Category: Uncategorized

  • A Journey of Lessons Learned

    The end of 2014 inspires a quick note about the lessons learned from throughout this past year.

    It has personally been a wonderful journey of education, enlightenment and repetition.

    One strong thought that always comes to mind, “One will repeat the lesson until the lesson is learned.” We all strive to prevent repeating the same mistakes over and over, yet somehow we will repeat the process until we truly get it. Sometimes we seem to handle things just right the first time, while other situations tend to keep repeating themselves in someway throughout our lives. This repetition of the same lesson, varying just slightly each time in a different light, is being presented to help us grow. To teach us a new way to react. To create a perceived failure in which we are actually learning a small piece from each time. It is up to us to recognize the lesson. To stay faithful in determination, empowerment and love, in order to create a new outcome. To learn the moral of the story and become better than we were the day before.

    Lessons Learned and Revisited for Me this Year:

    1. Claim who you want to be, Believe It and Go Be It! Don’t let any other human deter you from fulfilling your calling. People will have doubt, but what’s laid on your heart can come to life in an instant if you stay faithful and focused. You were born with the internal power to be whomever you wish as long as you are able to stay faithful in knowing this TRUTH!

    every thing is energy

     

    2. You have to be first! Your family has to be first! You can not help others if you can not help yourself. One may feel resentment that they have given to others to the extent that they have forgotten about themselves and those who need them the most. But we can’t feel resentment. It is we who have made the unintentional choice to put self or family last. Sometimes you don’t even realize it’s happening until it’s gone on too long. The goal is to not dwell in the mistake, but to take action right NOW. To hold on to the ones that are there for you in this moment. Stop chasing those who make you prove your worth and take that time to prove your worth to yourself. Do something for you. Do something for GOD. Do something for anyone in your life right now who has never doubted you, never left your side for a simple misunderstanding or silly assumption. The ones who have been the simple, quiet supporters all along.

    Kiss them, appreciate them and GIVE TO THEM!

    mother-teresa-on-do-it-anyway

    3. You will get back what you GIVE! It may not come from where you expect, but you will receive back, in direct proportion to what you give. Whether it’s in the form of physical or financial support, a great idea, a good connection or phenomenal health, you will get back what you deserve. Stay faithful. Walk a consistent walk that mimics the life and the values you want to surround you. Never make choices out of desperation, fear or doubt. It will pay off!

    4. Continue to take faithful RISKS! If something is laid upon your heart to do, but it looks absolutely impossible, just take the steps that are within your control right now. If your decisions and risks are taken with good intention, and they are designed to benefit all involved, chances are you will be very successful in achieving the goal you set out to.

    5. Relationships = Results! A special person in our life this past year, made the comment, “I value results over relationships.” Meaning if someone can get me a better outcome, I move on to the person whom delivers better results. At first that made sense to me, but then as I looked over my life and the rewards I have received mentally, spiritually and financially, they have all come from investing into the relationship first. The results came secondary to the relationship. Sometimes we want the bigger, better things or we want to rush the result, never realizing we actually left the lasting reward in the dust to move on to the perceived better outcome. Although in some circumstances, instant results may be more important than relationships, in most cases, the solid, faithful, relationship will deliver a lasting return far greater than the instant.

    6. Don’t be sold off status. This is a lesson I have known for quite some time, but always love the reminders. I admire many, but I am a groupie of none. My value is not determined by who I know, it is by who I choose to be. We are all just temporary specks of light during this journey called life and you do not need anyone to love you more than you! If you know that you are as valuable as those who are perceived as being known, you will depend on no external force to realize your GREATNESS!

    7. Don’t miss the Gem in the rough, seeking the Diamonds in the sky! Sometimes we over look very important people in our life, because they are not the STAR. They are not large enough for us yet, fit enough, rich enough or known enough. We assume their value based on their current ranking in society, yet overlook those who may be sparkling gems waiting to shine within our life. One whom could help us become more than who we were before. Gems are found in the rough. Don’t assume someone is not a phenomenal asset to your life, because they are not who you are, where you are or what you expect them to be. You never know whom they may become.

    8. Live Life! Feed your soul daily with choices that support your inner growth, your spiritual health, your vitality! Living a life for anything less than this, is missing the point of life itself. Enjoy your 2015! Make it full! Make it well!

    dalai-lama

     

     

     

  • Save Yourself to Save Others! What I learned from Ignaz Semmelweis.

