So I was asked to write an article for a women's health and fitness magazine, very exciting and a little terrifying! But what do you think my automatic reaction was? I'm not capable!! I have ZERO formal training, all I really have is a burning passion for what I wish to share with the world. That's it. I didn't even do well in high school English because my teacher had said I wrote with TOO MUCH emotion!! Self-doubt sank in quickly. Could I even see myself doing well enough to pass the "audition" and get a REAL position as a writer? I'm a nurse for crying out loud, a nurse who spends her free time writing and researching, learning and growing, who has been deeply passionate about health and fitness science for many years but I have a thousand reasons why I am not worthy!! Don't we all?? But when I stop and really THINK about it, where am I most happy? It's always been when I'm writing. Funny, I used to love writing so much. I had countless journals and wrote hundreds of poems that I still keep in my basement, seen above. I even wrote a 40 page story in high school but because of ONE teacher who didn't see things the way I did and my severe dislike for following what everyone else was saying was right and sticking to the "rules" I gave up. I probably never would have even considered writing other than facebook and the occasional blog if it weren't for this one individual who saw potential and decided to give me a shot, with many others in line for the same opportunity and I was still sitting blind to what he saw, not even realizing anyone even really read or cared about my rants and statuses!
If you combine writing with health and fitness for women I think you're pretty much marrying the things in life that make me the happiest. Something I ignored for years, stifled down because I just didn't BELIEVE in MYSELF!! I was looking for the approval of others and when I opened myself publicly for the first time I felt rejected and stupid. And through this continued self- doubt and talking with some amazing friends I realized there was obviously something that caught someone's eye that left an impression while others fought for the chance I was offered. Others with training and talent. I don't know how it's going to work out but I can tell you this. I have chosen to believe this individual. I live with passion and emotion and a very deep desire to help and share with others. I have ALWAYS wanted to tell my story to the world and have never really hesitated in doing so. I have no shame. I have a story, like everyone, and I believe it's my purpose to share with others so that I can help even ONE person see their own potential. And suddenly I feel this old desire creeping back into me again as I ALLOW myself to BELIEVE that maybe...just MAYBE this is possible. It won't stop here, I already know that, even if it turns out no one else at the magazine agrees with my "potential". I might not have the education and fine tuned skills but I have NEVER lacked the passion, the heart and the determination to grow, learn and improve beyond what I ever thought possible. Wish me luck!!
Monday 25 November 2013
Thursday 21 November 2013
Vacationing Fit
I'm feeling a sense of freedom this year I never thought I would be able to TRULY experience. Does that mean I don't think I have any imperfections? Of course not! I have a lot of old stretch marks, my stomach skin after Jaxon takes on a sag and 4-5 little "rolls" from having two incredible little boys. There are many little imperfections... because I'm a PERSON. I have flaws just like you do, but I have been able to get to a place, with many years of personal growth and always taking that next step forward (not easy to do when things seem hopeless and impossible and life throws every challenge it can muster at you- yeah, I've been there too!).
Instead of starving myself for a week or two before my vacation, pre-punishing myself in the gym and kitchen all the while imagining the binge I'm going to unleash at that buffet I'm focussing on the GOOD behaviours and making a conscious effort every day to do more of those. I'm not going to agonize about what I'm eating but I'm also not going to set myself loose like a buffet massacre with that black and white mentality. No. I'm done with that. Took me 20 years to learn that verbally abusing myself, black and white thinking and severe restriction and starvation NEVER end well. What do you mean I can eat carbs and have abs? Letting go of that mentality wasn't easy, don't get me wrong! It was devastating, actually. That was everything I knew, every day! And it's NOT going to be easy for you, either. Anything worthwhile, especially personal growth, ONLY comes in that discomfort zone. THAT'S when the real growth happens.
Sunday 17 November 2013
Why Supplement? My Story.
Considering supplementation has become a great passion of mine, particularly over the last year, I thought it was time to share my story.
I have been intrigued by health, fitness and our body's ability to change based on macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat) for years already, had been working for many years on my own personal diet to improve from my childhood of white breads, pasta, butter, mayo, sugary cereals and fattening snacks. I was bingeing by age 10. By 14 I had a full blown eating disorder and my health problems began.
