Hey there!
I did go shopping for cleanse items and realized I should have allowed more time for traffic, going to two to three different stores for all fresh ingredients and also take into account preparing for my oldest's first camping trip with his bear den/pack.  I thought I had plenty of time to get it all together since it was Spring break in our neck of the woods but I wanted to be a good Mom too and do some fun things with the kiddos.  There I go again trying to fit it all in!  I had to go to two stores to get all of the ingredients and am still lacking the Epsom salts for my wonderful soaking bath.  I can't remember the last time I took the time to soak in a tub!  But I did have a wonderful Spring Break with all of my boys, big and small.

So, my big boys are off to the wilderness next weekend and I will be cleansing my inner self at that time.  I did pick up almost all of the ingredients so I am doing a dry run on some of the recipes.  I am starting with breakfast of course and the Quinoa with Prunes dish.  Yum Yum!  I have to say it smells a bit like feet which I think is the Quinoa combined with fresh ginger.  I did love the rice drink.  I cheated a bit I think because I mistakenly picked up the vanilla flavored.  Quite delicious!  The serving is huge and I imagine if you ate the whole thing you really would not need to eat for several hours if not the whole day.  I do love prunes.  I find them very tasty and have to be careful not to eat too many.  Everything in moderation.   I'm still on the fence about Quinoa.  I know it is jammed packed with nutrients that regular old rice does not have but the texture is a bit different and some people say they are cute little globes but if you look closely, well don't do it.  Just eat it!  It's quite good and the warm prunes are amazing.  The fresh ginger is awesome.  I had a sausage biscuit from McDees this weekend so I am making up for past digressions.
I think I listed Dr. Oz's website incorrectly but if I did not here it is again, doctoroz.com.  If you google droz.com you can still get there but this is the more direct route.  I spent a little time cruising his web site and it is full of helpful information and little tests you can take for body type etc.   Well worth spending an hour or more of your time.  LOTS of great wellness information. Duh, right?
I am late in coming to the Dr. Oz fan club but here I am.  I even picked up one of his earlier books in the budget bin at Barnes and Noble.  It's called YOU Being Beautiful, The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty by Michael F. Roizen, M.D., an Mehmet C.Oz, M.D.  I am really enjoying their often humorous approaches to wellness. The illustrations are cute and it covers a lot of territory.  I bought it for $6.98.  I think anyone who has such an amazing smile must know something.  A secret or two....
A good friend of mine commented on the kale posting and she suggested using it in stir fry.  Thanks Joan!  I know the people who are devout on their wellness journey have known about the benefits of kale forever so I hope you will indulge my newbie lust for it!  I appreciate any comments or recipes.  I am going to go hunt down a recipe for kale chips that a mom at my son's school prepared for the kiddos for Wellness Week's Nutrition Day.  They were scrumptious and the kids ate them like hungry pigeons!  I will post it this week with a link to her very cool blog.
I am also doing an interview tomorrow with an amazing woman that does poetry therapy.  I am looking forward to posting some of it right here for you to view in honor of Poetry Month in April!
If anyone did the cleanse this weekend, let me know and I will post your  comments.  I will keep you posted on the success or failure of mine!  I just had another spoonful of the warm yumminess of quinoa and prunes.  hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Be well,
LeeAnne

Hey there,
I am so ready for Dr. Oz's cleanse.  Yes, that Dr. Oz.  I read his cleanse in the March issue of O magazine and it sounds great!  First of all you get to eat, it's not a juice cleanse and the recipes have lots of flavor. 

If you can't find the O magazine on the racks anymore, go to droz.com.  He has videos and shopping lists to go with the cleanse.  I am starting on Saturday and am looking forward to it.  I will let you know how it goes!  I hope you join me.  I will also be tweeting about it @leeannematusek.  Hey ma, I'm tweeting!

I just completely burned kale chips.  My husband came in from having his cigar and asked, "What smells black?".  I have to admit I did try the burnt ones and they were crunchy and good but tasted burnt.  I am keeping a sharp eye on the second batch!  O.k. I just checked on them and oh my my, who knew kale could be soooo good!  Sharon, you have to try making these? My mother in law Sharon, makes a kale dish around the holidays that I honestly have to say I have never tried.  Well guess what, I love kale!  It is so good for you, you have to try it.  Can you pig out on kale?  Would that be a bad thing?  It can't be.  I'll try it and let you know!

