Month / August 2014

by tessbrennan

My ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and Why it Works!

Yes, I had gotten pretty cocky! I hadn’t been called out for this challenge yet.  That all changed yesterday afternoon when Captain Jack Ivins of Team Believe – the team I walked in the 3-day 60-mile along side, last year called me out and challenged me to help make a difference.

Many think its stupid.

I disagree… This is a fabulous marketing opportunity to raise funds and raise awareness for a horrible disease that affects many and is horribly miserable for those who have contracted it.

Why it’s not stupid.

When hundreds of people donate $10 each – you end up with a LOT more than a mere $100 from one person.

When hundreds (thousands) of people post videos of them doing a stupid stunt for all their friends and family and acquaintances to see it begins a discussion about ALS and the research funds needed to help fight this disease.

My Ice Bucket Challenge

I’m going to make him eat my homemade stir fry over spaghetti squash for TWO weeks after this… He poured it slowly so y’all would get your money’s worth!

NOW, START TALKING ABOUT ALS!

ALS Website

Ice-Bucket-Infographic-web

Page to donate directly Link

What you can do after you are diagnosed

I have a colleague in CA who has been living with ALS for over 18 years.  He is very knowledgeable and willing to work with others also affected.  If you would like to contact him, here is a link to reach him as well.  Please let him know that Tess Brennan of FL sent you.

You can reach him at this link.

Thank you for your time!  Make it a GREAT day!

by tessbrennan

Tips to Keep Them Healthy when School Starts

School started for us today. This means she will again be with her friends and the other 900+ students in her school.  This means germs from a plethora of places and people. 

I feel it is important to give her a strong start to her school year and boost her immunity and system for learning as well.  Here are some of the things we do to help strengthen and support our family’s immunity when the school year starts – and most of the time. Smile

  • Breakfast IS important.  What we feed our children, first thing in the morning, sets them up for optimum learning, or sets their bodies rolling on the blood sugar roller coaster.
    • We make sure our days begin with a balanced meal. Since time is of the essence and my child prefers to “drag” herself into the kitchen at the last minute, we opt for a Meal Shake – her favorite is Bavarian Cocoa, it provides her with PLENTY of protein, some fiber, and some nutrients to give her the boost she needs.
    • When she feels extra hungry, or I know she didn’t eat a full dinner the night before, we add a 1/4 cup of oatmeal in the morning to give her an extra boost

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  • Add Supplements if your child doesn’t eat 7-9 fruits & veggies a day, eat fish 2-3 times a day, or is a picky eater. The first couple of times she took her “grown up” supplements-it was a bit of a challenge, but when she swallowed them whole we celebrated!  She is 7 years old and swallows tablets better than her daddy!

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    • Multi-vitamin – Coral takes two Incredivites (These multi-vitamins contain NOTHING ARTIFICIAL because it is important to me that when I am giving my daughter something to improve her health, that there not be ingredients with side effects that could harm her health.)
    • Optiflora probiotic – this boosts her immune system in the large intestine – guaranteed live delivery of the bacteria she needs to maintain a strong immune system
    • B-Complex & Omegaguard Fish Oil – She struggles with focus and the Omega & B-Complex really seem to help her with that.
    • Osteomatrix Calcium/Magnesium supplement each day.  This supplement assists her in relaxing AND prevents those pesky growing pains.  If she complains of her joints or legs hurting, we add a Chewable Cal/Mag to the mix at dinner time too.

  • Washing hands Frequently
    • We know this one, we hear it all the time. Wash your hands frequently.
    • Use PLAIN soap, NOT anti-bacterial soap.  Our kids don’t typically wash their hands long enough to allow the antibacterial soaps to work properly – AND they kill the GOOD guys on the skin that help fight the bad guys.  We’ve been so enamored with “KILLING GERMS” that we have killed off the good bacteria our bodies need to fight those germs!