    Do you catch yourself trying to help others, yet feel as if they are blowing you off or repeating the same mistakes over and over?

    Do you feel like you are trying to do your best to take care of yourself, but others try to do little things to crush your dream or ridicule you?

    Or do you feel like they think you are crazy, because what you’re saying is opposite of what they’ve heard for the past 30 years?

    Being a health coach and living a life that is opposite of the majority of society, can make you feel this way from time to time. For those of you who know Herson and I, you know we have philosophies that are different from the main stream media and we apply scientific based protocols that are opposite of what most are familiar with. Who’d a thought you can eat more, do less and live a phenomenally, healthy, fit life?

    Lets_Save_the_World_CVFor those of you who are on this journey with us, you may catch yourself trying to SAVE the world from making the same mistakes we all once did. For instance, you see a mother giving her kids Fiber One bars for constipation or a co-worker using Splenda versus sugar. You may see someone doing endless hours of cardio or working out two times per day. You just want to stop and SHAKE THEM and say, “HEY, you don’t have to do all this! It’s much simpler. It’s much more scientific and efficient to do things a different way.” Many of you know you can slow the aging process, end the constant struggle with food, health problems and yo-yo dieting, just by making a few small tweaks to your overall lifestyle. When you learn this truth, as I did 6 or so years ago, you are ready to SAVE the world and share the TRUTH with everyone. You see many practicing habits or repeating the same mistakes over and over that seem to be leading them in the wrong direction. Some of you want to SAVE them (and their families) from the struggle just as anyone would want to save their child from making a life altering mistake. When you share information with others, you expect them to trust you and jump right on board, because they should know you mean well and they should trust your intentions. You’re not trying to control them or change them, you just want to help them.

    This is what happened to me, or how I felt, as I started to learn that each of us personally has the control to end many of our health problems through simple and effective steps, that are easy to sustain for life!

    It’s stated in the verse 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline and Philippians 4:13 (NLT) For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength, yet when it comes to health, this is hard for many to truly believe.

    We have been given the power of love, self-discipline, endless resources and strength to achieve much of what we set out to accomplish for health and well-being. God, nature, the Earth, has provided everything to help us live vital, productive and WELL! Many of us just do not realize how simple this can be and that we already have the STRENGTH we need to make this happen! We do not need to pray for it, ask for it or hope for it, as stated in 2 Timothy and Philippians, we just need to APPLY and BELIEVE that we already have it!

    We may need to seek support from someone who is ahead of us in our journey of well-being, just as we may seek out a successful business person to learn how to get started. These people have been planted in our life for a reason, but overall, each of us has the tools needed to create our BEST LIFE! Once we realize this, our prayer for help and support evolves into a prayer of thanks for giving us the strength and support needed to help us create the life we dreamed of!

    With this being said, once you learn the simple steps to living well, you can literally drive yourself crazy and hinder your own results by trying to convince people to believe you. You may want to say something at the lunch table or call a family member to beg them to stop doing rapid weight loss plans or prevent unnecessary surgery. You may want to let them know they can heal their chronic headaches or sinus problems through simple changes, yet every time you do, they seem to be judging you and wonder, “Who do you think you are…. a doctor or something?” This response, their lack of trust or their disbelief, can crush you a little. It can make you doubt your own path or may make you personally back track.

    This actually happened to Ignaz Semmelweis!

    Ignaz as an adultIf you do not know who he is, Ignaz was a physician in the 1800’s who discovered the practice of physicians at that time was literally spreading infection from woman to woman, killing them for no reason. This was prior to the discovery of bacteria and prior to the normal practice of hand washing. Ignaz discovered that he and his peers, were actually creating the spread of infection and women were unnecessarily losing their lives due to their practice of performing an autopsy on women who died from infection and then proceeding to go right into the next healthy delivery. The doctors themselves were unknowingly spreading an infection over and over, unintentionally killing innocent, healthy women. As soon as Ignaz realized he and his peers could be the cause of the rampant infection, he asked his peers if they would try washing their hands after the autopsies. His peers ridiculed him for this suggestion, because it was not common practice and they did not want to take an extra step that had not been proven to make a difference. There were no published studies of its effectiveness :>) Ignaz was distraught by their reluctance to do something so simple that could save so many lives. He became obsessed with trying to get someone to listen and believe him. Imagine what it feels like to see women dying during their birth from something that could be so easily prevented.

