by tessbrennan

Sick Kids – Busy Professionals Increase Productivity

As a busy professional, I know how frustrating it can be when clients are waiting and the school calls to come get your sick child. Clients don’t care that we have a little who is feeling under the weather.  Here is how we have managed to keep ours healthy and out of the doctor’s office & in school.

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When I was a child, I was frequently in the doctor’s office with bronchial distress. Bronchitis was a regular thing for me and for the rest of my family. I had no clue what a co-pay was back then, but as a parent, I now know we had a LOT of them. 🙂

Here are 3 minutes explaining what we use to keep her immune system supported and out of the doctor’s office.

We don’t do Gummy vitamins or Flinstone vitamins for many reasons. (Read here, here, and here)

We trust this company that has provided evidence based science to back their products, 55 + years without a recall or negative market incidence, and their quality control is like no other.  It’s my child’s life and future, and my goal is to keep her as happy and healthy as possible.

It’s important to keep our children’s immune systems strong and ready for any assault. This allows us to earn all of the commission and not need to turn clients over to someone else because there is no need to take unexpected time off for sick kids.

For an outline of the products we use and recommend, check here, and for other choices we make to support a healthy immune system, here.

Also, a link to how we keep the ickies at bay, even when they seem to have invaded home.

for more information, please feel free to contact me.

by tessbrennan

Boost production and energy–New-Shaklee Life Plan

cos-desk-sick-1208-mdnBusy professionals need to be at the top of their game. Efficiency and effectiveness can be the difference between making that deadline and losing business to someone else. When nutrition is at optimum levels, the body can repair itself, better handle stress, provide more energy, and keep that EDGE needed to compete and win all while staving off colds and flu. When our body isn’t at its best, then it becomes stressed and more difficult to focus, remain productive, and keep on pushing through.

Many of our Olympic athletes feel this stress as well. For this reason, many choose the Shaklee brand of supplements. These athletes must have optimum nutrition and the guarantee that what they are consuming is safe and NEVER tainted. Thus they turn to us. In turn, 121 medals have been earned by Shaklee Pure Performance Athletes.
A foundation based on purity and research backed products to support the busiest of professionals, as they attain their dreams is what this is all about.

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The Foundational level is YOUR Choice

A sound solid foundation supports a healthy lifestyle. Just as a strong foundation for a building can withstand hurricanes, blizzards and other storms to make it through to the other side, our daily nutritional choices do the same. When we provide our bodies with complete, sound nutrition, our bodies can begin to heal themselves and build immune systems to avoid the storms of poor health. We have many levels available depending on you personal choices and budget.

Good_Better_Best

Why have we chosen to partner with this particular brand of supplements? The research that backs their products.

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Do supplements really work? (That depends on how they are made, what they are made up of, and what they are NOT made with.)

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So, when our body has the nutrients it needs to replace dying cells, to repair damaged cells and other issues, it is better able to handle stress and fight off sickness and disease. This, in turn, leads to increased energy levels, improved productivity and better sustainability to remain at the top of our game and provide the service and goods required to compete and win in the business world.

For more information on nutritional supplement options, daily food choices, or coaching contact me.

by tessbrennan

Tomato-Tuna Salad

This is something I whipped up quick for lunch yesterday. It makes 2 servings so I had it for lunch today too. 🙂 Only 154 calories, tasty with a bit zing and lots of protein.

Ingredients:

Tomato_Tuna_Salad_stats

1 7 oz can of Albacore Tuna
1 medium tomato chopped (we like big uglies)
1/2 cup diced carrots
1.5 TBSP Mayo (Vegenaise, olive oil mayo, etc)
2 tsp yellow Mustard (gives it just a touch of zing)

Tuna-Tomato Ingredients

…

by tessbrennan

Wipe it Wednesday-Your Car

Good, Wednesday, morning!  Today we focus on another place we frequently have our hands and may not think to disinfect.  Though we don’t need to be OCD about it, it helps to wipe it down once in a while.

Make it a GREAT day!

The Basic G wipes can be found here.

Other articles on Green Cleaners:

What is causing us to “be sick?”

Clean, Protect your Kids, Reduce Asthma

Is Cleaning House Making you Fat?

Make Every Day Earth Day

5 Tips to Avoid the New Respiratory Virus

by tessbrennan

Quick, clean produce for 2 cents

Healthy Grease Monkey | Choices Matter

We keep being told we should eat more fresh produce to improve our health. More nutrient dense, colorful, tasty fresh produce.  We also hear, regularly about all the chemicals that are used on the fruits and veggies that we love.  I have a 2 cent option to clean all that produce as you bring it home from the market.

