Month / April 2012

by tessbrennan

Is it the Stress, or the habits we have to cope?

It has been very well documented that stress and those with exorbitant amounts of stress in their life have a greater chance of acquiring high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, obesity, and many other dis-eases.  A couple of very intelligent friends of mine once asked me, “Is your life REALLY that stressful, or have you gotten into the habit of allowing the stress to consume you?”

stress leads to disease

I wasn’t sure what they meant, or if they were crazy at that point.

My entire life, I have enjoyed a full life; on a schedule to fit it all in.  I don’t like to sit still, I want to be moving and doing at full speed.  I’ll have time to rest, when I die, right?

Enter an entirely new thought, a new concept for me. (I am still using my calendar and my schedule, but the stress is different – for me.)

We live our lives surrounded by stressors.  Some of which we can choose to eliminate, some of which we cannot eliminate.  We live our lives surrounded by other people. Some of which we can choose to eliminate, some of which we cannot. Smile  The difference comes when we decide to look at it differently from within.

I have begun working to implement meditation into my daily life. Not an easy task when I’ve already added 30 minutes in the morning for bible study, my five year old is waking up earlier, I am training for a 60-mile walk, I have a home to maintain, Rotary, Christian Chamber, a loving husband, my personal business, Bible study classes… and life.

Many times things come up and I get frustrated and stressed because it interrupts my busy schedule. I get stressed because His plan, or someone else’s plan blocks my schedule.  Now, yesterday, an epiphany.

The story:

I was sitting on the deck in the middle of a slough being led through a meditation.  The birds are singing, the wind is blowing my hair in my face, children scream and laugh in the distance, I cough, a car squeals its tires, a plane flies over… How am I supposed to meditate when………… ahhhhhh   It’s the experience, its all a part of the experience.  It doesn’t have to be a bad thing, it just has to be a part of the thing.  I realized I can just accept it as a part of the experience. I don’t have to judge it as right or wrong, I can just allow it to be.

Take time to be mindful for your health

Thank you, Paula English, Carolyn Wightman, and Madeline Ebelini, for opening my eyes and allowing me to begin to LET GO and just let some of life happen.  I don’t have to give everything up and allow everything, but I can determine what I can not change and allow it to be a part of the experience.

Reflection walk

I have heard others say that just 30 seconds of true meditation a day can drastically improve your health.  I am committing to 10 minutes a day for the rest of my life.  I understand that I am not perfect and at times something may interfere, but I don’t have to beat myself up for missing it, just look at the experience as part of life and go on.

Everything killed by hogs yet life prevails

You can do the same. I am not saying it is easy. I committed to an 8 week class to  understand it, not even really knowing what it was about before I began, but praising God I was lead to it, just as I enrolled with a business coach to improve that part of my life. If you would like to know more about how to find a MBSR class near you or to discuss other ways to reduce the effects of stress on your body and health, feel free to contact me.

Thank you for joining me today.

by tessbrennan

Tasty Chicken Recipe–Healthy

IMG-20120419-00819

 

This was so tasty!  I loved the mix of flavors in this healthy chicken.  I will give you a couple of choices for the ingredients…

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 Tablespoons bbq sauce (Annie’s Naturals Organic BBQ Smoky Maple)
  • 1/4 cup Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
  • 1 can Rotel Tomatoes with green chilies, drained
  • sliced scallions
  • 2 slices of bacon cooked crispy, blotted dry, and crushed up

Preheat oven to 400F.  Grill the 4 chicken breasts until done. (Juices run clear)

I then placed them my cast iron skillet and topped each chicken boob with a tablespoon of the Annie’s, piled on the shredded cheese, topped with the tomatoes & green chilies and sprinkled with the sliced scallions & crumbled bacon.

Put them in the oven for about 7 minutes.  Added a side of broccoli and we were good. to. go!

For a healthier choice use a large, organic, chopped tomato and an organic green chili pepper.  We use our home grown maters & chilis when we have them in season. I always have scallions & chives growing next to the house so I can just go out and grab a couple.