    “Semmelweis was outraged by the indifference of the medical profession and began writing open and increasingly angry letters to prominent European obstetricians, at times denouncing them as irresponsible murderers. His contemporaries, including his wife, believed he was losing his mind, and in 1865 he was committed to an asylum. In an ironic twist of fate, he died there of septicaemia only 14 days later, possibly as the result of being severely beaten by guards. Semmelweis’s practice earned widespread acceptance only years after his death, when Louis Pasteur developed the germ theory of disease, offering a theoretical explanation for Semmelweis’s findings. He is considered a pioneer of antiseptic procedures.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis#Discovery_of_cadaverous_poisoning

    When you are just beginning your journey to live well or you are going against the norm, you will find yourself treated the same way Ignaz was. You will have people ridicule you, ignore you, judge you  and distrust you. That is ok! Every person who has created great change, has lived the same path. Just research Martin Luther King, Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein. Many are not revered until they are long gone!

    Ignaz presentation

    Even Jesus lived this experience shared in the book of Matthew:

    A Prophet Without Honor

    53When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And they took offense at him.

    But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” 58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

    Now I do not personally claim to be an expert in the acts of God, the Bible or any religion. For those of you who know me, you know I was at one point borderline atheist due to the path life led me down. Thanks to God, the universe and my Husband, I was brought back to life and realized there is something much greater than myself watching over me and guiding me. This is why I choose to take these examples and apply them as I move forward in my path of wellness. This has been God’s plan for my life.

    In the past year or so, I chose to learn a great lesson from Ignaz on What Not to Do! When you are on your journey to create your best self, you can not waste time, money or energy trying to convince others to believe you. If you do, you will find yourself the one with less health from worrying too much about them and their path just as Ignaz did.  You will also look like the crazy, controlling one, versus the helpful, loving one. As Gandhi stated, you can only “Be the Change you Wish to See in the World.” You can not force it. You can only put every ounce of energy and faith into your daily habits in order to realize the life that was intended for you to have! You can not save anyone unless you save yourself.

    I am learning to take this lesson from Jesus:

    Matthew 10: 11Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.12As you enter the home, give it your greeting.13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.

    When you practice sharing your truth, your gifts, your knowledge, you may not be heard. You may be doubted. Again, that is ok. The greatest of the great have lived through the same. You do not need to prove yourself through begging, supporting or gaining more degrees to validate that you know this stuff! Ignaz, was a doctor and no one would listen. His own wife didn’t realize why he was going crazy and he did not get to reap the benefits of the knowledge God gave him. He suffered trying to prove his gifts to everyone else. Don’t do this to yourself! Plant the seed, share the love and then SHAKE OFF THE DUST. Let God handle the rest.

    Romans 12:2 ( NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

    If you have discovered the truth for yourself on how to simply live well, focus on perfecting your personal health. Share your learnings with others, but do not attempt to force what they’re not ready to hear. When one is ready, one will do. No matter how much you love them, do not take it personal when they do not believe in you or in themselves. Shake off the dust and go back to creating your best LIFE! Your best YOU! Let your spiritual walk, your body and your health Be the Change You Wish to See in the World! When you invest all of your positive, spiritual energy into becoming your best self, people will then come to you! Those who doubted, will start to believe and your results, your healing, will speak for itself! You will give others hope and belief that they too, can do the same.

    This is how you Save Others by Saving Yourself first!

    Photo credit thanks to Emilio Ladines :>)
    Save the World Photo http://www.thepursuitofgreen.com/2013/06/23/a-prius-v-update/
    Ignaz photo http://fineartamerica.com/featured/2-ignaz-semmelweis-hungarian-science-source.html
    Ignaz Presentation http://news.medinfo.ufl.edu/articles/staff/hand-washing-pioneer/

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • A New Formula for Fat Loss! Eat MORE Do LESS!

    Yes, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY! Eat more and do less to achieve the fat loss you have been dreaming of!

    There has been an epidemic over the past 30 years of individuals working their butts off and starving themselves to lose weight and be “healthy”. This epidemic has led to a country full of overweight families, chronic pain, joint deterioration and mental illness. In the United States, we rank 28th in life expectancy, yet we probably rank the highest in fitness clubs, diet plans and weight loss clinics.  If weight loss, exercise and diet foods are so great, why do we have so many fatigued, depressed individuals seeking medication for ailments such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome?