As I grew up I began to learn and understand a great deal about macronutrients and lost quite a bit of body fat over time. I wasn't obese but had always struggled with being generally "pudgy" and lacking the firmness and definition I wanted. A key factor was missing, though. MICROnutrients. You know, those over 80 vitamins, minerals and trace elements found in nature that our body requires to functionally optimally? Yeah, I didn't either. My best assumption was that I ate pretty good. World's better than the "average" diet. I really had no idea for sure but I remember hearing from my doctor and some famous doctor on TV that supplementing is simply ensuring we're getting what we need in case it's lacking in our diet. I believed all of them, I mean they're DOCTORS, right?
Here's a few of the things I struggled with over the years starting at 14.
- Mononucleosis (that came and went for several years)
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (diagnosed after 5 years seeing specialists and normal tests consistently)
- Irritable bowel syndrome (diagnosed after many years of tests, specialists and talk of Chrohn's, Colitis and irritable bowel disease)
- Irregular and absent periods
- Extremely heavy periods with significant discomfort
- Dramatic PMS including headaches, strong cravings, mood swings and physical symptoms
- Significant lower back pain
- Knee pains when going down stairs
- Joint aches and pains
- Extreme soreness and excessive fatigue after workouts
- Depression
-Anxiety
- Blood sugar regulation issues
- Symptoms of Thyroid imbalance (normal tests)
- Light sensitivity
- Brittle nails and hair
- Pale skin tone
- Ovarian cysts
- Miscarriage
- Headaches and migraines
I was introduced to the concept that QUALITY determines results when it comes to supplementation by my best friend. She loved me enough to insist I go to a seminar with her and it changed my life. I has almost always supplemented, even inconsistently, with cheap, low quality supplements. I NEVER felt a noticeable difference, big or small, over time. Literally, all I had to do was change brands to the top name in Natural Nutrition to feel and see the difference.
To name a few of the predominant ones.
The ONLY questions my doctors ever asked me regarding my lifestyle was "do you exercise" and "do you eat healthy". When asked, nine out of 10 people said they felt they ate healthy (Consumer Health Reports, January 2011).
t wasn't instant but within 3 months (average cell turnover rate is 90-120 days so now this makes sense) I noticed I didn't NEED that afternoon coffee, that I didn't crash and lose my energy so dramatically. I noticed my nails getting stronger, my hair was THICKER and more shiny!! This was a revolution. I had ALWAYS struggled with brittle nails and thin, fine hair that fell flat. My skin tone looked healthier, without a fake tan and foundation. My knee's STOPPED hurting (this took about 8 months to notice), my period cramps decreased by at LEAST 95% and those crazy chocolate cravings and nonstop appetite decreased (I still am dealing with some hormone imbalance form years of birth control). I wasn't freezing cold in the middle of summer anymore, I was able to have energy during the day even though my youngest was up 4-6x a night for months. My overall health really changed quite drastically over the period of a year with just a basic start and adding in a few things as we went along. I became a better mom, a better wife. I didn't get sick all the time, catching every virus that came around (not good when you're a pediatric nurse).
All these little things I was living with just because... because we think they're normal (because they're SO common), because I didn't believe that micronutrients had that kind of power (I believed only medicine did)... because I was confused and didn't even know where to start, I had no idea how supplements were even different from one another and I believed my doctor (who has zero hours nutritional training). I didn't go find out for myself and I was confused by the media, magazine articles and false claims. Finding someone and a company I could trust, top to bottom, that had MY needs first, and helped me LEARN the differences and develop a personalized plan, to work through the difficulties that arose along the way... it changed my life.
This invitation to learn more about what I was MISSING, what I didn't realize, what I didn't even KNOW about and the ability to open my mind and ACCEPT that I didn't know it all, to give it a good solid try, changed my life. And in turn, I'm able to change others' lives. <3
Chelsea
**Ask me about one of my online natural health seminars**
I have been intrigued by health, fitness and our body's ability to change based on macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat) for years already, had been working for many years on my own personal diet to improve from my childhood of white breads, pasta, butter, mayo, sugary cereals and fattening snacks. I was bingeing by age 10. By 14 I had a full blown eating disorder and my health problems began.