Just about any recipe you find can be tweaked to a healthier combo!  The problem here with the Rotel is the BPA in the cans and the possibility of GMO’s. Sad smile Every little bit that each of us does, can make a big impact in our own health and the health of those we love!

Happy cooking, may your choices keep you on the lead lap of life! ~Tess

by tessbrennan

Healthy squash grown locally for a healthy diet

Healthy Local Vegetables for Healthy DietThere’s a small farm stand in my neighborhood on Sunday mornings.  They park on the corner and set up a little table and offer locally grown produce for those interested.  I love it! Excellent produce, locally grown, fresh from the fields, & MUCH cheaper than at the grocery store.  Today I picked up some really good looking stuff! Cabbage, jalapeños, summer squash, morrows, and green beans.

In my attempt to maintain my retained girlish figure, I push myself to make sure I eat extra fruits and veggies, even to the point where I will make myself an extra serving at dinner, including things my hubby and daughter will not eat. SmileHoping she will notice the good example and begin eating more.  She must take at least one taste of everything.

Squash is something we all eat, and I fix it many different ways.  Tonight, I just steamed a yellow squash cut into chunks and consumed it with a bit of sea salt.  Yummmers

I wanted to share some of the health benefits of these great produce treats.

Summer squash are effective diuretics and their potassium content means they are beneficial for those with high blood pressure. Summer squash does contain small amounts of beta carotene. Because of their high water content, all squash are low in calories.   (Wholefoods with recipes for health and healing, Nicola Graimes)

I love to shred these babies up and add them to my tomato sauces, lasagnas, and soups. Just adds a bit more nutrition to the dinner being made and some more fiber as well.

If you would like more information on methods for lowering blood pressure naturally, please, feel free to contact me.

by tessbrennan

Caring for Yourself

As I reflect on my day of rest, I keep coming back to a sermon a pastor of mine gave many years ago… That we are to buffet our bodies, not buffet (as in early bird special all you can eat) our bodies.  That message has been with me for many years.  He came out to give his message wearing an inflatable suit, to make sure we got the point and to give us a chuckle on the play on words, but his message has stuck with me. I was also much bigger when he gave the sermon and resembled the statements he made.

As a child of God, and a follower of Jesus, I am the church and it is my responsibility to take care of myself and to live as He would ask me to, as a role model for others in all aspect of life.  Not that I have to, as my friend Camille reminds me, it is a choice.  I choose to live in a way that honors myself and in turn honors Him.

I did a search online for scripture relating to health, trying to locate the scripture that Tracy had used in his message and found a few that jumped out at me.  I’ve shared them here.

  • I urge you, brother and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  ~Romans 12:1 (NIV)
  • Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

My beliefs intermingle in all that I do, and that includes the choices I make to live a healthier life.  The better I care for myself, the healthier I am, the better I feel, the more energy I have and the better able I am to serve others.

by tessbrennan

Heart Disease–Cancer–Sugar–> Tolerance=increased Sugar

I don’t believe sugar is the only thing to blame heart disease, cancer and other diseases. I do believe it is a significant factor.  When we look at the typical American diet today, it is full of sugar, and not just the sugars we see depicted in these photos and videos.  Today we’ll focus on this sugar and its effects and a way to prevent disease. 

I begin with the video from 60 minutes where Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks with leading experts and the effects on the body when sugar is ingested.

 

Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on new research showing sugar’s effects on the body.

 

Amazing findings! One of the findings in this report was that as the body begins to eat more and more sugar, it takes more and more to provide the dopamine results. Just like an addiction of anything else.

I think about everything my daughter is enticed to eat on a daily basis, what my HUSBAND is enticed to eat on a daily basis… Mt. Dew, donuts, candy, cookies, cup cakes, processed food loaded with sugars to make us want them.  (My daughter is enticed by sugary fruit juices, cup cakes, candy, foods labeled “healthy” with sugar listed as the first or second ingredient) Sad smile

Our beverage of choice is water, an occasional rehydration drink (Performance) and occasional fruit juice with no added sugars.  I prefer whole fruit as a treat instead so that we are getting the fiber content with the sugars.  The way nature planned it.

