Health Archives - Page 5 of 7 - Wannabe Balanced Mom

February 1, 2011 · in Health· Life of a Wannabe

Squatting Toilets

Yes, these do exist, and yes, I’m being serious…
Sort of…
Sorry for the visual here, but seriously, this is factual information. The other night Sean was researching these and I was about to die at the thought of him actually getting one put in our house. If you know my husband then you know he is MR. Health Nut. Always finding the newest natural remedies to preventing disease and preserving his health hence the reason we do Isagenix. I love that about him, for the most part, but sometimes it can be a little extreme.

“Squat toilets are thought to be safer than seated versions. Many believe that sitting on a toilet can lead to bladder, prostate or uterine nerve damage. When this damage occurs, the organ(s) become more prone to disease. This may lead to colon cancer, constipation, IBS, diverticulitis and other prostate or uterine diseases.
Also, using the restroom in a seated position may lead to hemorrhoids. A squatting toilet prevents this from happening. In addition, many suggest that when you sit during a bowel movement, all fecal material is not removed from your body. Any that is left over may stagnate and lead to diseases, such as those listed above.”
Information source

I thought this cartoon was hilarious!!! What a nice visual of the difference a squatting toilet makes right.

Who knows, next time you come over to my house you might just find one of these.

December 30, 2010 · in Health· Isagenix· Life of a Wannabe· Weight Loss

ARE YOU READY FOR 2011!!!!

I really love this time of year, there’s just something so refreshing about a NEW year. It’s a time to take a look at our lives and ask ourselves, Is THIS where I want to be? If not, then What do I need to DO to get to where I want to be?

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It’s important to be grateful and content with our lives and where we’re at, but we also need to continue to better ourselves with each passing year. I think one of the biggest mistakes we make when making our new years resolutions, is forgetting to see all that we HAVE accomplished. A lot of times we get discouraged because we haven’t stuck to our goals as perfectly as we had planned. First of all, there is NO such thing as perfect. Don’t beat yourselves up over eating that piece of chocolate cake when you vowed you’d cut out all junk food this year. Don’t throw in the towel, give yourself some credit and try again tomorrow.
One of the most popular new years resolution is to LOSE WEIGHT, don’t we all know it. The market for weight loss products and services was worth nearly $121 billion in 2009 and it only continues to increase. Although I have not ever been overweight, I, like most women, have struggled tremendously with body image. I tried everything under the sun to lose weight, including starving myself which didn’t ever last very long. I was an emotional eater so starving myself just made me MORE anxious and in the end I would binge. Which then of course led me to the idea of purging, and to be completely honest, I tried and tried but could not make myself throw up, sorry for the graphic details. I guess my gag reflexes are pretty strong. Of course I’m glad that I wasn’t able to throw up because that could have led to a major eating disorder I’m sure.

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It wasn’t until my mission in Germany where I finally began to love my body the way it was, even 25 pounds heavier. I was able to get to a better place emotionally and I wasn’t so obsessed with the way I looked. I started enjoying food on a healthier level mentally and emotionally. I quit beating myself up each time I indulged in all the yummy food and chocolate Germany had to offer. I noticed I started eating slower and took the time to enjoy what I was eating more and in turn I would eat less.
Overcoming poor body image and loving your body is the first step for an overall healthier life. When I first did a cleanse it wasn’t to lose weight, it was simply to better my health, and when the weight started coming off it was just an added bonus. I’m not saying I’ve got it all figured out and now I NEVER struggle with poor body image, it’s an ongoing battle, especially after having kids. I’m still learning to love my body, saggy skin and all. I think this is something women will constantly have to work on. We need those simple reminders that, looks aren’t everything, our HEALTH is what we need to be concerned about.
I try to make healthier choices where I can, but I also enjoy a nice juicy hamburger or a some chocolate chip cookies once in a while. Oh, and by the way, I found some YUMMY organic candy bars recently you’ll have to try. They are called Angell candy bars, my favorite is the snow angel, it’s white chocolate with a creamy coconut center. You can find them on Amazon, Snow Angell Organic Candy Bar 12-Pack