Be well
LeeAnne
xoxo

When I looked in the Webster Dictionary for the definition of “mentor”, I found: the loyal friend and advisor of Odysseus, and teacher of his son, Telemachus . A wise loyal adviser, teacher or coach.

I have been fortunate to have many people “mentor” me in my life.  I look back and think about the road blocks I’ve had and the things that I’ve wanted to do but had no clue how to even start to fix it or do it and  someone has stepped up and helped or guided me.  Now they did not appear like Mary Poppins, drifting down from above ever so gently.  I sought their help out.  I asked for it.  My goal with this blog is to introduce you to many mentors.  I hope to introduce you to many tools to help you live the best life you can.

I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately.  You know, relatively New Year and all.  And I’ve been thinking about what makes a person a success at anything, playing a sport, starring in a movie, starting a new career or getting healthy.  The people who succeed at anything aren’t afraid to ask for help. 

If our car breaks down we call Triple A, right?  If you don’t have Triple A, pick up your phone and dial them up and get it now!  When I moved to Los Angeles 20 years ago a very dear friend of mine gave me a wonderful wedding present.  She gave my darling husband and I a membership to Triple A when she knew we were moving from San Diego to Los Angeles.  I have thanked her numerous times over the years for it.  Most recently I was thankful for their battery service. I was all proud of myself for getting my car cleaned out one busy Saturday and when I went to drive away after the very hard working gentleman handed over my keys, I was more than dismayed to find out my car did not start!!!! But there I was with that beautiful little blue and white card in my wallet and I called that 800 number and they informed me that they had a “battery” service.  Woo whoop! Within the hour I had my battery changed out and I was on my way with the rest of my day.

So when we feel like crap, whether it is mentally , spiritually or physically or “carically” like I was that Saturday,  we should reach out.

You are reading this blog because you are seeking a better way. A way to be healthy and I congratulate you for that seeking spirit.  I hope to guide you on your path to a totally healthy you!  I also hope to make you laugh, just a little.  At the very least to put a very small smirk on your face.

So the truth is, most of us don’t get through a single day without a little help from someone right?  I know I don’t.  I can’t.  I start my day spiritually if I am lucky. If I wake up first, I get to chant (I am a Buddhist). Then I start the coffee and it’s off to the races. J  I hope those of you that are reading this have your special start to your day. A quiet moment with a cup of tea or coffee, or a great work out.

So if you are in a rut or need some guidance, seek out that expert or that friend that knows just how to make you laugh so hard your whole body shakes. 

Don’t be shy, send me your questions, your guidance, your suggestions, your pictures, videos and ideas on how to stay healthy and sane in this moving at mock speed world.

In turn, I will do my best to shine a light on interesting wellness topics.  In my mind wellness covers a lot of areas so be prepared! J I promise to keep it fun. I am going to integrate a lot of what some of you suggested from last year.   I will be posting some pictures and also conducting interviews with who I think are  people that might lead us on the right path to a life that is fuller, happier, ergo chock full of wellness.  Also, some videos or vlogs!

 So I think you get that my blog is not a weight loss blog but truly a wellness dialogue.  It’s going to be  a great year.  You know how I know it?  It is 3-3-12.  That’s three threes if you add 1 and 2 together and three is a magic number and I am finally back to our dialogue about wellness. J

So stay tuned for interviews with people I think will keep you well (what a wide range that could be!) along with photos and links to interesting articles or wellness sites.

I will leave you with one  big challenge for you if you care to join me.  I will be doing the Dr. oz Cleanse from the March issue of Oprah’s magazine. O.K.  You know who Oprah is right?  I know her show is off the air but come on! 