    Fatigue

    There are many reasons why we are to this point in which we rank so poorly in health, yet spend the most on health care. One very LARGE factor is our dependency on using the SCALE and WEIGHT LOSS as our measurement of health. We have not transformed enough as a society to start measuring body composition and lifestyle habits as a more accurate gauge as to whether our wellness plan is successful or not. The formula of do more and eat less in order to achieve the winning lotto number on the scale- is one of the very reasons a large majority of our population is completely breaking down. We are making what we assume are healthy choices just to see a number change. Very rarely are we paying attention to how we feel, how we look, how are clothes fit….we are looking at an inanimate object on the floor to determine whether we are successful or not.

    Scale help

    Looking at just WEIGHT LOSS– is an absolute waste of time and setting the majority up for a continual, never ending ride on the merry- go-round.  I know this may sound absolutely CRAZY to many of you, but let me share some insight on some not so logical thoughts that have been planted into our heads over the past several years of our health and weight loss promotion.

    merry-go-round

    Illogical Thought #1: “When you lose weight, you can get off your blood pressure medication?” How many have heard this statement? It is ridiculous for us to be taught as health professionals that an individual can be taken off of their medications due to the simple fact of losing weight. It is also ridiculous for any of us to still be making that statement. Sometimes when we hear a message, it sounds good, so we just start to repeat it and believe it without stopping to break it down logically. If blood pressure imbalances and health imbalances were solely related to a number on the scale, so many people who weigh 120-160lbs would not be having heart attacks, irregular heart beats, high cholesterol or chronic pain. Weight loss does not guarantee any health rewards at the end. The next time you are told you will get off medications when you lose weight, ask your professional how many thin people they have taking required prescription medications right now? Thin people can be just as unhealthy, if not more than someone who is just starting their health and weight loss journey. It is the way in which someone loses weight and the way in which someone lives their overall life that will determine much of their health and whether they will be dependent on medications, not the number on the scale.

    Illogical Thought #2: You can lose 30lbs in Two Months! Who gives a shit if you can lose 30lbs in two months? Honestly, what do you really think you will look and feel like losing 30lbs in two months? Anything over 2lbs of weight loss per week generally results in a loss of almost 50% of lean muscle and bone. So YAY! You are 30lbs lighter on the scale and now you have joint pain, cartilage loss and weakness due to losing 15 pounds of healthy ligament tissue, bone density and muscle tone. This mind set of weight loss sets up a continual cycle of deprivation and torture. Every time  someone experiences rapid weight loss, they lose a little more healthy tissue and then when they find this ridiculous amount of unhealthy weight loss is almost impossible to sustain, they rapidly gain all of their weight back and more. The sad part is, rarely are they gaining back any of  the healthy 15lbs of tissue they lost, it tends to be 40lbs of pure fat, making the next round of weight loss even more torturous than before.

    Illogical Thought #3: I will be happy when I lose weight! If this were the case, why have so many thin, beautiful people been suicidal, depressed, cheated on or addicted to drugs. Hale Barry, Heather Locklear, Lyndsey Lohan, Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Michael Jackson, Greg Louganis- each are amazing, achieved, beautiful people who have suffered many trial & tribulations in their life and being thin did not give them any free rides to happiness. Yes, you may be happier when you lose weight, but yes it will depend on how you lose the weight and how much you love yourself now! We are being promoted to drink a couple shakes per day, overexercise and/or maybe get weight loss surgery so we can be THIN! The human body needs whole food for optimal survival. It has to have fuel to create a tight, fit, stable body. Losing weight, just to get weight off- does not mean you will achieve the body or mind you are looking for. Rapid weight loss or weight loss through food deprivation- typically leads to thin, aging, sagging skin and chronic nutritional deficiencies. I assure you, this is NOT fun, nor does it equate to lasting happiness.