  • Reduce Sugar Intake
    • I KNOW, they are kids, they love sweet, however – sugar suppresses our immune response. The more sugar and refined carbohydrates we consume, the harder it is for our body to fight off sickness. We don’t bring candy into our home – it just makes it easier. (not often anyway) Ever notice how cold and flu season begins in full force about 2 weeks AFTER Halloween?  (interesting)
    • Other options: FRUIT!  Its sweet, it tastes good, its pretty, and its HEALTHY!  We stock up on fresh fruits and frozen fruits, make frozen smoothees instead of popsicles and other sweet temptations.
    • EAT A PROTEIN WITH EVERY CARB!
      When we eat a sugar it spikes our blood sugar, which then causes a dramatic DROP in blood sugar –> This in turn can cause our children to crave and to become HANGRY MONSTERS!  When we serve a protein with a carbohydrate – the protein works to level off that blood sugar and a more gradual drop – avoiding the monsters!

  • Teach Your Children
    • People frequently get a chuckle out of my daughter (for many things) specifically when she will come up to ask me, “What are my protein choices?” or “Mom, what snack options are available to me now?”  She knows she needs to eat healthy to stay healthy.  She KNOWS she must have a protein source if she is going to have a “sugar choice”.  It makes my life easier when I know she is looking for the right foods.

  • After School Snacks
  • 7-9 a Day!  (Fruits and Vegetables)  – I know, mine is picky too. She prefers fruit and broccoli and that is IT.  We have instituted the you must try 2 bites theory – and the eat it all if you want desert, and it seems to work. (We’ve also implemented a time limit for her for desert as well.)

    Fresh Produce Healthy Grease Monkey

    • Include fruits or veggies at every turn.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks.
    • Taste the Rainbow of Flavors!
    • When all else fails, HIDE IT in their favorite foods.  I shred zucchini, carrots, spinach, moringa, and anything else I can think of to boost the nutritional value of her favorites.

  • Exercise!  We are blessed in Lee County FL because all of our schools now have 15 minutes of recess a day for our children to move and refresh and the minimum of 150 minutes per week of physical education!  Movement is SO important in maintaining a healthy immune system as well as mental health… Get your kids moving!  Park for 3o minutes, a sports team, a dance team, something… Keep them moving and off the couch.

The habits we model and teach our children today are shaping them into the adults of our future! Help our children help themselves by learning healthy, daily habits through Health Choices!

For more information on Healthy Choices or for a personal consultation or for questions on high quality supplements and other products, feel free to contact me, The Healthy Grease Monkey.

Make it a GREAT YEAR!

by tessbrennan

Choices & Consequences = Our Current Health???

So, I’ve been preaching choices and consequences to my daughter quite a bit lately.  At 7 she wants what she wants and she cries if she doesn’t get it.  It frustrates me to no end, I don’t feel like we spoil her, we don’t buy her everything she asks for, she has responsibilities, and she is required to eat what is fixed for meals.

Today, she wanted to go to the park. I said okay and that we would ride our bikes there.  She was very excited.  (It is August in SW FL) As we prepared to leave she decided she would rather ride her scooter.  I discussed this with her and tried to focus on the consequences of this choice, that she would be required to bring the apparatus home after the park and that her bike would be easier than her scooter, yet she insisted. – Long story short – the mile home seemed like 15 to me! She kept whining and complaining that she was just going to die, that she couldn’t go on another step. We didn’t have a choice – we had to get home, plus, she had plenty of water for the journey.

CLB pouting at dinner

We get home and it is lunch time. Consequences—> She still has chicken and mixed veggies from the other night that she has refused to eat – so that is lunch.  She is now taking a nap in her room because she is just too exhausted to eat. LOL 

Why is this relevant to your life?

Our daily choices have consequences. Everyday we choose a soda pop, or a donut, or a bowl of cereal, or a 10,000 calorie sandwich from a fast food restaurant.  Our daily choices have consequences. 

Unfortunately, we don’t see those consequences so readily as having to eat the food we refused the night before or by having to get home on our scooter when we’ve decided we are done.

