Are you clean inside?

About 7 years ago I had my first colon cleanse.  Since that time, cleansing has become something I do routinely every 6 months to1 year.

Detoxing is eliminating your body of toxins and free radicals so that your body can operate at optimal performance.  There are two different ways I clean my insides: fasting & colon cleanses.

Fasting is abstaining from food. This is done to provide your body time to focus on cleaning itself without inflicting further toxins that slow down the process. Fasting encourages the consumption of water. This is essential for the purification process and for keeping the body effectively hydrated. Depending on the fast and its intensity, the duration can be 24 hours or up to several weeks. Please bear in mind that I am writing in this piece about fasting for the purpose of detoxification purposes. Fasting can also be done for spiritual growth.


Water Fasting is understandably the most difficult of fasts. Nothing but water is consumed. Not one I do often. This is challenging for me. I get a lot of headaches and feel extreme fatigue.
Juice Fasting is abstaining from solid foods, during this fast freshly blended fruit and vegetable juices are mostly consumed.
**Some detox diets include consuming fresh fruits, and vegetables in addition to the juiced blends and liquids.  (There are several variations of the above mentioned fasts)

Colon Cleansing
As I mentioned before just about every six months I do a colon cleanse. I love doing this!

Think about it; many of us do spring cleaning or visit the dentist for routine hygiene appointments every six months. Heck, most of us even clean our engines on our cars by getting oil changes every 3-6 months. So, why not clean your temple?

The average American consumes white flour, white sugar, unhealthy fats, processed foods, alcohol, cigarettes, toxins, and impurities into our system daily. In addition, many of us do not consume the proper amount of fiber rich foods, water and vegetables that assist us in healthy regular elimination.

If you suffer with headaches, bad breath, digestive problems, bloating, acne, and many, many other health conditions- a colon cleanse may be just what you need.

When you do not eliminate properly and regularly your system becomes impacted with waste and toxins. This is what contributes to a great deal of major health conditions. In addition, when your insides are “dirty” it is difficult for your body to optimally absorb the proper nutrition it needs. So, you may be taking vitamins and supplements but if you have never cleaned your insides it is probable that you are not receiving optimal results from your nutritional supplements.

There are several varieties of colon cleansers on the market. Just like anything else, they are not all created equal. colon cleansers may be purchased online or at your local health food store and/or pharmacy. My advice is be careful and do your homework.  Read the fine print and follow the directions.  If you are taking medications or have had certain medical procedures there may be certain risks. Through the years I have tried several different colon cleansers. I have also gone to facilities and had Colonic Irrigation/hydrotherapy treatments.  The results have always been extremely beneficial.

For me it’s important that my cleanse is gentle yet effective. For optimal results you want a product that cleans the large intestine, small intestine, and liver. During any detox it is important to avoid dairy, red meat, sugar, refined and processed foods, alcohol, caffeine and drugs.

Like anything else, after you cleanse, it’s important to maintain healthy eating habits to keep your temple clean!

Stay Healthy!
Melissa

Fibromyalgia Awareness Day!

May 12th is National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day!

Several years ago I experienced the worse pain imaginable.  After an extensive amount of blood work, numerous rheumatologist appointments and negative test results of alternative diagnoses, my doctor finally concluded that I had FIBROMYALGIA.

All  I remember is that the pain was unbearable!  It hurt to sit.  It hurt to stand.  It even hurt to lay down in bed at night.  My sleep was interrupted with pain.  During the day I had severe migraine headaches.  I was miserable.  I have never experienced anything like that before.

At the time my children were fairly young.  I had a really difficult time caring for them.  I remember feeling depressed and unmotivated.  Desperate to feel better, I took the medication that the doctor prescribed.  The medication had terrible side effects.  It made me feel like a zombie.  Determined to feel better I decided to seek out alternatives to conventional medication and made some lifestyle changes. I lost 35lbs and began what  I now refer to as my wellness journey.

I'm happy to say that I now have virtually no pain from Fibromyalgia.  It's been years since I've had a "flare up".  I do experience occasional stiffness and/or tenderness but NOTHING like I did back then.  I truly believe that natural healing can take place when we begin to make different lifestyle choices.  I know some people think they have to take conventional medication....I disagree!  I'm not a doctor, I am only speaking from my own personal experience.  Lifestyle choices make a difference.  If you are suffering with Fibromyalgia I encourage you to get fit, eat healthier, cleanse your system , and rid your body of toxins, it will make a difference.  

