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Lose 10 Pounds Without Really Trying

March 22, 2012 in Health & Wellness with 1 Comment

Vanilla COMPLETEIf you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I started using a new line of products from Genesis PURE. I’ve previously written about Energy, the natural drink mix that gives you a good 8-12 hours of natural energy. Now, let me tell you about Vanilla COMPLETE.

I’ve always been… hefty. I like that word. Hefty. Anyway, keeping my weight in control has been a challenge all my life. I’ve done several different things to try to lose weight and get healthy. When my wife was pregnant with Ashley, she went on the Weight Watchers program for expectant mothers. As it turned out, it very closely mirrored the program I would need as a “hefty” man. I lost 30 lbs over those few months and kept it off for quite a while. Within 3 years though, it was all back and more. My eating habits went back to the old norm.

Last year, I ran across a 3-day program called the Birmingham diet. My wife and I loved it and it was very successful. The trouble is, it’s a strict regimen of foods for a three day period. It’s not something easy to repeat weekly. You eat plenty of food, but we just got tired of doing it over and over again. There’s only so many hot dogs and so much broccoli one can eat. It’s great for a short term thing and I still heartily recommend it (got a reunion coming up?), but it’s not so good for a long term solution.

I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the Genesis PURE Vanilla COMPLETE Shake (I have no idea why they capitalize certain words. It’s kind of kooky).

I’ve tried diet shakes before and not found one that I liked. They were usually hard to swallow, gritty or just plain bad tasting. Vanilla COMPLETE comes as a powder that can be mixed with 8-12 fl oz of purified water or nonfat dairy, almond, rice, or soy milk. I use water. I put it in a shaker so that it blends well and drink it every morning for breakfast.

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Natural Energy When You Need It

February 3, 2012 in Health & Wellness with 3 Comments

I’m a night owl. My mind starts going about 9:00 PM and won’t shut down until midnight or so. In the mornings, I usually arise around 6:30 AM. It’s pretty common for me to get less than 6 hours sleep. For years, coffee has been my best friend. Due to my third round of kidney stones,  I haven’t had more than 1 cup of coffee per week in over 4 months. Carbonated drinks are even more rare… maybe one a month.

I have really been in need of something else to supply energy to get me through the day (short of sleeping more, which I occasionally do). To that end, I have found something that I think works extremely well. I’ve recently become an Independent Business Owner with Genesis Pure, Inc. offering health and nutrition products. They offer an all-natural energy drink that works wonders.

ENERGY comes in packets and you mix it with 8-12 ounces of water. They recommend (and I agree) to drink it before you hop in the shower in the morning. By the time you’re out and dressed, you feel great. It provides sustainable and healthy energy all day long. Unlike other “energy drinks”,  this produces no crash afterward, no jitters, no nervousness, no hyperactivity and no heart palpitations.

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The Power of Introverts

February 1, 2012 in Acappella, Health & Wellness with 0 Comments

I’ve been a raging introvert all my life. The common response from most people who hear this is, “No way!”  Well, sorry… very much way.

One of my favorite things to do as I was growing up in Lubbock was to sit in my parents bedroom under the evaporative air conditioner and play with my Johnny West figures. You know… the ones that we’re about 10 inches tall and made of hard plastic? Sort of like the old G.I. Joe but much cooler. Anyway, I would sit there for hours with my 10 or so figures and pen and paper and hold a diving contest. Those things were great for flipping in the air. They’d do all kinds of spins and stunts. It was like Olympic diving. I would give them scores and hold tournaments.

Geronimo seemed to win the most. I guess it was something to do with his weight distribution.

I would do this for hours on end, all by myself (I was an only child). And I was perfectly happy to be all by myself. I suppose that was an indication of my personality and my introversion. My life proceeded in much the same manner.

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Food for Thought: Is Our Food Killing Us?

January 19, 2012 in Health & Wellness, Videos with 0 Comments

I ran across this video from TEDx Austin of Robyn O’Brien. She spoke on the state of the food industry in the U.S. with emphasis on the additives and the connection to food allergies. It is pretty sobering.

One thing that really struck me was the information on milk additives. As you’ll hear, the milk industry made some sweeping changes in 2004… which coincidentally (?) is the same year my wife developed an allergy to dairy products.

This video is just short of 20 minutes, but well worth the time. Pull up a chair, get comfortable and watch.