Okay so anyway, back to new years resolutions. I recently told you about my new goals for trying out all the things on my bucket list. Each month I’m choosing a different item from the list to help me focus on improving my talents and developing new skills. November was to write a song, still in the works, I’m coming back to this one for sure. December was to brush up on my German so I was reading Twilight, watching DVD’s, and reading my scriptures ALL in German. January is going to be my month to learn more about photography. I don’t want to become a professional photographer, I just want to learn how to take better pictures with my camera I got not too long ago. I plan to share what I’m learning too, for all you beginners out there.

Well I hope you are all finding the motivation to make this year the best one yet!!! Have a wonderful weekend and Happy New Year!!!!!!

By the way, if you haven’t entered my giveaway yet, be sure to check it out. I’m giving away one of my planners with 3 complete months of meal plans and grocery lists. Ends January 5th.

December 8, 2010 · in Health· Making Dinners

Quinoa is SO Good and Healthy too!

I never even knew what quinoa was about a year ago and now it’s become part of our weekly menu. Here is what it looks like before it’s cooked.

And this is after (you can cook the same way as rice in a rice cooker).

I got the following information from www.lifestyle.iloveindia.com

Quinoa is rich in protein content. In fact, it is a complete protein as it contains all the essential amino acids, especially lysine, which is required by the body to grow and repair tissues.

It has high content of manganese in it, which acts as antioxidant in the body and helps it get rid of dangerous cancer cells and other diseases.

The seed proved to be a good source of magnesium, which provides relief from migraine headaches, relaxes blood vessels, and decreases the risk of hypertension.

Riboflavin present in quinoa reduces the frequency of migraine attacks, by producing energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells.

The presence of potassium and magnesium in quinoa prevents clogging of arteries and hence, relieves stress on the heart.

Quinoa has low content of saturated fats and cholesterol, making it an ideal food for every health conscious consumer.

It is a good source of calcium, which is extremely important for the growth of healthy teeth, bones and skin.

The grain is a boon for people who are allergic to wheat and are suffering from Celiac disease, as it is gluten free.

Quinoa is a wonderful source of fiber for the body, which aids easy elimination and toning of colon.

The food is rich in carbohydrates, an efficient fuel for energy production required by children and athletes.

It is a good source of insoluble fiber that helps avoid gallstones, especially in women who are more prone to them.

The high content of copper present in it helps in oxidizing glucose, produces skin coloring agent melanin and acts as catalyst in the formation of hemoglobin.

There are so many great quinoa recipes out there, so I thought I’d share a few. If you use my weekly meal plans then you’ve probably noticed that I put quinoa on there every week. It’s because it’s so dang healthy!!!

Here’s a great looking dish from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Here’s some yummy looking soup from Laylita’s Recipes

You can even use it to bake with, here are some delicious looking muffins from Cooking With Kimberly

I usually just have it plain, but I really need to start spicing it up a bit. You can get a 4 pound bag of gluten free organic quinoa at Costco for only $8. I think thats a pretty great price because I was just looking at places online to buy it and I saw prices for organic quinoa up to $60 for a 9 pound bag.

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November 29, 2010 · in Health· Isagenix· Weight Loss

How Do You Feel?

I don’t know about you but I am feeling SICK… sick from eating so much crap over the weekend. I’m sure I gained at least 5 lbs and feelin it in my jeans.

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I’m getting ready to do a cleanse and thought I’d answer a few frequently asked questions about the program I do.

What do you DO when you’re cleansing? Do you get to eat at all?