Rethink your drink - sugar

Because of the information on the chart below, and other research, my family and I don’t begin our day with breakfast cereal, its not even in the house.  We prefer a healthy protein shake in the morning followed by our nutritional supplements and a tasty treat of craisins or something similar.

Breakfast Cereal sugar Content

I will admit, it wasn’t an easy transition the first time I gave up sugars. I went through with drawl and it was really pretty nasty.  The last time I gave up the bulk of sugars, it wasn’t as bad.  I used a balanced diet and nutrition to curb my cravings and assist me in my trek to a healthier life.

Today, I am blessed to be back on the lead lap of life.  You can be too.  For information, a consultation, or questions, feel free to contact me.

by tessbrennan

Make Every Day Earth Day

Earth day 2012 is rapidly approaching. All of the media will soon be touting all the great things we can do for Earth Day.  My family and I work to make everyday, Earth Day, in our home.

Yes, we drive V8 vehicles, we aren’t perfect, but we do maintain them very well and track their performance to be sure they are running at optimum levels.  What else are we doing in our household, you ask.

We work at not using disposable products, as much as possible. We wash our dishes in the dishwasher to save water, we recycle everything we can. Speaking of dishwashing…

Five years ago I switched all of our grocery store cleaning agents to non-toxic options that are highly concentrated.  This means we don’t pay to transport water AND we save tons of green. $$$

get clean kit Earth Day

For additional information on Healthy Homes click the above photo for a 30 minute video on home and family health.

Let me tell you a bit about ONE of these great products.  Basic H (Household)

Phosphate Free Non-Polluting
100% Organic Non-Toxic
Biodegradable Non-Irritating
Super-Concentrated Natural
Penetrates dirt on the surface No-Residue
Streak Free No-Rinse

 

Do you pay more than $0.01 per gallon of window cleaner?

Do you pay more than $0.03 per gallon of All Purpose Cleaner?

16oz bottle

= 5,824 – 26oz bottles of Windex (that’s a lot of windows…AND $$$)
=     380 – 26oz bottles of All-Purpose Cleaner (again…$$$)

 

 

 

It’s quick, it works, its simple, & it is safe enough for my young daughter to do the cleaning of her own messes without any chance of being poisoned. 

Different dilutions for different uses.

For more information, or to get started saving $$$ and the planet EVERYDAY, contact me, Tess, and I will get you started.  (For a very limited time, I can provide you with a 15% discount on this and any other products we offer, just for giving us a try.)

Why should we spend all our money on cleaners that endanger and aggravate our health, save your money and your health.

by tessbrennan

Healthy Supplementation–Why add anything Artificial?

REAL vs Imitation FlavorsI’ve been noticing many new diet shakes popping up, and many people are excited about the promises made in those shakes.  What I don’t understand, is the need for anything artificial in a product meant to improve my health.  Why is it many consumers today feel its okay to demand natural lemon in their cleaning products, but will happily purchase and consume things with artificial lemon (0r other) flavorings that they EAT?

I’m not going to jump all over the diet shakes, today.  Today, I just wanted to bring attention to our vitamins, supplements, and our children’s vitamins.  I am attempting, at best, to raise a little girl.  It is important to me that the foods I feed her are all natural, whole, wholesome, and beneficial.  For this reason, I choose NOT to offer her foods with artificial sweeteners that can anger the pancreas, artificial colors that seem to be linked to hyperactivity, or any artificial flavorings. There are plenty of natural, organic things that taste as good or better WITHOUT side effects. Smile

Vitamin Comparison

Compare the ingredients.  Flinstone vitamin ingredients come from their website on April 16, 2012. Incredivites ingredient list is from their bottle label.

I don’t understand taking a vitamin to improve my health LOADED with it artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colorings that can accumulate in and harm my body.  This is why I READ LABELS!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not raising my child in a bubble, she goes to school, she eats crap, she sneaks next door to the neighbors to bring home cupcakes half eaten before her arrival home. LOL  I just feel that in places I have a choice, I vote with my dollars to tell the manufacturers I prefer natural over artificial.

I have a choice, mainstream or search out healthy alternatives.

If you would like additional information on Food Based, High Quality Supplementation, contact me.  I’d love to talk with you, perhaps, what we have to offer could be a match for your needs.