Choose Health & Be Encouraged!

Relax, Relate, Release!

April is coming to an end however, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that April is National Stress Awareness month.  Every year during the month of April, health care professionals, wellness professionals, and health promotion experts across the country joined forces to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for an epidemic plaguing many today.  Stress is something that affects everyone, young and old, rich and poor, educated and ignorant.  It does not discriminate.

Millions of Americans die of stress-related illnesses: Heart disease, strokes, and many other chronic diseases may be caused by stress.  Let's also consider the damage done by smoking, alcohol consumption, overeating, and drugs--all often used to help cope with stress.....it's not hard to conclude that stress is a major epidemic with insurmountable consequences.

As, a single mother who works a full time job and runs an at home business, it has become imperative to my well-being that I take time out routinely to de-stress. 

Prayer, meditation, hot bubble bath, aroma therapy, massages, yoga, workouts....There are so many ways to release stress in your life.  Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't also add, there are ways we can also prevent a lot of additional stress in our lives (I'll save that for a future blog).  In the event your stress is being caused by deeper issues, therapy or counseling are always helpful.  Getting to the root of an issue will often alleviate much of the "stress" that surrounds it.

Watch this video of Debbie Siebers with one suggestion for releasing stress. 



Practical Application:   Find some time this week to give yourself 20 mins to de-stress.

Do you have a particular way you release stress?  Please leave a comment below & share it, I'd love to hear it.

Stay Healthy,

Melissa

Move Your Body!

5 Ways to Get Fit & Stay Fit in 2011

Well, the New Year is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.  Before we know it 2010 will be behind us and the dawn of a brand New Year will be upon us. 

New Years Eve is often the time people re-evaluate and re-determine to get fit and make healthy changes in their lifestyles.  Studies show however that many who make resolutions or re-commitments regarding health and fitness often times fall off by spring.

Have you ever been guilty of this?  I have to admit- I have!  So, here's some tips that have worked for me and that I'd like to share with you to help keep the fire under you and keep you focused and consistent this year.

1. Create a "New Year-New You" Goal Poster or Vision Board-  Cut out images, find pictures of yourself at your ideal weight, search magazines for words and pictures that depict the vision you have for yourself.  Paste or glue them on a large piece of oak tag or poster board. 
2. Write down your Health & Fitness Goals.  Set long term goals and short term goals.  Share them with someone you trust.  Read them daily and acknowledge and reward yourself as you achieve them.
3. Get an accountability partner or workout buddy.  This is someone who is really going to encourage you and even push you on those days you feel like slacking off. 
4. Join a fitness forum, support group, or fit club.  There's strength in numbers. Surrounding yourself with like minded people will be pivotal to your success not only in fitness but in other areas of your life as well.
5. Prepare ahead.  Schedule in your workouts on your smart phone or physical calendar.  Just as you schedule your important appointments i.e. doctors, work, and children's activities you need to schedule and pencil in the time you will set aside for fitness.  Also, planning and preparing meals ahead of time will help you avoid binges and fast food drive by's.  "Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail"

Do you have any tips that have worked for you to help you stay the course in your health & wellness journey?  Feel free to leave a comment and let us hear about it.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

The 3 Keys To a Healthier Lifestyle

Death is something most of us don’t care to think about, but it’s an inevitable reality for everyone. The idea, in my opinion, implies the urgency of several truths about lifestyle that impact how long we live and how well we live while we’re here.


1. Your choices around your body and health have a dramatic effect on your lifespan.

Eating well, staying active, and getting sufficient rest are essential to good health. You literally shave days off or add days on to your lifespan by the simple choices you make each day. Are your choices creating the foundation for a long, healthy life? Or are your choices going to leave you in poor health and sharp decline in old age?

2. You’re either creating a legacy or responding to your reality.

It feels easier to deal with things as they come up rather than swim upstream to a more meaningful destiny. Life, with all of its challenges and twists and turns, can seem like one hurdle after another. But here’s the truth: you assign meaning to what happens in your life; it doesn’t assign meaning to you. Putting daily stressors into perspective becomes easier when we realize that every choice matters because it all contributes to the bottom line of our legacy.

