Are you dependent on prescription drugs?

Are you headed down a path of sickness and disease? Are you dependent on prescription drugs?  Do you think we are being over medicated?  I realize that sometimes there is a need for prescription drugs but I personally am not taking one without exhausting every other option available.  I don't like putting medication in my body and will avoid it at all cost.  When we fuel our bodies with bad food, smoke or excessive drinking, it is no wonder that we spend so much time in Dr's offices, clinics and hospitals.  I want more for my life.  I want to do everything in my power to stay healthy and away from those places.  Have you ever stopped to think about how it would be to have a chronic illness?  Unless you have one, probably not.  Having to be dependent on insulin or oxygen to breathe, or going for daily dialysis treatment or chemotherapy.  I don't know about you but I don't want to hear that diagnosis.  From everything I read, diet plays a huge role in health and wellness.  If you haven't tried to clean up your diet, maybe it is time you did.

About 14 months ago, I decided to up my odds of getting sick.  I decided to change not only what I ate, but the amount I ate.  I realized that we don't need the amount of food we think we need.  Our bodies can survive and thrive, with much fewer calories than we are normally eating.  And, I have fallen in love with cleansing my body on a regular basis.  One of the best things we can do for our health is to cleanse toxins and impurities from our bodies.  When I began my program, I wasn't sure how I could possibly get through a cleanse day and now I don't know how I ever got by without one.  They are empowering and make you feel light, clean and super healthy.  Just knowing that you are reaching deep down to every single millionth cell and organ in your body and restoring and renewing and flooding it with perfect nutrition, well, that is just amazing in itself. 

Start today by make some changes.  Limit your caloric intake.  Quit smoking, Drink less alcohol, Say no to fried foods.  Limit your sugar intake.  Stop buying so many processed foods.  No more soda.  Drink more water, No high fructose corn syrup.  Nothing with artificial flavors or colors, No artificial sweetener and No soy (that is a a subject for another blog).  Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where the produce, organic meats, organic dairy and seafood sections are.

My nutritional program balances hormones, gives you mental clarity, energy, better sleep, floods your system with vitamins and minerals that you may be deficient in and fuels your body with perfect nutrition.  When you do that, your body rewards you in the most amazing way.  If you want optimal health, I have found the secret to getting it. 

Are you toxic? Take the Test..

Even though I have eaten mostly healthy foods for many years, I was gaining about 2-3 lbs each year.  I had belly and midsection fat that was going no where, no matter how hard I dieted and worked out.  I never realized that toxins hide out in fat cells and unless you do deep cleanses, they remain there.  You can't escape toxins, they are everywhere.  The environment, your workplace, cleaning products, cosmetics, shampoo, lotions, alcohol, the food you eat.  Not to mention, prescriptions, chemo and radiation.  I could go on and on.  Your weight doesn't have anything to do with how toxic you are.  EveryBODY needs to do cleansing on a cellular level.  The nutritional and cellular cleanse that I do on a regular basis, floods the body with nutrients and minerals while pulling toxins from the deepest cells and organs in your body.  If you told me a year ago that I would love cleansing, I would have told you, you are nuts.  Well, I will shout it from the rooftop, I LOVE CLEANSING.  It is healthy, gives you renewed energy and is empowering.  It gets better and better with each cleanse day.  I am not saying it is always easy, I am saying it is ALWAYS worth it.
I found this online test to see just how toxic you are.  (It has nothing to do with the program I am on) Click on the link below the pictures to take the test.

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/isyourbodytoxic.html

Are YOU Toxic?

Are you toxic?  What are you doing to remove these harmful toxins from your body?  Watch this short video to see where toxins may be lurking.  The human body has powerful cleansing systems, including our stomach, intestines, lymphatic, liver, kidneys and skin that naturally eliminate toxins.  But those defense systems can become overloaded with exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides, herbicides, processing agents and artificial ingredients.  An accumulation of these toxins may eventually influence our body's natural functions and health.  If you are ready to cleanse those toxins and impurities from your body and become healthier than you ever imagined, leave me a message with your contact information. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaX67ztJjrA

To Your Health,
Kathy

Is Chewing Gum Bad for Your Health?