 I am really starting to warm up to the good doctor Oz.  First of all, his cleanse includes food.  Yeah! Can you believe it ?  It is not a liquid cleanse. Food to cleanse your body!  I like this guy.  Yeah, I know, I am late  in coming to the loving Dr. Oz club.  Please be gentle with me.  I am peddling super hard to catch up to 2012!  So I will be doing this cleanse the last week of March and will let you know day by day, yep, you got it right, I will let you know day by day, how it is going with me.

 By the way, Costco has a 20-30% discount on O magazine!  Yippee! I hope you can join me because, well you know, misery loves company.  Dr. Oz has  basically said plan your life around this cleanse because you will be pooping a lot!!!! We are going to know each other really well by the end of this month! J

 

Be well

LeeAnne

Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since I have blogged.  But there is lots to report and so much to share.  I am excited!!  I hope to keep you motivated and laughing on your journey to wellness.  One of my mantras for the new year is BE JOY FULL!!

I am now on Twitter and will be adding videos, pictures, links to challenges, recipes and more to this blog! 2012 is going to be a GREAT year!!  Subscribe and stay in touch. I want to hear from you!

Be well
LeeAnne

MODIFICATION AND MOTIVATION ON YOUR 30-DAY CHALLENGE!

I was thinking about the wonderful feeling of soreness in my shoulders and the tug in my abs from the twice-daily sit-ups I am doing and I thought everyone might not be digging the soreness.  And as the saying goes, sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.

 If you are a fitness enthusiast who has not worked out in a while, like me, then you know what I am talking about.  For those of you that might be new to being on a specific fitness regimen, you might start hurting more (soreness, not out and out pain!) before you can do an exercise with ease.

If you haven’t worked out in a while then you may have felt some soreness the night of day one.  If you are still sore and are thinking of stopping the 30-day challenge, think again!!  DON’T STOP, JUST MODIFY!  I get it.  I had to take last night off.  My knee was a clickin’ and a poppin’ during my jacks in the A.M. routine so I thought I better give them a rest in the evening.  80’s aerobics did my knees in so I have to be careful.  This morning I did isometric squats and still did the arm movements for the jack.  Oh dawgie.  It felt good!  I felt so good that I had modified my workout and had not quit.  Pattin’ myself on the back!

Consistency is what we are going for and I threw in the repetition of exercises we are probably all familiar with to hopefully get you started and make it stick. 

When you are in an exercise program and are working with a trainer it is up to YOU the participant to be honest with your self and your trainer and check in with them during the program.  Trainers also do that with their clients.  So I am checking in with you!

The best time to start your assessment of how your exercise program is going is when you wake up.  Before you even get out of bed tomorrow, check in with your body.  Are you sore anywhere?  Are you SUPER thirsty?  Does it take you longer than usual to wake up and start your morning routine?

Answers to the above questions will determine how you should proceed with exercise during your day.   Soreness and stiffness are common when you start an exercise routine but it should not hamper your normal daily activities. 

If you are extra thirsty in the morning, especially with a hangover, then up your water intake.

If it’s taking you longer to get up in the morning than usual, that is normal.  You are working your body harder.  Consider going to bed or starting your nighttime routine just a smidge sooner than usual.  Even fifteen minutes can help you feel more refreshed in the morning.

So now that your body has your attention, let’s figure out what’s next!

If you are feeling great and motivated, pat yourself on the back and keep going!!!

If you are feeling like you can’t do one more crunch but you LOVE wall push ups, lower your repetition of abs to 10 reps 3 times and keep the wall push ups where they are at for the time being.  Reassess at the beginning of next week or on Friday.

The best thing about working out at home or in your hotel room when you are traveling is that you go at your own pace and do exactly what you want!  The worst thing about it is that you can skip it or not push yourself enough or push your self too much!

HERE IS THE NEXT STEP TO STAY IN THE CHALLENGE:

Now that your body has your attention and you have a desire to keep going, let’s shake up the routine a bit and give you some control!  All I ask of your participation in this 30 day challenge is to do SOMETHING twice a day for ten minutes.  Get a move on!

I designed a pretty good 10-mintute weight bearing routine that can be adjusted to your level of fitness.  Now I am telling you that you can play!  You should do the outlined exercises at least three times a week if like me; you are trying to tone up.