3. Living well is a choice.

When we think of “lifestyle”, images of sprawling mansions, luxury cars, and exotic vacations often come to mind. But lifestyle can be reduced to a set of choices that produce an aggregate experience of life. Have you made the choice to live well? Are you living on your own terms? To decide to live well means to maximize your potential and enjoy the luxuries that surround you. It also means being in gratitude for what you have and allowing that to open the door to even more abundance.

Inspired Journaling Prompt: Write about how your lifestyle and health are intertwined. How are your nutrition and fitness choices impacting your lifestyle? How can you make choices that empower you to live well?

Inspired Action: Take one action each day this week that contributes to your legacy. Whether eating well, facing a fear, or expressing gratitude, open the door to your own abundance this week.

Lisa Nicole Bell, also known as the Inspiration Icon, is an author, award winning filmmaker, dynamic radio host and socially conscious entrepreneur. Lisa teaches adults and teen girls how to live the lives of their dreams by integrating the 6 key areas of their lives. With her infectious enthusiasm, brilliant insight, and powerful delivery, Lisa will inspire you to be, do, and have more than you ever imagined. Visit www.lisanicolebell.com and www.inspiredgirlsonline.com to learn all about how you can live the inspired life starting TODAY!

Wellness Wednesday: 7 Benefits of Physical Activity

The following article was originally posted by a Beachbody Coach.  Beachbody is a company that sells various exercise programs.  Personally, I have used 3 of their programs: Slim in 6, Hip Hop Abs, and Turbo Jam.  Slim in 6 was the system that helped me lose 35lbs!  Hip Hop Abs & Turbo Jam are 2 I do because they are alot of fun and great ways to shed pounds while dancing.  I am not writing this to promote Beachbody programs.   If you are someone who's uninterested in workout videos, then join a gym, walk a trail, go swimming- but do something!  Begin to find ways to add 20-40 minutes of cardio into your routine at least 3-4 times each week.  Here's 7 Benefits to Get you Motivated...

You know exercise is good for you — but do you know how good? From boosting your mood to improving your sex life, find out how exercise can improve your life.


By Mayo Clinic staff

Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than old-fashioned exercise.

The merits of regular physical activity — from preventing chronic health conditions to promoting weight loss and better sleep — are hard to ignore. And the benefits are yours for the taking, regardless of age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing? Check out seven specific ways exercise can improve your life.

1. Exercise improves your mood.

Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down.

Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You'll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Regular physical activity can even help prevent depression.

2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent osteoporosis? Physical activity might be the ticket.

Regular physical activity can help you prevent — or manage — high blood pressure. Your cholesterol will benefit, too. Regular physical activity boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaques in your arteries.

And there's more. Regular physical activity can help you prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.

Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade some couch time for walking or other physical activities.

This one's a no-brainer. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn — and the easier it is to keep your weight under control. You don't even need to set aside major chunks of time for working out. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during your lunch break. Do jumping jacks during commercials. Better yet, turn off the TV and take a brisk walk. Dedicated workouts are great, but physical activity you accumulate throughout the day helps you burn calories, too.

4. Exercise boosts your energy level.

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Don't throw in the towel. Regular physical activity can leave you breathing easier.

Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular physical activity helps your entire cardiovascular system — the circulation of blood through your heart and blood vessels — work more efficiently. Big deal? You bet! When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you'll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep.

Struggling to fall asleep? Or stay asleep? It might help to boost your physical activity during the day.

A good night's sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. And you guessed it — physical activity is sometimes the key to better sleep. Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. There's a caveat, however. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you may be too energized to fall asleep. If you're having trouble sleeping, you might want to exercise earlier in the day.

6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.

Are you too tired to have sex? Or feeling too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Physical activity to the rescue.

Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there's more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women, and men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise — especially as they get older.

7. Exercise can be — gasp — fun!

Wondering what to do on a Saturday afternoon? Looking for an activity that suits the entire family? Get physical!

Physical activity doesn't have to be drudgery. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If you're moving, it counts!

Are you convinced? Good. Start reaping the benefits of regular physical activity today!


Posted by Darryl Washington (aka Faithfighter)

http://beachbodycoach.com/faithfighter

Let's Talk about Tea!

One of the simple pleasures I enjoy, especially when it's cold outside is a cup of good tea.

I had no idea what Rooibos (Pronounced "roy-boss" and also known as Red Tea) was until I saw an advertisement from The Village Tea Company. 