First of all, YES, you do get to eat on certain days. It starts out with 2 warm up days, you’ll be replacing 2 meals with the meal replacement shakes, and have one regular healthy meal around 400-600 calories. Then you’ll start the 9 day with 2 days of cleansing where you’ll basically just be on a liquid diet, drinking the cleanse juice provided in the 9 day Pak (it’s not as hard as it sounds, with the amount of water you’ll drink as well as the cleanse juice, surprisingly you won’t be that hungry). Then you’ll do 5 days of the shakes again (shake, meal, shake), then finish with another 2 cleansing days.

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Will I gain the weight back?

Yes, you will gain the weight back if you don’t go on some sort of maintenance program or begin making regular cleansing part of your life. There is no such thing as a quick fix, cleansing should be done as often as every 3 to 6 months. Just like changing the oil in your car in order for it to run properly, so is it with the body. I am not the type of person that can just eat perfectly for the rest of my life, I like to enjoy all the yummy foods this world has to offer, so I don’t deprive myself. I have noticed that I crave less of the junk after cleansing though. As for the maintenance program, it’s very simple, all I do is I start out each day with my yummy Isalean shake. It’s quick and easy, and tastes great! Plus I just feel good when I have the shakes, it’s the best way to start out my day, providing the body with all the nutrients it needs. I’m sure you all know that our food these days is not what it used to be. Our food is depleted of nutrients, which means we eat WAY more than we really need. Our body is only telling us it’s hungry, because it’s craving NUTRIENTS!

How will I feel during the cleanse? Nauseous, hungry, tired, headaches, ect? Will I be stuck to the toilette all day?

First of all, NO, you won’t be stuck to the toilette, if anything you may experience a little constipation, but nothing a little magnesium can’t fix 🙂 Most people feel fine during the cleanse, but it’s totally normal if you experience a minor case of any of the above. Just take it easy on cleanse days, drink lots of water, and take a nice relaxing bath.

How much does it cost?

About $5 a meal, which I don’t think is too bad considering what the average person is spending on consumable products. Think about the amount of money you’re already spending each day on things you consume, Starbucks, Diet cokes, fast food, ect. I’ve had people tell me that they’ve actually SAVED money when they were on a cleanse. Here is a great cost breakdown you can look at. Just click on it to enlarge.

The membership is just like a costco membership. Gives you access to all the wholesale prices for 1 year. You can go to www.wannabelean.com to get all set up with your program. Watch the videos on the site, and click on GET STARTED if you’d like to give it a go.

I’m going to leave you with some pretty interesting information on the HCG diet. These are documents so just click on it if the text is too small to read and it will enlarge.

If you like me 🙂 then click to vote for me! That’s all you have to do, just click, nothing else is required beyond that! Your click is your vote. You can vote daily too.

P.S.
Only one more day to enter the $36 Effie’s Heart Gift Card Giveaway! This could make a great Christmas gift too!

September 5, 2010 · in Health

Garden Fresh

About 6 months ago Sean and I watched the movie Food Inc. If you have not yet seen it then I HIGHLY recommend you taking the time to watch it. I seriously could not believe some of the things I learned about the food we’re all eating. This movie will make you think twice about what you’re putting into your mouth. After watching it we were inspired to start our own garden.

This year is my very first gardening attempt. I’ve never been one to grow my own produce, let alone keep a simple house plant alive. So I wasn’t too optimistic about being able to grow something I could actually eat.

I was pleasantly surprised when I started seeing little green spuds popping up, then turning into this!

The book Square Foot Gardening has been my little guide and has converted me to true gardening. I would even dare say I’ve developed a “green thumb” 🙂