Is Heartburn An Issue of the Heart?

January 11, 2012 in Health & Wellness, Spiritual with 0 Comments

My family history has an issue with health. Most of my uncles (Father’s side) have heart troubles of one sort or another. Every time I go to a new doctor, I fill out the requisite questionnaire which always asks if I have a family history of heart attacks, diabetes, hangnail, athlete’s foot, etc. Consequently, this little fact keeps hovering in the back of my mind.

More often than I care to admit, I deal with heartburn and I wonder (and hope) that heartburn is all it really is. For a period of time last year, I took an OTC heartburn medication daily… well, in two week periods. Then I would go off meds for a couple of weeks and it would return. As did the medication.

Where does heartburn come from?

Obviously, it has nothing to do with the physical heart. It just happens to produce pain in that same general area, which in turn causes anxiety and stress which may actually feed the heartburn. That’s not a fun cycle.

I read an article by Dennis Thompson of HealthDay entitled “Chronic Heartburn a Growing Problem in U.S.” He says that, generally, heartburn and acid reflux strike many people as an annoying and painful but ultimately harmless problem — a result of overindulgence and gluttony that must be endured. Frequent bouts of heartburn and reflux constitute a real medical condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, which is on the rise worldwide.

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6 Health Tips: Make Eating a Family Affair

January 9, 2012 in Family, Health & Wellness with 0 Comments

I ran across some suggestions by Diana Kohnle in HealthDay News that I found to be mostly common sense – but mostly ignored by our fast-paced lifestyle. In the same vein as the advice found in Ecclesiastes 4:12 (a cord of three strands is not quickly broken), it’s much easier to eat healthy when everybody in the family is practicing the same nutritional habits. Easier said than done? Most certainly. But it’s worth looking at.

Cook meals at home, together as a family.

This suggestion provides multiple benefits. Family time comes at a premium these days. Between the ridiculously overbooked schedule of parents, electronics games for the kids, 248 channels on television and school activities, it’s getting harder and harder to find time to share with your loved ones… whatever age they may be. Involving the family in preparation of the meal provides for great conversation and, just as important, education. Teaching your children how to cook will go a very long way toward keeping them healthy as they set off on their own.

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A Healthy New Start for 2012

January 2, 2012 in Health & Wellness with 0 Comments

A friend of mine told me that his New Year’s resolution was to not make any more resolutions. Which means he broke his resolution immediately. There’s a nice irony in there somewhere.

I have made a few resolutions here and there. Most of them haven’t lasted. I’m still overweight. I still haven’t made it through the Bible in a year (although I’m trying again this year). But one thing I MUST do… get more healthy.

I am taking way too much medication. Cholesterol, Pre-Diabetic, Restless Leg, 2 meds for high blood pressure, a plethora of vitamins… too much. Fortunately, a friend of mine turned me on to a new health & nutrition company called Genesis Pure. They specialize in all natural, pure, and organic products.

Dr. Lindsay Duncan founded the company which is based on three tenants: 1). Cleanse your body, 2). Balance your body, and 3) Build your body.

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Productivity and Focus (LOOK! a Bird!)

December 14, 2011 in Health & Wellness with 0 Comments

As I approach a change in employment, I’ve found myself examining many different aspects of my life. I suppose that’s normal for people in this stage of life. It’s a time to look back and see what you did right and wrong. Looking back helps you to improve and move forward with a better foundation.

I ran across an article by Ilya Pozin from INC. Magazine entitled “7 Things Highly Productive People Do.” Most of the article slapped me around pretty good. In fact, I found myself guilty on 6 of the 7 things mentioned. I encourage you to read the article and “ponder your ways.” The list consists of things that should seem pretty obvious but are strangely elusive.

For instance, #3 on the list is be militant about eliminating distractions. That’s a tough one for me. I seem to be continually checking e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, texting, etc. trying to follow up on leads or just finish conversations. Consequently, the main thing I’m working on tends to take much longer than it should.

Schedule your email is #4 on the list. I get to the point where I hate that little ding going off telling me I’ve got mail. I see it sitting there and I must read it. MUST.

Again, I suggest you take a look at the article. It makes some great points and even one of the list of seven can make a difference in your productivity and focus. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must get up and take a short break, which is mentioned in #7. Go read it.