The key to this challenge is to do something once in the AM and once in the PM.  What I am trying to do is to shock my system.  Rev my engines. Confuse my confounded metabolism!!! J  Tighten and tone my physique!!  Probably lose a pound or two along the way.  I won’t be sending out a posse for them!

So you can walk in place for ten minutes twice a day.  I know some of you are going, “That’s so easy!”.  Go ahead. Try it.  If it’s easy, incorporate side lunges and front facing lunges.  That’s pretty advanced stuff so if you know what those lunges are go for it.  If you don’t, don’t worry about it, we aren’t fitting in lunges just yet.

So many things in the world feel like they are out of our control.   I think it is refreshing and reassuring that our health can be in our control.   Wherever you are at right now, you can move through it.  Just get up and start.  Or, sit down and start, depending on where you are health wise.

I love motivational sayings or images.  They always help me move through something that I find difficult.  Today I’ll leave you with something from Stephen R.  Covey.  Who, in my opinion, is one of the best motivational gurus around. 

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” 

Go create yours!!

I know what some of you might be expecting, a deep cleansing fast and lots of cardio or one of the newest fads, Zumba, Piloxi etc.  But for my personal 30-day challenge I’m turning to someone’s philosophy that has been around for decades.  Nope, it's not Jane Fonda.  Been there done that in the 80’s.  I am following Jack LaLanne’s protocol, which was good old-fashioned calisthenics.  Mind you, I’m not competing in any bodybuilding contest (not yet!).  My goal is to increase my cardiovascular endurance and get a little bit of the jiggle out of my wiggle.

So, I am challenging myself and inviting you to join me, with twice daily sets of calisthenics.  I may add a bit of time on my cross trainer but nothing extravagant because I don’t have the time and more exciting than that, research has proven that you don’t need to do hours of exercise to get some  results!  Here is my routine:

THREE SETS OF THE FOLLOWING (Stretch once in the beginning and once when you are finished.)

Stretch

25 sit-ups

25 heel to ceiling small lifts to target lower abs

10  push -ups

25 jumping jacks

Stretch

This entire routine should be done in rapid (as rapidly as you can) succession all the while making sure you are breathing.  I am doing three sets.  The key with any exercise is to make sure you have proper form. 

STRETCHING – things to be careful of: don’t over stretch, don’t bounce your stretch out - be very methodical and take your time.  Breathing all the way!  Starting with arms overhead like I am saying hello to someone way up there in the clouds or in my ceiling fan since I am doing this indoors and then slowly lower your arms and bend at the waist and touch your toes.  Come up slowly feeling each vertebra as you rise.  I then stretch each arm individually; rising up to the ceiling and then bending arm back to touch my back. This will stretch out the triceps area.  Do both sides.  Then hug your arm at the elbow in front of you while trying to touch something at the opposite side of the room with your fingertips. Repeat on the other side. This stretches out your deltoid or shoulder muscle and some back muscles.  Then bring each foot up to touch your behind and hold gently.  Not all of you will be able to touch your toe to your behind so just bend as far as you safely can.  If you find you are losing your balance, you might want to hold on to a chair or dresser.  Then I do a few side bends.  Make sure you breathe throughout, stretching slowly and methodically.

SITUPS- Form on sit-ups is crucial to avoid injury and to get the results you want.  Lay on your back like you are going to take a nap or just have a nice afternoon looking at the clouds and picking out your favorite circus animals.  This is accomplished by lying down with your knees at a 45-degree angle, feet flat on the floor and your hands resting comfortably behind your head.  Now lift your shoulders up to the ceiling.  Watch you don’t strain your neck or pull on your head. Sit-ups don’t have to be big moves to get results.  Eventually it’s fun to rest one hand on your abs and one behind your head.  It’s great to feel those muscles pulling under your hand.

HEEL TO CEILING LOWER AB SITUP – You are on your back with legs at a 90-degree angle so the bottom of your feet are saying hello to the ceiling.  Wiggle your toes, ok you don’t have to wiggle your toes but it’s fun and distracts me from what I am about to do.  Raise your legs ever so slightly to the ceiling.  Some people put their hands behind them near their lower back right before the buttocks muscle starts, for support.  Try to press your lower back into the floor.  Please make sure you breathe through this exercise.  Your normal tendency is to hold your breath. This is never good with any exercise or stretch.