As I grew up I began to learn and understand a great deal about macronutrients and lost quite a bit of body fat over time. I wasn't obese but had always struggled with being generally "pudgy" and lacking the firmness and definition I wanted. A key factor was missing, though. MICROnutrients. You know, those over 80 vitamins, minerals and trace elements found in nature that our body requires to functionally optimally? Yeah, I didn't either. My best assumption was that I ate pretty good. World's better than the "average" diet. I really had no idea for sure but I remember hearing from my doctor and some famous doctor on TV that supplementing is simply ensuring we're getting what we need in case it's lacking in our diet. I believed all of them, I mean they're DOCTORS, right?
Here's a few of the things I struggled with over the years starting at 14.
- Mononucleosis (that came and went for several years)
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (diagnosed after 5 years seeing specialists and normal tests consistently)
- Irritable bowel syndrome (diagnosed after many years of tests, specialists and talk of Chrohn's, Colitis and irritable bowel disease)
- Irregular and absent periods
- Extremely heavy periods with significant discomfort
- Dramatic PMS including headaches, strong cravings, mood swings and physical symptoms
- Significant lower back pain
- Knee pains when going down stairs
- Joint aches and pains
- Extreme soreness and excessive fatigue after workouts
- Depression
-Anxiety
- Blood sugar regulation issues
- Symptoms of Thyroid imbalance (normal tests)
- Light sensitivity
- Brittle nails and hair
- Pale skin tone
- Ovarian cysts
- Miscarriage
- Headaches and migraines
I was introduced to the concept that QUALITY determines results when it comes to supplementation by my best friend. She loved me enough to insist I go to a seminar with her and it changed my life. I has almost always supplemented, even inconsistently, with cheap, low quality supplements. I NEVER felt a noticeable difference, big or small, over time. Literally, all I had to do was change brands to the top name in Natural Nutrition to feel and see the difference.
To name a few of the predominant ones.
The ONLY questions my doctors ever asked me regarding my lifestyle was "do you exercise" and "do you eat healthy". When asked, nine out of 10 people said they felt they ate healthy (Consumer Health Reports, January 2011).
t wasn't instant but within 3 months (average cell turnover rate is 90-120 days so now this makes sense) I noticed I didn't NEED that afternoon coffee, that I didn't crash and lose my energy so dramatically. I noticed my nails getting stronger, my hair was THICKER and more shiny!! This was a revolution. I had ALWAYS struggled with brittle nails and thin, fine hair that fell flat. My skin tone looked healthier, without a fake tan and foundation. My knee's STOPPED hurting (this took about 8 months to notice), my period cramps decreased by at LEAST 95% and those crazy chocolate cravings and nonstop appetite decreased (I still am dealing with some hormone imbalance form years of birth control). I wasn't freezing cold in the middle of summer anymore, I was able to have energy during the day even though my youngest was up 4-6x a night for months. My overall health really changed quite drastically over the period of a year with just a basic start and adding in a few things as we went along. I became a better mom, a better wife. I didn't get sick all the time, catching every virus that came around (not good when you're a pediatric nurse).
All these little things I was living with just because... because we think they're normal (because they're SO common), because I didn't believe that micronutrients had that kind of power (I believed only medicine did)... because I was confused and didn't even know where to start, I had no idea how supplements were even different from one another and I believed my doctor (who has zero hours nutritional training). I didn't go find out for myself and I was confused by the media, magazine articles and false claims. Finding someone and a company I could trust, top to bottom, that had MY needs first, and helped me LEARN the differences and develop a personalized plan, to work through the difficulties that arose along the way... it changed my life.