This is a really important step! Even organic produce can be sprayed with chemicals/pesticides, so it is important to ALWAYS wash before you eat!

Tractor spray fertilize with insecticide herbicide chemicals in agriculture field and evening sunlight

Tractor spray fertilize with insecticide herbicide chemicals in agriculture field and evening sunlight Source: kchanews.com

This is another place where my Basic H2, again, saves me money and keeps my family safe.  Years ago I read that you should soak your produce for 6 minutes for optimum cleansing, so that is what I do today. (Probably need to research that more)

basic-h-useage-chart

I’ve been using this product for over 8 years. I use it on my produce, pets, counters, floors, cars, grill, laundry (pre-treat), as insect repellent, as sting relief from bees and wasps, window cleaner, degreaser, and many more things.

by tessbrennan

What if NSAIDs Do NOT cause Heart Attacks?

In the news this month is the story, "Because many prescription and OTC medicines contain NSAIDs, consumers should avoid taking multiple remedies with the same active ingredient," the FDA said.

That news in itself is enough to cause me to think twice and not reach for that bottle of “anti-inflammatory,” but what if it isn’t the drug that is causing the damage, or the drug is just part of the problem? 

Don’t get me wrong, I am ALL about the “don’t take drugs” of any kind thing. We avoid pharmaceuticals like the plague. I prefer to use the natural alternatives and prevent the need for these “meds,” however… I can’t help but think – what if, in this case it’s the “need” for these meds?

What this means:

If, in fact, it is the inflammation itself that is causing the issues, OR the meds listed by the FDA to be an issue, it can almost all be eliminated through daily lifestyle choices, attention to prevention, and nutritional choices.

What if… what you ate could prevent inflammation?

Foods to fight inflammation

What if… many of the illnesses today were caused by inflammation?

What if… we could live in a way to prevent inflammation and keep our chances of contracting/developing these deadly and debilitating diseases at bay?

How we combat inflammation in our home.

I was once on 6 prescription meds for asthma, depression, side effects of the previous meds, migraines, plus the meds for the frequent illnesses (colds/flu) and the pain meds for sore joints, cramps, etc.

Today, I am off those 6 prescription meds, the depression, asthma, and migraines are all but a memory. I changed my lifestyle habits 9 years ago and the results have been phenomenal.

What did I change?

Relapse:

In February, I took a new full time position working for another company. This change in my daily routine has allowed me to fall back into old habits. 

  • I’m sitting for too many hours a day
  • I’m not eating the way I should
  • I’m skipping meals, my stress level has increased
  • I am sometimes reaching for less than healthy alternatives
  • I am traveling and eating out much more

The result has been

  • Migraines
  • Back pain and hip pain
  • Mood shifts
  • Fat gain/muscle loss
  • Overall discomfort

I have committed to making conscious choices to improve my health, again.  Heading back to old healthy habits rather than the lazy disease causing ones.  Good luck to you!

Conclusion:

I believe there are times and places for anti-inflammatory medications. Like after a roller skating accident, or a wipe out down hill skiing, and acute inflammation has set in, however, if your problem is more chronic inflammation, perhaps it is time to consider changing a few things around in your daily life to assist in sending that inflammation packing.

For more information on this health topic or others, please feel free to contact me.

Links to my research:

http://www.sott.net/article/242516-Heart-surgeon-speaks-out-on-what-really-causes-heart-disease

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/109/21_suppl_1/II-2.full

 http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/107/3/499.full

http://www.health.harvard.edu/family_health_guide/what-you-eat-can-fuel-or-cool-inflammation-a-key-driver-of-heart-disease-diabetes-and-other-chronic-conditions

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/video/bernstein-inflammation-linked-heart-disease

http://arizonaadvancedmedicine.com/inflammation-a-common-denominator-of-disease/

by tessbrennan

$20 Running Shoes and Other Great Bargains!

Yesterday, I walked into Costco in saw a pallet with a bunch of $20 running shoes. I was so excited at this great deal and they looked like all my other running shoes. I have with 1,000’s of miles on those shoes and I needed a pair for daily work. I happily threw them in my cart with all of my other bulk supplies, checked out and headed home.

I took them out of the box at home and they were so light, I thought wow that’s awesome. And then I put them on.

My $20 tennis… I got what I paid 4. I got a pair that on the outside looked just the same as the others I own at home, however when I put them on… I again was forced to realize the differences between a $20 pair of shoes and my much more than $20 shoes.

My other running shoes have exceptional arch support that you can feel when you take a step, they support my feet and do what they’re supposed to do. These new shoes are flat inside with no support. 😦

I’ve had other bargains that I’ve tried in the past.