Do you chew gum?  I can honestly say, it has been many, many years since I had a piece of chewing gum.  When I began my "healthier" journey, I decided to pour myself into research about the products I was putting in my body on a daily basis.  While reading, I came across this interesting piece of information about chewing gum.  If this is true, I am very happy I am NOT a gum chewer. 


 ANY type of gum - sugar free or not - is NOT healthy for you.  There are a lot of toxins in it. --------------by Matthew Christodoulou

After a friend on Facebook had shared an article about gum, I was a bit surprised, but not entirely shocked, at just how harmful and non-harmonious with our bodies that gum can be. I gave up chewing gum a couple years ago myself and recommend it for anyone else, or at least looking into alternatives! Check out this information for facts about gum that you should definitely know, especially if you are a regular chewer…

Recently, about thirty women, were asked whose ages were mostly under the age of forty, if they carried chewing gum with them. Twenty seven of the thirty were able to pull out a pack of gum, some even going as far as telling me why they loved a particular brand/flavor of gum.

While this demographic is not representative of all women, 90% of them chewed gum on a daily basis, some consuming more than one stick per day. As with many things that we expose our bodies to on a daily basis, let’s take a moment and analyze the ingredients of chewing gum and ask some important questions that pertain to whether it contributes to good health.

How many of us have looked at the ingredients on a pack of gum?

If you have, do you know what each one of the substances is?

Is a stick of chewing gum more of a “cancer stick” than a cigarette?

As you will see below, commercial gum products are some of the most toxic substances that you can expose your body too and literally can lead to some of the worst diseases on the planet.

Here is a list of the most common ingredients in the most popular chewing gum products on the market:

Sorbitol, Xylitol, Mannitol, Maltitol, Gum Base, Glycerol, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil and Starch Aspartame –Acesulfame, Soy Lecithin, Colors (titanium oxide, blue 2 lake, red 40), BHT, Malic Acid, Citric Acid

Ingredient #1: Gum Base.
Imagine if someone came up to you and said, “Hey, would you like to chew on some tire rubber and plastic?” You probably would politely decline and want to report this person to a doctor for a psychological evaluation. “Gum base” is a blend of elastomers, plasticizers, fillers, and resin. Some of the other ingredients that go into this mix are polyvinyl acetate, which is frequently referred to as “carpenter glue” or “white glue”. Paraffin wax is another ingredient that is a byproduct of refined petroleum. Is chewing plastic, petroleum and rubber safe? As you chew, these substances leach into the mouth and body. Yummy.

Ingredient #2: Aspartame.
The controversy surrounding this substance is widespread. It is one of the most body toxic substances we can consume. The political corruption and money trail behind this agent of disease is a mile long. Aspartame has been linked to all of the major brain diseases including Alzheimer’s and ALS. It is also considered a prime contributor to many other diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, asthma, obesity, and many others. It is in many diet products on the market today, but in the long run actually contributes to obesity due to his extreme acidity. Aspartame is an excitotoxin, which over excites neurons in the brain until they burn out and die. Dr. Russell Blaylock is the leading expert on Aspartame and other excitotoxins and I would highly encourage you to see the documentary entitled “Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World”.

#3: Hydrogenated Coconut Oil and Starch.
Hydrogenation is chemical process that adds hydrogen across a double bonded carbon. This is done to increase the shelf life of a product, turning oil into a more plastic like substance. This process also creates Trans fats, which are now known to be very harmful to health.

Ingredient #4: Colors (titanium dioxide, blue 2 lake, red 40).
Titanium dioxide is a nanoparticle that is very common in sunscreen and many other health products, including synthetic nutritional supplements. New evidence is leading in the direction of this substance being carcinogenic, leading to cancer. We as humans are drawn to things that are colorful. Artificial food colorings, such as red 40, are made from petroleum and are dangerous to our health. Many people have extreme allergies to these substances and they have been implicated in contributing to ADD and other disorders and diseases.