PUSH-UPS – If you can do regular push ups, Good For You!!!  But there are two other variations of push-ups that give you the same results.  First one is the wall push up. Stand with your feet at least twelve inches from a wall with your face forward.  Place your hands shoulder width apart on the wall and lean into them.  Push back up without locking your elbows and voila!  You have done a wall push up, Good For You!  Second way is to position yourself like you were pretending to be your dog/puppy/cat doing their morning stretch.  Kind of like downward dog but no lounging!  Your upper body is going to be like a plank and you will still be on your knees.  Don’t stick your behind in the air!  Hands are shoulder width apart, on the floor; begin to lower yourself to the floor.  You don’t have to go down too far to start feeling it in your shoulders and forearms of course but if you really focus on the muscles you are using, you will start to feel them working for you.  You might also notice how your stomach muscles engage as you are doing this style of push up.  Some people call them girlie push-ups.  I just call it gettin’ the job done!

JUMPING JACKS- ok, make sure you wear some type of supportive bra. First tip!! Secondly, you don’t have to jump around like a crazed kindergartener trying to get their Presidential patch for completing the challenge (They have since changed the name of that test we all took in school at one time or another and I will have a post on that soon.).  Jumping Jacks are a great way to get your blood pumping and give some large muscle groups a great work out!  You know the drill, hands together and feet apart.  If you want to make it more of an isometric move, and you are not ready to jump around like a crazed kindergartener, you can jump to a small squat position, pump your arms over your head, then lift off to your jack.  This is done much slower than a normal jumping jack.  You will still get a cardio and strengthening work out without any injury.  Then, as one of my favorite aerobics guru used to say, Feel the Burn!!! Love this as a quad strengthener and toner!!! 

Once you have done three sets of the above, stretch, drink water (which you can and should do throughout the exercises), pat self on back for job well done, put a smile on your face because you have completed day one of my first physical challenge!! Hooray!!

I kept some notes during my first day doing this routine:

“After first set of jumping jacks, quads already feeling it. Yikes!!”

“After second set of push ups, right rotator cuff hurt a little. Third set, completely warmed up and feeling GREAT! ”

I really wanted my first physical challenge to be doable for everyone.  So I went back to a tried and true method, basic calisthenics as exercise.  My Mom loved Jack LaLanne.  She said he saved her so many afternoons when the kids (me and my siblings!) were driving her nuts!   He was an awesome physical specimen right up until he passed away this year at 96.  So if it worked for him and millions of others, why not?  If you haven’t done it, check out his website, www.jacklalanne.com.  He has a very timely and inspirational message from his TV show.  It’s amazing how some things change and some stay the same over the years.  Let me know what you think! 

I was also thinking about the terminology of weight loss.  BATTLE of the bulge. DIET wars…instead of being at war with our physical selves why don’t we embark on a fabulous collaboration with our minds to feed our machines with the best “grade” of food we can afford. (Key word there, “afford”).  

No wonder we are grumpy when starting a new diet and exercise routine.  I think diet is one of the least favorite four letter words I know.  I think the sooner we become comfortable knowing we should eat a healthy, balanced diet 90% of the time, the sooner we can get on with the joy of LIVING!!!!

I hope you have fun coming along on the journey with my 30-day challenge.  I am looking forward to your comments and questions.  I will be posting along the way with my own observations! 

If you have not worked out in a long time you should check with a physician first before starting a new work out routine.    

Hi there,
I hope all of you are enjoying the beginning of summer!  I am trying.  After next week my schedule frees up a bit and I can breath and play.  REALLY looking forward to some down time.  I am also looking forward to devoting more time to the blog.  I am researching some interesting topics, well, to me they are interesting and I hope you will find them to be too.  I will be announcing a personal 30 day journey I will begin July 1st.  Maybe some of you will join me.