    Illogical Thought #4: Count Your Carbs, Sugar, Fiber, Fat & Proteins! No- please no- quit reading the crap nutritional facts on the label. These are all numbers designed to keep your brain busy and your butt getting bigger. I used to live my life doing this. I didn’t care what poison was listed below the number box, I just wanted the numbers to match my goal. I could eat less fat or less sugar and hit my magic scale number – so then I could end up with depression, mood swings, irritable bowel syndrome and infertility. If you lose weight eating sugar free jello poison, chemically ladened bars and dehydrated powder in a can- you are guaranteed to start increasing your negative health symptoms. The body was designed to live off of whole foods. Save your brain power and health. Quit counting the numbers and start eating as many ONE ingredient foods as possible. When you eat food from the Earth you do not need to be a mathematician in fiber, carbs, fat grams or anything else. The body wants this fuel and can achieve optimal health with high quality foods! I assure you, none of your great grandparents had to count so many numbers just to figure out how to sustain longevity or a healthy weight.

    Illogical Thought #5: Overworked, Fatigued, maybe have some Heart Problems & Osteoporosis- Do More Cardio! This is the last, yet one of the most insane thoughts I will address in this blog. I don’t know how I fell for this myself. I absolutely hated cardio when I was younger and decided to just start off weight training. I achieved an absolutely, phenomenally fit body lifting weights, but felt gosh….I really should do more cardio. They say it’s good for me. I better start learning how to run. After forcing myself to start running a little at a time, taking cardio class, using the elliptical, I became pretty darn good at it. I ran 5 half marathons, several 5 and 10k’s and performed 45 minutes on the elliptical for fun now and then. Slowly over the years, my body started to weaken. My muscle mass started to decline. I would feel heavier after the half marathon. I was feeling more fatigued. Then I started meeting with clients who had done lots of cardio for years- many were slightly overweight or underweight, having heart problems, bone loss or chronic joint deterioration. After assessing our ancestors, studying how nature worked and the biology of the human cell, I thought,  “What are we absolutely insane?” No one in history added more stress to their body running to nowhere. No one tried to do more and eat less. Cardio does not build the body- it breaks down the body! It’s like saying- Yes, please drive your car an extra 10,000 miles each year, please give it less fuel, less oil changes and never park it in the garage. Keep it in idle in your driveway all night and see how fast you can absolutely destroy your vehicle. Your body is your vehicle in life! Although a moderate amount of cardio can be invigorating and healthy, daily cardio and/or cardio with too little fuel intake- will rarely lead to a hot, valuable body. Sadly, just as your vehicle, it can lead to more break downs, quicker depreciation in the value of your mind and the integrity of your healthy tissue. How and the heck did we end up with a better, more thought out maintenance plan for our cars than we did the human body?

    With all this being said- You can still be asking, “But how do I eat more, do less and LOSE body fat?”

    This blog is just the precursor to another exciting, yet simplified blog that is going to show you how and why you should be eating more food to achieve the body and health you want! How not to slow your metabolism or create a cycle of lose-gain-lose-gain.

    As I am sure most of you have gathered at this point, the main gist of the story is- YOU NEED FUEL TO SURVIVE! You need food to make your metabolism work and the equation of Do More, Eat Less does not equal the kind of weight loss anyone is truly looking for in the end. Do More, Eat Less typically leads to an overstressed, overworked body being set up for thyroid dysfunction, joint injury and a brick wall with healthy fat loss.  Whole foods naturally tend to have 1/3rd the calories, chemicals and fat compared to the unhealthy fast foods and so called health products most of us are ingesting . They offer real natural sugars the body is used to, healthy, vitamin rich proteins and critical nutrients required to increase cellular metabolism. Instead of starting another “diet/death” plan- start thinking about changing the way you live as a whole. Realize you do not have to fear the food nature intended for us to thrive on. When you are eating real, whole foods- fill up your plate! If you fill your stomach with real food, you are less likely to binge or fall off track. Your body will be satiated and your way of life will be altered to just naturally live well! Bones, healthy lean muscle can be built and body fat can be incinerated if you have the quality nutrients, rest and exercise program your body desires.

    Until we meet again….understand that if you are doing more and eating less, you may be running further and further away from your goal. If you are not sure how to stop the cycle, find a professional that understands this cycle of insanity and allow them to help guide you as to how you can eat more, do less and achieve the tight, fit body you are working towards.

    Video on Weight Loss Plateaus

    Resources:

    http://www.worldhealth.net/news/us-ranks-28-life-expectancy/

    http://health.yahoo.net/experts/yahoo-spotlight/why-your-cardio-routine-making-you-fat

    http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=faq&dbid=19

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malnutrition

    http://www.gainhealth.org/about-malnutrition/vitamin-and-mineral-deficiencies

    http://www.fitho.in/weight-gain-after-rapid-weight-loss/

    150lbs

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Pictured borrowed from unknown source on Facebook.

