It’s a beautiful day and the sun is shining… I started my day with a 3 mile run, pounding the dirt road, through the trees and passed the water, seeing the mountains, birds, and blue sky!  Got my music, got my sun, got my nature, got my Mizunos…What a way to start a great day! Some people wonder what drives a person to run…I see posts on facebook that say, “The only time you’ll ever see me running is if something is chasing me!”  Funny, but in my mind, there is always something chasing me, which regular exercise would throw an obstacle at! It’s age, excess weight, illness, boredom, etc… For me, exercise (whether you choose to run, bike, play baseball, or whatever) is necessary for overall wellness, for happiness.  Sure I have to force myself to do it at times, but I’m always happy once I’m doing it, and feeling great once I’m finished.  When it’s beautiful outside, and the sun is shining, and the birds are singing – that is added bonus and benefits.  Love my runs!

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I only have carpeting in my large master bedroom anymore, but whether the carpet covers the entirety of the house or just our bedroom, it still requires regular cleaning, especially with kids and pets.   Green and organic cleaners make the ideal cleaner, in my opinion, because the more we learn about harsh chemicals, their impact on our health, and their impact on the environment, the more important it is to pay attention to what we use around our home and our families on a day to day basis.  There are a lot of different cleaners and options for use around the home, to keep the family safer, but if you’re looking for an organic and green option for having the carpets professionally cleaned….

Lucky for those of you who live in the eastern US, because Green Choice carpet cleaners offer green and organic carpet cleaning, including carpet shampoo, carpet steam cleaning, rug cleaning for persian, silk, oriental and wool rugs among others, and more.   Family owned and operated, with 20 years in business, Green Choice offers carpet cleaning services in Long Island, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Queens and more.  They have also expanded offering carpet cleaning services in even more areas including New Jersey and Connecticut.  Organic and green, with free estimates and same day service, what more could you ask for?  Clean carpets?  Right!

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With 5 children between them, author moms Stacey Wein and April Paine have co-written an entertaining, personal guide based on two friends’ battle against yo-yo dieting. “1 Weight Loss Plan, 2 Friends, 3 Weeks: Using the Buddy System to Fight Fat”, will keep you chuckling and nodding your head as you read page after page of “been there” moments. Bonus: the plan really works, so grab a friend!  Now available from Amazon in paperback and e-book, available soon for Nook and iBooks.

1 Weight Loss Plan, 2 Friends, 3 Weeks: Using the Buddy System to Fight Fat

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The season’s first snow fell this past weekend. The scene is so much more breathtaking in the country than previous years in suburbia. New snow can transform any place into a magical and inviting place, agreed. This though, is a scene to take in, to melt into actually.
I love running outdoors. Not only does it feed my physical body, but it feeds my heart and my soul. I feel at peace, at one with the earth, with God. I feel a lot of love when I run outdoors. As the weather turns colder, and soggier, my outdoor runs have lessened, which is normal this time of year (well there’s that, and the fact that my neighbor had a bear in her front yard a few weeks back…but that’s beside the point, lol). Many days, running on my treadmill near the slider, looking out, is the closest I can get. But this day…this beautiful 28 degree day…blanketed with the previous day’s snowfall and the morning sun shining, called to me. I ran outside, invigorated, alive, awake, and in love with the world. Really, truly, in love with the world.
I was so in love with the world, that after I ran 3 miles, I grabbed the camera, and ran back out the door for more!

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In today’s fast-paced toxic world, it’s smart to stay on top of natural health, healing, and wellness topics.  In my house, sickies are first treated with lots of water, nutrients including vitamin D and C, honey, peppers, mushrooms, garlic, echinacea, green juice, etc., as well as plenty of rest.  And it usually does the trick.  In fact, I am able to often fight off catching the bug at all by taking these steps as preventative measures – even if half the family already caught the bug!  Of course keeping nutrients, vitamins, and rest as a normal regimen is ideal, for ongoing immune system support.  As a mother to six children, including a toddler and a special needs child, keeping myself and my family healthy is a priority.

Very common today, painful joints and allergies, may be caused by inflammation, which can be just one side effect of the bombardment of toxins and stress, and a lack of water and nutrients.  I often like to expand my knowledge of natural health and nutrients, and recently I have come across some information that is new to me.   I learned about  betalains, which, are plant pigments found in beets, bougainvillea, amaranth, and many cacti.  Betalains are phytonutrients (like the plant pigment chlorophyll), and may exhibit anti -inflammatory effects, among many other health supporting benefits.