I have to apologize for being gone so long.  Time just flew.  I also have to share a novice's blunder in the blog world.  It really is quite comical that I am attempting to communicate with people via a blog when I am so technically challenged.  But I am determined to have a go at this and I hope you will be patient as I learn and post simultaneously.

Somehow I did not activate an "email notifier" and had not received any notices regarding comments on my blog. Well low and behold, I got to sit down one afternoon and click on the computer to look around a bit and was shocked to see 170 emails.  Yowza!!  I was blown away.  So many lovely comments and such great encouragement to me as a beginning blogger.  Thank you thank you.  I hope I keep it interesting enough that you keep coming back!

In the next sixty days I will post at least one video blog and I am going to update my site at least once a week.  So much is going on in health care and new studies are coming out daily on how to live a healthy life.  I can't wait to share a lot of these discoveries with you. 

I promise to get through all of the comments and get them posted asap! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and suggestions with me.  It means a lot to me that you took the time to read my commentary and felt strongly enough to jot down a message!

Be well
LeeAnne

As I was checking out the magazine rack at my local grocery store before the holidays, I was taken aback by how many magazines had devoted  HUGE articles to the issue of the dreaded belly fat.  There were more than seven.  That is where I stopped counting.  These weren't just health magazines but "For Women First" and Ladies Home Journal.  It got me thinking.  Does Santa worry about belly fat?  I mean, he does have one of the biggest bellies that I have seen.  If he zipped into Ralphs on his big night out and saw those magazines, would he dash off to the nearest fat farm after his big gig on December 24th? 

When I started my blog, my beautiful sister asked if I could help her solve her health issue of the dreaded "Meno-pot".  These are the pot bellies that are normally associated with menopause.

Now I have the lovely C-section pot.  I feel a bit like a kangaroo awaiting the return of it's young.  I actually noticed one on Julia Roberts in a photo taken of her after her twins were born.  She was in a bikini only 2 or 3 months after giving birth but I swear I saw a bit of a pot peeking over her bikini bottom.

One magazine that I read  specifically outlines how Vitamin D  can help with belly fat.  It was the November 29th issue of "for women First".  Great little magazine with a lot of information for little money.  It costs $2.49 an issue.

Here is an excerpt from the article: " Scientists have uncovered the ultimate catch-22; (1) Circulating vitamin D is associated with fast and easy fat burn; (2) Fat cells lock up vitamin D, creating a lack of the nutrient in virtually 100 percent of overweight women, so even if they supplement and sun, they can still fall short.".

Now these were no slacker doctors doing this research.  "The two researchers- one from McGill University in Canada, the other from Children's Hospital Los Angeles, had set out to do a study to determine if vitamin D could help young adults gain peak bone mass.  They recruited 90 women in California between the ages of 16 and 22 and put them through extensive body scans to examine how their vitamin D levels correlated with height, weight, body fat distribution and bone mass.  The researchers didn't find what they were looking for - there was no correlation between low circulating vitamin D levels and low bone mass - but they did discover a strong, shocking link between low vitamin D and belly fat."

Research was also done in southern climates and they found that women in those areas also were lacking in Vitamin D.  "Women with insufficient vitamin D levels had 80 percent more abdominal fat than their high - D peers."

They had a cool graphic accompanying the article that looked like a puzzle in your stomach that you were solving but I can't recreate that here.  I will tell you what they said: "How vitamin D solves the belly-fat puzzle."  (1) It promotes fat metabolism : D cuts output of the parathyroid hormone, revving the liver's breakdown of fat. (2) It drains fat cells : The hormone form of D activates receptors in fat cells that suppress growth. (3) It nixes appetite : D increases sensitivity to leptin, a hormone that sends satiety signals to the brain. (4) It increases muscle strength : D has been shown to reduce the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue, a factor linked to increased strength.

So a little Vitamin D might help that belly fat.  But like all things, check with your doctor before you start mega dosing Vitamin D.  There is a test that your doctor can do to check the  Vitamin D levels in your body.

I hope your holiday season was a merry one and you didn't gain an extra ounce.  My hubby actually lost five pounds over the holidays.  Congrats honey!!!  My goal was to enjoy myself and not gain weight and I achieved it.   I hope all of your holiday wishes came true!