These consequences may take years or even decades to develop. Enter the current state of our national healthcare crisis.  Forget about the fact that no one can afford the care they need – WHY DO THEY NEED THE CARE IN THE FIRST PLACE?  Choices & Consequences

I saw a new YouTube video

yesterday that points this out clearly. 

I don’t typically like, what I call, scare monger tactics to make people see things, but this video stuck me hard.  Our choices have consequences.  I count myself lucky because I had friends who pointed me in a healthier direction.  Better Choices.

This video, clearly shows WHY I am so adamant about our children having recess and PE at school, WHY I protest teachers giving the kids candy or food for answering correctly or cooperating, WHY I stress that our daily choices make such a difference.

I was close to this in my 30’s.  Though not this big, I was struggling with my health, with depression, with pain, and the answer I was given at that time was to take prescriptions. SIX of them at one time – some to handle the side effects of the others.  I was miserable.  I thank my friend, Betsey, for opening my eyes to what nutritional choices could do and to how easy those choices could be.

What can you do?

If you are struggling with your weight, with pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, pain in your joints, the beginning of heart disease, lethargy, cravings and such, changing a few things gradually could have a synergistic effect and redirect your current path.

I would love to work with to show you what simple choices could make a HUGE impact on your health! HUGE (and I’m not trying to sell Kia’s here either. – local humor) 

Simple steps can begin to turn things around for you so that you don’t find yourself where this gentleman has found himself.

CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES BEFORE

YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE!

by tessbrennan

School Supplies for a Healthy School Year

Two weeks until our school year begins. We are out busily purchasing uniforms, school supplies, & the like to prepare for the new school year.

Besides the Crayola’s and #2 pencils, we also stock up and make sure we have the nutritional support to keep her healthy throughout the week as well.  Our kits are explained here and outlined at the bottom of the article.

Back%20to%20school%20kits!

The average child in the USA is sick and has approximately 6-7 sick visits to the doctor per year.  This is time that parents have to take off work, time that our children miss important lessons in class, and costs us copays at the doctor’s office as well as for any prescriptions. It quickly adds up. 

When our children have a strong, healthy immune system, they can more readily fight off those illnesses, bacterial infections, & viruses. We began with a “BASIC” protocol to improve CLB’s immune system and to keep her strong against those germs! 

Side note: CLB is also allergic to Triclosan, so she can’t use the soap at the school, she only uses natural soaps with no anti-bacterial ingredients.  She is strong and healthy and rarely fights illness.

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This is our basic foundation:

Keep in mind that we also focus on whole food choices, healthy, nutrient dense foods and have eliminated most, if not all, of the toxins in our home to allow for healthy bodies and immune systems, but here, this is how we supplement with whole food, plant based, guaranteed supplements.

Meal Shakes are DELICIOUS protein mixes… a vanilla or Bavarian Cocoa flavor.  2 canisters/month – we give her 3/4 of a serving in her morning “shake” made with Soy Milk. “Fast Food, no guilt!” $24.10 per canister.  This allows her to sustain her energy throughout the day rather than SPIKING from breakfast cereal only to plummet a couple of hours later.  This contains all the amino acids to allow your child to absorb it quickly and effectively!

Incredivites – Multivitamin with Lactoferin for immune health.  This multi-vitamin as AMAZING! Compared to other leading brands this little powerhouse of a vitamin is more comprehensive with 23 essential vitamins & minerals, has 50% more vitamin D3 for bone health, AND it CONTAINS NOTHING ARTIFICIAL!!! I don’t understand why vitamin companies make products to “support your health” then include ingredients, like artificial colors, flavors, or ingredients that work to compromise your health! (RANT OVER-for now.)  $29.70 for 120 tablets (60 servings) = $14.85 per month.

Mighty Smarts – Ultra-pure DHA chews These little gems were my daughter’s first DHA supplements.  Now they serve as her “reward” for taking her other supplements. Smile  These orange flavored chews are concentrated with a 100% natural, ultra-pure form of omega-3 oil that has been purified and tested to be of the highest quality…WITHOUT the fishy taste and potential hazards of environmental toxins.  (75% Organic, natural, and gluten free) Again, NOTHING artificial.  $27.00 for 30 chews.

