Tag / lifestyle change

by tessbrennan

Globesity and Nehemiah..

For those of you awaiting the completion of the 3-day, 60-mile series, it is coming… I am awaiting a shipment of things for my photos for the blog.

RebuildingHealth

Today, 1 in 3 adults is overweight or obese. 1 in 4 is ineligible to join our armed forces or to apply for Public Service positions. This means we have fewer people available for these services, potentially very good candidates, except for their weight. (Weight of the Nation Series – HBO)

Heart disease, Cancer, Stroke, Diabetes, and other degenerative diseases are on the rise and the percentages of people being affected are increasing too. We are in the middle of a perfect storm of health crisis for our country and our world with this horrible Globesity issue. It seems as if it has spiraled out of control and there is no way to correct it. In an ancient, well known, text there is a story of a man who took on a monumental task of rebuilding a protective wall around a city.

There was a LOT of work to do, many of the citizens in the area had no idea how to repair a wall, yet they banded together, worked together, prayed together and replace the ENTIRE wall around the city in a mere 52 days.

The Globesity issue isn’t just about being overweight, it is about the disease and discomfort that accompanies it. This isn’t about being sexy or beautiful, because WHO you are makes you beautiful, its about being healthy and enjoying life and not suffering with disease, and reducing your susceptibility to those diseases.  Here are a few thoughts I jotted down over the weekend, while on a retreat.

Text of my monologue is below.

For more information on the class, Temple Maintenance, Wellness based on Biblical Principles, or for a personal consultation, contact me.

Text:

We hear a lot about the globesity issue, of the decline of the health of America as a whole. It seems like a monumental task: almost as if the sanctified city of health and wellness has been broken down. There is a monumental task ahead of us to rebuild our nations’ health. To begin reducing the numbers of those being attacked by degenerative diseases, we need help, big help, but the task isn’t as monumental as we may think… if we count on Him for assistance.

I would like to parallel this with the story of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah was one man, with a vision of the revitalization of Jerusalem. Just as Nehemia used many to rebuild the City of Jerusalem—we need many tribes to rebuild the health of our country and world.

The system you choose to use (tribe you work with) isn’t as important as completing the work, one brick and choice at a time, one gate at a time, one step at a time.

If we each do our personal part to improve our personal section of the wall, our own health, we become a wonderful example for those around us, it becomes contagious and doesn’t seem as daunting a task. It doesn’t seem as impossible to attain when we see others we know doing it and succeeding. Others begin to realize that, they too, can have success and join a different pool of statistics. (We are all a statistic – just a different group).

The globesity epidemic isn’t something that one person can change. This epidemic is domething that needs cooperation from one house to another to the next until the walls of good health and quality of life are rebuilt stronger than before, and our children will then understand the importance of maintaining this wall of health.

The recurring theme throughout Nehemiah is that each person in Nehemiah rebuilt a section of the wall adjacent to their home. THEIR HOME. ~Be the change you want to see.

In Nehemiah 4 we see opposition to rebuilding the wall. VS 2B “Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble-burned as they are?”

I hear: Will they restore their health? Will they trust in His Sacrifice? Can they restore their health in one day? Can they regain health when they’ve spent years and decades tearing it down and failing before?

Not everyone in Nehemiah was as “excited” about rebuilding the wall, but they did their part.

(MY PARAPHRASING BELOW)

NEH6:12-14 (paraphrase)

“Wherever we turn there are easy choices to attack us and cause us to fail. 13 Therefore we station people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them as families to support each other and build each other up. 14 Don’t be afraid of those tempations. Remember the Lord, who is great and Awesome, and FIGHT for your families, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and homes.

We are fighting a war against obesity and pour health. The Air Force tells its airmen that Wars are won by 2 strategies, Hope and Belief. This is true in Spiritual Warfare AND Nutritional Warfare.

We build communities, tribes and families to support each other and build each other up, to celebrate even the smallest of victories together and to support each other in the difficult times.  Together, we can fend off those who try to destroy our health.

(Think marketing, cheap “food”, fast “food”, and other products that tear down our health as opposed to building it up.)