Here’s where Nopalea comes in.  Nopalea is a 12-year old company that helps people pursue physical, emotional and spiritual health.   Their wellness drink contains betalains, and when taken daily, may help the body to reduce pain due to inflammation, relieve swelling in muscles, and support cellular health.   Nopalea has no added sugar or preservatives, and thanks to their Wellness Challenge, right now you can try  a bottle of Nopalea free (just pay shipping), by calling 1-800-203-7063.

[sources:  Nopalea.com]

* Sponsored Post

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I know this stuff is bad, but truth be told, you can still find it added in all sorts of things at my house.  I really do try to limit sugar for my kids, because I want them to be healthy and well and energized.  Soda?  Only sometimes, and they’re usually only allowed my Hansen’s Diet natural soda variety, which I keep stocked.  I do pay attention to labels, but my kids probably still take in more sugar than I want them to!  I can actually see the effects of sugar with my 8 year old boy, who already possesses a God-given enthusiasm for life.  He is very energetic, and when you sprinkle a little sugar on him, he morphs into an exuberant Tigger.  I know that processed, refined, added sugars lower immunity, and mess with the body’s natural balance.

I read an article on YahooNews about sugar this morning:  Sugar Should Be Regulated as a Toxin.  At first glance, it may seem way over the top to regulate sugar just like tobacco and alcohol, huh?  For me, that’s largely because I do not want Big G regulating every aspect of our lives as if we are incapable of making decisions for ourselves, but we are largely talking about children here.  What people, in general, do need though, is information and education.  Armed properly with this, many of us will make decisions accordingly, finding balance for ourselves.  What I do agree with, is making the sugary treats less available for our kids – meaning in our schools.  Growing up, I remember how excited we were to get a vending machine installed at the student hang out area in high school.  Hello!  Cookies and candy at our finger tips, yeah!  Not so great.  So I was pleased to see the vending machines at my child’s school filled with trail mix, granola bars, and other similar items.  Overall, I think people should pay attention to the fuel they’re giving to their bodies.  Bad fuel means a bad running motor, or worse – a full system break down.  I believe in balance, which means I do allow treats and sweets in moderation.  If I want candy, I will take care to pick up the dark cocoa chocolate – because I know it possesses many health benefits.   I am not a “health nut” (at least I don’t think so, but by others’ standards I may be), because I do still stop for fast food!  I may make the kids drink green juice too, but I still let them have fries.  I’m somewhere in the middle.

I know there are plenty of people out there who pay no attention to ingredients including chemicals, additives, or added sugar.  Drinking soda after soda.  Juice?  And juice… well it says “juice” on the bottle, so it must be better than soda, right?  Well if you don’t read the ingredients, chances are “NOT”.  You may just be replacing one overly sugary drink for another.  I stock juice, of the 100% juice variety.  I favor unfiltered organic apple juice, 100% grape juice (you know, from grapes – with no added sugars), V8 (made from actual fruits and vegetables), Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness (packed with greens and liked by kids!).  They are usually more expensive, but so is ill health.  I limit how much they are allowed to drink as well, and “push” water on them in between.

So here’s my take.  I do believe that more attention should be given to educating people on diet and its relation to disease and wellness.  I do believe that children should not have easy and convenient access to sugar-loaded foods in schools.  More labels, sure.  Education, definitely.  Fact is that you can not force people to be healthy though.  You can not force people to care.  Some will and some won’t, and some don’t know better.  Let’s help those who don’t know better.

…And some know better and still want a little of whatever it is they want!

One of my favorite go-to places for health education and information is www.Mercola.com.  If you have not been there, I’m almost positive you will learn lots (and that’s even if you already know!)

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I have never been much of a shake kind of girl when it comes to losing weight, however I have found several good reasons to love them indeed.
First, high quality whey protein supports weight loss and lean muscle mass. Couple that with low calories, necessary nutrients, and a nice “full” feeling. The result is less calories consumed, and making the calories that are consumed, really count toward your goals.
I have outlined the many benefits of being an Isagenix Independent Consultant in earlier posts. As such, I’ve decided to implement that awesome benefits of their IsaLean Shake. Simply replacing one meal per day several days per week will result in my getting that high quality whey protein and nutrients to support lean muscle mass and weight loss.
Isagenix IsaLean Shake offers:
- 23 grams of high quality whey and casein protein, which exceeds USDA Organic Standards.
- only 240 calories per serving
- tasty Chocolate or Vanilla
- are low in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol
- added enzymes which help break down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats for better nutrient absorption

IsaLean shakes keep me feeling satisfied for many hours, eliminating the drive for what I like to call auto-snacking. A big step toward reaching weight loss goals!

Learn more about Isagenix IsaLean Shakes, and purchase here: jjandjake.isagenix.com

Also, find out how Isagenix can help supplement your income!

