healthiest place in the whole world. But, today’s insulated air-tight homes are filled with chemicals that have never been tested for human toxicity - in the air, the walls, carpets, and in the household cleaners, which can carry some pretty scary warning labels.

Below is some information on how cleaning products affect you, your children and your environment. See how these products affect you, what the EPA and what pediatricians have to say.

What’s in your cleaners?

Sodium Hydroxide – Inhalation is immediately irritating to the respiratory tract. Contact can cause severe damage to the eyes, skin, mouth and throat. Can cause liver and kidney damage.

May be found in:

• Dishwashing liquids
• Laundry products
• Oven cleaners
• Scouring cleansers
• Tub & tile cleaners

Hydrochloric Acid – Can cause severe damage to the skin. Can be harmful to health if inhaled. Can be fatal if swallowed.

May be found in:

• Odor eliminators
• Toilet bowl cleaners

Butyl Cellosolve – Can cause irritation and tissue damage from inhalation. A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning scale off shower walls could inhale three times the acute exposure limit.

May be found in:

• All purpose cleaners
• Cleaning wipes
•  Degreasers
•  Floor polish
•  Rug shampoos
•  Toilet bowl cleaners
•  Tub & tile cleaners
•  Window cleaners 

“We are conducting a vast toxicologic experiment in our society, in which our children and our children’s children are the experimental subject.”

~Dr. Herbert Needleman - Pediatrician and professor at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center

Get Clean^® gives you cleaning choices that are nontoxic andnatural and do not contain any of these harmful ingredients.

 We believe cleaning house shouldn’t involve dirtying the earth.

Earth-Friendly Product Choices

Sustainable ingredients from natural sources

Biodegradable surfactants

Recyclable packaging

Recyclable wipes

Recyclable dryer sheets

No chlorine bleach

No phosphates

No nitrates

No borates

No volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Shaklee does not test  on animals

For more than 50 years Shaklee has created products that improve the health of people and the planet.

 

Get Clean® products offer solutions that are not only safe, but powerful. We worked with an outside independent testing lab to conduct performance tests with major brands and found that Get Clean performs as well or better than over 20 competing brands.

Watch this short video and see why concentrated Get Cleanproducts are a real value, for your home, your health, the planet, and your wallet.  

Cool Video: Healthy Home

Think Cleaning With Green Products Don’t Work As Well As The Toxic Cleaners? Well,

Get Clean Out Cleans National Brands! And can save you money!

You would need to spend over $3,400 to get the same cleaning power from major name brands!*

Get Clean Starter Kit is equal to:

•  60 Bottles of Fantastik^®, 32 oz.
•  32 Bottles of Mop ‘n Glo^®, 32 oz.
•  728 Bottles of Windex^®, 26 oz.
•  1 Bottle of Woolite^®, 50 oz.
•  1 Container of Clorox^® Wipes
•  1 Bottle of Soft Scrub^®
•  2.5 Boxes of Cascade^®, 45 oz.
•  2 Boxes of Tide^®, 50 oz.
•  3 Bottles of Downy^®, 20 oz.
•  1 Box of Bounce^® 

And the cost of a Get Clean Starter Kit is a fraction of what these toxic products cost!

When it comes to pollution, we are all either part of the problem or part of the solution.

What part do you want to play?

Contact us today for more information or to get your safe products today.

To Your Good Health,

Julie

Find us Online at:

Product Info & Ordering Website: To Be Healthy

Our Health & Wellness Blog: youtobehealthy.com

Like us on Facebook: To Be Healthy

Twitter: You To Be Healthy

Pinterest: YouToBeHealthy

Google+: Shaklee ToBeHealthy

Always Safe, Always Works, Always Green - See why we work when others don’t – The Shaklee Difference

*Based on number of uses per label directions