~Tess

 

by tessbrennan

Using a Pen to Lose Weight

No, writing with an ink pen will not burn exorbitant amounts of calories, but it CAN dramatically improve your weight loss efforts!   When we have a baseline to begin with and work from, goals can be set realistically.

‘Weight loss’ strategy: Remember The National Institute of Health’s food journal project?

The NIH assembled a group of 1600 obese people and asked them to write down everything they ate at least 1 day per week. Slowly, people began recording meals once a week and sometimes more often. Some even started a daily food log and it soon became a habit.

The regular food log group soon found themselves looking at their entries and began finding patterns. The 10am snackers began keeping apples and bananas at their desk and slowly began replacing junk food with healthy food in all their meals.

The researchers hadn’t suggested any of these behaviors but the simple act of food journaling led to folks who kept daily food journals lose twice as much weight as anyone else.
This week, let’s create a food journal for our own heath.

Source: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
PS: Research has repeatedly revealed that sharing the weight loss journal with a close friend/member of family increases the effectiveness of the initiative even further!

 

So, put down your soda and pick up a pen!  Write down everything you eat & drink, raise your personal awareness, and watch what happens. It works and this is why I include it in my list of things to do when “Getting Started” toward a healthier life!

by tessbrennan

Are You Pregnant? — And you are NOT!!!

I was 10 years old (maybe 9) and sitting in class and the substitute teacher, who was a dear friend of my mother and a neighbor, came by my desk. I looked at her beautiful, glowing face and exclaimed excitedly, “ARE YOU PREGNANT?  WHEN ARE YOU DUE?”

She blushed a bit, and told me she was NOT pregnant! I was still young, but I remember my embarrassment, the knot in my chest, and how badly I felt for her due to my mistake.

obese

This weekend, my friend was the one who was asked this question by someone else.  As I read her account of the event, that familiar lump came back to my chest.  But so did a loving smile, because today I can offer her a way to never have that happen again.

I’ve been the one who could have very easily been mistaken for being pregnant and I’ve discovered how easily it can be reversed for the LONG TERM.

If you would like to JOIN A TEAM working toward a similar goal, contact me, we can talk to see if your needs match what I have to offer.  I have many different options that require different amounts of time and at different price points to help you reach your goal and STAY THERE!

Lets get you on the road to better health and a smaller waistline!

by tessbrennan

Building a Health Community-Supporting Each Other

There’s no need to attempt to do it alone!

Things are more fun when we share the experience with others.

We tend to continue doing things we enjoy and find support in challenges through others who are like minded.

For this reason, we have begun building communities of people working toward a common goal of improving their personal health, and committed to sharing that experience and supporting each other throughout the transition. And ITS WORKING!

Feel_Good_Fast_-_Teamwork_support

I currently have local teams building, who meet once a week. For quality control we have a limited number of spaces for this new community of support, teamwork, and coaching.

I also have a private community of people from all over the United States who work together, some are friends and some are new acquaintances, all are committed to building each other and themselves up through community and commitment.

The 5 pairs of shoes above represent five women in 3 different states who are currently on this journey. Contact me if you would like additional information or want to be connected with other like minded individuals.

Looking for improved health? Looking for increased energy? Looking for others who are finding it?  Check us out!

by tessbrennan

UPDATE: I’m a mom, I don’t have time for Cancer!

Its been a couple of weeks since I introduced you to my friend Franny, so I wanted to give you an update.

Franny_and_Family

I received a message from Franny yesterday, that made me smile and spurred me on, to keep on walking through the night at the Relay for Life.  I want to share this message with you.

So, I am not sure what has caused me to be "not me" but I took both kids with me to sign my son up for t-ball, go INSIDE the bank, and walk/shop around Wal-mart for a long time. I actually shopped for necessities like toothpaste and toothbrushes and nail polish remover….that means I have the energy to paint my own nails!!!!!!! For the past year or more, I have dreaded doing ANYTHING with two kids and I was too tired to browse while shopping. I just went in, got out, and then it took me the whole day just to put all the stuff away. Or I would make my hubby shop!!! Tess, I have put make up on the past two days!!!!!!