Ingredient #5: Sorbitol, Xylitol, Mannitol, Maltitol.
These sugar alcohols are originally made from sugar, but are altered so much that they are considered sugar free. As a general rule, when nature is altered and changed to make a “better” product, more often than not, the result is something that is not healthy. Some even go so far as to say that these products are far worse than sugar and can stimulate weight gain. Other side effects can include abdominal pain and diarrhea. Is sugar alcohol better than sugar? Neither are good substances, so comparing the two is somewhat pointless.

Chewing Gum and Digestion
Every time you chew gum, your brain is tricked into thinking that you are eating food. Therefore, it sends signals to your stomach, pancreas and other organs involved in digestion to prepare for this “food”. Your salivary glands and pancreas will begin to emit enzymes, which are necessary to digest food and absorb nutrients from food. Constant emission of enzymes over time will deplete enzymes and over time this process can slow down. If you are not breaking down and absorbing food properly over time, you will get disease because the body needs nutrients to rebuild and thrive.

A Great Alternative for Fresh Breath
A great alternative to chewing gum is to carry around a small bottle of organic food grade peppermint oil and when you would like fresh breath, just put one drop in your mouth and you will have achieved the same effect. You can find many food grade oils that are wonderful for helping you have fresh breath.

Nothing in chewing gum is natural. It is chemical goop that in no way contributes to health or is good for your teeth. Don’t be fooled by fancy advertising. The five ingredients that we reviewed above, in one form or another, contribute to disease and poor health. Is this really a risk that you want to expose yourself to all for the sake of fresh breath? In the future, perhaps we will see that chewing gum may be as much of a contributor to disease as are cigarettes.

To Your Health,
Kathy

Check Out My Isagenix Website

If you would like to lose weight, build lean muscle, cleanse your body of toxins and impurities, gain energy, balance your hormones with proper nutrition or build a profitable business, I can help you.  I am a Manager with the only Nutritional and Cellular Cleanse company in the world.  Our products are raw, organic and every product we sell is the perfect balance (pH) for your body. I have clients all over the United States.  I will place your order and it will be delivered by UPS, right to your door.   Please leave me a message at my website if you are interested in any of the above.  We have a 30 day money back guarantee.  It is life changing!

To Your Health,                                    
Kathy

kathyrhoden@isagenix.com

My Before and Where I Am Today.....

My before and Where I Am Today.....
When I see pictures of myself before I began my journey to a healthier life, I see toxic fat and inflammation.  I have lost 37lbs and 57 inches.  I see someone that was sad and embarrassed.  Someone that was missing out on life and all it has to offer.  It had become routine to make excuses when ask to a function because it was too difficult to find anything to wear that I felt pretty in.  Putting on a swimsuit was out of the question. It was painful to walk past a mirror and see myself looking overweight and frumpy.  Today, I feel happy and proud of how far I have come.  I am not as thin as I would like to be but I no longer hide my flaws with sweaters and jackets.  I embrace each and every day with confidence and appreciation and know that I have found the secret to the "fountain of youth".  Life is good.  If you are feeling like my before picture, I would love to show you how easy it is to lose weight and enjoy your life too. 

To Your Health,
Kathy

The Beginning.....

Call it fate or what you will, but, I find it very ironic that one year ago today, I sat down and wrote a post for a new blog.  I got very busy with a new nutritional program and, well, life itself and never posted it.  Today, I opened my laptop and decided to begin once again, a new blog.  I signed on to blogger and there it sat, forgotten and right where I had left it, one year ago today, in draft form, the story about my beginning to a new healthier life.  So a few minutes ago, I posted it.

I am so excited to write from a very different place today.  A place that really, I wasn't convinced I would ever see again, a truly happy place.  I am 37 lbs and 57 inches less than I was on that April day one year ago.  To my surprise, There have been no struggles to get here.  No cravings, no bad days, just a wonderful and exciting adventure.

I ended my story talking about a program my daughter had shared with me.  It is called ISAGENIX and it is a Nutritional and Cellular cleanse.  Now, when I heard the word cleanse, I honestly was a little fearful that I just might not be able to do that part of the program.  I had never done any type of cleanse and certainly had never gone without food for an entire 24 hours in all of my 57 years. I was desperate and willing to give it a try.  After all, it met all of my criteria:  No Artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners or preservatives and No SOY.  I really didn't care what any of it tasted like because I had made up my mind that I was ready to make some positive changes in my health.