Be well
LeeAnne

Lately, I have really been listening to how I talk to my three year old twins.  I try REALLY hard to answer all of their questions.  I also try to be  patient and kind.  It takes a lot for me to lose it with them.  Now when that little voice in my head is talking to me, most of the time it's not patient or kind.  "Why did I eat that Zinger?", "I can't believe I  couldn't squeeze in ten minutes of situps!".  "Seriously, reading INSTYLE instead of HEALTH magazine!". 

Sometimes it's not a very friendly place in our heads.  Most of the time we go out of our way to be kind to a stranger but we so easily kick ourselves in the fanny for the simplest of things. 

There is a book I would like to share with you that is fascinating and proves the point that words really do mean things and can do damage.  It's called The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto.  Here is a brief explanation of what the book is about, "The Hidden Messages in Water introduces the revolutnionary work of internationally renowned Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto, who has discovered that molecules of water are affected by our thoughts, words, and feelings.  Since humans and the earth are composed mostly of water, his message is one of personal health, global environmental renewal, and a practical plan for peace that starts with each one of us.".

"Dr. Emoto found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns.  In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull clors.  The implications of this resarch create a new awareness of how we can positively impact earth and our personal health.".

I would encourage everyone to read this book.  I think it will change how you speak to others and most importantly change the way you speak to yourself.

Let me give you a personal example of how words can stick with you.  I was called "the big girl" for my entire childhood.  What my relatives meant was tall but what I heard was FAT.  I am 5'9" and have been that tall since I was 13 years old.  I was always the one in the back row with the boys for class pictures.  I was obsessed with the fact that I was taller than almost everyone.  So I felt like a hulking freak for most of my tween years.  I still felt like the FAT girl when I entered freshman year of high school even though I lost some of the baby fat in my face, got contacts and grew my hair long.  I always wanted to look like my sister who reminded me of Susan Day from the Partridge Family.  She seemed just the right height with long sleek hair.  She also had the coolest clothes and she was very thin.  Perfect combination in my mind.

Even though the reaction from some of my classmates that freshman year was palpable,  "Wow, what happened to you!?",  I was still insecure.  I know most people are insecure throughout those first 12 years of schooling but I really contribute my geeky feeling to my "Big Girl" status with my family. 

I don't blame my family for any of my insecurities.  I am just pointing this out to you because of the impact two words have had on me for my entire life.  On me and my body image.  I also really dislike the word FAT.  I dislike it so much I have taught my children to say someone is "wide" not fat.  I'm sure if the person overheard my child's observation they would still be hurt but I want to teach my kids from an early age that words mean things and they can hurt people's feelings.  Words can also make someone feel amazingly great about themselves.

I also didn't want my kids running around and saying the word fart.  I don't know why that word offends me but it does.  So we asked our oldest to call gaseous emissions, solar flares.  You know, the sun is a star and when gas shoots out of the sun it's called, you got it, a solar flare!  Hank thought that was hysterical.  The twins like the word toot for their gassy emmissions.

I'm not saying we all turn into Stuart Smalley from Saturday Night Live but it's not a bad idea to be kind to ourselves.  Life can be hard so why not go easy on yourself.  When you look in the mirror next time, smile and be grateful for the amazing gift of your life and all that it entails.  That means being grateful for your body exactly as it is right now.

Be well
LeeAnne

Wow.  I have to apologize to anyone that has been coming to my blog and not finding any updates.  I have been having a bit of trouble fitting my blog into my life!  A little update to keep you in the know.  The weekend before my now second grader was to start school our beloved family dog Nellie got sick and collapsed.  That was Saturday night.  We kept her comfortable that Sunday and brought her to the vet first thing Monday morning.  They knew they couldn't help her so they sent us off to a vet hospital.  They diagnosed her with a tumor encompassing her spleen. The diagnosis was not good even with chemo so we decided to help her on her way to her next adventure . She was an amazing dog and my best friend.  I am so glad I was there for her.  It was a privilege to be owned by her.  We will always love her and she will always have a special place in our hearts. 