This invitation to learn more about what I was MISSING, what I didn't realize, what I didn't even KNOW about and the ability to open my mind and ACCEPT that I didn't know it all, to give it a good solid try, changed my life. And in turn, I'm able to change others' lives. <3
Chelsea
**Ask me about one of my online natural health seminars**
Tuesday 12 November 2013
Sick Care
This is a question I used to struggle with myself. I have taken vitamins for many years but would always buy the cheapest versions, certain I ate a very healthy diet, especially in comparison to the "average" American diet, and thus got all the nutrients my body needed. I struggled with disordered eating since the age of ten but always got my 7-10 servings of veggies a day, plenty more protein than I was "supposed" to according to food guides and indulged in fast and processed food on an irregular basis.
At 14 I began experiencing many health issues. By 19 I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (constipation dominant). Both syndromes, by definition, are ruled out by objective diagnostic testing. When tests come back normal time and time again, and specialists are unable to find anything suspicious, the doctor may give you these diagnoses. I suffered from poor blood sugar regulation (delayed uptake), headaches, back and knee pain, bunions, severe PMS and menstrual cramping with very heavy and extended bleeding (clots and a cycle that lasted upwards of 7 days). Cancer was brought up on one occasion and I suffered with extreme fatigue, malaise and a lot of abdominal discomfort and pains. The only question my doctor ever asked regarding diet and lifestyle was if I ate healthy (that's mighty subjective) and exercised. Later I found out from a friend who's daughter is a surgeon, that she and all other doctors she knew recieved ZERO nutritional training.
This blew me away but as I began to think about it, it made perfect sense. Medicine is crisis care, not prevention. There's BIG money in crisis care versus
prevention. We wait until we are in crisis and THEN treat the symptoms or mask the issue by aggressively dealing with the symptom. For example, we have a headache and take a pill to rid the pain instead of listening to our body's signals that something is amiss. We BURN the nerves in our back when we have severe back pain to effectively kill the pain instead of treating the underlying issue.
We are brought up to believe we can pop a pill for every ailment. Headaches, flu, sore tummy, sore legs, a cold, antibiotics for infection, reflux and heartburn, poor attention and hyperactivity. The list is endless. It begins very early, my youngest being given medication to stop stomach acid production because he was suffering from reflux. After 4 months of frustration and being up 6x a night and a baby I couldn't even lay down without him arching and screaming in pain most of the time, we began to see the side effects of reduced stomach acid. Poor digestion and undigested food, bloating, a baby that was sick with every illness that breezed through the wind... stomach acid is there for a REASON- to digest food and kill bacteria/pathogens that get into the stomach among many others. We decided to look into CAUSES and treat it naturally and within 3 days, over the weekend, saw a good 60-70% improvement. Dramatic and very clear. His specialist told us it was a "placebo" effect.
Properly prescribed drugs and other health care errors are the THIRD leading cause of death in the USA today. The risks go far beyond masking your body's signs and signals.
I'm a registered nurse. I DO believe in and use medicine when needed, it is VERY critical in acute and life-threatening situations. Absolutely. BUT I do believe our culture is "a pill or every ill" and we are lacking this preventative care, treating the CAUSE and educating instead of jumping right to medications. Natural remedies without a long list of potential and guaranteed side effects when used correctly.
Dare the CHANGE your thinking, to RE-think health care (sick care) and take proactive steps to learn about natural options when possible. If your primary source of information is the news, magazines, articles or your doctor I would highly suggest starting to do your own research on specific relevant topics to you.
I offer monthly online natural health and lifestyle seminars open to everyone. Educate yourself. Empower yourself. The difference it can make in your health is astounding. STOP masking the problems with bandaid solutions. <3
At 14 I began experiencing many health issues. By 19 I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (constipation dominant). Both syndromes, by definition, are ruled out by objective diagnostic testing. When tests come back normal time and time again, and specialists are unable to find anything suspicious, the doctor may give you these diagnoses. I suffered from poor blood sugar regulation (delayed uptake), headaches, back and knee pain, bunions, severe PMS and menstrual cramping with very heavy and extended bleeding (clots and a cycle that lasted upwards of 7 days). Cancer was brought up on one occasion and I suffered with extreme fatigue, malaise and a lot of abdominal discomfort and pains. The only question my doctor ever asked regarding diet and lifestyle was if I ate healthy (that's mighty subjective) and exercised. Later I found out from a friend who's daughter is a surgeon, that she and all other doctors she knew recieved ZERO nutritional training.