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I grew up in a beauty salon. My mother was a cosmetologist and owned her own beauty shop for about about 20 years. As you can imagine, my sister and I learned to play with our hair too early and too much, though our mom still didn’t allow for anything ‘crazy’. We did perms, highlights, colors…though not all at the same time By the time I was in my early twenties and had moved passed wanting funky pink stripes and such, I decided I wanted to grow my natural hair out – no more processes. So for over a decade I’ve not done any coloring to my hair – until recently. I am a brunette and I wanted to play a little by adding a bit of dark red into my dark brown hair. After doing research, I thought the best way for me to proceed was by using henna hair color.

Henna is a reddish brown dye used on skin and hair, derived from leaves of a flowering plant, an Old World tropical shrub, called Lawsonia inermis. True henna is good for hair, conditioning it and improving texture. Be careful which henna you select though, as many “compound” henna colors may have chemicals added in.

I have applied henna hair color to my hair a couple of times previously, which has faded.  The henna color usually lasts about 4-6 weeks and gradually fades.

So here we go. If you can get over the funky monkey muddy seaweed smell, you’re good to go.

I use Rainbow Research Henna Hair Color because it is 100% Botanical color and conditioner, free of pesticides, additives, and chemicals.
I decided to do a tutorial on applying the henna to my hair myself. Here are some before and after photos, along with my video.

Pick up a 4-pack to cover you here: Rainbow Research – Henna Persian Burgundy Dark Auburn Hair Color – 4 Oz, 4 pack (image may vary)

Before and After Burgundy Henna Color

Before and After Burgundy Henna Color

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With my New Year’s Resolution to take off the 10 lbs which has long worn out its welcome, I have the tool necessary to burn calories and fat efficiently with my Bowflex TreadClimber TC20.  While I still have a true love of running, I also need a lower impact option which will burn fat and calories as efficiently.  Following up on my initial post about the TreadClimber TC20, I intend to post progress updates as I move along toward reaching my goals.

The unique TreadClimber packs the actions of 3 workouts in 1, providing elliptical action, treadmill action, and stair climber action.  Working out on an incline can burn exponentially more calories than flat-plane walking.  The TreadClimber TC20 offers personalized profiles for 5 individuals, as well as their G.O. Coach for 2 individuals – it’s like having a personal trainer on site (or stuck in the console haha)!  Additionally,  it comes with a Polar heart rate monitor with chest strap, so you can stay in your target fat-burning zone.  It also offers 9 challenge landmark workouts – a fun feature to keep you motivated.

The Bowflex TreadClimber TC20 is designed to help you burn maximum calories and fat in a low impact workout with a lesser perceived rate of exertion.  And it does a great job!

Bowflex TreadClimber TC20

And Thanks to Nautilus for providing the Bowflex TreadClimber TC20 for these reviews!

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I love feeling great, having energy, and feeling healthy.  I know diet plays a huge role in all three.  Everyone knows, by now, that eating a variety of healthful raw fruits and vegetables can do wonders for health and wellness.  So why would I not want to include the most nutritionally dense produce, kale?  Move over, Spinach…because there is something deeper, richer, greener, and more nutritionally dense (no offense, Spinach…you know I’ll always love you).  Loaded with vitamins, anti-oxidants, and fiber, Kale may also provide anti-cancer and lowered cholesterol benefits.  Kale is crunchy and tasty, and is available a few different varieties.  It’s easy to toss a kale salad together, or even add it to a standard green salad.  My mom came by my house for a visit recently and added some kale leaves to her chicken fettuccine at lunch.  There are plenty of easy ways to incorporate.

My other love which has grown recently is my love of mushrooms.  Dr. Mercola says mushrooms are a Powerful Immune Secret to Prevent Cold and Flu, as well as possessing additional health benefits including antibacterial, antiviral, antiinflamatory, antiaging, and even some mushroom varieties which are showing great potential in battling cancers.  Read more here on Dr. Mercola’s website.  I have known for some time that mushrooms possess remarkable immune boosting properties, but didn’t have a clue just how beneficial they really are.  I take a whole foods drink/ supplement, which lists on its label, about a dozen different mushrooms, among many other healthful ingredients, under the sub-title, “Mushroom Defense Blend”.  I’ve also seen the mushroom defense supplements/ capsules on the store shelves, which include a variety.  So while I knew they were healthy, I never really took the time to read up on the long list of many benefits they offer.  Now I have.  And now mushrooms, along with kale, have scooted up my priority list, as a normal every foods to incorporate – for better health.

Why not try a kale and mushroom salad with dinner this evening?

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