After my nap today, I had to ask Franny, what has changed to cause this increase in energy.  I am aware of her efforts to “move more” as she has started walking regularly, either outside or on a treadmill, so I asked her.

How many days have you been exercising? When did you begin supplementing your nutrition? When did you begin noticing these differences?

I started the vitamins on the night of 4/2/13 and the smoothie on 4/3/12. Well, I don’t know. I did walk the week before I started using but not as long or intense. But I definitely know for a fact that it was Wednesday when my husband was impressed with what I did around the house that day.

I am so happy Franny is feeling better!  I look forward to working with her and following her progress.

This is not the first time I have seen others respond to the food based supplements so quickly.  Results depend on the individual, their mindset, their attention to prevention, and their consistency.

If you would like more information on how this system can work for you or someone you know, contact me.

by tessbrennan

Improving Your Health–One Small Step at a Time.

I have many friends and clients who have decided it is time to improve their health, they are ready to make the commitment and work toward gaining more life in their years!

Many times, when people begin making a change for the better, they feel they need to change EVERYTHING all at once.  This sets anyone up for failure.  It is much better to move one solid step at a time.  While out taking a “Mindful Walk” this afternoon, I had some thoughts about this.

I know, that through my own actions, (and some I remember of my father in years passed) that I have been know to jump right into “changing” everything for the better, all at once.  Jumping into a vigorous exercise routine or running straight from my long stint of couch sitting (by long stint I mean months or years).  Finding that a day or two later I am so sore I can hardly move.

How about when we try changing everything in our diet all at once, only to find it “too difficult” to continue on the path we attempted to lay out in front of us.

Friends, learn from my mistakes!  Take this journey, ONE. SOLID. STEP. AT A TIME!  This is a journey for a lifetime! We are here to begin making healthier choices and working smarter toward our life so that we can see a MAINTAINED improvement over the long run, not just for a week or two. 

Take it easy, lets talk and work on a plan that works for and WITH you rather than against you.  Its what I do.

For more information contact me.  Make it a great day!

by tessbrennan

Making Eating healthier Easier NOT more Difficult.

Bonita Springs-20111124-00427

 

I came across this article today, 10 Secrets to Cooking Healthier .  I thought it was a really good piece and wanted to elaborate on it a bit more.

  1. Use smart fats – We hear it everywhere – EVOO is your best option
  2. Go unrefined (whole grain vs processed) – This is actually one of our biggest sources of “sugars” in our diets.  We need the FIBER not the sugars.
  3. Eat more fruits and veggies – Find ways to sneak these in.  Prepare enough that you can snack for a couple of days on them. Buy them from local growers and they will stay fresh longer and maintain more of the nutrients than those purchased in the supermarket or super store.
  4. Its not all about meat – we’ve begun eating more legumes for our proteins.  The majority of our “meat” is chicken or turkey & fish with an occasional steak night for my “mainstream hubby”.
  5. Choose low-fat dairy – We choose Soy milk or Almond milk over cow’s and limit our dairy intake due to the hormones fed to the grocery store source herds.
  6. Keep portions reasonable – This one is really easy. When we eat a steak, my hubby & 6 year old split the big ole monster rather than eating one each.  when eating out, ask for your to go boxes up front, put half or more of your meal in the container and take your time enjoying the tasty food  you’ve just ordered. Most places now offer steamed veggies like brocolocoloccoli or carrots or green beans.
  7. Use sweeteners judiciously – steer clear of artificial sweeteners, they have side effects, move toward the more natural options and use them much less. (See #9)
  8. Keep an eye on sodium – When you begin making your own foods from whole sources, this becomes much easier since most things we buy in the store ready made are LOADED with the stuff!
  9. Go for flavor – We like adding sliced strawberries & lemon to our water for a tasty treat.  Fruit infused water is one of the special things our 6 year old likes since she can’t have other flavored drinks. (I’ll be adding an article soon on bold flavors with metabolism boosting properties.)
  10. Be Mindful and Enjoy  (healthy can be convenient when we think ahead) When we take the time to really enjoy what we have to eat instead of inhaling it like a vacuum cleaner many positive things happen in our bodies. A favorite book of mine on this topic is Eating with Fierce Kindness.

