30 Day To a Healthier New You in the New Year

The New Year is upon us again and it’s time to set goals and resolutions. I’m starting a 30 days challenge group for all who would like to join. You can choose how fully committed you want to be but it is a way to help be accountable and be more successful in setting your goals and accomplishing them. I will be setting up a Facebook group for anyone who would like to take up this challenge with me.

You may be asking what does these 30 days challenge entail…well I’m glad you asked.

It’s a way to

• Get healthier
• Lose weight
• Eat more real food
• Replacing items in our diet
• Limit our chemical exposure

It’s a new beginning to a New Healthier You in the New Year.

What I will be doing, and you are more then welcome to follow along the same plan or if you want to email me at sonshineonus@hotmail.com or at lauriena.cruz@facebook.com I would be more then happy to chit chat with you and come up with a plan that suits your needs and your budget. I’m looking forward to starting the Arbonne 30 day fit kit. 

The full kit for the 30 days vegan certified products that are free from harmful chemicals, artificial sweeteners and artificial flavors. (They help fill you up and clean you out.)

• 2 bags of Protein Shakes (chocolate or vanilla)
• 2 boxes of detox tea
• 2 bags of fit chews (that suppress your appetite and curb your sweet tooth)
• 1 bag of fiber boost (flavorless and dissolves quickly)
• 2 boxes of Energy fizz sticks (citrus or pomegranate)

You can also add

• Nutrition snack bars (fruit or chocolate flavors),
• Antioxidant & Immunity Boosters (because as our bodies detox these will help you from getting sick).
• Metabolism Boost 
• 7-day body cleanse (that will help flush out your elimination organs).
• Colon Cleanse (if our colons are clogged up of toxic overload then the nutrients in the food we do consume does not break down allowing us the receive those nutrients they just get flushed out of our bodies)

 

I was going to do the Arbonne 30-day fit kit last year in February but then found out I was pregnant. So, now all the more reason for me to do this plan. I need to still loose about 25lbs of left over pregnancy weight cleansing out my system limiting as much toxins that I consume so I can get more nutrients I consume.

I will be sharing what to do while on the plan and also let you know what I’m able to do, (since I’m breastfeeding my almost 3 month old baby I will not be able to do part of the plan which includes the detoxing products).

If you are pregnant or nursing you should not participate in the detox product because the toxins will cross your placenta (if you are pregnant) or your milk (if you are nursing). 

One of the reasons the Arbonne 30-day fit kit does work so well is because it cleanses out our system of toxic build up of chemicals that we consume in foods, drinks and even our personal care products. (Hair care, skin care, lotions…etc.)

Here is one of my friend who has done the full 30 day fit kit twice. She is down 35lbs and counting=}

Doesn't she look amazing...great job Stacie!!!

As for myself I will be doing the Protein shakes, fiber boost (fiber helps clump toxins together and eliminates them limiting the amount of toxins that would otherwise get in our bloodstream.) I will also be taking the Energy Fizz Sticks from the 30 day fit kit. Once I am no longer breastfeeding a baby or pregnant I want to completely detox my body and do the 7-day cleanse, colon cleanse along with the full 30 day fit kit.

What you do while on the plan you…

1. Clean Out: Highly processed foods, sweets, high in fat & sodium, white refined sugars and flour. Cut out fast foods during these next 30 days. (These items are low in nutrients, vitamins and minerals our bodies need, making it hard for our bodies to function properly eliminating the toxins and chemicals these products are full of.)
2. Stock Up: On healthy food and snacks (this will encourage healthy eating choices)
3. Cleanse: We want to prepare our bodies for a healthier new way of life and maintaining this lifestyle for the long-term. (if you are in the same boat as me...breastfeeding or find yourself pregnant you can drink extra water to cleanse out your body).

 8 Helpful Hints:

1. Stay Hydrated! Drink plenty of water to flush out your system. (A good rule of thumb consume 1 ounce of water for every 2 lbs of body mass…easy way to calculate how much to consume, weigh yourself and then divide by 2.)
2. Slow down! Take your time when eating. Fill up on more raw veggies and fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. (Preferably organic and grass fed…limiting chemical intake)
3. Avoid bad sugars! Stay away from refined sugar found in (sodas, sweetened teas, coffee creamers and sweet foods and drinks).
4. Give in to a little cravings! This is where the fit chews and nutritional bars and healthy snack come in.
5. Stay on track! This is where accountability is so nice to be a part of a group. We get the encouragement we need from other to help us stay focused in completing our goals.
6. Exercise! This will increase your weight loss and increase your energy. It will also help you flush your system of toxins.
7. Get some rest! Most people need an average of 7-8 hours of sleep. If we don’t get enough sleep we have a tendency to over eat (and usually it’s the wrong kind of food). Our bodies also don’t function as well; we need to get rest to function at its optimal level.
8. Stay Strong! Take one day at a time. The first 2 weeks are going to be the hardest, but don’t get overwhelmed. You will see the results if you stick with it. (Just ask my friend Stacie) =}

In the next 30 days I will be blogging helpful tips, recipes, healthy ideas, the importance of detoxing, why what we consume and put on our bodies is so important in our overall health and just the encouragement to keep going for these next 30 days.