August 24, 2010 · in Health· Isagenix

Fountain of Youth

Don’t you wish there really was such thing as the fountain of youth?
Instead, all we have to look forward to is botox and plastic surgery. I’m all about preventing premature aging, although this wasn’t always the case. Now looking back at all the hours I spent in the sun, staying up way too late, drinking alcohol and experimenting with cigarettes. I wish I could take it all back for the sake of my skin… oh AND my health of course 🙂
I’ve mentioned that I’m reading this amazing book on the brain called Magnificent Mind at Any Age (1st): Natural Ways to Unleash Your Brain’s Maximum Potential [Treat Anxiety, Memory Problems, ADD, and Insomnia]. I’m seriously learning some incredible things about the brain from this book. The Author says that the most effective way of preventing premature aging is by increasing blood flow. Anything that limits blood flow will dramatically age all your body’s organs, and we all know that our skin is the most important organ. Life isn’t worth living if you’ve got wrinkles and saggy skin!!! Okay, you all know I’m kidding right?
Anyway, I wanted to share with you the list of things mentioned in the book that are all factors in what limits or disrupts blood flow. (note, the bold text is from the book, and the italic are my thoughts and comments.)

Stress. The overflow of the stress chemical adrenaline constricts blood flow to many areas of the body. Ha, well, how in the heck are we supposed to eliminate stress in motherhood? That’s a tough one. I guess my suggestion would be a weekly date night, a monthly girls night out, then of course you gotta have your own personal cook, housekeeper, and nanny. That should do the trick.
Caffeine. This substance directly constricts blood flow to the brain, disrupts sleep, and is involved in dehydration. We all know that eliminating caffeine is NOT an option!!! I know I could do better at cutting back, but why not just drink more water? Sounds like a better plan to me.
Nicotine. Aw, crap! Do I really have to give up my tobacco chew?
Environment toxins. These toxins poison blood vessels. This is the biggest reason why I’m so into cleansing the body. I’ve learned how important it is to rid your body of these toxins in order to maintain better health and of course lose the excess pounds we all tend to put on as we get older. I use to think that it’s normal to gain weight as you get older. Well, it IS normal, but there are ways of preventing this awful curse. If you haven’t already tried the cleanse I do periodically, then you should seriously look into it. I lost 25 lbs and went from a size 10 to a 5. See my before and after pics HERE, and go to www.wannabelean.com if you’d like to order.
Lack of sleep. People who get less than six hours of sleep at night have lower overall blood flow to the brain. Gosh, it’s no wonder women tend to age faster than men. Women get way less sleep, especially during pregnancy and with a new born. A lot of moms have trouble falling asleep at night because our minds are going a million miles a minute thinking about all the things that need to get done the next day. I’ve found Melatonin to be very effective. It TOTALLY works. It’s only $5 on amazon or most any grocery store has it, look for it in the vitamins section.
Lack of exercise. In addition to weakening the heart pump, too little exercise allows blood vessels to become droopy and less efficient. Droopy? Well um, I don’t think I want anything else on my body getting droopy, inside or out. There’s nothing good that comes from droopy. Anyway, I truly believe that a 20 min work out each day is all it takes. I’m actually doing the Insanity work out right now, but it’s the first time in years that I’ve pushed myself this hard. I just thought I needed a little pick me up so I’m giving it a shot.
Drug or Alcohol abuse. These substances are directly toxic to the vascular system. Drugs or alcohol cause a toxic Swiss cheese appearance on scans from the overall decreased blood flow. Hmm, a swiss cheese brain doesn’t sound too good. This one is easy for me since I’m a Mormon and already follow the word of wisdom. If it wasn’t for my strong belief in the teachings of the LDS church I would most likely be a drunken mess, embarrassing myself in public, slurred speech, shouting out loud obnoxious comments at the grocery store while removing articles of clothing and forgetting things like, my name and where I am.

So the moral of the story is: Stay young and beautiful by living a stress free life. Stop drinking all that rum and coke, overcome your Nicotine addiction, drink more water, get at least 8 hours of sleep, exercise like a maniac, lock yourself up in a air filtered room, NEVER go outside or eat anything other than organically pure food, or you can just cleanse 🙂
Let’s avoid those nasty wrinkles and saggy butts ladies. Nobody likes a droopy set of…
blood vessels.

Squatting Toilets

ARE YOU READY FOR 2011!!!!

Quinoa is SO Good and Healthy too!

How Do You Feel?

Garden Fresh

Fountain of Youth

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