Targeted issues:

Our daughter has battled eczema, from a corn allergy, and tends to get bored and find it difficult to focus in class.  We discovered the mood swings and focus issues during her first grade year. 

We added a couple of supplements last year to assist her with this challenge and were pleasantly surprised to discover that she quickly found it easier to focus and to stay on task – the result – in a mere 1/4 she went from an average student to one being recognized and recommended for the gifted program.

(I am not saying the supplements made this difference, I am simply saying we saw the difference after we added them.)  Here is what we found to give her the greatest advantage.

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Optiflora (probiotic) – This amazing little pearl contains and protects the probiotics from the stomach acids so that it is delivered ALIVE to the very place it is needed, and not before.  Great defender of health, affordable price. $19.10 per month. (One per day.)  This is ESPECIALLY important after your child has had to use an antibiotic to repopulate the GOOD bacteria in the digestive tract so the immune system can rebuild itself.

B-Complex – This COMPLETE B-Complex supplement assists with everyday stress that my little diva seems to love.  It allows her mood swings to level out and for her to stay calm and manage her “stresses” better. We began by crushing this one and mixing it into her morning smoothee and she has graduated at age 7 to swallowing it whole when drinking her smoothee in the mornings. $21.70 for 120 tablets (one per day for my tiny one) or $40.75 for 240 tablets ~$7.30 a month.

OmegaGuard – DHA & EHA  This amazing product assists her little brain in focusing and in retaining what she is being taught.  Another great supplement that actually delivers more EPA & DHA than other brands. She began swallowing these last spring when I dared her to take it. $16.95 for 60 softgels or $43.95 for 180 (one per day for our tiny)

Nutriferon – Immune Booster – Developed by world-renowned immunologist, Dr. Yasuhiko Kojima who first discovered interferon in 1954.  This product allows your body to naturally produce interferon to fight off infection, bacteria, and viral by boosting that immune system and allowing you to be stronger and not succumb to the “crud.”  {The Shaklee Difference: A recent laboratory study showed that NutriFeron ingredients impact Natural Killer (NK) cells, an important part of our frontline immune system defense.  (Research papers from peer reviewed journals available upon request.) $39.00 60 caplets (I give her 1 per day ~$19.50 per month. (No pictured above)

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Yes, we invest in the health of our daughter. Our choice to invest in her health has meant that we only have about 1 sick visit to the doctor per year, if that.  We have seen her academic performance increase dramatically, her mood swings decrease, and she smiles a lot and reminds us if we forget one of her supplements in the mornings.

These do taste different than Flinstone Vitamins, or the popular gummy vitamins, it is a different flavor – a NATURAL flavoring.  She loves them and begs for them, and they don’t contribute to tooth decay or cause other side effects. 

As for parents and teachers for back to school supplies – that is another blog for another day!  Wishing you a healthy school year!

ALSO, here is a great video presentation on Building Immunity for your Kids by Jenni Oates.  It is 45 minutes well worth your time!

School Supply List for Healthy Immunity From the
Healthy Grease Monkey Shop

Basic:
* Incredivites (2 month supply)
* Mighty Smarts
* Meal Shakes
* $66/month**  

Better:
* Basic Package plus
* Optiflora for improved immune function
* B-Complex for energy & happy moods
* $91/month.** B-Complex is purchased once every 8 months

Best:
   * Better Package plus (for older children – ours is 8 now)
* OmegaGuard for focus and brain health
* Nutriferon for boosting immune funtion (we use this when we want
to ramp up her immune system (2 weeks before school or before a
flight or traveling)
* $137/month** OmegaGuard is purchased every 6 months,
Nutriferon as needed.

** Member pricing with products bought in bulk quantities – not every product is ordered every month.

For more information regarding these or other products, feel free to contact me.