I look forward to these next 30 days with all who are looking to becoming 

a healthier new you in this New Year.

Happy New Years!!!

How much are you into your LABELS?

I know some are into Name Brand labels, some are into food labels...Today I'm going to take a closer look into Food Labels and then my next blog will be looking into Product labels that we use on a daily bases. Do you know what you are actually consuming?

A favorite of many. I know I've enjoyed cheetos myself...but do we really know what's in these crunchy orange flavored snack? 

Ferrous Sulfate: it is a type of iron

Niacin: is a B vitamin

Thiamin Monoitrate: Is a synthetic form of vitamin B1 (synthetic product such as they use in vitamins are hard to break down in our bodies and therefore we never actually get the nutrients we need.)

Riboflavin: is a form of vitamin B2

Hydrogenated Soybean Oil: is a chemical process where the liquid soybean oil is heated to high temperatures after adding a catalyst and hydrogen is forcefully passed through the liquid. _{(if it has any chemical processing in the making of the product our bodies have a very difficult time breaking down the food in our system therefore the food is devoid of any nutrients and we become nutrient deficient)} 

Maltodextrin: is a polysaccharid that is used as a food additive. It is produced from starch.

Monosodium Glutamate: is also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid.

Lactic Acid: is also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in various that plays a role in various biochemical processes.

Citric Acid: is a weak organic acid that is a natural preservative/ conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour taste to foods and soft drinks.

“Believe it or not, most artificial flavorings are derived from pretroleum. They have been shown to affect the RNA, thyroid, and enzymes. Most have never even been studied for safety or toxicity. They are all synthesized chemicals that don’t even have common names. Most artificial flavors actually contain many chemicals are volatile.

Sadly, the FDA doesn’t require manufacturers to list color or flavor additives on ingredients left, as long as they are recognized as safe. Some of these can cause allergic reactions in intolerant people, and these folks can find it hard to avoid those substances. Many times the ingredients will simply say “artificial flavors” without mentioning which ones. http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1533006

If you want to read more on the dangers of artificial flavors and colors check this above article out at the http: address. The FDA also allows pink slime in some ground beef and in McDonalds chicken nuggets. http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/pinkslime-ammonia-ground-beef.htm

So hopefully this blog will help be a bit of an eye opener to find out what really is in your food and encourage you to read the labels. If you can consume whole foods at least 90% of the time you are on the right track at getting your health back on track.

Is Ignorance really BLISS?! Part 2

I wonder if people really know the cost of the typical american ignorance to what they feed themselves and their little ones.

USATODAY says, "By Robert Preidt HealthDay

The total economic cost of overweight and obesity in the United States is $270 billion per year while the cost in Canada is about $30 billion a year, a new study shows.

The $300 billion total cost in the United States and Canada is the result of: increased need for medical care ($127 billion); loss of worker productivity due to higher rates of death ($49 billion); loss of productivity due to disability of active workers ($43 billion); and loss of productivity due to total disability ($72 billion), said the Society of Actuaries (SOA)."

The George Washington University did a report that found out "The high price of a high BMI: After tabulating various costs associated with being overweight or obese, the researchers found that being an obese individual in the U.S. costs $4,879 for women and $2,646 for men each year. The overall annual costs of being overweight are $524 for women and $432 for men. The researchers defined “obesity” as a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30, and “overweight” as a BMI between 25–29. Adding the value of lost life to these yearly costs makes the price tag even higher: $8,365 and $6,518 for women and men, respectively."

Those are some scary statistics... And that's just financially. What are the risks of being overweight and obese health wise? being overweight go way beyond the ones we usually hear about, like diabetes and heart disease. Being overweight can also affect a person's joints, breathing, sleep, mood, and energy levels. So being overweight can impact a person's entire quality of life. Here is a list of things of how it impacts our lives.

· Blount disease

· Arthritis

· Slipped capital femoral epiphyses (SCFE)

· Asthma

· Sleep apnea

· High blood pressure

· High cholesterol

· Gallstones

· Fatty liver

· Pseudotumor cerebri

· Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

· Insulin resistance and diabetes

• Depression

Who wants to live with those kind of complications day in and day out. You may not have all these symptoms but we all need to take a good look at where our health habits stand because the habits we have formed over the years will impact our future and what our futures hold. I want to live a long, energetic life. But the only way I can do that is if I start today and turn my bad eating and exercise habits into daily good habits.

Let's begin this journey together so that we can be healthy and strong for ourselves and our loved ones.

Is Ignorance really BLISS?!

I know there's many people out there who love their donuts,

sugar filled treats

Salty Fast Foods

Which I can't blame them, these foods....if we can really call them that

taste really good!!!

(until you start eating healthy, whole foods, then all these foods above taste gross....you can actually taste the chemicals and additives they put in them. Then to top it off they make you feel so yucky, & sick)

Is the love of these foods really what we need?