Grown exclusively in South Africa, caffiene free Rooibos tea contains alpha hydroxy acid and zinc for healthy, smooth skin. There are some claims that this tea is proven useful when applied to skin irritations like itchy skin, eczema, sunburns, diaper rash and acne.  When I researched Rooibos I found that there are a ton of health benefits from drinking this tea. 

Cherry Me Bloom Rooibos with Acai  is the one that I decided to try from The Village Tea Company.  The ingredients include:  South African Rooibos, sour cherry, lemon grass, flavor, acai, sunflower petals.  It's antioxidant rich and caffeine free.  It provides weight management support and natural energy.

The Village Tea Company has many other yummy flavored teas such as Gentle Organic Lemon Ginger, Sassy Green Tea, and Smooth Jasmine.  I look forward to trying a few of the others.  I think Sassy Green Tea will be my next pick!  : )

Visit http://www.villageteaco.com/ to try it.  Now through 12/30/09 if you enter the code:  the luxuryspot5 you receive a $5 gift certificate or use VillageTea2009 and receive Free Shipping!

Enjoy!

Supplement, Supplement, Supplement!

I hear so many people telling me that they don’t take vitamins. Do you realize that the Average American diet is void of the vitamins and nutrients needed to operate at optimal performance? Without a good multivitamin supplement, you are probably not getting the amounts of vitamins that your body needs to run optimally. Since 1963, the nutrient quality of the soil in which we grow all the food we eat has declined dramatically.

I’ve heard so many of my friends say, “I eat well, and so I don’t need to take anything”

Eating well is important. It is recommended to eat meals with a high nutritional value however even in doing that it is very difficult to eat a diet that meets the RDA levels of vitamins.

There are many different scientific studies that testify to the benefits of taking supplements. Consuming nutritional supplements and vitamins daily has been reported to reduce colds, build up your immune levels, aid in mental clarity, improve childhood development disorders such as ADD and AHDD, lessen PMS symptoms, balance moods, increase energy, and basically just add to the overall quality of your life.

Even if you are relatively healthy and basically feel ok, you can feel even better with supplements.

It’s important to remember that all supplements aren’t created equal. Avoid those that are loaded with fillers, starches, and other harmful additives.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about 9 years ago after having one of the worst episodes ever. I couldn’t move, couldn’t function. It was terrible. I was in excruciating pain, depressed, and suffered with frequent migraine headaches. I was under a great deal of stress, couldn’t sleep-- It was terrible!

My doctor sent me for a series of tests and finally concluded that I should lose weight and get on a medication. The drug they prescribed made me like a zombie. I took it but all I wanted to do was sleep. Let’s not even talk about the side effects that were listed on the bottle.

So, I prayed about it and I began to do some research. I searched alternatives to conventional medication. I looked up vitamins, minerals and natural ways I could feel better.

Well, I lost 35lbs and started taking a “vitamin cocktail”. It included B’s, calcium, flax seed, omega 3, glucosatrin, a good multi-vitamin and St. John’s Wart. I also started colon cleansing every 6 months and really changed my eating habits. It took some time but I eventually began to notice less and less flare ups from the fibromyalgia. Thank God for that. Many people will not believe it but it’s true.

About six months ago, I discovered Isotonix Supplements and WHOA! What a difference! That’s when I really understood that all supplements are not created equal.

Isotonix supplements when mixed become the same consistency as your blood, sweat, or tears. Your body can absorb them within minutes. There’s no breaking down that needs to occur as with a pill or tablet which means you receive maximum results. I researched these supplements and I am completely impressed with their superior delivery system. As a result, I began selling them. =)

Check Out:
www.marketamerica.com/melissahunter

Since trying Isotonix products, I’ve changed my “cocktail”. I take fewer supplements than I was and I’ve also added some supplements such as a super antioxidant called OPC3(pycnogenol, grape seed extract, and red wine extract). I also take Complete Greens (with Spirulina) and Acai.

I encourage everyone; to do yourself a favor by finding and using great vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant as supplements. In general, look for vitamins that are all-natural and can be taken in dosages that at least meet the RDAs for vitamins. A good way to get full-spectrum vitamin support is to find and use a high quality multivitamin supplement. Also, a great antioxidant is really important to fight off those free radicals. Free radicals wreak havoc on our bodies. I recently read the amount of antioxidants we have in our body is in direct proportion to how long we live.


Stay Healthy,
Melissa