 

For more information, please feel free to contact me, or stop by our Facebook pages, The Healthy Grease Monkey or Feel Good Fast.

by tessbrennan

When your Healthy Choices are Sabotaged…

Many of us have heard the old adage, 21 days to change a habit, but what about those days that work to thwart our efforts?

Many of my clients have found that there are particular days that are more challenging than others. They have also discovered that if they are aware of what days these could be, they are better able to work through them and not allow these stumbling blocks to to trip them up.

Would you like to know what days of the new habit/choice to expect these flashing yellow lights. When to expect the challenges?  I will share with you.

Be on the lookout for challenges on days:

Sabatour_days

What do I mean my challenges? Perhaps your blender breaks so you “can’t” make your smoothie.  You lose your “water glass” at work so you don’t have it in front of you all day.  It’s cold or it rains to make you second guess getting out there to take the walk you had scheduled.

These are the days that define your new habit, new lifestyle, new choices.  These are the days that give you reason to go back to your old habits and stray from the new ones. 

Be AWARE of what day it is.  Know that things might jump out at you to distract you, and remember YOU CAN DO IT! You DO have a CHOICE – which choice will YOU make?

For more information or for a personal consultation with the Healthy Grease Monkey, contact me. You can also find more helpful information on our Facebook pages: Feel Good Fast and The Healthy Grease Monkey.

by tessbrennan

Size matters! What does your dinner plate look like?

Health begins with the foods we eat, how much, what and how often.

Tonight, I was especially hungry, so I filled my plate!

Feel Good Fast - Full Dinner Plate

Grilled chicken boob (still moist and juicy), a baked sweet potato with Greek yogurt and fresh cut chives (not shown), roasted Brussels sprouts in grape seed oil, and a few peas that hubby wouldn’t eat.

It was a lot of food packed with nutrition, and I am full.  But why do I bring this up?  I am reminded of an Ice Cream Study. (It is time for desert)

What this study showed was very interesting.  The size of the dish and the size of the spoon.

Ice_Cream_Study_Conclusion_-_Feel_Good_Fast

If we were to take anything away from this study it would simply be this:

If you tend to over eat and always clean your plate, try using a smaller plate.

Suggestions:

  • Buy a smaller plate. Not a dessert plate, a 10 inch plate rather than today’s standard 12 inch. Leave the same amount of space you normally would.
  • Make it a “pretty plate” something you would enjoy eating off of, perhaps a piece of Grandma’s China – make eating special, not mundane.
  • Load your veggies up first, then only take enough meat to fill the small portion left on your plate.  1 serving is 4 ounces NOT 16. Smile
  • Use a smaller utensil. When it takes you longer to get the food to your mouth, your stomach has time to catch up with what you are eating and allows your body to receive the signals BEFORE you’ve over eaten.
  • Think, think, think… Before, during and after each bite, and talk kindly to yourself.

Before you know it, you can make new eating habits that are a positive step toward a healthier you!

If you would like more information on healthy choices, recipes, health based support groups, educational seminars, or personal in-home consultations to take your life in a healthier direction, just contact me.

by tessbrennan

Candy–1 step at a time!

I am so excited about a new find, introduced to me by my friend, Shirley Koritnik.  An option for candy that my daughter can have safely, (corn allergy) and that I can feel good about (no artificial ingredients) as an occasional treat for her.

UNREAL CANDY

Meet UnReal!  WOW… Here you can see what its made of and who is eating it. 

Tom Brady + Gisele Bundchen + Matt Damon + John Legend + Jack Dorsey + Mark Hyman = UnJunked!

 

Now, when you feel the need for a sweet snack, you have an option that doesn’t contain all of the artificial schtuff.  You have a choice! UNREAL!

Dr. Mark Hyman has written an excellent blog article on this as well, you can find it here.

We vote, every day with our $$’s.  Vote today for something that is VERY UnReal!

Make it a GREAT Day! 

Oh, almost forgot… places we can find it in SW Florida…  Walgreens, CVS, Michael’s, Staples, and very soon…TARGET!   I can hardly wait!!!!