This blew me away but as I began to think about it, it made perfect sense. Medicine is crisis care, not prevention. There's BIG money in crisis care versus
prevention. We wait until we are in crisis and THEN treat the symptoms or mask the issue by aggressively dealing with the symptom. For example, we have a headache and take a pill to rid the pain instead of listening to our body's signals that something is amiss. We BURN the nerves in our back when we have severe back pain to effectively kill the pain instead of treating the underlying issue.
We are brought up to believe we can pop a pill for every ailment. Headaches, flu, sore tummy, sore legs, a cold, antibiotics for infection, reflux and heartburn, poor attention and hyperactivity. The list is endless. It begins very early, my youngest being given medication to stop stomach acid production because he was suffering from reflux. After 4 months of frustration and being up 6x a night and a baby I couldn't even lay down without him arching and screaming in pain most of the time, we began to see the side effects of reduced stomach acid. Poor digestion and undigested food, bloating, a baby that was sick with every illness that breezed through the wind... stomach acid is there for a REASON- to digest food and kill bacteria/pathogens that get into the stomach among many others. We decided to look into CAUSES and treat it naturally and within 3 days, over the weekend, saw a good 60-70% improvement. Dramatic and very clear. His specialist told us it was a "placebo" effect.
Properly prescribed drugs and other health care errors are the THIRD leading cause of death in the USA today. The risks go far beyond masking your body's signs and signals.
I'm a registered nurse. I DO believe in and use medicine when needed, it is VERY critical in acute and life-threatening situations. Absolutely. BUT I do believe our culture is "a pill or every ill" and we are lacking this preventative care, treating the CAUSE and educating instead of jumping right to medications. Natural remedies without a long list of potential and guaranteed side effects when used correctly.
Dare the CHANGE your thinking, to RE-think health care (sick care) and take proactive steps to learn about natural options when possible. If your primary source of information is the news, magazines, articles or your doctor I would highly suggest starting to do your own research on specific relevant topics to you.
I offer monthly online natural health and lifestyle seminars open to everyone. Educate yourself. Empower yourself. The difference it can make in your health is astounding. STOP masking the problems with bandaid solutions. <3
Wednesday 6 November 2013
What is Success?
What does success look like for you?
As I continue my journey along the road of entrepreneurs, stumbling, getting caught in pot holes, having gravel kicked up in my face daily sometimes I often find myself losing sight of what really matters to me. Why even bother doing this? Why go through the pain and the struggle? Why suffer when I can work and get guaranteed pay by the hour with a dreamless job, no goals and ambitions? If I were to reach success what would the even MEAN to me? You must define this for YOU, no matter where you are, what your goals, what you are or aren't doing. Are you living with purpose? For me it is working full time with something I LOVE so deeply that it doesn't feel like work. Even through the hard times, it feels like personal growth not obligations to earn pay to pay bills. I don't live to pay bills- THAT is NOT my purpose! I want to keep growing and developing as a person, be the BEST person, the best MOM I can in that moment. I want to live with true honesty, integrity and feel like I live that every day to my core. I want to make an IMPACT. To help others financially, in health, in happiness, to inspire and motivate to be better and keep growing, to be a part of a ripple effect of change. I want to teach my children about persistence and not giving up when things get tough. I want to give them the TOOLS they need to make good decisions, to be resilient, strong, healthy. I know I can always grow more, be more, do more. I don't want my children to lose their dreams into adulthood like so many. Remember when you were a child, dreaming of being a firemen, a policeman, an astronaut, a scientist, a doctor? What happened? Life gets hard and we want to quit. That's our culture. How proud would you be to see your children reach for those big dreams? THAT'S what I want. Not just for myself, but my children, my friends, their children. Success, to me, is not a number. When I die no one will remember if I didn't have $5 in my bank account but they WILL remember the legacy I've left behind, the lives changes, touched, mentored. On my deathbed I will remember the little things, how I treated my children, how I grew with them, not the iPad or the fancy car or computer or big house.
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