     

     

  • What Does it Mean to Be the Change?

    What does this quote mean to you? For me it was a life changing quote triggering a change in the way I live my daily life. I realized that many times I was frustrated by the way something was or the way someone acted, but after reading this quote, I realized if I wanted things to improve, I had to be the change. I could either complain about the situation or I could start doing something to make a difference. Sometimes we do not feel like we have the control to make a difference, but truly we do.

    For example, many of you know I get very frustrated that some companies make money off of us selling low quality food loaded with chemicals. It’s upsetting that the individuals operating these companies are making big cash creating sickness. Why should parents have to be a scientist to know how to shop healthy for their kids? Why can’t you trust that your spaghetti sauce isn’t loaded with high fructose corn syrup and your chicken soup isn’t spiced with MSG? It’s ridiculous. At first it seemed as if the food system was so far gone that I’d might as well hang it up and drink the chemical cocktail, but then I realized if I chose to do nothing, things would remain the same. I would just be venting, our health would still be failing and people would be making my money selling crap food. It’s at that moment I decided to be the change. I decided to slowly work towards switching our snacks to whole food organic options, started buying foods from local farmers and discovering how I could conveniently cook foods without buying chemically laden seasoning packets. Within two years our family’s grocery cart changed from 85% packaged to maybe 15% or less. From there I chose to share with others. If I could do it, you could do it. Or if I can make it for you, I will. These small steps helped my family, my clients and our community. In addition, now the people who are selling ethical, healthy food are making an honest living off of my money, not those robbing my health for temporary riches.

    I also work hard to be the change I want to see in the world by being as open and honest as possible. We all have dysfunction, strengths, weaknesses and insecurities. Many of us suffer because we are not willing to share what we  are going through or to reach out to others who may have advice  to support us. I do my best to share my opportunities, accept my mistakes and seek advice from others. I feel this helps me grow personally and helps me prevent making more critical mistakes. It also allows other people to know they can feel comfortable opening up about areas they may need support in. We are all human. We are each going through this thing called “life”. There’s just no way you can live without ever having a fear, doubt, insecurity, embarrassment or relationship issue. It’s practically impossible. I grew up thinking I had to hold all of these things in and to just try to do it on my own or figure it all out. Humans weren’t designed to do it alone. We were blessed with the ability to communicate, have compassion and to lift each other up. If you’re not already comfortable in sharing your doubts, concerns etc. with others, find someone you feel you can learn from, someone who can help you through the situation. Don’t do it alone. There’s no need to.  If you want others to be open and honest with you, ensure you are leading by example and being the change you wish to see.

    I could express a thousand more ways I try to apply this thought process to my daily life, but I’d love to hear from you. Each person has a profound impact on the world. Every action has a reaction and every choice you make has a ripple effect. It’s up to you as to how much of an impact you want to make and if you want it to be a positive or a negative impact. How do you lead by example or what do you do to make a situation better? What area in life frustrates you and how do you think you could Be the Change you wish to see?

     

  • The Gift of Having a Crystal Ball

    I have to share with you my love-hate relationship with my passion to help others improve their life. Living the life of a trainer, fitness enthusiast and health education junkie for more than 19 years, has truly taught me a great deal about the human body. When you research and live what you learn, you truly get the chance to experience the outcome. The cause and effect of our choices.  When I first started in this career of wellness, I could only understand how I felt from my choices and what happened when I worked out a certain way or followed a certain diet etc. Now after years of working with individuals as young as 5 years old up to 86 years young, I have gained the true gift of being able to see the future. My profession is one of the ONLY professions who actually has the opportunity to spend anywhere from 1 hour to thousands of hours with their clients. These hours are spent learning about their symptoms, their insecurities, their goals, diet plans, life stressors etc. Through this time, I get to learn not only from my mistakes or successes, but also from theirs. I get to see what a life with no activity leads to. I get to see what crazy weight loss plans create and I am also able to see the years many of us waste thinking lesser of ourselves.  Each of these experiences have taught me something new.