That is one reason why my blog has fallen to the side.  I have also been dealing with one of my twin's transitions from state funded therapies for some speech and motor delays he has,  to school therapies.  We have been going through what is called the IEP process.  I will not go into detail here other than to say I have been doing a LOT of deep breathing exercises and stretching to stay calm through out the process.

I was fortunate to squeeze in a coffee meeting with a group of gals I have known for years. My first born Hank went to Mommy and Me with their kids.  I hadn't seen everyone in several months if not a year.  They remarked at how good I looked since I have lost over ten pounds since I had last seen them. Gotta love sister friends.   I was well on my way to getting the last bit of that baby weight off and with the stress of losing my dog I lost the rest pretty quickly.

When Nell passed I really thought about what a wonderful part of our family she had been these past nine years and when she passed I wanted to honor her in the best way possible.  I thought the best way I could do that was to not fall apart.  Trust me, I really wanted to dive into a bag of chips and not surface until I was covered with greasy chip stains and crumbs covering my body but I didn't reach for food.  I reached for my prayer beads.

In my introductory blog I did not mention that I am a practicing Buddhist.  A Soka- Gakkai Buddhist to be exact.  I knew it would eventually come up because it is a big part of my wellness.  If you want to know more about it, please email me.  When you have a loss in your family any and all faiths are a welcome comfort.

So I prayed every moment I could to stay steady for myself and my family.  I also had my mom and sister coming into town to visit for a week or so that week.  I had never had such conflicting emotions in my life. I was so happy two of the most important women in my life were coming to visit and one of the most important canine females had left me physically.  

We had such a great visit with my family and I will be forever grateful to them for taking the time to come and visit. 

I have been thinking a lot about how I reacted to these stresses in my life and really want to share with you why it was different for me this time.

I had control.  I didn't have control of my dog's illness but I had control of how I could help her with this illness.  I had always taken her to the best vet and when I really needed them, they came to bat for me.  Shout out to VCA Clinic. She had the best care and I was able to be a good mom to her and help her out of her misery.

I also thought about my path that I am on and how I treat myself.   She had a great life.  We made sure she had great food and had plenty of exercise and gave her lots of hugs and kisses.  We never left the house or went to bed without big hugs and kisses for Nellie from all of the family.

I do the same for all of the family members in my household.  I make sure all of my boys have a balanced diet and get enough exercise.  Why am I not doing it for myself?  I used to justify it by thinking well, I'm the mom of three, I'm just too busy.  Well when Nell passed I thought to myself, she had a great nine years on this planet.  How is the rest of my life going to play out?  Am I always going to be thinking about food?  HELL NO!!!  I finally got good and fed up with thinking about it and just stopped.

I still think about eating of course, but I have stopped thinking about what I need to stay away from or what's "bad" for me.  I eat whatever I want within reason.  The weight started melting away.  I was blown away when I reached my pre baby weight within a month of Nell's passing.  I still missed her but I didn't fall into my food abyss like the other times in my life when something went wrong.

I also found a fantastic web site that offers tons of information for FREE!  It is the only other weight loss web site I endorse.  The other one is Weight Watchers.  Check out www.Sparkpeople.com.  It's amazing!!!  So much free guidance to a healthy life.  The founders life is pretty interesting.  Check it out for yourselves and let me know what you think.

So I challenge you to ask yourselves, are you eating to live, or living to eat?  We need to enjoy ourselves with everything we do. Whether it's raising our kids or working at our jobs or doing a PTA fundraiser.  Life is short and as far as we know, we only get one ride so let's enjoy the heck out of it to the best of our ability.

If your weight is bugging you, watch what you are eating. It really is a simple calculation of ENERGY IN / ENERGY OUT.   I wish it were more complicated than that. Then we would all have something or someone else to blame for our unhealthy habits but the truth is (with some exceptions) we are responsible for ourselves.  If you aren't going to get much exercise in that day, you should not consume too many calories. 

You know what, it really isn't that bad if you keep your sense of humor and find the right support system.  I hope you join me here and  I will always do my best to send you  tips to help you on your way. 

So check out Sparkpeople.com and let me know what you think and stay strong! 

Be well
LeeAnne