I began by drinking two delicious shakes each day and one 500-600 calorie balanced meal and two 100 calorie healthy snacks.  I loved it from the beginning and the thing I loved most, those first three days was NO CRAVINGS!  I had never been on any type of weight loss program with no cravings.  By the forth day, I was able to notice inches lost in my midsection and I was ecstatic, this was just too good to be true.  My energy level was out the roof and I felt a euphoria or high that is indescribable.  I had been researching daily about this product I was on and each day I learned something I liked more than I had learned about it the day before.  Weight and inches were just melting away and life was getting better and better. 

On my 7th day of the program, I ran into a friend while grocery shopping.  She took one look at me and wanted to know what in the world I was doing.  I remember her saying, your face, your skin, your hair, everything looks great.  I want whatever you have.  I promised to get back with her very soon, so that afternoon, I contacted the person that I had purchased the products from and ask her how I go about getting some for my friend.  She explained exactly how to enroll someone and told me that it is a wonderful thing to make enough money to get your own products paid for.  That is the beginning of my "Network Marketing" career.  I like to refer to it as "Relationship Marketing"!  Come....follow along.

To Your Health,
Kathy


 

My commitment to myself

Christmas was approaching and once again, I wasn't feeling very good about my body.  Our annual family trip for the holidays should have been the incentive I needed, but somehow I couldn't get by mind and my body to agree on a plan.  Okay, I'll just go on the trip, enjoy myself and deal with this in January, besides, I will be cooking for the entire clan and eating those buckeyes and Christmas cookies I prepared for the trip.  Who diets at Christmastime anyway...silly idea. 

Even all the bike riding and exercise I got shopping (after Christmas sales), didn't keep me from putting on a few more pounds.  Perfect idea...my New Year's resolution!  But then again, maybe that isn't really a good time to start either.  After all, I will be cooking a feast on New Year's Day.  Black eye peas with hog jowl, rice, fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread and dessert, of course.  Now for the record, I don't normally eat like that.  I am basically a very healthy eater but during the holidays, all that goes out the window. 

A few years ago, I started to gain weight and I am not really sure why.  Oh, I could blame it on a few things, stress, retiring from my job to take care of grand babies, menopause, lack of exercise, eating TOO much healthy food, maybe too much Greek yogurt (which I am totally addicted to).  Each year I seemed to be putting on 4-5 lbs for the last several years and I don't recall doing anything different.

I had tried half hearted on my own, then Weight Watchers a few times, then after watching a few episodes of Dr. Oz, I was convinced I had it together.   He named a few herbs for reducing belly fat (which I ran out and purchased), eating more lean protein, a handful of nuts each day, just a few tweaks here and there and you will see amazing results.  Yeah, I can do this.  After three weeks, I think I managed to put on a few more pounds and certainly didn't feel any better. 

During this time, each picture that was taken of me, I immediately deleted while scanning through. 
I hated the way I looked!  My grandsons, ages 4 and 6 began to make comments, not realizing how hurtful they were.  They ask why my arm muscles hung down below my arm and Pop Pop's were on top.  They ask why Pop Pop was stronger than me when my muscles were bigger than his.  They ask if I had a baby in my tummy.  They were actually doing me a favor, because I really began to take a look at myself and the image they had of me. 

I began to research everything I could about "healthy" diets.  If I was going to be totally committed, I had to feel good about what I was putting in my body.  I discovered many programs that I certainly could have lost weight on but each one was ruled out for various reasons.  Dangerous herbs, artificial sweeteners, too few carbs, controversial ingredients.  I wanted to be healthy, not put my life in more danger!  I discussed it with my daughter, who is probably the cleanest eater I know, and she knew someone that sells a product that is nutritionally sound.  I did a little research on my own after she gave me the name and on March 21, I made the commitment and began my journey.

To Your Health,
Kathy