    Meeting with more than 3,500 people and coaching them for more than 19,000 hours has helped me identify trends, effective programming and ineffective programming. This combined with years of formal education, has given me the gift to recognize the cause of many health issues, training injuries and weight loss failures. Not only can I almost take an x-ray of your posture with my eyes, I can almost guarantee you I have an answer as to why a person may have chronic fatigue syndrome, bronchitis, irritable bowel syndrome and  thyroid issues. Not only can I give you an answer as to what caused the “sudden” onset of symptoms, I can also give you solutions to the problem.

    How can I do this? Why do I think I can?

    Do I know it all? No.

    Am I a doctor? No.

    Am I a VooDoo practitioner? No.

    What is it then?

    I ask questions. I listen. I am PASSIONATE about what I do. It is embedded within my soul to help others live their fullest life. I seek the best of the best and I train under them. When I don’t have an answer, I seek it out. I find someone who does. When I can’t get a clear answer, I research what happened before the problem began and identify the trends. I track, test, follow through and tailor my programs to my client’s need. I live what I preach and learn from what I live.

    When you do anything with passion over a period of years, you become an expert, a master of your trade.  If you are like me, you then want to top what you know. You want to gain more answers and give more solutions. This is what I LOVE! I love being able to give someone a solution to their want or need, particularly when it comes to a better mind, body and health. Many times the solutions are simpler than what one might expect and then other times, a chronic condition may take time to heal, but it CAN be done and if it can not be 100%, a person can drastically slow the progression of their symptoms through the proper guidance. How do I know this? I experience it everyday of my life.

    Now what do I hate about this passion? What I hate about this passion is really my issue. Have you ever lived something, made a mistake and then saw someone you love about to make the same mistake? Have you ever tried to stop them? What happened? Did they listen? Did they believe you? I am sure sometimes they did. You may have helped them avoid a misery you already lived. A lesson you learned from experience.

    What do you feel like when they don’t listen? When your daughter still stands on the counter after you told her not to and then she falls and hurts herself. Or when your sibling keeps dating someone whose tearing them down and it kills you inside. Or when you see your family member continue to abuse themselves through food, alcohol or drugs with no thought of what they are doing to you or their own body? Does it bother you inside? Don’t you want to help them because you know the results of their actions? I would assume most of you would say yes. I know some are built to walk away and let others just live their journey, but for me it’s not that easy.

    When you have been given the gift of being able to absorb so much knowledge and experience from others and self, it’s almost impossible to not want to help others avoid chronic mistakes I see on a day-to-day basis. Many mistakes creating misery, depression, feelings of failure and early death. When I see someone who gives up on themselves because the scale didn’t respond fast enough or someone who is over exercising, under  eating or cutting out whole food groups to live “healthy”, it literally kills me inside. Why? Because I have been there and done that. I know the consequences. I know the short and long-term results. I know the years of quality life people are shaving off their future and the rapid aging they are creating. I know how they are impacting their family’s future by their choices and how they will miss their goal yet again.

    I have people I care about deeply hire me to help them and then negate everything I coach them to do or throw everything out the window once they are on their own. It’s so tough to see them work harder versus smarter, reliving the mistakes I have seen lived a million times over again. But I have to understand, it’s their journey. It’s their lesson to learn and their choice to make, not mine. It’s taken me some time, but I have learned that I can not put my passion on to others. I can not make them want to trust what I tell them. They have to choose what they want and I have to realize I will help some avoid issues all together and I will spend the rest of the time helping people regain the health they lost.

    Having the “crystal ball” has definitely helped me live in the moment, love myself for who I am and value taking care of the body I have today. With two-thirds of adults struggling with weight, over 26 million having diabetes and over $83 billion dollars spent on depression each year, I have a true passion to help slow the statistics. A passion to spread my knowledge to each of you and help you live it on a day-to-day basis. One person at a time, we can be the change we wish to see in the world. Many of us have knowledge, but knowledge is nothing unless it’s applied. So if you know me, you have worked with me in the past or you meet with me in the future, know that when I give you A LOT of information and I send you emails of support, it’s not to tell you what to do. It’s not to seem like a know it all and it’s definitely not to mislead you. It’s just because I have had the chance to see the future and I have learned how to live balanced and happy in the present. It is my passion to help you achieve full vitality and performance. You deserve it. Our children deserve it. And our community deserves it.

    I hope you will allow me to share my crystal ball with you! It’s definitely worth the outcome.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • It’s Better to Be Late and Happy!

    Hmmm? What is Kim talking about now?

    This is a new saying around our facility and something I truly try to live by at home and at work.