By choosing to be ignorant and not choosing to educate ourselves on what damage these foods do to our bodies, really allowing you to live a "blissful" life?

What is our choices of being ignorant about the foods we are consuming

and allowing our children to consume doing to our children?....

• In 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.

• The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12-19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over same period.

Immediate health effects

· Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population based sample of 5 to 17 years olds, 70% of obese youth had at least 1 risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

· Obese adolescents are more likely to have pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes.

Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem.

Long-term health effects:

· Children and Adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults 11- 14 and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. One study showed that children who became obese as early as age 2 were more likely to be obese as adults.

Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostrate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. http://bit.ly/WUjQI

WHAT A SAD FATE FOR OUR CHILDREN BECAUSE OF OUR CHOICES TO BE IGNORANT!!!

So let me ask you again…

“Is Ignorance really BLISS?”

I do not have a degree in nutrition but I have been reading and studying health and wellness for about 11 years from doctors, chiropractors, and a variety of books written by naturopathic/ holistic doctor (holistic medicine is the art of science of healing that addresses care of the whole person- body, mind and spirit. The practice of holistic medicine integrates conventional and complementary therapies to promote optimal health, and prevent and treat disease by addressing contributing factor.)

And with all the information I have read I feel as though it is my responsibility as a mom and to be a good steward of what God has blessed me with. I need to be educated for my own sake but most importantly for the sake of my children who will be impacting the next generation.

It is my responsibility to be a good steward to train my children, raising them up to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. So that they are able to fully live out their lives and purpose that God has in store for them. God has given us amazing bodies that will reproduce new cells every 90 days when we are putting the proper foods and nutrients in them...which by far the majority of us are not doing.

Where do we start: We start by living a preventive lifestyle. With a healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related disease.

It's amazing, kids really do like to eat fruits and vegetables if that is what we feed them without constantly filling them with junk food and processed foods. Their taste buds can be trained along with ours to enjoy whole natural foods if that's all we eat.

Do I Need To Detox???

Have you ever wondered if you need to detox? Or even wonder what a detox is? A detox is the removal of all the potentially toxic substances from the body. Just like your house needs a good cleaning to get rid of germs, dust, and dirt or your drains need to be unclogged every now and then so does our bodies need to be cleansed from the inside out. If you are exposed to chemicals and toxins in food, in beverages that you consume pollution in the environment then you are a perfect candidate for a detox. Unless you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Most people say they feel fine but what they don't realize they are not living to their full health potential that they could be living. And if they were taking in the proper nutrients through a raw whole food diet, their bodies needed after getting the toxins out of their system their bodies would produce new cells every 90 days.

Just ask yourself these questions to find out if you could use a good detox.

- Do you experience fatigue or low energy?
- Do you experience brain fog, lack of concentration and/ or poor memory?
- Do you experience recurring yeast infections, jock itch, or foot fungus?
- Do you have less than two bowel movements per day?
- Do you drink processed coffees and colas during the day?
- Do you take prescription medications, sedatives or stimulants?
- Do you live with or near polluted air, water, or other environmental pollution? (don't forget most tap water we use has been treated with chemicals that even if you don't drink it you most likely bathe or shower in it and what ever we put on our skin goes into our blood stream)
- Do you eat fast food, fatty foods, pre-prepared foods or fried foods more than 3 times a week?
- Do you crave or eat sugar?
- Do you experience frequent headaches?
- Do you have bad breath or excessive body Oder?
- Are you overweight?
- Do you experience depression or mood swings?
- Do you have food allergies or skin problems?
- Do you feel sleepy after meals, bloated, or gassy?
- Do you have arthritic aches and pains or stiffness?

If you have answered yes to three or more of the questions above, it is time for a detox!
I am waiting on my 30 day fit kit from Arbonne to come in and will be starting my journey to cleansing my body and getting it onto a lifestyle change of whole foods. As I am on my journey I will keep blogging foods I am consuming and how my body is feeling. Stay tuned in to hear the amazing results. After the 30 days I'll post a before and after picture.

Promoting Healthy Living

So it was a year ago in January 2010 I started cutting High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) out of my diet along with pork.

The first 6 months of 2011 I did really well and could tell I was dropping inches. (I lost 12 lbs in those 12 months). The last half of the year I didn't do so well and gained about 2 lbs back. So, I decided once again to cut out HFCS out of my diet and start working out 10 minutes a day to see the weight and inches start coming off again. Once I have the exercise habit back into my life I will up the time at the beginning of February to 20 minutes a day. My ultimate goal is to work out 30 minutes a day 6 days a week. This year I'm promoting to getting healthier and have started a challenge on Facebook "A New You in the New Year". Your more then welcome to join me on this challenge to bettering yourself and your health, just check out my events and sign up to join us for the challenge.

Here is a picture that was taken of me September 2010, 3 months after Marcus was born.

And then here is a picture taken just a year later October 2011.