I tried a different brand of laundry detergent once. I thought a cheaper box of soap could save me some money. In reality this new laundry detergent caused my clothes to become dingy, even when I used more detergent it still did not get the results I wanted. (AND my husband complained and insisted I go back to Shaklee Laundry) I went back to my already economical choice, my clothes look amazing  and I save money by spending “more” on quality product because I use significantly less. (My box of detergent costs a bit more than others, but lasts 2-3 times longer.)

The same thing goes for my daily supplements, I can buy cheaper vitamins at the store, however recent articles show us that these cheaper vitamins may not contain the ingredients promised. They also may contain other ingredients I don’t want.

For this reason it’s much more economical for me to spend the money on a supplement I know contains what it says it contains and that the company guarantees.

What’s more, the supplements I take on a daily basis have provided me with the results I wanted. For over 7 years I have felt better, I have had more energy, and I have NOT had to take 6 daily pharmaceuticals. I don’t have co-pays at doctors offices and I don’t have co-pays on those 6 pharmaceuticals every month – a HUGE savings. It would not serve me to go back to bargain vitamins that didn’t provide me with the nutrition that I need to stay healthy.

I don’t do cheap options very much anymore, and when I do they almost always prove that quality and value are more important!

I may “think” I am saving money because what I am buying looks like the other vitamin/shoes/detergent/toilet paper (that’s another story) yet it doesn’t contain what it is suppose to, SO I’ve wasted my money I will now head to the shoe store and get myself a good pair of walking shoes.

(You know its bad when your bulk purchase of toilet paper is never ending and you consider stealing tp from commercial institutions because it looks softer and more useful!)

TP

by tessbrennan

Supplements – You get what you pay for… Or do you?

Many times I’ve had people ask me why I am so picky about what supplements I take and offer to my family and clients.  I’ve gone the gamut over the years and determined that I will only purchase these from sources that I trust, COMPLETELY.  Shaklee is just that. This amazing company completes more than 100,000 quality tests on products each year to be sure they are what they say they are.

 Always_Safe

This company was founded on the principals to leave things better than you found them. Protect our clients, their neighbors, our environments, and our children!

Always_Green

Finally, our products are guaranteed to work!  100% No questions asked.  Granted, if you leave the bottle of supplements on the counter and never open them, then you cannot expect to see any difference.  But just like the thousands of people I know who have noticed a difference, you will too!Always_Works

Finally, we don’t just “say” something works, we do the clinical research, complete with third party reviews and many journal postings from our evidence based research and results!

Clinical_Research

Its sad when we hear reports of other companies not being true to their word, only true to their own bottom dollar. 😦  This was evidenced in today’s news reports. I have linked the article to the title below.

MAJOR RETAILERS ACCUSED OF SELLING
ADULTERATED HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

(Date Posted: 2/3/2015)

On February 3, 2015, the New York State Attorney General announced that his office sent letters to four major retailers, GNC, Target, Walmart, and Walgreens, for allegedly selling store brand herbal supplement products in New York that either could not be verified to contain the labeled substance, or which were found to contain ingredients not listed on the labels. The letters, sent Monday, call for the retailers to immediately stop the sale of certain popular products, including Echinacea, Ginseng, St. John’s Wort, Saw Palmetto, Valerian, and Ginkgo.

The letters come as DNA testing, performed as part of an ongoing investigation by the Attorney General’s Office, allegedly shows that, overall, just 21% of the test results from store brand herbal supplements verified DNA from the plants listed on the products’ labels — with 79% coming up empty for DNA related to the labeled content or verifying contamination with other plant material.

The letters to retailers have been posted by The New York Times and are searchable by retailer and type of product.

If you would like more information on OUR AMAZING supplements or how you could build your own steady stream of income from partnering with us, contact me.

by tessbrennan

Scrumptious Saute’d Brussels Sprouts

I had the munchies this AM so I fixed myself one of my favorite treats! Saute’d Brussel Sprouts and mixed veggies. This amazingly flavorful treat is full of nutrient dense bites and fiber.  Only 122 calories per serving and so much goodness!

This is SO easy and has so much flavor! (Makes 2 servings)

Begin by chopping your veggies:

4-5 fresh brussel sprouts, sliced in half
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1    small onion, sliced or chopped
1    carrot chopped
3    cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped or halved.

Pour 1 TBSP grape seed oil (it has a higher flash point and is safer for saute’ing than is EVOO) into a skillet or pan. (We use iron skillets) and heat over medium heat.

Add sprouts, cut side down and all other veggies to hot oil. Cover the pan and let them cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When you notice the color of your produce begins to really POP and your onions and sprouts have begun to caramelize, Move them to a bowl and enjoy.

* Sometimes, I add a sprinkle of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos for a different pop of flavor.