    We all know there are obstacles in life.  The plan never exactly happens how we planned it.  The only thing guaranteed in life is change. We are always going to experience setbacks, obstacles and disappointments. What’s different about each of these guaranteed moments in life, is how we choose to react to them.

    Many of us are making our life MUCH harder than it has to be. Each time a stressor comes around, we allow it to consume us. We allow worry, doubt and fear to consume us just anticipating what may come around. If we look back at all the times we have consumed ourselves with worry and doubt, what’s happened? Did you make it through? Did it work out ok or did you make it out stronger than before? I would say most of us would answer yes to the majority of situations. If you’re reading this, you did survive each of the obstacles. Now the question is how do we survive each frustration well? I have found it’s all in how we look at each situation. It’s our personal choice as to how we want to react to each bump in the road.

    For example, the little stressors such as being stuck in a traffic jam or getting lost on vacation:

    Sometimes we get so frustrated that we’re running late, wasting gas or wasting time turning in circles. Although these setbacks can be annoying, is it really worth ruining your day, your moment or someone else’s moment? Now of course I don’t like to be late, but I definitely don’t want to be late and unhappy. The two together are a real crappy combination.

    My loving husband, Herson Garcia, used to get so worked up when we were heading to a conference or leaving for vacation that he would make the whole experience regimented and rushed. For most women and men, this is not a great turn on :>)  If we were running a little behind, he would get less smiley and just resemble a drill sergeant to the kids and I.  By the time we did arrive where we were going, we were all late and unhappy. Being late is one thing, but then screwing up the rest of the trip, event etc. just because we were late, was even worse. This is when I decided to start reminding my family and myself, do we want to be late and at least happy or would we rather lose out on both. “Not I”, said the wise wife. Take my time, but don’t take my happiness with it.

    The same tool can work in many areas of your life.

    Many people are financially strapped right now, unable to take their families on vacation or on a weekend get away. Although it sucks to be looking for ways to pay the next bill, we don’t have to lose our love and kindness to family also. This may sound insane, but you could lose your job and your house and still have love, happiness and peace. How? Think back? What did people do before the big houses existed? What did people do when there were no cell phones, TV’s, fancy cars and Disney World?

    They spent time together. They read books. They worked. They went for walks. They looked for affordable shelter. Before we were so attached to “things” there was happiness. Do you think everyone who was born in the 1800’s walked around depressed? Heck No! It might not have been easy all the time, but they weren’t all on anti-depressants trying to figure out how to cheer themselves up because they couldn’t go on an extravagant vacation or buy the $30,000 and up car. Why? Because it didn’t exist. They weren’t sold to think these things were needed for happiness or for status. Although it is very humbling to have to shut off your cable or cut down on dining out, it doesn’t have to be miserable. It doesn’t have to take your family with it. Money and things is not what creates happiness in a family. It’s the little moments in which everyone still feels safe and loved no matter what is happening around them.

    So how do you make a tough situation like financial loss better?

    • If you have children, have a camp out in their room. Pop homemade popcorn, color with them, make a special craft. They will remember that camp out more so than most major trips to Disney World and it will mean more than buying them something to cheer them up.
    • If you are with a special someone- light some candles and have a nice dinner together. You can put ice water in wine glasses, put the pizza on nice plates and be comfortable together. Show each other that although you may have to take a few steps back financially, you can jump leaps and bounds mentally and emotionally together.
    • If you are on your own, take this time to focus on you. Take care of you. Gather with friends to go for walks. Read a nice book in the park. These things may sound cheesy, but use time of setbacks as an opportunity to slow down a little and do things you can’t do when your slammed with work and killing yourself to pay the bills.

    We have to know there are Universal Laws and the Law of Rhythm states there is a time for everything, with no exceptions. If you can ride out the bad knowing the good is on it’s way, then you have won half the battle. The more you fight the bad with negativity, fear and worry, the longer it will last.

    So although I know it’s not always easy to look for the opportunity in the moments of frustration, there is opportunity and there will be an upswing if you allow it. Try to ride the wave the best you can and know that you have at least two ways of dealing with every stressful situation. You can lose your accessories and lose your family = no money and no love. Or you can take the time to invest more love and security into those around you, while you work together to build the financial security you want.

    You can have a rushed, miserable trip to school and work, arriving late and unhappy.

    Or you can realize it’s always better to be late and happy!