High Octane Options for your Human Engine

by tessbrennan

Local Honey for Southwest Florida

honey

Allergies are rampant this year.
Many holistic practitioners recommend local honey to help combat those symptoms. Sort of nature’s “allergy shot” but instead of an injection, you just do a tablespoon or more of honey a day and allow the sweet nectar made from your local plants to do the job.  There are MANY healthy benefits of Local honey, here is where you can get some.

Today, I just wanted to provide some options for LOCAL honey in my area.

Locations where I know you can buy local honey:  (READ the labels before you buy)

More than Honey (all raw)– Fort Myers can be found:

Rabbit Run Farms in Ft. Myers, FL (Buckingham area)
The Planted Pot in Naples Florida

Walker Farms Honey of North Fort Myers can be found:

Oakes Market in Naples
Ada’s Natural Foods in Fort Myers
For Goodness Sakes in Bonita Springs
Hyatt Regency in Bonita Springs – chefs use all local honey

Naples Honey Company

This company produces bulk wholesale honey, I have been unable to locate where they can be found.

Southern Pride Honey Company, LLC

The Sweet Boutique in Fort Myers
The Skinny Pantry in Fort Myers

Harold P. Curtis Honey Co. – Labelle

Harold P. Curtis Honey Co. Store in Labelle

Alva Island Farms – Alva
Buy from them direct

My Neighbors – South Fort Myers
Buy direct from me!  $10 a pint or $20 a quart.  They’ve just harvested again. 2/27/13

Articles on the Benefits of Honey

Woman’s Health Mag
Global Healing Center
Alabama Cooperative Extension Service

As I receive additional information from my friends and other local Honey experts I will update this post!  Thank you for reading, and enjoy a big healthy dose of local honey!

by tessbrennan

Is your protein supplement potent or poison?

Many people choose to add a protein supplement to their diet. I do.  Many people spend good money for this protein, only find they are paying to poison themselves and to possibly give themselves health problems down the line.

Poison in your Protein

A July 2010 Consumer Report revealed a study they had done on protein supplements.  The unfortunate findings included levels of toxic metals in these “healthy replacements” that were right at or, in some cases, above what the US Pharmacopeia say are ‘safe’.  Not that you would want to ingest ANY of these toxins since they build up in your system.

toxic-protein-drinks

I think it is so sad that the products companies are advertising and touting as healthy alternatives are more concerned about their bottom dollar than they are about human health and safety.

I feel so blessed to have found a source for my nutritional supplementation that, in over 50+ years, has NEVER had a negative market incident.  A company that does so much testing, issues like this would never make to the public.  Thank you Shaklee for keeping MY best interest and health at root of your being.  Thank you, for keeping nutrition balanced and safe for my family and I.  Thank you!

If you, or someone you know is looking for an alternative to these tainted products, please feel free to contact me.  I am here to serve and to keep your human engine happily, humming along on the lead lap of life!

Tess

by tessbrennan

Obesity & Autism–a link???

I just turned on the news this evening and happened on the news report about women who are obese during pregnancy have a 67% greater chance of having a child with autism.

http://www.winknews.com/Eye-on-Health/2012-04-09/Autism-and-Obesity-Research

This is a new report, just released, and it raises many questions in my head.

  • Is it the diet of these mothers?
  • Is it the environmental conditions of these mothers?
  • Is it something triggered by the strain on the body from carrying the visceral fat?
  • The questions just keep popping into my head.  WOW

This just boggles my mind!  Since 1/3 of all expecting mothers are obese, and this seems to raise a woman’s chances of giving birth to an Autistic Child from 1 in 88 up to 1 in 53!  WOW!

One more reason why I am so glad to have found the difference healthy choices make, before I gave birth to my daughter.

I am happy to work with anyone who would like to commit to shedding these pounds before conception.

Not that obesity is the only factor here, we know there are more factors involved in Autism. I have many colleagues working with me to assist those dealing with autism, but it helps to have one more tool to fight back.

 

Autism linked to Obesity

 

Contact us to schedule your personal and confidential consultation.